Happy holidays, everyone! As a gift for all you, I spent the last two days cranking out this chapter as quickly as possible for all of you to enjoy. Thankfully, I'm on break between semesters in college right now, which has afforded me so much extra free time.

Anyway, there's no point in wasting time, so let's just head straight to the good stuff.

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 happen to them.

Reviews:

outcast247: I'm glad you liked it. Wait no more!

Typhlosion-777: I'm glad it's not getting worse and worse. And sure, you ship it, but do they ship it? That's the true question.

Chronos0305: I love my work, too. And I love that you love my work. I do my darndest to update as quickly as possible, but life just seems to suck the free time out of everything. Thankfully, you didn't have to wait too much longer.


Act 2 – Part 3: ...Master of None

(Michael's POV)

"Well, it doesn't look like old fatguts is here, either. Where the flap has he got to?" Stella suddenly asked out of the blue, delaying us on our way to report back to the bishop, much to our annoyance. "Ooh, but hang on… I've got the sneaky suspicion one of those fruits you're after was here till not long ago…"

The profound ignorance of that statement hit me so hard, it physically pushed me back a step. Jessica and Allison were similarly taken aback by Stella's words. "Wha- Bu- I-," I stuttered, struggling to comprehend what I had just heard. "Stella, we literally just talked about that. You were the one who brought it up!"

"Maybe she has short-term memory loss?" Allison offered.

"Nah," Jessica countered. "She probably just hit her head on something in Michael's bag."

"Don't be ridiculous," Stella continued. "Look at my perfect hair. Does it look like something hit it? And speaking of something, something tells me this Abbot Jack character might have gone and made a meal of it."

Jessica lost it at that. She leapt at Stella and had to be held back by Allison. "And I think that that something needs to hit you on the head now. Maybe help jog your memory a little," Jessica threatened, swinging her arms in the air towards Stella.

"Jessica, please try to calm down," Allison tried to sooth, struggling to keep her arms around Jessica's flailing body. "People are starting to stare. Trust me, she's not worth it."

"Let. Me. Go. Just. One. Punch." Jessica begged, refusing to give up.

Stella stared at the struggling young woman with a concerned look. "Almighty… I was gonna have a good laugh about how flapping hysterical your faces were when I started messing with you all, but if that's how you're going to flapping react to a simple practical joke, then it's really not that funny anymore."

Jessica immediately stopped fighting. "Wait, what?" she asked, confused.

"Anyway, I reckon you should get back to finding that important-looking man again and asking him if he knows anything. And then get after that Abbot!" Stella ordered before flying back into my bag.

"Wait, she was joking?" Jessica asked again. She was blushing from the strange looks some of the people nearby were giving her. "I guess I overreacted a little bit. Sorry…"

"Yeah, just a little…" Allison sighed, exasperated.

"Ah, don't worry about it," I reassured Jessica. "Stella got all of us pretty good. You just have a shorter fuse than the rest of us." A slightly pained look passed over Jessica's face. "Oh, no, that was a compliment, I swear," I quickly backpedaled. "It's a good thing…in certain contexts."

A small smile formed on Jessica's lips. "Of course it is," she agreed. "Anyway, let's go find the bishop. We've been delayed enough as it is."

We quickly made our way up to the altar, where the bishop greeted us. "Ah, it's you."

"Yes," I quickly began explaining, "and we have reason to believe that the Abbot ate the fruit that we are looking for and then left the Abbey.

"What?" the bishop asked, amazed. "Are you sure? The Abbot left the Abbey after eating the fruit you mentioned?"

"That's what we've been told, at least," Allison confirmed. "Also, there's a very good chance that this fruit was imbued with some very powerful and potentially dangerous magic."

"I see…" the bishop pondered what we told him. "It harbours some mysterious power, does it? Well…" The bishop seemed to come to a sudden realization. "Of course! The Tower of Trades!"

