The next week or so, I had a lot of work to do, and managed to shove Elazul and Pearl to the back of my mind. I picked my crops, sold them, forged weapons, and made Bud and Lisa sweep out the barn. It was about a week after the incident in Mekiv Caverns that I wandered into Domina and found myself pestered by Niccolo until I finally agreed to lead him through the Luon Highway. He wanted to cross it, evidently, but the monsters were too strong for him. Maybe if he'd actually equip himself with a weapon…
When we arrived at the highway, I saw a strangely familiar figure standing among the tall grasses on the side of the road. My eyes widened as I recognized her. I approached the figure, forgetting Niccolo was on my tail, and called out her name cautiously.
"Um…" Pearl mumbled. "Where am I? Elazul?" she turned around. "Oh, Leora!"
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Um, I…" she stammered. "I got lost again. I wonder where Elazul could be."
Niccolo chose that moment to butt in. "I bet that troublemaker is causing an uproar in Domina right now."
Pearl appeared nothing less than shocked at this accusation, and moved a few steps away.
"Ignore him," I told her, rolling my eyes.
She nodded, hesitantly. "By the way, Leora… what is this place?"
"A highway," I told her.
"A…highway?" she repeated. "Oh…" Pearl walked a bit further in, to the south. "Maybe I should go see what's over there…" she looked in that direction, then turned around, changing her mind. "Hmm… maybe over here…" Pearl quickly walked away from me.
"Pearl!" I called. "Wait!"
However, she was too far gone. I sighed, and Niccolo pulled me away again. We went along the highway; I was slightly distracted, but the monsters weren't a challenge. Niccolo once again ripped me off, paying me in goods that I, for the most part, did not want. At any rate, I found myself wanting a vacation even more by the time we were finished. I stopped by the library in Domina and picked up a few books on travels.
By candlelight, on my bed, I pored through them. Seeing Pearl again had reminded me of gems… I wanted to forge things of them. At first, the books were not of much help… the Ulkan mines and the city of Geo were much too far to go on a simple trip like this. Then, I stumbled upon an entry for the Gato Grottoes… There was only a tiny, three-sentence paragraph on the minerals available, but it was nearly enough to convince me of its resources. I switched to the tourism book and read the much more extensive entry there. A lovely waterfall, a cancun bird, and best of all, the temple of healing… it also boasted lovely terraces and pleasant weather. That was enough for me to make up my mind.
I packed my things and set off. I told Bud and Lisa to mind the house, and to expect me back in two days' time. With that, I set off, and by only taking short breaks and saving my energy carefully, reached Gato by the late afternoon. The sun was just setting over the grottoes. It was a breathtaking sight.
As I entered the town, I noticed that there were people blocking the path to the mineral shop. Upon closer inspection, I saw a robed woman (probably a nun from the temple) kneeling over a Sproutling.
"Excuse me," she said to the downed Sproutling, but are you feeling all right?"
"My tummy hurts…" moaned the little Sproutling, shifting its weight slightly.
The nun looked around and noticed me. "Oh! Could you help me take care of him?"
I nodded. "Of course."
"Thanks," the Sproutling said, a second before it leapt to its feet and wailed, "Ow, my tummy!"
"Come on," the nun coaxed. "Try to walk to that shop over there."
"Oh…" the Sproutling said, confused and not making sense. "N-no, I can't!" it began to scurry up towards the mountainous paths leading away from town. "Someone help me!" it cried.
I blinked. "Well," I began. "I don't know what to do about that… the poor Sproutling."
"I wonder if he is all right?" the nun mused. "Maybe the mountain paths wore out that Sproutling."
We parted there, and the path to the mineral shop was free. I opened the door, and walked inside. It was dimly lit, and smelled of wood, fabrics, and wax. Candles burnt on tiny shelves next to the wares. Mostly each shelve was lined with different sized pieces of metals mined locally. I sneered at the Menos Bronze, but looked with interest at some of the irons and silvers.
In the back of the shop, there was a tiny display case containing gems. In front of it there was a rumpled man, wearing comfortable purple clothing. This had blue stripes on the collar, ends of the sleeves, and ends of the pant legs. He wore glasses and was examining a ruby through a magnifying glass; holding it up to the candlelight.
