Legend of the Jumi Part I, Chapter 2
The Black Pearl
By The Mana Priestess
The tall man with the dark red hair stood at the door of the huge, decked hall that contained the throne of the Clarius, as if he was, for a moment, deliberating upon the decision to enter. The dais was empty, but he could see the back of Lady Diana as she spoke to the people seated around a small marble table placed on the side of the dais with a soft, low voice. He could glimpse her white, delicate profile as she turned to one of the councilors and smiled graciously-- to all the world but to few, Diana was the very picture of delicate grace. She had not the striking, regal beauty of the Lady Black Pearl, but her fair, ethereal loveliness, all painted delicately in soft browns and silvers and creams and snowy-white made her a figure nearly as memorable. She additionally decked herself elegantly, her luxurious dresses of silk and lace woven in tasteful, exquisite designs. Her whole appearance conveyed the impression that she was a statue carved in pure ivory brought to life. Only he and a few others-- Black Pearl and Florina-- knew the hardness of the core fixed within this dainty faerie-like woman, knew what lay beyond this charming appearance. Yes, Rubens knew that she was hard and unyielding within, and still he could not help but loving her, he knew not why-- because of her beauty, because of her intelligence, because she possessed the willpower and resolution which he himself lacked. Sometimes he wondered whether she truly deserved to be loved as he loved her, at other times he glimpsed her weak, frail side, the emotions she kept hidden from others, the uncertainty and pain and even the self-hatred, and felt himself propelled by pity towards this strange, changeable woman, and he could not help but loving her for both her faults and her perfections-- at least, he thought, she was not like Black Pearl, who was relentless beyond reprieve-- he stepped inside the hall.
"Diana," he said softly. His voice was rich and low, and though he spoke quietly she heard him at once, and turned towards him quickly. Her face was illuminated with a loving smile for her highest-ranking councilor. Rubens, a Jumi knight, had been chosen by Black Pearl for this position many years ago, and he had never failed in fulfilling his tasks perfectly. He became Diana's knight, she his guardian, and though they never married their love was apparent to everyone who knew them; he was the weak spot in Diana's armor, he could soften her where others could only harden her resolve with his gentleness and patience. And yet she used him, as she used everyone else for her policies, and he knew it well; and he sometime reflected with amazement that never contained bitterness at how she manipulated him as she did everyone else-- how for the most part she managed to completely to separate her personal emotions from the business of governing the city. Perhaps this is how she maintained her elevated position for so many years, that cold-hearted practicality keeping her floating above, overcoming the troubles and doubts that plagued everyone else. She and Black Pearl were a frighteningly fitting pair, thought Rubens.
To Diana he said, "I can see that Florina is not here. Is she unwell again?"
A delicate frown marred Diana's features. "Yes. She seems so pale lately, the poor child. But a little rest will restore her to full health, I'm sure."
Rubens made no response for a moment; Diana did not wish to hear the obvious fact, that Florina's attacks of fatigue had been increasing lately, that they were going to lose another Clarius within a few years. He had seen the death of many Clarius in many past years; and it was a wrong, yet necessary evil, that they spent their healing tears on all other Jumi, until their cores eventually fell apart.
"I think she should be resting more," was his only reply. He had said it before many times with various other Clarius guardians, and he always either got lectured by Diana upon the necessity of the Clarius's tears to the health of the Jumi, or lightly ignored. He always felt as if Diana's lectures to him were not truly meant to reproach him as much as to provide an audible excuses for herself to quiet, unburden her own conscience; so he never responded to them, but listened to her patiently, all the while always thinking, if I do not watch the Jumi Clarius die, I will watch many other Jumi die, and then I...
"Rubens." Diana's clear, melodious voice recalled him to the presence. She bestowed her gentle smile upon him, and he could see that she has decided to ignore him this time. "Florina will feel better soon, I am sure."
