Final Fantasy XIV: The Winter Calamity

♫♫♫

It was a beautiful day in Ul'dah. The heat of the sun warmed the sandstone spires and the Ul'dahn peoples milled about with fervor. Confetti and flower petals already dotted the streets and a typhoon of them continued to pelt heads like snowflakes. Beautiful women twisted their waists and made elegant dance to the tune of trumpets and brass winds. Alongside, a floating platform being pulled along by a pair of golden Chocobo. One platform of many within the caravan.

I, the newly minted, all-powerful and not at all a scam, Thaumaturge stepped onto my balcony to look at the passing parade. The cheers of joy were infectious, but I couldn't help my heartbeat slowing. Something was wrong, my instincts screamed it at me.

On top the central platform stood a gargantuan blob-like creature with arms longer than its body and moss covering its "head". A Goobbue. A typical low-mid level monster that one would kill in-game without thinking about it. It also was the tutorial boss for Limsa Lominsa's starting story. Yet, here it was, on a caravan, standing still, and with-

'???'

An orange ring, holographic in nature, was hovering around its neck via unknown means. 

'Allagan technology right? Or something close to it.'

Only they could make something so strange. The Allagan civilization were an ancient peoples on Eorzea. They are the fore-bearers of Magitek technology. A breed of engineering that came about from the Empire's inability to manipulate Aether. 

The "moon" Dalamud that kept the Elder Primal, Bahamut, sealed was also Allag technology. Pretty much every evil tool in the empire's arsenal was either inspired by, or directly pilfered from the ruins of the Allagan Civilization.

But, what on earth was that thing doing here? Not the Goobbue, one could chalk that up to people watching the circus parade. But that technology that's being used to keep it in check. It shouldn't have been here. Was 1.0 this crazy?

I could feel my heart pausing between my inhales. That thing was going to break loose. Of that, I was certain.

I swung my head around looking through the densely packed citizens.

'Where the hell are the guards?'

No. The better question-

"Which one is the protagonist?"

I spoke out-loud unintentionally. An isekai sin.

I quickly took my eyes off the caravan to find anyone that may have been listening to me mutter. Empty room and emptier bed.

When I glanced back, a curvy Miqo'te with short white hair, long boots and pale hot pants, lined with a lace frill, leaped up with an impossible set of flips, to the top of the central caravan and began singing and dancing in-tune with the rhythm of the band.

She looked familiar. Not too long ago she visited the Quicksand and chatted with Momo-nee. She reminded me of an NPC you meet in Heavensward. But as a minor character, I swept her name under the rug. 

Damn it.

I could feel cold seep into my bones. I looked around with a sharper eye. Everyone wore a white flower on their person. Every single person I could see on the street, except for the Miqo'te woman who was dancing on the caravan's roof and a man that was holding hands with a taller child. He must have given it to her.

Small uniformed figures, even smaller than Lalafell marched alongside the caravan in robotic fashion. Mammet. Puppets created by the Goldsmith's guild.

I tried to pay closer attention. To engrave every moment and sight in my vision. Then- the horn. A slightly out of tune horn blew. Its sound cut through the air, pierced through the crowd, and drilled into my heart.

GWRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

---

An impossibly loud roar that shook the strong walls of Ul'dah.

"What the hells?!"

"By the Twelve-!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

The music stopped. The world was quiet. I could hear my breath.

In.

The floating Allag Collar snapped. A strong electric field that Goobbue's handler tried to strengthen crackled to life. It made no difference. The Goliath sized beast broke free from his control with no issue. It directly swung its massive arm and sent the man careening into a stack of hardwood crates.

Out.

Thancred was walking with two pretty women when it happened. He swung around and directly witnessed the beast breaking free.

In.

The Miqo'te woman that was dancing on the caravan's roof was almost struck with one of the Goobbue's long whip like arms. Instead, it hit the cart underneath her, however the force was immense. She flew like a cannonball out onto the street. Bouncing a few times before coming to a cold and still rest.

Out.

Where was the adventurer? The protagonist of this story. They should be here by now. I knew they'd be here! I remembered them fighting along-side Thancred during the trailer! I knew that happened! So where the FUCK WERE THEY?

The Goobbue was in a frenzy. Whipping its massive body around as it pleased. The caravan was thrown wildly against Ul'dah's strong walls, the Chocobo still tied to the carriage hit with a sicking thuck.

In.

I balanced myself upon the parapet of my balcony. After getting a solid foothold, I jumped to a nearby rooftop, rounded and smooth, I slid down its surface and found a narrow ledge where I could keep a foothold. They would die if something wasn't done. It wasn't supposed to go like this.

Out.

GWRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

The Goobbue's rage was impossible to quell. It directly smashed the merchant stalls. I thought that I saw Fridurih behind one of them. I hoped he was okay.

In.

I could hear more chaos behind the first caravan. There were multiple Goobbue in the parade. A factor that I didn't consider. I ran alongside the roof to get a better angle and jumped down again. This roof was flat and wide open.

Out.