"Not this one…" he murmured, not noticing me. He pocketed the ruby and pulled out an emerald. "This too… no sparkle to it."
I cleared my throat, wanting to see the display case. "Excuse me, um…"
"Oh!" he said, noticing me. "Excuse me. Are you looking for gems?"
I nodded, eyeing the emerald he held in his hand. He noticed me looking, because he answered "I am sorry, I cannot sell you this stone."
"Out of curiosity," I asked, "why?"
"Without any sparkle to it, a stone is useless."
I raised an eyebrow, not understanding. They seemed to glitter enough.
"Oh, forgive me," he said. "My name is Alex, and I own a jewelry shop in Geo. I came here to buy some gems, but good gems are hard to find. I wish there were better stones…"
He then moved away from the display case, and I moved in to take a look. I, personally, found the sight breathtaking. I was especially drawn by a piece that was labeled Alexandrite. "This stone," read the label, "is quite remarkable as it often changes from green to purple." I recalled an old poem about the gem I'd read once, green by day and purple by night…
I decided to go eat my dinner on the terrace and then come back tomorrow to finalize my decision. Exiting the shop, I followed the path up towards the mountain, until I reached a fork. There were no signs. Luckily, there was a man standing on the edge, looking down below. Keeping my distance from the cliff, I approached him. He looked up at me; I was about to ask him the way to the terrace, but to my surprise, he spoke first.
"Hello," he greeted me. "I'm Rubens, a fire-keeper for this town. Let me ask you something."
"All right," I said, a little taken aback by his abruptness.
"I hear a thief is going after the temple's flame. Did you see anyone suspicious on your way here?"
No wonder he had asked so quickly. My mindset changed. I thought back to who I had seen… well, the person in the jewelry shop had appeared slightly odd, but my mind quickly skipped over him and flew to the Sproutling. "I did see a Sproutling acting funny," I told him.
"A Sproutling?" Mr. Rubens furrowed his brow. "No, he is probably not involved. I guess it was just a rumor… the inspector exaggerates everything."
"The inspector?" I asked, curious.
"He's a mouse-man with a pipe and a really loud voice. He keeps pestering me to be careful all the time…" At that last sentence, Rubens looked away as if he had said too much, briefly touching his hand to his collarbone, which was completely clothed in bright red silk.
"Do you know anything about the Sproutling?" I persisted, wanting to make him talk again. Mr. Rubens already seemed very interesting.
"Not really… that Sprouting was acting strange, though. I think he went to the terrace."
I thanked him, and looked towards the path he gestured to. However, my curiosity got the better of me and I found myself asking about his job.
"My job is to keep the torches burning at the temple. The temple is to your left."
"Thanks again," I told him. "I'll visit there after the terrace."
We parted ways there. Oh, if only I had turned around for just a second, I would have seen the note come… but I digress.
I walked onto the terrace, where I was pleasantly surprised by the tables and benches carved from the rock. I sat down there and took out the food I had prepared the night before. I was just getting into it, when I heard a familiar voice.
"My tummy hurts! Please help me!"
I looked over, and saw a different nun standing with the Sproutling. I watched in interest.
"Let me see…" she said. "Oh! It's a Popo bug! It can cure most anything!"
I raised an eyebrow. A Popo bug stuck in a Sproutling… now I'd seen everything.
"Help me!" it screeched again, jarring me from my thoughts.
"Just wait!" the nun said, excited. "That bug is the ultimate medicine…let's just remove it."
The Sproutling blinked through its tears. "You're going to help me?" it asked, hopeful.
The nun nodded, a warm smile on her face. "I'm going to peel away a leave to take out the Popo."
"Nooo!" it cried, and ran away. I sighed. That silly creature.
"Oh," the nun moaned. "what a waste! Popo bugs are so expensive… I think Mr. Rubens needed that medicine, too…"
"Mr. Rubens does?" I asked, without meaning to.
She looked over at me, startled. "I believe so," she answered. "A pity he wasn't here at the moment… Mr. Rubens comes here, too. It's so nice up here!"
