Tonight. It would be tonight.

She was excited. She was ready.

The sun rose over Thanalan. The weather was clear so the temperature quickly started to rise. Most residents of Crescent Cove were already active. Already working. The fishermen had left out on their boats long before the sun had come up. Others were mending nets or preparing to receive the day's catch. It was a small village and they were less than wealthy. Residents weren't much to look at on the surface. Simple clothing that mainly was there to protect them from the elements. Most of the time their clothing wasn't even clean. They didn't mind. There were only a half dozen buildings to house the entire village. This meant most of the houses were shared between several occupants. The buildings were old but sturdy. They were not wealthy, but they were fed, protected, and comfortable. It was nothing much but it was enough for them. Most of these people had been born there and had been repeating their routines for years.

But the Auri girl was different.

The fact that she was Au Ra was different enough on its own. Most residents were of Hyur decent, and there was a smaller portion that was Roegadyn and Lalafell. She was the only Au Ra living in the town. Adventuring or merchant Au Ra would pass through now and then, but there was not another Au Ra residing there.

There were other things that set her apart. While the others were hard at work on the boats and nets, the Au Ra was sharpening her pickax. She did not even pretend to have an interest in fishing. She was going to be working alone like normal.

She ate the slice of bread that was her breakfast while she repaired her tool. She had gotten it when she was a small child, which was perfectly normal for her clan, and by now it was showing its age through wear and chips in the metal. She knew she was going to have to replace it in the near future but she was going to have to make it work for now.

She finished and attached it over her shoulder and onto her back. She stepped out of the modest home and out into the warm sunlight. Her dark scales glistened lightly in contrast to her dark blue skin. She looked around briefly at the other residents of her town. Even her purple hair stood out from theirs. Not one part of her seemed to blend in. But at this point she had lived there so long, they paid her no mind. They did not notice her.

All except for one, that is.

"Kessa," the woman scolded, "did you eat the rest of the bread?"

Kessa turned with a normal, warm smile to face the woman. "No, Noko," she assured her. "There is more for you to have later."

Finoko did not change her expression. The only way to tell she accepted Kessa's response was in how she didn't press the issue further. Finoko had been a woman past her prime when she had met Kessa more than fifteen years ago, and so now she was bordering on being elderly. Her hair had long since turned gray and she had no shortage of wrinkles. In spite of this, she seemed physically fit. She moved around easily on her own and often had been seen loading and unloading boats. She complained the whole time while doing so but she had no difficulty. In the time Kessa had been in her care, Kessa could not remember her becoming sick more than maybe three times.

"You're off to play with rocks then?" She scoffed.

Kessa knew there was no point trying to refute her comment. She just started making her way past Finoko and towards the cove boarding the village.

"I'll be back before the sun sets," she promised with a wave.

"Don't leave the cavern," Finoko snapped. "I'll know if you try to go to Horizon again!"

Kessa came to a quick stop and had to fight down her urge to have an outburst. The best spots to mine were outside Horizon and Finoko knew that. However, she rarely allowed Kessa to stray that far from the village. Somehow Finoko really did seem to know any time she went too far. Kessa was hoping to leave without giving Finoko time to impose that restriction. But she collected herself and took a deep breath.

Tonight was the night. She had no reason to be upset.

Why ruin her day?

"Fine, Noko," she relented to her caretaker. "I'll stay close."

Finoko didn't even bother to turn and watch the Auri girl leave the village and wander into cavern. Kessa had nothing further to say to her either and they separated in silence.

In truth any material of value had long ago been mined out of the cavern. It had been years since she had found any ore there. She'd be lucky to find useable Ragstone or even a complete bone. More than likely she'd end up with sand and bone chips.

This also didn't dampen her mood. She still enjoyed the process of mining to see what she could find. And she would rather spend her day dodging the beasts living in the cavern than having Finoko peering over her shoulder for hours on end.

And so she spent her day as she normally did. She zigzagged her way through the creatures she knew would attack her otherwise until she found a safe area where she could mine the day away. She had worked there the day before and felt like there could be a bit more to find.

The work began.

The area was calm. Kessa's occasional swings of the pickax were the only sounds to interrupt the running water that flowed through the base the cavern. The hours drug along uneventfully. She was given no reason to believe anything would be different than every other day. Even the monsters of the area were calm. It was peaceful. Average.

Kessa wouldn't let herself feel bored.

She was fine where she was. No reason to want more.

Not when she had something to look forward to. She would just have to wait.

