The cause of the blue luminous Will lines that cover a mage's body is known, but how or why they came to be remains a mystery. An interesting fact is that humans have stripes like zebras that are unique to the individual, yet they glow in the dark. The level of light produced is invisible to the human eye, but certain cameras and animals, like cats, can see it. Why do you think your cat can find you easily in a pitch-black room? If my guess is correct, these stripes are particularly conducive to Will energy. As one practices Will powers, this effect strengthens or purifies. Just as a magnet can repel, Will powers eliminate impurities in one's stripes through use. These stripes likely help restore one’s Will Pool by absorbing energy from the surroundings.

  These lines are becoming problematic, as they reveal someone as a mage, and I need to keep my abilities a secret. Even in summer, I have no choice but to wear long sleeves and gloves at all times. My neck must also remain covered, as some lines are beginning to show there. Damn, I hadn’t considered this issue beforehand. I believed that training my powers would solve everything, but once I had that moment of inspiration on how to make Jack flee, I realized I needed more. If others know of me, so will he when he strikes. Here I am, with no air conditioning, wearing winter clothes that make me sweat like a pig in a kitchen frying eggs. At least within my home, I can find some relief from this torture, but there’s no breeze inside.

  On another note, I’ve devised a plan to help keep the people of Oakvale safe. In Fable 2, the demon door at Fairfax Castle mentions that Jack of Blades has tried and failed to enter him. No jokes intended, but this makes a valid point. The door stated that even if Jack were in his dragon form, it would make no difference. If Jack, at his strongest, cannot force his way in, it’s safe to assume that William Black designed all demon doors to keep him out. Perhaps that’s the very reason these doors exist in the first place. Jack was William Black’s worst foe, after all. Why create a magical lockbox that wouldn’t keep him out? It would be pointless to make such a vault if it couldn’t protect against one’s enemies. Since demon doors possess a will of their own, Jack can’t simply will them open.

  With Nemo’s help, I could keep everyone safe inside on the day Jack strikes. I could at least shield all the women and children from harm within the door, but there’s a significant problem. How do I get the townsfolk to go inside and stay there? They certainly won’t listen to me or Theresa. If my mother tries to convince them as the hero Scarlet Robe, they will likely think themselves safe since the hero is present. The typical NPC attitude is, “You go fight them, and I’ll cheer you on from five feet away.” They’ll do this even when they know they’re in grave danger and then blame the hero when something goes wrong. The villagers will say, “You boasted you would keep us safe.” To which I would respond, “Within reason, moron!”

  Heroes are powerful, but they are not gods. Even the gods here are not truly divine, as the Oracle from the Lost Chapters mentions—they don't exist. Avo and Skorm were said by the Oracle to have been conceived by a trader who discovered two places of power on the continent. I doubt this means they don’t exist, though, as we live in a world where willing something into being can make it so. What happens in such a world when tens of thousands—or even millions—of people believe in and worship a non-existent god? Their belief could make him real because they wish him into existence. That’s why in Fable when you kill the temple’s clerics, you hear the gods threaten you. They may not have existed from the beginning, but they exist now. What did Terry Pratchett call it? Ah, that’s right—he coined it, “Polymorphic personification.”

  I discussed my thoughts about Nemo protecting the innocent with my family. After explaining the problem in detail, they came to the same conclusion: people can be idiots, and sometimes there’s no helping them. However, the children could be convinced to explore Nemo by Theresa and me that day. With Nemo keeping them inside while Theresa and I slip out to face the battle, the children would be safe. It’s at least a start, as we can only protect so many during the chaos of war.

  Things are coming along as we load Nemo with supplies. There are sacks of flour and crates of food. Way to go, everyone! Mom and Theresa even managed to convince Brom to start strength training. I’m not sure how they did it, and he’s made little to no progress since he started, but that’s still good. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” as the famous saying goes—one I can’t quite remember the author of. The point is, if you never start, you’ll never get there, but once you begin, you’ll arrive sooner than you expect. As for my father’s lack of Will talent, I have a plan.

  In both Fable: The Journey and Fable 3, the protagonists use magic gauntlets to cast spells rather than learn to use magic themselves. In Fable: The Journey, he learns that the powers of his gauntlets were crystallized from the bodies of fallen heroes—Sol, Blaze, and Stone. So, one’s Will powers can indeed be preserved in crystals? The gauntlets used in Fable 3 may have been the cultivated abilities of the Hero of Bowerstone, preserved for his son when he was on his deathbed.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Timeline-wise, the Hero of Bowerstone won’t be born for 500 years, so I won’t be able to use the gauntlets he makes. However, the ones from Fable: The Journey exist now. Sol, Blaze, and Stone died 300 years ago, using the spire to close a breach into the void that nearly let the Crawler in. After the bandit attack with Jack, I’ll have to take my father on a journey to acquire that gauntlet and its soul stones. I’ll make a hero out of you yet, pops! I seriously need a personal assistant, though; I have far too much to do and little room for error.

  In the original version of Fable 1, there were very few weapons for mages. Since magic was more of a sorcery version rather than wizardry, staves, and rods weren’t used until later, and even then, they were blunt weapons. That’s fine by me, as the lack of a blunt weapon for close-range combat is a weakness my enemies could exploit. However, I have a very particular weapon in mind—one of the main original mage weapons from Fable: The Dollmaster Mace. While it’s one of the weakest legendary weapons and has the fewest augmentation slots in the game, it’s located in a demon door right next to Oakvale, along the abandoned road. This door has a peculiar requirement for opening, as its sight has gone bad.

