Renewed Passion
Pietro: *sigh*
Euden: Hey, Pietro. What's with the sighing? Is everything all right?
Pietro: Oh. Euden. Sorry, but let's talk later.
Euden: Well, that was very un-Pietro.
Cleo: He seems considerably depressed.
Euden: That's hard to believe, considering how upbeat he always is. Do you know if something happened, Cleo?
Cleo: All I know is that he was reading this book he found in our library.
Euden: "Troy to the World! Memoirs of my Times as the World's Greatest Adventurer." Sounds riveting.
Cleo: Troy is a legendary adventurer of yore. His stories were absurd to the extreme, and he was known far and wide as a supreme spinner of tall tales. However, he was also greatly beloved, and his works were left behind to future generations in the form of faerie tales. His adventures were also the basis for stories of the frozen city.
Euden: Huh. But you'd think that would make Pietro happy. So why is he depressed?
Cleo: I gave the book a quick read of my own. At one point, Troy writes the following: "The legend of the frozen city is greatly exaggerated. False, even."
Euden: Ah, NOW it makes sense. Poor guy. I wish I could cheer him up.
Cleo: That may be difficult for a while.
Village Girl: Um, excuse me?
Euden: Hmm? Oh, aren't you the girl we ran into when Pietro and I were testing his skis?
Village Girl: Yes. You really helped me out that day. Actually, that's why I'm here. I heard Pietro was feeling very down about something. I wanted to thank him for what he did, so I made him some warm clothes. Do you know where I can find him?
Euden: Actually, I'm not entirely—
Children: Heeeey! Mister! Where's Pietro?!
Euden: Aren't you the kids Pietro was telling his stories to?
Child A: Uh-huh! But we wanted to tell him about OUR adventures this time!
Euden: Your...adventures?
Child B: Yeeeah! We had an awesome adventure on the hill behind the village, and we're gonna tell Pietro all about it!
Child A: It's gonna totally cheer him up.
Euden: Wait, so you all know about—
Woman: 'Scuse me, but I heard Pietro's stayin' in this here castle. That right?
Euden: Hey! You're the lady who tricked Pietro!
Child A: You TRICKED him?! You're a bad lady! Go away, bad lady!
Child B: Go away! Go away!
Woman: Oy, it ain't like that no more! Changed my ways so I did, and been livin' on the straight'n narrow ever since. Pietro's passion sorta moved me, like, and I wanna help him out now that he's low. Thought maybe I could give 'im this!
Euden: The heck is THAT?!
Woman: Just a big sack full'a glass and crystal shards. Been collectin' em for a while now, yeah? It's the same stuff what I used to trick 'im earlier, but I thought there might be some real Nevermelt Ice mixed in there.
Euden: I see. And you're thinking if he could find the real thing—
Woman: Then it might cheer 'im up! Cor, but you're a clever one, ain't ya?
Euden: Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Pietro's shut himself up in his room.
Woman: That so?
Village Girl: Well then, we'll just have to find some real Nevermelt Ice in this woman's giant sack of junk!
Child A: Yaaaaay! Treasure hunt!
Child B: But how will we know if we find it? All this stuff looks the same...
Euden: We'll just have to search with our bare hands then, won't we? If we find something that stays cold no matter how long we hold it...
Everyone: It's Nevermelt Ice!
Woman: ...Nope. This one's a dud.
Village Girl: This one too.
Child A: Grrr, this is dumb!
Euden: It's okay! We still have lots of them left to check.
Pietro: ...Hello, everyone.
Child B: Pietro!
Pietro: You can stop this now. I know the frozen city doesn't actually exist. Which means it's utterly pointless to search for Nevermelt Ice.
Village Girl: How can you say that, Pietro?!
Woman: Now I'm just gutted, I am...
Child B: *sniff*
Child A: Fine, then! We'll just go and find the frozen city ourselves!
Pietro: You'll do what?!
Child A: I believe it's real, even if you don't— and I'm gonna find it!
Child B: Me too! I'm gonna help!
Village Girl: I also believe in the frozen city!
Woman: Same here! Even if there ain't no Nevermelt Ice in this here sack, I know I'll find some one day!
Pietro: I... I don't know what to say.
Euden: Well, Pietro? What will you do? Have faith in all of the people here, or stop believing just because one guy named Troy says it's not true?
Pietro: I...
Euden: Look, this Troy fellow may have been lying about visiting the frozen city. But that doesn't mean that it's ACTUALLY a myth.
Pietro: Hey, wait... You're right! You're COMPLETELY right! And heck, if I can find the frozen city, I'll have done something that even TROY wasn't able to do! I've never been so excited in all my life! THIS is true adventure!
Child A: Yay, Pietro!
Woman: Blimey, but that's a fine attitude, so it is!
Pietro: Thank you all for believing in me. I'm gonna find the frozen city for sure. My true adventure starts right now!
Euden: I'm so glad you're back to your old self, Pietro. Er, but hold on one second... I've been holding this crystal for a while now, and it hasn't...warmed...up...at all. Wait... No, it couldn't be...
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