It was hard to stay motivated though when midday approached and she still hadn't found anything of note. She climbed up onto a rock formation near where she had been working and let herself take a break. She looked up at the sun which had climbed into the middle of the sky and shone down brightly through the openings above her. She let herself enjoy the warmth and dry her boots after walking through the water.

She watched a couple small clouds move through the sky above. The weather was likely to stay clear the rest of the day which was good. She had brought along another piece of the bread and she slowly ate it for her midday meal.

Movement caught her eye. She turned her head. Two chocobos were racing along the roadway. Each one was carrying a passenger. Merchants? Adventurers? Messengers? It was impossible to say for sure who they were. She silently watched as they ran by seemingly not noticing her there.

They had come from Vesper Bay and were heading south towards Horizon. Soon they were in the tunnel leading up out of the cave and were out of sight. Perhaps Horizon was their destination. Or maybe they would continue further south until…

Kessa shook her head to snap herself out of her daze. She had no way of knowing who they were or where they were going, and it was not her concern.

If she dwelt on them too long, she would only make herself envious.

She soon returned to her work. While she had to tread through the water from spot to spot, she tried to make sure she would find a place she could work where she was standing out of the water. Her boots offered little protection if they soaked in the water for too long.

More time passed. She managed to find a few chips of bone as she had expected. There was nothing else worth her time. The bone chips weren't really worth the effort either, but they were at least something to help stave off the boredom for a little while.

Kessa corrected herself. She wasn't bored. Just… overly comfortable…

After what seemed like too many hours had passed, the sun finally started to dip past the brim of the cave. It was going to be hitting the western horizon before too long. She let out a sigh of relief and started to pack up. She carefully trudged through the water back towards the village. The fishing boats would have returned a while ago and they would probably be finishing their sale of the catch by now.

The regular merchant as there as Kessa had expected. It seems they had finished with the transaction and were already loading the barrels of fish into his wagon. As Kessa approached, many of the other villagers waved and greeted her with a smile. She returned their gestures appreciatively. Some of them had been the same people who had greeted and accepted Kessa and her mother with open arms when they had arrived in Thanalan those many years ago. Her mother had returned their kindness and Kessa saw how much better they all got along. At least more so than Finoko seemed to. She was grateful for these lessons.

Kessa didn't want to interrupt the Lalfell merchant as he instructed and overlooked the workers with the fish. He noticed her on on his own and glanced at her.

"Oh, Kessa, good day," he greeted as he turned to face her. "What have we found today?"

Kessa could only muster an awkward smile as she handed over the bone chips. He frowned at them. But he took some time to look them over.

Finoko walked up behind him at this point. She stopped a few strides behind him to watch the transaction. Kessa gave her a quick glance but made herself stay focused on the merchant.

"I see we couldn't go to Horizon today," he suddenly said in a raised tone. She got the impression he knew Finoko was there and wanted her to hear. "That's a shame. I've had a lot of orders for Cinnabar lately."

Kessa smiled. Finoko only folded her arms. Her scowl didn't fade.

"These will have to do," the merchant muttered in his normal tone. He dug through the coin bag tied to his belt and held up two gil. "Pleasure doing business with you, as usual."

Kessa accepted the coins. "Thank you," she told him.

"See you tomorrow," he told her.

She nodded to him while he walked to the other side of the wagon. Kessa kept her hand upheld with the gil as she knew what would come next.

Finoko walked over to her and snatched one of the coins from her.

"Should have found more," was all she said.

Finoko walked away. Kessa let out another sigh but she once again kept herself from arguing.

Their arguments had never made a difference in the past. Today would be no exception.

Finoko headed towards her home. It was the smallest of the village. Unlike the other buildings though, she did not house anyone else besides Kessa. It may have been the smallest but it was also the one with the fewest people residing within it. Finoko soon disappeared inside. Kessa trailed behind her. She gave her a little space before following.

As Kessa approached the home, one of the women living in the house nearest them stepped out. She smiled at Kessa.

"Hungry, Dear?" She inquired. She was carefully holding two bowls of soup in her hands with a basket hunt over one of her arms.

Kessa nodded enthusiastically. She took one of the bowls. Inside was a fish soup which wasn't surprising but would be more filling than the bread from earlier.

Finoko stepped back outside. She said nothing to the neighbor and instead shoved a jar of pickled eggs into her free hand. She then quickly took the basket, which contained more bread, and the other bowl from her. Finoko then turned and walked back into her house.

The neighbor woman and Kessa exchanged knowing, weary smiles. Finoko and the woman often traded food. In addition to her bitterness, Finoko was well known in the village for being the best pickler among them. She had similar trading arrangements with other town residents. While they didn't particularly enjoy her company, at least she provided them with various pickled foods that they could enjoy instead.