"The what?" Jessica asked.

"Legend tells that it is where the vocation-changing rite was carried out in days of yore, but now it is overrun with monsters."

"Of course it is," I heard Jessica grumble under her breath besides me, causing a slight smile to climb onto my face.

"Under normal circumstances, the Abbot would never have considered venturing into such a dangerous place, but… Well, if you say this fruit may have afforded him magical powers, perhaps his curiosity finally got the better of him." An uneasy look came over the bishop, and his mannerisms suddenly became much timider. "Oh dear! I, I don't like to ask, but there is no one else… Could you possible go to the tower and bring the Abbot back? We men of the cloth are neither equipped nor inclined to battle monsters." I noticed a peculiar expression come over Allison's face. "Please, I implore you to help!"

"Absolutely," Allison immediately answered, surprising both me and Jessica. A quick glance let me see that Allison's eyes were burning with an unusual passion.

"Oh, thank you!" the bishop exclaimed, clearly relieved. "Before you go, let me teach you the secret way to enter the tower. You must stand at the entrance and take a bow. Just one will suffice. Let me show you how to do it…" Taking a small step back to make room, the bishop bent forward for a moment before standing back up. The three of us quickly mimicked his movements and confirmed that we did it correctly. "The Tower of Trades is to the east of Alltrades Abbey," the bishop directed us. "May the Almighty watch over you and guide you to the Abbot."

With our meeting concluded, Allison abruptly turned around and quickly marched towards the exit. Jessica and I hurried after her, concerned about her sudden mood swing. "Allison, what's wrong?" Jessica called out to her friend.

Stopping to face us, she responded, "I have a sudden urge to show those 'men of the cloth' how well-equipped a 'woman of the cloth' is to battle monsters."

"B-but you're a healer!" Jessica cried out, confused.

"I've battled monsters before," Allison called back, having resumed her march to the exit.

Jessica counted on her fingers for a second, seemingly dumbfounded by the claim, before shouting back, "But that was only five days ago!"

"No time like the present," she retorted as she stepped through the doorway.

"Almighty…" Jessica sighed.

"I think she's going to need our help," I assessed, concerned.

"Ya'think?" Jessica agreed. "At least I know you can handle yourself when you get arrogant like this."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"We have to go make sure Allison is okay, remember? No time to waste!" Jessica said, already out the doorway herself.

"When do I get arrogant…?"


(Jessica's POV)

A shiver went down my spine as I gazed at the intimidating tower before us. Even though it was the middle of the day, the area before the Tower of Trades was as dark as night, stuck in the massive shadow the tower cast upon the land. I tread lightly as I approached the entrance to the tower, where Michael and Allison were discussing something.

Climbing up the stairs, I got a look at the door. It seemed like an incredibly solid object. I started to doubt that it could even be opened. It didn't even have a keyhole.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I asked, wanting to get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible.

"We were just trying to come up with a strategy for when we climb the tower," Allison answered, seemingly unperturbed by her current location.

Michael nodded in agreement. "Yeah. This whole tower seems to be emanating an evil aura. I don't think it's going to be easy to find Abbot Jack in here."

"Do you think that the Fygg may have caused this?" I asked.

"I don't know," Michael responded. "It's possible, I guess."

Allison shook her head. "The Tower of Trades was abandoned centuries ago. Over the years, it has become decrepit and infested by monsters," she explained. "It has been a source of darkness in the world for a long time now; although, I never had imagined that it had gotten this bad."

"The Fygg could be amplifying the power of the darkness," Michael offered.

"Hey, no offense guys," I interrupted, "but I really don't care why the Tower of Trades is so dark and scary. I just want to leave here as fast as possible, so let's just get in, find the Abbot, and get out."

"Fair enough," Michael conceded. "Allison, would you like to have the honors of opening the door.

"Not a problem," she stated, before turning to face the door and performing a bow just as the bishop had shown. A soft click could be heard from behind the doors, and they suddenly swung open, revealing the darkness that waited inside.

