Diverging paths

The rain pours.

It had seemed like the heavens themselves were weeping, for there was no thunder or lightning Just the heavy rain that attempted to drown the people of the world out

A school bell rings.

It brought joy to the children who were to unite with there loved ones after an exhausting day of learning.

A weary old man watches.

He watches in confusion as the events ravel themselves in front of his eyes. Neither comprehending nor making sense of the matter. He simply just was

A child cries.

A scratched knee. no mortal wound, but a wound non the less

"there, there it's okay…"

Her father and mother soothe the child a band-aid ready and a kiss to make them feel better before taking their hands and walking away. their smiles they're a replacement for the sun that was covered by storming clouds

another child watches

Unknowing to the feeling that was so simple in action yet so complex in sentimental value and seemed to be the source of the smiles and the warm feelings other children possessed

She felt the tears well up in her eyes.

Barely restrained tears in her eyes she watches as the other children were greeted by their parents with hugs kisses and warmth of a family while she waited in the rain alone and cold

"why can't I be like them?" she askes herself as the tears threatened to break from her eyes "why didn't my parents love me?" she asks as she started walking

The old man shouts her to stop begs her to forgive him

The child walked through him

After all, he was just a phantom father figure that was never there when it actually mattered. just a figure every other kid had but one that was never there for her

The scene shifts.

"and we award this medal to Amanda Balthasar!!!" the speakers blared and the crowd cheers

The child steps up on the pedestals next to her classmates and their parents her hands clutched into tight fists she looks up to the crowd her eyes forcefully keeping the tears at bay

"can Amanda's parents come on stage to hang the medal on her head," the speakers asked

She began to cry

"What did I do wrong?" she asks the tears streaming out of her eyes uncontrollably "why did my parents abandon me? Was it my fault? Tell me!!!" she begins to break down. her legs not taking her weight anymore

"Why didn't my parents love me…" she whispers to herself.

people just stared.

They couldn't comprehend what she felt. For they wake up every morning to a family, to people who care about them while all she had was a stuffed puppy she calls dad in place of a parent figure

Still. The old man watches

"my baby…" he whispers his own cheeks moist from tears of his own "you did nothing wrong sweetie!" he starts to sob

The scene shifts again and all is black

"you were perfect sweetie you did nothing wrong!!" he shouts at the darkness "it was my fault, not yours!!"

"It was my fault…"

And that was when Willem woke up

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Willem awoke to a forest with a jump. gasping for air he tried to calm his nerves from that awful dream he had.

His head throbbed. And he felt awful

What had happened.

He didn't remember sleeping in a forest.

"bad dream huh?" he heard Sebas ask from beside him

"yeah it- why do you look like a walking bruise?" Willem cut himself off as he turned to Sebas

The cowardly knight's face for lack of a better term looked like hell.

He had one black eye with multiple bruises fully coloring located on his cheek and jaw. Willem squinted and also found a few bruises on his arms and torso

"you say that as if you weren't the one who beat me up!" he yelled indignantly a bit of anger seeping in his voice "where did you even get the alcohol in the first place?" he asked as a follow-up

"What do you mean?" Willem asked tilting his head to the side in a look of confusion

"don't 'what do you mean' me" Sebas retorted angrily "you were flat out drunk yesterday. don't you remember beating up these bandits?" he asked pointing at the many bodies strewn about the forest

Willem blinked.

That didn't sound like him.

For as long as he knew he was a straight-edged person.

He looked down on the ground searching for clues he could use to figure things out.

He didn't need to search much.

Cause on the grass just beside where he slept lay a manticore's tail and four vials he received from Sebas the day before

He groaned.

"I let my guard down," he said as he facepalmed exhaling audibly

"How letting your guard down lead you to becoming a flat out drunk?" Sebas's eyebrows shot up in curiosity

And now Willem had to explain his odd ability.

"long-story-short I can chug down poison in my body and it completely does the opposite thing it was supposed to do" he sighed massaging his temple

That was why his head was throbbing right now

"what?"

Willem felt the headache begin to transform into a migraine from the sheer stupid look Sebas was giving him

"It means when I drink poison instead of weakening me it makes me stronger and faster" Willem stated as he stood hoping a walk would help with the hangover "the downside was it tasted and felt like I was drinking alcohol"

"what does letting your guard down have to do wit- the manticore!!!" he said in realization when his eyes wandered to the manticore's scorpion-like tail on the ground

Willem winced at the loud noise

"oh right let me guess, hangover?" the knight asked

"It hurts to be alive" Willem groaned out "please tell me I didn't do anything stupid?" he asked hopefully

"you kinda threw a bunch of bandits around along with some undead" Sebas offered, gesturing to the bodies that were strewn about

"acceptable"

"you kinda started talking about your daughter too"

And there it was.

Of course, he had to bring that up in his drunken state.

Willem felt like burying himself alive.

"don't worry Willem, you fought for her future, didn't you? she can't stay mad at you forever now can she?" Sebas said patting Willem's back unknowing of the sadness that put on Willems mind

He can never atone for what he's done.

He can never be forgiven for what he did for there was no one to forgive him.

He's gonna have to live with this his entire life in this new world.

His cross to bear.

Putting on a sad smile that managed to fooled Sebas he saw a glimpse of the knight's sword covered in blood

"looks like someone finally got their bravery in check," Willem said changing the subject

"About that…"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After having explained what happened while Sebas carried Lilian who was still tired on his shoulders the two shared a laugh or two at the usually cowardly knight's achievement Willem patted his back encouragingly

"for what it's worth I'm sorry for almost killing you" Willem laughed and offered a weak apology

"yeah that still doesn't fix the fact that broke my nose and turned me into a walking bruise," the knight huffed in annoyance

"did you at least learn something useful?"

"is to never let you drink poison considered a lesson?"

"good enough"

A comfortable silence settled on upon them as they walked the seemingly endless grassy plains of Koroth leaving Willem to his thoughts

Why were the bandits sent to kill the princess instead of being sent to capture her to be used as a political chess piece?

What was the magical healing Sebas talked about?

And why did it leave Lilian in a state if tiredness

His thoughts stopped as he started to see the beginning of a concrete wall built to keep out opposing forces he guessed

While it wasn't grand in its design it was grand in a way that it towered over them like a mountain clearly having built for durability instead of agricultural design

"Lunaria City" Sebas sighed in relief as he saw the wall his shoulders releasing the tension it once had in the plains of Koroth

Once they were about only a hundred meters from the wall Willem stoped.

"what's wrong, Willem?" Sebas asked turning around to face him

"I guess this is where our paths diverge from each other" Willem said giving the knight a rare genuine smile for once

"why not you could come to the city with us" Sebas offered hopefully

Indeed the three of them had made a bond over the past couple days and Sebas really did want to learn more from the elf he now considered a friend

"no Sebas, the other humans see me as an assassin because of what I am " Willem reasoned his voice patient "it wouldn't do for the princess to be seen traveling with me"

Sebas couldn't refute that exactly

"what about Lilian?" he asked "she'll miss you," he said weakly

Willem looked conflicted for a second before digging something out of his small pouch

A small stuffed puppy.

"give her this, and tell her to hold on to it for me…" Sebas looked at the toy with confusion " it was Amanda's. Tell her I'll be back for it"

Sebas nodded, hesitantly taking the fluffy toy from the elf's hands.

"very well then, since I can't seem to change your mind lets hope we cross paths once more Willem" Sebas held a hand out for Willem to shake

And shook it he did.