If nothing else, Kessa didn't go hungry. She knew not everyone was that fortunate and she was thankful for what she had.

The neighbor disappeared back into her own home but soon came back out with two more bowls of soup. She bobbed her head to the side to invite Kessa to follow her. Kessa did so and they walked away. There was a fire set up not too far away from the docks. There were already people sitting around it eating their own meals. They were chatting away about how the day of fishing had gone. The woman's husband was waiting there for her. She handed him the extra bowl and took a seat beside him. Kessa sat on her other side.

"If the Garleans keep using that route," Kessa heard someone say, "we're going to have to go out further to get any good hauls."

"Then we'll just be cutting more into the Sahagin territory," another argued.

Kessa started eating while they talked in circles about the issue. There wasn't a clear solution. There had been similar discussions almost every night for months now. She had no input as she knew she didn't have the answers for them either.

"How was your mining today?" The neighbor woman asked Kessa curiously.

Kessa shrugged loosely. "About the same as always," she reported.

"Were you stuck in the caves again?" Her husband questioned.

Kessa sighed and lifted her bowl to her lips. She took a long drink of the broth without voicing a response. This was an answer enough for him.

The two neighbors glanced at each other. The woman looked back at Kessa apprehensively.

"You know, Kessa," she pointed out, "you're fully grown now."

Kessa turned her head to look at her. She continued.

"I know mining is what you enjoy," she commented. "But do you really think you can just keep doing that here?"

Kessa shook her head. "The cave will run dry eventually," she responded bluntly. "Hard to say how much longer. Maybe a year if I'm being generous."

"There is an obvious solution to that," the husband mentioned.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way," the wife attempted gently, "but everyone knows you don't really belong here. We love having you, of course, but we just feel you deserve more. Deserve better. There has to be so much more for you out there than this place."

Kessa lowered the bowl to rest in her lap. She frowned and looked into the fire.

"Finoko was kind enough to offer you and your mother a place to stay when you arrived here," the woman went on. "That was always supposed to have been a temporary arrangement. After your poor mother became ill… Well, it was… gracious of Finoko to allow to you stay but now you shouldn't have to rely on her."

"We don't want to push," the husband interjected. "I'm sure we'd all be happy to keep you around. But what are your plans for yourself?"

Kessa watched the fire quietly. "There is a plan," she acknowledged. "There has always been a plan. It's just… Finoko doesn't-"

"I just know what's best!"

Kessa flinched along with her two neighbors. They hadn't noticed Finoko had left her house and walked up behind them. She rarely joined the group out there so they hadn't been anticipating her arrival or that she would overhear their topic of conversation. It was unclear how long she had been there. They all tensed up and lowered their heads slightly as they braced themselves for whatever scolding Finoko was about to unleash.

"All a person needs is food, shelter, and honest work!" Finoko insisted. She had her hands on her hips. She wasn't yelling but she was speaking loudly and angrily enough that she was interrupting all the discussions going on around the fire. Everyone started looking over at her while she continued. "Those things can all be found here. There is no reason to go anywhere else when all you need is here! Wanting more is selfish. Wanting more is ungrateful. Altos was grateful to me. Altos wasn't selfish. I did not raise her daughter to be any different."

"That is uncalled for," the neighbor woman shot back. She tried to sit up straight and proud. "How dare you use her mother like that?"

"How dare I?" Finoko snarled. "I wondered who filled her head full of ideas of leaving this village. All of you have been doing it behind my back! Are you all trying to turn her against me?"

"That isn't true!" The neighbor's husband insisted, getting to his feet. "We just want her to plan for her future! We want what's best for her just like you should!"

"I already know what's best for her," she snapped. "You didn't raise her, provide for her! This village has everything she needs. Her future is staying here! That is how she will prove she is grateful to me. That is how she will return my generosity. She will stay. You will not convince her or me otherwise!"

Finoko didn't even bother to look at Kessa during this exchange. She turned and walked off before another word could be uttered. The villagers all watched her in confusion and bewilderment. Eventually their gazes left her and went to Kessa and their expressions became concerned.

Kessa sighed as she looked back to the fire. She sat there solemnly for a short time.

"That is how I goes each time we talk about it," she muttered gently. "I haven't been able to change her mind."

The neighbor woman reached for Kessa's shoulder to comfort her while her husband took his seat again. "I'm sorry if you feel I'm intruding," she persisted. "I just must say what I've been thinking. You really don't need to listen to her. You owe her nothing. You won't be happy if you stay here. Don't wait for her permission to live your life. She'll never give it."

