A Glorious Triumph

Melanie had no idea how much time had passed since she entered the arena.  Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours, hours like seconds again.  Her body was aching and she felt exhausted, but she had no time to stop or slow down.  Since realising this was no longer just normal training her mentor had been relentless in sending in more and more people to try to throw her off, even creatures such as gremlins and imps.  Melanie was in an unstoppable rhythm.  Heads were being cracked in, people were falling all around her as she danced non-stop to avoid their attacks and used her staff to knock them off their feet with one swift swoop before hurling balls of ice and fire at them.

Her mentor watched with awe and joy even though his volunteers were falling like flies all over the arena.  The scholars who were on standby for heals looked both shocked and worried, shocked at how well Melanie was holding herself against the onslaught, and worried that the mentor was taking a step too far.

Eventually the final opponent fell to the ground with a groan.  Melanie continued to spin around looking for more unexpected arrivals to try to make their move.  She was now running on pure adrenaline.  Her face and hair was covered in sweat, her heart was racing, her senses were on ultra high alert for any noise besides the groans of her felled opponents.  When it became clear there was nobody else entering the arena she collapsed on her knees panting loudly.  Her head began to swim as the adrenaline rushed from her body leaving her feeling utterly exhausted.  Behind her was the sounds of loud clapping as her mentor raised his hands high and applauded her.  Scholars raced onto the scene and began to tend to the wounded.  Even Melanie, despite her valiant efforts in fighting back, was covered in scratches, deep cuts and burns from the times she took damage, but she barely noticed a thing.  She couldn't even hear her mentor calling out praises to her as it all sounded muffled and distant in her ears.  Her eyes half closed as she took in slow deep breaths.  Everything felt out of place as if she wasn't really there and was looking at everything through a small lens.

Her mentor slapped her across her back with a joyful grin on his face, bringing her back to her senses.  "Never 'ave I seen such a show in so many moons!" the mentor gasped excitedly.  "Ye truely outdone yerself Brovola.  This is what true trainin' is all about, pushin' ye to yer limits!  I 'ave no doubts in me mind now that ye are ready to face Satasha."

Melanie looked up at him still feeling weak from her exertion.  "Really?  You think I'm ready?" she said in an exhausted and slightly broken voice.

The mentor nodded at her.  "As long as ye don't start slackin' and keep up with yer trainin', I would vouch ye could even become as strong as th' Champion of Eorzea 'erself" he said with a slight wink.

Melanie made a slight smile despite feeling even too exhausted for that.  A couple of scholars ran to her side and began to tend to her, their healing light slowly mending the wounds on her body and restoring some of her strength.  Most of the pain had now subsided but her body still felt very weak as the scholars helped her to get back onto her feet again.  The mentor grabbed hold of her in an arm lock almost dragging her off her feet and began to chuckle to himself.  "Ye may 'ave preformed like a true warrior today lass, but mark me words things don't get any easier from 'ere on.  Ye still have a long ways to go, but ye made incredible progress, and ye made me proud.  Ye should go take th' rest of the day off an' rest up.  Ye 'ave another long day ahead of yer t'morrow."

Melanie slowly shuffled towards the exit of the arena feeling a little proud of herself for finally making progress.  She had put every ounce of her energy into that fight and was not going to falter no matter how many hits she'd taken.  This was her opportunity to show that she was no longer going to let doubt get in her way, and it had paid off.  Though her body felt like she'd been thrown off the top of a mountain repeatedly she was thoroughly glad to have passed her early training.  She didn't even want to think about what tomorrow would bring, she just wanted to be glad it was over for now and take pride in her victory.

Stumbling down the corridor that lead back to the Hall of the Novice, Brovola could hear the familiar voices of her comrades gossipping among themselves.

"Did you see what she did?"

"I thought it was incredible!  The way she knocked that warrior off his feet with her staff and then smacked him in the face with a fireball, I was barely able to contain myself!"

"I thought it was hilarious when she stunned one of the thaumaturges with a lightning spell and blew his hat off.  No amount of scholary magic is going to fix that hairdo she left him with."

Melanie turned the next corner to see her comrades excitedly huddled together.  As soon as they saw her they raced over to her showering her with hugs and fist bumps.  "Brovola!  Wow, what you did was so amazing we can't stop talking about it!"  Suyaya said excitedly in high pitched tones.  "I had no idea you could be such a beast in the arena.  Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I..." Melanie stumbled still too exhausted to even speak.

Reubemont could see clearly his friend and comrade was far too tired to take in all the excitement right now and gently took her arm.  "Come on, let's get you somewhere quiet to rest.  You look like you're about to pass out from exhaustion."

The rest of her comrades took note of Melanie's condition and began to calm down a little.  Holskwyb took hold of Melanie's other arm for some extra support and together they all made their way out of the hall.

Aleport wasn't that far away but for Melanie each footstep felt like she was wading through mud.  Even with her comrade's support her feet dragged with every step.  "Not far to go now" Suyaya said as they slowly approached the port's main archway.  Reubemont wasn't even sure Melanie would survive the boat ride back to Limsa as they walked under the stone archway to the small plaza.  Even teleportation which would've been a lot faster would be out of the question.  He ushered Melanie towards some stone benches nearby surrounding the dock's aetheryte crystal and sat her down.  The moment her weight was off her feet Melanie began to feel very drowsy and unable to keep her eyes open.  Reubemont sat down next to her and then gasped in surprise as she collapsed onto his legs.  "Brovola?  Brovola?" he said gently pushing her, but Melanie became unresponsive and his voice echoed into the distance until total silence.

--

Melanie's eyes slowly opened to familiar surroundings.  A bed, the rays of a dimming sun shining brightly through the large windows and sky light, the white stonework, the combination of decorative stone and wooden plank floors, her belongings carefully propped up against the side of the bed, and... the mating call of that annoying darned gull outside.  She was back in Limsa Lominsa.  She had no idea how she got there.  Last she remembered she was gazing up at an aetheryte crystal in Aleport and then everything went black.

Carefully she propped herself up and inspected her surroundings more thoroughly.  She was alone in the room.  Her body still ached from her training.  Swinging her legs to the side of the bed so she could sit up properly she groaned a little from the pain.  She raised a hand to one of her ears and tapped the linkpearl clipped against it.

"Reubemont, you there?" she said in a hushed tone.

"Brovola, you're awake!  How are you?" Reubemont's voice came across loudly and eagerly with a hint of relief.

"I'm okay, a little sore" Melanie replied.

"Well, it's great to hear you're doing better" Reubemont replied.  "If you're up for it why don't you come on down to the Drowned Wench?  We were all just relaxing here waiting to see if you'd wake up after you collapsed at Aleport."

"Yes of course, I'll be down in a minute."  Melanie lowered her hand and psyched herself up before pushing herself off the bed.  She could've refused and stayed in her room resting her body, but the loneliness and frustration of just lying there doing nothing would've gotten to her.  Ever since she'd began her path as an adventurer she'd been around people and had been busy fighting monsters, training, or running the occassional errand.  For someone who was known to be a lazy introvert she was no longer used to being alone and doing nothing, even if her body didn't feel up to walking.

She decided against taking the rest of her belongings.  They would be safe in her room.  It wasn't like she was going to go far anyhow.  She was just going to meet her friends at the inn and have dinner before the night settled in, so all that extra weight being carried around would've been for no reason.

Melanie closed the room door behind her and made her way towards the staircase that led into the Drowning Wench.  It was already early evening and the sounds of people coming home from their own adventures and celebrating their successes echo'd all throughout the city.  The noise was unbearably loud and rang in her ears along with lively bard music and the clinking of tankards and cuttlery.  She began to have second thoughts about leaving her room until she caught sight of her comrades sitting around a table with happy smiles on their faces.  They looked up to see her descending the stairway and waved eagerly to her to join them.

"Full glad am I to see you back on your feet again!" Suyaya said happily.  Johnas, Reubemont and Holskwyb nodded quietly, their faces shining with happiness.  "We're all happy to see you again" Reubemont added as Melanie took a seat at the table.  "We were all talking about what we saw back at the Hall of the Novice.  Where did you learn to fight like that?  We've never seen anything like it!" 

Melanie looked surprised and was a little lost for words.  She didn't think she did anything special back there, but as she thought back to the battle she started to understand why they were so amazed by what they saw.  She stepped beyond the boundaries of what was expected from a thaumaturge.  Normally thaumaturges would just stay in one spot whilst focusing all their mental energy on their spell casts.  Instead Melanie utilized everything she had, from casting quick magic which was nowhere near as powerful yet effective enough to distract and do small amounts of damage to her opponents, to using her staff to knock her opponents off their feet and becoming an extension of herself giving her better balance to evade and parry incoming attacks.  She was not without fault however as she had taken several blows and the exertion had almost killed her.  With further training she could perfect her abilities and not over-exert herself in combat.

"I did what I felt I had to do" Melanie replied. "I realised the training wasn't going to be fair so I tried to put everything into surviving as long as I could.  It just became natural to me as if my life depended on it."

"Well it sure was impressive" Johnas said.  It had been a while since Johnas had spoken up.  Normally he was very quiet and more recluse.  He was still a mystery to Melanie having rarely ever engaged in conversation and would shy away from most social gatherings, only ever showing up for breakfast or evening meals and drinks.  Melanie never questioned why having once been in his shoes for most of her life.

"I heard tomorrow they're finally going to let us enter Satasha" Holskwyb said before taking a sip from her tankard.

"Wow, really?!" Suyaya squeaked excitedly.

"Where did you hear that from?" Reubemont quizzed her.

"I was listening in to one of the mentors whilst everyone else was preoccupied watching Brovola.  I heard something about one final test before they let us go, but from the sounds of it they're convinced we're ready to face Captain Shardon and whatever else is waiting for us in there."

