*Note* The scavenger hunt is still going on. I'll try to release another hint in my art book later today. Also I'm trying to write 5 more chapters, 3 of them DC chapters, 2 of them GF chapters. That way I can have 3 weeks to have some me time and not write XD.

And there may only be 3-4 chapters of DC left, lol. Read bottom for a note about what happens after this book ends. I will also repeat this when it does end.

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Destiny Calls

Chapter 9

"A friend who understands your tears is a lot more valuable than a friend who only knows your smile."

-Day XV-

Night fall had finally come. It was the 16th of Aeth, only for more days before Max's journey ends. But to be technical Max would endure 2 months within those 4 days, matters of which will be written further in.

Thick clouds hung over the sky, blocking out any sign of the moon, four figures lurked in the dark shadows of a tent.

"Are yous sures this is the rights ways?"

"Yes Barney, this is what Rick and Eric told me." Red replied.

"You should've kept that statue, you know, we aren't exactly rich with money and resources," Max mumbled. He did not like the nighttime all that much. He found the darkness unsettling and very familiar to him, but not in a good way.

"I know, but we would've been stuck in Emedo for Notch knows how long if I didn't try bribing." Red retorted, he looked left then right, then left again before motioning for them to move. Red hurried from one tent to the next, he abruptly stopped causing Barney to run into him.

"Ooof!" Barney cried out and Red tumbled but they managed to stay hidden, "Whats was thats for?"

"Sorry, I just saw soldiers...I wonder what they're doing so late at night.

"Didn't Eric say something about an attack?" Ross asked.

"He did," Max answered him, "but Rick stopped him before he told us anything."

"You knows, Emedos maybes getting for war, buts don't those soldiers looks likes they're headings away from Duhitas?" Barney pointed out.

Max looked but shrugged. He saw the soldiers with armor and weapons on, but he hardly remembered anything about this world. He's still trying to grasp his own identity, he's had no time to learn the location of anything.

"Red, where is that cave those guards mentioned?" Ross asked, he lkept looking over his soldier in anticipation.

"They said west of a grey tent with yellow markings, but there are so many tents, how the nether are w--"

"Founds it!" Barney pointed and Ross slapped a hand over Barney's large dino snout.

"Shhhh!"

"Hey you hear that?" They all stiffed at the sound of that nearby soldier's voice, "I think it came from ov--"

"Prepare to head out! We are heading north in 10 minutes!" Max recognized the voice as that b*tchy general's. But it seemed to have saved their a*ses because those soldiers quickly left before investigating their hiding spot behind the tent. It looked that quite a lot of soldiers were moving away, but plenty appeared to be staying.

