FINAL FANTASY XI
CHAPTER XI
Reflecting
Roaming sheep in search of the people full of love,
Bathe yourself in water until your mind is soothed.
Aadia made the motions with her mouth that would accompany the sounds, but was silent. It was written on the cover of a book in Hume text, with picture of ingredients to potions like herbs and crystals. The thing that made her mind ponder was that there were four sets of texts on the book, of the each of the races save for that of man. She would check the next book in the shelf, and once again find the same inscription; the only part she could make out was that in the Elvaan cursive.
There was little relevancy for her to be flipping through Torukoishi's bookshelves in the living part of the structure that was both home and headquarters to the Blue Mage master. Aadia would replace the volumes in their proper spot and leave, heading towards a guestroom where she and Elarisa would sleep, in separate beds of course. When she first heard she would sleep in the same room, Aadia skipped a beat. But now she was safely assured no need to worry. The room was rather plain, and undisturbed; much like her own home. It was far from Rydia, and a larger San D'orian city of Batz.
She was scarcely ever home; Aadia spent much time on the road in search of what one might call adventure. Rather than portray herself as a hero in search of a villain, she reminded herself she was more like what she imagined Osamu to be; a warrior who spent time defeating fiends of elements to improve their own technique. Her house was just a place to keep an extra set of the same outfit that she liked so much, and polish and ornaments for her spears. There was a time where there was an assortment of rings on the three tips of her lance, however a change of opinion had her remove the decorations.
Opinion changed many facets of her destiny, from the way she cut her hair to the way she brought down her lance on the enemy. She never thought low of herself for being quick to change; if she did, it had to be for the right reason. She would be bringing a new horde of attacks into every battle not because she was being frivolous, but because she was adapting to her opponent's new style.
She sat down upon one of the beds, which seemed hard from little use. She paid no attention to it, save for her realization of such; her own sleeping quarters matched such and she assumed she would be quite comfortable in the guestroom of Torukoishi. Magus was nowhere to be found; after having made preparations for everyone to sleep he had left and ventured into the Taru Taru city. Even in her boredom, Aadia's distaste for Tartars kept her in the stay of Torukoishi's presence. She wondered if Osamu was around, and her unsure feeling of being alone made her almost consider looking around for the samurai. He was still just a simple acquaintance, but his company was better than no one at all.
She had to do it, and with a nod to herself, Aadia rose to her feet and left the room. It was a quick wait to see the main living room; she'd traverse the structure and take a seat in a wooden chair. Osamu seemed to be present somewhere, she had heard footsteps off in the shop which was just a doorway away from the living room. Sure enough, the shining figure would come into view and take a seat adjacent to her in another one of the wooden chairs in the general area where Aadia sat. He seemed a more concerned than when she had first met him, but then again she barely knew him. No pretext for making judgements on his manner.
"Hmm?" Osamu replied to a question never asked, and it almost made Aadia feel a little mindful of her thoughts. It was almost as if he could read her mind as she progressed with her train of consciousness. Aadia adjusted in her chair, hoping that it would make a decent five-second stall 'til she had to answer such an odd calling. He hadn't even said anything, but she felt bombarded by his words.
"I didn't say anything." Aadia's tone was low, and the samurai shrugged and turned away from her. Osamu would stare out at the half moon with intent as if he were pleading with it. Aadia knew little of the eastern Hume culture, and only a bit of the more common ways of the Bastok peoples; perhaps he was really asking the moon for guidance, she could see it in his eyes that such was a possibility. She was staring at him, and that made her feel uneasy as he turned and caught her gaze head on.
"Tell me about San D'oria's national treasure." Osamu had simply blurted it out; she wasn't sure why he would ask such a thing. She cleared her throat; it could be a lengthy explanation; however she was not a professor on the crystal. Torukoishi would have known more, but it could be that Aadia's age had made it more appealing for Osamu to seek help from her. She reviewed a few basic thoughts she was taught in school about it, and began to speak.
"The Wasser-Kristall, spelled with a W but you pronounce it with a V, is sort of the crown jewel of the Elvaan royalty. They use it as a symbol of our intellect, our power, and our discipline. Some say it has mystical powers for the element of water, and even ice. But then there are those who are skeptic. We'd know more but the monarchy made it a point not to let any scientist work on it because there's only one Wasser-Kristall. We've seen similar rocks out in the world, but none are as big and clean cut as the Wasser-Kristall. The crystals we don't use, we use in potions, weapons, and jewelry."
