Dear Journal,
It has been a long time since I have written in my journal. Rielle gave me permission to take a break on it since we have been incredibly busy. It's been a very long time since my last entry. Maybe a year or two ago? I can't remember how long its been. So I have a lot to make up. The first event I can remember is that when we were out training, we found a dog almost frozen in the snow. Rielle and I managed to pick up the dog and headed back home. Rielle took care of the creature for the rest of the day while I focused on stretching and inside practice. The next couple of days Rielle managed to keep the thing alive. She got upset when I didn't have concern for the animal. It was just an animal so I really don't understand the problem. If it lived then great. If it didn't, oh well. That's life. Rielle then lectured me for the rest of the evening about how important animals are. I understand they are important but that doesn't mean I need to care. The next couple of days the dog became more active and friendly. Honestly I don't mind him much. He does have soft fur but he is also extremely slobbery. Rielle's been letting him into my room, despite me asking her to keep him out. Is this her form of revenge? Or is it some sort of odd test? Either way I will pretend not to notice. I won't give her the satisfaction of a response. Thank goodness she does not read my journals.
I found a chapter in my book about the gods. Rielle explained that I needed to be careful about these types of books. They are human interpretations of the gods and not actually written by the gods themselves. Most likely there is some bias and lies inside the text. If only because humans and mortals in general don't know the truth of the matter. Nobody really knows what the gods are doing. I asked Rielle more about the gods to the point that she became annoyed.
"Why don't you ask them yourself? I don't have time to keep answering these questions." Rielle whined.
"I can't ask the gods these questions. They are gods! They wouldn't have time to answer them." I explained.
"You'd be very surprised." Rielle said.
Then she went and took a nap. I don't understand what Rielle meant by that but perhaps she knew something about the gods that I didn't. In all honesty this past month has been very strange. Rielle keeps looking at me in a strange way. As if there is something wrong but she won't say it. I dare not question her unless I want to deal with a cranky Rielle. Another thing I noticed is the fact that Rielle has been doing less physical activity recently. She's been slowing down more and being more careful about what she does. Maybe this is a side effect of getting older. Rielle has gotten cranky at something I said a while ago. I was describing what a hero was supposed to do. You know, save people and defeat villains. It's what heroes are supposed to do. However Rielle doesn't seem to think the same. She started explaining that there was a lot more to the job than just that. That I didn't just need to save a few people or stop the bad guy. There was apparently a lot more to do. Rielle didn't elaborate further.
The past few days Rielle has been pushing me further than ever in both my physical and magical training. I am proud to say that I am better at combat than ever before and that I am somewhat decent in the ways of magic. In fact I knocked Rielle down during a sparring session three times. This may not seem like a lot but Rielle is a professional who knows what she is doing. And she only managed to knock me down two times in turn. With magic I have pulled off casting the toughest spell I have ever had. The polymorph spell. I turned myself into a rabbit and was able to transform myself back. I have never seen Rielle more proud in my entire life. She almost was smiling. Later in the day we were eating dinner and Rielle ordered me to go straight to bed. As if I was some sort of child! But I obeyed without complaint. Otherwise I would have to do extra duty in laundry tomorrow or get a lecture an hour long.
The next morning I came to help with breakfast. Rielle already had breakfast ready but was refusing to speak to me. Sometimes she got like this so I didn't question it. There was once where she didn't speak for an entire week. The best option was to just act normally. I ate my breakfast then begun the morning meditation. Rielle didn't join me. That was a surprise. No matter what happened she always joined for meditation. After I was done, Rielle approached me with a letter.
"I have an important task I want you to complete." Rielle said, "It will take you a long time to get it done so you will need to pack all of your things."
"Ok. Did I do something to upset you?" I asked curiously.
"No. I am sending you on this task for your improvement." Rielle explained, "Consider this a test. The hardest test you will ever face in your entire life. It will change you. Hopefully for the better. And Jadira?"
"Yes?" I responded.
"You will not be allowed to continue your training until you have completed this quest." Rielle said.
Surprise could not even begin to describe the emotions that I felt when I heard that. Instead of displaying them on the world to see, I didn't say anything and instead left to my room to pack. It was better to leave that room than explode in a range of emotions right there. But the first and strongest emotion I felt was pure rage. I had been training so hard and working to the bone and yet my training is put on the line?! Did she just not want to train me anymore?! Was I a bad student?! She couldn't just stop when there was so much more I needed to learn! But she could. I packed up all of my stuff and left. At that moment I didn't even want to look at her. Maybe she was angry that I left without saying goodbye. At that moment I didn't care. I stomped through that snow and blizzard until I arrived at an Inn of some sort. There I bought myself a room then went to bed. It was only until the morning did I actually read that letter.
After reading the letter all I could feel was immense amount of guilt. In the letter she had explained what the tasks were and why she gave me them. They were new challenges that I could not have gotten while training with her. There were seven tasks. First, I need to travel to five countries. Second, I need to find three things. Soapstone, a pearl, and a star sapphire. Third, I need to visit every deity's temple. Fourth, I need to do one kind deed for somebody, and that kind deed would not be forgotten by that person. Saving a person did not count for this task. Fifth, I need to protect somebody. Not just physically but also emotionally. Sixth, I need to befriend a wild animal. Seventh, I need to visit seven libraries and read seven books from each library. Every book I was supposed to read would need to be about culture, history, magic, religion, a journal, an art book, and most importantly a fictional book about heroes.
My mentor did not just want to get rid of me, like so many others in my life. She merely wanted me to grow in new ways. Even if I don't understand the tasks, she still believed that they were important. Guilt hammered me down that night. She was one of the few people I had as a friend and a mentor. Instead of saying goodbye I just left without a word. Like a child. It reminded me that I still had so much more to learn. I would return and apologize but the letter she wrote explained that Rielle predicted that I would act in such a way and said to not come back until I have completed the tasks and that she had already forgiven me. So, I won't come back until the tasks have been completed. Until I have proven to myself and to her that I am worthy enough. Only then will I be able to reach the potential that Rielle sees in me. I am so sorry Rielle. If this journal ever gets back to you, and I have failed. Then I am so sorry about what I did. You are the best mentor a student could ask for. You are the best moth-…. Anyway I won't stop until these tasks have been completed. Even if it costs me everything, I will complete them.
"I love sarcasm. It's like punching people in the face but with words."