"Wow, this is all happening so fast" Melanie said a little nervously.  Even though her performance earlier that day seemed to impress everyone else she still was a little uncertain that this decision was a little premature and that 2 days just wasn't enough to prove they were capable fighters against a pirate captain and her crew.  "Once you tell yourself you can't do something you're sealing that deal"  Melanie remembered those words from that morning.  Perhaps whatever final test was awaiting her tomorrow would help her feel more assured with herself.  For now she wanted to keep a clear head and make sure she got plenty of rest ready for the next day, which meant going easy on the mead.

"Then let's drink for tomorrow and pray we don't let ourselves and our nations down!" Reubemont exclaimed loudly, standing up and raising a tankard high above his head.  Everyone else nodded and raised their tankards high before drinking down the syrupy contents.

An Appetite for Success

It was now day 2 of Melanie's training at the Hall of the Novice.  Her mentor watched her from across the arena grounds, his face expressing a mixture of doubt and curiosity as if trying to read her body language.  Melanie was displaying a lot of confidence in herself which left her mentor uncertain what to expect from her.

"It seems ye recovered after yesterdays' trainin', I wonder 'ow much of it ye remember an' if that smug look on yer face is just a bluff!" he yelled over to her.

Melanie stood her ground poised ready for action.   The mentor waved a hand over and her training partner from the day before entered the arena.

"ok, let's see what you got!" the warrior said as he positioned himself ready for an attack.

Unphased Melanie awaited for her opponent to make his move.  She knew his moves and how to avoid taking a beating, so now it was a waiting game for him to attack to decide what her next move would be.  She knew if she started casting now it would give him time to rush to her and knock her off her feet, so she had to time it right to catch him in the act of readying an assault himself.  And there it was, right on cue.  The warrior lowered his weapon and began to concentrate.  Melanie could sense a buildup of aether around him.  She knew immediately what this was.  Once the surrounding aether reaches its maximum charge the warrior would raise his weapon swinging it around him and slam it to the ground, causing a shockwave in front of him that would knock her over and cause severe injuries.  Whilst it would take him but a few seconds for the aether to fully charge it would give her ample time to just run from his line of sight and begin her own assault.  He would be far too focused concentrating on his abilities and blinded by the surrounding aether to realise what was happening before it was too late.

Melanie made her move and raced to his side and quickly tapped a fire aspect, launching a fireball into his direction.  The warrior still focused on his own attack didn't realise what was happening until his weapon slammed down to the floor.  "Huh?" he gasped whilst looking around only for his gaze to be met with a large fireball followed by another.  The warrior began to swing his weapon around, however from her training Melanie knew how to dodge his attacks and gingerly dodged his assaults.

"Not bad!" the warrior said under his helmet.  "But now I mean business, prepare yourself!"  The warrior began to relentlessly swing his weapon around.  Melanie was struck several times unable to dodge all of his assaults.  Thankfully the pain from being struck was nowhere near as bad as compared to receiving a heafty blow from an aetherically charged attack and Melanie had started to notice that the grazes from normal hits were superficial thanks to her iron skin from her previous training, however this still impacted the speed in which she was able to cast a spell.  Each hit interrupted her focus, needing her to concentrate for longer to build up enough energy to launch a fireball at him.  She needed another window where he would try to focus on another aetherically charged move before she could launch another barrage of fire aspected aether at him.  It didn't take long for him to do just that and immediately she ran from his view and began her chants.

"That's good 'nough!" the mentor called out as he watched the warrior fall to his knees defeated after being struck by multiple fire and ice attacks.  "Egads, ye learn fast!  Yesterday ye were crawlin' around like a milksop an' now ye be fightin' like a real warrior!  Let's see what else ye got up yer sleeve."

The warrior sheethed his weapon and hobbled away from the arena to receive attention from some nearby scholars.  He gave Melanie a quick pat on the shoulder as he departed from the arena to be replaced by another warrior, this time they were accompanied by a scholar.

"Th' rules are th' same, however this time ye got a healer t' watch out for.  Put too much attention on yer apponent an' ye shall pay fer not payin' attention to his healer consort.  Let's begin!"

Melanie poised herself as before.  Her attacks would be the same as before, but now she had to also keep her eye on the healer.  She knew she needed to take out the healer first.  It was a common move to make in all MMOs - take out the healers and the mages, then focus your attacks on everyone else leaving the tank for last due to their excessive amounts of defence and health.  Melanie watched intentively for the warrior to begin his move.  The scholar was also poised ready to begin healing him as soon as he took damage.  "Oh how little you underestimate me" Melanie thought to herself trying not to grin too much to give away her plan of attack.  The warrior lowered his weapon and the air began to crackle around him.  It was now time for Melanie's move!  Melanie raced to his side and to the scholar's surprise she faced the scholar and sent fireballs in her direction.  The scholar was knocked to the ground almost instantly in surprise having taken severe hits due to their lighter attire which offered very little in defense.  The warrior having now finished his assault and realising his healer was in danger began to charge towards Melanie.  Melanie had forgotten about him and was focussing her next assault on the scholar before she healed herself and was promptly knocked off her feet.

"Ack!" Melanie yelled out as she felt his axe blade strike across her back.  The mentor was about to call off the fight when Melanie pushed herself slowly back onto her feet and dusted off the dirt from her clothes.  "That was stupid of me" she thought to herself feeling a little cross at having not paid proper attention.  "ok, let's remember for next time.  The scholar still needs to go down first, but I also gotta watch for that warrior too so he doesn't interrupt my casts."  Melanie poised ready once again and the battle resumed.  This time there was going to be no mistakes.  Melanie planned her next move.  Once the warrior would start charging his ability she would dodge out of the way and begin assaulting the scholar.  This time however she would back away once she launched a couple of fireballs and ensure both the warrior and the scholar were both in her line of sight, and she would continue to move backwards to draw the warrior towards her and away from the scholar so he would be too far to receive any healing from her.

It was a solid plan, and it worked all too well once the warrior began his assault.  Without hesitation Melanie ran from his view and assaulted the scholar with a number of fireballs.  Hearing the explosion from behind her as the warrior slammed his weapon down she immediately stopped her assault and began to back away.  The warrior started to charge towards her swinging his weapon furiously.  The scholar realised what was happening all too late.  Quickly she began to cast healing spells on herself, but her healing magic was unable to counter the next barrage of fireballs as the warrior positioned himself for another aetherically charged assault leaving the poor scholar open to further attacks from Melanie.  The scholar collapsed defeated and the mentor waved his hand in the air to signal a cease to the battle.

"Bravo Brovla!" he cried out estatically.  "Ye took a hit an' ye didn't give up, an' ye took down yer opponent!  That's th' spirit!" 

Melanie lowered her staff and bent forward panting.  Another scholar ran to her aid and began to heal her wound on her back.   Melanie felt so proud of herself for finally overcoming her challenges.  It was like the man back at Swiftperch said, don't let failure be an affirmation that you can't do something.  But wow the amount of effort needed to keep on her toes was intense!

"Ye definitely improved lass" the mentor continued.  "I think ye are ready fer th' next test.  Ye think that last fight was a challenge?  Ye aint seen nothin' yet!"

The arena cleared way as another 3 trainers entered the floor.  This time it was a warrior, another scholar, and what looked to be a thaumaturge.

"Three against one?" Melanie questioned nervously.

"What, is three too many fer ye?" the mentor mocked.  "In real combat lass, people aint gonna come rushin'  at ye one at a time.  Ye gotta be prepared fer 'em comin' at ye all at once."

Melanie looked back at when she was ambushed by those 3 thugs the other day.  The fact she was able to fend them off all by herself without any training was pure luck.  Come to think of it despite their large builds they were pretty much amateurs themselves and probably got away with being intimidating enough that they bullied their victims into giving them what they wanted rather than actually getting into a fight.  Killing them was probably an overkill, but at the time she felt she had no other choice and acted purely in defense, especially when it sounded like they were going to...

"Enough talkin', let's see what ye got!" the mentor bellowed and made the signal for attack.  Melanie quickly freed herself from her thoughts and got into position.  "I'm guessing this is going to be the same as before.  The healer needs to go down quickly to avoid them healing the warrior, but that thaumaturge...their nukes can hurt a lot if I don't deal with them promptly, and the longer I leave them standing the more stuff they can inflict on me that I'll be half dead without them even needing to cast a single nuke.  Which means they need to go down first."  Melanie turned to face the thaumaturge and straight away began to chant a fire spell in their direction.  The thaumaturge realising they were being attacked first began to chant their own spell.  Before they could finish a fireball socked them in the face interrupting their cast momentarily.  Melanie was momentarily distracted with her successful assault when she remembered the warrior.  Any second now he was going to unleash his heavy attacks on her, and it looked like that was exactly what was about to happen.  But something else was also taking place, something Melanie wasn't prepared for.  The air around her was starting to heat up.  What was happening, did her magic go arwy and was causing the air to ignite?  Melanie looked around in a panic unsure what to do.

"What ye standin' around there for?  Get outta there!" the mentor yelled out to her.  Melanie glanced over to him bringing her back to her senses and she began to run.  Not a moment too soon either, the ground she had been standing on was beginning to turn molten and suddenly errupted into a plume of fire and molten rock that crashed back to the ground.  Melanie was knocked off her feet by the impact and rolled away staring in horror at the sight before her.  The mentor quickly waved his hand to call off the battle and slowly walked over to Melanie.  "Why didn't ye run when ye sensed th' danger lass?" he said to her in a slightly disappointed tone.  Melanie looked up at him confused as she slowly picked herself up from the ground.  "Surely ye felt th' air heatin' up around ye and knew what was about to happen?"  Melanie tilted her head even more confused as she started to think about what just happened.  The air did indeed change, and she could feel the ground below her heating up before it errupted.  For a moment she thought it was a real incident where something like a small volcanic plume was about to burst from the ground, but now as she looked over to where the fire took place the plume had already died down and the ground had cooled leaving but a small patch of burned dirt in its place.  "Of course, it was a spell from the other thaumaturge!"  Melanie felt so dumb and breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry" she said bashfully.  "I forgot that a thaumaturge could cast more than fireballs and thought it was a real incident."