She left, and I finished my dinner. After that, I cleaned up and ambled towards the Temple of Healing. You had to get there through the rock tunnels, and when you arrived, it was simply gorgeous. The sunset lay behind the temple, which was built on an outcropping of rock over the void. The winds never ceased, and you could hear water running faintly, far below.
I approached the doors and they opened by themselves; this truly was a spiritual place. However, the effect didn't last long. There was a nun praying at the altar and none other than the hurt Sproutling ran wild circles about her.
"Stop it," the nun said, quietly.
"My tummy hurts!" the Sproutling cried, deaf to her request. "Please do something about the Popo bug!"
"Calm your soul," the nun replied, "and all worldly pains will vanish."
I was tempted to tell her that Sproutlings don't have souls, but I kept my mouth shut. The Sproutling wasn't impressed by her reply either. "But it hurts!" it wailed.
"You must meditate," lectured the nun. "Everything is in your mind."
"Somebody help me!!" it screeched, and ran out of the temple. Making my decision on a dime, I decided to follow it. I fell behind a bit, but I knew it was headed to the terrace. I stepped out onto it, but stepped back again when I saw the Sproutling, a nun, and Mr. Rubens standing there having a conversation. I decided to butt out for now--but I couldn't help eavesdropping…
"My tummy hurts!" the Sproutling whined. "Help me, but don't tear off my leaves!"
The nun smiled, but there was something about it that looked almost…cruel… "All right, my dear," she told it. "Come over here, I will help you."
"Okay!" the Sproutling replied. What absolutely random creatures!
"Here," Mr. Rubens, the nun said.
"Yes…" he replied… then a funny thing happened. I could have sworn I saw a flash of light under his clothes. Something almost clicked in my mind, there, but I lost it. I kept on watching, suddenly feeling extremely bothered.
"OW!" screamed the Sproutling.
"Go ahead, Mr. Rubens," the nun said in a silky voice, leaning over the Sproutling.
Rubens furrowed his brow. "No, wait." He said.
"Well?" the nun asked, standing up straight impatiently. "Don't you want to revive your petrified sweetheart?"
Petrified sweetheart? All of this stuff was too much for me. I put my hand to my head and sat back against the cool rock.
"Yes, but…" I barely heard Rubens' reply through the roaring in my ears.
"Oooh, you meanie!" the Sproutling cried, and ran away, passing me without a glance.
"See?" the nun asked. "Now he got away!"
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Rubens told her in an even voice.
The nun laughed. "Then you can't protect anyone. You're too soft." Rubens made no reply, so she continued. "Life is like this town…cutting through rocks to make pathways. We can't get to the top without a flame of hope in our hearts." She paused, and her voice became sinister, icy, and cruel. "Don't you think so?"
I shuddered. This meant nothing to me, but obviously something was going on with Mr. Rubens. And he had told me that the inspector was warning him to be careful…
It was all too much. I stood up and decided to go back to the temple and sit down on a pew. I felt extremely lightheaded.
When the doors to the temple opened, I saw a nun lying on the floor. Not thinking twice, I screamed! What now? This trip hadn't been the greatest idea, after all! Slowly, I approached her, expecting the worst.
Suddenly, a tiny mouse-man ran up from behind me and into the temple. "OH!!" he cried. "Aha! A crime!!" he stepped closer to the fallen nun. "The victim is… a… nun. She has no external wounds… Hey, you!" he yelled at me, making me jump. "Don't touch the body!"
"Sorry," I whispered.
"I…" came a faint, female voice. "I am still alive."
I felt the blood rush back into my head.
"Oh, my apologies," the mouse-man said; he could be none other than the inspector. "What seems to be the problem."
"I twisted my ankle when the Sproutling bumped into me."
The inspector (I read the name "Boyd" on his badge) clenched his fists, made a horrible face, and jumped up and down on the floor loudly. "So, she disguised herself as a Sproutling! What could she want!" he repeated his jumping fit. "Blast it, Sandra!"
With that, he ran out the door. I knelt by the fallen nun, and helped her to her feet. I saw that she'd also hit her head on the floor.
Another nun ran in from the convent, and took her, thanking me. "I will take care of her," she assured me.
