William was going to introduce himself with great splendor! Hence, he went over proudly and said, “The names Mirabwelle! ..!? Ergh! No, Mirabelle! Hehe, sorry, I tend to uhm, twist my tongue when I get flustered not that it matters or anything, so why am I even telling you this, eh…”. William paled from this failure of an introduction and cursed his rambling mind for screwing up his first meeting with the protagonist!

He paused for a second to gather his wits, while the protagonist just kept staring awkwardly at him. “The disease! Let’s talk about your disease…”, William said as if to cover up his brain’s former collapse. The admirable youth before him was done analyzing the situation. He gave William a cold glare and stated, “Sorry. But this disease cannot be cured… I’m not interested in what you’re selling…”. Then he elegantly turned around and left for the dining tents, while the fat little Mawde ran after his heels.

“Ah…”, William had failed. Of course, this protagonist was wary of strangers, especially those who would come and try to profit off of his health. He had left the protagonist with the wrong impression…

This had to be corrected immediately!

William went after the protagonist and spotted him among the many hungry festival-goers. He was already seated and ready to enjoy some flatbread. Seeing the protagonist go for such a poor food choice, gave William an idea. He bought some delicious meat and carefully placed it before the teen. The protagonist waited for him to complete this action. He wanted a proper explanation for this odd behavior he was being subjected to.

William smiled and said, “I’m not here to take, but to give!... You see, my brother… He showed similar symptoms as you do now… Like having grayish thin skin… As well as blood filled coughing. Additionally, he sometimes suffered from strong headaches and immense inner warmth… He told me, that it felt as if lava came erupting out of his gut and throat”.

The more William talked of his brother’s ‘illness’, the more responsive the protagonist became. His light hazel eyes were shimmering with a flicker of hope and soon he asked William with great interest, “What did you say this disease was called?”.

“The… The Monster Spirit disease?..”, William struggled to say this dumb name out loud. Thinking: Why couldn’t I have made up a better name for it?...

Mawde went up to get some meat since its owner didn't’ seem to want it. But this action was quickly foiled by a strong hand that withheld the creature. The owner of this hand inquired further, “... Can it be cured?”. William nodded, still standing before the teen in a place filled with seated people. Since he had won over the protagonist, he found the courage to sit and be either welcomed or scorned.

William pushed the tray of meat towards the young man and explained, “Yes, it’s actually very simple… To cure an illness, one must first look at its root. The problem with your body lies in its abundance of unrefined spirit energy. This is why your body has been breaking down, presumably since birth… To cure it you must cultivate and tame this energy. Make it acknowledge you as its master and you will find yourself almost born anew…”.

The protagonist listened attentively. With each sentence, his world grew bigger and more comprehensive. He muttered aloud, “So that’s why…”.

Through his journey towards Longdale, he had noticed that he was different. By following this kind of logic, it would make sense why he unlike others could bond with multiple dinosaurs. It was because he had an abundant amount of spirit energy...

Seeing how this stranger took his advice without further struggle made William happy. Now he could somehow rest easy, knowing that at least the protagonist would survive this event and perhaps even follow the main story till its end… Surely it would be a disaster if he didn’t...

William gulped and gave the protagonist another glance. Oh yeah… This man had a magnificent and yet terrifying fate waiting for him…

“... How does one cultivate?”. William frowned at the protagonist. How dare he ask William such a dangerous question!?

William sighed and said, “I’m a girl. How should I know?... Ask one of the many bonded people surrounding us. They’ll gladly share this information with you… I’m sure”. This remark made the protagonist look ashamed down at his dinosaur, “Sorry… And thank you... Mirabelle?”. William also felt ashamed for a moment. He knew this man’s fate and yet he kept quiet about it.

He stood up from the long table and clumsily heaved his body out of the tight fit, while saying, “That’s correct… Uhm… Just out of curiosity. Why are you here, even though you’re terribly ill?”. This sentence made the protagonist create a bitter smile. He found this the proper time to introduce himself to the mysterious little lady, so he said, “Since you told me yours, I’ll disclose that my name is Julian… I’ve come to settle some matters with a certain someone. Nothing more, nothing less…”.

William made way for another starving participant, slowly backing away from the spot; “I see… Then take care of yourself Julian and… I hope this information I’ve given you will make you well and healthy again…”. Julian for once, shred his protective outer layer and gleamed brightly back at him, “Thank you, kind stranger… I’m afraid I don’t have anything of-”. William stopped him right there and crudely replied, “There’s no need for repayment!... It’s a rare illness after all. So, of course, I would help a poor soul such as you on my way. It’s as you said... Nothing more, nothing less”.

Julian wanted to continue this conversation but was left amidst the feasting crowd. Seeing that the girl didn’t come back, nor show any signs of lingering interest made him shrug his shoulders and pet Mawde. “It’s as they say: Large gatherings attract fate to come and play… I wonder if what she said is true?... But first! Let’s dig in shall we?”. Mawde wagged its stubby tail and growled sweetly in agreement.

Not far away, William stalked Julian from the back; wondering if he should somehow warn the protagonist of the awful betrayal that awaited him? But then again… This information would probably ruin his chance at greatness and all those amazing events that needed his presence in the future. And William shouldn’t forget either, that this land and its many lords’ and peasants’ fate rested on Julian’s shoulders.

To think! If the protagonist neglected his duty towards his own story-line, most of this land would continually be ruled by a tyrant and not see any change in many centuries to come! Julian is after all the first king to truly unite this land and strengthen it! Should William really tamper with something so grand? Just because Julian might die after having fulfilled his purpose? No! Of course, he shouldn’t try to play god in a world that now harbors friends and family that he cherishes!...

And besides, the worst part of the big war at the end, was mostly fought in the middle and south parts of the country. When it came time to undertake the north, they had amassed an army, that split in two, would be strong enough to subdue the rest of the land without a fight...

But maybe, just maybe... To appease himself, William could send a warning letter to Julian the moment he has been crowned and officially hailed as king? By doing this, Julian wouldn’t get to know this crucial bit of information too soon, but right before the worst betrayal happens?...

This could be doable, William thought. And yet, something still nagged him. It was about an injustice he wanted to prevent...

But he was afraid it would change the future of the plot too much...

WinterFairy

Thank you, Joachim Janssen for supporting me. (*≧▽≦)