"Th' real incident would've been ya bein' cooked like a roast dodo!" the mentor said exhasperatedly.

"I'm sorry mentor, I'll try harder" Melanie said lowering her head in embarassment. The mentor nodded acknowlegedly and signalled for the battle to resume.

"These trials seem to be less about fairness and more about just trying to catch me out with the unexpected" Melanie thought to herself.  "That mentor is enjoying watching me fail way too much.  I need to up my game, stop expecting the usual and be wary of my challengers using dirty tricks to try to make me stumble.  This is no longer just training, this is the real deal!"

No Pain No Gain

"Oww..." Melanie groaned as she collapsed onto a bed and stared up into the ceiling with a grimaced look on her face.  Despite having her wounds been tended to by conjurers she was still in a lot of pain from her training.  Every bone felt like it had been crushed and glued back together and every muscle beaten by a massive meat tenderizer.  Thankfully the owners of the Hall of the Novice had secured a room for her at one of the nearby cottages at Swiftperch rather than leaving her to make her way back to Limsa Lominsa as she was in no fit state to travel.

"Is this what a warrior goes through every day?" she thought to herself.   "Hydaelyn must've made a mistake in choosing me.  I honestly don't think I can really go through with this.  I'm not big on constant suffering in pain."  Melanie tried her best to turn her mind away from the pain and her self-doubts.  "I wonder how Reubemont and the others fared today."

Since Melanie's training went on so late by the time she left the hall her comrades had already set sail back to Limsa.  Her thoughts went back to hearing Reubemont in the other arena.  Other than the sound of weapons clashing against each other she didn't hear anything else after that and none of her comrades had contacted her via linkpearl all day.  It was already too late to check in on them now herself, besides she could barely raise an arm to her ears without wincing in pain.  Even a Manderville massage would've been out of the question.  All she wanted to do was just lie motionless and hope the pain would settle by next morning.

"How has the Warrior of Light managed to surive this long even after being smashed in by heavy robots 10 times the size of her when I can barely survive a day of being hit by small wooden swords?" Melanie questioned herself.  As she mulled over her thoughts her eyelids became very heavy and she fell into a deep sleep.

----

The next morning Melanie woke up to the smell of freshly grilled garlicky meat.  Her mouth watered at the scent that she couldn't wait to get out of bed.

"Yeouch!" Melanie yelped as she pushed herself up too quickly, forgetting that the previous night her body felt like she'd been run over by a truck repeatedly.   She hadn't even gotten out of her clothes from the previous day as she was too tired and too sore to undress.  Taking it easy she slowly picked up her belongings that she had dumped next to the bed and started to make her way towards the kitchen where the smell of grilled meat was coming from.  After having some rest she was now able to appreciate the surroundings of where she had been staying - a small stone cottage of minimal design with a few furnishings that had been imported from Limsa Lominsa.

Standing over a stove a young man was preparing some meat in a pan, searing it on both sides.  "Ah, you're awake.  How are you feeling today?" he asked as he caught sight of Melanie.

"Sore..." Melanie responded.

"Not surprising, you were barely able to get off the cart they brought you in on last night" he replied.  He flipped the meat one last time and then lifted it from the pan and placed it onto an empty plate.  "I've cooked us some dodo meat, I hope you're feeling hungry" he continued.

"I'm famished" Melanie said as her eyes followed the grilled meat towards a small rectangular dining table.

"Come, sit down and eat" the man gestured to her.  Melanie smiled greatfully and placed her belongings down on the floor next to a chair and took a seat at the table.  The man carried a couple of plates of dodo meat to the table and placed them down before taking a seat himself.  Melanie breathed in the scent of the meat before picking up a knife and fork and began to dig in.  Despite the wonderful smell there was something about the meat that didn't seem at all appealing.  It was a bit tough like a well cooked bland steak with a very mild fishy flavour.  The garlic didn't do it much justice either being the only dominant flavour.  Melanie lowered her knife and fork and raised a hand to her mouth as she began chewing away at the meat in her mouth.

Her host noticed her struggling to chew away at the meat.  "My apologies.  I understand not many visitors have tried dodo meat before, though it is a staple here as there's so many of them in the nearby hills that I forget it's not to everyone's liking.  Perhaps I might offer some salted fish instead?"

"No it's fine, you've been such a gracious host and it would be rude of me to want of more" Melanie replied.

"It's no problem, we have plenty of it in stock" the host commented.

"It's ok, once I'm used to the taste it's actually not that bad" Melanie insisted.  She swallowed down the dodo meat and cut a more smaller piece to make it a little more easier to chew on.

The host nodded as he watched her struggling less with the meat and continued to eat away at his meal.  "So, I hear you're one of those adventurers who might be going up against the newest residents of Satasha" he commented.

"That's what I'm hoping for" Melanie replied.

The host smiled a little as he looked up at her.  "Forgive me for being so observant, but you don't look like the type who goes around battling for adventure."

Melanie stopped chewing away at the meal and looked at him quizically.  "What do you mean?" she asked a little nervously.

"You come across as someone who wouldn't normally volunteer for this line of work, more like you're doing this out of duty or as part of a favour rather than as someone who's trained since being a child for this kind of life.  I get the feeling that you've never laid hands on a weapon until recently and that all of this is new to you."

Melanie looked down at the table and sighed.  "It's true, everything you said.  I feel like I've been forced into this, but at the same time it's my fault my friends are in trouble and I'm the only one who can help them, so it's my duty to learn what it is to become an adventurer and to free them from the mess I've left them in.  People keep trying to encourage me and for a brief time my spirits and confidence are lifted and I feel that I can do this, but then it all comes crashing back down again when I realise I'm really not cut out for this kind of thing."

The host nodded as he listened to her lament.  "And you're not wrong in that assessment" he responded.  "The fact you lack confidence in yourself is because you really aren't cut out for that kind of thing.  People around you can keep encouraging you but like you said that momentary boost of confidence is just temporary." 

Melanie lowered her knife and fork down as she mulled over his words.  He was right, she wasn't cut out to playing an adventurer running around hunting and fighting helpless animals.  The past couple of weeks had been fun but also exhausting both physically and mentally.  It still made her heart sink to kill an animal that was only fighting back to survive.  Her comrades may have tried to cheer her up over the numerous times they ventured together and reassured her that it was for the better good, but it still left a bitter taste in her mouth and she had to fight back the tears every time.  And now they were training even harder to fight against other people, not just animals.  It was all becoming a bit much for her to cope with.

"Then how do I stop the feelings of doubt and regret from coming back every time?  Because every time I take a life I'm overwhelmed with remorse over what I've done.  I feel it's wrong and that I have no right to decide what lives and what dies.  All life deserves a chance to live."

The host stopped eating and nodded at what she was saying.  "Well, first thing my friend is you need to stop telling yourself you can't do something even if it seems impossible, because once you tell yourself you can't do something you're sealing that deal.  Don't treat failure as an affirmation that you can't succeed, but treat it as a learning experience to try harder."

"Oh..." Melanie felt like a dumb hypocrite as she listened to his wisdom.  These were the very same words she had taught other people during raids in games and yet she struggled to apply them to her own life.  It was so much easier to give people advice than to apply it to herself.

"As for the regrets, you need to look at it this way.  If you want to become stronger to help your friends then there's only so much a target dummy can teach you.  Eventually you'll need to face your opponents whether they be man or monster, and unless you've had the experience and the strength to fight against whatever it is that's in your path then you don't stand a chance at surviving let alone winning.  It's either becoming stronger by fighting the wildlife before it becomes too numerous for us to be able to go outside safely or fight each other.  In my opinion the former is a better choice as it not only makes the roads more safer to travel but it provides food and materials to make clothes and tools with."

Melanie sighed again.  She knew he was right even if it still made her feel unhappy to admit it.  The host leaned forward more to catch her eye.  "If it helps make you feel better you could always offer a prayer to your gods to thank them for the life you've taken and for the bounty that life will render to others." 

Melanie looked up at him feeling a little more better with herself.  Of course, by making a prayer of thanks it would help cast away the regrets than just staring remorsefully at the corpses and bloodied fields.  It would be the most honorable thing to do to respect their life and their sacrifice so others can continue forwards.

"Brovola, are you there?" Reubemont's voice spoke into her ear through her linkpearl.  Melanie raised her hand to her ear and activated the linkpearl.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Ah good.  I was starting to worry when the innkeeper at Limsa said you hadn't checked in for the night. Where are you?"

"I'm over at Swiftperch.  One of the residents set me up for the night since I was a bit worse for wear after training."

"I see.  Are you okay now though?"

"Yes, I've had some time to recouperate and feeling a lot more stronger."

"That's good.  I guess we'll be seeing you over at the Hall of the Novice later today then."

"Mmm hmm."

"Right then, we'll start heading over after breakfast and be there within the hour."

click!

Melanie picked up her knife and fork and continued to chew away at the tough steak.  The host smiled a little as he was able to catch a glimmer of new found confidence and hope in her eyes.

Adamantite Shell

"GAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Melanie cried out as she slammed to the floor, her body feeling like every bone had been shattered at once.  A healer ran over to her crippled body and began to mend her wounds.  Behind her stood a heavily dressed warrior wielding a huge axe waiting for his next order.

