Time slowed to a crawl as a single report echoed throughout the empty warehouse. The creature I had fired on slowly fell backwards, its featureless porcelain face and red flesh seeping a thick black oil. It felt like appeared as if everything was swimming through molasses; I was experiencing the world at the speed of thought, even if my muscles could only move in real time.

It always felt like this when we talked mind to mind.

"John," she said quietly, her mental voice shaking. "What did you just do?"

"He... he was coming right at me, so I shot him." I started to blink.

The fear coming across the link turned to panic. "We need to go, now. Don't bite your tongue, and don't make a sound."

Before my eyes finished closing we were in the rafters and I was naked. A subtle glow enveloped me -- one of Kimber's illusion spells.

"Get over it. You opened a hole in one of them; can't risk you spreading it. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen you before."

"Spreading it?"

"Why do you think we use flame and gravity magic against these things, dumbass? Bloodborne pathogen. My magic gives me some protection, but you? You get some of their juice in you, you become one of... them."

Time resumed and she pointed at the swarm. The humanoid creatures we were fighting had begun to swarm the one I had shot; ripping at its flesh. A larger one reared back and howled, its once featureless face a sickening mass of ichor-stained teeth. I heard Kimber take a deep breath and begin chanting quietly.

>Lord of the Forge, grant my prayer
>Grant me a blade to cleanse the land
>Hephaestus lend me your flaming sword #Laevateinn!

The world around me shuddered as a red circle formed underneath the creatures. A gout of white-hot flame erupted from the circle, consuming everything in its reach.

Kimber stumbled, the cost of casting so many powerful spells in a row finally starting to take its toll. As I caught her, I felt her cast an appraisal spell on me. "I'm ok. What's done is done. And you're good. Let's find you some some clothes before that illusion wears off."

You're not the only one. I started the game fully spoiled through the end of Shadowbringers. The number of times I've stalled out because I'm dreading what happens next... is honestly a little embarrassing. Like, I just got done leveling WHM 0-70 so I could putting off meeting with Alisaie and >!Gabu!< outside of the Maelstrom (after which I basically speed-ran through to >!Amh Araeng to get her back!<).

So, I'll admit to "cheating" a little bit, due to the "game world" nature of the prompt. I was heavily inspired by Final Fantasy XIV, where the community affectionately refers to new players as "Sprouts"; including "borrowing" location names wholesale.

>!The events Sprout talks about happening are an actual story beat in-game, to introduce one of the major antagonists going forward.!<

But while there is an NPC named Ranulf, you don't interact with him outside of a few unrelated quests.

I found Sprout crying in the back of the stable.

The girl had joined up with the guild a while back, but it didn't take long before she felt like a part of the place. There's always something that needs doing around the Reach, and she seemed to enjoy playing delivery girl. She'd pick a job from the board and finish in hours what would take most folk days.

When she was finished, Sprout would come back to my post here at the guild, hand in the completion chit, and smile that sad smile of hers. But in the evenings, she'd climb to her little perch on the big arch, and she'd just stare at the reflecting pool.

You don't pry, especially of adventurers. In a place like this, everyone's got a past, and not all of them are pleasant to think about. Big or small, we've all done things we wish we could take back. Out here, on the edge of civilization, we like to say that the future is more important.

But there was something hiding in that sad smile that made me ask.

"Sprout? That you, lass?"

There was a rustling of fabric and straw as the figure in the corner rose. "Ranulf? What are you doing here?"

"Passing through, heard a noise. I am still a guard after all. If everything's all right, I'll be going, then."

"And what would you have done if it wasn't me?" she asked. "A voidwalker, or a mocking-beast?" Her tone was sharp with more than simple curiosity, and the venom in her tone forced me back a step. The moment I flinched, she was contrite.

"I... I'm sorry, Ranulf." She sighed heavily. "I'd had something on my mind lately, I shouldn't be taking it out on you."

As I started to wave off her apology, Sprout brushed herself off and stepped into the light. "Walk a lady back to her inn?"

Midnight had long since passed; and as capable a warrior as she was, a tipsy maiden walking alone would be an attractive target for whoever was behind the kidnappings in the region.

And with that excuse firmly in mind, I agreed to accompany her.

"Ranulf, if I asked you to leave this place, could you?"

I thought hard for a moment, and shook my head. "The Reach is my home, Sprout. Come what may, I can't abandon it."

She smiled that sad smile again.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," she whispered, going silent once more. A few minutes later, she spoke again, her voice low.

"I've been having... dreams lately. Nightmares, really. There are things that I need to do; that I was put in this world to do. But I've been putting them off."

I held my tongue. When someone was telling you about themselves, you didn't interrupt.

"I know these days can't go on forever. There are only so many notices on the board, only so many times Roxanne will need help getting Mr. Whiskers out of the tree, only so many crates that need moved from here to Oriens."

I nodded, it was something we dealt with at the guild every day.

"I love this place. But once I start down that road, once I take up my bow start my hunt again... my dreams tell me the thing I'm chasing will double back."

"It's just a dream, lass. This isn't a story where the villain knows exactly what the hero is doing."

"Everything ends in flames," she muttered under her breath. "I join the General, we push on the bridge. And the beast strikes back. No matter what I do, it will end in flames."

"Promise me, Ranulf." Sprout turned and in a single motion lifted me by my collar. There were tears in her eyes and her voice was shaking. "The Coalition wants me over at Oriens tomorrow. When... if the Empire attacks while I'm gone, stay alive. They'll likely hit with a good-sized strike team, so it will be quick; I need you to have signal flares ready to go beside the campfires."

I swallow, hard. In the weeks she has been here, I've haven't seen Sprout this animated, or this upset. It was a small enough ask.

"Alright, I promise."

1. TANK! - The Seatbelts

• L'Estasi Dell'oro {The Ecstasy of Gold} - Ennio Morricone Orchestra
• Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway
• How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees
• Motownphilly - Boyz II Men
• 失礼しますが、RIP♡ {Excuse my Rudeness, But Could You Please RIP?} - Calliope Mori
• Crazy - Willie Nelson
• Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheep - AC/DC
• More than Words - Extreme
• Carry On, Wayward Son - Kansas