Not wasting any time, Allison stepped inside and took a look around the first area. I hesitated for a moment, feeling an intense sense of dread grow inside me. I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and I turned to see Michael looking at me with a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I answered. "Just a little nervous."

He gave me a warm smile. "That's okay," he reassured. "It is an intimidating location. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous, too. I have no idea how Allison just walked in so easily."

"She is a strange one."

"Aren't we all?"

I smiled a little at his words. "I suppose so."

"Anyway, let's get going. As long as we stick together, I promise that nothing is going to happen to any of us."

"What if we get separated?"

Michael thought for a moment before answering. "What if you hold my hand? That way, as long as you hold on, we won't get separated."

"And you won't let go, either?"

"Except for when we have to fight something and I need my sword, I won't let go until we leave," he promised, offering his hand.

"Okay," I accepted, placing his hand in my own. "Lead the way and let's get this over with." As we stepped through the archway, I was briefly grateful for the available darkness, as it helped hide the slight blush that had formed across my face.

On the first floor, there wasn't very much except a ruined fountain sitting in the center of a central courtyard. Sneaking past the Walking Corpses and Mushroom Mages, we reached the far end of the floor, where we found two staircases that lead to the second floor. Since it was the closer staircase, we decided to take the right one.

The second floor was less open than the first floor, consisting of a single winding hallway. We passed through a doorway and found a row of three unopened treasure chests. We quickly looted them before continuing along. Passing through another door, we soon found where the other staircase on the first floor led to, as well as the staircase to the third floor, which was nearby.

When we reached the third floor, we were immediately ambushed by a pair of Mushroom Mages. For a minute, Michael had to let go of my hand so we could fight off the pair, but as soon as the battle was over, he grabbed my hand again just like he promised. Moving on, we found a stone tablet sitting upon an altar with candles, which were lit for some reason.

"'A vocation is a door to boundless potential,'" Allison read from the tablet. "'The ability to choose one's vocation is the inalienable right of all mortals.'"

Continuing around the third floor, sidestepping the small pools filled with putrid water located in the middle of the corridors, we came across another treasure chest, which held a small golden medal. After a few more minutes of sneaking around the floor, we eventually found the stairs to the next floor.

On the fourth level of our quiet climb through the ominous tower, we found a more open area filled with walls, seemingly creating a small maze. Heading down one passage through the walls, we found nothing but a dead end and another treasure chest, which just held some gold. Another path led to the same thing, except the chest held a lump of iron instead. After wandering around for several more minutes, we finally found the next staircase.

The next two floors were rather uneventful. One was filled with more pools of putrid filth, which we quickly hurried through because the smell was unbearable. The next floor contained nothing but more monsters and another staircase in a small alcove in the center of the room.

After climbing that last staircase, we found ourselves atop the Tower of Trades. Above us, the sun sat lower in the sky than it had earlier, and the world below us spread out in all directions. Most notably, however, was the strange golden gateway which sat a few feet beyond the far edge of the tower. A staircase made of light led to the gateway. Before it sat another stone tablet, seemingly a continuation of the last. 'Do not go lightly into a new vocation, you who would start anew. Once chosen, your new calling will shape the rest of your days,' its ominous message read.

Michael did a quick look around before finally letting out a slight sigh of relief. "It doesn't look like there are any monsters on this level. I think we're safe for now."

"Do you actually think that that gateway over there is safe?" Allison asked skeptically.

"I don't know," Michael admitted. "I'm just glad that there aren't any more stupid stairs to climb. And I'm willing to bet that both Abbot Jack and the Fygg are on the other side."

"I have a bad feeling about what we'll find if we go through there," I added, still feeling uneasy.

Michael smiled at me and squeezed my hand reassuringly. "I'm sure that whatever is waiting for us on the other side, we'll be able to handle it."

