The Blue Pearl

In front and through a tiny gap she saw a small fire and the seating arrangements from the feast. She hadn"t eaten much and was too nervous at being near a Liaison of Pearl herself. Though in the end she didn"t even talk to Ava.

She struggled to shift and was finally able to push her hands through the gaps. She felt soft skin and ragged clothes. She also realized the sour smell mixed with the sweet hint of ashes. She pushed her hand toward the light and felt wind. Then she pushed out her other and pulled. After much effort she was able to slip out of the soft yet heavy weight on her. Her head out she finally saw what it was and completely lost her voice. Bodies pressed her, unmoving and cold. This last month she had been so familiar with death that she knew it right away that everyone on and around her were dead. She pushed and clawed with a frenzied pace and fell on the ground. As soon as she was free, she scrambled back and watched wide eyes on the stack she was just part of. Piled together like woods to dry she saw her father, his big and hairy face, so peaceful and serene on the top of it. Not just him, everyone else too, Lepin, the elder, Nicola, Reta, all appeared to be peacefully sleeping.

"Da!" She whispered, pressing her hands on her mouth and walked close to him. A flurry of twisting emotions flowed through her and she found herself gasping for air and struggling to breathe.

This was not what was supposed to happen.

They were to be saved now that ones from Sharak were there. Ava had promised, to cure them to give them a safe pa.s.sage. Laanimere looked for the Liaison but she couldn"t find her among the villagers, neither Olean.

She sat there kneeling for how long she didn"t know. Her head swam and more than once she felt herself drifting in a peaceful slumber that tugged at the edges of her senses even now. She feared if she let go she would be one of those that stacked in front of her.

So gritting her teeth she pushed and was on her feet. She stumbled but didn"t fall. She would look for Ava, she decided.

But where?

Just then as if to answer her unasked question came a distant boom from somewhere inside the temple. Laanimere"s heart skipped a beat thinking it was the Monster but she calmed quickly.

The temple was safe, always had been, she told herself.

Following the sound she went deeper into one of the many stone tunnels in the temple. Dark with barely any light, every sound echoed there, even her footsteps felt like they were coming from all around her. But she was getting close, whatever it was. She heard loud booms, rumble of stones and …laughter?

Swallowing her fear she took quiet steps and listened. It was laughter, the voice unfamiliar and young. She didn"t think it was Ava.

The sound was close, just behind the next corner. She paused and prepared herself for whoever was behind. She pressed herself on the wall and leaned in to get a glimpse but something flew by her and crashed onto the wall on the other side. Ava"s broken and b.l.o.o.d.y body laid still for a moment among the crushed stone rubbles. Slowly, the old woman cracked open her eyes and they met Laanimere"s. Ava"s eyes widened and she snarled just before lunging toward Laanimere. The younger girl yelped and ducked but Ava grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her to the side. Taking just a moment to breathe Ava pulled on the girl"s wrist and limped out of the tunnel.

"How did you get here?" Ava wheezed and turned back toward Laanimere as they both rushed out.

"Lady Ava, everyone-everyone is dead." Laanimere barely kept her voice from cracking as she answered. Baring the initial shock she was now running alongside the limping woman, whose other arm hung limply by her shoulder.

Ava didn"t answer not even looked at her, instead she only saw a cold expression on the older woman"s face that left her terrified.

"What happened to them? My father? Everyone?" she asked softly, afraid for her answer.

Ava didn"t reply and instead her face turned harder, colder as she increased her pace. Behind them the laughter echoed and slowly approached. As if whoever made the sound was only lazily strolling toward them.

Laanimere turned to look behind them, anxious at what it was that followed them. There was no one yet but the laughter was growing closer.

"Lady Ava, I-" Laanimere paused mid-sentence as she saw the dark fury that was Ava"s face. It scared her, more than what was following them.

Her sudden stop almost flung the older woman forward but she somehow managed to remain on her feet.

"What are you-" Ava said reaching out to her but Laanimere took a step back and watched the outstretched palm of the older woman with wide eyes.

"What happened to my father?" she asked softly, keeping her eyes on Ava"s despite her fear.

Ava"s frown deepened and she clenched her jaw as she swallowed the burst of anger and then sighed loudly.

"We don"t have time for this, come-" The older woman said, trying to sound soft but the rush and her hidden anger made it a demand.

Laanimere took another step back and shook her head. "What happened to my father?" she asked again.

Ava too stopped this time, looking into the younger girls eyes and pondering. She looked behind her where the sound of laughter come with urgency and again set her eyes on the girl"s.

Ava sighed, suddenly looking defeated, aging ten years in just a moment.

"I tried to make it peaceful, painless, a slumber full of sweetest dreams that you would never wake up from. How did you wake up?"

Laanimere watched, wide eyed and gaping. "No!" she whispered in disbelief. She was to save them not kill them. All of them, just like that when everyone was so happy…

"I am sorry but there was no-" Ava said looking very much like she meant it but Laanimere wouldn"t be fooled again.

"No!" she shouted and turned to run but only stop as a figure walked from the other side of the hall.

Tristan walked in slow stride, his pale teeth visible in his grinning mouth against his silhouette.

"Tristan wh" she called out but Ava"s shout drowned hers from behind her.

"That is not Tristan." Laanimere turned frowning at Ava, not believing her.

"No! You lie." Laanimere shouted and then turned to look at Tristan, "Tristan!" she called from the top of her lungs. "She–she killed them all." She ran to the boy her age. But as she got near him, her blood ran cold. There was nothing different about him in the first look but something… she knew it was not Tristan who stood in front of her.

The boy, his head c.o.c.ked and eyes closed grinned and turned his head toward her. And despite that she knew he was looking at her.

"You should listen to the old girl for they are… mostly true." Tristan said ignoring her plea in a mocking and feminine tone and laughed as if he found what he said hilarious.

Laanimere again backed up, stuck in that hall between the two. On her one said stood Ava, b.l.o.o.d.y and broken and on the other was Tristan or someone who wore his skin.

"Let her go." Ava hissed and Tristan"s head c.o.ked to his other side.

"So that you can kill her?" he asked and his word felt like they were stabbing Laanimere. Fearfully she glanced at Ava, dreading her answer.

Ava"s face remind hard despite her b.l.o.o.d.y and bruised visage. Her eyes met with Laanimere"s just for a moment and she sighed softly.

"She doesn"t need to suffer more."

They both were silent after that, for a moment that felt like ages to Laanimere. The silence brought out her loud heartbeat, showing just how terrified she was. Her hands were clutched over her chest and trembled so hard that her whole body shook.

"Fine!" Tristan shouted suddenly and both Ava and Laanimere relaxed.

And then suddenly her world darkened and she heard a distant scream. It was loud and annoying… and too near.
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Who is it? Stop, I want to …sleep.

Thankfully the sound did lessened and she felt her energy drained out. a comfortable warm wetness on her cheek as slowly the dark slumber took her.