Let's bring it aaaaaall the way back to 1.0. We didn't have sprint. We didn't have chocobos. The only way to move faster was by using any of the DoL's "detect" skills, which if used when far away from a node, would give you a speed boost for 15 seconds. Teleporting was expensive (still used anima), so we ran on foot everywhere. We begged and pleaded with the chocobokeeps to give us a bird, but they couldn't. A blight had spread across every stable across Eorzea. Their hands were tied.

Then one day the Holy See of Ishgard decides to help their fellow Eorzeans. They decided to distribute an immense amount of healthy male chocobos to every city-state, to be given to adventurers who had joined any of the Grand Companies. The birds weren't cheap; 3000 seals when seals were still hard to come by, but Ishgard also supplied chocobos to be used as rental birds, though they were slower than their Grand Company counterparts.

Enter Llen Coram. Fishercat extraordinaire, hater of all things grindy and endgamey, suddenly finding herself in possession of 3000 seals. She entered Maelstrom HQ in the south islands of Limsa Lominsa and bought a voucher, to be used for the acquisition of one Maelstrom-issue Chocobo whistle. The chocobokeep found the voucher valid, and a brand new chocobo was given to Llen. She named him Kwefka, and their friendship went down in the history books.

That was the day I met my horsebird, and we've never once parted. The calamity couldn't keep us apart. Once I reentered the world, I dusted off his crested barding and we rode off to new fishing holes to conquer.

'Til Sea Swallows All!

(I don't care that I spam this image every chance I get, you would too!)