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A Short Time Away By The Wayward Darlene "No... really!" I laughed outrageously. "I really didn't know it would do that." The small group of Mithra around me laughed even louder at my story. We had all gathered together on top of the Rhinostry for a little picnic and had started sharing stories of our times away from our homeland, and it was my turn. We really were getting loud at times, but the objecting taru from the building below were chased away by blown kisses and suggestive calls. They're red faces were priceless. The Mithra with me were all ones I've seen here and there, but I would be hard pressed to remember their names (maybe I should write them down somewhere). But we were all Mithra and there were some times when you had to just be with someone who could just understand. "But those rarabs are so fuzzy and cute!" I said. "No sooner than I reached out to pet it, I found myself with an angry bunny chewing my arm. I turned tail and tried to run back to the east gate." I sipped a bit of my windurst tea as the others laughed again. I couldn't stand the stuff when I first came, but now I couldn't get enough. Go figure.. but I considered it better than the strong liquors the others were drinking. "How far did you get?" one asked me. A pale red glow showed through the fuzz on her face...she'd been hitting the tataru rice wine quite hard. "A lot farther than when I tried to play with that gigantic bee," I snickered, "I was half way to the east gate. I was hurt bad--but that was when some anonymous Mithra came to help me." A ripple of unbelief sounded from my friends. Such help is rare. "Yeah, I know." I said, smirking. "But not only did she save me from the rabid bunny... she even gave me a bit of gil." I laughed again. "And showed me something called 'Armor.'" Everyone echoed my laugh, but were surprised by the generosity of a stranger--even a fellow Mithra. "Yeah... I know..." I said. "But it's like she said, 'We Mithra gotta stay together.' I was very lucky. I didn't get much kindness like that when I first arrived." I sipped my tea again. "Then again, as I think about it now, I'm sure I sounded very odd. I was very eager to meet new people and see new things--still am to a point. I mean...who wouldn't laugh at a cute little taru running across your path? But the most I got was a 'please go away' and such if I got anything." I laughed. "No one seems to like a rookie; even in Windurst. I just wish I could remember the name of that Mithra so I could thank her again." The others mumbled a bit. Obviously, they've had similar situations in their pasts. One asked, "So what did you do when you first saw a beastman?" The others smiled, obviously knowing part of my story. I smirked at the memory. "It was a bit before the evil rabbit..." I said wistfully. "I was a little scared to stray away from the east gate very far. Night was falling when some Hume ran past me. Then right afterward...four of those blasted birdmen came chasing afterward; all the way to the gate. I thought my fur would never fall flat again." The others laughed again, and drank deeper into their bottles. "A short time after I got my armor I met my first goblin." I said crinkling my nose. "Horrible creatures. But that was the first time I've ever earned some real gil. It took me a long time to figure that puzzle out." I smiled widly. The others raised their glasses with a solute to "gil." They all drank deeply. "But I've never liked those blasted creatures...any of them." I said. "I never pass up a chance to kill one." The others raised their glasses yet again (I doubt they needed much of an excuse anyway). "Death To Beastmen!" They shouted, and then drank deeply. "Anyway... I really took it slow at first." I continued after pouring myself more tea. "I never strayed far away from the Windurst gates, and never took on any monster I wasn't sure I could beat. It was pretty boring; I'd have to say. I saw more of my moogle than I care to admit." Some giggled at that. "I hardly ever met anyone either, and that was the worst." I said. "But it all changed once I entered that canyon. That's a really scary place to a young one that I was. Truly an eye-opener." Someone made a little kittenish mewing noise that broke up the whole group. "But think about it..." I said wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. "Walking turnips, really mean goblins and yagudo's.... and, � I shivered at the thought, �elementals. Everything to give a girl nightmares for days. Even the canyon rarabs could eat my first evil bunny for breakfast." I giggled at a new thought. "One time... I ran into some hume I knew in passing," I continued. "Who bragged to me how he'd walked all the way to San 'd Oria." I grimaced at the thought of that man. "The man turned out to be a despicable bastard who kept trying to make sick passes at me, so I avoided the person as much as I could. But in spite of the source, the idea of walking to San 'd Oria appealed to me, even though I didn't know the way." One of my friends put down a bottle she was about to drink. "You crossed to Mhaura when you were that inexperienced?" She asked, almost impressed. I gave her a sardonic smile. "I wish I could claim such a thing..." I admitted. "But I didn't even know about Mhaura at the time. Or