"Hear…" Damon looked around the space just seeing nothing but void.
"Hear… feel…" The voice spoke out to him again and in the void a man wearing a robe and mask appeared
"Hello who are you sir? And where is this place?" Damon called out to the man but he just stayed silent looking right at Damon. Damon was confused. Last thing he could remember was being on a carriage on his way to Ul'dah to become an adventurer by his mother/teachers instructions.
"Hear… feel… think…" The voice spoke out again snapping Damon out of his thoughts. As soon as he came to again the masked man swooped straight at him. Damon reached his right hand to his left waist to draw his katana just to realize it wasn't there. Panicked he put both his arms up to protect himself from the unknown enemy.
"Hey. Hey, you!" A man's voice called out to Damon. Damon opened his eyes to see he was back in the carriage and an older man was looking straight at him.
"Y'all right, lad?" The older man asked with a little concern in his voice. "You were mumbling to yourself and looked a little shaken up for a little while there… Feeling the effects of the aether I reckon. Don't worry you'll get used to it"
Damon smiled at the man "Thanks". He then turned looking out at the surroundings as the carriage crossed the desert. After a while of enjoying the view of the desert that still had trees and grass growing in it there was a noise in front of the carriage and they came to a halt.
Damon checked his surroundings and saw Brass Blade soldiers surrounding the carriage saying something about an inspection. It was clear to him that these 'Soldiers' were up to no good. He rested his left hand on the hilt of his sword and was about to confront them when the older man reached out and motioned him to say calm.
"Just an honest peddler sirs so don't be disappointed when you don't find anything"
"Hold your tongue, old man, lest I cut it out!' one of the shady soldiers called out towards him.
Damon was getting mad at the soldiers' shady act and degrading comments towards their elders. He then saw the man pull a bag out from behind his back and held it up towards the man Damon expected to be the one in charge of the soldiers.
"Look Sir! Somnus! Some honest peddler… since when do 'honest' peddlers deal in prohibited herbs?"
Damon almost reached his limit. He was about to draw his katana and cut down the shady soldiers when he sensed an incoming object. He did a quickdraw and cut an incoming arrow out of the air. The old man freaked out at the arrow that was about to hit him. The shady soldiers looked at where the arrow came from to see a soldier running towards them followed by a group of Amalj'aa.
"Amalj'aa! Amalj'aa! To arms… to arms" The approaching soldier yells towards his comrades.
"Seven hells… consider this a warning! Now go!" The man in change says. The carriage starts to escape quickly and the soldiers run to fight back the group of Amalj'aa.
"Phew that kind of excitement ain't good for the heart" the older man comments as we are leaving the scene of the battle.
"I hope those assholes die in the battle" Damon mumbles before taking his seat again. The older man laughed at Damon's words. "Be careful around them brass blades… they're like common bandits" Damon nodded to the man's words.
Damon and the man had small conversation on the rest of the trip to Ul'dah. Damon explained to him about how he is originally from Othard, Kugane region. His father was a lord of one of the smaller lands in the kugane region and when the Garlean empire invaded, Damon's pregnant mother escaped when his father stayed to fight. Damon knew his father probably died in battle. His mother told him that his father was a great samurai and would have never surrendered. Damon looked up to his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps.
He then relaxed and started to think to himself about his past. He has been raised by just his mother for the past 20 years. At age 10 he and his mother started traveling around the world as his mother trained him in the ways of the samurai. At age 15 he got the scar over his right eye from a battle with an Ixal when they visited North Shroud in the Black Shroud area. After training for 10 years his mother sent him out to adventure himself to gain his own experience and meet comrades for himself. She also told him that the next time he comes to visit her, he better bring a daughter inlaw or two with him. His face turned red at his memory of that.
The rest of the travel was silent and uneventful. The two other travelers in the carriage didn't talk at all from start to finish and immediately left as soon as they reached Ul'dah. Damon didn't mind that much.
The older man also introduced himself as Brendt, a traveling merchant and told Damon if he ever runs into him again to come tell him about his adventures. Damon agreed since he quite enjoyed having conversation with the older man.
Damon then said his goodbyes and headed into the city to find the adventurers guild. It didn't take him long to find the place he was looking for. He entered the building and looked around. The guild building was set up as a huge circle. There was a smaller circle in the middle with tables and chairs set up. At the tables Damon could see other adventurers eating and drinking while talking about their latest jobs. At the far end there were three desks set up. The two in the middle and the right, had bar stools at them. The one on the left was next to stairs.
The left one had a sign that said Inn rooms available on it. The middle one's sign read Adventurers' Guild receptionist. The right one's sign said Food and Alcohol Available. Now knowing what one he had to approach Damon started to walk across the floor.
Damon then reached the receptionist desk that had a red haired cutie of the lalafell race. Damon thought all members of the race were cute but because of their childish appearance he didn't have any romantic interest towards them.
The lalafell woman smiled at him. "Why, hello there! Who might you be". Damon smiled back at her. "Hello miss, My name is Damon and i would like to join the adventurers guild here" Still smiling she answered back. "You came to the right place! My name is Momodi and I own this fine establishment. I also manage the 'Adventurers' Guild here in Ul'dah so you might say looking after newbies like you is my vocation! If you can promise to help Ul'dah reach a better state then you found her i'd be happy to let you join the guild"
Damon laughed at her words. "I agree. Someone has to watch over this place and help protect the people in place of those bandit like Brass Blades…" Momodi gave a sad smile. "Sadly I have to agree with that statement… Well a promise is a promise so i'm counting on you to get out there and get to work!"
Momodi handed Damon a pen and paper. "Go ahead and write your name in the register as neat as you can and it will be official". Damon signed the paper and handed it back to her. "Damon Alexander… What a charming name. Alright mister Alexander! On behalf of the Adventurers' Guild, I officially…"
Her words were cut off by a group of men making a ruckus. Before Damon could intervene Momodi spoke again. "Leave it mister Alexander. That is their business not ours. Well anyroad, welcome to Ul'dah, Damon!" She then reached under the desk and brought out a paper.
"Ok for starters here are a couple of small jobs around the city to help you to get accustomed to here… First I want you to visit the Aetheryte plaza so you can attune to it, there are also smaller ones around the city you also need to attune to. Then I want you to visit the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, over on the Steps of Thal. Goods from all over Eorzea turn up there everyday so you won't have any trouble attaining the equipment an adventurer like yourself might need. After you finish these two tasks return here and I'll give you a real job to do!"
Damon nodded to Momodi. "Alright, miss I'll do it and be back soon!". Damon turned and left the 'Adventurers' Guild to head to the places she listed for him.
Little did both of them know but this was the beginning of the adventure for the new warrior of light!