"Then let's get it over with," Allison declared, tightening her grip on her staff.


(Michael's POV)

Upon stepping out through the other side of the gateway, we found ourselves in a mysterious area. We were on a large circular platform, seemingly floating in space above a large boiling sea of mystical energy. The sight was breathtaking, even for me.

In the center of the platform stood a tall figure dressed in an ornate purple robe, facing away from us. "Looks like we found the Abbot," I whispered to my companions, who nodded in agreement.

We began cautiously approaching him, unsure of what to expect. As we grew closer, we could hear the Abbot deep in prayer. "Almighty power that commands all trades…" he chanted. "O mysterious force that drives the winds of change… Come! Come to me n- Hm!?" He suddenly stopped as something caught his attention. He turned around to face us, a less than happy expression on his face.

"Abbot Jack, we-" Allison tried to speak.

"Who dares interrupt this holy ceremony?" the Abbot bellowed at us. "If your purpose is to disrupt the rite, your efforts shall be in vain." He turned back away from us. "None shall interfere with the will of the heavens!"

"That bad feeling is getting worse, Michael," Jessica commented from beside me.

The Abbot raised his arms to the sky and continued chanting. "The power is mine now. The power of supreme guidance. The wisdom to lead my flock along only the brightest of paths." He brought his arms back down. "And now I, Abbot Jack of Alltrades Abbey, implore you to grant me yet more power, that I may guide yet more lost souls!" He raised his arms again. "Fill me now! Anoint me! Grant me the gift of ultimate guidance!"

A light briefly shone from above, and dark bolts of energy struck the ground around the about. Rings of dark magic began to circle around the Abbot. We could do nothing as we watched the scene before us unfold.

"Yes… YES! The power comes… Let it consume me!" the Abbot yelled out, welcoming the darkness around him. The energy swelled around him, encapsulating the Abbot in a sphere of shadow. "Wh-What is this…?" the Abbot asked from within, but now with a more sinister tone to his voice. "What have I become?"

Within the darkness, a terrifying silhouette became visible. A tall creature with large horns, a long tail ending with a large spike, and more spikes extending across his body. Anticipating what was about to come, we grabbed our weapons and prepared for a fight.

"This hideous form… Am I…a monster…?" Jack of Alltrades asked, looking over his new body. "This…darkness… This…black power… It is not what I wished for…" For a moment, it appeared that the Abbot would reject his new power. The waves of darkness around him burst away, revealing the full hideousness of what he had become, and the Abbot fell to his knees.

"Abbot?" I inquired, cautiously approaching the figure before me.

A slight chuckle stopped me from coming any closer. "But perhaps… Yes…hm hm hm..I see now. It is through tyranny and fear that I shall ensure my charges follow the righteous path!"

"Oh, I really don't like that sound of that," I heard Allison mutter from behind me.

The Abbot dramatically spun around to face us with an evil grin on his face. "I am no longer Jack of Alltrades!" he declared. "I am become Master of Nu'Un, and all will learn to obey me…or suffer my wrath!" The Master of Nu'Un glanced down at the three of us before him. "Hm hm hm. Well, well," he mused. "What perfect timing. I was just looking for a subject on whom to test the true extent of my new-found power." We raised our weapons as he extended his arm. "I wonder, will you allow me to guide you on the righteous path…or will you suffer the consequences of disobedience?"

Sensing the latter, he suddenly lunged at us with his hand spike. A large cracked hole now sat where I was standing just a moment before. I quickly countered and slashed my sword across his arm. He hissed in pain at the small cut, and leapt back. He glowed for a moment and all of his armor increased in thickness as he cast Buff on himself. Jessica, who had gotten a safe distance away with Allison, responded by casting Crackle, bypassing his armor with a magical icicle launched from the ground.

