The two of them took in the mesmerizing landscape, that was invaded by bright yellow leaves. The wind had multiple times come and swept some of these fickle dancers unto the pair. Remony looked cautiously up at Joss. Ever since his breakdown she had felt compelled to visit this youth more often. Her efforts, Joss appreciated a lot and so he had invited her out for some apple pie and sunshine.

Feeling her gaze at him, he said something unbelievable, “... It’s really easy to get covered up in leaves out here, isn’t it?... But you know, that yellow color suits you... I’m sure the day you get married you’ll look beautiful”.

William gaped in shock, as Remony attained a mild blush, “Do you think perhaps in the future… That you will be there to see it?”. Joss looked away from her unto the distant mainland. His face was calm but inside his heart thumped madly. It wasn’t the first time he felt this rush. He often felt it when he was out hunting, hence his body took the natural approach, making him look calm on the outside. “Yeah… Because I think I like you too…”. William screamed inside himself: You think!? Joss, no! Don’t leave her on a maybe.

Remony didn’t panic at all, rather she exploded with joy. Immediately she hugged the boy and giggled, “Really!?”. Joss squirmed in her embrace. He had the immense urge to run away from these fierce flames that played inside his stomach and heart. “Yes!”, he almost yelled in response.

This kind of love was so unnatural and new to Joss. He didn’t know what to say or where to put his hands. Nothing made sense, his whole world was out of control and this he didn’t like. So he wrung himself out of her arms and ran inside the house, as he lamented, “Ahhh! I can’t!”.

Hearing the distant slam of a door made Remony unfreeze from the sudden isolation. She shook her head and smiled at how silly Joss was.

William was still sticking to the wall. When he saw that Remony was about to head past him, he quickly fled, and like Joss, sought refuge inside the house. Neither of them was willing to share what had transpired on that day…

****

Since Brice was finally a bonded again, he was more than willing to attend the Winter Weddings this year, along with his entourage of servants. But unlike past years, his father, lord Blaise wouldn’t attend. He was preoccupied with his big plans of establishing a united force to fend of the growing threat of bandits.

Right now only he and lord Talcan represented the cause, with a few smaller clans affiliated to it. Thus he stayed home at the office like a true businessman; letting the young ones enjoy themselves in his stead. To represent them, he sent his two sons along with Avian Talcan.

Neither did any of the Talcans (except Avian) enjoy the festivities this year. They wanted to strengthen and tighten their borders...

The journey was as always harsh and energy consuming but once they got there, everybody’s spirit lit up. William’s especially. For amongst the throngs of busy people, one stood out. William found this sight so unbelievable that he questioned himself: Can it be? The protagonist!?

William slowed down his pace as he investigated the young man. According to his knowledge from the book, this youth was as described: Handsome and highborn. He had black hair that went a little past his shoulders and eyes that were a bright hazel. William’s gaze went down at his feet, where a little fat dinosaur paraded around.

William thought: That’s definitely Mawde! The protagonist’s first dinosaur!... Since the protagonist is here at the Winter Weddings with Mawde, at this point in time, he should also be bonded with Magmous! Although I can’t spot the giant monstrosity anywhere, it does make sense in comparison to the book’s logic. For Magmous was described as often being selfish and it hated bustling cities. Hence, it should be a good distance away from it all. But why?... Just why is the protagonist still sick!? Did he by chance not meet Thalgar?...

The protagonist before him had ghastly pale skin. As William pondered over this fact he also saw the youth cough up blood. He had to accept it. These two rivals must have never met. The rumors spoken by the nobles that night were sadly true!

William lamented to himself: Why Thalgar!? Just why did you leave the protagonist hanging like this!? Without you, he’ll never understand why he was born sick nor that this disease is curable! That’s why their first encounter was so important!...

Before he and Thalgar met, that dolt of a protagonist was lost and dying from an unknown illness... He was a wanderer and unaware of his situation because he lacked the education and care of a normal lord’s son. Since birth, he had been unworthy of his title. Not only did he cause his mother to lose her inner glow. He even dared to come out frail and rotten!? Useless was what he was and thus he gained his father’s unloving gaze.

As a child, he was allowed to live off the scraps the castle’s inhabitants threw at him. But when dinosaurs began attacking the place as if moths to a flame, he quickly got picked as the scapegoat and banished. Without knowing it, the Fake King had by accident found the source to their problems and so the protagonist was not hunted down as a proper traitor would be… Instead, they were kind enough to let mother nature take him back into her folds.

Starving and afraid the protagonist ventured in circles. Without purpose and without any will to continue on… But before his lifeforce ran out completely he saw how the natives fared. How dinosaurs bonded with each other!... And so he gave it a try…

Since he was already extremely fatigued and sluggish he took what he could get. He managed to catch the just as sluggish, chubby Mawde. The protagonist didn’t even know something like compatibility existed; fortunately, they matched. Without common knowledge, he even dared to try bond with yet another dinosaur: Magmous.

With his newly gained ability to live on less, he miraculously gained the big magma-beast as his companion too!... The ‘protag’ could finally consider himself happy to be surrounded by a loving dinosaur family but he knew it wouldn’t last. He was dying after all… And although he got stronger his sickness also got worse after the bondings.

His last wish was to go to the Winter Weddings and rebel against his father one last time. He felt that it was fate, for if he hadn’t been passing through some random town, that advertised a poster with news about this event getting a dishonorable visit, he would have died on a meaningless journey down to the Fake King’s castle.

So he went on his merry way, ready to offer his last moments to this tyrant. But then... He met Thalgar... At a glance, the expert could spot his problem and tried to help him but was misunderstood. They ended up misinterpreted each other so badly, that harsh words got converted into fists of steel.

The protagonist was without much resistance, beaten into a pulp but learned an important lesson from this encounter. That he had a huge pool of untapped potential dwelling inside of him. And that just by cultivating it into a refined stable spirit, he would be able to stop these symptoms that had plagued him throughout his whole life. Not only that, but he also gained tremendous power for having tamed this spirit energy he was in possession of!...

As for why the Fake King visited the Winter Weddings?... Well, this event was just perfect for announcing his presence, as he had plans of soon expanding his territory...

The entourage William was a part of halted so that the guards could inspect it. William took a few glances back and forth, from the flock he followed to the protagonist who slowly got lost in the crowd. He knew if the protagonist continued down this path he was on, it would be the same as committing suicide. Knowing this, William couldn’t let it slide! This world would definitely need this man’s contributions. Thus, there was nothing William could do but try and replace Thalgar.

As he went over, he contemplated on how he should convince the protagonist to accept his solution. William sighed. It was time to lie yet again…

When he was only a few meters away from the protagonist, he spoke up, “Hey, you there? Did you just cough up blood? You also look a bit pale… Not to be rude, but do you perhaps suffer from the uh-... Sp- Monster Spirit disease?”. The protagonist looked at him bewildered and a bit cautious; “Who are you?”.

William stopped up and took in the sound of his pleasant voice. Thinking: Wow! It’s really strange to hear this fictional character’s voice in real life. Not to mention meeting this person face to face!

If William had to describe this feeling, of meeting a character from a book that he had followed and read the life of, he would compare it to meeting one of his favorite celebrities. And this celebrity was unlike real ones, void of an attention hogging crowd surrounding them. This star was putting their sole attention on him!

William felt his heart beat fast from excitement and glee. He was honored to meet this person and of course wanted to give him some advice on the way, without spoiling said person’s future, of course...