Not to sound like a broken record, but this is a story I have told many times, and it marks my stay in Vana'diel as one of my favorite things. It is a story in which I was helped, but later turning into a time when I myself offered my help to those following my same path.
As many of you know, I was a Dragoon. Ever since I took up Final Fantasy XI, wielding a lance and wearing the armor of the infamous Kain from FFIV was my dream. However, when I first started, I realized Dragoon wasn't a job I could start as, rather I had to work my way up the chain until I could perform the quest to unlock the job. So there I was, leveling my Warrior in West Ronfaure along with hundreds of others who were just starting up their first characters. I leveled slow, and by slow, I mean a level a week, if that. I died more than anyone I know merely for the fact that I wanted to see every zone as fast as I could.
When I hit level 15, I was way behind the curve, seeing all those that leveled beside me now on to bigger and better things. This is when I heard about the lizard in Gustaburg that dropped these amazing boots and that they would last me a really long time. I figured, hey, why the hell not, and took off across the dunes. Little did I know that this area would bring lots of grief to me as well as many others throughout their stay in Vana'diel.
So I arrive in the Gustaburg, and begin killing every lizard I saw, because at this point, I had no idea about spawn points and timed spawns and all that jazz. I end up linking a few lizards, because I was the genius that would hit a lizard once, and run to another just so no one else could have them. Seems this one time, I took on one too many, and was near death. I found the Call for Help button and began running away from this lizard. Little did I know, my dream would come down from the sky at that very moment.
From out of nowhere, a streak of purple rained down from the sky, and away again, and the lizard died. I stood there for a second, not sure of what was going on. I look behind me, and there is an elvaan male, in full Dragoon Artifact Armor. I was amazed. At this point, I was still not used to chat commands, so in say, I asked him how to become a Dragoon. He did not respond at first, and just saluted as I walked around him a few times and pet his wyvern. Then i see a purple line of text come up <I'm sorry, I don't speak English>. I was a bit disappointed, but still thought it was awesome seeing my first Dragoon, and in full AF none the less. He saluted me once more, and I saluted him back, and he ran off into the distance.
After that, I forgot all about Leaping Lizzy, as I later found out about named mobs. I started leveling every day, and eventually got to 18, got my subjob, took monk to 18, then warrior to 30. At this point, I had joined up with a linkshell named BloodofLegends. I had know Tyrath, who I knew even before FFXI. I met another player by the name of Alastor. Both of them knew how much I wanted to become a Dragoon. Alastor, who at this time I believe was around 45-50 as a DRK offered to help me with the Dragoon quest. Tyrath came along too as a DRK and wanted to see how much damage he could do to the final wyvern fight to become a Dragoon. They take me through the quest and we come to the final wyvern fight and Alastor takes him down in little to no time. I watch the final scene and take about 5 minutes choosing my wyvern's name, and suddenly it says on my screen that I am now able to become a Dragoon.
I run with haste back to San'doria and into my moghouse and switch right to Dragoon. I scrounge up my remaining gil and buy my first polearm, and run headfirst into West Ronfaure. I browse through my new commands and I see listed "Call Wyvern". I move my cursor to the command and hit it. Both Tyrath and Alastor are there next to me, and both cheer as my wyvern drops from the sky for the first time ever. Cerulean, my wyvern and a Dragoon's best friend. We walked many roads together, often alone, as the path of Dragoon was often one of solitude. But we fought on...
When the time came for my artifact armor, I was very excited. I had been collecting the keys to open the treasure chests deep within enemy territory for a long time now. My wyvern and I soloed most of these treacherous journeys, with nothing but a case of oils and powders to get past the enemies without notice. But there were two quests in which I needed to recruit the assistance of others. The first one was my artifact body. I ran through Lower Jeuno, and came to the spot where I was almost always found. I asked for help several times at the top of my voice, when a line of purple text came from a great player, but turning out later to be a great friend. Elemmire, a Red Mage said she would help me, and guided me through the jungles to the volcano that lied deep within. She single handedly took down mob after mob until the key eventually dropped, and I found my treasure and put on my body piece. It was almost complete.
By this time, I was excited. However, the road to my helm was another tough battle. Deep within the ruins of a temple in the jungles was the home of the Tonberries. Within this ruin, there was a spot of mystery in which my wyvern was strangely drawn too. We made our journey to the temple, backed by my new group of TheHeroicLegends. My wyvern lead us to the spot, and out popped to shadows, bound on killing my wyvern and me. But they lacked the power to overcome my alliance of 18 soldiers armed to the teeth. I watch the powerful scene that follows, and I am presented with my helm. I put it on as all those who had helped me accomplish my goals cheered for me and Cerulean.
But it didn't end there. As I raised in level, I found myself aquiring items beyond any dragoon's dream, whether it was being the first NA to wear the Barone Corazza, or putting on the Dreizack for the first time, I found myself with amazing items that were very rare. There was one Dragoon who had been my mentor throughout most of my time in Vana'diel. Anytime I got a new item, I would find him wherever he was and let him wear it first, hoping maybe his talent and expertise would rub off on it. Eleibfrid was that Dragoon, and often the one Dragoon you would think to be synonymous with the job. My mentor, but more importantly my friend, thank you Eleibfrid.
For all those who had helped me, I am grateful. So grateful that I took it upon myself to do what those who have come before me have done. But what was a Dragoon to do? As I grew in level, I was able to take on more and more mobs that others my level couldn't touch. That wasn't enough for me though. Soloing coffer mobs and killing quest NMs wasn't cutting it. I helped many throughout my journeys, but one task that I repeated over and over will always remain as my favorite.
As I walked through the lands of Vana'diel, the sounds of others who wished to join the order of the Dragoon Knights of Vana'diel would sometimes ring out. As part of the legend, I took it upon myself to aid these soldiers in become part of it as well. From finding the egg of their future wyvern, to killing the enemy of all wyverns, I found myself helping many achieve the status of Dragoon Knight. After the final fight, I would return with them to San'doria and buy them their first polearm, and watched as them summoned their wyvern to their side for the first time. This to me, is greater than any accomplishment I ever could have made. The bond between Dragoon and wyvern runs deep, and creating that bond is more than anyone could ask for.
And to finish where I started, those in need of help were often able to find it in the company of those closest to them. Whether it be your first linkshell, or your first ingame friend, or even to your wyvern the first time you call him to your side, there will always be someone there to aid you in your journey. I found my aid, and offered mine.
In the end, the path of the Dragoon wasn't so lonely at all...