Osamu seemed to have absorbed everything she had said, and she was glad. That was about all she knew, and it had satisfied the warrior before her. What quests for knowledge did Osamu have that would make him ask so suddenly of the crystal which was deemed a national treasure by her heritage. She had no idea why they would keep such a piece for a purpose other than greed, but perhaps folklore about the Wasser-Kristall was true. It wasn't really that the crystal was large either, it was only about the size of a man's fist. That was exceptional for a gem, but relatively small. The clean cut was something, for there was no way yet known to cleave it, nor its smaller pebble-sized counter parts. There were all sorts of crystals in the world, but none seemed as great as her country's own.
"Do you think there are any other crystals in the world like that? Maybe not a water, but another element?" Osamu's questions seemed more like statements, as if he were announcing to her that there were in fact more crystals like the Wasser-Kristall. Maybe one of each element, or maybe only the waters could ebb so far and compact so much they formed a gem such as that which the royalty clung to so tight. She had to collect herself, and honestly consider whether Osamu might be right. But what of it? Why should she concern herself with another country's symbol?
"I guess, but I don't see what you're getting at. Trying to say the Wasser-Kristall is worthless because it isn't the only one?" Aadia figured he might be playing fun at her moderate sense of national pride. The Elvaan certainly were a diamond in the rough, the only species brave enough to colonize the deserts of Saruta Baruta. There was much to worry about, but no Elvaan displayed expressions of dismay. It was the San D'orian way to overcome any obstacle, so she had been taught. It had been about 2 years since her initial training. She wasn't a veteran Dragoon, but her energetic enthusiasm made up for her inexperience. Even then, she was a strong fighter with a decent mind.
"If that would be what I was saying, then some of the things I'm attending to would be useless." Osamu was almost talking in riddles, and Aadia hoped he would make some kind of explanation soon. Did Elarisa know any of this? Perhaps the Elvaan chemist was aware, she had been in the company of the samurai before Magus and she had happened upon them. It had only been a day since she had first met Magus, but the chain of events made it seem at least like a week. This was in fact the first night she would spend with any of these people.
"What are you after Osamu? Why are you here?" She had to ask, it was hanging on her mind. Would he tell her or not? She was unable to predict his next move in this civil skirmish of questions and answers, but she did notice he was adjusting himself a bit too much in the chair than he should. It would almost seem as if Osamu was anxious. It was pressing though that she found out what interest he had in the Wasser-Kristall and potential other crystals of such value.
"I'm just a travelling samurai, trying to find something I lost." Osamu seemed to smile, he probably knew that his answer gave her nothing to work with. Maybe he had possessed one of those shining gems of the elements, and then again maybe he was just teasing her. She would be unable to ask another question, for Magus entered the room through the shop. She didn't want to involve him; he might ask the wrong question and make Aadia lose her quest for information.
"Hey guys." His words were simple, Magus just emitting a greeting before taking rest on a stool that rose him above the other two occupants of the room. His cape encompassed the back of the seat, and it made him seem like a mysterious figure hidden in a black shadow. Aadia wasn't intimidated by it at all; the cape seemed more like protection that some sort of forewarning. Perhaps the climate of the Windurst countryside made the cape necessary. She found herself pondering what material it was made of, and how it felt.
"Hello, Magus... " Aadia just smiled at him, hoping to seem as if she wasn't troubled. Here had come this samurai with no previous conversational experience with her, denouncing some of the things she believed in with her own little way. It wasn't demeaning that he was so skeptic of trusting her with news of his travels, but the fact he would announce he didn't quite trust her yet. It held in her mind for a moment longer than needed, as some things did. She found it odd that she was thinking so much, it had to have been the environment. Torukoishi was a scholar who fathomed the depths of the universe; rethinking about the words spoken to her wasn't out of the question.
Aadia decided it was time to take leave of them both, and head to sleep. Perhaps she could lie in bed and think about Osamu's theory of there being more than one Wasser-Kristall. It was feasible, however she felt that even if she thought it was unlikely, it felt true. She would rise to her feet and catch the attentions of both Magus and Osamu, who would each give a questioning look fitting of their personality.
"I'm going to go to sleep now."
"So soon? It's late, but not that late."
"Yes, I was up early. So were you."
"Yeah, alright. Well... Good night, Aadia."
"'Night, Magus."
"... Good night, Aadia."
