Chapter 1 - Old friends. New beginnings

Bright, hot and dusty. Yes he was truly home. The hash deserts of Gusteberg are considered by most to be barren, ugly wastelands that should be made into beautiful forests, this last part usually added by the elvaans. But to Bootus it was beautiful, and it was home.

Bootus slowly made his way threw the desert, passing certain memories on his way back to Bastok. Here he would meet once more with his friends and fellow adventurers, there meetings were always one of excitement and Bootus hoped this would be no different. However he did realise that after a year that they'd all be different, shaped by their own personal journeys and moulded by their experiences. Exciting and interesting Bootus thought with a grin appearing on his face.

Bastok was a big industrial city, for this reason many adventurers, Bards, scientist and merchants flocked towards Bastok in the hope of gaining something personally significant. Usually they'd end up staying at Bastok too long and find themselves married, settled down with children and growing old, giving way to the new batch of young, naïve fortune seekers. For Bootus this was his home, brought up in the Bastok mines with his 'family'. Bootus was a Galka and therefore never had someone to call mother or father, however it is thought because of this the Galkan race is one of the more affectionate races in Vana'diel, always willing to help, always looking to make a friend, no matter how much they tried to hide it under their bulk of muscle and seemingly emotionless faces.

As Bootus approached the Bastok South gate young adventurers were testing their skills and practising their moves on the few beastman that skulked the desert. Bootus once trained in this way, trying to get stronger, more skilled so he could finally venture out into the world and try to make it a better place for all. This seemed like a Millennium ago now, but was only 2 years. However long ago it was Bootus left it seemed that Bastok it self hadn't changed a bit. Merchants and Bards roamed the streets trying to get some poor fool to part with their money, and in some cases unknowingly parting with their money thanks to a thief doing his job to lighten peoples pockets as not to weigh them down. Everything seems well enough thought Bootus as he made his way to the Bastok fountain, the designated meeting place which was agreed to a year ago today. As Bootus had guessed he was the first one there. None of the others really being good time keepers, a skill he had hoped they had improved on.

"Typical!" The loud female voice seemed familiar to Bootus some how

"I thought after a year you'd have learnt that not everyone is as tall as you!"

The obvious implication was to look down. Doing so revealed the familial scrawl of Vivli.

"Meh it's their own fault for not being born a Galka." replied Bootus, in a tone and way that would seem like he'd only just saw Vivli 5 minutes ago

"Now you sound like an Elvaan. What you do? Spend a year in Sand'Orian?"

"Good to see you to Vivli."

"Yeah, yeah. Nice to see you to."

With that Vivli hopped up to sit on the fountain. Though this gave her a few more inches it still wasn't enough to rival the Galka's massive bulk.

"So what's with the sword? I thought you didn't like using weapons, you being a monk and all." Asked Vivli, the small white mage Mithra.

"I'm sure we all have stories to tell, lets just wait till the others get here."

The relationship between Bootus and Vivli was one hidden in insults and petty pranks towards each other. If you spent 5 minutes together with them in the room you'd wonder how they hadn't ended up killing each other. But the truth be told they had a strange sort of liking for each other that neither could really explain.

A good 5 minutes went by with the 2 reunited friends staying in silence, though each wanted to tell of their wondrous adventurers away. Especially Vivli who thought her adventure might finally cause the Galka brute to respect her and take her seriously, instead of looking down on her all the time. Just as Vivli was starting to get impatient with the lack of their other comrades she heard a tune started up beside her. This wasn't unusual as Bards in Bastok were common place, trying to scrounge a few gil off anyone who would be foolish enough to want to hear them sing about some stupid event that no one was really interested in. As the song went on she also noticed some humming was accompanying it on her right side. Looking over she noticed it was Bootus.

"I never knew you liked music." Exclaimed the slightly surprised Mithra

"Moonlight Sonata Li. My favourite song." Replied Bootus, starring into the distance as if remembering something

"A beautiful song it is to!" said a small voice, native to young children yet to hit puberty and Tarutaru's

"Bollo!" Exclaimed Bootus as he looked towards were the music once was, and now stood a Tarutaru dressed in queer clothing

"Nice clothing there." Vivli never really being the one to have tact didn't think twice to pointing out the obvious.

"I'll have you know these are fine Bard clothing. Personally I like the feather in the hat!"

"A Bard? Well that is a surprise career path for a mage wielding the black arts." Bootus's voice always seemed softer when talking to the Taru companion. As if he thought he would blow the poor guy away if he were to speak too loudly. A liberty he wasn't known to give Vivli. In fact the only time he talked softly to her was if it was in a sarcastic tone.

"Well Magic's always been my 2nd passion. Music's what I've always wanted to do! So when I met a Bard on my travels of course I asked him to take me under his wing!"

"Heh. Who would have thought it? Well I suppose it's a more interesting occupation than a white mage." It seemed that even when Vivli wasn't in the conversation Bootus found away to make a mocking comment about her or her profession. With the characteristic Vivli scrawl she was about to give Bootus an ear full when she was rudely interrupted.

"Your going to burst a blood vessel one day Vivli. You really shouldn't let Bootus get to you like that. You know he doesn't mean it." Startled Vivli spun round to be met with a well armoured guy standing in front of her. However when you spend such a long time with people you don't need to recognize them by their looks. Plus when your as small as Vivli faces aren't always the most practical way of recognizing people.

"ZINKATA!" Vivli exclaimed more excitedly than she meant and was expected. All the same she decided to go the full mile and hug Zinkata's waist.

"Good to see you to Li."

"Already used that one."

"Pfft I'm sure you weren't the first."

"Yeah I was!"

"I meant the first person ever."

" … Well no …"

"Jeez can't you people stay out of an argument for more than a second?" Bollo's interjection came at the right time to lighten the mood of the conversation.

"Meh. What's the fun in being nice and polite?" Bootus never was one to get by on his charm, though there have been situations he'd rather forget its came in useful!

"So where's Voldos? Thought I'd be the last one. I had to quickly go see my parents. You know how parents can be. Kinda kept me too long!"

"Well the stupid elf's never been good at time keeping. Probably thinks it's Lightday instead of Firday." Vivli's critical, and not entirely un racial, views of Voldos, though mean, were a sad truth that they'd hoped he'd get over. But Voldos wasn't into improvements. In fact he thought of himself as too perfect to need improving. This Vivli put down to Elvaan up bringing!

"Lets give him another 10 minutes before contacting him on the linkshell." Bollo interjected before Bootus could make an Elvaan Mithra Joke at both Voldos's and Vivli's expense.

Little did the four adventurers know Voldos's lateness wasn't down to his overwhelming stupidity, but the elf did have a legitimate excuse and as he approached the Bastok gate he wondered how the news would be taken.