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The adventurer sat there, in front of the house, for a while. His worst fears had come true, as the capitaine had left him and he was not sure what the reason was. He finally got up and decided that going back to San d’Oria was the best thing to do. Even if the capitaine was not there, it was his hometown and he felt comfortable there. Once again he began to make his way out of Windurst, walking past the Bomingo Round. Suddenly a hand tapped his shoulder, and he turned around to see who it was. Susu was standing there with a smile, although the smile faded quickly once she got a good look at the status of the adventurer. Worried about her new friend, she asked if she could help.
He stood there, trying to make the words come out of his mouth. Instead, all he heard was the wind rushing overhead, and the chattering of people around them. Susu put a hand on his shoulder, trying to get a reaction from him, but he was still silent. Finally he was able to say that he was leaving Windurst for San d’Oria, as an emergency had surfaced and he needed to deal with it. She was understanding, and offered to go with him, but he dismissed her offer, saying she had more important things to do. Able to force a smile out of his face, the adventurer told Susu to stay in Windurst and continue trying to enter the culinary guild. He would be back as soon as he could, and he would not break that promise.
The adventurer hated lying to Susu, but there was not much else he could do at the time. Coming back was the last thing on his mind, and even if he would be able to come back, he did not imagine wanting to. Losing the capitaine scared him senseless, as he did not want to go through that again. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he bid Susu farewell and ran towards the Leviathan’s Gate. Once out in the Savannah, he ran as fast as he could before he had to stop to catch his breath. When he looked around, he found himself near the Zanbibi River, already quite far from Windurst. There were plenty of possible targets around him to fight, but he was not worried about battle.
As soon as he could sprint again, he headed northwest to the Tahrongi Canyon. For a second he remembered how long and difficult the journey to Windurst from San d’Oria had been. He stopped and looked around, his brain trying to think of a faster way to get back. Wandering around the borderline between Sarutabaruta and Tahrongi, he was ready to give up when a chocobo rider appeared in the distance, heading in the same direction he was. The adventurer began waving to the rider from afar, hoping to catch his attention before the chocobo ran past him. Luckily he noticed the chocobo slowing down as it neared him, and soon the rider was in shouting distance.
The mage, for he carried a big staff on his back, greeted the adventurer and listened to his plight. Without saying a word, the rider grabbed his staff and began chanting a spell. Before he knew it, the adventurer found himself enveloped in darkness, his body much lighter. His vision began to narrow, and when the mage finished chanting the spell the adventurer was completely blind. Yet all the time the adventurer was not scared, as he felt warmth around him. When he was able to see again, he looked up to see the watchtower facing West Ronfaure. Rubbing his eyes to check if he was dreaming, the adventurer understood that he had been teleported to his home country in an instant.
As soon as the adventurer’s brain caught up to his eyes, he ran towards the Ranperre Gate, eager to enter his hometown. He solemnly saluted the guards at the gate, and then continued inside. The nation of San d’Oria was adorned for a festival, with ribbons hanging from the trees and unlit lamps lining the streets in preparation for that evening. The adventurer slowed his pace once inside to examine the new decorations, and almost bumped into someone as he walked through town. Finally he reached the residential area, and walked straight to his home. It had been a long while since he had been inside, so he was not sure what kind of a mess awaited him at home.
Obviously the place was dusty. A thin layer covered everything in sight, and most disappointingly, this included the food he had left out. His impromptu trip to Windurst meant everything had spoiled by now, so there was a fetid stench in the room. The adventurer began to make a quick mental list of the most important items that needed buying as he walked further inside his house, into his bedroom. Everything was a mess. It seemed like someone had carelessly gone through all his belongings, looking for something. All his clothes were on the floor, his notes and books and other important items strewn about the room.
It was nice to be home, no matter how messy he had left it. Of course, one of the first things the adventurer would need to do was clean up the house, as much for the dust as for the general unseemliness. But after setting down the pack of things he brought from Windurst, he set out of his house once again. He had not forgotten about the capitaine, and hoped to find at least some clue to her whereabouts in town. So the adventurer headed straight for Rosel’s shop, as Rosel knew both the capitaine and himself from the many purchases they had made at his shop. After exchanging a few greetings and explaining why he had not been there in a while, the adventurer asked about the capitaine.
