Melanie skipped down the streets of Ul'dah with a smile beaming across her face. She was so happy and excited that she barely even paid attention to her fears as she danced down the stone stairs outside the thaumaturges' guild into the streets below. I can't believe I did it! I'm able to cast magic! Melanie was so overflowing with joy that she had to restrain herself from just grabbing the next random stranger in the street and giving them a big hug.
Her pace began to slow as she neared the shaded enclosure of what was known as the Hall of Flames. Here experienced adventurers sought out tasks being delegated by the yellow coats of the Flame Barracks and earned their standing with the city. She smiled as she recalled memories of meeting with her new squadron and entering dungeons with them for their training. She wondered how they were doing now and if they were still around. There were many things that took place in the game that now would not have seemed like they would've worked or have been reflected in this reality, such as keeping a hoard of mounts and minions, owning a house with furnishings that were glitched into place, and retainers who had probably by now due to the way the Eorzean timescale worked been on 6 month-long missions. Not to mention her house, even if it did still exist, didn't even have a toilet in it!
It came as a surprise to Melanie to discover that this world did indeed have toilets whilst in the game they were hidden from plain sight and not even mentioned. How her character managed to hold it in for all this time she'd never understand. Come to think of it, she hadn't really thought about how her character would've done basic requirements such as eating, sleeping and using the toilet. If she was in full control back on Earth then who was controlling her character when she needed to do those things, or did she only need to do those things after The Awakening took place? Something didn't quite add up and it only made Melanie feel more confused the more she tried to overthink things.
Her musings were interrupted as her linkpearl started to chime. Melanie raised a hand to her ear and gently pinched the linkpearl to Reubemont's voice. "How has the training gone, I take it you've both been able to learn a thing or two?"
"I have" Melanie replied. "I can now cast fire and ice magic."
"Ooh, I can't wait to see!" Suyaya's voice was heard excitedly. "I've learned my very first restoration spell and how to fire rocks at things."
"That's great news" Reubemont's voice continued. "We should meet up soon and try out our new skills together. Shall we say meet up at The Quicksand in an hour?"
"I'm already enroute to Ul'dah from Gridania so I should be arriving at the airship landing soon" Suyaya replied.
"Then it's settled. I'll see you both there." The linkpearl went silent and Melanie lowered her hand back down. "An hour, hmm what shall I do in the meantime?" she mulled to herself. She took one last look at the Flame Barracks before heading further down the street.
After a bit of a stroll Melanie stumbled upon the city's main market district known as the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. A dozens stalls lined either side of the street with various peddlers selling a variety of wares to both citizens and adventurers alike and a number of market boards advertised other wares being peddled from as far as Dravania and the Eastern continents. Melanie stopped by one stall and took in the sweet aromas of freshly squeezed oranges and dried raisins when she heard the sounds of a rabble taking place nearby.
A burly looking roegadyn was flying punches at a helpless peddler who was begging for his life. "Please sir, I don't have anything else to offer!" the young hyur said cowering as the roegadyn turned over his stall spilling various goods across the street. Several onlookers had gathered and were gasping in horror.
"You said you would have my payment ready in time! If you don't have my money then I guess I'll have to take my payment in entertainment!" the roegadyn raised his fists above the young peddler ready to punch him into the ground. Melanie ran between them spreading her arms out to protect the young peddler and glared straight at the roegadyn. "What is this? Who are you?!" the roegadyn bellowed.
"Leave this man alone and walk away" Melanie said in a stern voice narrowing her gaze at him. Good gods what am I doing?! Although Melanie tried to put on a brave stance deep down she was actually quaking. What if the roegadyn called her bluff and attacked, then what? I really didn't think this through. The roegadyn stopped for a moment then scowled at her. "Who do you think you are tellin' me what to do? This is none of your business so stay out of it!" the roegadyn struck out knocking Melanie to the ground. The onlookers gasped horrified. "Meddling adventurers, always trying to stick their noses where they don't belong. But perhaps if you're so determined to get in the way then I can always have my fun with you!" the roegadyn hovered over her with an evil grin as he palmed his hand. Melanie slowly rolled over to her stomach trying to push herself up. Everything sounded muffled and blurry that she couldn't see or hear anything properly. All she could feel was a severe ache in her head. She groaned and tried to look up at her assailant and barely saw what looked like a man in silver armor slam a shield into the roegadyn's face, knocking him off his balance. "Huh?!" the roegadyn grumbled in surprise shaking his head whilst trying to stay upright.
"That is no way to treat a lady!"
"Reubemont?" Melanie recognised the voice. She could just about see Reubemont smiling down at her with his sword and shield drawn towards the roegadyn before her vision blurred again.
"What the, where in the seven hells did you come from?!" the roegadyn bellowed.
"You heard what the lady said. Leave this man and walk away" Reubemont's face looked sternly at the roegadyn, his eyebrows furrowed in defiance. The roegadyn regained his footing and growled in anger. He looked like he was readying to strike back when the sound of numerous and heavy footsteps were heading their way. "Halt right there!" a female voice called out. Reubemont sheethed his sword and shield and straightened himself up whilst the roegadyn, now seeing he was outnumbered, began to flee from the city via a nearby archway. "Don't think you've gotten away with this, peddler, I'm not done with you yet!" he yelled as he pushed his way past some of the onlookers. "After him!" the female voice called out. Several armed guards ran onwards whilst their commanding officer stopped by the scene of the crime. She took one look down at Melanie and the cowering peddler. Reubemont bent down and began to inspect Melanie's face.
