Brendt had a knack for getting a person's measure. Maybe it was just a gut feeling, or a skill honed from having wandered as a merchant for most of his life. But he always knew when he was meeting someone great, or important, or even just interesting. He had happened upon people from all walks of life, a man whose furniture would be renowned across the realm, a woman whose voice would make her one of the most successful songstress in Ul'dah, even a young princess who had sought a brief respite from her throne-and hadn't that one been an ordeal? And how many others who would have their names known in some fashion? But always, there had been a spark, and unidentifiable quantity that set them apart, and he had just seen it again. A young man, a Midlander Hyur despite his size, a full six fulms high and broad shouldered to boot, with close cropped dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes.

They had talked during the tail end of their ride together. Seeing as it was their destination, he had spoken at length of Ul'dah. A veritable mountain of stone jutting out of the wastes, worn smooth by the winds and so warm as to be glowing thanks to the sun, the cities harsh mistress. The stucco buildings, the overwhelming smells sights and sounds as a veritable river of people ran through its markets. Despite clearly suffering from Aether Sickness and anxious as all hell, he was still polite and listened as Brendt talked. Praise be, he even gave comments and asked questions instead of just nodding along and half listening, even if he was a tad soft spoken. Or giving an impression of a brick wall, like those Elezen twins they had shared the carriage with. Really, those two took that old adage of 'don't talk to strangers' a little too far. But what was interesting was when he had turned the conversation over to the lad himself. He had only really learned three things. His name was Ethan. He was off to Ul'dah to become an adventurer. And when he asked why the lad would choose that profession, he was given a shrug, a shaky smile, and the answer "What else would I do?"

Ah, to be young and free and see not a sliver of that freedom in front of you. But that spark was there, and he would be keeping an ear to the ground for rumblings from the young adventurer to be. He didn't know how long he would be waiting. But he knew the lad wouldn't disappoint.

-o-

Wymond found himself pleasantly surprised by the young adventurer. He wasn't much to look at, despite his larger bearing for a midlander it was clear that he was fighting against his own personality. If Wymond was reading him right he was naturally timid, or at least not very social. Judging by the way that he kept himself tense, fighting against a more slumped posture, and how he kept playing with the leather of his gloves with his thumb nervously, the hustle and bustle of Ul'dah was causing him a bit of anxiety. By his clothes Wymond had guessed rightly that he was a new Adventurer come to join the Guild. A white shirt with leather padding, open in front to reveal a black undershirt and held in place by straps of leather lined with a few pouches. A pair of white shorts with black leather thighboots, and of course the black leather gloves, the right stopping at the wrist, the left thicker and not stopping until it reached his elbow. All in all it made for a sturdy, and fashionable, getup.

What impressed him was what he asked for when offered some advice. Normally, he offered visitors advice on navigating the city, and directed them to the nearest watering hole. Namely the Quicksand, home to the Adventurer's Guild. Builds goodwill and puts him in mind when they have questions that need answering. Instead when offered a free kernel of advice, he had asked after a merchant who would do right by him when trading materials. A hard thing to find in Ul'dah without knowledge of the locals. Sent him after Fridurih. Not that it would help him too much, it was customary to see just how much you could squeeze out of your first transaction with a new customer, and vice versa. And Wymond certainly hadn't shared that, couldn't have him knowing everything without helping to fill his coin purse some. At least he seemed to have his priorities straight, even if he did seem a bit off kilter. Wymond wished him the best of luck as he made his way into the Quicksand.

-o-

Momodi liked this new adventurer already. She had seen too many come in and try to brush off or hurry through their paperwork. It made sense that they would be excited to begin building their legend, and not all, perhaps not even most were inclined to examine everything in detail. But really, anyone who came to Ul'dah and entered an agreement without knowing exactly what they were and weren't getting deserved exactly what they got. That said she now legally owned several firstborns, was owed seventy three pints of blood, and could legally force a significant amount of the Adventuring population to help her move furniture as per the terms in their contracts. The joke didn't seem as funny when no one got it.