Melanie had lost track of how much time had passed since she first entered the arena.  After having learned about her posture it was all about to go out the window as the warrior relentlessly hurled himself towards her again and again, knocking her down to the floor in a broken mess.  No matter how many times she tried to dodge his attacks it felt like a futile effort as he always got the best of her.  She tried to fight back but he was just too fast and too strong and she was becoming too exhausted to continue.

The mentor could see her exhaustion and signalled to the warrior to take a timeout.  He walked over to Melanie as she was receiving further healing and shook his head in dismay.  "By th' Gods, lass, what in th' world was that?"

Melanie's eyes were barely able to focus on him as she gazed up at him.  Her eyes were dry and red from having sobbed so many times and her body was shaken to the core in intense fear.  "I...I tried, b..b..but...but..." Melanie stammered.

"Ya call that tryin'?!!!" the mentor bellowed in surprise.  He laughed a belly laugh and then looked back down at her sternly.  "Ya spent more time scurryin' around like a scared mouse, an' when ya did get beat up ya curled into a ball bawlin'.  Had I known ya were like this I wouldn't 'ave taken ye on as a mentor.  Yer no good as an adventurer, ya got no confidence in yerself an' no guts."

The mentor turned around and began to walk away.  Melanie scrambled on her knees grabbing one of his legs with her hands.  "No please, wait!" she cried desperately.  "I can't give up, I have to do this!  My friends are in grave danger and only I can help them!"

"If yer friends are in so much danger why don't ye find some other adventurer to save them?  Ye don't 'ave what it takes t' save 'em yerself" the mentor said barely looking at her over his shoulder.

"Because nobody else can save them.  I am all they have.  Seriously.  If I don't learn to become a warrior then they will die...not just them but so many others too.  So many depend on me becoming their hero and they have nobody else to turn to.  Please, I'm begging you, help me!"

Melanie gazed up at him with desperate eyes.  The mentor stood motionless listening to her words.  He was unconvinced she could ever become a warrior let alone a hero, but her desperate pleas began to move him a little.  He let out a long sigh.  "I s'pose yer do 'ave th' determination of an ox.  E'en if I were t' refuse t' train ya, ya aint gonna give up even if it kills ya an' that'll be on me conscious" he said looking over his shoulder to her.  He turned around to face her properly.  "All right lass.  I'll 'elp ya become a warrior.  Ya proven ya got th' determination, but determination alone aint gonna make ya into a warrior."

Melanie bowed her head low still holding onto his leg.  "Thank you, thank you!" she sobbed in gratitude.

"Hey, don't thank me yet, an' get yer hands off me leg an' stand up will ya?"

Melanie scrambled onto her feet and looked at him with a big smile behind her wet and muddy face.

"Egads, yer a mess" the mentor sighed as he watcher her wipe away her tears with her sleeves.  "Ya don't seem t' know th' basics of combat, so tha's where we're gonna start" he said.  "Ya got a lot t' learn an' until ya do I can't let yer team go delvin' into them caves until ya pass my approval.  I hope yer team is fine wit' yer 'oldin' 'em back."

Melanie nodded quickly "I'm sure they'll understand" she replied.

"Very well..." the mentor smiled.  He then motioned to the warrior who had been just chilling out behind them.  Melanie's eyes opened wide in dismay as she saw him coming towards them and started to feel her bones shake and sickness stirring in her stomach.  "Don't ya worry lass, he's not gonna beat yer down t' th' floor this time.  He's gonna teach ya th' basics on how t' strike an' dodge."

The mentor walked away leaving Melanie with the warrior.  The warrior removed his helmet revealing his face to Melanie.  "It'll be far better if I can speak to you without this over my head" he said as he tossed the helmet aside.  He then smiled gently at Melanie which made her feel a little comforted.  "Let's take up positions.  You stay where you are."  The warrior took a few steps away and then took up position ready to initiate combat only this time he was now wielding what appeared to be a wooden training axe rather than the heavy metal axe he was using earlier.  "Now, draw your weapon and stand as if you're readying to attack.  I'm going to take a swing towards you and you need to try to dodge by swinging your back leg around you so that your body turns enough that my axe misses you, like this."  The warrior demonstrated by swinging his right leg behind him, causing his body to turn.

Melanie tried to copy the warrior's moves but instead the weight of her body on one foot caused her to stumble and fall over.  The warrior shook his head at her.  "You need to stay light on your feet" he said.  He started to bounce lightly on his feet.  "Do this, it'll help you to loosen up and keep you on your toes" he said.  Melanie stood back up and began to copy him.  The bouncing on her feet not only helped her to become less tense but the sensation felt like she was dancing on a cloud.  "Now, turn!" the warrior called out to her.  Melanie swung her leg behind her at such a speed that she stumbled slightly and almost fell again.  "Not bad!" the warrior called out to her.  "Don't do it too aggressively or you'll lose balance.  Again!"  Melanie swung her leg around, this time with a bit more care, and turned her whole upper body to the side.  "Excellent!" the warrior called out.  "Let's keep this up.  And, turn!"  Melanie swung to her side once more.  "All right!  Now let's try it with me coming towards you.  Don't let that distract you, just keep on doing what you've been practicing.  Now, turn!"

The warrior took a few quick steps forward and lunged his axe towards Melanie.  Melanie felt panic setting in and hesitated slightly, but quickly managed to dodge his attack.  Her body swung to the side resulting in the warrior landing his axe to the ground at her side.  "Great job!  I did see you hesitate for a second though.  You can't let fear and doubt take over or I might hit you next time" the warrior said.

"I'm sorry, I'll try harder" Melanie replied.  She started to shake her body a little and began to lightly bounce on her feet.  "ok, get ready!" the warrior called out to her.  Melanie waited for him to call out, but without any warning the warrior lunged towards her.  Melanie was surprised by his sudden advancement and quickly swung her body around.  The warrior narrowly missed her again, his axe hitting the floor.  He looked up at her with a grin.

"You...you didn't even warn me that time!" she gasped a little exhasperated.

"You still dodged it though, right?" the warrior said standing up.

"Yeah, but..." Melanie stopped for a moment and then smiled as she realised what she'd done.  "I managed to dodge his attack without any warning or hesitation!" she thought proudly to herself.

The warrior nodded at her and backed away.  "Let's keep at it.  I want you to watch me carefully and to dodge without any hesitation.  I'm not going to say when I'm going to attack so you'll need to be on your guard, okay?"

Melanie nodded back and readied herself.  Her body wanted to tense up with the anticipation of his attacks but by gently bouncing on her feet it kept her body from freezing up and once again the warrior lunged forward with no warning.  Melanie quickly stepped to the side as his axe came hurtling down and slammed into the ground by her side once more.

"Great job!" the warrior said uprighting himself and taking up position again.  He readied himself and then looked into her eyes and winked at her.  Melanie was a little startled by his wink and almost missed him coming at her again.

"What the heck was that about???" Melanie thought to herself as he uprighted himself with a light laugh.  "Like I said, be on your guard.  You never know what tricks your opponent will try to distract you."

Melanie let out a gentle sigh of relief.  "Aww, he was just testing me!" she thought a little exhasperated at him trying to pull a dirty trick on her.

Ship of Fools

Standing out on the deck of a small ship Melanie and her friends watched as they left Limsa Lominsa behind them as set sail towards Aleport.  The busy port provided a very efficient method of transporting goods to and from Western La Noscea and Limsa Lominsa whilst avoiding the more ardeous task of needing to send caravans to trek across rocky terrains full of dangerous and hungry wildlife, wide streams and deep canyons.

From the other side of the ship Reubemont watched and began to worry for his friend.  "Is she maybe upset because of what we talked about in Limsa?  No, she was fine after we last spoke, at least up until..." he thought to himself.

Holskwyb had also been watching both of them and whilst it wasn't any of her business the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a blade.  She let out a slightly frustrated sigh and sided up to Reubemont with her arms folded.  "Did you guys argue or something back at Limsa?" she asked him.

"No" Reubemont replied as he continued to watch Melanie.  "I don't know what's gotten into her.  Only last night she was saying how it bothered her about killing another person, and now she can't wait to kill pirates.  Something must've happened to her when she went out on her errand but she seems less inclined to talk openly about it."  He then looked at Holskwyb.  "Perhaps you could talk to her?"

"Me?" Holskwyb looked surprised.  "Wouldn't she better talking to you?  You two certainly seemed to have gotten it off together very well, in case you think we haven't noticed."

Reubemont shook his head.  "That is exactly why you should be the one to talk to her" he replied.  "I've risked everything by allowing myself to get too close, and it's also had an impact on her.  I can't risk her becoming emotionally attached again...and neither can I."  Deep down Reubemont felt a pang in his chest.  Although he had given Melanie the impression he didn't think of her any more than a friend and colleague his actions in Limsa were all but an act, something that he had planned the night before to help place some distance between him and Melanie.  He was actually very fond of her.  "If only she wasn't already betrothed I would've looked beyond the fact that I'm her Captain and allowed myself to fall for her" he thought to himself.

"Very well, I'll go talk to her" Holskwyb said unfolding her arms.  She walked across the bridge over to where Melanie was standing still gazing out to sea.  She stood there silently for a moment pondering how to break the ice.

"Do you want to talk about what's been eating you?" she finally spoke.

Melanie continued to gaze out.  "No" she said quietly.

Holskwyb decided not to press any further.  She'd heard many people before who initially refused to talk spill the beans shortly afterwards.  For many saying "no" was saying "yes", but if pressed they would just clam up.  She decided it best to give Melanie some space for now, she would talk when she felt ready.

"I was ambushed in La Noscea" Melanie said quietly just as Holskwyb was about to walk away.  "Three men were about to kill me.  I had no other choice but to defend myself and in my defense I...I killed one of them."

