Hey, look! Another chapter! What? Already? It's only been three months! What blasphemy is this? Actually, this chapter is technically late. I would have tried to get this chapter ready by the story's two-year anniversary on April 12th, but I didn't. To be fair, though, I did have a Calculus II exam, a C++ exam, a physics quiz, and a presentation to prepare during that same week, so, yeah... But, hey! It's here now, and that's what matters, right? Plus, it means that I had more time to write more for this chapter. "How much more?" you may ask. Well, compared to this chapter, the previous chapter, which was previously the longest chapter, is adorably minuscule. Give or take a slight exaggeration. Also, I probably worked more quickly than usual as I have recently discovered a YouTube video where the entire Dragon Quest IX soundtrack is played on piano. It's beautiful. I recommend that everyone go and look it up as soon as possible.

After two straight chapters that were practically nothing but pure character development, this chapter marks the point where plot finally happens again! YAAAAAAAY! That means that we've finally reached the point where it should be easier to write more and get more chapters out faster (No promises). The end of Act 1 should be in about two chapters, so we have that to look forward to. Also, we shouldn't have anywhere near this much character development again until the final party member is introduced. Remember, I'm still taking suggestions for how they should enter into the story. Remember, not the character itself. I already have the character created. Just come up with a way on how they join Michael's party. All ideas are welcome.

Also, I have some brief story-related business to discuss with you. A few weeks ago, I went back through the first few chapters to fix any mistakes that I found here or there. It was mostly fixing typos, rewording awkward sections, basic stuff. However, there is one section where I heavily revised the text. The section to which I am referring to is the aftermath of Jessica's original 'secret' after the battle with the Wight Knight. As many people had stated in their reviews, that section was horribly overdramatic, extremely overhyped, and overall just kind of unnecessary. However, as it and subsequent chapters have already been published for quite some time now, I couldn't just delete that section, as it was already part of the established canon of this story. Instead, I reworked it so that is wasn't the overdramatized disaster that it originally was. It overall accomplishes the same thing, but through a different method. So that you guys don't have to go back and find the section and reread it, I'll just briefly summarize how this scene works now:

Michael asks Jessica if Wind magic is her secret. Jessica, not wanting to reveal her true secret, decides that this is an adequate cover and chooses to go along with it. Michael thinks it's stupid that people would hate her for it, and she agrees, saying some people are stupid. Then they go back to Stornway and that's that. Also, Patty believes that the Wind magic actually is her secret, as Jessica absolutely refuses to tell anyone her true secret. In terms of character development, Jessica is no longer an oversensitive crybaby, but actually more of a street-smart sassy-pants, for lack of a better term.

Some other minor changes to note: Jessica now has long red hair instead of short, and Allison wears glasses and uses a staff as her weapon. I hate making massive changes like this in past chapters, but I just felt that this had to be done for the sake of the story. I hope everyone is okay with the changes that I made. I'll try not to do something like this again unless I mess up a scene really bad again.

Also, TWO YEARS!? That's amazing. I can't believe it has been this long already. I just want to thank everyone who has stayed with me and the story for such a long time. I know it wasn't always the smoothest of journeys, but we've made it nonetheless. Here's to another two years of the misadventures of Michael and friends.

Finally, something funny about the game that I realized while writing this chapter: At no point does anyone in the game actually refer to the next dungeon by its actual name. Only items, the map, and the Battle Records actually give it a name. I don't know. I thought this was kind of interesting.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this extra-long chapter. The second half of the chapter may be a little difficult to read, so I apologize in advance if you struggle with it. Below are the disclaimer and the reviews. Until next chapter, this is D~F. Now excuse me as I go into hiding for a while...

Disclaimer

Dragon Quest IX is property of Square Enix and Nintendo and not me and probably not you.

What I do own are the characters that I make up, such as Michael, Jessica, and Allison and some of the crazy things that happens around them.

Reviews:

jsun25: Yes, he was a fairly difficult boss to beat the first time through. Actually, the fourth character I have would actually look kind of funny with a buzz cut. I don't think it would suit them, though.

WolfPack64: You're going to be so disappointed with the final character. Worry not for myself. I've kept college under control so far. Then again, finals are coming up, so... Also, I hope you're still here, because here's the next chapter. I hope you didn't have to wait too long for it.

Yurei Hanatsuki: The area you mention is actually, as I've planned it, at the beginning of Act 3, so you've slightly overshot the time frame.

Guest: Worry not. I am still very much alive. In fact, I'm better than I've been in a while. Thank you for your concern.


Act 1 – Part 9: From Bad to Worse

(Allison's POV)

"Well, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Jessica thought for brief moment before replying. "I want to hear the bad news first."

I sighed. "Well, you definitely have the Contagion."

Jessica rolled her tired eyes. "I thought we had already established that fact," she responded dryly.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure. You never know. It could have been something else."

Jessica slid down into her seat. She was clearly very worn down, which wasn't surprising, given everything that she had gone through last night. "Well, what's the good news then?"

"From what I was able to examine, it seems that you're only in an early stage of the Contagion, so there's no immediate threat of you falling into a chronic condition."

Jessica coughed before she was able to reply. "So, what you're saying is that I have a little while until I die?"

I stumbled a little when she said that. "W-what? I n-never said that…" I was silenced by an immense glare from Jessica. "…Yes. You are correct. I'm sorry."

Jessica just shook her head. "Sometimes, Allison, I just wish you were more direct with me. There's no point in trying to water down the truth for me."

"I-I'm just trying to-"

"Trying to what, Allison?" she interrupted. "Trying to protect me?" She sighed. "Look, I know you still want to be like a 'big sister' to me, and I appreciate that, but I'm not a child anymore. I haven't been for a while. I don't need to be shielded from the harshness of reality anymore. I…I just wish you would trust me more."

