raf9900
Altough my first thread was supposed to have all my fan fiction, some techical issues appeared during the insertion of chapter 8, and therefore this fan fiction is now split into 4 parts: Setting the adventure (prologue, chapters 1 and 2), The plot thickens (chapter 3, 4 and 5), Tomato surprise (chapters 6,7 and 8) and the final period (chapters 9, 10 and a potential epilogue.)So better look for the right order, unless you like radical reading.Well, enough chatting. Here's the story:Chapter 9: Silence of the innocentsJust the mention of the name seemed to cause to Drake a massive, bleeding cough.?You wouldn?t?? Murtagh seemed even more surprised by this line than when he discovered he had a huge hole in his chest. ?It would kill you!??I don?t mind anymore.? Drake managed to say, before coughing again. ?They need to know about it.? The cough between phrases seemed to become only worse each time. ?I need? Fate?s diary???What?? Neraine asked, almost outraged. ?Have you lost your mind? We can?t alter the future!??Wait, Nera? Gelyan spoke. ?I think I get what he wants: Drake needs to show us his past, because he has to show us something. Am I right?" If that was true, it raised the question: Drake nodded. Murtagh yelled: ?Damn you!??Fine.? She agreed. ?Sisily, don?t touch anything, you hear me? We?ll just watch.?Hey, I?m following exactly what you tell me, right captain?? She asked.Neraine nodded, and gave Drake both the diary and the pen. And the moment both touched, nothing was certain, except the uncertainty itself.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Hermit?s staff came down again, but this time it hit steel.?Who am I?? Jackie echoed. ?What am I?? She was finally out of the frozen state, but she did not know why. ?The truth is?? Jacqueline got herself up, used one Katar to block the staff and, with the other was placed right at the neck of the figure. ??I don?t know. But I want to find it. Long gone thoughts came back; the escape from home, the presentations, the fire juggling? Was it all to find herself? ?Yes.? Replied to her thought coldly the hooded man. His voice was heavy and severe. ?You need a guide. And more importantly, you need to find a way of living. Since you realized that, I am offering my guidance to you.??But?? She was still lost in thought, and it became extremely hard to form coherent sentences. ?Your master???He is no longer connected to me? Replied the Hermit, without any tone of emotion. ?In a matter of moments, he will die.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Nera, Gely, Sisi and Drake were all transported to a large town, filled with buildings, houses and streets? Only barely standing. Nature had taken over this once-human territory, and there was no sentient life in sight. Gelyan had recognized that wasteland as one of the meeting points of the Wardens; humanity were killed centuries ago, and that whole planet was a gigantic conference room. Not that they needed all that space, since the place was usually used in more secret meetings. Everything was monochrome, as expected.Drake spoke: ?Finally. It?s excruciating to live without speak.? His voice was glaringly different; much more normal than before, although still somewhat low and shy. But what exactly he meant with that, no one knew.?Ok, now it?s your part of the deed.? Nera remarked. ?Tell us the truth.??No need to tell.? He replied. ?You?ll see it all.?Gelyan was starting to have his suspicious about what happened. The extremely low voice, the mysterious behavior, the shyness; although they were natural to him, it was too much. The fact that he failed to notice that was yet another blow to his ego.?Just so you know, this happened two weeks ago.? Drake added.Little time after that line, the past Drake appeared in a close corner. He was alone and shy, looking like a kid lost in strange lands. His eyes were searching nervously everywhere. For a moment, his eyes seemed to stop at the group, staring the invisible. But someone called: ?Good, you?re here. There must be no more delays.?The voice was painfully familiar, and when two figures came by, it was confirmed: Reciful did the call, and he was sided by Murtagh, who seemed to be bored to death by something, much like the first time they met him.?Um, H-Hello Sir.? The past Drake seemed completely scared. He didn?t even try to look them at the eye. , concluded Gelyan.?Don?t call me sir.? Reciful answered, with his tone of voice seeming somewhat dry. ?Call us by our names; we are all at equal footing here.? The tone then became more friendly.?Yes, as you wish.? He replied, a bit more calm. ?But can you tell me why did you call me???Always to the point, aren?t you? I like that.? Murtagh commented..?Well, you see, Drake?? Reciful answered, ignoring Murtagh. ??I?ve been gathering a group with the best-fitted Wardens to help me in my mission.??Your? mission?? Drake asked.?I found a way of saving the world? But a rather drastic way. Some less strong-willed Wardens might pose a threat on it.?Reciful proceeded telling the mission with