Chapter Text
Light of Dawn
"...and that is the end of this particular story."
"Ehhh?" a chorus of children replied. One of them, an Au Ra boy, jumped up from his position.
"But I wanted to hear more about the Warrior of Light!" he complained.
The man seated in front of the circle of children chuckled. "And I would be more than happy to tell you more, but I am afraid it is starting to become rather late—" he pointed up to the sky, its color hailing the early evening. "—I would hate for your parents to become worried."
A round of disappointment followed those words, but the children, with no small amount ot pouting, nevertheless heeded them and began to disperse. The man watched them, chuckling to himself, before rising to his feet and wandering off as well to the inn where would sleep for the night. He hummed to himself with a smile, a tune that had been in his head for a while but hadn't fully committed to melody yet, and looked about.
It was a peaceful village, though far from quiet even if one discounted the spirited children calling this their home. Due to its position on a well-traveled road, people were constantly coming and going. Merchants and adventurers alike. He, too, was one of these many travelers though he neither wished to ply his wares, nor did he seek the thrill of adventure. Well, not directly in any case.
He closed his eyes when a warm breeze caressed his face, and he smiled, remaining like this for few seconds to enjoy the sensation. Summer was just around the corner. That meant it was high time he set out to Eorzea again.
It was approaching. That period of the year where they would honor those who had fallen during the Calamity. And it would remiss of him not to attend.
Slowly, his eyes opened again, and a thoughtful expression chased away the smile. Gods, had it really been 10 years now? Where had the time gone?
He had turned fifty this year!
He still vividly remembered how he had journeyed through the realm in the days following Carteneau. How the people mourned those they had lost while trying to rebuilt. And yet, they had persevered and from the ashes of their existence, a realm had been reborn.
Face brightening once again, he resumed his walk towards the inn. His thoughts then turned to the children, how eager they had listened to the tale he had regaled to them. He was sure they would seek him out, come tomorrow, eager for more. And he was more than happy to provide.
Now which one shall it be? He wondered, offering a pair of villagers a friendly smile and nod as he passed by them. The one about a world consumed by darkness finding its light once again, or rather the venture in search of the fabled cities of gold?
Or perhaps an entirely different one. There certainly were more than enough, and he undoubtedly would hear another tale or two upon his return to Eorzea. After all, she would also never miss the festivities, and he was already looking forward to what she and her friends had been up to since their last meeting.
Whatever it was, it would be a thrilling tale, to be sure!
He had just come up to the inn and was about to head inside, when an epiphany struck him, causing his eyes to go wide. His hand found the instrument at his side, a harp, and he began to pluck its strings while he hummed the tune from earlier, eventually leading into the words that had just come to him, "...for the Light of Dawn shall rise, forevermore."
As the last echo of this infant melody passed onto the wind, the Wandering Minstrel's eyes found the distant horizon. Somewhere out there, the Warrior of Light was surely enjoying life to its fullest. All while never giving up, no matter the odds.
Always forging ahead.
"Is that not so, my friend?" he asked no one in particular, putting his instrument away and adjusting his goggles, before stepping inside. It was time to call it a day.
The End?