Too Good to Last…

After the end-game linkshell I had joined canceled every event I had intended to attend, I felt dejected... upset... and frustrated.
They had been so amazing for dynamis.  I didn’t understand what had happened in one weeks time.
There was so much I had yet to do and knew I could never do with my two socials.
Even calling those linkshell's "social" was starting to stretch the truth, sadly.
They both were empty more often than not.  When members were around, they seemed to be up to something and so busied with that something, that they could not be bothered to reply to "hello" or "what's going on?".

It was then that I spied Ruthaal.  The paladin I had met during Besieged.

Hey Ruthaal.

What's up Kia?

Well...

I dropped my eyes from his gaze and studied my errant shoes.  He had given them to me.  They were dirty with use.  I almost always wore them.

Kia?  Is something the matter?

Oh--  Ah well... I was wondering...

Why ask...  He was a more advanced-  Well, everything! 

Yes?

What... What linkshell do you do Dynamis with?  Mine has cancelled all runs in the foreseeable future, sadly.

Oh, that's a shame.  Come with me then.  Hurry!  We're about to do Dynamis Windurst.

What?!

Come on!  It'll be fine.

I raced after him.  This was crazy!  I had only done one dynamis-- EVER.  One needs to apply, don't they?  Perhaps tonight they were short-staffed and needed a Red Mage? 
Most of the other members were already grouped up and entering.
A taru female smiled up at me as she handed me a pearl.

Once inside I was invited to a party.  The others had already begun pulling Yagudo.
All I knew was what I had done during my previous run.  Sleepga the incoming monsters.
And so I did.
Luckily that seemed to be the right thing to do.
That and silence the crows.  Wow those things could be nasty.  It only took one time of getting silenced by them for me to follow up every sleepga with several silences on any and every crow I saw.

Though the run started out okay... It later turned into a horrid mess.
There is something called, "the death house".
Some elvaan managed to run straight into it.  Thus getting the attention of every single Yagudo standing around it after the rest of the group had started sneaking by.
They knocked him out, right in front of the front door, and then came for us.
I was the next one knocked out...  It was then that I heard people shouting, "WHO AGGRO'D THE DEATH HOUSE?!!" and glancing at me.
I had followed directions... I was sticking close to the wall and carefully creeping by.  I had seen who had really done it.
I hauled my self up and crawled to Ruthaal.

Ru... It wasn't me... I saw that Elvaan... I don't know his name but he ran straight into it for some reason.

It's okay Kia.

It wasn't okay!  I didn't want to get a bad reputation for something I hadn't done.
Every one had gotten knocked out because of it.  While people were gathering their wits and resting after the Yagudo had wandered away, they started asking one another who aggro'd the death house.
Finally, the elvaan spoke up. 

The leader, the same taru who had handed me a pearl, was trying to figure out how to get the elvaan out of the predicament he was in.
Raising him was not an option since he was so close to the enemies.

I'm not entirely sure what happened after that.  Other then everyone getting knocked out AGAIN.
After recovering from that... I think there was talk about pulling some NM.
However that was done improperly and we all got knocked out AGAIN.
This kept repeating and soon I found that the brand new re-raise earring I had purchased just the other day, had FOUR charges left on it.
I was battered and bruised and tired.
Finally the taru leader said to drop glass.  Time was running out anyway.

I sat in a sad heap on the steps leading up to the residential district.
When Ruthaal strode by, I gently tugged at his pant leg to quietly get his attention.
He glanced down, saw me, and sat beside me.

Ruthaal...  Is it always like that?

Well, no, not always.  There is always death, but not as bad as that was.

I see...  The other group I went with...  I wasn't knocked out even once.  It was so much fun.  This... 

I shook my head and burried my fingers in my hair.  Perhaps I just wasn't ready.  I wasn't a seasoned Red Mage.  I wasn't used to taking such a beating.  Didn't know what to do automatically.

Then the taru leader approached, and sat down with us.  She patted me on the shoulder.

I hope that wasn't too rough for you, hun.

To be perfectly honest, m'am, I'm not used to that. 

It'll be better next time!  Don't worry.  Happens to the best of us.  I hope we didn't scare you off, hun?

I shook my head no and she smiled, then kipped-up like taru's do and skipped away.

What are you going to do now?

I... Well I probably ought to go campaign but... I think I shall lay down instead.

See you later, then, Kia.

See you around, Ruthaal.

Once in my mog house, I stripped off my gear and settled down in the fountain.  I examined my many scrapes and bruises.
Is this what it is to be Red Mage in dynamis?  I wasn't sure how much more I could take.  I needed training, more than campaign could offer.  More than a merit group could teach me.  But with who and how?  Perhaps Zidea…  but I didn’t want to bother him overmuch.














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