Rubens was silent, but then he became aware that the other Jumi were watching them, and he merely nodded, knowing that once again he submitted to his weaknesses, that he couldn't voice his real thoughts, that he was defeated by his own lack of willpower. He then found, as always, that perhaps he, too, hated himself as much as Diana sometimes hated herself, and he turned towards the door after a noncommitant answer, excusing himself from attending the present meeting. And he found himself thinking, I am doing nothing to prevent it, though her father was my mentor, and the wisest Jumi I have known, and now I am letting his daughter to be drained of her life's blood until she is a mere ghost, I am letting a slow murder happen yet again, I am killing Florina as surely as if I thrust the finishing blow with my own hands.
.
Summer shone hotly upon the world, the golden dust enveloping browning fields, and the scorching air beat upon bent heads and dry throats. Elazul, wrapped in his green-sand cape, bestowed upon him by a wandering knight to whom he rendered a service, was thankful for its light coolness. The summer days were hot and long and harsh, but still he reveled in them, reveled in the sunlight that scorched the earth and the heavy air that set the atmosphere rippling with waves of invisible fire.
It had been almost three months since they left the city, and midsummer was quickly approaching, signaling the end of their brief freedom. Their exit had been allowed, but the Shield Guards watched their departure in grim silence. Alex's desertion did not surprise anyone, for he was still something of a stranger; but Elazul's considerable skills has raised hopes that he will settle down and contribute to the Jumi society after his first failed venture into the world.
Black Pearl's only remark, when she was reported the young Lapis Lazuli's second desertion, was "Let him go. If his skills are as good as rumored, he will manage to come back. But we have no use for erratic Jumi." She ignored the mention of Alex completely.
Elazul knew that he would come back eventually, if nothing then to witness Alex's adamant attempt to become Florina's guardian; but this brief respite was a balm for his restless spirits, and he savored his present freedom. He knew not for what he searched, only that it somehow seemed always at a distance, out of hand, a beacon in the darkness. He recalled the shrine and the young nun with her cool, quiet voice and her dark, mocking, intelligent eyes; he recalled the note he had found; and he thought of Alex.
Elazul felt that he came no closer to understanding Alex during their travels. Superficially, Alex was an open book; cheerful, sharp-tongued, cool-headed, with a never-failing sense of humor. But Elazul knew this to be a misleading mask, or rather an incomplete one; it was Alex, but not the whole of Alex; and though he doubted not that what he could see was an essential part of Alex's personality, it only represented the easily-accessible, understandable aspect of it. There was a strange streak running beneath the surface which Elazul sometimes glimpsed, and which made him uneasy, made him feel that there was something in Alex that was alien to his own nature; and it seemed as dark and inaccessible as Alex's strange, dark jewel, the jewel which shone such a clear green in the sunlight, but became dim and dark at night, refusing to send out those sympathetic signals that all normal Jumi jewels constantly did.
A hot, beautiful twilight hour barely one week before they returned to the Jumi city afforded Elazul a clearer glimpse of that dissonant aberration in Alex's personality.
Alex and Elazul had been traveling, and glimpsed a nearby village lying dark and snug on the red horizon, towards which they directed their steps. The skies were seeped with a warm crimson glow, and the dormant countryside was perfectly quiet, for the workers have left the fields some time ago. But as Elazul passed near a thick cluster of trees growing off the side of the road, Alex suddenly paused and swerved sharply. Elazul paused likewise, an instinctive reaction, and was about to ask Alex why he had stopped, but Alex silenced him with a quick gesture and stood motionless, his bright eyes questing within the gloom of the thicket.
The two youthful warriors both heard it now-- a quiet groan, a pained mutter, upon which they quickly oriented; Alex immediately slipped through the bushes into the thicket, seeking out the sound within the darkness lurking beneath the trees. Elazul followed, but he had fallen a little behind, and when he finally caught up with Alex he could see him hovering over a white figure lying on the ground.