Her words left me without any. "B-but, Jessica… Of course I trust you. I-"

"Then why can't you ever just tell me what's actually happening around here, instead of constantly beating around the bush?" Jessica interjected, preventing me from completing my thought. "You tried to hide that my hometown was dying. You tried to hide that my parents had died. You just tried to hide the fact that I'm probably going to die!" She paused for a moment to take a deep breath. "I…I know what you're trying to do, and I get it, but it's just too much." She stopped again, this time to cough a few times. Once she had caught her breath, she had one last thing to add. "Last night, when the priestess said that you couldn't protect me forever, she was right."

I was speechless as Jessica climbed out of her chair and started shuffling towards the door to my room. As she opened the door, I suddenly remembered something important and I quickly stopped Jessica before she could leave. "Wait," I said. "I have to ask you something important." She just stared at me, waiting. "While we're on the topic of trust, I was wondering something: Do you trust Michael?"

Jessica tilted her head to the side and gave me a confused look. "What? Of course I trust Michael. Why wouldn't I trust him?"

I hesitated for a second, trying to figure out the safest way to respond. "Uh…Well…I don't know. There's just something about him that…bothers me. For example, I've seen him having a conversation with nobody. Do you have any idea about what I'm talking about?"

After staring at me for a few seconds with a puzzled look on her face, Jessica dropped her head and sighed. "I know what you're talking about, and it doesn't concern you, so don't worry about."

It took me a second to process what she just said. "Wait…How do you know that? Has he told you about it? Can you tell me what it is?"

Jessica sighed again. I could tell that she was starting to get irritated with me. "Yes, Allison, he has told me about it; and, no, I can't tell you what it is. Only he can, and only if he absolutely has to and he trusts you. Now, can you please let go of my arm? You're starting to hurt it."

I quickly let go of her arm and watched as she left my room, slamming the door behind her. After a few seconds, I walked over to my bed and sat on it, covering my face with my hands. "Brilliant," I said to myself. "Good job, Allison. You did it again. Now even your best friend is annoyed with you." I sighed. "I knew this would happen. It always does. I always get too involved in people's business when I try to help them." I shook my head. "Someday, Allison, you'll learn to recognize when your opinion isn't wanted." I lifted my head up and watched the Sun slowly ascending through the sky. "I suppose I should get ready for the day. I wonder what's on my to-do list for today."


(Michael's POV)

I was nearly finished getting ready when Jessica marched into the room. She didn't appear to be in the best of moods, so I didn't say anything for fear of incurring more of her wrath upon myself. I still shudder in fear every time I remember Jessica's powerful right-hook from the Doomingale Forest.

When I looked back towards her, I saw that she actually looked more depressed than angry. I was contemplating on whether or not I should ask her what was wrong when she sighed loudly, signaling that she wanted to get something off of her chest.

"Allison has always been…difficult to work with."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Realizing that I was actually paying attention to her, she continued. "She…I don't know. It's hard to explain. Uh…Well…She loves helping others, and she never hesitates to offer her advice or support to others."

"Well, what's wrong with that?" I asked, confused.

"Well, her…help…isn't always wanted."

"Ah," I said. "So what you're saying is that she sticks her nose in other people's business when they don't want her to?"

"Exactly. Of course, she doesn't do it on purpose. She is the nicest person I know, and her intentions are always pure. Her brain…just doesn't have a filter and is a bit lacking in terms of self-control."

"I see," I responded. "Wait, she's nicer than me?"

Without even looking at me, she smirked as she asked, "How's your jaw feeling, Michael?"

I froze for a second as a shiver went through by body. I looked down at the ground as I felt her smile widen. I quickly looked back up when she started coughing heavily. "Are you okay, Jessica?" When I finished asking that, she literally stopped mid-cough, looked at me, and glared. "Sorry. I know. Stupid question." She just shook her head. "Anyway, what did Allison have to say about your condition?"

She sighed. "I'm not in any immediate danger of dying in the near future."

"Well, that's good, I suppose."

"Yeah…"

I didn't have anything to say in immediate response to that, so the conversation was kind of left hanging, leaving an uncomfortable period of silence in its place. Jessica began ruffling through her bag, counting how many supplies she had.

After a few minutes of tense silence, I finally decided to say something to break the suffocating awkwardness filling the room. "So, Allison is from Coffinwell, right?" I asked.

Jessica turned towards me a little, looking slightly relieved to be rid of the silence. "Yeah. She has lived here for most of her life."

"Then…Why does she stay at the inn? Doesn't she have a home here?"

Jessica seemed taken a little off-guard by my question. "Uh…Well…You see…" she stuttered, struggling to find a proper response. However, she seemed to quickly find one. "Actually, that isn't something that I should probably talk about without her permission. It's kind of personal."

I nodded my head in understanding. "That's fine. I was just curious, that's all."

"Yeah…" she responded, her mind seeming to be somewhere else.

Not wanting to fall into another tense silence, I quickly thought of something else to talk about. "So…Uh…How do you know Allison, anyway? We talked a little last night, but she didn't really tell me anything about herself."

"What?" she replied, her mind once again snapping back to the current situation. "Oh, right. Yeah. We were best friends as children." She started to smile as she thought about it. "We were practically inseparable. She was like an older sister to me."

I was surprised by how Jessica described Allison. "Really? You guys didn't seem like best friends last night."

Jessica sighed. "Yes, well, first of all, last night was far from a normal situation, wasn't it? Second, as we became older, we began to slowly drift apart. It wasn't a drastic amount of separation. We just grew up, and our priorities began to change. Of course, we were still best friends when she went off to study at Swinedimples Academy a few years ago. I had only seen her a few times after that though, and not since I had left to go adventuring."

"Oh," was I all said in response to that. I know that it sounded stupid, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

Jessica stood up and threw her bag over her shoulder. "Anyway, speaking of adventuring, shouldn't we get going?"

I looked out the window to see how high the Sun had gotten already. "Oh, yeah, you're right! Let's go see if there's any way that we can help the people here."

"Lead the way," she said, holding the door open for me as I stepped through into the hallway.


(Jessica's POV)

When we reached the lobby at the front of the inn, I noticed Allison standing off to the side, appearing deep in thought (cough). "Hey, Allison," I called out, grabbing her attention.

"What? Oh, hi Jessica. Good morning Michael," she greeted. "I assume you two are off to do whatever it is that you guys were planning on doing today, right?"

