((Another story for Saefinn. This is just a short story detailing the events prior to beta phase 4, giving Saefinn the motivation to travel to his starting city, also providing some insight to his background and introducing the nameless Lalafell he owes his life to. Feedback welcome. I figure leading up to beta phase 4, I'll do some of these stories as it has been a while since I've written fiction and I'm rusty.))
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…
My head. Thumping. I could barely breathe. The sound of the sea wooshing as it engulfed my feet. My head was against the sand and there was the taste of salt dry in my mouth. I could feel the sun’s warmth. I tried to open my eyes, but the light blinded me, it was like a bad hangover, without the vomit. I felt a pain in my shoulder, from what I did not know.
“Hello? Hello, can you hear me?†Somebody shoved me, followed by the whirring of magic. I felt a cool sensation run through my body, my headache dissipated, my shoulder felt a little better, yet I still thirsted for water. “Come on, get up, you’re not dead yet.†As I opened my eye I saw a small Lalafell wrapped in white robes. “Ergh,†I groaned.
“See, I told you so.†Her face had a warming quality, she had the innocent childlike features the Lalafell possessed, including the stubbed nose. From what I could see underneath the hood, her hair was blonde. Almost every bit a child, but the eyes, they had matured. As strange as it would seem to say it, behind them were years of discipline, yet I felt a certain compassion, one I was unfamiliar with.
“Can you get up? I’m too small to carry you.â€
I just felt like laying there, I didn’t have much strength to move. I needed a drink, not the hard stuff, water. “W…ter,†I mumbled.
“Oh, how silly of me.†She pulled out a leather flask and held it to my mouth and I drank. It was warm as it rushed down my gullet, hydrating it along the way
“How was that?†She asked as she put her flask away.
“Warm,†I replied.
“It’s a warm day,†she laughed, “I’m not some two-bit Thaumaturge who casts a Blizzard spell to refresh my water.â€
“Thank you.†I managed to regain some of my strength. I wondered if she would treat me with such grace if she knew what kind of man I was and knew the things I had done. Things even I look back in disgust. Despite all that has happened, I always had a crew loyal to me, brothers in arms to take good care of me and I…well, I wish I could say “and I themâ€, but it had dawned on me the weight of what had led me ashore. I no longer had a crew. I felt a tightness in my stomach, a small tear in my and the tension in my muscles. Shaking, I wanted to scream at the top of my voice. They trusted you. I felt I didn’t deserve to live, yet was grateful of the Lalafell’s hospitality. I was no true Captain. Even with all my smarts I never could formulate an effective battle plan. What did I know about strategy? What did I know about fighting? The most I could do was a drunken brawl and even them I couldn’t win without cheating.
I sat in an upward position, “what are you then?†I asked.
“A Conjurer,†she smiled, “I take care of the weak. Right now, that’s you.â€
“Why?â€
“Because you need it. Need it be any less simple?â€
I had considered for a moment, what if there was a Conjurer among my crew? Would things have been any different? The ability to heal and raise the fallen. Maybe then we might have stood a chance against the Sahagin. But there would be no way that this Lalafell would agree to be a part of my crew – nor could I turn back time - she just didn’t seem the type to support the idea of hanging a man by the ankles over the edge of the ship to ‘encourage’ him to pays his debts. Or the kind to support the idea of smuggling in illegal goods, especially narcotics.
“Are you ready to get up? Or are you just going to sit there?†The Lalafell sighed. I slowly got up, staggering slightly, to oblige her demand. Like a fresh drunkard, I staggered my way as the Lalafell led me to some shelter. There were the charcoal remains of a fire and a tent and we sat nearby.
“You’re going to stay here until you’re fit enough to make it on your own.â€
I nodded. She walked into her tent and rummaged through a few supplies before walking back out again. In her hand she held out a small piece of cake. At first I was bewildered, she gave me a strange look.
“Nourishment,†she said, “Cake makes everybody feel good.â€
I took a bite, tasting the sweet sponge of the cake, a hint of jam – but I didn’t have time to savour the whole thing, I ended up wolfing the rest down – I got a bit of icing on my nose, so I wiped it off. I smiled a little, it seemed cake really does make everybody feel good.
“So, where will you be heading?†She asked.
“I don’t know,†I shrugged.
“There’s gotta be somewhere, somebody who knows you.â€
“My ship was attacked, I was lucky to get out alive,†I paused. I felt a tight pain in my chest before I could say what I had to say, “My crew, they’re all dead.â€
“I’m sorry.†She bowed her head.
“They died because of me,†I said sincerely. “I was just…hopeless.â€
“I am sure that’s not true. I know, I wasn’t there.â€
“I buried my head in books and my game was always business, not warfare. My crew needed a captain not only prepared with a business plan to make money, but somebody who had the balls to stand up in a fight and act like a %*^ing leader! A part of me wishes you just left me to die. It’s where I belonged.â€
The Lalafell thwacked me across the cheek, for a small thing she packed a lot of punch. “Don’t say that! Come now. Were you the one going around stabbing your crew with a knife? Looking at you, you wouldn’t last 5 seconds trying to murder a whole crew!†She exclaimed.