"Max!" Max looked up to see Red, Barney, and Ross already moving away from the area and towards the grey and yellow tent. Max hurried after them.

~~~~~

"Is this the cave?" Ross shivered, he peered into it and gulped.

"It looks to be the only one around, so I think so. Apparently if we go through here there is a mine shaft that leads us out so we can avoid more soldiers."

"Goods, let's gos." Barney started to march in, but Max grabbed his shirt and held the tall guy back.

"Hold your horses, are we sure it is safe?"

"Nos, but it's ours only chance." Barney pulled away and walked back in. Max sighed and followed after Red and Ross.

The cave was dark, especially with the starless light there was hardly a glimmer of anything that could point them in the right direction. Even the entrance to the cave hardly let any light in.

"Hold on guy, I think I still have a torch or two," Red rummaged through his bag in pitch black, Ross, Barney and Max stood around him, squinting in the dark as they did so. "Ah! Found it!" Max believed Red pulled out the torch and then he heard the sound of liquid being poured, "Oh...wait...I don't have anything to light it with anymore...."

"Can'ts you just strikes it ons the grounds?" Barney asked.

"It's not a match Barney..." Max said, "Red poured gasoline on it, it isn't going to light that easily like that."

"Well thens, cant's you uses your hands and makes fire appears?"

"No!" Max yelled fircely, the sound of hs voice echoed off the cave walls. He would never do that, he didn't dae think of it. He hasn't removed his gloves since he put them on, but even though he could not see the marks he knew they were still there. He knew they were still inching over his body, he knew that even if they were going at a slower rate than if he used his magic or curse or whatever the f*ck it was, they would continue to grow to consume him. And he wouldn't risk speeding it up.

"Just...no, I won't ever use it...Not thtis cursed power. I'll probably screw up and turn the stick into rock or something..."

"S-sorrys Max, I didn'ts means--"

"No it is fine, let's just keep moving. Everyone hold onto each other, and Red use that unlit torch to feel our way around. If we're leaving through this cave, this is our only bet."

"Ok," Red, obviously was the lead of the line. Ross took secong grabbing onto one arm, Barney 3rd and grabbed Ross' free arm, and Max was last. He held onto Barney's other arm, first making sure his gloves were safely on.

The four of them began to slowly creep there way through the cave, it was a very slow and tedious process. Max perked up everytime he heard a peble kicked or the scuff of their feet. He was a little jumpy, a little unerved. He didn't like it, he wasn't comfortable, he...he needed to leave. His hand tightened around Barney's arm.

"Ows! Max!" Max let go of Barney's arm and started to shake.

Flashes... A face. A mask. A voice. Emptiness. He felt like reality was slipping away from him. He hated the feeling. This cave, this cave made him think of the void, that empty, vast place where nothing existed. He could see nothing, feel nothing, and be nothing, his grip on the world around him was slipping. He wanted to leave.

He wanted out.

He didn't want to lose, he didn't want to be here or there, he wanted to feel the sun on his back, the wind through his hair. He wanted to be where something existed, something that he could feel or touch or see.

Max crouched to the ground and hugged himself. He tried closing his eyes, but that only made it darker. He could hardly hear his friends' voices. He hardly realized someone yank him up and pull him along. He couldn't even tell if his feet were moving with them or if they were just dragging him like a useless doll. He kept his eyes close the entire time. His mind was racing, he was useless and he knew it.

He couldn't turn Ross and Barney back, he couldn't control his powers, he couldn't remember who he was or anything about himself, he couldn't even control himself before his fears took over him.

As the days went on, Max could see he was a total screw up.

"Sh*t! There are mobs!" Red yelled, he waved his unlit torch around, but to no avail. Skeletons, spiders and zombie were already around them, and they hadn't noticed. Ross had Max by his arm, and Barney...well, he swung his bag around.

An arrow flew. A spider lunged. Two zombies groaned with arms out and teeth ready. All the while a creeper inched quietly over to the unsuspecting and terrified group.

Suddenly, Barney spoke up, "Waits I thinks I sees lights!" Barney started running and with little choice Red and Ross followed while dragging Max with them.

A ravine! A ravine with an abandoned mine shaft on the other side. But Red knew the only way to make it there is if they jump and Max was in no right of mind to jump. He looked back behind them and saw fast approaching mobs and flying arrows. "Sh*t" he hissed to himself, he didn't know what to do. They couldn't leave Max, but how to get him to snap out of it? He wasn't sure what was happening with him. It was like he wasn't even here...

Not here? Red had an idea, he had a thought. He looked around to the dark cave behind them and the torch ahead of them. In a split second he said, "Stay here, I think I know how to get Max to snap out of it!" Red didn't wait for a reply, he ran and jumped across the ravine. He jumped a little short, his unlit torch flew from his hand and safely into the mineshaft as his hands grabbed the ravine edge and the air was knocked out of him from the rough splat to the side of the ravine.

"Red!" Ross yelled. Red knew he couldn't look back as his friends were in trouble. He heaved, grunted, and strained to pull himself up and over the edge. He wanted to collapse and breathe when he finally did, but he forced himself to crawl to his unlit torch, He pulled himself up and lit his torch on the one burning in the mine shaft.

"Barney, Ross! Take this! Try to get Max to see it!" Red threw the torch. Yes he knew how stupid, and dangerous it was. But who the hell said that this adventure was going to be safe? Ross panicked still holding up Max, An arrow flew, barely missing Barney as he caught the torch...somehow? A spider lunged at Ross and he screamed. He had no choice, his grip loosened on Max and Ross grappled with the spider. He tried to throw it off him. Barney waved the torch in from of them at the mobs hoping to scare them off.

Max was still in his own mind, still dreaming the idea that he was in the void, he could not tell reality from not. But he caught the faintest glimmer of something dancing in front of him. Something that swayed side to side, the only thing in this lonesome and dark void he was cursed to live in. He felt himself reach for it, it felt warm even though he could not catch it. The thing of light or whatever stopped moving, it fell and Max screamed. He reached for it. He didn't want to lose it. He didn't want to be in the dark forever.

Max saw their situation. He saw the cave, the mobs, his friends being attacked, Red yelling at them. But he screamed and wrenched his hand from the burning torch, he clutched his burned hand, he lost one glove as it now had holes in it from the fire he tried to grab.

"Max! Ross! Barney! Hurry and jump, hurry!" Max looked up through the pain, he was biting his lip to keep himself from screaming more. Rising to unsteady feet he kicked the spider on Ross and pulled him away. Barney managed to throw the zombies off of him. There was a hiss, flashes of light and a boom. They were launched and thrown to the safety of the mine shaft. Max being the furthest from the blow wasn't as injured he got up and with Red helped Ross and Barney. The two of them used Red and Max as support.

"S-sorry guys, this is my fault..." Max muttered and looked away. He kept his burnt left hand hidden as best as he could. And he made sure to touch nothing that wasn't already on him.

"Max, it's not your fault, IT's ours, we should've known that the dark was scary for you. Having spent 4 years there and that being the only thing you can remember." Red tol him.

Max nodded sadly, but then realized something Red said was odd. 4 years? How would he know he was in the void for 4 years when he didn't know how long he was there? And where had he heard that number, it had something to do with something...

"Hey guys! I see the exit, we found it!" Red cheered, and Ross and Barney let out relieved sighs. Just two more days and they'll be in Duhita... Two more days...

Alright. So there are probs only 3-4 chapters left. So what happens next? Does Max's story end? 

Nope. I promise when you get to the ending you'll be like 'OFC it can't end here'

But will there be a Book 2? Technically no, BUT in a way yes.

See this is my plan. Falling to Rise and Grasping Fate are both part of what i call the Fate series. Destiny Calls is part of the Destiny Series (even though said series is only one book long).

When Destiny Calls ends, there is no book 2 in the Destiny Series but there is a continuation of Max's story in the third and final series (also going to be one book long). Which I'm thinking of calling it the Godly Series, and you'll understand why later.

And so technically Destiny series and the Fate series are almost like prequels to the Godly series, but you are not required to read them both or all to understand the stories.

There is only one problem. When I finish Destiny Calls, the Godly series will not go up after,because Grasping Fate needs to finish. The Godly series has 4-5 main characters, and the rest of the youtubers or OC are supporting on main supporting characters. 

So when Destiny Calls ends, it will be sometime before you'll find out what happens to Max after, because starting the Godly series before Grasping Fate is done will screw everything and spoil everything in Grasping Fate. Which will suck. But don't worry. Grasping Fate will become the main upload after DC is done, and then I'll work on putting another book up for you guys to read. 

That other book will NOT be related to Falling to Rise of Destiny Calls. It is an entirely different book. But stay tuned! And if you're confused, please ask me questions in the comments. I will answer them I read all my comments.