"Looks like it's a minor concussion. I'll take her to The Quicksand, I've a healer who'll be entering Ul'dah soon and she can tend to her" he said to the commanding officer who nodded in response. "Very well, it's a good thing you were here rookie. I'd like to hear a report about what just took place here once she's been taken care of." The female commander then hurried off following in the path of her comrades.
"Th...thank you kind adventurers, I..I don't know if I'd still be alive if it weren't for her" the young peddler spoke as he emerged from his cowering spot. He took a look down at Melanie with a remorseful look. "Will she be okay?" he asked.
Reubemont lifted one of Melanie's arms around his shoulders and pulled her up onto her feet. Melanie in a daze and slumped against his side barely able to stand. "Steady now, I got you" Reubemont said quietly in her ear. He then turned his attention to the young peddler. "She'll be fine once our friend arrives in Ul'dah. I'm going to take her over to the adventurers' guild where she'll be safe."
"O...okay. Thank you both again" the peddler stammered slowly started to straighten up his stalls and pick up some of his wares that had been scattered all over the street.
"What am I going to do with you?" Reubemont said as he slowly dragged Melanie away. "Your first day here as an adventurer and already you're getting into fights." Melanie's eyes began to roll back into her head and her legs give way. Reubemont noticed she was losing consciousness and quickly slid an arm under her back to catch her and used his other arm to lift her legs. Quickly he carried her up the stairs to The Quicksand and looked around for somewhere to place his comrade. Momodi, the receptionist of the adventurers' guild, looked up from behind her counter and started to panic as she watched him carry Melanie over to one of the central pillars holding up the inn's lodgings above and propped her up against it. "Come on now Brovola, wake up" he said as he quickly tapped her face with his hands.
"Oh dearie me, is she alright?" Momodi gasped.
"I don't know. I'm expecting a friend to arrive soon, she's a conjurer in training, but I think she might arrive a bit too late" Reubemont looked at Melanie worriedly as she failed to respond to his tapping.
"I'll call for a chirurgeon, don't go anywhere" Momodi began fumbling under her counter for a few moments before pulling out a linkpearl and quickly placing it on her ear. "Hello? Yes, we need assistance over at The Quicksand. New adventurer, D'brovola, unconscious. Please hurry!"
Reubemont continued to gently tap at Melanie's face and after a few moments she started to stir and groaned. "Ungh, where...where am I?" she whispered quietly, turning her head slowly and barely able to keep her eyes open. Her vision was still impaired from the assault and her head aching.
"You're at The Quicksand. Help is arriving" Reubemont replied. Within moments a pair of footprints were heard and a couple of men dressed in white robes appeared. "We'll take it from here" they said as they gathered around Melanie and knelt down to take a closer look. "Can you explain what happened to her?" one of them asked.
"She got into a battle of fisticuffs with an angry roegadyn outside. I only just arrived at the scene just a second too late" Reubemont replied not taking his eyes off Melanie. The other chirurgeon gently moved Melanie's head from side to side and looked into her eyes. "Looks like a minor concussion. We should take her over to the phrontistery where she can recover."
"Wait! What if I can help?" a small voice called out from afar.
"Suyaya, you made it" Reubemont said with a hint of relief in his voice. Suyaya hurried over to Melanie and after placing down her satchel unclipped her wand from the side of her robes and hovered her other hand above Melanie's head. She began incanting a small prayer and a light shined from underneath her hand. Melanie felt a warmth in her head, her vision started to improve and the pain subsided. Within moments her eyes were fully opened and she was able to stand on her own feet again. Satisfied that she was looking healthy again the chirurgeons took their leave.
"Thank you" Melanie said looking down at Suyaya who then beamed a smile back at her. "And to you too Reubemont" she said smiling at him.
"Are you able?" he asked. Melanie nodded. "Alright then" he smiled gently. "You gave me quite a scare, you know! Whatever possessed you into facing off with a guy like that? Surely you knew you'd be no match for someone like him."
"I know I wasn't, but I felt that it was the right thing to do" Melanie replied. She then gasped remembering the peddler in the markets and looked back up at Reubemont. "What about the peddler, is he alright?" she asked in a desperate voice.
"He's fine. He was more worried about you than he was about himself, and he has you to thank for saving his life" Reubemont replied with another simle.
Melanie nodded again satisfied in hearing about the peddler's safety, then her face started to sadden as she looked down to the ground. "I thought that all of Ul'dahs' problems had all been resolved, that there was no more fighting among its citizens. Not since the Warrior of Light brought peace to the city."
"There'll always be fights no matter what. That's why people need adventurers like us to help look out for them. Not all problems can be solved by one person alone, not even the Warrior of Light herself" Reubemont replied. Melanie closed her eyes tightly trying to hold back tears. All those years of playing the game she thought that after doing one quest after another that once it was all over then it was over and that the people were finally at peace, but hearing Reubemont telling her otherwise made her heart ache. All she wanted was to bring out the best in people and see people be happy and free from worries. "But let's not dwell on this any longer. Let's sit down and have a couple of drinks and then we can go outside the city and try out what we've learned today."