I shook my head as I left the temple. The terrace, I thought, the terrace. Hopefully there wouldn't be anyone there. I walked through the tunnels and past the fork, but when I entered the terrace, Rubens and the nun were still there. I peeked out, watching them, wishing for them to just leave..!
"Oh, what is it?" I heard Rubens asking of the nun.
"I think I will get the Popo bug from that Sproutling," she said, matter-of-factly.
"Well, go ahead," Rubens replied stiffly. "I'm not going to do it."
"How callous!" the nun said; she pretended to be shocked. "So you don't care one way or another about your love in Geo?"
Rubens paused, and his voice grew afraid. "How is it you know where she is?" he asked, taking a few steps back.
"Good question," the nun said, smiling cruelly.
Rubens stepped towards her again. "Don't mock me…" he warned.
The nun flipped her head up arrogantly. "Well, if you don't want it, can I take the Popo bug?"
I now realize that by now it was obvious she wasn't truly a nun, and that I should have stepped in immediately. I didn't, though, and the fool I was!
"Fine by me," Rubens told her.
"You don't care whether if affects your girlfriend or the Sproutling, do you?" she asked, her voice still nasty. I closed my eyes for a second… where had I heard that voice before?
"Look," Rubens said, standing directly in front of her. "I don't want to interfere in anyone's life. And I don't want anyone interfering in mine. Just leave me alone."
Her smile grew wicked, and her eyes slitty and cruel. "Never," she breathed, in the coldest voice imaginable. I heard some chiming noises and noticed another glint from under Mr. Rubens' clothing.
"Stones who lose their sparkle shall be punished!" cried the nun. With that, she pulled out a knife and stabbed Mr. Rubens in the chest.
I screamed, and stepped forward, forgetting myself completely.
"How…dare…you…" choked Mr. Rubens, and he fell to the ground.
I stepped forward again, ready to fight, but I stopped immediately as the nun pointed her knife at me. "Come any closer, and I'll kill him," she threatened, and turned back to Rubens. "Do as I say, and I won't harm your core."
The things bothering me in my mind clicked into place all too quickly. Cores… and jewels… and Mr. Rubens and Elazul and Pearl… by the Mana Goddess, they were all Jumi! I knew I'd recognized the cores… it had just been so long since I'd read about the stuff, and the Jumi were all but extinct… people who can live forever, as long as their core is undamaged. However, the cores are seen as precious, and the Jumi have been hunted for a long time. It is illegal, of course, but it is nearly too late. People still do it, although because there aren't many left, it isn't too common.
"What…do you…want?" Rubens sputtered.
The nun stepped on his stomach with one foot, and he gasped. "I wanna see some tears!" she demanded. "Cry like a child and beg for your life!" she paused, looking at his contorted face. "Well? Where are your tears?"
"But…" Rubens gasped, "I can't…"
"That's just too bad!" the nun declared. She extended her hands, and with her knife tore his clothes at the chest. As I expected, there was a large ruby neatly set into his flesh. The nun reached out with her other hand and tore this away. I closed my eyes; I couldn't watch. I heard Mr. Rubens gasping and gurgling for dear life. I think I screamed again, but I don't recall. I just remember pulling out my sword and running towards this horrible woman.
"Still alive, eh?" she asked Rubens. "Jumi of the Lucidia are indeed formidable." She toyed with the ruby in her hands. "As I warned you, I'm taking the 'Flame of Hope'. I won't be caught so easily," she said, turning towards me. "See you around."
And she teleported away before I could make a move. Such magic… and so intimidating… I tried to forget her and knelt down by Mr. Rubens. There seemed to be a void where his core had been. I tucked his clothing back over the wound.
"Oh no!!"
I flinched as I heard the cry. I looked up and saw Inspector Boyd. He did one of his short tantrums again. "I was too late! Blast it!" He glared at me. "So it was you!!"
My heart leaped.
"Give yourself up, Sandra," he ordered, "and take those crazy sticks out of your hair!"
I fingered my hair-pipes, which I used to hold it back and to symbolize my occupations, delicately.
"No…" Rubens whispered. "It was…a…n-nun…"
The inspector grew furious. "Sandra is a master of disguise! But I will catch her!"
