Saehel's not-so-daring tale

Postby Saehel on Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:39 am

Hello! My name is Saehel. I live in the Republic of Bastok, Residential Area J-7 #3 in Bastok Markets. I am 19 years old, but I will be 20 soon. My Moogle is called Mr. Kupo and he looks after me and tends to my plants and my mail for me. He also feeds my fish when I am away. My first chocobo is called FlareTalon and he had red feathers. He is older now so he is retired at the chocobo farms. My new chocobo is called GoldWing. He is yellow just like his mom, NimbleDancer, who was Mister Humaisna's chocobo. Mister Humainsa is one of my friends and we go adventuring together, I will tell you about him later.

My mom is named Michea and she lives at F-10 Upper on the Kulatz Bridge, in Bastok Markets. It's easy to find because it's above Brunhilde Armorer, so if they are working on making things there is sometimes smoke coming from the top of the building. My mom is also a Goldsmith so she makes things too, and sometimes there is smoke there too. If you get lost this can help you find it, but there are lots of people who can help you. She is a very kind lady to all the adventurers who want to talk to her. She likes books, too.

I was born in Bastok Markets, anyway. Most of the people there are Galka and Humes, but not all of them. I guess there are not to many Elvaan that live there, or Tarutaru or Mithra either. But Bastok is a big city so we have a lot of shops run by all kinds of folk, and there are lots of adventurers coming through and we have all sorts living in the Residential Area too. But I guess we live here instead of San d'Oria, where my mom is from, because there was a big war before I was born. My mom's parents both were killed fighting in the war when my mom was younger, but there was a Hume boy who took her to Bastok. They were in love and he wanted her to be safe, so she was looked after by Mister Dalzakk, who is a brave adventurer, and smart, and a strong fighter. He likes books a lot too. My mom kind of sees him as a dad now, since she doesn't have one any more. He still goes out adventuring a lot and sometimes he brings presents back.

The Hume boy was my dad. He went out to fight in the war because he wanted the world to be safe again. He was mad because the beastmen took so much from my mom, and so he felt like they took a whole future away from her. They might not have approved of them getting married or anything, because he was a Hume instead of an Elvaan, and they were both pretty young. But still, they would have come around my mom thinks. So my dad went off to fight and once the beastmen were finally driven back, my dad never came back to Bastok. I wish I could have met him. Maybe someday he will come back, I like to think. My mom has a sad look sometimes when it's quiet and she is looking at Firewater Circle from the balcony. I wish he could come back so she wouldn't look so sad like that.

So that's the story of my parents, and Mister Dalzakk. I am tired now, so I think I will go to bed and write more next time.

Postby Saehel on Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:01 am

Today I am going to talk about how Coravin came to live with us. I was little then, and my mom was doing good and working on her goldsmithing a lot at that time. I did my best to stay out of trouble because our house was nearby Firewater Circle, and lots of adventurers were always going past. Plus with the Brunhilde Armorer downstairs from us was a lot of traffic too. Bastok can be very busy. It would be easy for my mom not to see me if I went too far. Anyway, around that time when I was five years old, Mister Dalzakk came home from an adventure and this time he didn't bring any books or candy. Instead he brought back a little Mithra kitten! I wanted to keep her right away. I guess my mom did too, and Coravin started to live with us from that day.

Coravin was a lot smaller than me and younger, she was 3 years old. Her hair is white and her eyes are blue. She doesn't like it if you pull on her ears or tail, or if you try to tie her tail into a knot. She never liked that at all. But she is a lot of fun, and I tried my best to look out for her and make sure she is safe. At first she was sad for a while, but she became more happy and outgoing. Now she is very outgoing. Later on when I started training to become a monk under Mister Dalzakk, she started training right along with me. We can protect each other that way, so everyone thought it was good and they know we look out for each other. Coravin says she doesn't remember anything about her parents or being in Windurst, she only remembers us and Bastok. But Mister Dalzakk said her parents were killed in a bad storm over that way, and he says he has a soft spot for orphans, which I guess you can say is true all the way. That's why he had to help her out, and he thought of my mom and me. My mom would do anything for Mister Dalzakk and she likes helping people too.

I love Coravin a lot. I am thankful to Mister Dalzakk for bringing her home to us. I had fun growing up with her and training together. I like to make sure she is safe and she likes to make sure I am, too. We will always protect each other from anything bad. I like to spend a lot of time with Coravin. I will keep her safe forever, I will fight as hard as I can if it means she will be safe. My mom tells me that is how my dad must have felt about her, and that is why he had to leave and fight the beastmen in the war. I wish he would have come back from fighting, and be with me and my mom and Coravin.

Once, when Coravin and I were young, my mom had to go to the upper level of the Metalworks for some official business. I don't remember too much about what the business was, and she never talked too much about it. I know they have the San d'Orian Consul up there, so maybe it was there that we had been going.

