Althea Valara

I left Bastok a mere day after I arrived. It was late afternoon when I made my way over to the teleport vendor. "Where to?" he asked.

"Valkrum". Oh joy, the Dunes again. My very favorite place. At least I wouldn't be staying long.

I closed my eyes as the world shifted. When it righted itself I opened my eyes--and yup, there was the damned outpost.

"Back so soon?" Medicine Ax called to me.

"Gotta catch a boat," I called back. I waved, and wasting no time, headed to Selbina. I did not want to fight any damselflies if I could help it. I had to skirt around a few goblins, but made it to Selbina without incident.

I hesitated at the steps leading down into town, biting my lip. Had I forgotten anything? Maybe I should stop at some of the vendors. But oh goddess, what about the ferry ticket? What if I didn't have enough?

I really need to learn to ask more questions before heading off.

Well, nothing to do but to find out. I squared my shoulders and marched down to the ticketing office.

"Yes?"

"One ticket to Mhaura," I said. I held my breath. I really hoped I had enough for this...

"100 gil, please"

I broke out in nervous laughter, causing some glances to be thrown my way. "Here you go," I said, grinning as I handed over the gil. Apparently travel is cheap. Who knew?

I sat down on the dock to wait. A mithra was waiting, too; she looked at me curiously, nodded in greeting, then turned away and started casting magic. The spells she was using were way beyond my level; I knew enough to tell that she was a summoner, and it appeared that she was somehow replenishing her MP, but I couldn't tell you how; it looked very complicated. It was hard to believe that someday I might be able to do such magic.

A horn blew to signal the ferry's approach. I quickly hopped to my feet & grabbed my pack as it docked. The Mithra summoner boarded first, Carbuncle running around her feet. I followed them into what I can only describe as a holding room. It looked like it would be used for extra cargo storage when the ferry wasn't carrying passengers.

I leaned against the wall and tried not to stare as others boarded. I have a habit of making others uncomfortable, unfortunately; my curiosity gets the better of me. There were a few others, but not many. What I couldn't understand was why my fellow passengers were taking the ferry; they all looked like seasoned adventures--surely they had permits to ride the airship?

The horn sounded again. I stumbled as the ferry lurched away from the dock. I'd never been on a boat before. I hoped I wouldn't get seasick.

Once we were safely away from the dock, the porter opened the inner doors leading up to the deck. The others filed ahead of me; my attention was caught by a vendor. But he didn't have anything that caught my interest, just some potions & medicines that I either couldn't afford or didn't need.

I headed up the stairs and out onto the deck. "Aha!" I said as I spied the others, who were all standing at the rails, fishing. That explains why they were taking the ferry. Can't catch fish on an airship.

I drifted over to the railing myself. The cool breeze played with my hair. It carried the scent of salt & fish. So different from the smoke & dust of home.

The sun was setting behind us. Selbina was shrinking in the distance, all reds and golds from the setting sun. The stars and night sky were creeping over the little town. I stared in awe at the beautiful sight--and with a bit of trepidation, too. Soon I would be farther away from home than I'd ever been--all the way to another continent.

Selbina slipped over the horizon. I sighed, then turned around to look out at the sea ahead of us.. Islands lay gray in the distance beyond our reach. There was only the sound of waves breaking over the bow and the snap of fishing lines being thrown and reeled in.

I stood at the bow for some time, watching as the moon arose over the distant gray landmasses, turning them a shining white. I was uncertain of how much time had passed when suddenly something cold and wet pressed against my back.

I yelped and spin to see a puk before me, about to attack. I fumbled for my sword, thankful I had gotten into the habit of carrying it with me at all times. I winced as the puk bit my arm, but then my sword was in hand and I brought it down--once, twice, thrice, and the puk was dead.

Breathing hard, I looked around in amazement. No one had even bothered to look up--they all still stood at the rails, silently casting their lines. Bewildered, I started to put my sword back in its sheath, but stopped as I noticed something on it. I lifted it up, and saw fish scales clinging to it. "Eww!" I grimaced, running a hand over my sword to pull them off, then shaking my hand over the railing to fling them back into the sea, where they belonged.

When I finished cleaning up, I sheathed my sword, then turned my back to lean against the railing, looking curiously at my passenger-mates again. I suppose such attacks must be a common occurrence if they didn't even draw attention.

An Elvaan was fighting with his line, reeling furiously. With a great heave he pulled it in--but it wasn't a fish; it was another monster. He didn't even panic, just dispatched it with a flash of a dagger, re-baited his line, and cast again.

It was at times like this when I really felt my inexperience.

The rest of the trip was much of the same. Lines being cast, fish caught, monsters dispatched.

Then, in the distance, a large, gray shape. The rising sun hit it and the grays shifted to greens and browns. I stood in shock. What I was looking at could only be Heavens Tower, the giant tree of Windurst. It dominated the skyline, much bigger than anything I had ever seen. Bigger, even, than Jeuno perched on its bridges and supports above the channel.

I was, indeed, a very long way from home.