the ferry to Selbinia...heavens....even the Buburimu Peninsula itself." One put hand to mouth with a slight gasp. "You didn't!" She asked. "When you were that young?" I laughed. "Yep." I announced. "I tried to walk to Jeuno." Everyone moaned in sympathy. "How far did you get?" The same asked with a short laugh. "Well... we were lucky. I had actually talked another Mithra going with me." I said in explaination. "And we lucky enough to avoid monsters in both the Tahrongi Canyon and the Meriphataud Mountains (those Bogy still scare me). However... once we got to the Sauromugue Champaign... we met a very grumpy lizard and Yagudo." I laughed. "After that, I was content to stick around good Windurstean lands for a while." Everyone laughed with me at that admission. I knew for a fact that stupid acts weren't only done by me, and it's always nice to know you're not alone in adversity. "But eventually... I began to meet more and more people who could tolerate my inexperience." I continued. "And before I knew it, I became more and more experienced. I visited Mhaura and Selbinia. And eventually I was invited into a linkshell group." The others nodded in agreement. All of them were members of one or another linkshell group, and knew their use. "I met all sorts of people, hume, elvaan, and taru alike." I said. "I couldn't contribute much--most of them were seasoned adventures...what could I contribute--but they mostly willing to help out someone like me." I sipped my tea again, and leaned back against the wall. "I think I learned more since I joined that linkshell than the entire time before." I continued. "I won't lie though; it was frustrating from time to time. I often thought about giving it all up and going back home, but my new friends helped out a great deal." One gave me a "Don't say such a thing" look. "Why would you do something like that?" She said, "There are so many things to do here and different people here to meet. Especially new and interesting men you wont find back home." I made a face. "I didn't come here for romance, if that's what you mean." I said with upturned eyebrows. "My heart lives back home no matter how long I stay here. I was really wasn't getting much statisfaction out of anything that I was doing. I spent most of my time walking the warriar's path, and I really didn't like it." Some of them seemed suprised at that. I've been a white mage for as long as any of them had known me. "And then eventually something happened that came as a total suprise...at least a suprised for me, if no one else; I'm usually clueless about such things. My linkshell group broke in two." That caused a pause among the others. Nobody likes the idea of a family breaking up. "Of course, I didn't know why it happened,� I went on, "but I did find out that some people from the original group were making a new group. And more importantly, those people who were making the new group were people I had the greatest respect for...there really wasn't much of a choice. I moved on to the new group, and never looked back. Ultimatly, the change was good; I love being the white mage and I had good friends." I stopped talking and stared carefully at the moon. I really didn't feel like going on any further, and was hoping someone else would continue. But it seemed that the long imbibing of the others was taking its toll, and none of the others wanted to speak...if they could speak. "Ssoo... what have you been doing lately?" One slurred. I sighed. "Well...in all honesty... I was never planning to be away from home for very long." I said. "I often think about the homeland, and when I'll be going back. The short time I had originally planned has become to an extended stay.� Another seemed interested in that. "Why is that?" She asked. "What caused you to change your mind?" I thought about it for an answer. "I think it's all because of the Chocobo." I said. The others looked at me confused. "Well, how far can you get without riding a chocobo. Even if you teleport, you still have to visit the place first. But once you are on a Chocobo; all of Vana'diel is open to you." I smiled warmly. "Once I got my license, I spent a long time just riding around, and not much else. I saw a lot of new things." I leaned forward, hugging my knees. "Since then, I've done much and learned even more." I paused in thought. "And... I think it's been my choice in being a white mage that has made me feel like I can make a difference here. And that's made the time go by so quickly. But I still miss home." It took me a moment to realize it, but there was a sudden deafening silence about me. I looked around at my circle of friends and discovered they had all succumbed to the rigors of drink...and were asleep. I sighed as I stood up, moving each one into as comfortable positions as possible, and cleaning up the area as I could. I then leisurely started walking back to my mog house. "I could go back." I said to myself, and I stared at the bright moon over the city. "Settle down and live a calm and prosperous life." I looked towards where the Mithra islands would be; then I turned about towards the location to where the path to the Tahrongi Canyon lay. "But who would play with all those fuzzy little bunnies." I smiled in spite of myself. "A little while longer." I went to my mog house, and turned in for the night. |