Kessa nodded sadly. "I know," she agreed. She returned to eating what remained of her soup. Unfortunately there wasn't much else she could say.

The mood around the fire had been impacted by Finoko's outrage. Any conversations that had been going on were resumed only in a light chatter. Kessa didn't bother trying to determine if they were talking about her or Finoko or if they had returned to their original topics. The two neighbors ate in the same awkward silence Kessa found herself in.

Eventually Kessa finished with her soup and handed the empty bowl back to her neighbor. She took it with a sad nod and they said their goodbyes for the evening.

Kessa left the fire and her neighbors and headed back towards Finoko's home. Kessa stood in the entryway. Finoko was inside and still eating her dinner. What had drawn her out earlier was unknown.

"That wasn't necessary," Kessa mentioned.

"It was," Finoko returned. "They should not act like they know anymore or any better than I do."

"They were only speaking their minds," she defended.

"And you don't need to listen to such nonsense," she spat.

It wasn't nonsense. Kessa agreed with everything they said. She knew the same. She had been so glad to hear that someone thought the same things she did. It warmed her heart to know someone believed in her. Was on her side. She wanted to believe that, as her caretaker, Finoko knew the these things deep down. She just didn't want to admit it. For some reason.

But Finoko's expression never faltered. She never had shown doubt. Not even concern. Did she really, truly believe Kessa should stay in that small fishing village her whole life? Did she truly believe she was happy? Was Finoko even happy to have her there? She never said as much.

Finoko said nothing else to her. She ate slowly. Kessa turned and leaned on the outside wall near the door. She overlooked the horizon quietly. The sun was approaching it and the ocean was beautiful that time of day. The edge of the sky was beginning to turn orange and the water shimmered gently.

Kessa heard clattering from time to time coming from inside. Finoko was busying herself with something. Kessa didn't concern herself over whatever it was. Could have been more pickling. Could have been cleaning. Kessa just kept watching the sun get lower and lower in the sky.

As it started to touch the horizon finally, Kessa felt her heart rate increase. Her tail swayed behind her eagerly. Finoko was predictable. Just as she was always awake before the sun was up, she was always in bed before it went down.

Soon. It was soon.

Kessa waited there. She couldn't move too early. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. She had to be patient.

The clattering coming from inside had stopped. Kessa waited a bit longer. Eventually she couldn't wait anymore and quietly crept inside. The home was only one room. A section of it was separated by wooden screen. The other side was where they slept. Kessa didn't go too far into the home. She just waited and listened. Finoko was nowhere in sight so she had to be in their sleeping area. Sure enough, Kessa heard a snore. She perked up. She waited until she heard Finoko snore a second time just to be safe. She heard it again. Finoko was sound asleep.

It was finally time.

Kessa had no reason to wait any longer and rushed back outside. She first hurried along the shoreline. She went to the cliffside behind the village and picked up a large stone. It covered a hole she had carved into the rocks long ago. Safe inside were the two small pouches she had stashed there. She picked one up and put the gil she had remaining from earlier inside. This was her savings meant to go towards a new pickax. She was not confident there was enough to get a proper one yet, but she would be taking it along with her just in case. She then grabbed the other pouch which contained her other savings. It had a different purpose. Kessa then returned the stone to its original position over the hole before she turned back to run back into the village.

She didn't bother trying to hide her excitement.

The neighbor woman from earlier noticed Kessa as she dashed through the village.

"Another trip tonight?" she asked her.

"Yes, goodbye!" Kessa called as she ran past. "I'll see you in the morning!"

The woman smiled and waved Kessa a farewell. Kessa didn't stop running again until she had left the village behind her.

If Finoko knew about these trips, she never mentioned them. But Finoko was the last thing on Kessa's mind at that moment.

Kessa made her way through the caverns as quickly as she could. It didn't take long to reach the tunnel leading up to Horizon. It was going to be a steep climb but she had managed just fine in the past. She would press on tonight. The last bit of sun had gone down and stars were starting to appear one by one by the time she exited the tunnel on the other side. She had arrived in the settlement of Horizon.

Kessa glanced at the wall and gateway on the far side of Horizon. Soon. It would be very soon.

She made her way through Horizon. She had to make a brief stop at the chocobo stables there. She approached the worker and offered him gil to rent a chocobo. She took out of her spare savings for this. They settled on a price and she paid. The worker gave her the reigns of a chocobo and she thanked him. She held onto the reigns as she led the chocobo towards the south gate. It was well trained and followed her obediently.