I smiled. "Yes, we were. C'mon, let's go."

Allison's eyes widened in surprise and she struggled to respond coherently. "Wh-bu-wh-hu-what? You mean, like, I go with you?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the woman's reaction. "Yeah, let's go. We've lost enough time as it is."

"Yeah, okay, but, no…" Allison continued to stammer. "But, I have to go around town and help take care of the people who are ill."

"What do you think we're going to do?" I countered. "Actually, we're going to try to help the Mayor and this Dr. Phlegming find a cure, which will probably help everyone out more in the long run than your house calls, myself included (cough). Besides, we'll probably need you and your knowledge of the Contagion to help find a cure anyway."

Allison considered what I had said for a few moments. "Well, your reasoning is sound; but, what does Michael think?"

I turned and looked at Michael, who was waiting patiently behind me. He shrugged. "Like she said, your reasoning is sound. I can't argue with that."

I looked back at Allison and smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Allison smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "Alright, I'm coming. Where are we going first?"

"I don't know. Where should we go to start helping find a cure?"

Allison deadpanned. "You…don't know…where to go?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I did say we needed you…"


(Michael's POV)

According to Allison, if we wanted to help find a cure for the Contagion, talking to Mayor Laria should be the first thing we do. As such, the mayor's residence was where we headed to first this morning. As we stepped through the front doors, I could tell that Allison was still a little salty about earlier, but I figured it was a small enough of a thing that it'll resolve itself on its own. The sound of a cough coming from Jessica besides me reminded me that there were more important issues to take care of at the moment.

Once we were all inside, a maid who was dusting around the foyer noticed us. "Oh! Good morning," she greeted. "If you're here to see the master, you'll find him in the library upstairs," she said, gesturing towards a staircase off to the left. "This house has long been the most distinguished in Coffinwell, so there are many old manuscripts and the like," she continued. "That's what brought Dr. Phlegming to Coffinwell, in fact. He wanted to read through the manuscripts for his research. The master was happy to accommodate him at first, but then all that business with Miss Catarrhina happened and–" She stopped abruptly. "Oh dear! I really shouldn't be gossiping like this. Um, can we just pretend you didn't hear what I said before, please? I'd be in terrible trouble with the master if he found out I'd been discussing family affairs with a guest." She very quickly hurried away back to her cleaning duties.

We all just stood there for a second, completely caught off guard by the sudden one-sided conversation with the maid. I glanced over at Jessica and Allison and saw that they appeared to be as confused as I was. I cleared my throat to break the silence. "So…uh…the library's upstairs, right? I guess we should take the stairs then, huh?"

"Yeah…" they both responded in unison before following me up the stairs that the maid had gestured to earlier.

At the top of the stairs, we followed a short hallway into a room lined with bookshelves and a man whom I presumed was the mayor. As we approached him, it seemed that he was focused on trying to read some documents on the desk in front of him.

"So that's what it says!" he exclaimed as we reached his desk. "…Oh, it's no use. I don't understand a word of it. I'll have to rely on his help after all," he continued dejectedly. "I have no choice. I must do something before any more people suffer needlessly." He looked up from his papers and noticed that we were standing there. "Oh! I beg your pardon. I didn't realize I had a guest. I'm Mayor Laria. May I assist you with something?"

Allison stepped forward before I had a chance to speak. "Good morning, Mayor. How are you?"

The mayor turned towards Allison and recognized her immediately. "Oh! Hello, Allison. I didn't see you there. I'm as stressed and busy as I always have been since this stupid disease started tearing our town apart. Who are your companions?"

"This is Michael. He's a traveling minstrel who wants to aid in the search for a cure for the Contagion." Oh, yeah. I totally forgot that I was technically a minstrel in the view of the mortals. "And I suppose you already know who Jessica here is. She also wants to help end the disease."

The Mayor gained a solemn look on his face. "Ah, yes, Jessica. I'm terribly sorry about what happened to your parents. They truly were wonderful people. It's a shame that they had to go so soon."

"Thank you, sir," Jessica responded. I could tell that she was trying to hold back her tears again.

The mayor then turned to address the group as a whole. "Hmm. You're concerned about what's going on here in Coffinwell?" He paused for a moment to think. "Very well. I'll tell you all I know. I'm sure that you're already aware that Coffinwell has been hit by a contagious disease." Jessica suddenly sneezed, but she managed to cover it with her arm. The mayor raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything about it. "The fact is, the very same disease attacked the town a century ago. I started looking through the ancient manuscripts for a solution, but I'm afraid I barely understood a word. I won't be beaten, though! I passed them on to Phlegming in the hope that he might be able to make some sense of them. I imagine it won't be long before he turns something up, but I'm afraid I'm rather loath to go and ask him in person." Suddenly, he shot up in his chair as if he had just come up with a great idea. "Of course! You care about what's been going on here, don't you? In that case, perhaps you could pop along to Phlegming's place for me and see how he's getting on? His house is just to the west of my mansion. Sorry to trouble you, but I really would appreciate it if you paid him a visit."

"It's no trouble at all," I responded. "We'll go right away."

"Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Hopefully he'll have already found something useful. I'll be awaiting your return."

With a new task at hand, we left the mansion for Dr. Phlegming's house. As we walked down the sidewalk towards the nearby house, I noticed a few puffs of last night's fog floating around in the lower parts of the town. I began to shiver upon seeing them, although this time it wasn't because I was cold. I was starting to get the feeling that the fog was actually more ominous than it appeared, and I felt like I could begin to guess why.

Within a few minutes, we had finally arrived at a small house with a blue roof in the northwest corner of Coffinwell. I knocked on the door. When no one answered, I checked if the door was unlocked, which it was. I turned towards my companions. "Should we go in?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure," Jessica answered. Allison merely shrugged. She didn't look to happy about the idea, but she didn't say anything about it.