It was a young girl, and she was sprawling in a pool of blood that sent long, trickling trails upon the dark earth. Her pale-colored clothes had been torn, and her exposed stomach had been slashed by a sharp object, perhaps a sword; Elazul could now see that both of her arms had been cut off just above the elbows, and her face was washed with the dripping blood generated by a deep wound on her forehead. Her long yellow hair, loosened from a dark ribbon, was drenched in the sickly red of the bloody pool, and floated on it like a colorless seaweed.
Elazul had seen difficult sights, but the heartless, cruel mutilation of this young girl somehow seemed almost too ghastly to bear; and what was most horrible was the fact that the girl was still alive. Her eyelids fluttered as she sensed the men leaning towards her, and she fixed a blank, tortured gaze upon them.
She was young; too young; a fourteen-years-old human girl, perhaps. "She has been ravished and left to die," Alex said quietly, his words echoing Elazul's thoughts. "Her wounds are very grave ." Elazul could not reply; he merely nodded in response, feeling numb and sick with horror. The gloom of the trees closed upon them oppressively, and he could smell the scent of decay that surrounded the ravaged body of the girl.
A pained sound escaped the girl's throat, and Elazul edged closer, his immediate instinct of protection overcoming his consternation. She was attempting to speak; Alex, who was standing nearest, leant towards her to try to catch the words; her pale, bloodied face seemed to float in the darkness, and her mouth opened mutely. But she closed her eyes again after a moment, and Alex stooped, laying his fingers on her heart, feeling the fluttering, unsteady beat.
"She might live half an hour, no more," he muttered, a dark look of anger in his eyes. Then he rose to his feet and unsheathed his sword. Before Elazul could stop him he drove the sharp blade into the girl's heart with a quick, apt motion; she uttered a sharp cry of pain and her quivering body became still. Just as abruptly Alex wrenched the blade free and knelt in the clearing. He wiped the blood from the silvery edge on the mildew fringing the moist earth.
Elazul had been too stunned to speak or uttered a protest; and when Alex rose to his feet and turned around, he found the Lapis Lazuli knight standing opposite with glittering, furious eyes. Quickly, silently, hands as strong as steel closed on Alex's slender arm, and he was dragged away from that terrible clearing, away from the pool of blood, from the pale corpse of the shattered child. He made no attempt to resist but followed Elazul with stumbling steps. Finally, when both stood behind a cluster of trees, that hid the sight of the mutilated body, Elazul hurled Alex on the ground with a vicious gesture and stood with his chest heaving, his breath coming quickly with shock and fury.
Alex made no protest at this treatment. He rose to his feet slowly and silently, his fingers sliding across the fabric of his clothes, clearing away the dust and dirt from them. Elazul's harsh voice, trembling with repressed emotions, grated in his ears. "Why? Why did you do it, why?! We could have saved her!"
Alex finally glanced up at Elazul slowly, his eyes impassive and dark, barring light. "No," he replied. "We couldn't have."
"I could have called a healer! I could have--" the words died on Elazul's lips, and he felt unable to utter any more; his body was shaking with rage. He was estranged by Alex's calm gaze, knew himself to be shut off from something that he could not understand, knew himself to be faced with a mystery that was frightening and alienating; and he felt both furious at and apprehensive of the Alex that was standing before him now, who had killed this girl quickly, decisively, without explanation or warning. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, the fingers curling tightly around it, gripping it painfully, as if he sought a distraction through the physical hurt the sharp metal provided, a distraction for his mind from the events that passed in the last few minutes.
Alex immediately noticed Elazul's gesture, and his eyes darted towards Elazul's sword-hand as he spoke; but his countenance remained calm, and though he watched Elazul's sword-hand intently, he gave no indication of fear. "No," he replied steadily, with the same even voice that seemed to Elazul to be horrifyingly reasonable, repellingly logical. "A healer couldn't have done much good for her either." Despite Elazul's previously rough treatment his trained arm ensured that he maintained a grip on his sword throughout, and he now poised it in a particular way that Elazul recognized as defensive. For some reason, this angered Elazul further. "And who--" he said with a voice as cold as ice, taking an unconscious step towards Alex, who instinctively fell back-- not a muscle moved in his face, but his body became tense and poised for battle-- "who made you, all of a sudden, an expert in these decisions?"