I charged at him again while he was recovering from Jessica's magic attack, and I managed to land a decent hit across against his chest before he swatted me away. Luckily, my shield took most of the hit, but the sheer force still caused it to hurt quite a bit. Allison quickly tried to run over to heal me, but she was suddenly thrown off her feet by a small twister that tore through the area. Jessica quickly began enacting Wizard Wards to protects from further magic attacks.

Getting back on my feet, I attacked the Master of Nu'Un again while Jessica distracted him again with another Crackle. He snarled has he blood began to drip from the fresh gash on his leg and he cast Buff once again, causing his armor to become even thicker. He then shot several lightning bolts out of his finger, shocking all of us and negating the healing Allison was trying to perform on herself and Jessica.

Shaking off the residual static from my limbs, I swung at him once more, only to discover that my sword now simply bounced off of his incredibly boosted body armor. As I staggered from the recoil, the Master of Nu'Un spun and kicked me back to the far end of the battlefield. He began walking towards me when Jessica hit him with another Crackle. Losing his patience, he threw his hand towards Jessica and a small stream of blue energy left her body and entered his own. Allison caught Jessica as she staggered from the Drain Magic attack.

While he was doing this, I jumped up from behind him and stabbed my sword into his back, causing only a slight dent in his back plate. Annoyed, the Master of Nu'Un quickly spun around and grabbed me by the throat, before throwing me into a nearby pillar, dazing me.

"No!" Allison screamed as she watched helplessly as the Master of Nu'Un leapt into the air and lunged at me with his hand spike. Still slightly dazed, I closed my eyes and waited for the attack to hit. I was left waiting, however, and I opened my eyes to see the last little bit of some golden energy dissipate. Glancing to my left, I saw the Master of Nu'Un, who had just landed his attack, but had somehow miraculously missed.

Turning his head to face me with an enraged look in his face, he quickly swung his tail and stabbed it right at me. Before I could even react, my body suddenly slid to the right a couple of feet, and his attack missed again. Now truly angry, the Master of Nu'Un sent a series of lightning bolts at me, from which my body, seemingly out of my control, did a backwards somersault away from before following up with a front flip, during which my sword somehow managed to hit a small area between his armor, leaving a large gash on his shoulder which was rapidly squirting blood.

He howled in pain and quickly swung at me with his other arm, which I avoided by doing a backwards triple kickflip, the first of which put my boot forcefully into his chin, knocking him back. When I landed the final flip, I found I was back near Jessica and Allison again, both of whom were staring at me with their jaws dropped.

"H-how did you do that?" Jessica asked, awestruck.

"I didn't," I explained. "I have no idea what just happened."

"Look, we don't have time to talk about this," Allison interjected, already busy healing me. "That thing is still able to fight, even though you managed to hurt it pretty bad, Michael."

"Hey, I think his Buffs are wearing off," Jessica pointed out, gesturing at the Master of Nu'Un, who was climbing back onto his feet. Indeed, it did appear that his armor had reverted back to its normal thickness.

I grabbed my sword once more. "Then I guess this is our best chance to take him down once and for all. Can you still cast magic, Jessica?" I asked.

She smiled. "Of course. He only sucked a little magic out of me."

"Then let's finish this. Allison, you make sure that we stay standing."

She nodded in agreement. "No problem."

Smiling, I charged at the Master of Nu'Un. Sensing my approach, he cast Woosh, unleashing another twister, which I deftly sidestepped. Enraged, he moved to swing at me but was caught off guard by another Crackle striking him from below. While he staggered from that, I jumped up towards his towering figure and drove my sword through his chest plates, piercing straight through his body.

The Master of Nu'Un howled in pain and fell to his knees as I pulled out my sword and took a few steps back, preparing for another attack. Instead, purple smoke began pouring out of his body, which also began crackling with purple electricity.

"Nooooo!" he cried. "My power! My new-found power!" His body became enveloped in another sphere of dark energy, except this time, the energy was flowing outwards. The sphere started to shrink until it finally exploded into nothingness, leaving just Abbot Jack of Alltrades lying on the floor.