Opening the door, we carefully stepped inside and were immediately met with the sight of a young woman with green hair and an extremely-pink outfit lying on a bed. It appeared that she was the only one in the house and we needed to know where Dr. Phlegming was, so we cautiously walked towards her, not wanting to frighten her. Along the way, it suddenly crossed across my mind how what we were currently doing could appear from a different perspective, and I began to understand why Allison was looking fairly unhappy about our current actions.

At the side of the sleeping woman, I looked back at Jessica and Allison, asking them what they thought we should do now. Jessica just shrugged, and Allison wasn't even paying attention, as she kept nervously glancing at the door. Rolling my eyes, I turned back towards the bed. As I was about to say something to try to wake the woman, her eyes suddenly flew open and I jumped back in surprise as she quickly stood up and turned towards us. For some reason, I could hear someone start to hyperventilate behind me. I had a feeling it probably wasn't the woman who was ill.

"Oops!" the green-haired woman exclaimed. "Sorry, I must have dozed off. …I seem to be doing that an awful lot lately…" She looked over the three of us with a quizzical look before seeming coming to a conclusion of her own. "…Oh! Ahem, are you looking for Phlegmy, by any chance?" She quickly blushed. "Oops!" she exclaimed again. "I mean Dr. Phlegming, my husband." I barely had a chance to even begin nodding in confirmation before she interrupted me. "Eek! Husband! I feel all silly calling him that. Do excuse my waffling! I'm afraid Phlegmy's at work now in his laboratory."

"Oh," I said, finally able to get some words in. "Well, could you show us where his lab is? Mayor Laria sent us to check on his progress with the old manuscripts."

The woman seemed surprised by what I had said. "Really? Da- Um, the Mayor asked you to go and see him, did he?" I nodded. "Well, in that case, I'll go along with you and let you into the laboratory. Phlegmy's a bit shy around strangers, you see." She turned to leave, then quickly turned back. "Oops!" she exclaimed for a third time, seeming to realize something. "Where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Phlegmy's wife, Catarrhina."

Realizing that we haven't introduced ourselves, either, I quickly returned the gesture. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Catarrhina. I'm Michael, and this is Jessica and Allison."

Catarrhina's face lit up at the mention of their names. "Oh my Almighty! Is that really you Jessica? I haven't seen you in forever. You, too, Allison. Look how tall you've gotten!"

"Thanks," Jessica responded sheepishly.

"It hasn't been that long…" Allison added.

Catarrhina's face suddenly became more somber. "Oh, Jessica, I just remembered," she began. "I'm so sorry about what happened."

Jessica's face dropped and she looked towards the floor. "I-it's okay. I'm…fine."

Catarrhina gave Jessica a concerned look before turning back towards me. "I'll go on ahead," she said, turning and leaving the house. Allison followed soon after her. I glanced at Jessica to see if she was okay, but she seemed to be fine and was already following Allison out the door. Not wanting to be left behind, I quickly followed them.

After going down some more stairs and into an alley, we found Catarrhina facing a door covered in shadows. As we approached her from behind, we heard her talking to herself. "I can't believe Daddy would ask a stranger to visit Phlegmy. Does he really find him that hard to talk to? (cough cough)"

Allison tensed up a little when Catarrhina coughed. "Catarrhina, are you okay?" she asked.

Catarrhina jumped and turned around to face us. "Oh! You're here already. Yes, I'm perfectly fine," Catarrhina answered, smiling. "There's no need to worry, Allison." Turning back towards the door, she continued. "I'll get him to open up, then." Raising her hand, she knocked on the door in what was clearly a special pattern.

"Catarrhina? Is that you?" a voice called out from inside. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Sorry to disturb you, Phlegmy," Catarrhina apologized. "You have a visitor. Daddy's sent a messenger to find out how you're getting on with deciphering the old manuscripts."

"Hmph," was heard from the other side of the door. "Well, I suppose you'd better come in, then." The door to the lab opened inwards and Catarrhina walked inside. We quickly followed suit.

The inside of the lab was as anyone would expect. The walls were lined with bookcases, stacks of extra books sat in the corner, and balls of crumpled paper were strewn across the floor. A tall man with reddish-brown hair, white glasses, and chin stubble sat at a desk off to the side. Catarrhina stood behind him. He sighed. "I have a million and one things to do at the moment, but I suppose a messenger from Father-in-law takes precedence." He turned towards us and stood up. "So, what can I- Ah, that's right. You've come to find out how I'm getting on with those manuscripts, haven't you?"

"You're forgetting something, Phlegmy!" Catarrhina interjected. "You haven't introduced yourself yet."

The man grunted. "I don't see how that matters. Silly, time-consuming formality, in my opinion." Well, he's not entirely wrong, I thought to myself. "Oh, very well. Pleased to meet you. The name's Dr. Phlegming. I study archaeology and the like. And you are…?"

"I'm Michael," I responded. "And this is Jessica and Allison."

He raised an eyebrow at the mention of Allison's name. "Allison, you say?"

"Yes, sir," Allison responded.

"Hm…I suppose I should thank you, then."

Allison seemed confused. "What? Why?"

"You're the priestess who has been going around town to help control the Contagion, are you not?" he explained. Allison nodded. "Well, then, thanks to you, I've had more time to research the disease. I don't know how far I would have gotten in my studies if the Contagion had been left unchecked."

"Oh," Allison replied. "Well, then, I guess you're welcome."

Dr. Phlegming nodded, then continued. "And you're Jessica, and then you're Michael, yes?" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Jessica seemed relieved that Dr. Phlegming didn't actually know her. "Well, I'll try to remember your names, but I can't guarantee I'll be successful. Anyway, never mind that. I think I've found a clue in the old manuscripts as to the nature of the illness that's been going around."

"Oh Phlegmy!" Catarrhina exclaimed. "I knew you could do it!"

"Around a hundred years ago, some old ruins were discovered to the west of town." As Dr. Phlegming was explaining, I noticed that Catarrhina was staring at her husband with what was perhaps the most love-filled look I had ever seen. It amazed me just how much love she seemed to have for him. And yet, he didn't seem to notice, as he kept on explaining what he had discovered. "The people who discovered them rather rashly decided that it would be a good idea to venture inside. Little did they know that terrible misfortune lay in wait in the form of a deadly contagion. It's this contagion that lies behind our current epidemic. According to the manuscripts, it's actually more accurate to refer to it as a curse than a disease. The townspeople were able to break the curse by sealing the contagion away in the ruins and blocking up the entrance."