For one moment, it seemed like Alex has finally lost his tongue. Then he said quickly, "I-- I-- I learned it from a nun."
The words were like a splash of icy water to Elazul's temper; he was checked in his tracks, his face becoming a frozen mask, revealing nothing, his eyes searching Alex's face, searching intently as Alex continued quickly, the word slipping off his tongue with stumbling haste: "When I-- she saved me from death, and I stayed in the shrine for a long time and learned a lot about medical lore. I've seen many people near death, and I know that this girl was beyond recovery." And Elazul could not reply, because he now recalled... and he did not know what exactly to say, to reply, but his brain thought furiously, no, don't say that, it can't be, please-- don't say it, and how, how could you do it like this-- he felt a constricted pain choking him, and could only say breathlessly, "She did not have to die."
"She had to die." Alex's gaze was defiant, his eyes were that dark, lightless pool once more, his voice had that repellent, logical tone again, the tone Elazul knew that he could never understand, the logical tone of fate, of finality, of inevitability, of the cold voice of death. "She was in too much pain, and killing her saved her another half-hour of lingering agony. And left in this condition, I would have wanted to die-- if I was--" But then he suddenly paused.
But Elazul knew what he wished to say, and the words were forced out of him, spelled out with difficulty, the words that his upbringing infused into his blood, drop by drop. "The Jumi-- the Jumi are-- we are-- we are healers-- we do not kill. You have no right to take the life of another, even if--"
"The Jumi, preservers of life-- the Jumi, healers?" Alex's tone was hard, mocking, sardonic. "Don't tell me that you are this willfully blind, Elazul. The Jumi who force Lady Florina to weep tears for them until her core breaks apart? And you, Elazul the wanderer, Jumi of Lapis Lazuli-- how many men have you killed on your travels?"
Elazul was assailed by blind fury at these words; without a warning, he leapt towards Alex. Alex had thought that he was prepared, but Elazul's trained fingers, shooting out with a lightening speed that was accelerated by his body's movement, locked around Alex's wrist and twisted it with brutal efficiency, forcing it to loosen its hold on the hilt of the sword. After a few seconds of struggle in which Alex attempted to unlock Elazul's grip unsuccessfully, the blade cluttered to the ground. Elazul twisted Alex's arm behind his back and Alex found himself forcefully doubled over, Elazul leaning over him, one arm locked over his neck tightly enough to stop his breath, a cold point of a dagger at his throat.
"I could-- I could kill you now," Elazul said, breathing harshly. "Slit your throat and be done with it."
Alex made no reply but remained leaning forward in his forced position, breathing quickly and with pain.
"Would you like to die?" Elazul's tone was cold, acidic.
"Not exactly-- the same way-- that she did," Alex replied, panting.
For some reason, the reply suddenly eased Elazul's locked anger. His countenance relaxed, and flooded with red. He released Alex so quickly that Alex lost his balance and fell to his knees; then he turned around toward the bushes, leant over them and vomited.
Alex rose to his feet, making no remark. Elazul had sunk to one knee, and he was sitting on the ground with a lowered head, his fingers, marked white with the previous painful pressure on metal, pressing against the earth. "Damn you, damn you," he muttered.
Behind him he could hear the cold, metallic sound of Alex's blade slipping back into his sheath, his voice speaking quietly. "We must report her to the village. We can't leave her body lying here. I can only hope that we avoid suspicion ourselves."
Elazul found he did not care about this particular aspect of the business, and he made no reply. The sudden memory of Sandra in the shrine, the conjured vision of her coolly smiling eyes, somehow made him feel troubled, agitated, deeply angry, unsure of what the future might hold for them.
What are you truly looking for, Sandra, he thought to himself, sensing the presence of Alex at his back like a torch that burned with a dark, disquieting fire. Who are you, what are you, where did you come from?
.