"Urgh…" he sighed, as he slowly got up. "Wh-What am I doing here…? And who…are you? Why are you here?" he asked, appearing confused.

I cautiously approached him. "We were looking for you and a shining fruit," I explained.

"You're looking for a shining fruit, you say?" the Abbot repeated. "Yes, of course. I ate a shining fruit and…I remember very little after that…" he explained. "I only remember a terrifying feeling that I was…losing myself…"

"Sir," Allison addressed him. "You had become a terrible monster, and you wanted to guide your flock using fear and tyranny. Do you remember any of that?" she asked.

"Hm?" he replied, trying to recall. "You say that I took on a monstrous form, and was hell-bent on guiding my flock through fear and tyranny…?"

"We had to fight you in order to save you," Jessica added.

"And it was you who saved me from this warped version on myself?" Jack repeated, clearly concerned. "I see…" Looking around, he started walking towards the exit. "Well, I must return to the Abbey. There are lost souls there in need of my guidance…"

Allison looked like she was about to say something, but she was suddenly cut off by something that had begun to shine brightly in the center of the room. We turned to see what it was, and Stella flew out to get a closer look at it.

"Look at that!" she exclaimed. "It's only a flapping Fygg!"

"Only?" Jessica repeated.

"But I thought that addled old Abbot said he'd eaten it…" Stella mused while moving back from it a bit.

Carefully, I walked up to it and gingerly picked it up. Holding it, I turned around to show it to everyone else.

"…Hm. You've got your hands on a Fygg at last," Stella observed.

"But which Fygg is it?" Jessica inquired.

"If I had to guess," Allison conjectured, "I'd say that this is probably the Fygg of Power."

"I'd probably agree with you," I stated, staring at the innocent-looking fruit before sliding it into my bag.

"I'm over the rainbow for you," Stella began, "but… I can't help worrying after seeing what eating one can do to even a mild-mannered old mortal like the Abbot…"

Jessica's face paled at the thought. "Almighty…" she gasped. "I can't even imagine what kind of havoc the more dangerous Fyggs could wreak."

"Ah well," Stella shrugged. "Not much we can do about it, eh? Let's get back to the Abbey and see what this vocation-changing stuff's all about," she said, before flying back into my bag.

"You know," Allison began, "I think she would be much more worried about this kind of thing if she actually took part in the fights."

Jessica just scoffed. "Save your breath," she responded. "Nothing we say or do is going to change Stella. We may as well just learn to live with it."

"How about we just get out of here?" I suggested. "This place is starting to give me the creeps."

Both girls nodded in agreement, and we quickly made our way back through the golden gateway onto the roof of the Tower of Trades.

"Almighty," Jessica moaned. "I forgot that we still have to climb all the way back down this stupid tower."

A sudden light went off in my head as I recalled an important piece of information. "Actually, we may not have to," I replied.

"Why not?" Allison inquired.

"While I was praying to Yggdrasil at the Observatory, I learned a new spell that should let us teleport anywhere," I explained. "If it works, we should be able to return to Alltrades Abbey from here."

"And if it doesn't work?" Jessica asked, concerned.

"Then we walk," I answered.

"That's not what I meant..." Jessica muttered, "but let's at least give it a shot, I suppose."

"So, how does this spell work?" Allison asked.

"I have no idea," I admitted. "I've never done it before."

"What?" both girls deadpanned.

Smirking a little I grabbed both of their arms. "You better hold on tight and let's hope for the best."

"Actually, on second thou-" Jessica began to protest, but before she could finish, I cast the spell and a blue beam of light suddenly fell from above and surrounded us. In an instant, our feet left the roof of the Tower of Trades and landed in the grass outside of Alltrades Abbey. Well, at least, my feet landed. Jessica and Allison both fell onto the ground upon landing, grasping onto the grass and trying to catch their breath.