This Adventurer, however, had actually read the terms of the agreement he had been given (and spotted her little jests! Which she had immediately waved off with a laugh), had asked some questions as to how the Guild and its Adventurers actually made their money, what he should expect beginning his new job, and had even talked her into giving him an advance of 100 gil. She had almost forgotten how easy it was to do her job when some lummox wasn't giving her a dull stare, or a 'prodigy of the dark arts!' or some such other genius wasn't acting as if merely speaking to her was beneath them. They usually learned to mind, though. It was understandable, sometimes even she forgot that she was one of the most influential people in a city whose foundation was pure undiluted greed, and how much sway she held among its people, its politics, and its foremost mercenarial force, despite her benevolence. No one ever let that slip their minds for long though, and in the end she was always treated with the respect she deserved.

She had to sympathize with the lad though, losing his entire family just before embarking on what was supposed to be the start of a great new chapter in his life. She had also reminded him that if he tried to skip out with that money, he would be making an enemy out of the Adventurers Guild, and there was nowhere to hide in Eorzea that they couldn't find him. Just because he was sweet and polite didn't mean he wouldn't be hunted to the furthest corners of the continent.

But he was just a sweetheart. "Yes Ma'am, No Ma'am, Of course Ma'am." And a sharp wit as well. Perhaps not particularly well learned, he didn't have the stuffy air of a scholar, but there was a certain cleverness in his eyes. Yes, she had a good feeling for his prospects as an Adventurer. Perhaps even his prospects in romance as well. Fair skin, spotted lightly with freckles, a bit of baby fat left over that gave him a boyish charm, and such a bright smile when you coaxed it from behind that glum look! Why she could think of several fair maidens that would be upon him like a pack of wolves, and she did ever so love tales of sordid love.

-o-

I sat down on my cot with a sigh of relief, and began the work of removing these long ass boots from my legs. At least they were a good fit. I was currently in a hostel Momodi had recommended to me that catered mostly to Adventurers. Bare white walls and several cots lined against them had greeted me when I entered my room. Admittedly, my criteria was 'Not on the street and unlikely to get robbed in my sleep' so it's not exactly the ideal of comfort, but I can hardly complain about having a roof over my head, and it's not like this is some rundown shack. A bit closer to Pearl Lane than I'd like, but few are stupid enough to rob a place filled with trained fighters. Even comes with included breakfast and dinner, although it's only a step above slop, and cheap enough I can afford to stay two nights off of my advance. I can hear people in the common room still chatting and sharing a meal, I basically scarfed mine down and went straight to the bedroom for some semblance of privacy.

Admittedly this'll be all of my advance, but I haven't exactly been loitering around. Initially I was going to just go through with the tutorial, as you do, but when Momodi suggested I go look for further training at the Gladiator's guild I actually stopped and thought about it more than, y'know, not at all. Most if not all of the level one quests I remember are glorified chores, and I desperately need Gil. Mylla can wait until I can afford the time to train. Although I did take her advice to attune and learn more about the Aetheryte. I even learned Return and Teleport fairly easily. Well, theoretically at least. I mean, there's a reason everyone starts with those spells, they're surprisingly simple even if I haven't put them to the test yet.

I also took up her offer of getting that snooty Lalafell to help me out with the markets. Although instead of being taught the layout of the market, which a child given a half hour to wander around could figure out, I asked him about any etiquette I should know while haggling and got a sort of baseline on how far a single gil will go with the prices of some basic items. I'm probably still gonna get ripped off, but at least it won't be quite as bad now. At least haggling here is basically the same and I have a little experience with that. Although there was one good piece of advice he gave me. Finally, one boot clatters to the floor and I can stretch out my foot.

Apparently there's a method to follow if you want to make a standing relationship with a merchant. It's traditional to give them an offer almost ridiculously in their favor, agree to it, and as you're walking away they'll claim they can't have that on their conscience and will offer you a more fair deal, although it will still be in their favor. Builds a foundation of gratitude for the future or somesuch. And if they don't make you a better deal, you should avoid that merchant because they're an asshole. I may be paraphrasing a bit. Apparently more than a few have been put out of business for being too greedy in the city built on greed.

