The Blue Pearl

Tristan saw familiar black rocks below and around him. Far to his left was the red ring of small pebbles Ava had made earlier. He also saw Olean"s dirty feet and looking up, saw her staring into the ring with antic.i.p.ating eyes.

A breath later, Nora appeared through the wide ring. Her legs came out first. Her hair trailed below her upside down body like red smoke as she glided and then softly landed on the ground.

It was noon and counting back the time, Tristan had been inside the crevice for more than a few hours. And he could already tell that the things were different now. Even though the ground still remained dark and the peak was still in the shadows despite the harsh Sun, everything felt lighter. Like an invisible shackle that bound them was gone.

Nora knelt and quickly unmade the ring, gathering the stones in a pile and smudging the red powder.

"Majteer! NO!" Olean slammed into Tristan throwing him off the ground to his side. When he rose he saw the young girl holding Majteer by her neck who was struggling to get at Nora.

"I am sorry Mistress Nora, she is worried about Lady Ava." Olean cried, sounding almost desperate as she held the ma.s.sive animal by her neck barely reaching it with her short limbs. Majteer tried but Olean"s grip didn"t shift even a hair"s breadth.

"Stop, What are you doing...?"

"~I see.~" Nora said as she stood up. She put her hand on the Winid"s head and the beast snapped her jaw at it but Nora swiftly dodged. "~Your mistress is fine.~" She said in reverberating and melancholic tone. The sound tugged at Tristan"s heartstrings and sent shivers down his spine. And he felt an odd mixture of fear and sadness filling him whenever he heard her voice.

Majteer didn"t look convinced by the answer however as she moved her neck to bite at Nora again. Her teeth that were like black knives glinted in the noonday Sun, snapped viciously in the air as Nora dodged again.

"She is ...asking how Ava is going to get back." Olean said, frantic, as if afraid as her hands tried to calm the beast in her arms.

Nora stared deeply at Majteer and slightly tilted her head to the side.

"~I know you. You are that filly Ava picked up from the wastes. My, have you grown...~" Nora stepped closer to Majteer. Olean tightened her grip on the winid as her eyes widened with concern and fear. Majteer meanwhile swung her head violently in anger.

"~Forgotten me, have you?~" Nora asked ominously and seized the animal by her snout in a death grip that cracked the animal"s skull. Majteer, in pain and in sudden fear pulled but Nora"s grip didn"t loosen, it was stronger than even Olean"s it seemed, as the young girl appeared to be struggling to hold back the animal.

Majteer somewhat calmed shakily but her eyes remained wide, the black liquid orbs looked almost twice their size.

"~Your mistress is fine, child. Just a little injured. I will release her as soon as she recovers.~"

Majteer snorted, but it was unlike the arrogant breath like before, she sounded shaken. Nora released Majteer and stepped back and suddenly, as if being called by her name, she turned toward the peak.

"~So this... is the door then?~" She said walking toward it. "~It would be dangerous to leave something like this ...unattended.~" Then she sighed and looked down.

"~Sorry Ava but this is important.~" Nora muttered.

She headed up the crevice same way Ava had done in the morning and entered it. The fog came out to engulf her when she got close and then she disappeared inside just like Ava had.

But this was different, Tristan felt it- no, he already knew it somehow. The fog was not engulfing her like it first seemed, it was entering her. Like getting sucked inside her through her skin. Like she had been nothing but a void. He didn"t feel even a trace of magic inside her. He should have felt something from that magical fog dissolving into her.

Slowly, but surely he saw the change. The drab landscape around him felt... brighter, happier and more colorful despite only having the grey shades all around. It was a strange feeling after being in the shadow of that mist for so long. Like bathing after a long period of time. His senses searched around him on their own for a missing friend, a longing for the power that was disappearing from the forest and the mountain. His heart ached for it, but for the first time, he also felt like he could see clearly.

Nora returned not long after. Tristan had been too lost in his thought, reveling in the change that he hadn"t noticed for how long she had been inside. As she walked toward them, she left behind just a mountain with a cracked opening. An empty crevice that had only darkness of shadows and not fog, anymore.

Olean, after wiping her face, was waiting by Majteer. The crack on her head was already healing. She rubbed Majteer"s neck and whispered comforting words to her as the animal kicked the ground in response.

"~Come sit with me, it is not long before I have to leave.~" Nora said when she got closer and gestured both Tristan and Olean to come by her as she plopped on the ground, legs crossed. She had her sword, the long rusted and jagged blade, nakedly sitting on her lap.

"But-." Olean hesitated, looking at Majteer. She was again holding onto the animal"s neck in a half hug.

"~She will behave. Won"t you, Majteer?~" Nora asked as she turned to the animal, who tried to shift backward from her but couldn"t due to Olean"s grip.

Complying, Olean released Majteer who ran off to where she was before, near the empty bucket and stared at Nora with stern eyes. Olean came and sat by Nora. And being the only one left standing, Tristan too joined them.

"~Where are we?~"

"Ro-"
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Both Olean and Tristan started together then paused, giving each other the s.p.a.ce to answer. Tristan in the end nodded to Olean who finished her word. "R"qsar, Misstress, a village in the west. Lady Ava and I came here to ... kill a monster."

"~Beasts of Endahar?~" Nora sang softly. Her blank mask didn"t give away any of her thoughts but he felt curiosity in her echoing voice and ...a smile?

"There was only one, I followed it to... ah down..."

"~And Ava went after you for a rescue?~"

Olean nodded and dipped her head in shame and mumbled. "I am sorry."

Nora looked at the girl but didn"t say anything. Taking her time, she then turned to Tristan in a slow tilt of her head whose smooth motion looked like it was a dream.

"~And you, Tristan? How do you fit in here?~"

"I was helping..." He paused.

Was he?

He wasn"t quite sure. Ava would have been able to do what she did even if she was alone. If anything, he only complicated the matters by needing the rescue later.

"~You look like you had quite an adventure. Still, Sharak thanks you.~" Nora bowed her head in grat.i.tude. Tristan looked down not able to look at the woman bowing to him.

Thank you for what? Tristan wanted to ask but stayed his tongue.