Anyway, we never got there on that day. Mister Dalzakk was out adventuring, so Mom said that Coravin and I were supposed to go with her. She made sure we were clean and dressed nice because we were going somewhere important. She made me wear a headband to keep my hair in order, and my dress was itchy. Coravin looked really pretty but she didn't like her dress either. I'm sure getting us ready probably gave her a hard time, so she told us to make sure we were on our best behavior. And I really did try.

She led us across down the steps of our house, past the shops and across Firewater Circle. Both me and Coravin followed behind her as close as we could, since it was really busy. We went down the steps toward the residential area and up the steps leading to the Metalworks.

It was my first time being inside there, since it was for important business only if you didn't work in there. Imagine my surprise when I saw the two elevators for the first time! They were so big and went up so high in the air! I was excited when my mom told us that we were going to ride the elevator up to the top. We waited for it to come down, and the people who were riding it from the top stepped off. Mom nudged Coravin and me forward, then stepped on herself. I sat down on the wide wooden planks, and Mom told me to get up because I was getting my dress all dirty. I stood back up, and saw Coravin's tail was swishing back and forth as she looked around the structure of the elevator. After watching it swish for a while, I grabbed hold of her tail. She jumped, just as the elevator started moving, which scared me too! And I jumped, then tripped over the hem of my dress, and fell backwards over the edge.

It wasn't a very long fall, we were only a couple feet off the ground. I made more daring jumps every day on the steps to our house. But jumping on purpose and falling on accident are very different. I landed hard on my back and bumped my head. I couldn't breathe for a minute, and it was scary. One of the Galka who worked in the Blacksmith's Guild had seen me and rushed out to make sure I was okay. He told me his name was Garbenn and he would need to check to see if I was hurt. My mom was crying and so was Coravin, the whole time they were calling out to me and Mister Garbenn was telling them I was going to be okay. I probably didn't help because I was crying too once I could breathe again. They rode the elevator all the way up and then had to ride it straight back down again.

My mom took me and Coravin straight home after thanking Mister Garbenn over and over again. He said I was really lucky that I hadn't gotten hurt worse, and I know he was very right.

Ever since that day I haven't liked to ride the elevators.

I had promised that I would write a bit on adventuring, so here goes. Recently I have taken more of an interest in Woodworking. Alchemy is difficult right now, even though I can make many types of medicine I can't make anything to heal wounds. So, Guildmaster Abad-al-Raziq has told me to continue in my studies and work on making a blinding potion to use on enemies, he will teach me the ingredients to make healing potions. I look forward to that day, but in the meantime I needed to get my mind off Alchemy for a bit and do something that I can use my strength on.

I thought I would learn to do actual logging, since the area where it is easy for me to get Sleepshrooms I will need for the blinding potions is also a forest! In fact it is a forest that I used to be afraid of, since the tigers there used to chase me and give me nightmares. I have trained a lot with Mister Giantaru and my other friends, so I am strong enough now that the tigers are more afraid of me. I made a lot of hatchets, since I wasn't sure how many I would need. As it turns out I made too many, but this way I can log for a long time.

The places the tigers like best are the places where it is easiest to get logs off the trees. I guess the tigers like thick tree areas, so they can spring out on people as they go by! If I ever saw anyone who needed help while I am logging, I would make that tiger think twice about chasing anyone! I know you are thinking this doesn't seem like it is about adventuring. Well keep reading, I promise there is something scary coming!

So as I was learning about logging and making a lot of lumber, I was also getting many Sleepshrooms. This made me happy. I was getting ready to travel to another area of the forest since the part I was in didn't seem to have anywhere good to log. I checked my map and my compass and set myself up to go north to a good area to find walnut logs. But because I was happy I was looking in my pack as I walked, counting all the Sleepshrooms I had gotten. Before I knew it, something hit me! Nothing in this forest hits me! I looked up and saw what looked like a Walking Tree! I hate those things!

This Walking Tree seemed different from the others. The other ones usually don't bother anyone, even if they are little Tarus. This one was mean. Suddenly I remembered people had warned me to stay out of the southern section of forest during the daytime, because a monster called a Fraelessa appears there and is very strong. But I was going north! I remembered what Mister Dalzakk had told me and readied myself to dodge attacks, as I pulled the map out of my bag again. Somehow I got turned around because I wasn't paying attention, and had started heading back south without noticing.

I have seen some people, like Miss Rhoa and Mister Giantaru, be able to run very fast when they are afraid. I wish I could run that fast! I turned and started running away from the Fraelessa, checking my pendant compass to make sure I was still going north. The Fraelessa chased me through half the forest, and every sapling that saw her after me started chasing me too! After a while I was pretty badly injured, and tired from the long run, but I knew I had to keep going. Even after I couldn't feel the ground shake from her running, I still kept on, all the way past the logging area I was going to, and all the way past the Taru who was guarding the entrance to the forest from Battalia Downs. I knew I had to get out of the forest because she wouldn't follow me into an open area.

