Memoirs of Adventure Creative Writing Contest (NA) - Official Entry Thread

[Lizabelle]

To say that Elizabeth’s evening was going rather poorly would have been an understatement so large even a ravenous Goobbue could not swallow it. Having been allotted the most impossible of Grand Company requests, this pint-sized Blacksmith was of a foul mood as she stomped down the Emerald Avenue of Ul’dah. Eager to drown herself in a tankard of cheap booze from the Quicksands, she turns to walk up into that bustling tavern; before pausing quite suddenly as something catches the corner of her eye.

To her left, standing by the Gate of Nald, is an adventurer staring out the huge portcullis. The adventurer (a gladiator, she guesses by his equipment) is a sun-kissed Miqo’te lad of few years, a mess of sandy, unkempt locks framing his boyish face, a rough messiness only rivalled by the rest of his shoddy armour, which to Elizabeth, was shocking to say the least. The worst offender was the boy’s shield, which was made from nailed wooden planks so rotten as to be unsuitable even for firewood!

Approaching the lad with an aura of pure indignation, the diminutive Lalafell slaps the boy’s shield. “You would defend others with that?!” she exclaims, the Miqo’te turning to peer at her with no small measure of surprise upon his face, his dull yellow eyes going wide. Elizabeth huffs before crossing her arms, furrowing her brows as she looks the boy up and down. “How much gil do you have, boy?” she adds, gesturing to his coin-purse.

Looking rather bashful, the Miqo'te lad clears his throat. “Not… much.” he says, his hand moving thoughtlessly to touch the pouch, it squishing quite flat indeed.

“Well… we can’t be having that...” Elizabeth murmurs, frowning harder, before suddenly clicking her fingers. As the Miqo’te watches in curiosity, the Lalafell drops her shoulder-bag onto the cobbled stone road. Flipping the bag open, she rummages through, taking out two plates of shining bronze and a small length of maple lumber, along with a small folding table with a vice attached. Pulling some tools from her belt, the Lalafell sets to work right there in the street, hammering and polishing the bronze into a greater sum than its parts.

In what feels like just a few scant moments, the small blacksmith presents the fruits of her labours to the Miqo’te; a Bronze Hoplon; high quality, of course. The adventurer stares down into the burnished steel, his face staring back with equal surprise in the reflection. “For… free?” he asks cautiously as he lowers the shield to look down at the woman.

Elizabeth nods, and the boy takes off his old shield, buckling the new one onto his arm as he tries the fit, finding it perfect for his size. With a wide grin, the Miqo’te thanks the smith again before going on his way, now slightly less likely to end up a monster’s lunch; and that was enough to make Elizabeth’s day.

~ Crafting a set of HQ gear for a new player is one of my top FFXIV memories!
Prize: Bluebird Earring

[Rynn21]

I began my adventures six years ago, unaware of the impact Eorzea would have on me.

I traveled with my soul mate those first days, initially split up in Ul'Dah and Limsa Lominsa. It felt like an eternity before we could be reunited and travel the lands together. We had no clue how the world worked, but we were amped to see all she had to offer.
Together we fought many beasts and primals while falling in love with an incredible story about friendship and hardship. We were here to stay.

What affected me to my core, what helped me heal from some personal problems, was finding strangers from near and far to fight alongside. Some came and went, but some became my closest and dearest friends. It never mattered where we lived. We lived from all over the world, yet communicated as if we were face to face. We talk, laugh, and relax together all the time to this day. I'm so thankful to whatever force helped bring us together. My family has grown so big.

Eorzea became a second home to us, and we couldn't imagine our lives without her.


Prize: Gaelicap

[LilyCatts]

Shortly after the defeat of Ultima Weapon and the XIVth Legion, Lily Catts found herself in the streets of Ul'dah, dressed in plain clothes in search of solitude. Much had happened since she had set out as an adventurer, and she was slowly coming into terms of what that entailed. She had slept in places she would never have dreamed of, rested her head underneath the open skies, and more.

She needed, as Thancred had put it, a break.

A crisp chord caught her ear. It was a familiar tune, one from her hometown. Lily looked around and saw a crowd huddled around a group of performers on a stage. An Elezen woman skillfully plucked chords from her harp, singing lyrics Lily had known as a child. A Hyuran man clapped on the drums and a Lalafellin woman added texture with her playful flute. Despite her vow to remain incognito, Lily found herself making it to the front.

They had endured much in their travels. As an adventurer, Lily could tell that their garments had not been mended for a while, though their instruments were well cared for. Nevertheless, they carried their performance with dignity. Lily's heart was filled with yearning for home.

As the performance finished, the crowd dispersed, but not without parting generously with their coin.

"Pardon me," Lily called out to the performers, who were collecting their earnings. "By any chance would you be from--"

"You're Lily, right?" the Hyur said. "The child living with her grandparents? You're all grown up now!"

Lily pouted as the troupe asked her all sorts of questions. How were Gridania and the other city-states? How's the adventuring life? Are you seeing someone?

"Please!" Lily said. "Tell me about my grandparents. Are they fine?"

The Elezen harpist smiled. "They're waiting for you to come home."

"I..." The words hurt more than Garuda's howling winds. "I would love to... but I can't." She looked around. "Surely you've heard about the rumours?"

"About the new Warrior of Light?" asked the flutist.

"The biggest mountain of a Roegadyn to walk Eorzea?" quoth the drummer.

"It's a Hyur, and a woman at that!" the Elezen snapped. "With hair as pink as a lilac and-- oh Twelve..."

"It's me," Lily said. "I'm the godsdamned Warrior of Light. Or so they say. All these people have put their hopes on some adventurer who misses her grandparents dearly..."

"Know that they have never been prouder," the drummer said.

"We all owe our lives to your parents, who saved us when the Calamity struck," the Lalafell said. "Your secret is safe with us."

"We'll tell them that you're alive and well, unless you want to add something?" the Elezen said, winking.

Lily smiled. "Pray tell them that I have made many friends, and that I am safe. Tell them that I love them."

"That we will," the harpist said. "Would you stay for our next show? Perhaps sing a few songs on stage with us?"

Lily produced a lute from her bag. "That I shall!"

---

[Prize: Noble Barding]