  “I don’t want to be the evil mage!” Elvira whined.

  I gave her an amiable look. “Come on, we all need to play a part, or we won’t get inside, and that’s not an option.”

  “Why do I need to be the obviously evil one?” she demanded.

  “Err…believability,” I muttered.

  “That’s horse poop!” Elvira complained.

  “Just let her be what she wants,” Theresa added.

  “Then how about you be the bandit?” I suggested.

  “I’m not wearing those rags!” she screamed.

  “Fine, then I’ll be the bandit,” I conceded.

  “But I wanted to be the bandit!” Theresa complained.

  “Oh come on! Why is this so hard?” I asked, doing the math in my head while looking at the outfits we’d created over the past month. We had a shiny knight’s outfit made from silverware Elvira took from her manor. Since silver is one of the most reflective metals on Earth, it should be enough to fool the old blind door. We had expected Lady Grey to be the dark Will user, so we’d made the outfit dressy and witch-like. Her outright refusal and Theresa's being adamant about her own choice meant one thing: I had to wear it. And let’s just say, “I ain’t happy about it.” Making a boy crossdress to obtain a decent weapon and save lives?

  We stood before the door, and as I hoped, it mistook us for the three heroes from its past.

  The door’s face lit up with glee. “I recognize you all! My friends, welcome!”

  With that, the door disappeared, and we entered. There was the battle scene that was always present in the game and the wooden chest at the end of it. Surprisingly, Elvira gagged at the sight of the skeletons, reminding me she wasn’t the monster she’d been in the game—at least not yet. Theresa, who should have been affected by the scene, seemed unfazed.

  I gave her a hard stare, locking my eyes onto hers. She visibly stiffened as I asked what was on my mind: “Sister, how far have you looked into the future?”

  “Well, you see, there were certain issues and…” Theresa mumbled, trying to change the subject.

  “What did I say about looking too far into the future? It can mean never living in the present and becoming lethargic toward everything. Look at this scene, and now at Lady Grey. Making a young girl sickened is normal, but you act like it’s just another Monday morning. What else have you been hiding, Theresa?”

  “It’s not like that!”

  “Isn’t it?” I pressed.

  “Hey, cut T some slack,” Elvira said, trying to defend her best friend. “T” is what Lady Grey sometimes calls Theresa for short.

  “Stay out of this. We had an agreement, and she broke it.” My glare made Elvira shiver in place.

  “So, sister, what is so freaking important that you broke your promise to me?”

  “It’s you... I’m trying to save you!” Theresa shouted.

  “Thwack!” The sound of a slap echoed as it struck my face, but it didn’t hurt. I was shocked to realize I was the subject of concern, and I wasn’t sure when the tears in her eyes had started, but they were there. Somehow, that hurt more than any physical pain.

  “I see... Then that must mean I die prematurely in the future,” I mumbled.

  “Well…” Theresa began.

  “I DON’T WANT TO KNOW!” I cut in. “Death comes to everyone someday, and as far as I know, no one is an exception. No one should live their life knowing and just waiting for the end.”

  I walked over to the chest and opened it. Inside was the Dollmaster Mace, massive in my hands but surprisingly lightweight even for my small frame. In my grasp, the weapon resembled a staff with a large ball at the top. It was perfect for my needs, especially with the augmentation: "Mana Augmentation," which makes Will energy replenish much faster. This was the ideal tool to wield against Jack. Since I lacked martial skills, a mace served as a suitable close-range weapon.

  “Hah,” I sighed. “I can’t blame you, Theresa, and I forgive you. But I wish you’d told me sooner. Now you’ve lost your childhood, and that’s a terrible thing to waste, especially since it should be one per customer.”

  “It’s better than losing everyone you love,” Theresa said matter-of-factly as she stormed out. I could tell she wasn’t genuinely angry, and neither was Elvira, who followed her out, imitating her.

  Left alone after the argument, I felt like the villain. The irony of being dressed for the part only added to my discomfort. As I undressed from the now unnecessary attire I didn’t want to be seen in, I hummed to myself, “And I do it all because I’m evil, and I do it all for free.”

  Damn, I hadn't thought too much about this problem beforehand. I believed if I trained my powers that would solve everything but once I had that moment of inspiration on how to make Jack flee I knew that I needed more. If others know of me then so will he when he strikes. No air conditioning and I'm wearing all winter clothes that make me sweat like a swine in a kitchen where the cook is frying eggs. At least within my home, I can be free of this torture to an extent but there's no breeze inside.

  Way to go y'all! Mom and Theresa even convinced Brom to start strength training. Not sure how they did it and he's made little to no progress since he started but that's still good. "A journey of a thousand miles starts with but a single step", a famous and common quote from a Chinese book or author whose name I don't remember. The point being if you never start then you'll never get there but once you start you will be there sooner than you may expect. As for my father's lack of Will talent, I have a plan. In both, "Fable the Journey" and "Fable 3" the protagonists use magic gauntlets to cast spells rather than learning to cast magic themselves. In Fable the Journey He learns his Gauntlets powers are crystallized from the fallen heroes Sol, Blaze, and Stone's bodies. So one's Will powers can be preserved in crystals? Then the gauntlets used in Fable 3 may have been the hero of Bowerstone's cultivated abilities that he preserved for his son when he was on his deathbed.

  I'll make a hero out of you yet pops! I think I seriously need a personal assistant because I have way too much to do and little room for error.

  Making a boy crossdress to get a decent weapon and save people's lives.