Finally I came running out of the forest into the hills of Battalia Downs. I was covered in dirt and scratches from running, and I was winded and hurt. I used my Chi energy like Mister Dalzakk showed me to heal a little bit, but it wasn't enough, even after that I was still hurt. I sat down and rested for what felt like hours, waiting for my heart to slow back down and my breath to catch back up to me. When I finally felt better, I looked back at the forest, then forward to Battalia Downs.

It seems a little weird that the forest is safer at night and the hills are safer during the day.

Aside from working on crafting, I just started raising a new chocobo! Goldwing didn't need as much care any more, since he's fully grown, so he stays at the chocobo farms now along with FlareTalon. While I was visiting him one day it seemed like he was getting along awfully good with Mister Giantaru's chocobo, Jade Whisper. I came back to visit them shortly after and one of the stable workers gave me an egg! She said it was from Jade Whisper and Goldwing, and I should take care of it since they don't have enough time for raising chicks.

Well I was a little surprised, but you can bet I took the egg. I promised Jade Whisper and Goldwing I would look after the chick and take good care of it. I don't know what FlareTalon thinks of becoming a grand-dad though! He probably thinks he is too young for things like that, but his son is fully grown after all. I took the egg to the Bastok Chocobo Stables straight away, and started right on growing some greens and carrots for the chick before the egg even hatched. I guess I was a little excited. I really like taking care of chocobos. I forgot how much fun it is to look after them.

So, not too long afterwards the egg hatched, a healthy adorable little boy chick. He is growing fast like they always do, and getting stronger every day. I have never seen one as strong as he is at such a young age! He is going to be red like his mom and his grand-dad. I named him Mister Zippy, because I can tell already that he is going to be the fastest chocobo ever.

I'm so happy! Everyone was helping scoop goldfish at the Sunbreeze festival! I never knew Miss Keahi was so good at catching fish! I would wonder if it's because she is a mithra, but Miss Rhoa was not as lucky. Maybe it is because Miss Keahi goes fishing a lot.

Mister Jestor has been fishing a lot lately too. I have fixed many fishing rods for him and for Miss Keahi and Kini. He has also been crafting a lot! This week he made me a shirt and pants to wear fishing, just like a real fisherman, and he also made me a bed! Mister Kupo takes up a lot of the bed for being so small, so I have to sleep on the bottom of it curled up. I don't know if I'm cut out for having a bed, sometimes it is cramped. I will try to save up and buy a really big one, some day, so it can fit me and Coravin and Mister Kupo and Moggy-Mog all in it. I bet it will take up a whole house!

I also won two nice yukatas at the festival, and a swimsuit. This one is blue instead of red, and it's really pretty. Some of the festival games were really hard and made me mad. In Windurst I had to take my linkpearl off because I was scaring Miss Nini. Sorry Miss Nini! Sometimes I forget about how hard it is to learn new things, so it was very frustrating. And I forget about how much bigger I am and stronger ... so I can see why I would be scary. Catching goldfish was much more relaxing.

For a while we talked at Rabao about a bunch of things, like the big scary mouth logs that all of us have been finding. I didn't know there were so many of them! I feel like even though they are scary, I want to look closer at them. What if I fell in! It looks like it would eat me! T-T Mister Jestor said what if they are like the crags, and he said you can go inside the crags! I don't know how to, there isn't a door or anything. Mister Jestor said there are weird looking monsters inside them and lots of strange things like nothing else.

I think it might be things that aren't even from Vana'diel, and really old and strong and they can make things that we can't. Mister Cid said they crags are built on ... he called them "ley lines," so they are all really far apart but they look the same! And they have the same kind of magic going through them. Nothing else even looks like them, except the spine of the world that is in Meriphataud Mountains. (And that is scary because it's so big! It looks like a spine but I never saw anything that big! It looks like it came from a snake that could open up its mouth and swallow the world!)

I have been talking a lot with Miss Rhoa lately too. We stay up later than the others so it gives us a lot of time to chat. Sometimes she asks hard questions but I try my best to answer them. She said that she thinks I would make a good mom some day. I talked with Coravin and she thinks it would be okay to have a kitten some day, but I don't know how we would get one.

(I had attempted to post this last night, but Michelle's computer ate it. I re-wrote all of it by hand as best as I could remember, and this time I'm copying it from a notebook. I thought about scanning it because I'm lazy but it's in my handwriting, so if I scanned it I would want to re-write it in Sae's.)

