I arrived back in Domina the next day in the late afternoon, and didn't feel like going home just yet. In fact, I felt like getting drunk and forgetting everything, but I refrained from ordering alcohol at the pub and was contented with mint tea.

I took a seat at the table in the corner, closed my eyes, and began to sip in large gulps. When I finished one glass, I took a break, my shoulders heaving. Running my hand through my long, sandy hair, I looked around. The place was pretty empty. I went up to the bar and ordered another tea. As I brought it back to my table, a figure was standing in the corner near where I was sitting… so ethereal, he just appeared out of nowhere…
"Elazul," I said, nodding my head and meeting his gaze.
He looked at me quickly, noticing me for the first time, and surprise flickered in his eyes. "Leora," he said, with a nod equal to mine. Then, he added, "You look pretty bad."
I wasn't sure how to take that, so I took a swig of tea and didn't answer right away. "I've just been in Gato," I began, slowly, "and there was a murder."
Elazul raised an eyebrow. "A murder?" he asked. "Of who?"
I looked straight at him, not believing what I was about to say. "Mr. Rubens," I said. "A fire-keeper at the temple…and…" I paused for a moment, to look at Elazul. He was watching me intently. "And," I continued, "A Jumi. Of Ruby."
Elazul gasped, and grabbed a chair, white-knuckled. "You're joking," he whispered, knowing full well I wasn't.
I shook my head. "And--" I gulped "--I know that you're one, as well." I kept my voice low and wouldn't look at him anymore.
Elazul pulled up a chair at my table. "It's obvious enough, I guess," he said bitterly, but quietly. There were other customers in here, after all. "I don't even try to hide my core," he continued. "Nor does Pearl. But I've lost her again. I'm so worried about her safety…"
My eyes widened. "Elazul!" I said. "Do you remember that woman in Mekiv Caverns?"
"A woman?" Elazul asked.
"Do you remember her?" I asked, urgently. "Elazul, this could mean Pearl's life!"
Elazul nodded. "I remember her. Green dress, orange flowers."
I closed my eyes. "She's the jewel hunter," I said. "She stabbed Mr. Rubens and took his core."
"Pearl…" Elazul whispered. Then he looked at me. "I don't know that I can fully trust you yet…"
"If I did anything, you could kill me so easily," I told him.
Elazul sighed. "All right. Leora, please, help me look for Pearl. It's too dangerous about, and she can't fight off this jewel hunter…"
"Shall we set out tomorrow morning?" I asked. "It's much too late to start out now. Looking for her at night will be worse than finding a needle in a haystack."
"Wait," Elazul said. "I don't know. I really don't know. You should stay away from us, or else…"
"Or else what?" I asked him, softly. "Pearl's life in is danger. I can't let another Jumi be murdered. I'll meet you here tomorrow morning when the pub opens."
I downed the rest of my drink and walked out of the bar, and began the last stretch home. I was completely determined not to let Pearl lose her life, but one thought still nagged the back of my mind…
Or else what?

I had trouble sleeping that night, but managed to get enough hours in. I woke up early, bathed myself, dressed, and packed everything I'd need for a long search. I also took enough food for two; I didn't know what Elazul had access to.
I met him at the pub, as promised. We met in the very back, where the owners wouldn't hear us. Luckily, no one else had yet arrived for the breakfast hour.
Elazul was already there when I arrived. He simply met my gaze, nodded, and picked up his sword, which he had leaned against the wall.
"Where are you aiming to search for her?" I asked him.
Elazul shrugged. "I don't know where she could have gone," he told me. "There are so many places to wander off…some of them very dangerous."
"Here," I said, pulling out my map, as we walked away from Domina. "I saw her on the Luon highway the other day, and we've already found her in Mekiv--"
"You saw her?" he asked, suddenly enraged. "Why didn't you bring her to me?"
I gulped. "Elazul, I'm sorry! She left so quickly… I tried to stop her, but she ran off."
Elazul closed his eyes, trying to keep his cool. "All right," he agreed. "So we can cross those off of the map. What does that leave us?"
I studied the faded parchment carefully. "Lake Kilma's not far… nor is the jungle… she could have gone to the Mindas Ruins, perhaps?"
"I just don't know where to start looking," Elazul admitted. "That foolish girl…"
I wanted to defend her, but Elazul was obviously in a tense mood. We just decided to make a cardinal circle around the surrounding areas and hope we found her.
I learned, midday, at our break (by this time we were sitting on the shores of Madora beach), that Elazul wasn't much of a talker. We hadn't spoken much the whole day before this, and we only talked briefly at lunch.
"So, why are you here?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" he shot back, looking at me suspiciously.
I blinked. "I've heard the Jumi city is so far away."
Elazul nodded. "It is. Only the staffs the ancient Jumi carved show the location of the city."
"What I'm wondering is, then," I told him, "what are you doing so far from home?"
Elazul paused, then finally answered. "Searching for allies. We're looking for other Jumi."
I closed my eyes, thinking again of Rubens. "Do you think there are any more besides you or Pearl?"
"Don't say that!" Elazul yelled at me, furious. "We all know that there are a few of us still scattered out there! Be there only ten of us left, I will find them!"
I closed my eyes. "I'm sorry," I told him, and that concluded our conversation.
We searched the lands far into the night, and it must have been midnight before we stumbled back into Domina, exhausted. The pub was long since closed, so we said our goodbyes in front of it.
"Dammit," Elazul swore, under his breath. "Where could she have gone?"
"There's no place she might have gone to in particular?" I asked Elazul.
For a moment, his eyes lit up, and his core shone. But then his eyes closed all feeling again, and he simply said, "No."
I knew he was lying. "Well, then," I said. "Shall we go again tomorrow?"
Elazul shook his head. "I can't ask you to. Perhaps we'll meet again. See you, Leora."
With that, Elazul walked away from me into the depths of the sleeping town. I prayed he was headed towards the church. I didn't know where was safe anymore.
However, as he walked away from me, he left one verbal clue… I heard him mutter the word…
"Leires…"