Alex passed the test of knighthood upon their return to the city, and with such ease that it left a distinctly favorable impression upon Rubens and the Jumi council; and he passed it just in time for the summer contest. His skills has sharpened during the travels, and though he could never defeat Elazul, he anticipated to put up a decent fight in the tournament. Elazul himself did not mean to compete, but the incident that occurred had put a coolness between them that had not been present since the early days of their meeting, many months ago. Alex seemed to accept this new situation with resigned calmness; and, though Elazul would not admit it, this seemingly cool-headed acceptance on Alex's part made him feel disappointed and disgruntled. He swallowed this emotion, however, and the new situation between them continued-- and then, when the contest was held two weeks later, Alex found that he was to compete against Elazul as well.
He was a little surprised-- but not entirely displeased, feeling, if Elazul only knew it, that the gesture was made to compliment him especially-- his new rivalry with Elazul did not disturb him in the least; he was actually rather amused by it. He reasoned that provoking a response of any kind was at least better than being ignored, and looked forward to the contest.
If there was one benefit to the contest, it was that Alex was finally made aware of the population count of the Jumi. Practically all the Jumi population in the city assembled in the appointed contest arena in the lower eastern part of the city, and Alex, his gaze sweeping over hundreds of faces, thought with surprise and a strange pang, I did not know that the Jumi population was so small-- this city was fashioned to comfortably house tens of thousands of people, and here we have less than two thousand.
Elazul had arrived late, and Alex had barely time to glimpse him arriving before he was hurried into the dressing room to put on the appropriate uniform. Upon his emergence from the dressing room the contestants were all filed into a neat row and marched down the back isle and into the arena, for the opening ceremonies. The number of newly-integrated or young Jumi knights participating in the contest was about thirty; this was narrowed down by Rubens and the council from the original one hundred or so. Alex, chafing in his red and white mail, and uneasily pressing his hat down to his ears, was sternly told to stand still. He noticed Elazul just a few steps away from him and tried to catch his eye, but Elazul ignored him resolutely.
The young knights stood straight and still, facing the platform upon which the council members presided. First and foremost among them was the Lady Black Pearl herself, who was the primary judge of the contest as well; and Alex, strongly curious to see her, craned his neck upwards and watched intently as she was announced, and stepped onto the platform.
Black Pearl emerged, and Alex watched her eagerly. He beheld a tall woman, upright and slender; and though Alex knew that she did not show her age he couldn't help but being somewhat stunned to see how young she seemed, for she looked like a human of no more than twenty-six, twenty-seven at most. The passage of time that eventually affects all Jumi seemed to have disregarded Black Pearl completely; no wonder, he thought, that they say her core contains dark and mysterious magic, some strange witchery that keeps her looking young.
Black Pearl's hair was a woven dark gold, from which the sunlight occasionally drew a rich glimmer, running across the heavy, coiled tresses like a silent, secret fire, resplendent in the afternoon heat. Her clothes were the color of pearly cream, dim gold and dark silver, with the exception of voluminous scarf encircling her waist and hanging down to the back of her knees, which was dyed with a red so intense that Alex had a strange impression that it had been drenched in blood. Her large eyes were very dark, and her face was very white and incredibly beautiful. Alex, who was usually hard-pressed to be impressed by anything, thought that he had never seen a lovelier woman; and upon this thought he turned his eyes towards Elazul again.
The dark-haired knight was straight and still, his gaze fixed on the regal woman standing just above him and an expression on his face that Alex had never seen before, and which made him suddenly wary, alert, closely scrutinizing. Elazul's face was drained of blood, he was as white as wax; but the following moment a dark crimson flood mounted into his cheeks. The fingers that gripped the hilt of his sword trembled, and he clenched them again with a furious effort to keep them still, though the movement was unconscious, for he seemed to be oblivious, for a moment, of his surroundings.