"But for some reason the disease has managed to escape again?" Catarrhina asked.

The doctor turned towards his wife. "It's possible that the recent earthquake may have caused some damage to the seal that was keeping it contained." I was willing to bet that that was exactly what happened. After all, three out of the last three problems I had to deal with were directly related to the earthquake. Why should this one be any different?

"So all we have to do is go to the shrine and seal it away again?" Catarrhina inquired.

"Indeed," Dr. Phlegming answered. "Although it's not quite as simple as it sounds. I'm probably the only one who'd be able to do it, in fact."

"Ooh!" Catarrhina exclaimed, her eyes somehow filling with even more love than before. "So you're going to fix the seal and save us all, Phlegmy?"

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt. It might even encourage your father to finally think me worthy of you. It would also be a good opportunity for me to explore the ruins, so I'm certainly not averse to the idea. The only problem is that monster activity there is reportedly rather heavy, and I don't want to get hurt…"

Finally realizing that we weren't actually part of this conversation anymore, we decided to leave and head back to the mayor to report what we had found. As we were leaving, though, I heard Catarrhina cough a few times more before simply passing it off as something that caught in her throat from all of the excitement. I glanced at Allison, and I saw that we were both starting to have the same concern. However, we both decided against saying anything.


"Ah, I was wondering where you'd got to. So, what did you find out?" We were back in Mayor Laria's library to report to him what Dr. Phlegming had discovered.

"Well," I began, "it turns out that the Contagion is actually a curse that was sealed away a century ago in some ruins to the west."

"Dr. Phlegming believes that the recent earthquake may have damaged the seal, which would have let the curse escape," Jessica continued.

Allison finished the report. "However, he believes that he may be the only one able to repair the seal, trapping the curse away again. Unfortunately, he is unable to do so at the moment because the ruins are too dangerous for him to visit."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm…" the mayor hummed, thinking over what we had just told him. "Goodness! The disease is being caused by some kind of contagious curse? And the way to contain it is to fix some kind of seal in the shrine to the west of town? And you say that Phlegming is the only one capable of this?"

The three of us looked at each other, then back at the mayor. "Yes," I answered. "That's pretty much exactly what we just said."

The mayor nodded in understanding. "Very well. The situation is clear to me now." He paused for a few seconds, thinking about something. "Hmm… Well, you three look like you can take care of yourselves fairly well. I don't suppose I could interest you in going along with Phlegming? Safety in numbers and all that. If he thinks that the shrine is hazardous, then I'm sure he'd appreciate a bodyguard. Naturally, I'd make it worth your while. What do you say?"

Before answering, I turned towards Jessica and Allison to see what their opinions on this was. Jessica seemed more than eager to go along. Allison seemed a little more hesitant, but she nodded in approval nonetheless. I turned back towards the mayor. "Yes, we'll do it."

"You'll do it?" the Mayor confirmed. "Excellent, excellent! Much obliged and all that. Well, we'd better not waste any time. Take this key to Phlegming, won't you?" The mayor handed me a large key with a small tag attached to it the read 'Quarantomb Key.'

"I'll bring it to him immediately," I answered, placing the key in my bag. As I let go of it, I heard a short yelp of pain from within. I realized that Stella was probably, for some odd reason, trying to rest in my bag. Seems I may have just accidentally awoken her.

"Good," the Mayor continued. "That's the key to the shrine to the west of town. You should be able to open it up with that. Good luck."

We thanked the mayor for his assistance, and turned to leave. However, as we were walking out, Stella flew out of bag and began to talk to me. Jessica, who was ahead of me, noticed this and kept walking with Allison so that she wouldn't suspect anything.

"Sealing away a deadly disease is the perfect way to help people!" she cried out excitedly. "Imagine how grateful they'll be if we succeed! We'll have barnloads of Benevolessence! You'll be a fully-fledged Celestrian again in the wink of an eye!"

"How do you know what we're doing?" I asked quietly, so that nobody would overhear me. "Weren't you sleeping this entire time?"

Stella scoffed. "Pfft. Of course not. I was simply hiding."

"From what?"

"This blasted Contagion, of course. I don't want to be exposed to it and end up like-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Stella," I interrupted. "I don't know what you were about to say, but it probably was going to end up being insensitive and mean, and I'd rather not hear something like that right now."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get going. That benevolessence isn't going to collect itself."

As I started down the stairs, I told her "You know, benevolessence isn't the only reason I'm doing this."

Stella looked at me confused. "What do you mean? What other reason would you have for going through all of this trouble and risking your life."

I shook my head. "Isn't it obvious? I'm doing it for Jessica and everyone else who has the disease. Yes, the benevolessence is a nice bonus, but it's my duty as a Celestrian to help those I am sworn to protect."

"And then collect their benevolessence and bring it to Yggdrasil," Stella finished. "Yes, I'm very well aware of your duties." She turned in midair and looked over towards the front door of the mansion, where Jessica was in the middle of a coughing fit and Allison was trying to help her recover. "But, yes, I see your point." She turned back towards me. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go save everyone's lives and then collect all of their benevolessence!" she exclaimed, pumping her arm through the air before disappearing back into my bag. Faeries are such strange creatures.


Back at Dr. Phlegming's lab, I pulled the key out of my bag and handed it to him. "Hm? What's the key you've got there?" he asked, taking it out of my hands.

"It's the key that opens the ruins to the west where you'll be going with us as your bodyguards."

The doctor looked up at us with an incredulous look on his face after I said that. "Really? Father-in-law has asked you to be my bodyguard?"

"Goodness!" Catarrhina chimed in. "He did that for you!?"

Dr. Phlegming sighed. "So he's managed to rope you into helping out, has he? Well, I suppose I have no choice, then. I'd better go, hadn't I? I don't want the old man to think I'm all mouth and no trousers."