" Yeah... Good night... Osamu. "
CHAPTER XI
Reflecting
Roaming sheep in search of the people full of love,
Bathe yourself in water until your mind is soothed.
Aadia made the motions with her mouth that would accompany the sounds, but was silent. It was written on the cover of a book in Hume text, with picture of ingredients to potions like herbs and crystals. The thing that made her mind ponder was that there were four sets of texts on the book, of the each of the races save for that of man. She would check the next book in the shelf, and once again find the same inscription; the only part she could make out was that in the Elvaan cursive.
There was little relevancy for her to be flipping through Torukoishi's bookshelves in the living part of the structure that was both home and headquarters to the Blue Mage master. Aadia would replace the volumes in their proper spot and leave, heading towards a guestroom where she and Elarisa would sleep, in separate beds of course. When she first heard she would sleep in the same room, Aadia skipped a beat. But now she was safely assured no need to worry. The room was rather plain, and undisturbed; much like her own home. It was far from Rydia, and a larger San D'orian city of Batz.
She was scarcely ever home; Aadia spent much time on the road in search of what one might call adventure. Rather than portray herself as a hero in search of a villain, she reminded herself she was more like what she imagined Osamu to be; a warrior who spent time defeating fiends of elements to improve their own technique. Her house was just a place to keep an extra set of the same outfit that she liked so much, and polish and ornaments for her spears. There was a time where there was an assortment of rings on the three tips of her lance, however a change of opinion had her remove the decorations.
Opinion changed many facets of her destiny, from the way she cut her hair to the way she brought down her lance on the enemy. She never thought low of herself for being quick to change; if she did, it had to be for the right reason. She would be bringing a new horde of attacks into every battle not because she was being frivolous, but because she was adapting to her opponent's new style.
She sat down upon one of the beds, which seemed hard from little use. She paid no attention to it, save for her realization of such; her own sleeping quarters matched such and she assumed she would be quite comfortable in the guestroom of Torukoishi. Magus was nowhere to be found; after having made preparations for everyone to sleep he had left and ventured into the Taru Taru city. Even in her boredom, Aadia's distaste for Tartars kept her in the stay of Torukoishi's presence. She wondered if Osamu was around, and her unsure feeling of being alone made her almost consider looking around for the samurai. He was still just a simple acquaintance, but his company was better than no one at all.
She had to do it, and with a nod to herself, Aadia rose to her feet and left the room. It was a quick wait to see the main living room; she'd traverse the structure and take a seat in a wooden chair. Osamu seemed to be present somewhere, she had heard footsteps off in the shop which was just a doorway away from the living room. Sure enough, the shining figure would come into view and take a seat adjacent to her in another one of the wooden chairs in the general area where Aadia sat. He seemed a more concerned than when she had first met him, but then again she barely knew him. No pretext for making judgements on his manner.
"Hmm?" Osamu replied to a question never asked, and it almost made Aadia feel a little mindful of her thoughts. It was almost as if he could read her mind as she progressed with her train of consciousness. Aadia adjusted in her chair, hoping that it would make a decent five-second stall 'til she had to answer such an odd calling. He hadn't even said anything, but she felt bombarded by his words.
"I didn't say anything." Aadia's tone was low, and the samurai shrugged and turned away from her. Osamu would stare out at the half moon with intent as if he were pleading with it. Aadia knew little of the eastern Hume culture, and only a bit of the more common ways of the Bastok peoples; perhaps he was really asking the moon for guidance, she could see it in his eyes that such was a possibility. She was staring at him, and that made her feel uneasy as he turned and caught her gaze head on.
"Tell me about San D'oria's national treasure." Osamu had simply blurted it out; she wasn't sure why he would ask such a thing. She cleared her throat; it could be a lengthy explanation; however she was not a professor on the crystal. Torukoishi would have known more, but it could be that Aadia's age had made it more appealing for Osamu to seek help from her. She reviewed a few basic thoughts she was taught in school about it, and began to speak.
"The Wasser-Kristall, spelled with a W but you pronounce it with a V, is sort of the crown jewel of the Elvaan royalty. They use it as a symbol of our intellect, our power, and our discipline. Some say it has mystical powers for the element of water, and even ice. But then there are those who are skeptic. We'd know more but the monarchy made it a point not to let any scientist work on it because there's only one Wasser-Kristall. We've seen similar rocks out in the world, but none are as big and clean cut as the Wasser-Kristall. The crystals we don't use, we use in potions, weapons, and jewelry."