The Miqo'te woman was embraced by a man in a red coat with dull blonde hair and circular thin rimmed glasses. She woke up. However the Goobbue wasn't done with her. It loomed over the pair, its body casting a harsh shadow over their soon to be lost lives.

Hear.

It opened its mouth, lined with rows of jagged round teeth. A disgusting note of anatomy that could only belong to such a monster, but then-

"HEY! OVER HERE!"

Thancred shouted and drew the beast's attention. WHERE WAS THE PROTAGONIST! THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!

Wait, no.

The protagonist could start in one of three city-states. Who's to say they came to this one? What made me think they must have come to Ul'dah?

Feel.

The Goobbue used its long tendril-like arms to swing at Thancred from both sides. Dual scythes angled to reap his life. The moss from its arms replaced the flowers and confetti, spreading their malice through the air.

"DAMN!"

Thancred rolled. Flowers stuck stubbornly to his hair.

Think.

The chaos continued. Thancred, ever the gentleman was keeping pace with the Goobbue, circling around it and taunting all the while. The Goobbue reached for one of the caravan carts it broke earlier and lifted it above its head.

Thancred started running adjacent to the monster. He wasn't fast enough. He couldn't evade this. The cart was too fucking big and the Goobbue had too much leverage over its angle.

I held both of my hands out. Reaching out for a miracle. One that I surely could not produce. No blessing. No echo. No chance. No time. My desperation tinged my heart with horror and it leaked out into my voice.

---

[BLIZZARD!]

FW-OOM --- CRASH!

A chunk of ice, as big as a man and twice as fast slammed into the back of the Goobbue. While it didn't stop the beast from attacking, it staggered it for long enough.

ROLL

CRASH

The monster threw the parade carriage as hard as it could. A feat slightly weakened by the sudden attack at its back. Thancred barely evaded the overturned mass of twisted brass and shattered wood. He stumbled forward and looked up at the source of that attack in awe.

It was him, the stranger. He held his hands out, fingers almost blue from the frost, his small body was staggering, drained of Aether. But his eyes, once a spirited periwinkle, they were now colored a deep and cold azure. A lake hiding an odd glow that swam restlessly beneath its surface. Atop his head was a blue-ish colored orb that floated leisurely in a circular motion.

Thancred recognized it. It was a spell used by one of his fellows, a Lalafell named Papalymo. Blizzard. However the stranger was not holding a staff. Hells he wasn't even holding a bloody wand! He cast that spell with his hands and will alone!

"THANCRED! DODGE!"

Another whip-like arm descended from on high- threatening to turn Thancred into a mess on the street. With the stranger's warning, Thancred's years of careful instruction caused him to cartwheel to the side before he could think about it.

VWHOOM-BOOM

Her sturdiness held up in the end, but Ul'dah's roads were cracked deeply, almost forming a crater. A embarrassing display for the City of Gold, or a bold demonstration of the monster's might.

"OVER HERE YOU SHITE BASTARD!"

Thancred continued to provoke the monster and run away, the monster was in close pursuit. The stranger lept from the roof of whence he was perched and landed on the railing of the Quicksand. He slid down its curved edge, balancing on his feet, and held his hands out again. It was impossible, just a while ago he was out of breathe and ready to fall over. How did-

[BLIZZARD]

Something ancient made itself known behind his silhouette. Thancred, with his eyes wide open, witnessed something that even his master could not replicate. A thin glass-like circle, filled with some runes Thancred recognized and many others he did not, spawned in front of the stranger's hands. The circle spun at insane speeds and from the glowing center-

FW-OOM

Blizzard.

CRASH

The stranger reached the end of the railing and smoothly landed. Out of breath, but eyes fully trained on the monster. Thancred was baffled. He stood tall and the confetti that continued to rain down, scattered by monster's movements, made him look like the hero of a fae tale. His silken pink hair was brought to a shimmering glow in the sunlight.

---

'Go down you big fucking bastard!'

My body was quaking uncontrollably. Not just one, but two Blizzards in a row and I was tapped. Above my head rang the buzzing tone of Umbral Ice. A status you obtain when successfully casting Ice Spells as a Thaumaturge. It has the effects of regenerating your mana faster, making Ice Spells cheaper to cast, and making them more potent as well.

Blizzard was a useless filler spell in-game. Its damage was a fraction of Fire's. Its only purpose was to regen your MP between cooldowns of your real damaging moves. Blizzard II was even worse. Almost a joke of a spell that had no use at all. It acted as a Frost Nova. Freezing enemies in an area around you. However, what proper Thaumaturge would get close enough to the enemies to use it? Your tank would vote to kick you from the party as soon as possible.

However, Umbral Ice stacked. Each time you used it, it got more potent. I could feel the Aether being resupplied in my body faster than before. It was a strange feeling. Like I was once empty, but now being flooded with a cool energy. To be exhausted over a simple Blizzard spell, my body really was the worst. I could tell that Fire was impossible. I'd die in a gory mess if I tried.

Behind the rampaging monster, stood the man in the Red Coat. I didn't notice that he was an Elezen. And not just any Elezen, but the scion of the Goldsmith's guild. Niellefresne Thaudour. He'd come to talk with Momo-nee about something. His arrogant disregard for me left a strong impression. His behavior towards my Momo-nee made me consider getting him killed here.