Now, interesting point about the Adventurer's Guild, whose practices Momodi explained to me, on how they make their money. Basically they gather requests for various jobs and their payments, take their cut of the money, and dole them out to Adventurers as Levequests. That's how most Adventurers make their living, in fact, because it's impractical to go and search out every job. They also arrange for more long term stuff like caravan guards or reinforcements for settlements, but that's more of a side thing. Each day you are afforded three Levequests, which keeps groups from monopolizing, and most group together to do them since you can do harder Leves faster. More money for everyone involved.

Now, this part is important to me in particular and I made sure to ask about it. You are absolutely allowed to ferret out your own jobs, and the Guild doesn't even ask for a cut. They consider it good publicity, and encourage people to help out where they can. It's not uncommon for an Adventurer to stop somewhere for a Leve and find themselves doing other odd jobs. And since you can bank up to a hundred potential Leves, you don't have to worry about losing out on potential profit. So, after hearing this and giving my thanks and goodbyes to Momodi, I made it a point to head straight to Wymond, who I knew would have something for me to do. And that was when something interesting came up.

Before I was having a bad reaction the the Aether in the air, and boy did suddenly having a brand new sense that was simultaneously being overwhelmed suck. It was like trying to adjust to a very brightly lit room, except y'know not at all, after having been blind your entire life beforehand. The ebbing and flowing river that is the city of Ul'dah's lifeblood is astounding, and I still have a headache. On the bright side, having no previous sense of Aether seems to have left me quite aware of it, possibly to a greater degree than your average person. But I digress.

When I found Wymond it wasn't hard to track him down. It was quite like playing a game of hot and cold actually. I couldn't really describe the sensation, only that I was sure that if I went this way I would be able to find something. He gave me a letter to deliver to an attendant at the Platinum Mirage, the Casino the Pugilist Guild shares space with. And I happened across several others as I made my way there. I seem to have stumbled on the Echo equivalent of the quest system, which is a quite literal godsend seeing as I'd never be able to track these down without it. I handed over the letter and got a pretty good tip, it was something about vetting customers I think? I was too lost to the new sensations surrounding me to really pay attention. Both boots off. Finally, freedom!

Honestly, I was kind of on cloud nine after that. I ran my glorified errands for the rest of the day, and now have a humble amount of gil that should go towards getting myself some actual equipment. Even the headache that accompanied me the entire day couldn't quite dampen my good spirit. I'm thinking of calling it something like 'the Threads of Fate'. Seems appropriate. I shrug out of my shirt and undershirt, and after a few moments of looking around decide to stuff it in the top of my boot until tomorrow. Not like they're going to get more sweaty. I then flop down on the mattress and just sort of stare at the ceiling, trying desperately to keep from addressing the elephant in the room. I'd done a damn good job so far, what with the threat of homelessness if I didn't do my damndest to scrounge up some cash. But with the tasks done and the day ruminated upon, I found myself turning to how I got here in the first place.

I died.

That thought was going to take some getting used to. Struck by lightning of all things. I guess that'll teach me to push shopping carts in a storm. I don't remember much else, except a clear vision of Hydaelyn in all her glory. Some fragmented memories of conjuring up a new body. Choosing my starting class, maybe? And then being unceremoniously dumped in a wagon on its way to Ul'dah. There's…A lot to process here. Too much, even. Not the least of which is plans for the future. If I made an actual attempt at any of it I'd be here all night, and probably won't be able to function tomorrow for a number of reasons. Not to mention I'm already exhausted. Baby steps, then. First, why am I doing this?

At the moment I'm stuck in a 'Sink or Swim' position, but what is stopping me from fucking off and becoming a carpenter? Leaving the Warrior of Light schtick to someone else? I suppose for a start, there's the fact that there isn't really a replacement for me at hand. Right now it's either me, or leaving the world to fend for itself, and there are too many apocalypses in the future to leave that to chance…

I'm looking at this wrong.