Osamu seemed to have absorbed everything she had said, and she was glad. That was about all she knew, and it had satisfied the warrior before her. What quests for knowledge did Osamu have that would make him ask so suddenly of the crystal which was deemed a national treasure by her heritage. She had no idea why they would keep such a piece for a purpose other than greed, but perhaps folklore about the Wasser-Kristall was true. It wasn't really that the crystal was large either, it was only about the size of a man's fist. That was exceptional for a gem, but relatively small. The clean cut was something, for there was no way yet known to cleave it, nor its smaller pebble-sized counter parts. There were all sorts of crystals in the world, but none seemed as great as her country's own.
"Do you think there are any other crystals in the world like that? Maybe not a water, but another element?" Osamu's questions seemed more like statements, as if he were announcing to her that there were in fact more crystals like the Wasser-Kristall. Maybe one of each element, or maybe only the waters could ebb so far and compact so much they formed a gem such as that which the royalty clung to so tight. She had to collect herself, and honestly consider whether Osamu might be right. But what of it? Why should she concern herself with another country's symbol?
"I guess, but I don't see what you're getting at. Trying to say the Wasser-Kristall is worthless because it isn't the only one?" Aadia figured he might be playing fun at her moderate sense of national pride. The Elvaan certainly were a diamond in the rough, the only species brave enough to colonize the deserts of Saruta Baruta. There was much to worry about, but no Elvaan displayed expressions of dismay. It was the San D'orian way to overcome any obstacle, so she had been taught. It had been about 2 years since her initial training. She wasn't a veteran Dragoon, but her energetic enthusiasm made up for her inexperience. Even then, she was a strong fighter with a decent mind.
"If that would be what I was saying, then some of the things I'm attending to would be useless." Osamu was almost talking in riddles, and Aadia hoped he would make some kind of explanation soon. Did Elarisa know any of this? Perhaps the Elvaan chemist was aware, she had been in the company of the samurai before Magus and she had happened upon them. It had only been a day since she had first met Magus, but the chain of events made it seem at least like a week. This was in fact the first night she would spend with any of these people.
"What are you after Osamu? Why are you here?" She had to ask, it was hanging on her mind. Would he tell her or not? She was unable to predict his next move in this civil skirmish of questions and answers, but she did notice he was adjusting himself a bit too much in the chair than he should. It would almost seem as if Osamu was anxious. It was pressing though that she found out what interest he had in the Wasser-Kristall and potential other crystals of such value.
"I'm just a travelling samurai, trying to find something I lost." Osamu seemed to smile, he probably knew that his answer gave her nothing to work with. Maybe he had possessed one of those shining gems of the elements, and then again maybe he was just teasing her. She would be unable to ask another question, for Magus entered the room through the shop. She didn't want to involve him; he might ask the wrong question and make Aadia lose her quest for information.
"Hey guys." His words were simple, Magus just emitting a greeting before taking rest on a stool that rose him above the other two occupants of the room. His cape encompassed the back of the seat, and it made him seem like a mysterious figure hidden in a black shadow. Aadia wasn't intimidated by it at all; the cape seemed more like protection that some sort of forewarning. Perhaps the climate of the Windurst countryside made the cape necessary. She found herself pondering what material it was made of, and how it felt.
"Hello, Magus... " Aadia just smiled at him, hoping to seem as if she wasn't troubled. Here had come this samurai with no previous conversational experience with her, denouncing some of the things she believed in with her own little way. It wasn't demeaning that he was so skeptic of trusting her with news of his travels, but the fact he would announce he didn't quite trust her yet. It held in her mind for a moment longer than needed, as some things did. She found it odd that she was thinking so much, it had to have been the environment. Torukoishi was a scholar who fathomed the depths of the universe; rethinking about the words spoken to her wasn't out of the question.
Aadia decided it was time to take leave of them both, and head to sleep. Perhaps she could lie in bed and think about Osamu's theory of there being more than one Wasser-Kristall. It was feasible, however she felt that even if she thought it was unlikely, it felt true. She would rise to her feet and catch the attentions of both Magus and Osamu, who would each give a questioning look fitting of their personality.
"I'm going to go to sleep now."
"So soon? It's late, but not that late."
"Yes, I was up early. So were you."
"Yeah, alright. Well... Good night, Aadia."
"'Night, Magus."
"... Good night, Aadia."
" Yeah... Good night... Osamu. "