"Um, I'm not sure it's quite like that, Phlegmy…"

Adjusting his glasses, the doctor continued. "There's no time to stand about discussing the whys and wherefores. I need to leave for the shrine right away. It's off to the west of town. I'm heading there now. Don't keep me waiting." And with that, he turned and walked out of his lab, presumably to the ruins off to the west.

As we were leaving, Catarrhina suddenly coughed again. We all turned to look at her. "(cough cough) Oh dear!" she exclaimed. "Excuse me. It's all the dust in here, it's making me cough." She smiled. "Phlegmy seemed rather het up. I do hope everything is okay. You will be sure to look after him, won't you? I'm begging you! (cough cough)"

"Yes, of course we'll take care of Dr. Phlegming. Don't you worry," I answered.

"And take care of yourself while we're gone, okay?" Allison added.

"I'll be fine," Catarrhina stated. "It's you guys I'm worried about. Now hurry up and go! I don't want my Phlegmy out by himself for too long. Especially with how late in the afternoon it's getting." We nodded and said our goodbyes before following the doctor out of the town.


(Allison's POV)

"So, I don't know if this is a good time to mention it or not, but I've never actually fought a monster before…"

Michael stopped right where he was and facepalmed. Jessica just laughed. "What are they teaching you at your fancy school?" she asked.

"I only took the classes on healing magic," I responded. "I never really felt the need to learn how to fight."

Jessica laughed again. "Well, here in the real world, everyone needs to know how to defend themselves against monsters, since they're everywhere." I was really starting to get annoyed with Jessica's sass. "Here, c'mon, I'll teach you really quickly," she offered.

"Alright," I said, interested to see what Jessica could teach me. "Show me how it's done."

"It's easy," she said. "Just take your staff and hit the monster with it as hard as possible."

I doubted is was that simple. "That's it?" I asked.

"Well…" Michael jumped in. "There's a bit more strategy involved than just hitting it as hard as possible. Sometimes you have to choose between attacking and blocking an attack with your shield."

"But I don't have a shield."

Michael sighed, but it was more like he was upset at himself for not realizing this fact sooner. "Hang on," he said. "I'm pretty sure I have an extra shield in my bag somewhere. Um…Let's see. Ah! Here we go." He pulled out a small leather shield out of his bag and tossed it over to me. It quickly attempted to put it one over my arm, and was eventually successful – with Jessica's help.

"Okay," I said, summarizing everything they've said so far. "So, I attack by hitting monsters with my staff and protect myself from their attacks with my shield. Is there anything else I should know?"

Jessica thought for a second before responding. "Well, you can also use your magic in battle. Since you specialize in healing magic, you can make it your job to make sure none of us gets too injured for too long."

"Oh, yeah. I did learn that part, actually."

Jessica smiled and Michael nodded. "That should be everything that you need to know," he said. "Is there anything else you that you want to know?"

"Um…Yeah, actually. When does a battle usually end?"

"Whoever dies first loses," was all he said in response.

"Wait, what?" I replied, although it seems that he didn't hear me.

"Maybe we should find a monster for you to practice on. Do you see any monsters nearby, Jessica?"

"No, really, that's okay. There really isn't any need for that…" Once again, it seemed that I was completely ignored.

Jessica scanned the surrounding area looking for monsters. Unfortunately, she found one. "Oh, look! There's a Leafy Larrikin over there by himself."

"Maybe we should just leave it al-"

"Hey, you! Stupid plant guy!" Jessica suddenly yelled out to the nearby monster, getting its attention. Gesturing towards me, she continued "This girl over here wants to fight you!"

"Jessica!" I hissed. "What are you doing!?"

She just looked at me and smiled innocently. "There you go, Allison. A monster for you to practice fighting with. You better get ready, though. He's already coming to fight you."

Sure enough, the spiky orange plant was charging right towards me with its devious grin on its face. Without thinking, I took my staff and swung it towards the Leafy Larrikin as hard as I could, landing a direct hit on its face. The monster was immediately thrown in the opposite direction, crashing into a nearby tree before exploding into purple dust. I turned back to face Michael and Jessica. "How'd I do?"

Michael said nothing, instead continuing to look at the distant tree with a slightly terrified look on his face. Jessica, on the other hand, was a bit more vocal. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed.

"R-really?" I asked.

"Totally," she responded. "You completely destroyed that monster. Who would have thought that you would be so strong?"

"Wow. I didn't know that I had it in me."

Michael finally seemed to come back to reality. "Yeah. I'm just glad that you're on our side. I would hate to be at the other end of your staff." Jessica snickered in response to that, and Michael slightly scowled. "Anyway, we've wasted enough time here. Dr. Phlegming is waiting for us. Let's go," he said, turning back towards the path to the west. Jessica and I followed right behind him.


(Jessica's POV)

After a long trek north through the valley in Western Coffinwell, we finally reached a stone structure built into the side of the mountain. The three of us stood outside, hesitant to enter such a supposedly accursed place (cough cough).

Michael turned to look at us. "Ready?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," Allison responded. I nodded in agreement.

Michael took a deep breath. "Alright then. In we go," he said, heading towards the large wooden door at the front of the structure.

Just inside of the door stood Dr. Phlegming, who seemed to have gotten a little impatient waiting for us. "You took your time, um…Michael, was it?" he asked.

"Sorry," Michael apologized. "We got a little sidetracked by some monsters."

The doctor shook his head before continuing. "See here?" he explained, gesturing towards a broken wall at the back of the room. "It's just as I said. The shrine wall collapsed in the earthquake, and the entrance has been left wide open. It doesn't bode well for the seal that was supposed to be keeping the Contagion contained." He turned back towards us (cough). "We'd better head inside. Make sure you do what Father-in-law employed you for. I can't afford to get injured." And, with that cheerful note, Captain Encouragement turned around and walked through the hole in the wall deeper into the (cough) ruins.

We immediately followed after him and entered into a large network of crossing hallways. A cold, damp fog seemed to hang over everything in here. We barely took a few steps down the first hallway when (cough) I suddenly felt (cough) out of breath and began to stumble. Luckily, Allison caught me before I completely fell to the ground (cough).