Since Sunbreeze is almost over, Coravin and I had decided to go to Windurst to see the baby chocobos before the festival ended. She hasn't been out of Bastok in a while since she says she is a homebody at heart, but she does worry about me when I'm away on long trips. Plus I guess I couldn't stop talking about the baby chocobos, so she wanted to see them too. It has been a long time since RainSage was a baby ... I think she misses having a baby chocobo secretly, but she says it is too much work to raise one to being an adult. I said I wouldn't mind doing the work for her, but she says I have enough to worry about on my own. I also tell her not to worry that much when I'm gone because I am with people I trust, and they want to make sure that nothing bad happens to me as much as I want to make sure nothing bad happens to them.

So we were getting ready to leave on the trip, and I was double-checking all her gear and her pack to make sure we would have enough supplies to get there and back. It's a long trip to Windurst, which I guess is why she hasn't gone in a long time, and we wanted to ride our chocobos there to spend more time together. I haven't ridden Mister Zippy yet, since he is still growing and getting stronger. I have someone else training him to be ridden, because the Chocobo Society tells me that I am a breeder and not a trainer. They don't think it is safe for me to saddle-train him myself because they said I don't have enough experience. Sometimes they treat me like a little kid, so that makes me mad. I even showed them the Beastmaster Whistle that I got from Mister Dietmund in Jeuno but they still say no. I guess I have to wait until they have more trust in me.

Anyway, I rode FlareTalon and Coravin ride RainSage all the way out to Windurst. It was starting to get late when we got there, but we didn't have too many problems on the way there. I noticed that my map cases are starting to get a bit worn because I use them so much, so I need to get them replaced before my maps go spilling out all over the wilderness. I decided it would be safer not to use them quite as much for a while until I can get to Jeuno and buy new ones. Since I had been to Windurst pretty recently I thought we would still be okay to find the chocobo stables and our Rent-a-Room, but it's really big!

I thought we were supposed to turn right at the dhalmel farm, but really we were supposed to go left, and instead of ending up in Bomigo Round we were in the Mithra groves! I realized we made a wrong turn and tried to go back out the way we came, when we saw Miss Keahi and Miss Rhoa drinking tea on the terrace of Miss Keahi and Mister Tero's house! I was surprised to see them there, but I was also excited to get to introduce Coravin to Miss Rhoa, since they haven't met yet. They invited us to join them and Mister Tero brought us out some teacups. He is very quiet but handsome.

Well, it seems that while Coravin and I spent all day traveling, there was a big fight between Mister Humai and Mister Jestor, and Miss Keahi, Miss Rhoa, and Miss Aenini. I didn't get too much details except that the boys had ruined Girls Adventure Day, and they all came to Windurst to cool down. Miss Nini had already gone to bed, and Mister Humai went to San d'Oria, but no one knew where Mister Jestor had gone. Miss Keahi went to bed shortly after we got there, and like usual me and Miss Rhoa were up late, only this time Coravin was there too! We watched the fireworks for a while and chatted, then the long day caught up to us and we went to our Rent-a-Room. (I was a little sad I didn't get invited on Girls Adventure Day. But then again I was busy with Coravin so I can understand why they didn't ask us along.)

Before I started my journal I wrote a letter to Mister Jestor saying that I heard there was a fight and I was worried because no one was even talking to him. I wanted to help everyone patch things up so did he know where was the best place to start? Then I gave the letter to one of the Moogles for delivery. I hope that tomorrow I will get to see him and we can talk, and I can figure out how to make everyone talk to each other again. Maybe he can go see the baby chocobos with me and Coravin. I hope that once everyone sleeps on it they will think that the fight was a big misunderstanding and they were silly to get angry with each other.

Well it is time for bed. The rental bed is really soft, Coravin says, so I have to go try it! Mister Kupo stayed home so he gets the bed there all to himself, and Coravin is better at sharing than he is.

(ha ha, good at sharing but not good for getting sleep?)

(The important point here is that when they *do* go to sleep Sae doesn't end up with paws in her face or getting kicked in the head.)

When I got up the next morning, Coravin was still asleep, so I got up to go check for a reply from the moogles from Mister Jestor. Instead I found that they weren't able to deliver the mail, and the moogle I talked to said he hadn't been home yet. They did find out that a Hume who looked like I described him was talking to another Hume who sounded like Mister Humai in Mhaura, but then he cast a teleport spell on himself and vanished. So I was stuck unless he had said anything to Mister Humai.

I wrote another note to Mister Humai asking for his help in finding Mister Jestor, because now I was even more worried. Coravin got up then and we went and did a bunch of fun things like watching the Mumor show and eating cotton candy and playing games at the carnival. Around lunch time we went back to the Rent-a-Room and I had mail! Mister Humai wrote back to say that he knew where Mister Jestor was, but that he'd been told not to tell. But since he was unable to get through to Mister Jestor (I wonder what that means?) he would tell me how to find him. He told me about an area in Valkurm Dunes that wasn't on any map, and that was where I would be able to find him. I wrote a note back to him to say thank you and I would try my best to get him to talk to the others again. I told Coravin that I had found out where Mister Jestor was, and I would be back as soon as I had talked to him. Then I stuffed my bag full of the travel foods I had brought with me and hopped back on FlareTalon.