Kessa stepped through the gates of Horizon. The view she had been longing to see awaited her. The city that had long ago stolen the hearts of both Kessa and her mother.

Ul'dah.

With night falling, the city was already lit up. The lights gave the buildings and towers an inviting glow. Of course the city was beautiful even in the daytime, but there was something about the look of it against the night sky that was very special in ways that were hard to express. Kessa's excited smile widened as she took in the view. She wanted to savor every second of this.

It did not matter how many times she took this trip. The sight of it always took her breath away.

Kessa gave herself a long moment to take it in. She then turned to the chocobo and hoisted herself up onto its saddle. Ul'dah was close enough to the village that Kessa could feasibly walk there, and she had done so in the past. The chocobo cut travel time by more than half. Using it meant more time to enjoy the visit to the city itself before she had to return to Crescent Cove. She would return with enough time to get back before Finoko woke up, so long as everything went to plan.

Kessa urged the chocobo forward and they were off. She returned to gaping in awe at the landscape whole keeping the chocobo running along the road. It seemed to know the route well enough that it didn't require much help from her at all which gave her more time to just enjoy the ride. This would be what little rest she would get for the night.

But this was well worth the lack of sleep.

She tried not to plan each visit too much but also knew she had to make use of all the time she had. A stop at the markets was a must, if only to see if anyone had a sale on pickaxes. She would likely be stopping by some of the courtyards. She also liked trying to find something new she had never seen before. There were still sections of the city she did not know well or had seen at all. She didn't want to risk getting too lost by straying too far from known areas, but the prospect of seeing something she hadn't before was so tempting enough that it would overwhelm her better judgement.

This would all have to wait until she reached the city regardless. It didn't take the chocobo long at all to carry her through Horizon's Edge and over the bridge over Nohpica's Wells.

As soon as they crossed the bridge though, the chocobo came to an abrupt stop. Kessa hadn't been prepared and she lurched forward until she regained her balance. Surprised, Kessa leaned to the side a little to look at the chocobo. It didn't seem distressed. It had just stopped moving.

Kessa glanced around a little. Nothing was in the way or threatening them in any way. She nudged the chocobo forward but it didn't move.

Confused, Kessa hopped down to the ground. She stepped around the immediate area in front of the chocobo but still saw nothing it should be concerned with. No monsters. No other chocobo. No travelers. Kessa went back to the chocobo and stroked its neck gently. It seemed receptive to her gesture. She took hold of the reigns and pulled forward. The chocobo once again took a couple steps forward to follow her.

"There we go, we're fine," Kessa assured the chocobo.

"It is quite a sight, is it not?"

Kessa lightly flinched in her surprise at the voice. She had just checked and there hadn't been anywhere near her. She leaned to look past the chocobo.

There was someone behind them. He was only a couple strides away. Very near to where the chocobo had stopped. He was close enough that she must have passed him but she hadn't seen anyone on the road. True, she had been enthralled by the city, but it still seemed strange to think she hadn't seen him at all.

He was a Lalafell. His attire was rather strange. She could only assumed him to be male based on his voice. His robe was rather tattered and a deep maroon in color. It had a tall collar that obstructed part of his face. One of his eyes was covered by cloth from his tall, pointed hat so really all she could see of his face was that one eye. He had a staff with him but wasn't using it to aid his travel since it was merely attached to his back and not in use. It was made of fine, decorated metal and had a red orb lodged at one end of it. Kessa had never seen anyone dressed like this before.

Kessa hadn't seen him until he had spoken. Also the fact that he was standing so near where the chocobo had stopped was also swirling in Kessa's brain to where she didn't know what his greeting meant. He seemed to notice this and motioned behind her.

"The city," he added. "It's a sight."

"Oh," Kessa uttered in her surprise. She collected herself and smiled at him politely. "Yes, it is." She glanced up at the city. "I love the city, especially at night."

"It is special," he agreed.

He started forward. Kessa started to pull the chocobo to one side and allow the Lalafell to pass, but instead he walked off the road slightly. He climbed up onto a boulder resting nearby.

"Is this your first time visiting Ul'dah?" He inquired.

"No, actually," she noted. "I have been before. I come here whenever I get the chance."

The Lalafell reached the top of the boulder and stood near the edge of it. This seemed to be a way to lift himself to be higher and be able to face Kessa on her level. He was still slightly shorter even with this but it did make it a more comfortable. She took this as a sign he wished to start a conversation.

"An Adventurer, are you?" He inquired next.