Something half assed like that won't get me very far. Doing it only because I have to will turn it into a burden, and the sheer scale of it would make me snap. If I'm doing this I'm doing it proper, so what reason do I, personally, have to become the Warrior of Light?

My entire life I've never tried to achieve much. I've been perfectly content with what I had, and what I had was great. I had loving parents, stable income, family I would do anything for and true friends that understood and believed in me more than I ever believed in myself. I'm probably more clever than I give myself credit for, and I could do damn near anything I wanted to if I put my mind to it, but there's never been anything I truly wanted enough to go out and take it. Smart enough only to realize how much choice I have, and be paralyzed by it.

And now I have no one and nothing. But what I do have is a potential goal, and the tools I need to start towards it. And I'm...Reminded of something I used to feel while playing the game. It was hard for me to put a finger on it for a long time, the reason why I always did all of the side quests. Part of it was because rather than boring flavor text, they actually put the effort in to sell that these were real people in a real world. But it wasn't until Stormblood that I could finally describe it. The feeling of walking into a village, seeing everything that is troubling it, and just fixing it. To come into so many people's lives and genuinely leave them better. As a person, as a people. And instead of it just being characters in a story, to do that in real life with real people? That. I can say without hesitation, that I want that. To leave my mark on my world, and leave it better than it was.

I've never really thought of myself as a truly good person, I've always felt I was too lazy and selfish to be. But I've always tried to be better at every opportunity, to do right by people, because even if you aren't a good person there's nothing saying you can't be better. Can't become one. I believe anyone can be a hero. And similarly, I believe anyone can become a Hero.

So why not me? Just this once, why not believe I can be something more?

Satisfied, I turn my attention to the next most important thing on my list. My plans for the future.

…

Step 1: Get Money

Step 2: Figure out what Step 3 is.

Step 3: ?

Step 4: Profit.

Good enough. I'm going to sleep.

-o-

Mylla was impressed. The young man that had turned up in her guild didn't look like much, and truthfully he wasn't yet. But the keyword there was yet. He had plenty of talent to spare if today had been any indication. She had started by asking the same question she asked every new recruit, if he was prepared to die by the sword. Honestly, said question had less meaning than most new initiates realized. Unless you had genuinely placed your life on the line in combat you couldn't truly grasp its meaning, but it would at least impress some level of gravity to those joining. And any who could be turned away by a few stern words weren't meant for a life of battle.

Young Ethan had answered with a grim nod, and she wasted no time getting him started. It was still morning when they began so they had plenty of time to work on his basics. His form, and movement while in it, were actually fairly solid. Apparently he had second hand knowledge of the Pugilists stance and had bastardized it to work with a sword. A few adjustments and a lowering of his stance was the only immediate advice he needed. After that they worked on basic strikes, and she found him to be an uncommon type of learner. Most just copy the sword swing and move on, refining their technique through experience. Instead he prefered to be told the mechanics of the different swings, and why they were effective. A brief explanation and a demonstration of each swing found him having picked up the basics at a staggering pace. He would need to practice the strikes until he could do them instinctively, but that would come with time.

As afternoon started waning to evening, she then turned him loose on the various critters around the city gates. A bit of a practical test for his new skills, and the guards would be nearby if he ran into genuine trouble. He came back having slain his fair share of Hornets, Shrews, and Marmots. He even did a good job at hiding the foul mood he was now sporting along with, and likely because of, various scratches and bite marks. She allowed him a visit to the medic the Guild employed to treat the small but numerous wounds, a small smirk on her face all the while. Hazing new members just never lost its lustre.

-o-

No one can say I haven't been keeping myself busy, I suppose. It took most of yesterday, but I had managed to scrounge together eight hundred gil. When I'd told Momodi that, she'd damn near done a flip. It makes all the difference being able to actively track down 'quests'.

So to recap, after delivering that message for Wymond I-

-Helped shake down a Lalafell that was in debt.

