Day 12:
I've finally done it. Today, as a test of my resistance, I went out to explore the last areas of swamp. I took my pack, a mini tent, and I left my crystal chalice at the campsite. That's right, I've been trekking around in the swampy, miasma-rich terrain for the entire day without a crystal. It seems I'll be able to return to Shella unburdened after all. Miasma can be overcome with a tolerance created with frequent, measured exposure. I declare this expedition a success.
Although I've satisfied the expedition's main goal, I think I'll stay a bit longer. There are still things to be discovered out here, I can feel it.
Day 13:
To think that I should be this lucky. I've gotten to travel on my own, see my ancestral territory, fulfill my life-long dream (I still can't believe I actually found a cure), and today I found Dark Flan and Behemoth.
Near the end of the marsh I found and fought not one, but four, count 'em, four Behemoths. Most people never see a single monster in their entire lives, let alone a rare beast like a Behemoth. I know it sounds odd, but I love these monsters. Behemoth violet is my favorite color, and the two chunks of Orichalcum I got from them are just an added bonus.
In the same area I discovered a fourth runestone. It reads:
To those who follow:
I am the only one left. I can build the road no more. Be steadfast in your path. Find a place we Selkies can call our own!
It's sad that my ancestors, well, failed. Even so, their initial optimism spurred me on. Their dream may not have come true, but mine has. I never thought of it this way, but with this cure the Selkies will finally have something to be proud of.
The final thing I want to do before I return to Shella is to see the myrrh tree. I'll be one of the few non-caravaners to ever see one.