Rosel had not seen her recently, apparently. In fact he figured that the adventurer and the capitaine would be together, seeing how they always went out into Ronfaure together. Not having time for a proper explanation, the adventurer excused himself and went out of the shop, looking for another place that might have clues about the capitaine. Helbort, a weapons merchant next door to Rosel, had also not seen the capitaine in a long time. In fact it seemed that no one in southern San d’Oria had seen her for a long time. Then he remembered that the capitaine had been a mage for a while now, and surely she would have no reason to go to the shops that concentrated on equipment for melee fighters.
He went north, to Port San d’Oria, where there was a shop he hoped the capitaine would have visited recently. Regine’s Magicmart was not what could be called a successful shop. In fact the adventurer stopped going a while ago, as he preferred looking at the scrolls available at the auction house rather than those Regine had in stock. However, Regine did have an advantage over the rest of the merchants in town when it came to remembering her clients. Perhaps she remembered better because she saw less traffic than the rest of the shops, or perhaps because she simply paid more attention to individuals. Nonetheless the adventurer could count on Regine to remember the last time she saw the capitaine.
Walking inside the shop, the adventurer noticed that nothing had changed since the last time he visited. Regine’s shop was still on a corner of the port, hidden away from view. It was still a bit dark and bit smelly inside. And Regine stood there, in the same place he remembered, ready to help her few clients. Wondering if she remembered him, he approached and was greeted by name by Regine. Laughing nervously, he avoided mentioning why he had not visited the shop in a while, and asked straight away if she had seen the capitaine. Indeed, Regine had seen her just a few hours ago, and the capitaine had mentioned something about going away for a while, although she failed to mention where or for how long.
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Walking back to the residential area, the adventurer felt exhausted, yet satisfied. It was the feel of a long day at work, and he could not wait to get home and slip into a warm comfortable bed. Making his way down the residential area, he wondered out loud if the capitaine would be home by then. As the adventurer opened the door and walked into the small house, the capitaine was sitting at the table, enjoy a nice meal. At the sight of the food the adventurer’s stomach growled. Most of the day had been spent trying to make food, and yet he had not had a bite. The capitaine graciously offered him a portion of her meal, which made him bolt to the chair to get a piece.
As soon as he was done eating his food, he relaxed and leaned back. He let out a big sigh, which made the capitaine wonder what was wrong. At this comment he recounted the day’s adventure to her. While he went over the details and described his new friend, he could not help but notice that the capitaine did not appear to enjoy his tale. He stopped his story to ask if she was all right. She simply nodded, although her demeanor did appear less than participatory. The adventurer pushed the topic, asking again if everything was fine. Although it took a bit of convincing for the capitaine to admit it, she finally let out what the problem was.
She missed the days when she and the adventurer would run off in an adventure, doing things together simply for the fun of it. Lately each of them seemed to live in their own separate world, doing errands keeping them busy at all times, and were unable to see each other. The adventurer explained that even though the days were spent apart, the pair could always meet up and talk for a bit, no matter how busy they were. Yet he knew this would not work in practice. A lowly adventurer like him was lucky to even know her, let alone have her as a friend. As he sat there with her, he realized they had slowly started to drift apart, and with time would separate further. He could not imagine a future without the capitaine, no matter how likely that was to be.
He looked into her deep brown eyes, and dug from the bottom of his heart the sincerest words of gratitude he could conjure up. He thanked her for encouraging him, and scolding him, through his adventures. The adventurer really appreciated always having her there when he needed her, for lending an ear to listen to any insignificant problem. She sat there quietly, lost in thought, and he was unsure what response he would receive. After a few minutes of silence, he began to feel uncomfortable and let her know he was stepping out for a bit, and then walked out of their rental room. His brain was trying to make sense of what had just happened, as he absentmindedly passed the residential area gate.