The next moment Black Pearl spoke. Alex did not hear what she said exactly, but all the young knights dropped to their knees in front of the pedestal, and he followed their cue. His eyes rested for a moment on the earth at his feet, but he couldn't help stealing a glance at Elazul's face, trying to determine his expression. He could see his profile; Elazul's head was hung low, his eyes fixed on the ground, a distracted, far-off aspect to them. He seemed not to hear anything of the oratory carried above their heads, and the words floated above Alex's head as well, for he could barely catch their meaning. His brain was working quickly, furiously, mulling over with thoughts and feelings, turbulent, strange, even alien.
It can't be-- not him! Elazul, to behave this way? To fall in love just like that! The first moment that he saw her!
His cynicism quickly returning, he thought wryly, if love it is indeed.
The oration ended, Alex rose to his feet in unison with the rest of the knights. Black Pearl now commenced an address to the solemn Jumi warriors. She performed her speech in measured, clipped accents, and her words came straight to the point; she did not waste her time with superfluous expressions. She had a good voice, melodious and clear, and deeper than of most women; but the harsh undercurrents of a precise, relentless mind lent them a cold edge. Alex decided that he did not like her.
His eyes continued beyond her to the seats just above the platform. Lady Florina was sitting in one of them, swathed in blue silk. She was small and fragile-looking, and he was rather surprised to discover that she was not at all pretty. On the contrary, and especially when compared to Black Pearl's majestic, sphinx-like beauty, she seemed small and ordinary and thin, with hair that, however nicely arranged and tied, was a nondescript brown, straight and plain. Her features, too, were insignificant, with a not-quite-straight though delicate nose, and a small, pale mouth. Her frail, plain appearance was enhanced by the pallor of her skin. Her eyes were of a medium size, and, from that distance, seemed an undetermined grey color. But there was something in her expression, a hint of a smile lurking at the corner of her mouth, a twinkle in her eye, that made Alex pay closer attention to her.
His fixed gaze must have drawn her attention, because suddenly their eyes met and she looked straight at him and rewarded him with a sweet, engaging smile, as if she was sharing a joke between them.
The corners of his mouth twitched, but no further look was exchanged between them as he rose to his feet, for the contest was finally announced.
.
Despite his youth and status of a relatively new knight, Alex defeated his first contestant easily, and ascended to the second round. His ascent the third proved a little more difficult, but he eventually won against his opponents after a long and weary combat, his agility coming into good stead in the battle.
During his rest periods he had watched Elazul's rounds, and it seemed to him that the Lapis Lazuli knight's distracted mood had lingered. But Elazul was well-trained and strong, and even so, he defeated his opponents quickly enough. Among the judges, Alex noticed Black Pearl watching Elazul attentively, and he felt irked. A strong wish to defeat Elazul suddenly throbbed within him; he had yet to pit himself against him in this contest, but he clearly recalled how Elazul won by virtue of quickness combined with strength during their unfortunate clash, and he was resolute to keep on his guard this time. No, he was determined on a goal further-reaching than this-- he was determined to defeat Elazul this time-- to become Florina's knight-- to prevent Black Pearl from looking upon him so favorably.
The base quality of this wish brought his characteristic, quirky smile to the corner of his mouth again; but Alex had known himself to be cold-hearted since his youth, and he was not loath to admit it to himself. What matters the price his soul pays, he thought cynically, if he acquired his earthly gain?
The semi-final round was announced, and Elazul, one of the four remaining knights, stepped up against his present challenger.
Alex immediately noticed that something was wrong-- Elazul was not putting as much energy into this fight as he should have been. Eyes narrowed, he watched in astonishment as Elazul's performance in battle became poorer and poorer-- he couldn't help but glancing up and covertly examining Black Pearl's countenance. She was watching with a neutral expression, but a thin line marred her brow, as if she was vaguely displeased. What was Elazul about? Alex thought furiously. Can he mean to lose, and why, why? He will not gain favor in the eyes of Black Pearl this way for sure.
And then, suddenly, the round was over-- and Elazul was declared the loser.