We made pretty good time to the Dunes and I found the area right where Mister Humai had described it. Mister Jestor looked dazed and I don't think he had eat or drank or slept the whole time! He said he had to stay awake until the others arrived and he said he knew they would. Right away I could tell he needed fresh water, so I gave him a flask to drink and some blue peas I had grown myself. It wasn't very much but they say there is a priest of Altana who eats nothing but blue peas, so I know someone can survive on them.

We had a long talk and he said that he was thinking he should continue his studies in Aht Urghan or elsewhere, because we didn't need him around. He says that no one asks for his help and when he offers advice no one takes it anyway. I begged him not to go, because he is one of the people who has helped me the most, and I really appreciate everything that he has done for me. He even has taken time out of his studies to help Coravin, which means so much to me. He is very smart and he is generous with what he has learned, so I don't understand why the others got upset with him.

He told me that he was sure the others (Miss Keahi and Miss Aenini and Miss Rhoa) were in the process of learning how to become bards, so he had gotten some scrolls for them to get started with and was waiting for them to arrive so he could celebrate with them. But he didn't expect for them to get angry with him, and they had an argument at one of the song runes. I told him that it made me really sad to think of them fighting and to think of him leaving. I told him I would help fix the mistake because he does matter to us and we don't want him to leave. At least I know I feel that way and I am sure that the others must, too.

It was starting to get dark out and he told me a story about his mother and a song she used to sing to him. He said he was giving that song to Miss Aenini when she became a bard. He was very tired at this point and he rested his head in my lap and began singing the song. It was beautiful and it made me feel really as though Mister Jestor was saying goodbye to me. So it made me cry, and I ran my hands through his hair as he sang. This finally relaxed him into falling asleep, which he really needed to do. I eased his head out from my lap carefully so he wouldn't wake up, but he was so tired I could have dumped him right into the sand without waking him I bet. I propped his head up on his gobbiebag and covered him with a travel blanket I had in mine. I left all the extra flasks of water with him as well as wrapped packs of blue peas, and I made him a promise right then that I would hurry back withthe others and that I would try my best to fix what had happened.

Flare was pretty tired and I felt bad about him having to carry me all the way back, so I sent him ahead with a message to Coravin that I was on my way but I was going on foot to save Flare the stress of carrying me. If he got overworked then he might get injured, and I don't want to have him injured on my account. I traveled all through the night through the Dunes, then La Theine where I rented a chocobo, who I rode all the way until I got to Tahrongi Canyon, where I left her at the Crag of Mea and continued again the rest of the way on foot. I was pretty winded when I finally arrived there and day had broken.

I checked in with Coravin, and she was still asleep. I'm so sorry our vacation turned out like this. I will have to make it up to you once I make everything right with my friends. I kissed her forehead while she slept. I saw her smile in her sleep and she mumbled my name, then she rolled over and kept sleeping. After that I went straight to Miss Keahi's, where I found Miss Aenini and Miss Rhoa on Miss Keahi's terrace. I explained everything as quickly as I could. Miss Keahi came out of the house and I can tell she was still mad at him from the way she kept flipping her tail. Miss Rhoa was flipping hers around a lot too, and she said that Miss Keahi had told her that after a while Blue mages might turn into monsters and she was worried Mister Jestor was already turning into a monster. I told them he wasn't a monster when I talked to him, but he was thinking he might leave and go to Aht Urghan forever because we didn't need him any more.

Miss Nini and I thought the same thing - we are a family and we have to make sure he doesn't leave. Finally between the two of us we convinced Miss Rhoa and Miss Keahi to hear him out. Then, Miss Nini also said they needed to stop in Jeuno to talk to someone. I agreed pretty easily since they have really good auctions there with things that are hard to find, and I was looking for a bunch of glass plates to make the fishtanks out of. I won a bunch of kits at the festival and I wanted to surprise everyone by making nice new fishtanks for them to keep in their mog houses.

While they got prepared for the trip I went back to the Rent-a-Room and had breakfast with Coravin, who was awake this time. Her face brightened up when she saw me and I felt bad to tell her that I had to go out again, but we had a little bit of time to play with the chocobo chicks again before leaving. It was so much fun! I wish we didn't have serious business to take care of, so I could have stayed with her longer. But Mister Jestor needed me and I had to show them the beach where he was. Before long the others had arrived at the chocobo stables and we rented our mounts to head for Jeuno.

