Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

Again.
    “What are you talking about?” he asked.
    “Where do I begin?” Angeline sat down on his knee. “Have you ever heard of a parca ?”
    “A what?” replied Samuel.
    “I didn’t think so. You see, parcae are beings of supreme and absolute power. We’ve never seen one of them, but we know they exist. They walk between worlds, maintaining a balance between different forces. Their power is so great and so vast that even the gods fear them. That’s probably the only thing that can make those pretentious deities weak in the knees, actually.”
    “Okay, but what do those parcae have to do with me?”
    “ Parcae are believed to be the ones leaving the dice behind them. They always leave two pair, one white and one black. Lucky for you, you picked up the white ones and are on team Angeline. You see, much like in your world, forces of good and forces of evil are always battling each other in Metverold. We call the good side Virtus, and the evil one Yfel. A delicate balance has to be maintained between the two sides in order to avoid chaos. For that reason, some myths have a happy ending, while others have a less pleasant one.
    “Unfortunately, things are not always that simple. As I mentioned earlier, stories and legends are being played out endlessly on Metverold, but it does not mean they cannot evolve and change.”
    “I’m not sure I follow,” said Samuel.
    “Think of any legend or tale you were told more than once in your world—it doesn’t matter which one. Have you ever noticed how different sources always seem to have their own version of the story? Details are changed, characters are added or removed, locations are misplaced. You never get the same version twice, even thought the story usually plays out the same general way. Do you see what I mean?”
    “I guess so, yes.”
    “Now, if stories can be changed slightly, they can also be modified to impact the very ending of the tale. For example, the legend from which the whole Dracula myth originated was so much better and interesting than the tale being told today! What a waste. Anyway, on Metverold, the stories can also change, but when they do, it’s not only the words of someone telling the tale that are different, but rather the storyline itself. The way each myth unfolds can be altered. Both the Virtus and the Yfel forces are doing their best to influence every legend and pull the ending of it to their side, even if they are not supposed to do so. If one side were to succeed and successfully change the outcome of a story, it would upset the balance and impact this world, as well as yours. Sometimes the changes are subtle, but on other occasions, a change can affect the very fabric of morality or the even history of a whole country. The slightest modification can create or annihilate religions, alter traditions and impact the world in many other ways. The human sacrifices of the Mayans were never supposed to happen, by the way …”
    “So does that mean I’m supposed to protect the balance of this story?” asked Samuel.
    “You’re starting to get it. That is, in fact, your task.”
    “But what am I suppose to defend it against? Itel?”
    “Yfel,” corrected Angeline. “If you are here, it means someone else from your world has picked up the black dice and is acting on behalf of the dark forces, at this very moment, here in this legend.”
    Both Samuel and the fairy remained silent and perfectly still for a few seconds, as if the dark agent was listening. Finally, the boy broke the silence.
    “Okay, suppose this is all true. It’s crazy, but I guess at this point, I have to believe anything you say, if I am to keep my sanity intact. But there’s one detail I can’t get out of my mind. Why do the parcae leave two pairs of dice? Why not leave only the one that concerns the side that needs help? In fact, why go to this trouble at all? Why not intervene themselves and rectify things the way they should be?”
    “Why do gods bother with human needs? Why are humans violent against one another?” replied Angeline. “Who knows why any of them do anything at all? I don’t have all the answers, Sammy. I’m only a pawn on this chessboard, like yourself. But there is one thing we can be certain of. Someone in here is acting for the Yfel and we have to stop him or her before it’s too late.”

CHAPTER 6

    The next morning, Samuel woke up slowly. For a brief moment, before he fully recovered consciousness, he imagined he was back