-Helped another Lalafell put up some posters and stave off domestic abuse for another day.

-Was asked to pick up a Garnet Circlet, and instead made sure the material needed for it to be finished showed up.

-Startled a lady, and helped pick up her Gil despite her looking down her nose at me.

-Helped a Roegadyn find his date.

-Helped the Weavers guild recruit two new fashionistas.

-Helped a Weaver figure out which color to dye his next dress, and placed an order for his dye.

-Offered the poor free medicine for agreeing to be test subjects.

-Was given a shitty vase to sell.

Needless to say, it was an eventful day. And I didn't even manage to get everything on my list. I was also asked to kill Ladybugs, collect Marmot blood, and procure some Shrew hide. At least they were reasonable when I told them I was pretty busy and might not be able to get to it that day. I was told it was unlikely they would find another Adventurer willing to take the requests anytime soon, that's why they were giving the work to me in the first place, and that as long as I got it done within the next week it would be fine. But enough about yesterday, time to focus on today.

First things first, I payed for a third day to stay at the hostel. I had already payed to stay for tonight, but better I have one more day in advance before I go spend money. After breakfast, I made a beeline for the markets. After a little shopping around I stumbled upon 'Chop's One Stop Adventuring Shop', a shop that catered to Adventurer's needs. I think the biggest surprise there was that it wasn't a scam. Or if it was, I haven't figured it out yet. They specialized in all the odds and ends most adventurers needed, and came in at about the same price as other more specialized stores. Cheaper even, if you made a large enough purchase. Chopapo ended up selling me an Atlas and Compass, journal, fountain pen, ink, a hunting knife, lighter, canteen, sleeping bag, and a backpack big enough to carry it all and then some. I also made a point to pick up a wooden shield from the friendly neighborhood Battlecraft Merchant. It's just a few planks nailed together, but it's better than using my arm to block.

And can I just mention real quick how crazy the effects of this world having magic is? This is what happens when you can just bullshit crucial parts of technology. Like, they don't have traditional air conditioning. They just have fans with ice aspected crystal shards strapped to them, and the annoying part is that it works just fine. And instead of a public transportation system, they can just friggin teleport! And on that subject, as expected, while the MMO gave a perfectly good representation of Ul'dah the scale is way off. As the center of trade for most of the continent, the place is huge.

Ok, back on topic. I also bought a few extra sets of underwear, undershirts, and socks. They'll work until I can afford real clothing. I'll need to wash them fairly often, but honestly while the hygiene is way better than you would think in a medieval-ish era, no one is gonna notice if I'm a little sweaty. I mean we're in Ul'dah, which means we're in Thanalan, which means we're in arid wastes, which means we're basically in West Texas. And that means everyone is sweaty. Honestly, walking through the market earlier was like a flashback to the Warped Tour they would hold in July at San Antonio, rocking out amongst the unwashed masses. Except less weed smoke being blown in my face. There was a pretty good mosh pit going though. Or, someone was having a really good sale, y'never know with the Ul'dahn's. What was I talking about?

Right, rest of my day. So after getting my supplies I went ahead and signed up with the Gladiators Guild. I figured if I was going to be using this sword soon, I should be using it properly. I guess Mylla took a liking to me, because she immediately set me to work. And that was when I realized something important. The Echo is bullshit.

See, I'm already pretty sensitive to the flow of Aether because I'd never experienced it before. It was an entirely new sensation to feel it coursing through my body, and even around me to an extent. And it had been said before that the reason players see markers on the ground and cast bars when fighting is because the Echo allows them to see the shifts in Aether leading up to an attack. Combine the two with me focusing intently on someone, and I basically have surprisingly potent predictive capabilities. I know that Fordola in Stormblood started doing some crazy shit when she was artificially given the Echo, but honestly this is just broken. Not only was I getting direct instruction from someone who had all but mastered the blade, I was able to experience the totality of her movements, and mimic them down to the fine details. And any bad habits I might have picked up from Mylla having a different build than I do, she was able to help iron out! I can now confidently say that I can perform the basics. That being said, I still need time to correct my form and strike, but as Mylla pointed out, that will only go away with time and practice.