The trip to Jeuno was pretty fast, I only got lost one time. Miss Keahi arrived first, and I would have been last except that Miss Rhoa was busy showing Miss Aenini around places she hadn't been. While we were in Jeuno we ran into Mister Giantaru, and he said he's making good money in goldsmithing so he is going to be taking another leave from adventuring for a while to set up shop there. I hope it works out for him, my mom is really proud to have had him as a student.

We rented chocobos again in Jeuno and continued to Valkurm Dunes, where I lead them to the beach. Mister Humaisna was there this time with Mister Jestor, who still looked worse for wear but at least he had been able to rest a bit, as well as eat and drink. I hugged both of them and then they talked it out.

He was pretty harsh on Miss Rhoa, which I apologized for later. I didn't know what he was going to say to her, but she stood there and heard him out and held her tongue even though I could tell she was dying to say stuff back to him. He talked about the stars and spirits with Miss Aenini, who is trying to become a summoner, and said he was sure she could find a good teacher. She clamped onto his leg and said he wasn't leaving, we still needed him, not as a teacher but as a friend. I agree! By this time we had mostly convinced him to stay, but he hadn't said anything to Miss Keahi so we told him he should say what he needs to.

Then once he congratulated Miss Keahi and gave her a scroll, Miss Rhoa had her turn to talk. She was also really harsh on Mister Jestor, which made me sad. I had hoped they could work their differences out and be friends, but I will stay hopeful that in the future they will come around and count each other as friends one day. But, Miss Rhoa promised on her honor as a Dragoon that she would not move against him and she wanted him to stay in the group for the rest of us. She also made him promise to be more open and honest to his friends. Miss Keahi yelled at him too, and said that half the reason she trained so hard on Blue magic was to show him that if she could do it, so could he. He just smiled the madder she got, and said he finally found his anchor so he wasn't worried about losing himself any more. I am still not sure what it means but if my anchor is my family maybe the group of us can be his. So this makes me happy.

In the end everything is almost back to normal, except there is a big division between Miss Rhoa and Mister Jestor that seems like it might never heal. I hope it does. I care a lot about both of them and I want them to be able to trust each other.

Mister Zippy injured his leg in training. I'm so worried for him, and I'm a little mad at the Chocobo Society for not letting me do his training myself. I wish they had let me work with him myself, or help them with his training at least, since I don't work him hard enough to injure him on our walks or any other things that we do.

Last night I dreamed that I went to go see him with more Gausebit grass to make sure he was feeling better, and that Mister Zopago told me he died. I woke up so scared I wanted to go out right then in the middle of the night. Coravin says she is sure that someone would come get me right away if his condition got worse though, and she managed to calm me down and after a while I fell back asleep.

He's resting today, because I didn't want to let them do any more training with him until he's better. I already gave him a bunch of Gausebit grasses to speed his recovery. He doesn't like how they taste though. I don't blame him, they smell like dandilions.

Well, Mister Zippy's leg is healed up now. He's getting really strong, I'm very impressed with how good he's doing. Yesterday he had an upset stomach from eating too many greens. I know that he likes carrots better, so I can guess who was feeding him greens. (I think it was the trainer, she pushes him too hard and them makes him sick.) Pretty soon I am going to stop letting them train him completely. I can see he is getting really strong but I can also see that he isn't very happy. I've already paid for the trainer working with him through the next week, but after that I am not letting them do anything more with him.

Today everyone went on an adventure to Jeuno. The President's aide said he's heard about how much good work we've been doing for Bastok and he thought we should go help out our embassy in Jeuno. We were happy to be able to help, but when we got there the ambassador wasn't there. Instead we heard he was at Delkfutt's Tower, which is in Qufim. Mister Jestor took me there once before, but I never got a map of the tower since we only went in the very bottom. It's huge! And it's also full of goblins and giants and tasty bats.

We snuck through the tower very carefully and only fought when we couldn't sneak past the monsters. Even the bats. =( Mister Humaisna and Mister Jestor agreed that even though we were strong enough to fight the monsters, it would take a long time for us to get to the top of the tower if we stopped to fight everything. That made sense, so we made it through without getting into too much trouble. Once we got to the higher part of the tower we fought a few giants and some bats, and maybe one or two goblins. The goblins thought Miss Nini looked like she would taste good or something, and started chasing her, but we stopped them right away. One of the giants we fought was really big, bigger than all the other giants, even, and he was all covered in tattoos. He must have been in charge of the other giants, because he had a lot of keys. When we defeated him, there were enough keys for everyone to get one.