Holskwyb exhaled through her nose slowly and made a few circular strokes on the deck with the tip of her toes.  "I'm sorry to hear what happened.  It must've been a traumatic experience for you to have faced that all by yourself.  You did what you had to do to survive, nobody's going to blame you for what you had to do."  She placed a hand on Melanie's shoulder.  "Forgive me, but I'm going to be blunt here.  Encounters like that happen far too frequently in the wild especially to those who appear inexperienced and weak and you can't always rely on others to come and save you.  If you expect to survive out there alone then you'll need to toughen up and behave less timid or people like that will walk you to the ground.  It's a cut-throat profession to be an adventurer.  In a lot of situations it's kill or be killed.  Only you can make the choice whether to fight back and live or surrender and die."

Melanie felt very little comfort in Holskwyb's words but she knew she was right.  She nodded her head in acknowledgement and continued gazing out to sea.  Up until now Reubemont's affection had been all that was keeping her from despairing about being trapped in another world where every turn represented fear and danger, but she knew as long as she didn't learn to stop being afraid and continued to embraced comfort in his security and affection she'd never become stronger and she'd risk getting caught up in another emotional whirlwind.  This wasn't going to be the last encounter she'd have to face alone and whilst she considered herself lucky to have escaped alive she might not be so lucky the next time.

--

Made from the same brick and stone as Limsa, Aleport was built like a small fortress featuring battlements above its outer walls and 2 heavily guarded porticulis at both ends of the port leading out into the wilds.  Haulers were waiting patiently for the passengers to depart first so they could climb onboard and empty out its cargo.  Lining the sides of the dock were crates filled with varying goods ready to be hauled onto the ship to depart back to Limsa Lominsa.  Outside the port several caravans awaited to be filled up so they could head out and distribute wares back to the small outposts and villages spread all across Vylbrand.

Not too far into the distance the tall spires of Pharos Sirius loomed omniously over the small port.  Large shards of crystalized aether protuding from its upper levels served as a reminder of the Calamity that took place over 30 years ago.  Melanie could make out an airship docked at one of its highest points and several workers walking back and forth between the airship and the lighthouse carrying crates loaded with the unmistakable bright orange glow of corrupted crystals.

They had barely disembarked from the ship when a young hyur man dressed in a yellow jacket waved over to them.  Reubemont led his group over to see what the commotion was about.

"Are you th' hired help to deal with th' threat at Satasha?" the young man asked them with eager eyes.

"That's us" Reubemont nodded.

"Oh, thank th' twelve!  I've been sent from the Hall o' th' Novice to escort you there for a full briefing o'er what we've learned so far."  The young hyur man motioned Reubemont and his group to follow him outside the port.

Reubemont noticed Melanie earlier gazing up at Pharos Sirius and took a look for himself.  "I see the Admiral's finally approved a restoration effort at the lighthouse" he said.

"Aye!  'Tis all thanks to th' Warrior of Light who breached the upper levels four years ago" the escort replied.  "Since there 'aven't been any reports of threats from inside it since she an' a bunch o' other adventurers braved its floors, Admiral Bloefhiswyn sent in some few brave soldiers to check it out 'n see if it were safe 'nough to start rebuildin'.  They needn't 'ave bothered, whatever used to dwell in there 'ad been long gone.  After they reported back to th' Admiral she approved an expedition into the lighthouse to clear out 'n inspect the lighthouse's structure.  I reckon it'll be 'nother couple o' years 'afore we see light shinin' from its beacon again."

Melanie hid a slight smile as she recounted the adventure in her mind.  To say that it was a lighthouse was an understatement.  Pharos Sirius was huge and more like a multi-tier palace than a mere place to shine light out to sea.  Of course it wouldn't have been much of a dungeon if it were nothing more than just a thin spiral tower leading up to its beacon, but then nothing was simple in this universe.  Mansions were like massive hotels, libraries had multiple tiers sectioned off by aetheric teleports and magical bridges to reach them, and almost every building looked like it was built by titans.  Even the trees of the Twelveswood was massive compared to what she'd seen on Earth with their trunks as wide as a 3 cabin passenger train.  That wasn't to say however that all buildings in this universe were oversized, as to the other side of the port atop a small bluff was an average sized lighthouse.

Leaving the small port the landscape was very different.  Around here the lack of running fresh water and the heat resulted in most of the local vegetation drying out.  Clumps of tall yellowed grass, dried up shrubbery and dead trees dotting the rough landscape were the majority in this part of Vylbrand, save a few patches of white allium and purple trumpet vines growing near the cliffs.  A worn cobbled pathway stretched in front of the port's exterior walls.  It had definitely seen better days and was in serious need of tending to remove the dry dead grass and weeds that were pushing through the gaps.

Ahead of them set against the base of the highlands was the Hall of the Novice - a small square building whose only defining feature was a green and gold plaque hanging above its door featuring a picture of a golden sprout - the symbol used to represent newly fledged adventurers seeking more than just your average odd job for a small bit of coin.  Not all adventurers were up for this kind of business and preferred to just stick to the road as wandering sell swords, especially those who shared no loyalty to the main cities.  Reubemont called out to the escort signalling him to halt as he he stopped and turned to his fellow friends.

"This is it" he said with a slight smile.  "Beyond those doors leads to great riches and adventures we could only dream of.  If any of you are having second thoughts then please say now, because once we enter that building we're no longer just wandering travellers seeking small jobs.  We'll be in service of the three major companies as well as our usual line of work.  Of course if this isn't in your interest then I'll fully understand and we can continue with what we've been doing."

Suyaya stepped forward gazing up at his violet eyes.  "I do believe I speak for all of us when I say that we knew what we were signing up for when we all agreed to have you as our leader.  We have had no doubts in your choice to lead us and we're not about to stop believing in you now.  Wherever you lead we will follow.  And besides, great riches and adventures don't sound all that bad."

Everyone else nodded in unison including Melanie.  Reubemont looked a little taken aback by Suyaya's encouraging words and smiled.  "Very well, then let's press forth" he said and led his friends up to the doorway into the small building.

Melanie felt a slight bit of nostalgia as they entered the building.  There was everything here that a new adventurer needed - shelves filled with literature on how to deal with encounters, mentors and seasoned adventurers ready to give first-hand information on battle techniques.  This was definitely the place to be for anyone who wanted to do more than your average berry picking or meat harvesting quests.

The escort motioned them over to a desk where a small open book awaited them.  "I need you all to sign in please" he said.  Reubemont signed his name down in the book, followed by Suyaya, Johnas and Holskwyb.  Melanie took an ink and quil and jotted her name down in Eorzean.  It was now becoming a natural habit for her to write in Eorzean despite barely being on the First for less than a month, besides others needed to read her handwriting and if she wrote in English there would no doubts be questions over it.

After all five of them had registered their entry the escort led them to the back of the room where a couple of men dressed in yellow jackets were speaking with a short dark haired roegadyn woman whose sea green eyes and reddish lips stood out from her charcoal coloured skin.  She sported a fine swashbukler outfit and what looked to be a flask of rum tied to one side of her belt and a large compass on the other.  Her bold posture gave the impression that she'd been well versed in the ways of an adventurer for a long time and was now in the service of offering valuable aid to forthcoming adventurers looking for their share of fortune and glory.

"Ah, this must be them" she said as she caught eyes of Reubemont and his team.  The yellow jacketed officers walked away giving them space to talk.  "Welcome to the Hall of the Novice where you may find everything you need for further training before you go on your foray into Satasha Seagrot.  A..."  The roegadyn stopped abruptly as she caught sight of Melanie who quickly glanced away pretending not to notice.  "As you no doubts already know, a new band of pirates under their leader Captain Shardon laid seige to Satasha just a few days ago.  The men that were stationed outside spoke of no less than 50 pirates barged their way through its gates and barricaded themselves inside.  We don't know what their plans are as of yet and the depths still contain everything that was left behind from the last lot who were in there, so needless to say they have all they need to put up quite the resistance and we've definitely seen plenty of evidence of that.  Which is why we've called upon the aid of the Adventurer's Guild to deal with those scum.  We can't do with pirates setting up a base so close to Aleport."

"What else can you tell us about Captain Shardon?" Reubemont asked the adventurer.

"We believe she's the last surviving relative of Captain Madison, the previous leader of the Serpent Reavers who once took up residence within Satasha and plundered the area for years.  Unlike him, she isn't in service of the Sahagin, so we can only assume the reason for her assault is to reclaim what belonged to her brother and quite possibly to seek revenge for his death."

Melanie began to recall the two mi'qote sisters back at the Twelveswood.  She could understand the depths of what one would sink to to avenge someone so close to them.  It felt so wrong that people could so easily be caught in such a death cycle out of vengeance.

The adventurer caught sight of Melanie again and tilted her head curiously.  "I'm sorry, Brovola was it?" she called out to her.  "Just the way you looked then reminded me of someone.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but your face looks very familiar.  I could've sworn I met someone just like you but a few years ago."

Melanie began to panic.  Not everyone she'd encountered in the game knew of her secrets and it was only a matter of time before someone might notice even behind her disguise.  "I get told that a lot since many of my siblings share similar characteristics.  I'm still very new to these lands myself" Melanie replied.

"Oh of course, I guess you must be from the same family" the adventurer pondered.  "It was almost as if I met her yesterday - a bold and confident woman with a passion for adventure in her eyes.  She'd already earned herself a remarkable reputation from helping many of the locals and the level of skill she displayed was far exceeding mine.  In fact she was the one who last ventured into Satasha and disposed of Captain Madison and his crew, relieving the whole island free from his tyrany.  I doubt many can share in her heroism, but maybe you'll share more than her looks yourself if you work hard at it."