It's interesting how so many different forms of media portray fighting, and what is good and bad in a fight. Some say that you have to rely entirely on your instincts, attacking and reacting without even thinking. Some say that you should always be thinking rationally and trying to strategize, never losing sight of the battlefield. I'll admit that I don't have that much experience, but to me they're both right and wrong. To be great as a fighter, you need to be able to do both. If you need to think about how to move or strike or guard, it hurts your reaction time. That's why you practice constantly, making it instinctual. Similarly, tunnel vision is an easy way to get manipulated into making mistakes. Infact it's the entire point behind 'Suppression' fighting styles, that bombard you with such an offensive you don't have time to think. So you should be thinking of what is going on around you, and analyzing your opponent. Having your fighting style come instinctively actually makes that easier, as you need to focus less directly on your movements themselves.

Apparently Mylla agrees with my view, because she's instructed me that I'm now only allowed to stand and move while in my ready stance until she's satisfied that it's ingrained into my very soul. Oh, and I'm assured that everyone beholden to the Guild will be watching for me, and if they catch me slipping up there will be a penalty. And then she turned me loose to practice on the local wildlife.

Seeing as I needed to do this anyway for the quests I'd picked up, it seemed like good timing. Figuring they would take the longest, I hit the Shrews first. They weren't hard to get alone and kill, although they did make a habit of trying to run when you started to get the upper hand. Admittedly I had a bit of trouble skinning them. I think I was ten...No, younger than that even, when my Dad taught me how to skin a deer. And I haven't been deer hunting since, sitting in a stand completely silent for hours on end never really appealed to me. So naturally I shredded the first one, but got some decent skins eventually. I didn't really have a use for the meat, not entirely sure it's edible, so I left the carcases to the animals. Then came the Hornets.

"SHIT!" I frantically dodged out of the way as the Hornet dive bombed me. They were way more mobile than the Shrews. It readied for another straif as I recovered my form. "Godamn-Shitfucking-Sonnuva-" I didn't have time to dodge and readied my shield, having to take the Stinger head on...And lodging it in my shield. There was a brief moment where the hornet tried to dislodge itself, and I could only grin at it. "Bitch." Before bringing my sword down hard. It didn't kill it right away, slamming it into the ground with a deep wound, but it certainly stunned it long enough for me to bisect it. "Okay." I panted light, catching my breath. "Just. Just two more."

The Marmots were a shitshow. It was easy enough to fight one, sure, but when it let out its death keel and drew in reinforcements before I could shut it up...Let's just say it quickly devolved from there. What's important is that I got the blood the creepy Thaumaturge wanted, not how much of it might have been mixed with my own.

At least there was one good note, that being that the Gladiator's Guild, and apparently the other combat based Guilds as well, hire retired Conjurers and Arcanists to come heal for them. Lets them get rough when they spar, and do patch jobs in general. So neat. Honestly I'm just too exhausted right now. I'm gonna go sleep forever. If there's a tomorrow, I might try to think about what I'm going to do in the future. But for now, I guess I should title this Journal. And what else would be more fitting?

The Unending Journey.

Well, I've actually managed to finish the first chapter. I've been working on this story on and off for about a month, brainstorming how to translate the mechanics of an MMO in to a fantasy world. Hopefully, now that I've worked out most of my base, I'll be able to get chapters out faster than that. That being said, I have work, helping build a shed (and eventually a house), Youtube, and video games including the one this story is based off in the first place keeping me busy. So don't get your hopes too high for a steady release schedule.

Y'know, if anyone even cares.

Oh, and go check out the Fandom Flux podcast on Youtube! They do great work, a selection of internet famous fanfiction Authors and Editors offering writing advice, fanfiction recommendations, Let's Plays, and just generally being funny guys. You'll even find me in the comments section as Ethan F.!

Well, until next time.