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

[AzureAces]

I'm not sure who will read this. Given my status as an eleventh son to a family of Keepers, I'm not sure if anyone will. But write I shall, believing in that flimsy concept known as luck. 'Tis hard to believe I began my journey mere months ago, fresh-faced with little more than a grimoire at my side and the clothes on my back. I could regale you with the entirety of my adventure, from the bandits of La Noscea to the impossibilities of the First, but I think it best for you and I to recall that which I treasure most fondly. I speak, of course, of my party, my comrades-in-arms, my friends.

The first I met by chance in Ul'dah. 'Tis difficult to describe him, as he constantly changes appearance and race, even to that of a woman! The changeling greeted me on the desert sands one day, and I, as if I had known him for years, answered him in kind, quickly forging a relationship. He is a kind and witty soul, if loud and prideful. His powers are as indecisive as his appearance; one day, he plays the machinist, the next, he is enraptured by the melodies of the bards.

I was later introduced to the second, his partner-in-adventuring: a Highlander, much taller than I, with unkempt hair and a well-kept beard, his mere existence a pillar of strength in the bustling city streets. His face and voice betrayed one another; he seemed exhausted, and yet he spoke to the changeling, and to me, into the long hours of the night. His strength, however, is far more faithful to his appearance; little can break through his guard once he loads his cartridge and grits his teeth.

The last joined soon after the Dragonsong War had come to a close, a Lalafell who aspired to be a powerful Red Mage. Oddly enough, he had the same hairstyle as I, though he preferred grey to my green. Like the changeling, I felt as if I had known him for some time, but, like me, he was yet unfamiliar with the world, and joined us in the hopes that we could teach him through trial, over study. Though his temper (and his height, for that matter) is short, his heart is large, and is always willing to lend a helping hand. He still has much to learn, but I truly believe in him.

I will admit, my entrance to the world at large was... taxing. I found my fairies difficult to control, and what little arcanima I could command earned the ire of those who expected more. But my allies were different. Rather than anger, I drew their sympathy; I was not merely a means to an end, but a self, a presence. In truth, I have become even more, having mastered arcanima, and even now, I endeavor to study the ways of the Hingashi samurai. Through them, I now see my own potential.

Should someone read this, and find their heart moved by my words, I should be glad to have written such. May you find your sanctuary, your Twelve-given allies, as I have.

Yours,
A near-illiterate Scholar



(Bluebird Earrings)

[yaboystebe]

My fondest memory is the first time I played a game of hide and seek.

As large, wooden doors creaked behind and with a quick glance towards the grandfather clock in the adjacent room before the doors closed and blanketed the area in a black shroud of darkness, the race began. I scanned the immediate area, only to be left with disappointment upon locating nothing suitable. Only the tick-tocking of the grandfather clock served to remind me of the task at hand. Each step was swift and precise as I searched my way through the dimly lit hallways of the mansion that seemed almost like a complex maze one could never find their way out of. Which way was I supposed to go? There were so many options. Each second spent thinking was another wasted, consumed by the constant, yet slow passage of time I could never get back as it made my heart thump increasingly harder while time ticked itself into oblivion.

Flickering candles overhead and upon candelabras on nearby tables provided little solace in the encroaching darkness as I reached for and grasp a nearby handrail of sleek, finished wood to cling onto for safety as it guided my body down a flight of stairs. Creak...the sound of aging boards echoed against the walls and rang in my ears, but was soon replaced by a deafening silence upon reaching the depths of the basement. It appeared as a foreign environment once its vast, open halls were deprived of light. Instead, the dark’s embrace crept forth and clung tightly around my body, leaving me destitute of the calming light I had begun to miss so dearly.

Rubbing my eyes, I steadily became adjusted to the darkness that blanketed the area as I guided my hand along the smooth, cold stone walls to ease my way through a corridor that seemingly stretched for miles and towards a room in the far distance that resided in the very depths of the basement. Step after step, foot after foot until I crept up to and peered just past an overarching doorway. Scanning the room, a table nearby draped in a regal tablecloth proved suitable for my needs - to which only time would tell if I had made the right decision. My diminutive stature allowed me to merely lift the cloth to allow myself underneath and into the void within.

GONG!

The clock beckoned. I curled myself up into a ball underneath my safe haven to await my fate and listened for footsteps that quickly proved futile over the hammering in my chest. It was not until my eyes darted towards a stream of light pouring underneath the long cloth overhanging the table that made me freeze in fear.Time seemed to stop as footsteps grew louder and ever closer. Soon enough, slender fingers snaked underneath to grab hold and remove the cloth from the table. Light burst forth, temporarily blinding me before my sight readjusted to the visage of my dear friend. “Found you, Popu! Now it’s your turn.”

After that, we took turns finding each other until we were both ready to fall asleep!

I would like a Gaelicap please!