Melanie smiled listening to the adventurer knowing she was talking about her, even if their perception of events were very different.  Having had little else to do at endgame Melanie ventured back clearing many of the side quests in the game.  In many ways she wished she'd done them at the same time as the main scenario quests as many of them shared a part of the main story.  Some of the side quests had also offered up extra items that weren't provided in the main story quests leaving her partially geared and resorting to either dungeon crawling or purchasing missing pieces from vendors or the auction house.

"Well then, I suppose you people must be eager to go about your mission.  Before you do though I recommend you to spend some time here in the hall and ask around the various mentors.  They can help provide you with useful information on refining combat skills and are quite happy to participate in a friendly spar or two to help identify any flaws or weaknesses that you may need to improve on."

The team dispersed and began browsing books and talking to some of the mentors stationed in the hall.  Melanie wandered a little as she thought about what she could improve herself on.  One on one encounters were definitely her weakness.  As she recalled her encounter in La Noscea she recognised several key moments where she hesitated to act.  Of course anyone who was facing an encounter such as that for the first time would be hesitant to act whilst thinking of a plan of action, but she needed to think and act faster and not give any room for her opponent to make good a move on her.  Her eyes turned to a seasoned lalafel mage who had several different tomes stacked on a small table in front of her.  "Surely she'd know a thing or two she could teach me" Melanie thought to herself.  She made good her approach and walked towards the cheeery looking lalafel.

"Hey young lady, I think yer barkin' up th' wrong tree there!" a loud voice boomed behind her and a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.  Melanie flinched in a panic as she experienced a momentary flashback of her encounter in La Noscea and she spun quickly to face the heavily clad roegadyn who looked at her in surprise.  "Oh hey, err, I didn't mean t' startle ye!" the roegadyn backed off giving her some space.  "I just noticed ye lookin' a bit lost like yer lookin' for a mentor t' speak to.  That lassie o'er there might look like yer typical mage but her skills are in th' healin' role.  What ya need is a mentor who's skilled in fightin' whilst not bein' in th' front lines.  That's my role."

"Oh" Melanie said calming down.  "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did.  I had....a bad experience before I arrived here, one that almost cost me my life" she said in an apologetic voice.

"Ah, no need t' worry yerself lassie.  So, ye already had an encounter an' still escaped in one piece?  That's a good sign that ye have th' means t' become a strong 'n proud fighter, but I can tell just from lookin' at ye that ye still have much t' learn.  Yer very posture an' th' way y' react are all signals that yer an easy target."

Melanie looked at herself realising that she did indeed look constantly nervous and like she was about to flee to the nearest strong man the moment danger approached her.  "This is what Holskwyb was telling me earlier.  I need to toughen up and be less timid" she thought to herself.

"Can you help me to become more stronger and look less like a walking target?" she asked him eagerly.

The mentor smiled a broad smile as he clamped his fists together.  "I do believe I have just th' thing t' help ye lassie" he said in a booming voice.  Grabbing a couple of wooden training dummies that were propped against a wall nearby he motioned her towards a door in the back of the hall.

"Where are we going?" Melanie asked as she followed him into a hallway that branched out into several paths.

"Back here we have our very own trainin' arenas.  Here we can watch yer moves an' see where ya need t' work on."

The hallway led outside into a large circular arena that had been built within the foothills away from prying eyes.  The mentor quickly planted a couple of target dummies down on the ground and backed away.  "First thing's first, I wanna see what yer capable of damage wise.  Hit those targets with ye best spells an' we'll see where t' go from 'ere."

Melanie nodded and posed herself ready to attack.  Whipping out her staff she focused her gaze on the target dummies and tapped into a fire aspected aether.  A large fireball hurtled towards the target dummy and smacked it in the very centre, scorching the wood and leaving a blackened dent where it impacted.

The mentor nodded as he watched her and wandered over to her as she lowered her staff.  "Yer damage is impressive, but yer posture is all wrong" he said to her.  He drew out a training staff and posed next to her in a very bold position.  "As a mi'qote ye should be usin' yer tail to help ye with yer posture.  Stand firm with yer staff extended like this an' use yer tail to help ye balance."

Melanie tried to copy his stance and could feel her balance wavering.

"Nah, stretch yer tail out an' raise th' end until ye can feel yer legs get steady" he continued.

Melanie did as he suggested and raised the end of her tail.  She could feel her balance starting to stabilize as if she was using a stick on a tight rope to steady herself.

"Now then, see how yer posture makes ye look like ye mean business!" the mentor smiled at her.  "Now, when ye cast yer spell pull yer staff back an' then swing it forward like yer smashin' somethin' with it.  That'll help ye project yer spells much faster an' with more force t' send yer enemies reelin'!"

Melanie did as she was ordered, pulling her staff backwards as she sought out a fire aspected aether and swung the staff forwards in front of her with all her might.  She could feel a huge difference in her magic as if she was throwing the fireball by herself.  The fireball sped towards the target dummy at a tremendous speed and smashed through the wood, splintering it into several burning shards.

"Oops" she said, her mouth dropping agape at having destroyed the target dummy.

"Not t' worry lassie, we got plenty o' those things around" the mentor said grinning at her.  He grabbed another target dummy from a stack that were lined up against the arena walls and pinned it down ahead of her.  "Now, repeat what ye just did an' don't stop until it's nothing more than tinder fer th' fire!"

Melanie resumed her posture and cast out another fireball.  Again it launched at high speed and smacked the target dummy squarely, but this time it barely did any damage to the dummy.  Melanie tried again and again with the dummy only just barely being singed.  She continued determined to at least make a dent in the dummy when she started to feel herself becoming exhausted and her head began to spin.

"Are ye tryin' t' kill yerself lassie?" the mentor grabbed her arm stopping her from launching another spell and gazed at her with a panicked look.  Melanie looked at him confused and suddenly realised she'd once again forgotten the first rule of thaumaturgy.  The mentor backed off as she began to ready herself once more.  Reaching to an ice aspected aether she launched a large shard of ice that smashed into the dummy leaving flakes of frost on its surface.  Melanie leaned down and began gasping for air, slowly feeling her aether replenish itself.

"I'm sorry" she panted as she started to recover.

"Mistakes like that will make ye vulnerable and cost ye yer life.  Don't let me see ye makin' that mistake again" he scolded in a firm voice.

Melanie readied herself once again feeling her aether restored and began to lobby a series of fireballs followed by ice shards smashing into the target dummy, weaving in the occassional lightning aspected aether to scorch dark lines into its surface.

Minutes felt like hours before the mentor called for a break.  The dummy was worse for wear but Melanie felt that she now had a grasp on how to make her spells more efficient and how to balance herself properly in combat.  The mentor clapped his hands at a job well done but his face still showed dissatisfaction.  Melanie looked at his face confused.  She'd done everything he'd asked of her and he didn't need to correct her for what felt like hours, so she didn't know why he looked at her with such disapproval.

"Ye've learned how t' posture yerself in combat an' make yer magic have more of an impact, but ye still 'ave th' look of an amateur" he said to her.  Melanie looked down at herself again.  How else could she possibly improve herself to look less like a weakling.

"GAAAAHHH!!!" a loud cry from over the foothills startled Melanie.

"Was that Reubemont?" she gasped turning to where she heard the cry.

"That t'would be th' second part of our trainin'" the mentor said with a wicked grin as he walked up behind her.

"A...and what would that be?" Melanie said stumbling backwards away from him.

"Makin' ye less of an easy target" he said cracking his knuckles.

Crossing Bridges

Melanie woke up groggily from her slumber.  She didn't get much sleep at all that night, partly because a gull had been perched on a wall mount outside near her window since 5am non-stop calling and keeping her awake.  She had tried a few times to shoo it away but it was very persistent and too far away from her to reach out and knock it off its perch.

She dragged herself out of bed with her eyes still half open and let out a big and wide yawn and gave her body a long stretch.  Splashing water onto her face from a nearby bowl of luke warm water didn't seem to help with waking her properly.  She glanced at herself at a nearby dresser and saw how dark her eyes looked.  People were going to think she'd been in a fist fight.

Slowly Melanie dressed herself.  As she did so she began to mull over what she was going to tell Reubemont.  Whilst she found comfort in his kindness and affection she could ill afford to allow herself to fall for someone else.  For one she was already married, the body she was currently occupying was on loan, and she had no idea how long she'd be in this universe for.  Even if she decided to let her emotions carry her away then what would happen when it was time to go back home?  It wouldn't be fair on either party.  This would also be true for G'raha Tia who she had very strong feelings for.  She felt a deep pain in her chest as she thought back to how he last looked at her on the First.

Melanie grabbed her belongings before departing from her room.  The day had only just started and the heat was already beginning to build up.  Luckily there was no stairs here, just a long and winding ramp that led back down to The Drowning Wench.  Seated at the bar her friends were already waiting for her arrival, including Reubemont who didn't look like he had any trouble sleeping at all himself.  His face turned to shock as he saw Melanie seat next to them and stared at her face in horror.

"By the Gods, didn't you get any sleep last night?" he gasped.

"Not much" Melanie grumbled feeling slightly agitated that she was the only one who didn't get much sleep.

"Ok lads and ladies, what can I....oh my!" a waitress stared shocked at Melanie who could barely keep her eyes open and her head from dropping down to the bar counter.  "Aren't you in a right mess Miss.  Well don't you worry your pretty tail off, we have just the right stuff for you behind the counter!"  The waitress shuffled behind the counter and grabbed a small bottle filled with orange liquid and brought it back to Melanie with a metal tumbler.  "Here, on the house!" she said with a grin as she popped open the lid to the bottle.

"What is it?" Melanie asked looking at the bottle curiously.  A strong smell of oranges began to tickle in her nostrils.

"It's a special blend of some of our local La Noscean oranges and water that's rumoured to flow near a powerful source of aether, plus a secret ingredient" the waitres said happily as she helped pour the liquid into the tumbler.