"Jessica, are you okay!?" Michael cried out, surprised by my sudden near collapse.

(cough cough)

"This whole building is filled with the Contagion," Allison explained. "Being here has probably accelerated the progression of the disease inside of her. In fact, coming in here has probably resulted in all of us having the Contagion now."

(cough)

Michael looked around for a few seconds, evaluating the situation. "Hm… I suppose that means that we don't have very much time to waste here, does it?"

(cough)

"No, not at all," Allison confirmed.

"Well, then, we better hurry. Can you walk, Jessica?"

I slowly climbed back onto my feet. "Yeah, I (cough) think so."

"Okay, good," he replied. "Stay close to Allison," he ordered. "Allison, use your magic to ensure that Jessica doesn't get too much worse while we're in here, okay?"

"I will do everything that I can," Allison stated.

"Let's just hurry up and (cough cough) finish our task," I added. "The faster we seal away the curse, the better."

Michael nodded. "Alright. Let's go," he said, starting down the hallway once again. "We don't want to keep Dr. Phlegming waiting."

After a fairly short walk, we reached a point where our current hallway crossed with another (cough). We could see that our hallway quickly reached an end with what looked like a door that was half blue and (cough) half red, with a jewel of the matching color set into both halves. In the center of the intersection stood (cough) a large stone (cough) triangular pillar with mirrors on two of its sides. Dr. Phlegming wasn't anywhere to be seen (cough).

On the third side of the pillar, an inscription was etched into the stone. Michael walked up to it and read it out loud. "'When the sages reawaken, Comes crimson light and blue, Travel right, oh guiding light, And make the doors swing to.' Huh. What do you suppose that means?" he asked.

I (cough) didn't know what to think of the inscription. I noticed Allison kept switching between looking at the door, the (cough) mirrors, and down the hallways. "I think," she began, "that, maybe, somewhere at the end of these hallways, there is something that is supposed to be generating a red and blue light."

I began to understand what she was implying. "And maybe we're supposed to (cough) use the mirrors here to reflect the light into the jewels on the (cough) door," I added.

"Yeah, I think you guys are probably right," Michael concluded. "That's probably where Dr. Phlegming went – to go looking for the light sources. We should probably look for them, too."

"But which way should we go?" Allison asked.

"I don't know," Michael answered. "Let's try the left path first."

We followed Michael down the left path for a (cough cough) few minutes, our progress slowed by the fact that Allison had to half-carry me as we moved along. I felt bad, but there wasn't (cough) much that I could do. Eventually, we reached another intersection with a mirror at its center. Michael stared at this new mirror briefly, then back down the (cough) hallway that we had just come from.

"I think that if we follow the paths that these mirrors face," Michael suggested, "then we should eventually reach our target, whatever it may be."

"Sounds good to me," I responded. "Let's just get there (cough) quickly, wherever 'there' is."

A few more minutes (cough) of wandering down the (cough) dark hallways – changing directions when we reached a (cough) mirror – ultimately brought us to a (cough) statue of a sage with a glowing red wand. Michael carefully (cough) approached it to take a closer look at it.

"There seems to be a button on the wand here," he exclaimed.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Allison asked. "Push it already."

"I was going to," he responded, pushing the button.

Suddenly, a bright red beam of light shot out of the (cough) wand down the hallway. We followed the path (cough) of the light as fast as we could, and, as we (cough cough) expected, the light bounced off of all of the mirrors we (cough) passed and struck the red jewel on the (cough) door.

"Well," I began, "that (cough) seemed to work."

Michael agreed. "Yes, it did. Now we should head down the right path and see where that takes us."

After several more minutes (cough) of walking down different hallways, following (cough) mirrors, and occasionally crossing the red (cough cough) beam of light, we finally reached a second sage statue, this one (cough cough) glowing blue. Again, Michael pushed (cough cough) the button, and a blue beam of (cough cough) light shot out of its wand.

"Do you thi-" Allison began to ask before being interrupted by a deep rumbling noise off in the distance, followed by the beam of light going out.

"I suppose that answers your question," Michael answered. "At least, I hope so. Also, I hope the doctor is okay. We haven't seen him in a while."

"Maybe he (cough cough cough) heard the sound (cough cough) of the door opening and rushed (cough) over to investigate (cough)?" I offered.

Michael looked at me with concern. "Jessica, you seem to be getting worse. Are you sure you're alright to keep going?"

"I'm (cough) fine. I can (cough cough) keep going," I responded pathetically (cough).

"I think the power of the Contagion has actually gotten stronger while we've been in here," Allison stated. "We should hurry up and get out of here before- (cough)" Allison stopped suddenly, paling.

"Say no more," Michael said in response. "Let's just get back to the front of the ruins and deal with this whole thing as quickly as possible." Checking to (cough cough) make sure that both Allison and myself were (cough cough) both (cough) okay to travel, we quickly hurried to the front of the ruins to see (cough) what awaited us there.

Once we got (cough) there, we found Dr. Phlegming standing (cough cough cough) just inside of the room (cough) that we must have just opened. He was looking (cough cough) over what appeared to be (cough cough) a broken jar sitting on a pedestal in the center.

"Fascinating!" he (cough) exclaimed. "It's just as the manuscripts described. The jar over there must be where the contagion was sealed away." He walked (cough cough) closer to it to inspect it further. "And just as I feared, it was damaged in the earthquake." He walked (cough cough cough) even closer. "Ah, we're in luck! The section with the seal drawn on it is still intact. Patching this up should be a piece of cake for a top archaeologist like myself." He carefully knelt down on (cough cough cough cough) the ground and began (cough) working with the broken (cough) pieces. "I just need to get all of the pieces together…" He (cough) walked (cough) around (cough) to (cough) the (cough) side (cough) of (cough) the (cough) pedestal. "And then take my special glue…"

I stopped (cough cough) paying (cough) attention at this (cough cough) point as it (cough) took almost all of my energy (cough cough cough) just to keep (cough) breathing at this (cough cough) point.