After that we had to ride an elevator, and it was scarier than the one in the Metalworks that I had to ride earlier today, because it had no railings or anything. I didn't fall though. After the elevator stopped we seemed to be inside a prison area, and we found Ambassador Altair knocked out behind one of the doors. We helped him and he thanked us and said he would meet back up with us at the embassy. He escaped pretty fast for a government guy, and he even beat us back to the embassy! Once we got back he said he was thankful we rescued him and that we were brave and strong and stuff, and he wanted us to be ... something that started with an a, where we would help out at the embassy for Bastok. He also said he was thinking of us for something else but he didn't want to tell us about it yet. Mister Humaisna wanted to know right away but I didn't want to push him. Anyway, Ambassador Altair gave us each 5000 gil too! I think I want to spend it on something nice for Mom, I bet I can find something she would really like.

Wow, I guess I've been really busy lately. I haven't written anything for a long time, it looks like. I took over all of Mister Zippy's training like I said I was going to, and it takes up a lot of my time. I do get to stay in Bastok a lot, though, which is nice because I don't have to be away from Coravin or Mom so much.

Oh, speaking of Coravin and moms, it turns out that Coravin's mom is alive! And everyone was surprised about it. Coravin looks like a smaller version of her mom, it's funny, but they are really cute together. They have been getting to know each other again and both of them seem really happy even though Cor says it's a little embarrassing being mothered. I think her mom is really cool, she has a real pirate ship and everything and she used to do work for Bastok. She said when she found out about Coravin she retired from pirating and came here right away.

I really want her to like me. I think I am doing an okay job, she says she can tell that I want Coravin to be happy and that's all she wants too. I tried really hard to impress her but like usual I think I messed up what I was trying to say. One thing I think is funny is that Coravin has a stronger accent than her mom does, even though both of them grew up in Bastok.

I did find out something sad about my dad, too. Miss Nekaru, well, she says it's possible to go into the past during the Crystal War. She says that's what the Maw things do that everyone was talking about. I haven't ever got one to do that but I did try to crawl into one. I know it's really dangerous to go and Nekaru-mom says you can't change anything. So that made me really sad and I cried a little, even in front of Nekaru-mom which embarrassed me, but I couldn't help it. All I want is to be able to bring him home. Maybe if I can just see him one time, that's sort of all I want to do. I want him to know that Mom still loves him and that I grew up okay and I want to be like him and Mister Dalzakk, and be strong so I can defend the people I love.

So I have been training really hard again in between all of that. I guess I have been too busy to write! Anyway I went to Jeuno this time and I got a new gi! This one is white and it's really nice looking! I have to try really hard to keep it looking good because it's sort of impressive. I want to test for my brown belt, and I know Cor is more than good enough for her purple belt too.

So I think I will get back to what I was doing. I have to go check on Mister Zippy and take him for a walk, then tonight I think Miss Rhoa and I are going to go do something together. Maybe Cor will come with us!

(Let it be noted that the handwriting in this entry is sloppier than usual. Odd on a day in which she complained about her own handwriting and how often she forgets to use the blotter, but there you have it.)

Another busy day. I went down to the Tenshodo's warehouse in Port Bastok today. I'm not sure really why, I just felt like walking and then I found myself there. One of the guys said he noticed I had been getting stronger lately, and asked if I could do a job for him. I said sure. Then he told me what it was, and I was sort of excited. He wanted me to hunt some really strong monsters, two of them. He thinks I am strong enough to fight them myself.

He might be right. I can't tell really. Jestor said he would help me, and the next thing I knew Nekaru-mom was there too! She has some training as a Ranger and she said she would be able to help me track it. If I knew how long it was going to take I wouldn't have asked her along, which I told her later. She said knowing how much longer it would have taken me by myself, she would have insisted she go with me.

Well, it took a really long time. I didn't know it would. I guess that's why he didn't just do it himself. But he said if I finished it for him he'd give me my very own purple belt because I would have earned it. That's how come I was excited. I want to prove that I'm a good fighter and that I can earn it. So far we only were able to find one of the rams he told me to find, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without Nekaru-mom and Mister Jestor's help. Does that count as earning it myself? I did a lot of beating up on my own, but Nekaru-mom is really strong!

I also learned a lot of stuff about sheep that I didn't want to know, and I learned about the history of the windmills and the treaty between Bastok and San d'Oria about the windmills in Konschtat Highlands. They are more than 100 years old! And I learned some stuff about merchants, and I wonder if that's the kind of trade caravan my dad used to guard, because of the route it took. And I learned that there's always something stronger, even if you're really, really strong. There's always a challenge ahead, and I want to be able to meet a lot of challenges. I want to get my brown belt after I get my purple belt. Then some day I will get my black belt if I work really hard at it.

Because we were in the area, we went to San d'Oria and I thought about what it might have been like for my dad coming in to San d'Oria with a caravan. And I think he must have thought about how happy he would be to get to see my mom again, like how I feel when Coravin stays at home while I go adventuring. And he probably just wanted to hug her and maybe this time she would run away with him. I bet she wanted to run away with him, too. I should ask her about it but I don't want to make her sad thinking about it.