His fingertips ran along the walls of the city, but the sensation was more to dull the many thoughts he had rather than because he really enjoyed the feel of the cold, hard stone. He wandered around for a bit in Windurst, sitting under a starry, cloudy sky in the Bomingo Round. The sky seemed to reflect the confusion he felt in his head and his heart. The place was empty at night, and only a few stalls still sold wares to adventurers this late. Everything was a blur. His memories of his early adventuring days, meeting the capitaine, and even the latest conversation were running in a constant loop. Every single one of them meant a lot to him, because he had enjoyed making them so much. Somewhere in his recollections the thoughts about Susu surfaced, and that only confused him further.
Unsure of what to do to calm his mind, he decided that perhaps a bit of fighting would clear his head. The thoughts just needed to slow down for him to make sense of them, and fighting would force him to stop them if he wanted to survive. Passing the exit to West Sarutabaruta, he prepped himself for a quick fight. He ran up to the first Crawler he could find, and began to cast enfeebling magic. His thoughts slowly changed, and he focused solely on his attacks and his form. A stray Yagudo approached his fighting spot, and he lured the beast toward him, confident he could take more than one enemy at the time. As soon as the Crawler fell, the adventurer focused on the bird beast, and for the rest of the fight his attacks seemed stronger, faster, like he was in a trance.
As the Yagudo let out the last of its whimpers, the adventurer fell back onto the thick grass of the Sarutabaruta savannah. His heart was racing, his body was covered in sweat, and he now began to feel the pain in his muscles from overexerting. Bringing down by himself a beast that had nearly killed him a few days before filled him with pride. A bit out of breath but nonetheless excited and ready for another fight, he sprang up from the grass and began to look around for another adversary. The adventurer followed the road away from Windurst, reaching the Nompipi River. There he found a Goblin Fisher, and as soon as he was within striking distance, he shot an arrow at the beast.
The Goblin Fisher cried out in pain, and began to run towards the adventurer. As he swung his sword and struck his target, he felt a rush and reached his trance-like state again. The Goblin Fisher was down in a matter of seconds, and as the adventurer walked away he felt exhilarated. However, the Goblin Fisher was not alone near the river, as a Goblin Weaver began to chant a Dia spell to weaken the adventurer. Before he knew it, his body began to feel heavy, and the Weaver ran towards him. He was barely able to fight him off before he had to sit down again, this time exhausted. His eyes did not want to remain open, but all he could think about was how he managed to take down more than a few monsters on his own.
When he opened his eyes again, the sun nearly blinded him. With a headache and an aching body, he slowly got up and tried to find out where he was. He could barely spot the gate to Windurst, with the Heaven’s Tower rising behind it. The savannah was empty around him, and the sun was pretty high above his head. Once again, he had overslept. After casting some healing magic to regain some of his strength, he began to walk back towards Windurst. As he neared the gate, he saw a chocobo run past at full speed. In his current state he could not recognize the rider, but he felt he knew the person who was leaving in a hurry.
He walked back to the residential area, his brain slowly catching up with the stimulus around. Cursing at himself for once again sleeping more than he should, he walked down the narrow path towards the house the capitaine had rented. Only then did his thoughts go back to the capitaine. He began to wonder if she would be have already left for her latest adventure, or if she was waiting for him to discuss what he said the night before. A chill ran down his back as he thought that perhaps he would not see her for a while. Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he finally reached the house, but as he tried to open the door it would not budge. A residential attendant walked by, and informed him that the renter of that house had just that morning moved out.
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Running past all the people walking around Windurst, the adventurer frantically searched for Susu in the Bomingo Round of Windurst Woods. However, with all the people going back and forth, it was no surprise that Susu spotted him before he spotted her. She approached him from behind and poked his side, causing him to jump back startled. After composing himself, the adventurer excused himself profusely for being late. Susu waved his apologies off, explaining that she had only just arrived there a few moments before the adventurer showed up. Immediately focusing on their business, Susu began to list the ingredients and what she had found out about them the night before. They would need a long list of ingredients to make the best salmon sub possible, but Windurst merchants could provide them.