"So it's basically orange juice?" Melanie looked over to the waitress with a slightly unimpressed gaze as if they were trying to sell her snake oil.

"Oh no, it's more than that!  Mr Mander...I mean, the man who invented the recipe claims it's so powerful that it could even wake a man from his death bed."

"Mander...ville?  As in Godbert Manderville?!" Melanie gasped.

"Oh dear, seems I let my tongue slip again" the waitress sighed shaking her head in dismay.

"As in that gentleman from The Golden Saucer?  That man sure does get around" Reubemont commented.

Melanie took a few moments before drinking in a few sips of the orange juice.  It tasted like any ordinary orange drink, except the juice was more thicker and smoother as if something else had been blended in to give it a little viscosity.

"How is it?" Reubemont queried.

"It's alright.  Smooth, silky... very orangey, kind of reminds me of a drink back at home we called Sunny Delight" Melanie looked at the tumbler trying to determine what it was she was tasting in the background.  It seemed that the orange was there to mask whatever the water was mixed with to make it more palatable.  She took in a few more sips and began to notice a surge of energy flowing through her.  It was as if she just drank a dozen coffees in one sitting.  "Wow!" she exclaimed in surprise at just how quick and potent the drink was.

The waitress nodded with a satisfied grin on her face.  "That would be the secret ingredient doing its work."

Melanie now felt more wide awake than ever and ready to take on the world.  Reubemont blinked in surprise as he watched her dark and puffy eyes suddenly return to normal and her body straighten up alert and attentative to the world around her.  "I dare say that's some amazing beverage" he remarked.

"Now then, may I take your orders?" the waitress asked with slight eagerness in her voice.

"Ah yes, I'll have a boiled egg and a glass of pineapple juice please" Reubemont said heartily.

"Just a plate of scrambled eggs and a glass of water for me" Johnas said.

"I'll have the scrambled eggs too with some orange juice" Suyaya piped up.

"Frumenty and a glass of orange" Holskwyb added.

"Frumenty?  What's that?" Melanie asked curiously.

"It's a blend of wheat, raisins and cinnamon boiled together with aldgoat milk.  I used to have it every day as a child.  It's fairly sweet and very satisfying" Holskwyb replied.

"Hmm, that almost sounds like a porridge" Melanie mumbled to herself.  "I'll have the frumenty also" she said looking over to the waitress who then nodded and skipped her way back to the bar.

After the waitress left Reubemont then turned his attention to his friends.

"So, did you manage to find out anything about the Dark Jekyll?" he said to Johnas and Holskwyb.

Holskwyb lowered her head as if having been defeated by the question.  "Sadly no, there hasn't been nearly as much talk here in Limsa about this Dark Jekyll as we came across in Gridania spare a few suggestions here and there that he might be from a secretive organization based somewhere within La Noscea."

"What about you Johnas?" Reubemont said.

"Same as Holskwyb" he said with a dejected sigh.

"Well, that's rather disappointing" Reubemont sighed with disappointment.  "Well, at least I have better news for us to make some gil whilst we're here."  Reubemont pulled out the notice he swiped last night from the bulletin from his pockets and showed it to his friends.  "There's been an outbreak of a new band of pirates setting up seige in Satasha.  Brovola had a premonition that we'd be infiltrating their base, so based on her gift I believe this is something we can most definitely handle as a team, and there's quite a big reward should we successfully complete the mission."

"Pirates, huh?" Holskwyb said in a questionable voice.

"Is...something the matter?" Reubemont queried.

"Oh, nothing" Holskwyb replied shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"Then we set sail for Aleport in a couple of hours" Reubemont said in a satisfied voice and placed the notice back into his pockets.

The waitress returned to the table carrying a number of plates of mostly egg dishes and drinks on a wooden palette.  Melanie could smell the frumenty and her mouth started to water.

"Before I forget I did some enquiring on where to find some new equipment for us" Suyaya spoke out.  "As luck would be there was a new shipment of goods arrived in the early hours this morning destined to the market stalls in Hawkers' Alley with a promising ledger."

"Excellent news" Reubemont nodded with a smile.  "We should stop by the markets and see what they have in stock."

Everyone began to dig into their breakfast.  Melanie was glad she stuck with the frumenty.  She had no idea how she'd react to eating eggs even in this body.  Back on Earth even the smell of boiled eggs was enough to turn her stomach sour, and the very texture or taste of eggs even in the slightest of trace would make her throw up.  Just the smell of the eggs was already making her feel slightly uncomfortable so she could only guess that she'd react in the same way as she would on Earth when eating them.

After having their fill Reubemont was ready to depart with his team.  The waitress collected their now empty plates and tumblers and disappeared with them behind the bar.  Collecting their belongings they departed from the inn and made headway towards a ramp that led down to the lower decks of Limsa.

Despite being high up above the gentle ocean waves Melanie didn't seem too flustered about how high up they were.  Having ridden airships as many times as she had recently had made her feel a lot more grounded from lesser high locations, and with the ramp being so wide and built up against a stone pillar made her feel safer as long as she didn't go too close to the edge.

Melanie felt an opportunity to grab Reubemont to talk.  She gently tugged at his arm indicating that she wanted to speak privately.  "Err, I'll catch up with you guys in a moment" Reubmeont said as his team noticed he'd stopped.  They gave a gentle nod and carried on down the rest of the ramp.  "What's wrong Brovola?" he asked Melanie once they were alone.

Melanie started to feel a little flustered as she tried to find the right words to say to Reubemont.  "About last night..." she started, then her face went red as she lost the nerve and couldn't look him in the face.  Reubemont looked at her curiously as she bit her lower lip and looked a little stressed.  "I know that we've become very close the past few days and...um...and you've helped me overcome a lot..." Melanie stumbled with her words and her face kept getting redder until she was virtually glowing like a fireball.  "It's just that, erm, things are a bit complicated for me right now.  Like I'm already in a serious relationship even though it's very long distance, were the situation any different I...I...um..."  Melanie bit her lip and her face grimaced as she realised just how cringy she sounded and struggled to find the right words to use.  Reubemont smiled and walked up to her and gently patted her on her head.

"What???"  Melanie felt confused as Reubemont continued to gently pat her head.  She looked up to him seeing him smiling gently and still patting her head.  "There there" he said as he continued to pat.  The Echo began to pull her back into a brief moment of Reubemont's past where he was but a teenager, his sister was looking very stressed and he was patting her on the head in the same way.  "There there, sis" he said to her as she started to sob.

Melanie was pulled back into the present with Reubemont still patting her on the head.  She smiled and let out a sigh of relief.  "Of course, how foolish of me.  I overreacted over a silly misunderstanding" she said finally able to look him in the face again.

Reubemont stopped patting her on her head and continued to smile at her.  "It wasn't silly" he said in a reassuring voice.  "I see you as a good friend and as a part of my team, and I care for everyone who is under my charge.  I will admit however that I may have become a little too comfortable in your presence, especially after this outburst, so perhaps it would be best if we were to dial things down a little and be a bit more professional about how we do things from here on."

Melanie nodded in agreement with a gentle smile, her face having returned to a normal colour again.  She felt as if a huge weight of worry had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Let's head on down before the rest of the team starts wondering where we disappeared off to" Reubemont said.  Melanie followed closely behind him.  Her mind felt so much more relaxed now, however she was now going to be a bit more mindful over how she sought comfort during stressful moments.

Eventually the ramp ended at a circular plaza with a large crystal aetheryte spinning on its axis in the middle of the plaza above a golden setting set in a stone dias.  Many people were gathered around the aetheryte fanning away at the morning heat or resting at one of the few benches that lined the edges of the plaza.  Nearby a stone building acting as a tunnel housed several small stalls inside it where traders called out to the locals eager to sell their wares.  Reubemont ushered his group towards the building and they began to browse through the various items on display.

As Melanie gazed at some of the stalls in awe she could hear an old lady's voice behind her and felt a gentle tugging on her robes.  "Excuse me Miss, are you an adventurer?" an old lady in simple clothing said to her with a desperate look on her eyes.  Melanie turned to face her properly and gave her a nod.

"How may I help you?" she asked the old lady.

"Thank Llymlaen someone has finally stopped to listen!" the old lady gasped excitedly.  "I'm in dire need of certain special ingredients obtained from the local wildlife outside.  None of the traders here have what I need so it befalls on me to ask adventurers for help."

"Is there something we can help you with?" Reubemont said noticing that Melanie was preoccupied with the old lady.  The old lady scorned at him for interrupting.

"I wasn't talking to you" she hissed.

"I'm sorry, we're all together so I wondered..."

"I'm not paying all of you to help" the old lady continued to snap at him.

Melanie looked up at Reubemont with an awkward smile.

"Ah, it's alright I guess" Reubemont stammered.  He then looked down to Melanie.  "You can go ahead and help this lady, we still have plenty of time before we need to depart to Aleport" he said to her.

Melanie nodded to him and turned her attention back to the old lady.  "Please continue" she said.

"Ah, such a nice young lady" the old woman said with a crooked smile.  "As I was saying, I'm in need of some livers from the wild lambs outside Limsa.  Being a by-product they're often discarded by the traders here who see no use for them as nobody else wants to purchase them - nobody except me that is, but since I'm just one person and not needing them every single day there's no profit in keeping them around and they spoil within a matter of a few hours of harvesting them.  Would you ever be so kind in bringing me back a few, say four livers?  I'll reward you handsomely for them."

"Err, yes of course" Melanie stammered a little.

"Thank you so much, such a kind young lady" the old lady said with a smile.  "I'll stay right here whilst you go and find me those livers.  Now, run along now."