a glow of pride in his eyes, and everyone heard it. It wasn?t anything that they didn?t knew, except the fact that Murtagh was tagging along with Reciful; that did explain a lot, but...?...This means you joined them?? Nera completed her thought with a question.?For now, you better watch.? He replied.?This plan?? the past Drake commented. ?Is too expensive. There must be another way. I can?t just kill that many people, especially the ones I know???There is no other way.? Reciful answered. ?We must make sacrifices if we want to save it all.?He thought for a while, not sure what to do. After a long, worried pause, he answered: ?I?m sorry, but my answer is no.? He spoke. ?I refuse to co-operate with this plan. I really should be???Poor weak willed.? Reciful commented. ?I really thought you had potential to live forever with us, but you clearly desire the Armageddon. Murtagh, I will need for you to deal with him.? After saying that, he left on foot, disappearing behind the nearest shadow.Murtagh observed his enemy with a satisfied grin on his face. The strange detail was, he still didn?t have his weapon. As Gely knew, he didn?t have a weapon.?You know, I do love a pussy.? He spoke, yet again seeming to become mad. ?You never seen me in battle, did you???No.? Drake grasped at his two swords, unsheathing them.?These swords will not be useful against me. I use spells to fight. Actually, ?spell? doesn?t describe it correctly. I use curses.?He came at Drake, who was hesitating to attack. His hands were trembling at the handle. Murtagh hold him at the neck, lifting him, and then put the other hand at his heart. All resistance and strength in the body vanished. He spoke: ?Good thing you trust my words too much to act. Now, shall we begin? First: You shall not raise a finger at me.? He raised his index from Drake?s chest. ?Second: You shall spoke the least possible, and never mention me, Reciful or any orders given to you.? He raised another finger. ?Third: You shall not do anything that doesn?t favor the orders given to you.? Murtagh raised all his remaining fingers, touching the chest with his palm.? If you disobey those three rules, you shall die.? He pushed past Drake back, and a mark appeared in his chest: The figure of the Hermit was imprinted on it. It phased out quickly.?What did?? Drake tried to speak, but he flinched with his hands on the chest. He started panting, just like he did two weeks later.?Good, it works.? Murtagh grinned again. ?Appear here tomorrow so we can specify your first mission; this is an order.? Saying that, he disappeared, leaving a lost Drake behind.The memories fade, and they were back at their encampment at the ground level, two days before the palace invasion and several feet high. It was night, and everyone was sleeping. Even Sisily was close to falling asleep, if she wasn?t sleeping already.Gelyan noted: ?A curse? That explains some things. And this was why you were on their side???I wanted to help you? Drake spoke. ?But the specifications were too vague. In the end, I was just afraid to die. You have all the right to call me a coward.? A lonely tear started to travel his face, reaching for the chin.?C?mon, don?t cry!? Sisi asked, despite the fact that he looked as cute as a bunny while crying. ?In the end, everything ended right; You are so clever you escaped his curse!??No, I didn?t.? He spoke, starting to sob with discretion. ?As soon as this travel ends, I?m going to die.??She?s still right.? Neraine interrupted. ?You die the right way today, and that?s what matters.? The question about what happened when someone died was still haunting her.?Yeah, maybe.? Gely said. ?But why did you brought us here anyway??No answer came. The memories faded again, and they were just few moments before present, while Drake was about to finish Gelyan.?Another place? Why?? He seemed incredibly unease to see himself pummeled like that.?No reason in particular.? Drake replied. ?I just want to ask you one last favor.? He took a dramatic pause, watching the ground for a moment. His past person was smiling at Nera?s rescue; at that moment, he was relived that he didn?t have to kill anyone. Witch took him to the favor:??Before anyone could react, they were back at the present. As soon as the pen was separated from the diary, the mark in Drake?s chest reappeared, and caught on fire. He tried to breathe, but his lungs seemed to be as solid as rock, and no air came in. He flinched onto himself, falling into his knees, and in a few, painful moments Drake died.Without waiting for anything, Neraine reached Murtagh with a slow, decided walk. He was on his back, terribly wounded. His eyes watched his executioner coming closer and closer. She knew that the man?s life was in her hand, and that, in the next second, she would have to make the unavoidable choice; Nera would have to choose between her moral and her word.For the first time since it all began, the question she never thought of having came:All the edits, adds and changes in those chapters will be added here.-October 13rd: Added chapt