Where do our adventures lead us?

I have often pondered over this question ever since I first took to Eorzea and her myriad peoples. My journey started out not unlike any other adventurers’, nor does it hold any import to the time of the present. Yet in all the time I have spent traveling & seeing the many wonders of Hydaelyn, the question still lingered, especially one fateful day in Limsa Lominsa.

I received a summons from my dear friend & rival, Alia Mewrilah, whom I met during my earliest days of dueling in Wolves’ Den. Alia requested a meeting at the lower decks of Limsa, stating only that they had someone they wished for me to meet. I could only wonder who this stranger was, though anxiety plagued me. After being in a slump and on a personal hiatus from the Den for the winter, I worried myself with thoughts of a new challenger looking to train with me and the many duels that would ensue, yet still I made my way there.

“There you are! Come, come! Let me introduce you to a friend I made down at the Den!” Alia made her presence known quickly as I felt my shoulders slump down at the idea of being proven right, however bittersweet of a victory it would prove to be. I made a valiant but vain effort to hide my exhaustion after being told that this stranger was looking for someone to teach them how to be a better Samurai.

“Relax, Kenward! There’s actually another reason I wanted you to meet them.” Alia’s fluffed ears twitched before giving me a look of pure honesty. “Listen, I can't explain it, but I really feel that you and her are meant to meet each other.” With one last playful wink, Alia turned me towards the figure approaching from among the usual Lominsian crowd. A lone Lalafell stood before us, her twin-tailed hair the color of a wild chocobo. She was geared up in Garland Ironworks armor with a katana at her side.

“So you’re Alia’s teacher? Well then, teach me how to be a Samurai! Right now!” She stomped up & down excitedly, catching me off guard. Yet even then, I still found myself gazing at her. It was not her demeanor nor her looks that had me captivated, but her eyes. They spoke to me in a way that, looking back now, I could only describe as one thing.

Confidence.

“I’m only kidding of course! The name’s Adai Nazengine, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ken!” Adai chuckled at her outburst and keenly smiled at me. Alia meanwhile scurried off, mentioning something about browsing the market while we got to know each other more.

And so we did. We talked at great lengths until the sky grew dark, exchanging stories and memories. She told me tales of her journey to Eorzea and through every detail, every conflict, every victory and loss, I could see her growth through it all, the confidence in her eyes giving truth to every word.

Even now I still remember this, the day a dear friend introduced me to my future wife, and the adventures that lead us to where we needed to be on that brisk afternoon in Limsa Lominsa.

(Gaelicap)