Susu started with the easy stuff, according to her sources. An Earth Crystal would be needed to synthesize the sub, and both she and the adventurer had plenty of them at all times. The black bread and the apple vinegar were used in plenty of other recipes, and Susu figured that at least one merchant in town kept them in stock. The Mithran tomato would not prove a problem, as long as they found Mithran merchants willing to part with their wares for a reasonable price. However, obtaining the crying mustard, the La Theine cabbage and the smoked salmon would be a problem. Two of them were rare in Windurst, and much more common in the areas surrounding San d’Oria. The Cheval River was brimming with salmon every year, and La Theine cabbage could be easily found on the plateau. For the crying mustard, there was nothing to do but check the local auction house, and hope for the best.
And with their plan basically formed, the two aspiring chefs set out to acquire their ingredients. The adventurer went around the Bomingo Round checking the merchants’ products, and found some black bread and apple vinegar for relatively few gil. Next they headed to the Mithra Groves, where they hoped to find the Mithran tomato. The stubborn merchant who had tomatoes in stock was unwilling to negotiate the price with the pair, no matter what they offered. The adventurer tried his best to flirt with and charm the unyielding Mithra, but to no avail. In the end they spent a good amount of money in the tomatoes, and left the shop feeling slightly cheated. It was thus that they found out their expenses budget had mysteriously vanished, and the rest of the ingredients could not be purchased.
Disappointed, the pair walked through town, keeping an eye out for merchants who might have the required ingredients, but found none. Even if they had found them, the adventurer knew obtaining them would be impossible without plenty of funds. Slowly they marched down the walkways, eventually ending back at Windurst Port, looking out at the sea. They were standing next to the water’s edge, their minds and their eyes elsewhere, trying to come up with ideas to save their cooking careers. Susu leaned on the barrier, holding her head up with her hand. The adventurer looked all around, trying to find some clue about what they should do next. Then he noticed a couple of people on the pier, facing the vast ocean. Suddenly one of them jerked back, and out of the water came a large fish, attached to the end of the person’s fishing pole.
The adventurer finally broke the silence, and suggested that they try fishing for the ingredients of the sub. Susu, confused, looked up to the adventurer and asked how he planned to get salmon, from the Cheval River in San d’Oria, while fishing in Windurst Port. The adventurer admitted his plan was not going to get them closer to the salmon sub required by the guild. But at least if they caught something, they could use it in their own subs for practice before the real thing. Susu did not appear convinced, but said nothing while she thought about the adventurer’s proposal. Meanwhile, he wondered what the best way to obtain a fishing rod and bait would be. The easiest thing was to sell some of their ingredients back, and use the funds to obtain a few substitute ingredients to make a not-quite-salmon sub.
And just as he was about to propose this, Susu stood up with a determined look in her face, and agreed to go through with his proposal. The adventurer then led the way back into the Mithran Grove, where they found the Mithran merchant taking advantage of another unsuspecting customer. They approached her and sternly demanded their money back for sub-par, as they put it, Mithran tomatoes. The merchants’ customer, shocked, picked up her bags and walked away from the stand as fast as possible, obviously considering the merchant untrustworthy. With an angry look on her face, the Mithra stared both of them down while she fished for the gil needed to repay the pair. After getting their money back and handing back the tomatoes, they headed back to Windurst Port to see about getting a fishing rod.
The adventurer was bit tired of all the running back and forth, but nonetheless he was enjoying this rare day out with his friend. It had seemed forever to him, yet only a day had passed since they met. He felt a strong connection to this new person in his life, even if he did not understand what it meant. As these thoughts flew around his head, Susu called out to him, pointing towards the large pier where a hut stood. They made their way around to this hut, and were surprised to find many fishing rods, all of excellent quality, leaning against the side of the hut. There were people inside, as the pair could hear their voices, and most of the talk seemed centered around fish. As they entered, a friendly Tarutaru by the name of Babubu welcomed them. Without hesitating, they asked for and purchased a yew fishing rod, and a bucket of little worms.