"See, that wasn't so bad," I stated.

"I swear to Almighty, Michael. I swear to Almighty," Jessica panted between breaths.

"My heart," Allison melodramatized. "It can't take much more of this."

"Oh, get up, you two," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Let's report back to the Abbey, and then we can call it a night."

Getting back on their feet, Jessica glared at me. "Fine, but that still wasn't okay."

Moving quickly, we headed back into Alltrades Abbey and went straight to see Abbot Jack. On the way, we heard various murmurs of conversation of people discussing about how the Abbot had gone to the Tower of Trades and that he had finally returned.

"Ah!" Abbot Jack greeted us. "Hello, Michael, Jessica, Allison. I thank you again for helping me out of my little predicament at the Tower of Trades before. I wonder what in the name of the Almighty was in that strange fruit!" The three of us shared a brief knowing smirk. "I was merely seeking a way to better guide my flock. Though the fruit clearly had extraordinary properties, sadly I could not control its power. It consumed me. Such a fruit should never have passed mortal lips." I sighed inwardly at how true that statement really was. "If you hadn't managed to stop me, I fear I may have destroyed the mortal world altogether." He looked at us, a fierce determination now on his face. "I am in your debt. At the very least, I hope my powers can be of assistance to you on your travels. As the Abbot of Alltrades Abbey, it is my duty to help people change their vocations and broaden their horizons."

Thanking him for his offer, we turned and began walking towards the inn downstairs. "So, what do you think, guys?" Jessica asked while we were walking. "Do either of you want to change your vocation?"

"Not me," Allison answered immediately. "I've never wanted to be anything other than a Priestess. I'm not planning on changing any time soon."

"Yeah, me neither," Jessica agreed. "Being a Mage is far too beneficial to our journey, and it's probably the only reason Michael still keeps me around."

"That's not true!" I objected. "I happen to enjoy your company."

"Sure, Michael," Jessica responded sarcastically, trying to act nonchalantly, but I noticed that she blushed a little when I said that. "What about you? Do you want to change your vocation, Michael?"

"And stop being a Minstrel?" I asked. "Absolutely. Anything to make it so I don't have to wear this stupid headband anymore," I said, gesturing to the Feather Headband the mayor of Coffinwell had given us."

"Aw… Really?" Jessica sighed. "But I think it makes you look cute. Don't you agree, Allison?"

"Yup," she agreed, smirking.

I crossed my arms and put my head down, trying to hide the redness climbing my cheeks. "But I don't want to look cute…" I grumbled.

Jessica giggled. "Whatever you say, Michael. Anyway, here's the inn. Let's hurry up and get a room. I'm exhausted."

"It seems like you're always exhausted," Allison lamented.

"Yeah, at night," Jessica countered.

The two bickering girls walked through the doors to the inn, and I was about to follow them when a nearby priest called out to me.

"You seem to have great physical skill," he began, "but do you have the composure?"


That's one Fygg down, and another chapter completed. I hope you enjoyed it. What'll come next, though, I wonder? Vocational shenanigans, or will the second Fygg start to make itself known? These are the questions that even I may not have the answers to.

"Jack of all trades, master of none" was always one of my favorite puns in the game. I just wanted to share that.

Just another reminder that I made a forum dedicated to this story where anyone can ask me or any of the characters a question, or leave a suggestion or comment about something in the story. It's called "The Mortal's Guardian: Michael's Story Forum," if you're interested. I'm always happy to chat, and it's a great way to fill in the gap between chapters if you can't wait that long.

Anyway, I kept my promise about getting a chapter out by year's end, so maybe I can keep another promise about getting a chapter out around April? No promises, though.

As always, don't forget to favorite, follow, and review if you haven't so far. Please don't hesitate to let me know of any typos in the story via a private message or the forum. I strive for perfection, but, alas, I am only human.

Until next time, this has been D~F.