I went to bed that night feeling extremely confused. I slept in fits, and had strange nightmares that woke me up from fright, yet I could never remember them. In the morning, though, I gathered up my books that I'd taken out about Gato and exchanged them at the library for research materials on more ancient things.
Everything that I could find with "Leires" in its index was checked out. I brought these books to the pub with me and looked at them over breakfast.
"The Tower of Leires was built in ancient times by magicians. Its intent has never been widely known. Nowadays, it is nothing but a testament to its builders and a home of the Succubus clan. Other monsters spotted inside include Basilisks, Dainslaifs, and Mad Mallards.
"There are legends associated with the tower of a Moon's Mirror and a Room of Fate, but no one is certain exactly which of these are true. Both have been rumored to bring out such things as the secrets of one's past, or the dark side of one's soul."
"The Tower of Leires' location is not widely known. Only the modern people have even found the Gate of Ravens at the tower's base. Legends say that the tower will call out to those with troubled souls, but again, this is just a legend."
I closed the book, considering this. Pearl was always wandering off, thinking about things. Elazul had told her she didn't need to think anymore… I wondered…
But wait, I said to myself. Leora, is this really any of your business? You have a tendency for butting into other people's problems…
I can't help it, I decided. I saw a Jumi get murdered in the Gato Grottoes. I can't let that happen again. I picked up my books, paid my tab for the pub, and walked back home. I deposited the books upstairs in my room, and went back down to cook a lunch over the fire. When that was finished, I set the table for three and called in Bud and Lisa.
"I'm sorry," I told them as we began our meal, "but I've got to go out again this afternoon. I don't know that I'll be back by nightfall."
"Where are you going this time?" Lisa asked, her primrose-colored bangs framing her wide eyes.
"I'm looking for someone," I answered.
Bud cast me a glance. "Who are you looking for?"
I hesitated. I'd met Pearl twice, and it had all been so brief. And I didn't want them accusing me of being nosy, even though at this point I probably deserved it. "An acquaintance," I told them, finally. "She's missing, and I fear her life may be in danger."
The little elf twins' eyes grew huge in unison. "Who wants to kill her?" asked Lisa.
I bowed my head. "A horrible woman. We don't know of her motives."
"Hey, Master!" Bud said, shaking it off. "Take me with you!"
I shook my head no. "Sorry, Bud, but I can't. It's too dangerous."
"Dangerous? I'm Bud the Malignant!"
I could tell Lisa kicked her brother under the table. "Bud!" she hissed. "If she says it's too dangerous, it's too dangerous!"
"Thanks, Lisa." I said. "I need you two to watch the house while I'm gone; the usual. Don't let anyone in, and help yourself to the produce stores for supper."
After lunch, I packed my things and was off.
The Tower of Leires actually was on my map, but I'd never noticed it before. The dot that marked it wasn't at all prominent, and it seemed to lie in the middle of a not-oft-traveled grassy plain. When I began to enter the vast prairie, I pulled out my compass and continued in the correct direction. I hoped I wasn't off by too much, because otherwise I'd never get out of here. However, as dusk approached and it grew dim, I detected a faint purple glow coming from the south… they almost looked like…windows. I nearly ran the rest of the way. I could hardly believe I was doing this. The tower seemed so sinister! What was I doing, hunting it out like this? And it was inhabited by dangerous creatures. Dainslaifs, demonic possessed swords; Basilisks, squat, round reptiles whose gaze would turn you to stone; and the Succubus Clan! Vampires, they were! Here I was going to look for a girl in a place riddled with vampires?
She stood there, eerily, a slight breeze blowing her sandy hair from one side. Up close and from the back, I saw that it was quite intricate. It was longer in the middle, and plaited into two braids which ended in the same bushy halo that surrounded the rest of her head.
"Leires…" she murmured, and a chill flew up my spine.
I was about to tap her shoulder, but she instinctively flew around and saw me. I gulped, hoping she wouldn't be mad.
"Oh!" she cried. "Leora!" then she blushed. "What are you doing here?"
I smiled. "Elazul's been worried sick," I told her. "Looks like I found you first."
"Oh…" Pearl said, then averted her eyes back to the tower. "I have to go. The tower is calling me…"
I reached out with my hand to stop her. "Pearl, you can't be serious about going in alone," I said, not believing my ears. "There are vampires in there. Demon swords. Basilisks. Any of them could kill you so easily! You've got to let me come with you?"
Pearl's brandy-colored eyes peeked up at me from underneath her hair, shyly. "A-are you sure?" she stammered. "I'll be nothing but a burden on you…"
"Pearl," I told her, "I'll take you into the tower. You simply can't go alone."
Pearl blinked, and blushed. "Thank you…" she murmured in her quiet fashion.
We entered the tower, cautiously. The interior was completely lit, although the source of light was unknown and it wasn't the purple glow that you could see from the outside. I guessed that the windows were tinted, but as it was night, I couldn't tell. The walls and floor seemed to be made of sandstone. Elaborate pillars and banisters lined the walkways. We didn't run into any trouble on the first floor, but we climbed the elaborate stairway up to the second with caution.
The book had been right, so far. I fought off Basilisks and Mad Mallards as if my life depended on it… and it did. Pearl's, too. I made sure to slash the Basilisks in the eyes, first, so they couldn't petrify me or her. Knowing that one could come around any corner was a terrifying experience!
It remained about the same up to the third floor, Mad Mallards and Basilisks came to attack and I would defeat. There were also vampire bats in here! Pearl and I each ended up with a few bites, but we survived. Then, when we turned one bend on the third floor, Pearl showed me to a large set of metal doors.
