"I," says the retainer who goes by Jamesbastian, "was under the impression this was gonna be a fishing trip."

Water dripping down from the serpent towering above them keeps getting into his eyes. Or he has just burst into tears.

The leader of the expedition laughs. "Well, you ain't wrong."

Earlier today, Jamesbastian joined a group requesting help for some "sushi action". Nothing about this indicated anything out of ordinary. Even the ship's name was about eating something.

"I-is that an, umm. A rather sizable eel?" stutters Jamesbastian.

"Good one," the increasingly-obiously-not-a-fisher-kind-of-adventurer snickers. "Hear that, fishfaces?"

Agitated hissing echoes from the waves around the not fishing boat. But of course they are in sahagin territory. Naturally this behemoth here is Leviathan, what else!

Before Jamesbastian can protest his involvement in this mess, the beast slams its enormous tail rather unceremoniously against the already very shaky boat. The next breath Jamesbastian takes fills his mouth with water. His ears are plucked by the humming silence of the sea.

So this is it. The idea meeting your end for the sake of your master is certainly romantic, but this isn't the kind of fate becoming a retainer seemed to entail.

"Hey. Mind not being dead already?" a not-the-fisher-kind-of-voice demands from beyond Jamesbastian's closed lids.

Instead of a ferocious sea monster, what greets Jamesbastian is the face of the adventurer who recruited him on this lie of a venture. Behind her, Jamesbastian can make out the spinning shape of an aetheryte. He's in Limsa.

"Turns out the ninja was a surprisingly good diver," the adventurer muses.

Jamesbastian gazes at the sky. It's dusk already. Probably around the time of the deadline---

Oh no.

Jamesbastian springs up and sprints towards Hawkers' Alley.

He can see the Warrior of Light, hand on that dastardly bell already. Jamesbastian is on time, miraculously, but that hardly matters. The bell rings, and he isn't ready to drown the boss in items.

What's he gonna say? Explain how he survived swimming with Leviathan itself with nothing to show for it? Never.

No. This incident shall forever remain secret. But that means he has to produce something, now.

Jamesbastian pushes his hands into his pockets. There has to be something there. If he has to give the boss the keys to his apartment then so be it. Anything but coming back empty handed can be explained away.

Jamesbastian's fingers grab onto something. He hasn't an inkling of an idea what it could possibly be, but the boss's face is becoming curious and this situation needs to end now.

No time for hesitation. This is now officially what he risked his life for. The ultimate souvenir for the Warrior of Light.

Jamesbastian pushes his hand forward. He reveals his palm, holds his breath, and looks.

In his hand is a still twitching Lominsan Anchovy.

So. That did end up being a fishing trip after all.


  1. Geccy Minttu
  2. Odin
  3. Ahriman Choker