Susu decided to try out fishing first, and did her best to hook the worm without being squeamish. Then she swung the rod and let the hook fly towards the ocean, causing a small ripple not far from the edge of the pier. She stood there for a few minutes, paying close attention to the smallest pull on the fishing line. Suddenly there was a big pull, and Susu immediately jerked on the rod to find that her catch was simply an old hat. A bit exasperated, Susu threw the hat down on the pier and hooked another piece of bait, while the adventurer stood behind her trying not to snicker too loudly. Similar catches were made throughout the day, both by Susu and the adventurer. They had found at least three different hats, a glove, and a letter, and had come very close to actually catching a fish, but in the end it proved smarter than them and swam away with the bait.
After spending most of the afternoon trying to catch something, the setting sun finally convinced them to give it a rest. Susu was disappointed, sighing dejectedly while falling to the floor. The adventurer looked up at the sky, wondering how they could salvage the situation. The two of them talked about possibilities for saving the meal, but nothing convinced them. Susu then wondered if the culinary guild could help them with their problem, even though they were not officially a part of it. Deciding that particular option was better than not doing anything, the adventurer and Susu walked back to the guild, carrying a bag of black bread and apple vinegar, a fishing rod and an empty bait bucket. They reached for the door, but as they were about to open it Kopopo called out to them from behind.
The look of tiresome helplessness on Susu and the adventurer’s faces made Kopopo wonder what was wrong, and after a few minutes of explaining her concern had grown into mild amusement. As she slowly stopped laughing at their misfortune, she scolded them for not asking for help sooner. Then she explained that the guild had a shop where many of the ingredients were for sale, and seeing as the Tarutaru and the adventurer had a small history, a special pricing scheme could have been worked out. After nearly fainting from relief, Susu and the adventurer thanked Kopopo for the offer, but decided it had been a long day and they deserved some rest. And so, the adventurer and Susu bid farewell to each other once more. She walked away with the bread and vinegar, while he kept the fishing rod and the bucket. Though they had not had a very fruitful day, the adventurer still enjoyed their time together, and looked forward to their next meeting.
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It was a beautiful, sunny day in San d'Oria. However, the adventurer was not in San d’Oria, but further south from the castle town, deep inside the tomb of King Ranperre, and the weather there was dreary. He had only decided to take up the sword as an adventurer recently, and already he was having second thoughts about it. People around San d’Oria did not much like those adventurers who ran about town completing quests, considering them as unwelcome and unnecessary aid. Meanwhile, there was some serious competition for fortune and wealth among the different factions of adventurers, and those not belonging to a specific faction, like the adventurer, were left behind. Forgetting for a second about the broader problems in his life, the adventurer peeked around the rock wall.
Just ahead of him was the Mithra adventurer who led him to this somber place. The San d'Orian armed forces had asked for information regarding vandalism in the beloved King Ranperre's tomb, and the adventurer had decided to do his part for the country. However, he needed someone to help him arrive at the tomb safely, as many goblins had surrounded the place as of late. No one quite understood why the monsters had decided to camp there, but it posed a problem for people nonetheless. Therefore the adventurer had decided to hire an armed guard, and a helpful, if somewhat excitable, Mithra offered her assistance. Yet from the moment they stepped outside the city walls of San d'Oria and into the woods of Ronfaure, the adventurer began to suspect his companion was not truly fit for this job.
The young Mithra was floating back and forth from a number of animals, examining them closely and then proceeding to defeat them with her sharp blade. The adventurer would scarcely run up to her side when she would run off to fight another animal, leaving him alone while he caught his breath. He doubted whether survival was possible when one's bodyguard kept running away. Nonetheless, he continued to run after her, regaining strength while leaning against a tree, then running in the direction he saw her last. Eventually the adventurer and the Mithra reached the outer walls of the tomb compound, and spotted a number of goblins examining the carcass of a dead animal. As this proved to be the perfect opportunity, the adventurer made for the entrance to the tomb itself. However, as soon as he was inside he looked back out to see his companion fighting the goblins by herself.
Deciding that he had enough of her fearless disposition, the adventurer figured she would be fine on her own and continued inside the tomb. The place was definitely full of the air of death, and the sky seemed darker inside, while bats flew in and out of the adventurer's way. Still, with all the commotion with the goblins outside, he preferred the quiet solitude of the tomb. He began making his way down the corridors, mindlessly walking down without knowing where his intended destination lay. Eventually he took a turn at the end of a corridor and found himself back at the entrance, face to face with his Mithra companion, who was not exactly happy she was left to fend with the group of goblins by herself. Still, she reluctantly asked the adventurer to follow her inside the tomb, as she explained it was a bit of a maze and inexperienced explorers had made the tomb their last resting place.