Alex shot a keen, challenging look at Elazul as they passed each other near the gate; the Jumi knight must have noticed his criticizing gaze, because one of his sudden, engaging smiles appeared, the first Alex has seen from him in many days; but he said nothing and simply continued towards the gate.
Somehow, this unexpected turn of events increased Alex's determination to win.
.
Sitting on the comfortable throne with its golden pillows, Florina watched the contest vigilantly. The youthful knight with those green, smiling eyes has captured her attention early during the ceremony. She was a little surprised perhaps at his success, for she judged him to be inexperienced and youthful, but she was pleased at his unexpected skill; and the longer he survived the increasingly toughening rounds, the more interested she became in the outcome. But she still had no high hopes for him; she had always thought that the blue-eyed knight of Lapis Lazuli, the famous one, and the one that captured Black Pearl's attention, might win the contest; the outcome of that semi-final round startled her considerably.
She glanced at Black Pearl, and she could instantly sense her displeasure. Black Pearl was always questing for potential men for the royal guard; such a display of weakness on the part of the Lapis Lazuli knight crossed him off the list for certain, and this after she had been so sure of his skills, looking forward to test them because of the favorable rumors. Black Pearl did not like to be wrong, and she intensely disliked a poor performance. Her lips were compressed into a thin line, her dark eyes frowned; but the shadow passed quickly, leaving the same cool snowy beauty intact, the beauty that Florina so admired and secretly envied. Why can I not be strong like Black Pearl, she thought to herself; yes-- even if her way of life, and of all of the Jumi is wrong, she is still strong, possesses the power and will to change things, as I do not; instead, I submit to my fate, weak and powerless-- I cannot follow my heart, my preferences, not since my dear father died.
Yes, I am weak, thought Florina; but that green-eyed knight is not-- I can tell that he is no feeble, vacillating being-- perhaps he would be fit to be my knight. And thus, when the final round wore on, and Alex prevailed over his opponent after a lengthy, lingering, tiring fight, even Florina rose up higher on her sofa-- her fatigue could not deter her; she straightened and watched the fight attentively through, and when the victor was announced she clapped her hands and smiled with delight. Alex, bowing, received the laurel of Victory from the Lady Black Pearl; and then he approached close and knelt in front of Florina.
"Lady," he said. "I shall do my best to serve you."
And Florina answered his strange, quirky smile, and thought to herself-- he is so unusual-- I sense it; he will not be with me long, until Black Pearl returns, but I must try and find out about him as much as I can until then.
.
Elazul had not been surprised to hear about Alex's victory. But he did not go to offer him congratulations, either. He came to the private feast offered to the contesting knight in the royal palace, but he wandered about the golden hall, away from the crowd of high Jumi noblemen and richly dressed Jumi ladies, seeking the dark corners, escaping the pale aura of the sparkling chandeliers. He could see Alex seated by the side of Lady Florina on the other side of the room, both conversing with the ease of long-time friends; and then he walked quietly towards the tempting, soothing darkness of the outer balcony.
As he stood in the darkness, looking up into the cool night, a great longing to escape rose within him. Escape into the great world, he thought; this time without Alex-- I have been almost ten years on my own, after all; this time I will manage better, use my experience. I have nothing to do here; Alex will be with Florina, and I have failed the contest-- deliberately failed, for I cannot be entrenched within a guardianship; I need my freedom. And yet, Black Pearl, she--
He paused. Even the thought made him feel light-headed, feel a warm sensation spreading through his body; and he breathed the chilled air quickly, thinking, I need to get away from here before it's too late.
A deep, steady woman's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Lapis Lazuli knight."
Elazul felt an electric shock, a verve running through his blood at this sound and turned abruptly with a sharp movement. As if conjured from a vision, Black Pearl emerged from the golden light and stood framed by the arched doorway, her form appearing a dark by contrast; her pale clothes became grey, pearly shadows. She advanced towards him and Elazul dropped his gaze, his eyes fastened on the marble floor before him. "Lady Black Pearl," he said formally, but his voice nearly betrayed him, and his tones faltered.
