This is a story from when I was a greenhorn adventurer.

I'd been lured into East Shroud by some odd job or another. As I got there, the sky quickly grew murky as clouds as black as night piled on. Sure enough, it was soon pouring rain and only the occasional lightning would break the darkness.

This was no safe working condition for an amateur, so I hurried back towards the Hawthorne Hut where I'd arranged lodging. On my way however, I passed a lalafell thaumaturge fighting some oddly zealous gnats. Seeing as she clearly had the situation under control and I could barely hold on to my weapon in my freezing, soaked state, I pressed on instead of lending a hand.

That night, as I sat alone in my cabin, I couldn't help but to think of that adventurer. I wondered whether I should have stayed to help. Despite my worry, I soon nodded off.

Rattle, rattle.

A sound roused me. I looked up, but could see nothing but pitch black. I told myself it was probably just a branch scratching the window, and sank back into my chair.

Rattle, rattle.

This time the noise was followed by a sharp clunk. I shot up as a strong gust hit me from the window that had somehow just opened itself. I rushed to close it, and realized something had appeared on the floor.

A small scepter sat under the window.

The hair on my tail rose. In my short tenure in Eorzea I had warded off several spooks and zombies, so I quickly put two and two together.

Rattle, rattle.

The noise, louder now, alarmingly seemed to be coming from the door this time.

Rattle, rattle.

This was it. The poor adventurer I had neglected had perished and was now here to make me take my rightful place with her.

Rattle, rattle... CRASH.

The door flung open as it finally lost the battle to whatever was trying to come through. A large, twitching figure slid into the room. My ears started buzzing so loud I was nearly knocked out from the noise alone.

The figure floated towards me steadily. Thunder struck. And at that moment, I could finally make out the shape of this vengeful spirit.

It... was a gnat.

Rattled as I might have been, taking down a lost bug wasn't exactly an issue.

I later learned that gnats can get territorial during thunderstorms. Oh, and the thaumaturge I'd supposedly gotten killed with my inaction? Yeah, not counting getting a scepter eaten by a gnat, she'd taken care of her mission no problem. And the mission I'd been there to do in the first place while she was at it.

I wound up having to pay for my cabin rent with a few fetch quests. Still, I'm glad that the only thing that met its untimely end that night was my pride.


Character name: Geccy Minttu
World name: Odin
Prize: Chocobo Noble Barding