Suddenly (cough), there was a flash (cough) of dark (cough cough) lightning as all of the (cough cough cough cough) fog in the nearby area came (cough cough) together to create a (cough) horrifying pink gaseous (cough cough cough cough cough) with three eyes (cough) floating around its (cough cough) body. As it (cough cough cough) opened its mouth to speak, green (cough) mist started pouring out of its mouth (cough cough), causing me to (cough cough) immediately feel faint. I (cough) could feel Allison starting to (cough cough) use her healing magic on me (cough), but it (cough) was barely helping (cough cough cough).

"Are you no-good, nose-pokin' buckaroos here to try and cram me back in that teeny-tiny little ol' pot?" the hideous (cough) creature asked, filling (cough cough) the room with a toxic (cough) gas. "Well I ain't gonna let y'all, y'hear? Uh-uh, no siree! The Ragin' Contagion's gonna keep a-ragin'! Ragin', ragin', ragin'!"

The doctor (cough) stepped back in (cough cough) disgust. "S-so this is the contagion that's been troubling the town? Drat! I haven't finished f-fixing the jar yet." He (cough cough cough) turned towards (cough) us. "Don't just stand there, Michael! If you don't do your job and fight that abomination, I can't do mine! I need more time! Go on, keep it occupied while I get this jar back together!"

The Ragin' Contagion (cough cough) turned to face us. "Sakes alive, ya pesky critters! I'm gonna have to send yer sorry hides to the bone orchard once and for all! Y'all don't seem to be dyin' fast 'nough as it is! It looks like I'm gonna have to deal with y'all myself!"

Roaring, the Ragin' Contagion (cough cough) flew right us. Michael quickly (cough cough) leapt at it, swinging his sword (cough cough) right at the hideous creature. However, his sword (cough cough) passed right through its body (cough cough cough), not leaving a single mark.

With the Ragin' Contagion (cough cough) still flying straight toward Allison and (cough cough) myself, Allison swung at the thing with her (cough) staff, luckily hitting one of (cough cough) its eyes. This managed to (cough) stop it dead in its (cough cough) tracks as it screamed in pain while (cough) grasping its eye with its hand.

Taking advantage of the (cough) easy shot, I quickly cast (cough cough) Frizz, sending a fireball directly into its (cough) face. This time, the Ragin' Contagion screamed in utter (cough cough cough) agony. I could see that (cough) part of its (cough) body had evaporated away where the (cough cough cough) fireball had hit it. However, it quickly reformed as (cough) more fog blew in (cough cough) to reform the (cough) wound.

"It must be weak to fire!" Allison realized. "Jessica, keep doing that as much as possible!" I (cough) nodded.

Fully reformed (cough), the Ragin' Contagion stared at me with pure (cough cough) hatred. I (cough) braced myself for its attack, but it didn't (cough) get a chance has Michael suddenly (cough cough) leapt at it from the side and sliced one of his (cough) eyes with his sword. Screaming in (cough) pain again, the Ragin' Contagion turned its focus back onto (cough) Michael. While it was (cough cough) distracted, Allison continued to use her (cough) magic on me as I sent (cough cough) two more fireballs at the monster.

Fully reformed once (cough) again, the Ragin' Contagion seemed beyond (cough cough) pissed at this point. Holding all three of its (cough) eyes high out of reach, it roared in my direction, releasing a (cough cough cough) massive cloud of gas which quickly enveloped me. I (cough cough cough cough) immediately collapsed onto (cough cough) ground, my lungs burning in (cough cough cough cough cough cough cough) pain. I (cough cough) could (cough cough) hear (cough cough cough) someone (cough cough) scream (cough) out my name (cough cough) in the distance as (cough) things started to fade to (cough cough) black.

Before everything (cough cough cough) disappeared, however, I saw a (cough cough) sudden flash of (cough) yellow light which was followed by an immense blast of fresh air. I managed to stand back up, apparently fully reenergized by the air flowing around me. Without knowing why, I immediately began launching a massive barrage of fireballs at the Ragin' Contagion. Absolutely soul-piercing shrieks could be heard from within the resultant blast, but I kept firing as many balls of flame as I could. The blast was so powerful, Michael and Allison both had step back to avoid being caught in it.

However, the fresh air quickly dissipated, and I began to (cough) feel weak again. Again, without (cough) thinking, I sent one last fireball towards (cough) Michael. "Catch!" I yelled at him (cough cough), hoping he'd know what to do with it.

As the (cough) dust cleared, I saw, much to my (cough cough) dismay, that the Ragin' Contagion, reduced to (cough cough cough) nothing but his three eyes, quickly (cough cough) reformed again, his three eyes glaring at me the (cough) entire time.

"You little bitch!" it screamed (cough cough) at me. "I was gonna let ya die a slow, painful death, but I think I'm just gonna end ya now! I hope yer ready to see yer parents again, yes siree!"

I was horrified by (cough) what it had said, but I pushed (cough) it out of mind (cough) and quickly (cough cough) raised my shield over my (cough) face, anticipating another toxic (cough) blast. However, it never (cough) came. I looked over my shield and (cough) saw that the Ragin' Contagion had (cough cough) disappeared. I looked around the (cough cough cough) room, trying to find (cough cough) it.

"Jessica, behind you!" Allison suddenly (cough cough cough) screamed.

I quickly spun around (cough cough cough cough) and found myself face-to-face (cough cough) with the Ragin' Contagion. Before I had a chance to even (cough cough cough) react, it opened its maw and released an incredible cloud of toxic gas (cough cough cough cough), then proceeded to surround me with its own body (cough cough cough cough cough), destroying any clean air left…around…me…

Suddenly…everything became…calm…

Time…seemed to…slow…

I…could…no longer…hear…the screams…the cries…the fighting…

I…wasn't coughing…anymore…

My lungs…had…stopped…working…

I…felt myself…hitting…the floor…

I…could see…Allison's tears…the Contagion's glee…Phlegming's determination…Michael over the contagion…rage on his face…sword glowing red…

And then…I saw…darkness…