"Hold it still!"

He didn't ask, he commanded. There it is. Arrogant idiot. Should he die, I wouldn't be the one crying for him.

Thancred pulled out his blade. It seemed he was willing to comply with the command.

'Fine. I'll play along.'

GWRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The monster roared towards the sky. It promised to bring death and destruction to all that it witnessed. Thancred's rebuttal came in the form of action. He dashed forward, weaving in between the arms that were outstretched. Just like in the game, when engaged in direct combat, the Goobbue had a limited set of attacks. Unlike in the game however-

WHOOSH

They could be dodged. Auto-attacks were usually guaranteed chip damage. Something that you simply could not avoid no matter what. The system didn't allow for it.

WHOOSH

FWOOM

The arms were twisting and contorting. Any faster and they would turn into whips, however Thancred navigated those attacks with a hint of grace. But only a hint. This Thancred was not the one I was familiar with. Years of hardship had not sharpened his blade. He moved with proper distance yes, but compared to the man he'd become, the current him was no more than a shadow in my eyes.

[BLIZZARD]

CRASH

I cast my only spell. My hopelessly weak bolt of ice struck the Goobbue head-on. Its beady eyes aimed up, it looked stunned, a chance that Thancred wouldn't miss.

"HMPH"

A sharp movement followed by an even sharper blade.

SHIIIIICK

A smooth cut. The dagger was longer than I remembered. The monster's blood splattered onto the street. That was no minor wound. Either Thancred was stronger than I gave credit for or the monster's hide was thinner than I expected.

GRYYAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

A scream of pain and anger. It was ready to go berserk after that one attack. Our party had no tank. Whatever it was about to do next, the consequences would be heavy if we were hit.

My MP wasn't recovered enough just yet for another Blizzard. If I had to cast it, I didn't know if I'd make it out alive.

We might have had to draw out the fight. Delay and exhaust the creature, if that was even possible. In-game fights were static tit-for-tat affairs. But, what I was reckoning with now was something intensely fatal. One mistake and it was over.

Just then, the Goldsmith's son finally took action. He was clumsy, but obviously attempting to hold his composure.

A sachet swung from around his wrist and at the monster's face. It hit lightly, but then exploded into a dense fog of off-white smoke. I covered my nose and jumped back. This asshole might have used poison!

What if we inhaled some of that? This mother fucker-

G-G-GWRAAHHH

It staggered! The beast stumbled! It was ready to go down! But at the last second, as if to spite my hopes, its pin-like legs kept it upright. It then turned and fled into the crowd.

"DAMN!"

"HELLS!"

"FUCK!"

The screams and chaos reached a new fever pitch. The monster, one of how many others was running into the side-streets of Ul'dah. People dodged out of the way and stuck fiercely to the walls, praying to whatever was listening that it wouldn't strike them.

Thancred and I gave chase to the monster. Whatever was in that sachet might have made the situation far worse. It was out of control now. We couldn't lead it out of the city even if we tried.

"HEY! HEY LOOK AT ME YOU BASTARD!"

Thancred yelled, his voice becoming scratchy and raw. His desperation was true, but the Goobbue paid him no mind. It wildly stumbled around at a fast speed. A speed that only increased in momentum thanks to its massive size.

Just as we were reaching half-way to to the end of the alleyway I saw her. A girl, almost a teenager, who was being calmed by a man that I assumed was her father. I saw her earlier. A pale yellow tunic and a matching yellow knit-cap. In her hands was that white flower that everyone else possessed. The man, rough and tall. His skin tanned and muscles visible. He was an adventurer of some kind. But, still only human.

I made eye contact with the girl. A pair of gray-blue eyes that I thought I had seen before. Eyes that I may never have seen again.

I thought that I knew how it ended. But it still played in slow motion in my mind. As if to taunt my helplessness. The beast had reached whatever destination it had in mind. It stumbled forward, careening at a speed that would kill that girl upon impact.

The scene suddenly sped up.

BOOM

It felt like the world had begun to tremble. Ul'dah's roads, her buildings, the entire city felt that impact. But none felt it more than- the girl's father. As the dust cleared his actions became obvious. He had dived in and pushed her out of the beast's path. Trading his life for hers. I could feel the Umbral Ice dissipate.

I didn't remember much of what happened after that as I directly fell down in gods know which direction.

It looked like my body couldn't handle the spell as well as I thought it could.

Blizzard.

The weakest spell one could cast as a Thaumaturge, the Aether I borrowed to use it, was killing me. 

It felt like I plunged into a deep and icy lake. The sun above Ul'dah was clouded in smoke and dust. It denied me warmth. The taste of iron rose in my throat. I didn't have the ability to turn over. It was blocking my breath, no matter how I gasped, it wouldn't go away. It wouldn't clear. I was suffocating. Drowning. My frigid body refused to listen. It refused to budge. It seized to the cold. I could feel someone shaking me, but the world was darkening.

For the second time in this world. I was gone. I blacked out.