In a land of falling snow and a history that would not be forgotten, the Warrior of Light sat.

The hero had come to earn a moment’s rest, one Char’li Junoh fully intended to make good of. It was still so soon after his endeavours in the First, and regardless of his victories and wellbeing, his body and mind begged for rest.

And so he found himself in Ishgard, not long after Sidurgu Orl, his mentor as a Dark Knight, had bequeathed him with a letter to lead him on a short journey; one that bade him travel back and forth across the lands, a likely story, but came to an end with a much-needed sense of closure. Something he did not realize he needed until he had it. He found himself grateful.

The event made him reminiscent. While his journey through the First bade much self-reflection, it was not the time to become woeful and nostalgic over his past--and so he found himself here.

Without realizing it, his feet had taken him to one of his favourite spots in the Pillars. On a raised platform near the Last Vigil, at the edge of the city proper, he sat contentedly, looking out at the valley the city found rest in.

Once upon a time, he’d seen this through the eyes of someone still so young in his experience, ridden with uncertainty and weak to failure. This spot had become his escape when he gained a moment’s reprieve during his time fighting for Ishgard.

In that time, he had found a home that he could not dwell in. Soon after was the next call to adventure, and with it wrought a sense of longing that made him appreciate the time he’d been taking for granted.

There was so much to be found during his time in Ishgard. Loss made his emotional state a wreck on no few occasions; not only did he lose companions, but family. Friends came and went to leave him lonesome.

And yet: Despite the pain the time wrought, he found a sense of peace here. A story shared with fondness, a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter’s night. He found a name for himself, a purpose, a will to fight. He found a family that would stand beside him when much of his own would sooner turn a blind eye.

He found friends who he’d come to rely on, adventures he took pride in, and nights where he found himself yearning for the best of days to last a lifetime.

In a day in Char’li’s past, he’d found this spot on a whim, climbing onto the tiles in a vain attempt of finding solace. Yet, unknown to him at the time, it stood right behind him. His journey through the First was all he needed to be certain of that, the possibility of losing this place and the people in it causing him unease. It made him aware of what he had gained--what he had been given.

With a full heart, he closed his eyes in a silent word of thanks, one that may never truly be heard. On his face was an expression most suiting of a hero.

He was so very grateful.