“I don’t think that makes any sense.†I frowned.
“Look, unless you led the attack against your crew then you didn’t murder your crew. Fine, you might not have had a general’s ability to lead people into battle, but you wouldn’t be the only one. You’re going to do nothing feeling sorry for yourself. Look, if you’re so worried about how to handle a fight – you don’t look like you have a lot of brawn, why don’t you invest in that learned brain of yours and do something about it. Well, I dunno, aspire to become a Scholar or something crazy like that.â€
“What now?â€
“I’m just saying, you’re down on your luck, no crew, you say you like to bury your head in books, you hate the fact you lack any tactical ability, except when it comes to business. You’ve got nowhere to go. Okay, nobody can just become a Scholar willy nilly, but you can start by developing your arcane abilities a little. When you’re feeling a little better I can show you a couple of tricks. See how far you get, you never know, you might be good at it.â€
“My arcane abilities? All righty then, I’ll humour you.†I sighed.
“Trust me, you’ll love it. It’s up to you, I’m a Conjurer, and you could always learn magic in Gridania with the Conjurer’s guild and see how it works out for you – I could get you started. Or you can bury your head in a book in Limsa Lominsa with the Arcanists and get a head start, in fact, I probably have a book to read around here somewhere.â€
“Sounds like I don’t have a choice.â€
“That’s right. I saved your butt and now it’s mine.†She placed her hand on her chest laughing.
I shook my head. She was right though. I had failed my crew and it hurt me knowing that, but I was alive and it wouldn’t exactly have been honourable for me to kill myself and it would achieve bugger all. I had read a little about Scholars and how their strategic manoeuvres and masterful spell weaving were the strength behind the men and women of Vylbrand, defending their tiny nation. I also knew of their dominion over faeries, it didn’t feel exactly emasculating, but all who would laugh at the faery sat atop my shoulder would soon laugh no more. As brilliant as the fantasy in my head was, of casting powerful spells to bring my foes to their knees and empowering a mighty crew as they launched their attack, I had never cast a spell. I was a long way off from acquiring the level of excellence of a Scholar and I didn’t think I could do it, but a part of me felt right. I had to do this. Maybe with the right amount of training I could avenge my crew and show those mother$%^£ ing Sahagin, you don’t cross Captain Saefinn Liljasson!
…
…
My head. Thumping. I could barely breathe. The sound of the sea wooshing as it engulfed my feet. My head was against the sand and there was the taste of salt dry in my mouth. I could feel the sun’s warmth. I tried to open my eyes, but the light blinded me, it was like a bad hangover, without the vomit. I felt a pain in my shoulder, from what I did not know.
“Hello? Hello, can you hear me?†Somebody shoved me, followed by the whirring of magic. I felt a cool sensation run through my body, my headache dissipated, my shoulder felt a little better, yet I still thirsted for water. “Come on, get up, you’re not dead yet.†As I opened my eye I saw a small Lalafell wrapped in white robes. “Ergh,†I groaned.
“See, I told you so.†Her face had a warming quality, she had the innocent childlike features the Lalafell possessed, including the stubbed nose. From what I could see underneath the hood, her hair was blonde. Almost every bit a child, but the eyes, they had matured. As strange as it would seem to say it, behind them were years of discipline, yet I felt a certain compassion, one I was unfamiliar with.
“Can you get up? I’m too small to carry you.â€
I just felt like laying there, I didn’t have much strength to move. I needed a drink, not the hard stuff, water. “W…ter,†I mumbled.
“Oh, how silly of me.†She pulled out a leather flask and held it to my mouth and I drank. It was warm as it rushed down my gullet, hydrating it along the way
“How was that?†She asked as she put her flask away.
“Warm,†I replied.
“It’s a warm day,†she laughed, “I’m not some two-bit Thaumaturge who casts a Blizzard spell to refresh my water.â€
“Thank you.†I managed to regain some of my strength. I wondered if she would treat me with such grace if she knew what kind of man I was and knew the things I had done. Things even I look back in disgust. Despite all that has happened, I always had a crew loyal to me, brothers in arms to take good care of me and I…well, I wish I could say “and I themâ€, but it had dawned on me the weight of what had led me ashore. I no longer had a crew. I felt a tightness in my stomach, a small tear in my and the tension in my muscles. Shaking, I wanted to scream at the top of my voice. They trusted you. I felt I didn’t deserve to live, yet was grateful of the Lalafell’s hospitality. I was no true Captain. Even with all my smarts I never could formulate an effective battle plan. What did I know about strategy? What did I know about fighting? The most I could do was a drunken brawl and even them I couldn’t win without cheating.