I stopped to talk to Great-Aunt Femitte and Rouva while we were there. I guess Great-Aunt Femitte is kind of cool. She still wants my mom to go back to San d'Oria some day, even if the rest of the family don't doesn't want her back. Lots of the people in San d'Oria are stuck up about that, but Great-Aunt Femitte doesn't really seem like she's that m like the rest of them. She's still really distant sometimes and formal and I don't know how to talk to her, but maybe after some time she could be really nice. I know anyway that she still cares about my mom a lot even if she dosn't doesn't really know how to show it.

Once we got home to Bastok and I said good night to Mister Jessy and Nekaru-mom, I went to go work with Mister Zippy some more. I think that's really why I'm so tired, we trained really hard today and I could fall asleep right now, but I'd get ink all ovr over my face. I did a lot of work with him on trying to make him smarter, and then we ran some races at the track. Once we raced just Mister Zippy against Best, the black chocobo those Hume boys from Aht Urghan are raising and they are always saying how much better Best is than Mister Zippy. Well Mister Zippy won once and for all and I won 3000 gil so they can stop bragging now.

Okay Coravin is alredy aleep so I'm gona go to bed now.

Today I'm a little sad. The VCS said that it was time for Mister Zippy to go off to the chocobo farms, since he didn't need me to take care of him every day any more. He is old enough to be on his own with the other chocobos there, his mom and dad and his grandparents too. I got a special whistle so I can call for him when I want to see him. They said that no matter where I am he will hear it and come to me. So that made me a little bit less sad, but I am still going to miss taking care of him.

I guess I will have a little more free time though. Coravin's 20 now. Then in the spring I will be 22 and I will be 2 years older than her again. Right now she is almost catching up to me! Nekaru-mom told us that Coravin's real birthday is in the fall and that it's the 11th day of the 11th month. Mine is on the fourth day of the third month. We always just had ours at the same time, but now we can have them separate. I guess that will be nice because we will get twice as many time to play for the day and shoot off fireworks on the balcony at Mom's house. We got to play with a bunch of different magic costumes, it was a lot of fun to do and I hope we get to do something that fun for my birthday, too! Everyone was there, we had Miss Rhoa, Mister Humaisna, Miss Keahi, Mister Jestor, of course Nekaru-mom and Mom were there too. We just didn't have Miss Aenini there, or Kinikko, I think Kinikko got grounded because her parents caught her adventuring. I am sure she will be back soon though!

We went training in Garlaige Citadel recently. It was a little difficult there but I think we did pretty good. We are becoming more experienced and stronger together, and working as a team. Miss Rhoa wasn't there this week, I think she was busy with something else. Coravin decided she would stay home this time too. I think she is thinking really hard about what else she would like to learn. Nekaru-mom has been telling her about the avatars and stuff, and Coravin has really become interested in that. I want to help her as much as I can but I'm not too good at anything that involves magic. I mean, I studied enough that I can do a little bit, but it seems like I'm better at using my strength rather than magic.

Well I guess I better get to bed. I'm pretty tired, and I have a long day tomorrow, I have a lot of errands to run and I might go over to see Aunt Femitte again. I was going to a couple weeks ago but I wasn't sure what to say to her, so I kind of chickened out. Maybe I will get better at it. She seems like she would make a good head of family, I mean, much better than the old stuffy traditional guys who usually get put in charge. She at least thinks about more than "upholding tradition" or whatever stuff they say.

I don't like being sick. Staying at home is boring. But I was really sick, so I had to. My mom made me lots of soups the whole time, and Mister Adb-al-Raziq told me I should make something for my throat, because it was all scratchy and hurt a lot when I wasn't drinking soup. You really can't drink soup all the time. So I made something with honey and lemon and chamomile. It worked pretty good.

While I was sick I wrote some letters to San d'Oria, to great-aunt Femitte. She told me I was about the same age as one of her nephews, Lynku, and I started writing letters to him. He wants to become a paladin. I told him when I was better I would introduce him to Mister Humaisna when I was feeling better. So a couple days ago I finally got to feeling better and went out on an adventure with everyone. We trained in Rolanberry Fields, and we did a good job beating on all the scary-looking Weapon things. Once I got knocked out, but Miss Nini healed me back up with her Raise spell.

Afterwards, she teleported all of us to Dem and we rode chocobos home. I rode Mister Zippy, and he is as fast as the chocobos that you can rent. He was really happy to get out and take a run with the other birds. I was glad to see him since I hadn't been able to the whole time I was sick. Once we got home I gave him a carrot and told him to tell GoldWing and Flare that I said hello.

Then yesterday I went out to San d'Oria because Cousin Lynku needed some help with his Warrior training. I brought him a sword I made, which was better than the one he had, and I bought him some new armor to help him out. I showed him some things he could do to help his party out. I hope he starts adventuring with us!