"Me?" Kessa asked, looking down at herself. Au Ra were not normally native to Thanalan so this wasn't that unusual of a question. She chuckled and waved a hand dismissing it. "Oh, no nothing like that. My mother brought me here to Thanalan and I've been here ever since. I haven't been outside these lands for years."

"So you are not Thanalan born," he noted. "You must come from the Azim Steppe then, I take it."

Kessa nodded in acknowledgement. Whoever this Lalfell was, he seemed to have at least a base knowledge of the world outside of Eorzea. Her Xaela appearance pointed to a one place in particular.

"I was born there," she clarified. "My mother was of the Ura Clan. We work as miners as we travel the mountains around the Steppe. She wanted to learn about the ore and materials available around the world and so she brought me to Thanalan." She frowned sadly. "She… she became ill not long after and passed."

"You did not return to the Steppe?" He questioned.

Kessa kicked a foot uncomfortably. "Word was sent to my father," she recounted sadly. "He was not Ura. I don't know much about him other than he and Mother did not agree about how to raise me and this made them decide to live separately. I do not know whatever happened to him. He has never come to get me and we have not heard from him in all this time. That is fine. I like it here in Thanalan and wish to stay here."

"You've made a home for yourself here," he commented.

The observation hit Kessa unexpectedly. She loved Thanalan, yes. She loved Ul'dah especially. She did reside in Crescent Cove. It was home in some sense.

But had she made it that way? Hadn't it really been that she had been given no other choice than to stay in the place after her mother died?

Was this how she wanted it to be?

These were not questions to be asking with a stranger and so she forced a smile. She stroked the chocobo as it patiently waited alongside her.

"Yes, I suppose," she uttered. She turned and looked up at the city again. "But if I had any other wish, it would be to live here. In Ul'dah. I would like to make that my home. I just have to find a way to make it happen."

"Ah, I see," the Lalafell mused. "Ul'dah has plenty of need for Thaumaturges. It should not be difficult to find a place for yourself within its walls."

Kessa smiled at the comment for a brief moment but then her smile faded as her feelings were replaced by confusion. She tried to make sense of his statement but there was a part that didn't to seem to have a place in their conversation.

"Thaumaturges?" She blurted, turning to face him again. Who had said anything about Thaumaturges to justify his observation?

"Of course," he returned as if he had said nothing strange. "You plan on studying and working with the Thaumaturge Guild as means of making your living."

Kessa's confusion was only growing and she was struggling to find her words.

"Miner's Guild," was the first thing she could get to come out of her mouth. "I… My mother… I am going to be a miner. I wish to work for the Miner's Guild. That… I mean… If they would have me."

Now the Lalafell seemed just as confused as she had been. From under his hat and above his collar, she saw his eye widen in shock.

"A miner?" He repeated. "Are you sure?"

Kessa managed a nervous nod. "Y-yes, quite sure," she insisted.

He shook his head. "Forgive me," he managed. "I mean no offense. It's just…" He lifted a hand towards her and moved it up and down slightly to motion to her body. "You had such a natural ability to channel aether, I was positive you had to be studying Thaumaturgy."

Kessa looked over herself again. Aether? Thaumaturgy? What about her even remotely gave the impression she knew anything about magic? She waved both hands at him in embarrassment.

"No, no," she mustered. "I'm afraid you must be mistaken. I couldn't do something like that."

"How do you know?" He challenged. "Have you ever tried?"

She pondered the first part of the question, but then shook her head. "No," she admitted. "I know nothing of magic or aether. I have only studied mining."

"Then we shall change that," he suggested offhandedly.

The Lalafell reached into his robe. He rummaged his hand around briefly as he searched for something. He pulled out a short wand. It was simple and seemed aged. It had a crystal of some sort on one end of it but it was dull and had faint cracks going through it.

He offered it to Kessa. "Try," he said simply.

Kessa shook her head and waved a hand again. "Oh, no," she attempted. "No thank you. I'm sure I couldn't even-"

"You won't know until you try," he interrupted. "I will show you. There is nothing to fear."

Kessa glanced around but found no way to argue. She looked back at the wand. Surely she would not be able to use it so what was the harm? He would see she had no talent and then the issue would be settled.

She stepped closer and accepted the wand. As soon as he released it into her hand, she felt something. It was strange. It surprised her. She stared down at the worn metal and crystal in a dull bewilderment.

It was hard to identify what the feeling was. There was something flowing through it. It was invisible. Made no sound. Nothing had seemed special about this item before but now that it was in her hand, it made her somehow aware that it had something within it. It was moving.