I sat in an upward position, “what are you then?†I asked.
“A Conjurer,†she smiled, “I take care of the weak. Right now, that’s you.â€
“Why?â€
“Because you need it. Need it be any less simple?â€
I had considered for a moment, what if there was a Conjurer among my crew? Would things have been any different? The ability to heal and raise the fallen. Maybe then we might have stood a chance against the Sahagin. But there would be no way that this Lalafell would agree to be a part of my crew – nor could I turn back time - she just didn’t seem the type to support the idea of hanging a man by the ankles over the edge of the ship to ‘encourage’ him to pays his debts. Or the kind to support the idea of smuggling in illegal goods, especially narcotics.
“Are you ready to get up? Or are you just going to sit there?†The Lalafell sighed. I slowly got up, staggering slightly, to oblige her demand. Like a fresh drunkard, I staggered my way as the Lalafell led me to some shelter. There were the charcoal remains of a fire and a tent and we sat nearby.
“You’re going to stay here until you’re fit enough to make it on your own.â€
I nodded. She walked into her tent and rummaged through a few supplies before walking back out again. In her hand she held out a small piece of cake. At first I was bewildered, she gave me a strange look.
“Nourishment,†she said, “Cake makes everybody feel good.â€
I took a bite, tasting the sweet sponge of the cake, a hint of jam – but I didn’t have time to savour the whole thing, I ended up wolfing the rest down – I got a bit of icing on my nose, so I wiped it off. I smiled a little, it seemed cake really does make everybody feel good.
“So, where will you be heading?†She asked.
“I don’t know,†I shrugged.
“There’s gotta be somewhere, somebody who knows you.â€
“My ship was attacked, I was lucky to get out alive,†I paused. I felt a tight pain in my chest before I could say what I had to say, “My crew, they’re all dead.â€
“I’m sorry.†She bowed her head.
“They died because of me,†I said sincerely. “I was just…hopeless.â€
“I am sure that’s not true. I know, I wasn’t there.â€
“I buried my head in books and my game was always business, not warfare. My crew needed a captain not only prepared with a business plan to make money, but somebody who had the balls to stand up in a fight and act like a %*^ing leader! A part of me wishes you just left me to die. It’s where I belonged.â€
The Lalafell thwacked me across the cheek, for a small thing she packed a lot of punch. “Don’t say that! Come now. Were you the one going around stabbing your crew with a knife? Looking at you, you wouldn’t last 5 seconds trying to murder a whole crew!†She exclaimed.
“I don’t think that makes any sense.†I frowned.
“Look, unless you led the attack against your crew then you didn’t murder your crew. Fine, you might not have had a general’s ability to lead people into battle, but you wouldn’t be the only one. You’re going to do nothing feeling sorry for yourself. Look, if you’re so worried about how to handle a fight – you don’t look like you have a lot of brawn, why don’t you invest in that learned brain of yours and do something about it. Well, I dunno, aspire to become a Scholar or something crazy like that.â€
“What now?â€
“I’m just saying, you’re down on your luck, no crew, you say you like to bury your head in books, you hate the fact you lack any tactical ability, except when it comes to business. You’ve got nowhere to go. Okay, nobody can just become a Scholar willy nilly, but you can start by developing your arcane abilities a little. When you’re feeling a little better I can show you a couple of tricks. See how far you get, you never know, you might be good at it.â€
“My arcane abilities? All righty then, I’ll humour you.†I sighed.
“Trust me, you’ll love it. It’s up to you, I’m a Conjurer, and you could always learn magic in Gridania with the Conjurer’s guild and see how it works out for you – I could get you started. Or you can bury your head in a book in Limsa Lominsa with the Arcanists and get a head start, in fact, I probably have a book to read around here somewhere.â€
“Sounds like I don’t have a choice.â€
“That’s right. I saved your butt and now it’s mine.†She placed her hand on her chest laughing.
I shook my head. She was right though. I had failed my crew and it hurt me knowing that, but I was alive and it wouldn’t exactly have been honourable for me to kill myself and it would achieve bugger all. I had read a little about Scholars and how their strategic manoeuvres and masterful spell weaving were the strength behind the men and women of Vylbrand, defending their tiny nation. I also knew of their dominion over faeries, it didn’t feel exactly emasculating, but all who would laugh at the faery sat atop my shoulder would soon laugh no more. As brilliant as the fantasy in my head was, of casting powerful spells to bring my foes to their knees and empowering a mighty crew as they launched their attack, I had never cast a spell. I was a long way off from acquiring the level of excellence of a Scholar and I didn’t think I could do it, but a part of me felt right. I had to do this. Maybe with the right amount of training I could avenge my crew and show those mother$%^£ ing Sahagin, you don’t cross Captain Saefinn Liljasson!
The Scholar Captain