"Ungh…" Rubens moaned.
I could hardly bring myself to look at his face, but I knelt there by him, my heart beating with the horrible knowledge that this man was dying. I'd witnessed a murder.
"Diana…" he murmured. "I--I wish I could see you again… I'm…sorry…"
I stiffened as his body dissipated into shining red particles of light. They flew into the darkening sky quickly and disappeared. Nothing remained of Mr. Rubens.
I remember going back to the temple with Inspector Boyd, but it's a bit fuzzy as to what happened before I collapsed for a nap in the convent. When I awoke, the inspector awaited me in the prayer room. He stood at the altar, and I sat on a pew, listening to him intently.
"The temple received a note from Sandra, the jewel hunter. It said that she will steal the Flame of Hope. I thought she meant the sacred torches, but she was after Mr. Rubens' core!" I recalled what the nun--Sandra--had said about having a Flame of Hope in your heart, and shuddered.
"If only I had known that Mr. Rubens was a Jumi!" the inspector said, cursing himself. "We must catch Sandra, no matter what! I need your help! Will you cooperate?"
"Sure thing," I replied. I couldn't just let a murder slide.
"OH, THANK YOU!!" he cried, making me jump. "Something tells me that Sandra is still around this area… I will search the temple and the village, you go check the outskirts."
I nodded. "All right."
"Let's go!"
I ran out of the temple, through the town, and out to the rock pathways and tunnels that were too dangerous to be in the town. When I arrived, I saw leaves on the ground… The Sproutling! She had offered to help it before… Running so hard I got a split in my side, I followed the path of leaves through the caves and over the terraces. At one point I was attacked by bats and at another by snakes, but I managed to take care of them and keep running. Just when I felt that I couldn't go on any longer, I reached the base of a lovely waterfall. Hoping it was okay to take a little time, I knelt by the pool and drank my fill of the cold, clear water. When I'd caught my breath, I continued along the path.
And sure enough, I heard the all-too-familiar voices.
"I can get rid of the pain you feel," said the voice I knew as Sandra's.
I turned a corner and saw the Sproutling widen its eyes. "Reeeeeally?" it asked.
"Yes…" Sandra told it, her eyes glinting. I could have sworn they actually lit up with malice.
"OW!!" cried the Sproutling as she snatched something from underneath its leaves.
I stepped out so that I was visible, and who should appear from behind me, but Inspector Boyd? He was a fast little thing. Of course, the town wasn't nearly as large as the caves outside of it…
"Oh," Sandra said. "More company?"
"Now I have you, Sandra!" Boyd yelled. "You're going to pay for what you've done!"
Sandra smirked, and threw off her nun's disguise. Underneath she wore a green dress, trimmed with gold…red boots…lavender gloves… I gasped. The woman from the caverns! I felt faint again. If Elazul and I hadn't arrived when we did, Pearl might have been murdered just as Mr. Rubens had been!
"No one will ever catch me!" she declared, pulling a grappling hook from her pack. "Ta-ta, everyone!" She threw the hook up high, until it hooked a large pillar of rock. Only then did I notice that there was a large nest just peeking over the edge of the said pillar…
"Blast it!" cried Boyd. "The Cancun bird!"
A humungous bird took to the skies over Gato, and flew to the northeast, where it disappeared from view.
"Ow, Ow, OW!!" screamed the Sproutling, whose presence we had forgotten in the confusion. Then, suddenly, it stood up. "Oh wow," it marveled. "My tummy doesn't hurt anymore. Yaay! I'm okay now!"
Inspector Boyd grew angry and shook his fist at it. "Oh, shut up! This is no time to celebrate!"
"Oh!" the Sproutling said, looking hurt. It then ran back down to the waterfall and, presumably, through the pathways.
"Another Jumi was murdered," Boyd said, solemn. "This is horrible. Well, I appreciate your help anyway," he told me. "Please take this."
I accepted the small sack, bearing his gift, and watched him quietly stand on the edge of the cliffs. He gazed into the tiny scraps of sunset that remained, and declared quietly, "Sandra, I will catch you one of these days!"