A cacophony of sounds assaulted Raven's ears as he made his way through the busy streets of the city he had just entered a few hours ago. It had taken him two days to make his way from the border regions that was dotted with small villages, and travel to a more populated city where he could secure the transportation he needed to make the journey to the Highland Kingdom.
Along the narrow street that he walked through, there were dozens of vendors and salespersons bartering their wares and goods, all trying to outdo their competitors and win the favor of the passersby.
Raven was not particularly taken in by the sight. It was not really new to him. Old man Wikes had sent him on errands to cities before, and the time of awe had long since passed. Now, it was just something uncommon to him. He had already secured a room in a motel to rest in for the night. He would set off the following day after booking a spot on one of the long distance carriages of a transport company.
"Excuse me, sir. Would you like a reading?" As Raven walked through the streets, he was cut off by a middle aged man whose wrinkles made him look much older. The man's back was slightly hunched and his eyes looked tired.
"A reading?" Raven was curious.
"Yes, a reading of your fate. I cannot boast to tell you about your future, but some directions may prove helpful to you." The old man smiled and opened his palms as he explained.
Thanks to Old man Wikes' frequent ramblings, he came to know quite a bit about how the world worked, despite his detachment from civilization. Fate magic was one of the so-called "White Magics" in this world, as dubbed by the White Empire. Its usage was not banned, and it was not uncommon to see mages who used Fate magic, aside the basic elemental magic.
Fate magic was just as its name said it was. It could peer into the workings of Fate on an object or person, or any lifeform, and discern more subtle workings or help to avoid some stumbles. It was not too strong at the lower levels, but according to Old man Wikes, at the higher levels, Fate magic was an absolute monster.
Because of Wikes' opinion on Fate magic, Raven was quite curious to experience it for himself.
"I don't mind a reading." Raven responded positively and the old man gave a wide smile.
"Come with me. This way, this way. I have a small place we can do the reading privately." He told Raven and turned to lead him to a small tent that was pitched at the side of the street. The tent had obviously seen better days in the past.
Inside the tent, there were two wooden stools on either side of a short, round stone table. A worn out and blurry crystal ball was seated on the table, surrounded by three unlit candles.
"Take a seat, I will be with you shortly." The old man said and went to the side to ruffle through a bag. "It's been a while since I last had a customer. I don't keep my materials in the open all the time." He explained and soon took a seat opposite Raven with a few things in hand.
With a matchstick in hand, he lit the three candles. He then picked up a glass vial with a golden liquid and sprinkled a drop of the golden liquid on each candle flame.
"A hint of amber essence oil to ease the mind and allow for a clearer reading. Please, stretch out your hands." The old man requested and Raven complied, presenting his open palms to the man.
The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he took Raven's hands into his. Raven felt a shift in the mana around him as it was drawn into their joined palms, circling around like a soft flow of warm water.
Abruptly, the old man drew his palms away and placed them against the surface of the crystal ball. His face was scrunched up and his brows were deeply furrowed. A faint light began to emanate from the crystal ball before dimming and allowing the ball to return to normal. The man let out a sigh.
"The reading is done. Give me a minute to piece everything together." The old man sighed and placed a hand on his forehead while closing his eyes, seemingly falling into thought.
After a minute of silence, he finally opened his eyes, the dark browns reflecting a faint purple-pink light.
"Your fate is heavily shrouded in mystery, young man. I cannot see much, but what I can see is that it is a tough road. Bodies lay lifeless on either side of the road, and a rain of blood covers the sky. Young man, your future is drenched in bloodshed and suffering."
The old man gulped as he transcribed the scenes that had been revealed to him as he read Raven's fate. Much of what he had been seen had been obscured by a blinding fog, but what he had been able to see was terrifying. He felt a chill whenever he tried to peer at the central figure of the fate reading. He had the feeling that merely seeing what Raven might become could have assured his death!
"Thank you for the reading. I understand what you have said. I will take it into consideration." Raven smiled and reached into a pouch, placing a small gold coin on the table and turning around to leave the stunned old man.
'He knows what he will become?' The old man could not help but think, a shiver running down his spine.
It was only minutes after Raven had left the tent that the old man snapped out of his stupor, noticing the gold coin resting on the table.
"What kind of fate did I read? What kind of monster will that boy become?" He could not help asking himself as he shakily picked up the gold coin and examined it, lost in thought.