Side Stories- {Qoribucha} -Coming to Eorzea
It was a little past dawn when the young archer was fetched from his duties. He had been selected for an important mission - to recruit adventurers from abroad to aid in their cause and fill the ranks of the Buduga tribe, the older tribesman explained.
Eyes widen. Me? He wonders, mouth agape. Wordlessly he motions to himself. His stomach twists into knots as his brother nods. He was originally of the Qestir tribe, known well in the steppe for their vow of silence. Though he had learned to speak a few words since his induction to the new tribe his speech was far from articulate... How was he to recruit?
Seeking the council of his khan availed him not aside from gathering further instruction. 'Find for the Buduga warriors of Eorzea, those alike to the Warriors of Light!' ...a tall order, for sure. A sack of gil was offered forth for his journey.
Heaving a heavy sigh he withdraws to the edge of the Dawn Throne. How was he to communicate with these Eorzeans? His sharp eyes are drawn to Reunion, the trading town sits mere malms away. His old home... The only people who truly understood him. But he knew he could not return to those comforts. No. He belongs with the Buduga now.
Pride and determination swell in his chest as he whistles for his Yol. The young Xaela leaps from the dais onto the back of the tamed beast and directs it to bear him in the direction of a mountain pass, toward the Ruby Sea. If he could reach Kugane then surely he could secure passage to foreign shores.
Quite an ornate city it is, unlike anything the man has ever seen. Would it perhaps be wiser to recruit here than travel overseas? He bites his lip as he weighs the options. He was told where to go, however, and it would not be wise to question orders.
With a groan he presses on. The sack of gil feels heavy to him as he approaches a skipper on the pier. He can only hope it is enough to secure his passage.
After a few tense moments of stumbling over his words the Hyuran man sighs and sets to counting the gil he is handed. "Aye." A motion is given to follow. It would be some few days before he again spied the shoreline...
Land. It was a welcomed sight even as his stomach yet churned at the lurching of the small vessel against the waves. As they made port the man stumbled shakily from the craft before collapsing in a fit of relief and exhaustion.
Vesper bay was the name of this port town, as he was told, dotted on the edge of Thanalan. This quiet scene would not do. He ignored the protests of his body and pressed on, following the winding road across desert in search of a larger and more populous city - Ul'dah. From tidbits of conversation with passing porters he learned that many adventurers gather there... a perfect opportunity, for sure! Tired but encouraged he ventured on.
The imposing structure of stone and metal was not entirely what he expected of the so-called 'Jewel' of the desert. He swallows and makes his way through the gates.
The streets within were near empty. It struck him as odd for a bustling market town to be so barren. Following the path led him to the Adventurer's guild, however the only adventurers he saw were those few clamouring to reserve rooms at the establishment's Inn. He sighs in disappointment.
No. No, this cannot be what he is looking for, the man reasons. Sighing impatiently he asks for directions to the next nearest City State - ignoring the astonished looks as he sprints out of town with the sun about to set. He would find what he sought. He had to!
Hours passed and the sun sank below the horizon before long. Looking around he suddenly realizes the scenery has changed. Arid desert had given way to lush green vegetation while his mind was set to auto pilot. The tribesman had never before seen so much green, even amid a group of his own comrades.
The Xaela traveler soon came upon a curious establishment, set in the middle of a shallow lake. His wonder was soon quelled by a brewing storm. He had come all this way... A sigh falls from his parted lips as he renews his vigor. He was not stopping now unless struck by an errant bolt of lightning!
He passes through a few more towns and disregards the concerned looks of those he meets along the way. The man continues on like a man possessed. Gridania. The name of his next destination...
As his last onze of strength is about to fade he spies the gate of the woodland capital. As he speaks with the guards the rain begins to let up. He was not a religious man compared to many of his brethren, but if anything was a sign from the Dusk Mother it was surely this.
To him the atmosphere felt lighter here than in Ul'dah... more vibrant. There were people milling about and chatting near the Aetherite even despite the previously dreary weather.
The Aetherite... perhaps he should attune? It suddenly dawns on him that he forgot to do so at any of the previous points along the road and he winces at the realization. Should he have been injured he may have had no choice but to return to his home point in the Azim Steppe and began the journey again without the means to continue.
Finally satisfied he sinks onto a bench near the plaza. After dozing a few moments he is approached by a uniformed lancer with a furrowed brow. "Go to the Adventurers Guild, ser. Pray do not rest here in soaked clothes." The woman does not seem the type to back down.
Finally truly exhausted, he nods and decides to comply. He follows her directions down the hill and into a building built into the slope. The warm glow emanating from within soothes him. An Elezen woman waves him over with a warm smile. "A fresh adventurer, I take it? You may call me Mother Miounne. I am the proprietor of this establishment."
He frowns, unsure how to explain his exact predicament. With a chuckle she shrugs. "Not the talkative type? Or perhaps you have merely had a long journey. In either case, you may add your name to my log and officially register as an adventurer."
She motions to a large tome and quill before her. He nods, jotting his details as neatly as his current state would allow. Miounne smiles and directs him toward the other side of the room. "Qoribucha? A curious name..." She shakes her head. Surely such a ragged looking traveler would not make up an amusing alias just for a spot of fun, right?
"Eat. Then take a room for the night. The food is affordable, and lodging free to adventurers. You will surely need your strength for the morrow." She explains.
The archer motions happily to her and follows the advice given. The rest he would figure out tomorrow, he thinks with a tired smile opon his lips.
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Side Stories