And somehow… she was aware the source of whatever this was was her own being.

Kessa peered at the wand before looking back at the Lalafell. There was a smile in his eye.

He reached back and took hold of the staff on his back. He turned as he held it out in front of himself.

"Watch," he said. "Focus. Do as I do."

"I don't-" Kessa began to object again.

The Lalafell held the staff back to one side and she saw the orb begin to shine and emit some sot of purple mist. He flung his arm forward and the staff erupted, resulting in the creation of some sort of crystal.

No, ice. It was ice.

Kessa didn't have time to question how she knew that. The ice orb was flung towards another rock formation nearby. It shattered against the rock and left bits of itself behind.

The Lalafell turned and looked at her. "Try," he urged again.

Kessa looked at him briefly before looking back down at the wand she had been given. Her plan had been to take it, try to cast, and when that failed, return the item to its owner and never think about magic ever again.

But there was something strange happening to her. She saw him cast that magic. This had been the first time she had ever seen anything like that up close. She had never even thought to try it herself. She had no reason to. No opportunity. No ambition. No training or tools. How could she have thought anything would happen?

She was supposed to fail and return the wand.

But this feeling building up in the wand and within her. The cast was simple. She was going to succeed.

Simple? What? She knew nothing about aether or magic. How could she judge its simplicity? And how could she possibly duplicate that spell? Surely she wouldn't be able to do this. Surely he was wrong about her. She was a miner. She knew how to swing a pickax. That was nothing special. She was nothing special. Thaumaturgy took time. Training. Knowledge. Talent. Surely she had none of that.

So how did she know she could, and would, be able to cast that spell?

The confusion and unfamiliarity with these feelings drew out Kessa's nervousness again. She shook her head and tried to hand the Lalafell his wand back.

"No, I can't," she argued. "I shouldn't."

"Why?" He pressed.

"I… I…" she tried to think of some sort of excuse. She had to talk her way out of this. "I just can't. This is a waste of your time."

He uttered a laugh. "Only if you don't cast," he retorted.

She didn't stop to consider his statement. She just kept holding up the wand to urge him to take it. He stepped back to keep it out of his reach. He pointed his free hand to the rocks where he had fired his spell.

"Focus," he repeated. "Show me."

Kessa looked around again. This night was not at all progressing like she had expected. She should be down the road approaching the gates of Ul'dah. She was not supposed to be learning magic of all things. She should refuse. She should put the wand down and never hold one again. She had no need for one. Yes. She would put it down, bid farewell to the traveling Lalafell, and then return on her way alone to Ul'dah. She was wasting time as it was. That is what she should do.

But that's not what she did. She wasn't sure what came over her, but suddenly she was pulling her arm to the side just as he had. Before she could stop herself, she was focusing the flow through the wand and it started to glow in a similar way as his staff had. All she had to do was move her arm fire the spell forward. All she had to do.

Kessa quickly stepped back, breaking her form and concentration. The glow around the wand faded.

"No, nothing happened, I told you!" she blurted loudly. She hurriedly stepped back towards the boulder and sat the wand down in front of him. She put her hands stiffly to her sides and stumbled a couple steps away.

Kessa tried to keep her eyes on the ground in front of her. She knew she was lying. She knew he knew she was lying. He would have seen the glow. He would have seen her form. He was obviously some sort of wizard or expert. He would know better. He had clearly known from the very beginning. He had spotted this talent in her in ways she couldn't begin to comprehend. He had been right and there was nothing she could do to disprove his impression of her. In that sense, it seemed strange to lie about it at all. He probably knew this too.

She was only somewhat questioning herself in why she was bothering to deny what was happening. It just seemed easier to do so.

Kessa couldn't help herself and looked back over at him. She still could only see his eye, but he clearly was smirking at her. But then he took a deep breath and his gaze softened.

"Does power frighten you?" He probed.

Kessa studied him. She wasn't sure if she had an answer to even try to give him.

He gave her a moment to think it over. When she didn't respond, he continued.

"Weakness is easy," he explained. "Anyone and everyone can be weak. They can be complacent. They can settle for whatever they are given. Weakness is easy if not pleasant. Power can come naturally. It can even be given. However, those with power can still be weak. They can still do and change nothing with the power they have. What makes the powerful truly strong is when they are not complacent with what they are given. They use that power to fight for what it is they want. They fight to earn their strength and their desires."

The Lalafell bent down and picked up the wand again. He stepped up to edge of the boulder closest to Kessa and held the wand up to her.