With a gulp and a slight nod, the adventurer remained close to his companion, and she led him through the tomb. Eventually they reached a set of steps leading underground, and the adventurer was beginning to wish he had hired two or more bodyguards. It was one thing to walk around the tomb during the daylight, in the open air, and a completely different one to go underground. He could hear the flapping of many wings underground and imagined that they would have trouble walking through that mess. However, as they slowly descended into the cave, he realized that the sound of the many wings was in reality the sound of a lone bat flapping its wings further down the cave. The cave echoed the sounds many times, and now it was apparent to him as his footsteps sounded like a group of people marching towards the end of the cave.
After what seemed like a few seconds they emerged out of the cave, and yet the adventurer knew they had emerged in a very different place. His Mithra companion did not say much, but her demeanor changed when she noticed the sky had gone dark just outside of the cave. The adventurer began to think up good excuses as to why he did not finish this mission, in case people questioned him when he returned to San d'Oria. Suddenly he realized he had lost sight of his companion and raced down the first corridor he found to see her sneaking past a rock wall. It was at this moment that he began to wonder about leaving the adventurer business, and yet he never stopped walking towards the Mithra. She continued to efficiently deal with whatever enemy lay in front of them, and eventually a right hand turn put them face to face with the tombstone of King Ranperre.
And that's when the adventurer saw her for the first time. The lady looked young, but not younger than him. She was dressed in heavy armor and carried a greatsword on her back, and yet to the adventurer she did not seem like the type to use such weapons. Not that he doubted her abilities, as she had obviously made the trip inside the tomb by herself while he required assistance. She seemed lost in thought as the adventurer and the Mithra walked near the tombstone, but as soon as she noticed them she faced them with a slightly embarrassed smile and introduced herself. It seemed she was also there investigating the vandalism, but had found no clues so far. She was thinking of other areas of the tomb to investigate when the adventurer and his Mithra companion arrived by the tombstone.
The adventurer walked around the tombstone, examining closely the monument in honor of the king of the San d'Orians. While walking around, he tripped and nearly fell to the ground. Examining the place where he tripped, the adventurer found what looked like scales. Digging around the spot he found a good amount of them, nearly hidden because of the dirt. The Mithra and the young lady both walked near the adventurer, and it was the young lady who explained that the scales were probably from the mail Orcish Fodders wore. After pondering for a moment or two, the young lady picked up a few scales, put them away in her pouch and began to excuse herself from the area. The adventurer watched her walk away from the tomb towards the exit, and before she had disappeared from view he asked her to wait.
Looking back and forth between the Mithra, who was now off chasing Goblin Weavers, and the young lady with the greatsword, the adventurer decided the latter was much more trustworthy. He said goodbye to his hired companion and followed the young lady, with her permission, out of the tomb. While they made their way out the two adventurers talked about their respective reasons for adventuring, the length of their adventuring time, and their general feelings towards their profession. After expressing his lukewarm enthusiasm, the adventurer was surprised to find that the young lady, proficient though she was compared to him, did not appear to enjoy it much either. However, as she explained to him, the fruits of her early labor would not become apparent until later on in her career, and she was determined to see it through.
Inspired by her words, the adventurer then decided to follow a similar outlook on his profession, just as they were finally entering the woods of Ronfaure. Despite not knowing her for very long, he felt they had a lot in common and that he could learn a lot from her. As they began to make their way back towards San d'Oria, the sun began to rise and illuminate all of the woods. Slowly the blinding white light began to envelop them, and with a sudden jolt the adventurer woke to find himself sitting on the chair in the room in Windurst, where he had fallen asleep the night before. Gradually realizing what had happened, the adventurer looked around to find the capitaine, since his dream had been about how they had met, but could not find her inside the room. Initially a little groggy, as soon as the adventurer realized what time of day it was, he cursed at himself for having overslept and ran out the door.
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