Sorry this took a bit to write. I had hoped to write two chapters, but obviously I failed. Anyways enjoy this somewhat bad chapter...

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Destiny Calls

Chapter 4

"Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness"

-Day IV-

"Hey Max, cheer up! Think of it this way, now you get to see the world for the first time! Or what will feel like the first time," Red patted Max on the back.

Max flinched at Red's words. He still felt guilty, even though he knew, yes knew wholeheartedly that Red, Barney, and Ross didn't hate him and he was grateful for that. Very grateful, that didn't mean he didn't feel guilty for all the trouble he has caused them, "Oh! I got you these!"

Max looked up to see Red holding out a pair of black gloves. He handed them to Max, "I know you've been kinda feeling insecure about your hands, so these might help."

Max nodded, "Thanks," Max took the black gloves, the color changed to white...

"O-oh....well.... I guess that means whatever you can do affects non-living things too!" Red gave an awkward smile and tried to cheer Max up. Max grimaced. Red sighed, "Barney and Ross will finish packing, and when I come back, we'll all leave."

Red didn't bother to see Max respond, he knew he wasn't going to.

Max played around with the white gloves. He tossed them from one hand to the other, each time he did they changed from white to black. He wished he knew why the change was so limited, and what exactly he could--

Max tossed the gloves a little too hard and they fell to the ground. He sighed before pushing himself off the couch and walking over to pick the gloves up. He bent down, his fingers brushing against the hardwood floor as he picked up the gloves. The gloves changed back to white.

Parts of the hardwood floor had changed to dirt and sprouted a small flower. It was pink and fragile looking, "Damnit! Why can't I stop it! Why can't I control it!" Max hissed under his breath.

He yanked the flower out and it withered instantly. Max screamed in frustration and threw the dead flower to the ground. Max glanced at the gloves in his hands, he decided to put them on, since they would cover up his hands. He would just have to keep its multicolored dance under control.

"Heys a Max, yous ok? We's almost dones with the packing heres."

"Yeah... I'm fine, sorry. Just got a little angry," Max answered as Barney peeked into the room he was in.

"Oks, just checkings," Barney disappeared again and Max started pacing.

Max furrowed his brow in concentration. He tried to remember something, anything more. Anything that could help him decipher who he was and what was happening to him, and preferably why?

The more he tried to remember the more his mind kept getting thrust back into that eternal darkness. His head started to hurt so Max decided to stop. He sighed in defeat and plopped back down on the couch.

"Guys I'm back!" Red came in through the front door waving 4 slips of paper, "I got us some passes to and out of Neim!"

"Awesome!" Ross came in through the doorway, he was carrying two bags on him and tossed one to Red.

"Thanks, Max you ready?" Red caught the bag with ease and swung it over his back.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"You dirts! Let's get move on!" Barney came marching in also carrying two bags. His bag, which he was already wearing, was abnormally large.

"Barney! What do you have in there!"

"Only the things for champions!"

Ross walked over to Max as Red tried to suppress his laughter, "If you are wondering, Barney gets like this when he is excited"

Max nodded, "Heres you go Max," Barney dropped Max's bag into Max his hands. He looked at it, it was fairly light and...

"Max! You can control it?"

"What?" Max looked up at Red's face.

"It didn't change or transform or whatever!" Max looked down to see the bag had indeed remained the same. Even though previously anything he touched would change--the gloves. Max looked to see that the gloves still on his hands and still the white color. Perhaps things would only change through direct contact and would not change if his bare skin touched nothing, of course not affecting the things on him he assumed.

"I-I think it is because of the gloves you gave me..."

"That's great news then! If you keep those on, then you won't have to worry about going out of control or something! And no one will see your hands too!" Red smiled, "But we have no time to spare, if we move now, we can make it to Norton in just a few days. From there we can get some horses and travel to Duhita."

"Alrights! Let's go then you dirts!" Barney jumped up and dashed quickly out the door.

"Ah! Wait, don't let people see you!" Ross chased after Barney, but he didn't heed his own advice. With a snort and a joyous laugh Red ran after them, leaving only Max behind.

He was a little slow to start, but he mustered a small grin before running out into the warm sun slinging his bag over his shoulder. He hoped these memories would last an eternity.

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-Day VIII-

It was late afternoon when Max and his friends arrived in the Port of Norton. They'd been traveling for 4 days through the Efliden swamp, and since none of them were used to traveling, it took them longer than expected to reach their first destination. They had exhausted almost all of their resources, and were dead tired.

"Oh mans, can we takes break now!" Barney groaned, he seemed ignorant of the odd stares people were giving him. Ross on the other hand was very aware and shrunk under every stare.

"Y-yea, I think it would be best if...if we settled down for tonight and got horses tomorrow..." Ross glanced uneasily around.

"You guys are probably right, Max," Red glanced back at Max who lifted his head in response, "Help me find an inn."

"Ok." The two of them looked around the quiet town, ignoring the odd stares people gave them, "Hey, Red, here's an inn."

"Awesome, thanks! This way guys!" Red entered the inn Max had found and they followed in after him.

"Any spare rooms mam'?"

"No pets allowed," A woman said behind the counter of the inn. She rested lazily against a propped stool and shooed Red with her hand.

"I can assure you, we have no animals here." Red answered.

"Yea? What're those two right next to you, they don't look human to me..." She pointed at Barney and Ross and Max facepalmed. Red forgot that they weren't human at the moment...

"Oh! Er...., righhhht. Well we really need a place to stay, is there anyway you can make an exception?"

"Hmph, add an extra 150 nuggs per animal and I might make an exception." Red glared at the women's and sighed before turning to his friends.

"How much money do we have?"

"Abouts 2000 nugs alls together, nots a lot," Barney answered, "And since it's 50 pers persons, wes already down 200."

"Red nodded in understanding before finally sighing, "We'll pay the extra fee..."

"Oh! Did I say 150, I meant 250," She smiled sweetly. Red tried hard to match her positive attitude but it was obvious by the tense posture and the twitching eyelids that he was very annoyed. Max on the other hand glared obvious daggers at the shrewd woman.

"Lola, quit messing with the paying customers, just charge em' the extra 150 and stop tryin' to sap them of their money." Lola huffed and held out her hand, Red paid her the regular charge plus 300 for Barney and Ross' additional cost. Lola, as she was called by the other gentleman that walked in just a few minutes ago sat up and walked out an adjacent door.

"Sorry 'bout that folks, she ain't usually like that," The man smiled at them as he moved behind the counter and then handed them two keys. His voice dropped a few pitches as he added, "It's just you know, funds just ain't comin' like they used to, and really none of the businesses are doin' to hot with," The man discreetly nudges his head in the direction of a group of loud and obnoxious soldiers, "them around."

The man suddenly spoke up, "Hey, if you're aiming to stick around awhile, just be mindful of the rules. Heck be mindful of them even if you leave Neim. Oh, and your rooms are just up those stairs, have a nice night!" He waved and Barney thanked him as the rest of them moved towards the stairs. Max heard in the background Lola shouting.

"Will! Where'd ya put that d*mn crate!"

"Hold on Lola, I'll be there in a minute!"

The calm liveliness of this inn did little to suppress his worry for their future journey. However Max held up his hopes, for himself and his friends.

Ehhhhh. Meh chapter, but hey! Things are slowly rising and falling! And now off to go work on a Grasping Fate chapter because even though I have finals, I never study :P

I'm completely going to bullsh*t spanish on Wednesday. I have nothing against the language, it is just the one class I wish I had more options on. We're forced to take Spanish, when I wish I could choose the language I want. *cough* Japanese *cough*

~WrittenDarkness