"You have power," he pointed out. "That fact alone does not need to frighten you. It does not mean anything will change about you or your situation. Power on its own means nothing. It is nothing. That is, unless, you decide you would also want to be strong. But that I would leave to you to decide."

Kessa looked into his gaze for a long moment while he waited for her. She then stared down at the wand timidly.

If only on a base level, she understood what he was offering. The fact that she had these abilities did not need to concern her so much. It was natural. Nothing to worry about. Nothing had to change about her life.

Then again… she could make changes… if she wanted to.

Only if she wanted.

…Did she?

The answer came quickly. Of course she did. She wanted to leave Crescent Cove and live in Ul'dah and work as a miner to support herself.

Thaumaturgy, magic, aether, whatever it was, that had nothing to do with those plans. She didn't need it.

But… it couldn't hurt to have it anyway, right?

Kessa slowly reached over and took the wand back from him. She instantly felt the flow moving through it again. She looked down at it for a few moments longer.

She could use it. She didn't have to, but she could. She never knew about this power, but apparently she had it. Maybe she had been born with it. Maybe she had developed it as she had grown. Whatever the case, it didn't really matter, she had it. The only thing that mattered was if she chose to use it and how. Those decisions didn't really matter at that moment.

Kessa pulled her arm and wand back again. The glow appeared again and she gave it the brief moment she knew it needed. She then flung her arm forward and fired the spell just as the Lalafell had. And just like he had, she created a ball of ice that flew towards the rock formation. It shattered against the rock near where he had fired his.

It had worked. It had really worked.

Kessa looked down at the wand again. If she hadn't met that Lalafell, if she had never held that wand, she would never have known this about herself.

He had a point when he said power on its own meant nothing. You had to use to it to be stronger and to give that power meaning.

But still, she felt… stronger. Even if only a little.

Kessa looked back up at the Lalafell who seemed satisfied with the display. They looked at each other for a moment without saying a word.

…Who was he?

"Oh!" Kessa stammered as she came back to her senses. "Um, thank you. I didn't know I…" She chuckled nervously at herself. She held the wand up to him. "Thank you for showing me."

He held up a hand in protest. "Keep it," he offered. "I have no use for it."

"I couldn't," she urged, trying to push it closer to him.

"No, I insist," he persisted. "Just like everything else, it's up to you if you use it. But if you do decide to use it, you will need something to practice with. You'd have more need of it than I would." He gave her a hard look. "And if you do decide to pursue this power, you should visit the Thaumaturge Guild. They can teach and guide you."

"I… I don't know," she surrendered, glancing down at the wand again. "This was… unexpected. I really don't know what to think about all this."

"That is fine," he assured her. "It is your power. It's up to you to use it if and when you want to. There is no need for you to make that decision tonight. Take whatever time you require."

The Lalafell turned and made his way back down to the ground. He started walking in the opposite direction Kessa had been going. This seemingly put him on the path towards Horizon.

"Who are you?" Kessa heard herself asking suddenly.

He came to a stop and looked at her.

"Ququruka," he responded. "Ququruka is my name."

Kessa tried to commit the name to memory. "Thank you again," she repeated.

Ququruka turned away again. He didn't make a move though. He stood there for a short time before speaking again.

"The only thing that grows stronger by planting roots in one place is a tree," he mentioned.

Kessa wasn't sure what he was trying to say with that. He looked back at her again.

"I expect great things from you, Kessa," he told her.

With that said, Ququruka turned and left on his way again. Kessa watched him before looking back at his gift. She studied it closely. She wondered based on its age and wear how many other Thaumaturges had used it and for how long.

Then Kessa twitched. She had asked Ququruka for his name, but she couldn't remember ever giving her own. She looked back up where she had last seen him but he was completely gone.

This startled Kessa again. She stepped forward while looking around for him. He hadn't been moving that fast and the area was mostly open. Where had he gone?

She looked back down at the wand. It was still there. It was obviously in her hand. Obviously real. Not reason to doubt he was any less real. No need to question if it had really happened or not. It had.

Teleportation magic, more than likely. No doubt he could use something like that based on everything she had seen from him in that short time.

Kessa attached the wand to her side to make it easier to transport. She must have said her name earlier in the conversation and just forgotten mentioning it.

Kessa turned back to look up at Ul'dah. It was time to resume her journey there. She stepped back up to the chocobo who had loyally stood by for her. She climbed up onto its back and sent it forward. It continued on like nothing had ever happened. She smiled as she thought to herself how she hadn't even reached the city yet it was bringing her unexpected things.

Ul'dah was really something special.

Tonight had already been quite a night.