Melanie nodded and looked over her friends who were far too occupied browsing the stalls and closely inspecting some of the fresh new wares.  She sighed a little and turned back around heading out towards the plaza.

Melanie knew the way around Limsa having had played the game so many times.  The exit to La Noscea was not too far away.  She'd have to go through another small building below The Drowning Wench and then cross a long and tall bridge that linked Limsa Lominsa to the main land.  Being alone this time however she started to feel a panic as she approached the bridge.  She slowed her pace as the road lowered itself down to the bridge's level and stopped short of stepping onto the bridge.  Her heart started to race and her legs started to feel weak.

"No, not now!  Just because Reubemont isn't here doesn't mean I should start to panic here and now" she thought to herself.  She swallowed hard and forced her legs to get moving.  Each step felt like she was fighting against a force that was holding her legs down and her legs wobbled as she began to cross the bridge.  Panic set in and her heart began to leap several times causing her to cry out in fear.  "I've been on airships, I've been in higher places, why am I now struggling so hard?!"  Melanie stopped for a moment to catch her breath.  She was now already halfway across the bridge.  "There's no going back now, the distance back is exactly the same as the distance ahead."  Determined to reach the other side, Melanie started to move forward again.  Her body's resistance started to give way and she was finally able to reach the main land at the other side of the bridge.

Panting heavily Melanie leaned up against a stone archway that led back into the city trying to catch her breath.  She closed her eyes and started to slowly breathe in the sweet smell of grass and fresh sunkissed grapes being carried by the gentle winds.  She listened to the sound of gentle waves lapping against the cliffs, the calling of gulls, the rushing of water that cascaded down from nearby streams to the cliffs creating powerful waterfalls, the wind blowing through the grass, and the sound of bleating in the near distance.  After a few minutes of respite Melanie gathered herself together and made way towards the bleating.

--

Melanie stared with a look of regret on her face for having accepted such a mission.  Dozens of fluffy lambs bounced around the grass nibbling on the fresh shoots.  It was more than she could bear.  They were too cute.  Letting out a groan she slumped down on her knees and watched the lambs nibbling away.  One noticed her and came close up to her and after giving her a sniff let out a gentle bleat.  Melanie smiled and reached out to the lamb and started to scratch its head.  The lamb closed its eyes rubbing its head into her fingers and bleated happily.

"Aww, you're so cute, I can't bring myself to kill one of you let alone four" Melanie said in a motherese voice.  The little lamb bounced up and down excitedly.  Another lamb seeing what was happening wandered over and started to demand being petted.  Melanie chuckled under her breath and moved her hand across and started to scratch its head.

Another lamb then started to approach, and another, and another.  Melanie realised she was getting overwhelmed by lambs all bleating and demanding her to pet them and started to panic a little.  "Hold on, I can't pet you all at once" she stammered.  More lambs began to crowd in front of her pushing into her and almost knocking her over.  Quickly she tried to get back on her feet and this startled one of the lambs who then bit her fingers.

"Oww!" Melanie gasped shaking her hand free from the lambs' mouth.  The other lambs were now becoming agitated and were no longer demanding to be petted and began to bite into her ankles.  "Oww, stop!" Melanie cried out trying to kick them away, but they just kept on pushing into her.  By now they had all ceased to be friendly and continued to press and bite away at her.

Melanie couldn't take it anymore.  Without thinking she quickly grabbed her staff, reached out to a fire aspected aether and banged the base of the staff to the ground.  A wave of fire hit all the lambs causing several to get slightly singed and bounce away in fear.  Of the ones that weren't so lucky they lay dead before her feet, their fur completely burned off and the smell of burnt flesh and grass filling the air with a sickening crackle.  Melanie took in a few slow breaths to calm down and looked down at the dead lambs at her feet with a look of deep regret.  Tears started to flow down from her eyes.  "I'm so sorry, but I had no other choice" she said remorsefully.

She slowly lowered herself back down on her knees and took a look at the bodies.  Two were completely obliterated to the bone however there were four that still were salvageable.  Melanie pulled out a small knife she had tucked away on her belt and waved her hands around the lamb corpses.  "Eugh" she groaned, then she wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her arm and with a grimaced look began to cut into the lamb corpses.  The smell and the sight of blood and squelching noises as she placed her hands into their corpses started to make her gag a little and several times she had to look away.  Her hands were completely covered in warm blood as she reached for the livers and after a few slices tugged away at them until they were prised out of their bodies.  Using a spare linen bag she placed the livers inside of them and once she was done she looked around for a nearby source of water to clean the blood from her hands and blade.  Nearby was a stream of water coming from the hills that ran towards the cliffs.

Melanie walked over to the stream and started to wash her hands in the running water, barely noticing a small group of roegadyn men walking her way.  After drying her hands on her robes and placing the blade back on her belt she finally noticed the three roegadyn who were staring at her with dirty looks on their faces.

"Well well, what have we here..." one of them said with an evil grin.  "I believe this is the competition that old fossil sent us out here to find."  He looked down at the grass below Melanie's feet where the bloodied linen bag containing the lambs' livers was.  "And looks like that's the booty we've been sent to obtain."  He then looked back up at Melanie's face with an even wider grin.  Melanie could feel her body tensing nervously.  She certainly did not like the look of these guys.  He snorted under his breath and began to crack his knuckles.  "Why don't we just take those livers and we can just say you fell off the nearby cliffs, eh?" he said as he started to advance towards her.

Melanie realised she was in grave danger and that these thugs were certainly not the type who could be easily talked out of a fight.  She'd never been in an encounter like this in her life but she knew if she wanted to get out alive she was going to have to fight her way out.  Melanie pulled out her staff readying for an assault.  "Don't make me hurt you" she said in a threatening voice, although deep down she was quaking in fear and they could hear it in her quivvering voice.

"Ooh, looks like we have a fighter, lads!" the lead roegadyn laughed a belly laugh and then looked at her with a widened smile.  "In case you haven't noticed, lady, it's three against one.  This is not your lucky day."

"Oh my god, they're really going to kill me!"

The roegadyn made for another approach and with a grimace Melanie reached out to a fire aspect.  "Burn!" she called out.  The focus in her staff responded and a fireball launched itself from the aether surrounding her and hit the roegadyn leader square in the face causing him to recall in pain.  His comrades watched him stumble and their faces contorted in anger.  "You'll pay for that!" one of them shouted and made a run towards her.

Melanie started to panic.  She had no time to launch another fireball and she'd soon have both men tackling her.  Her only other option was to put one of them out.  "Sleep!" she called out.  One of the men was quickly surrounded in a gentle mist that caused his eyes to roll into the back of his head and his body crumpled to the floor into a deep slumber.

Now it was one against one, but she no longer had any time to cast another spell.  The roegadyn overpowered her, grabbing her tightly and trying to wrestle her to the floor.  "Now I've got you!" he said as Melanie screamed and squirmed.  "Let me go!" she called out as she struggled against his burly arms, but his grip was like a vice.  "Hehe" the roegadyn cackled, "after I've had my fun with you you're going to wish you'd never been born."  Melanie needed to act fast.  Without her hands free she wasn't able to cast another spell, and she couldn't fight her way out of his arms.  There was only one other thing left to do.  She bent her head down and sank her sharp teeth into his arms.  

"Yaaargh!!!!"  The roegadyn loosened his grip giving Melanie the opportunity she needed.  Using her staff as a weapon she knocked him hard under his chin, causing him to completely let go and stumble backwards in a daze.

"Electrify!" she cried out.  The roegadyn crashed to the floor screaming in agony as his body was engulfed in waves of electricity.

The leader who had now recovered from his burns that left one side of his face scorched growled angrily seeing both his friends encumbered.  He pulled out a long knife and made a launch towards Melanie.  Her eyes opened wide as she saw the weapon.  There was no other choice, she was going to have to fight for her life.  She thrust her staff in front of her, launching a series of fire bolts that knocked him back to the ground screaming in agony.  The burns were severe leaving his face competely blackened and he let out a final gasp as he gazed blankly at the sky above him.  His other friends were completely unconscious from their encounters.

Melanie lowered her hands and tried to slow her panicked breathing.  Her whole body was shaking from the encounter so much that she felt she was about to throw up.  Her head was spinning slightly and she felt utterly exhausted.  She thought perhaps she felt exhausted from the fight, but with the encounter having been so intense she had forgotten the first rule of thaumaturgy - don't exhaust your mana.  With tears rolling down her face she slowly knelt down to pick up the bloodied bag of lambs' livers and slowly dragging her feet began to make her way back to Limsa, but before she did she walked over to the burnt corpse of the roegadyn leader and with a tearful yell kicked his body as hard as she could and then stumbled back on her journey.

--

With an expressionless and dirtied face Melanie thrust the bloodied bag in front of the old lady waiting for her in Limsa with eagerness.  "Ooh, you've finally brought them!" she said grabbing the bag from Melanie's hands with her crooked fingers.  "And now for your payment..." the old lady pulled out a purse and tumbled a few coins into Melanie's hands, who then silently stuffed the coins into her own purse.  "By the way, I sent some men to go after you when you hadn't returned.  I was getting very concerned.  I take it you didn't see them?  They didn't seem quite the friendly sort but they were so very eager to go hunting" she queried.

Melanie glared at her a little and then forced a big smile.  "Let's say they won't be so willing to go hunting for me next time" Melanie replied.  She then walked past the old lady and lowered her smile.

Reubemont and his friends had finished with their purchases as Melanie walked by them.  "It's not the best but it'll do" Reubemont said as he inspected his new weapon.  He then caught sight of Melanie walking towards them.  "Ah, just in time..." he said, then he saw the look on her face.  "Is everything all...."

"I'm just fine.  Let's get moving and kill some damn pirates" without even looking at him Melanie cut him off in sharp and cold voice.