She approached the balcony's railing and stood at his side, her fingers resting on them lightly. She looked into the chilled night; the balcony stood at a steep elevation point above the lights of the city, and here, high above the glittering sparkle of gems that constantly challenged the darkness, the night could finally flow clearly, and the stars did not seem as faded.
"Lapis Lazuli knight," she said, her melodious, clear voice accentuating Elazul's title formally. "Your name, I think, is Elazul." She did not wait for him to confirm this, but continued succinctly. "I have heard many reports of your skill, and at first I must confess that I was disappointed by your performance."
She became silent, and Elazul, feeling that she expected an answer, said quietly, "Then I must apologize, Lady."
"I do not wish for an apology," she said, sharply now, without looking at him; her eyes still gazed into the dark night, sought the faint light of the stars.
"And I do not wish for a pardon," Elazul replied, his quick temper immediately flaring at her icy tones. He did not regret the words even as they slipped off his tongue, but immediately realized how their very different tempers clashed and thought, you still do not know her after all-- and it's not like you to tumble into a situation as quickly as this-- and yet--
He felt her glancing at him, as if his sharp reply drew her attention. He expected her to respond, but all she said was, "I wish to see your true performance. You did excellently at first, I must own; and I could detect unusual skills demonstrated by your techniques. But then you suddenly altered; and I think I know the reason."
Elazul said nothing, kept his gaze fixed on the ground stubbornly. He found himself wondering again how she could look so young, and yet be the oldest Jumi in existence; a thousand years old, he thought, his head spinning at the realization that this was almost twice the age of the average Jumi-- now that the Jumi's life span became shorter, he reflected, because they said that of old the Jumi lived as much as a thousand years. And then he reasoned, it's only rumors, it can't be, unless her core really does contain unusual magic. His hand was trembling again, but he clenched it into a determined fist. I shall not let her influence me this way, he thought with a tinge of resentment, his mind rebelling against his body.
"The reason," said Black Pearl, after waiting for a moment for a reply but not receiving one; "is that you do not wish for a guardian."
Elazul was silent, betraying none of the surprise that he felt at her astute remark. He had known her to be intelligent, and this was merely proof of her power of discernment.
"I know about your spirit of independence-- unusual, I would call it," Black Pearl continued, her cool, measured voice cutting clearly through the crisp silence. "And though you've been a knight for many years, you did not apply for a guardian." Her voice now became harsh, slicing at the young knight like an edge of a broken glass, seeking to draw blood. "I disapprove of this kind of an independence; it is hard-headed and immature. And yet, though you have disappointed me-- and I do not like to be disappointed-- I thought I shall give you one more chance. We need more skilled people for the Guard; if you so wish, I shall engage your skills. It's a honored position, and you shall get the privilege of dwelling in the highest level of the city."
Elazul flushed hotly at her rebuke; his first impulse had been to refuse, for, he thought angrily, there was nothing more than he wished than to leave her and this city of hers, that she has imprisoned under her shell of magic; and now that Alex has finally established his position here and forsook him, he felt that he had nothing left to do here, nothing left to attach him to this place. And yet, as he looked up, and watched the turn of her white, beautiful countenance, he knew that he desired her-- and it was a feeling that he could not understand, because, at the same time, he was also repelled by her-- by the knowledge that the frozen white face masked a cold, black heart. And this is why I must leave, he thought frantically, clenching his fists with an effort to keep his breathing still, his simmering fury at both her and himself under control-- and he thought of Sandra again and felt a bitter bile in his mouth.
After a long pause in which he could feel her silent expectancy he attempted to answer her calmly, and heard himself saying, "Do as you will with me, My Lady-- now, if you please excuse me--" before he turned around and left without waiting for an answer. And as he walked distractedly through the golden hall-- never sensing Alex's eyes fixed intently upon him as he passed-- he thought to himself, and still-- I cannot explain why-- her mask could be broken through-- there was something strange that I sensed glowing from within that black core of pearl-- or perhaps it was just my own response to it, my own self-deceiving desire?
.