"It's a transport room," she told me. "We'll be safe in here and taken up a few floors."
Taking advantage of the safety, I pulled a handkerchief and my canteen out of my knapsack, wet the hankie, and beckoned to Pearl. Shyly, she allowed me to sponge off the wounds the bat had given her and rub some disinfectant on them. Granted, our medical advances are going slowly and the disinfectant paste wasn't always effective, but it did stop the bleeding entirely. I repeated the process on myself. Then, we used the transportation device (it was activated by a large crystal in the center of the room) to go up to floor six. The doors slid open and I prepared for the worst.
At least I had prepared for it. I'd never fought so hard in my life. All the way up to the eighth floor, we struggled. I fought the Dainslaifs, who attacked in groups. While one would attack me and I'd be busy fending it off, the other would take that moment to plunge at Pearl, who could do nothing but crouch in the corner. I managed to defeat the situation the first time it came up. However, the second time, we were on the eighth floor. Two Dainslaifs and a Succubus vampire ran it to attack us! I switched madly from target to target, trying to protect Pearl yet not wanting to fall myself, because then she'd be doomed. I began to wonder if I should have just taken her back to Domina until Elazul showed up. But who knew if he would have?
I slashed madly with my sword, and defeated one of the Dainslaifs. Like the demon it was, it vanished with only a high-pitched howl and a streak of light, burning itself onto my retina. Lunging over at the other, which was trying to slash off any of Pearl's limbs, I shoved her out of the way and performed the Rising Crush on it. It worked, and I defeated the sword, but now Pearl and I were both in horrible condition, and I barely felt the vampire shove me to the ground beside Pearl. I could hardly resist… it seemed like it would be so easy to just accept death, and…
No! I'd already let one Jumi get murdered. It was now a personal duty for me to make sure that this dying race got back on its feet! The Succubus leaned over Pearl, about to bite her. She whimpered, and closed her eyes. I raised my sword, slowly, and closing my eyes, brought it through the awful beast's torso. I heard its death cry, and waited until I knew the body had vanished completely (nothing so wretched can preserve its body in death.).
Pearl drew in a shaky breath. "I knew…" she whispered, "I would only be a hindrance."
"Don't say that, Pearl…" I told her, feeling, somehow, that the danger was past. "Is your core all right?" I asked, without thinking.
Pearl gasped. I realized (stupid me!) that she didn't know that I knew she was a Jumi. "How--how do you know about my core?" she stuttered.
I sighed. "My own deduction. Pearl. I'm sorry." I sat up, scrutinizing myself for wounds. I decided that I'd be okay, and just needed to clean up the blood. "Although I understand it if you can't trust me, I assure you that you can. I am a friend, Pearl." I extended my hand to her.
Finally, shaking as she was, she accepted. I supported her until we found another set of metal doors; it was another transportation device. We took the time there to clean ourselves up, and mend our clothing. I knew my sewing kit would come in handy one of those days. After that, we rode up to the tenth floor. I fought off a Succubus, but I was ready for them this time, so I defeated it, even though my energy was waning. After that, we took a flight of ominous-looking stairs to the top floor, the eleventh.
There was a set of steel doors here, too, but it was different. It was oddly quiet on this floor, and I started to feel a bit cold. One of the windows was broken and it was rather drafty. This door, also, was flanked by statues of creatures that I just wasn't sure of.
"The room of fate lies beyond the door," Pearl said. "Everyone must face their past." She approached the doors hesitantly, and turned around. "I--I'm sorry, Leora. Run if it gets dangerous…"
I nodded, not intending to leave her side at all.
The doors slid open, and she entered, me close behind.
Inside the room, on the elaborate purple rug, stood a woman, about Pearl's height and stature. Their hair was also similar, as were their faces. I wondered… Pearl's past? Could she be an image of Pearl's mother, perhaps? They looked alike, but it couldn't have been Pearl herself, because this woman's core was black as night.
"You're the guard?" Pearl asked, with caution. Her core chimed and blinked; there was no reaction from the woman. "Please…tell me… I want to know my own past…"
The woman suddenly disappeared in a puff of black smoke. A rumbling sound was heard, and I had the sinking feeling that she was going to be replaced by something much bigger and more dangerous. Pearl screamed, and I turned out correct.
The creature looked to be a giant centaur, wearing ample iron armor. After fighting it for a few minutes, I learned just how quick it was. Its attacks were hard to judge and powerful. I simply knew that I couldn't get hit; I just had to keep slashing at it until it was defeated. If I was correct, and this creature was too a demon, it wouldn't matter where I hit it.
Somewhere along the lines, I heard Pearl scream. I abandoned attacking the beast and rushed to her side. She'd been hit by one of his shockwaves.
"I can't let you do this to yourself," she whispered, hurriedly. "Run, Leora!"
I shook my head. "Never."
The iron centaur crashed down on the ground once more. I lifted her up and dropped her, my timing perfect. Pearl touched down on the floor harmlessly as I felt the shockwaves run through my body. Oh, the pain… I had to overcome it! I couldn't let either of us fall!
Pearl looked at me briefly, then went back to crouch in a convenient corner. I continued to attack the beast and dodge its attacks. Slash, parry, slash, parry.
I couldn't believe it when I won. The creature was demonic, and dissolved into thin air. I dropped to my knees, winded, and managed to get my canteen. I downed its contents.
"I was so scared," Pearl squeaked, approaching my side. She was going to say more, but her eyes widened and she touched her core briefly. "Huh? My core…"
I heard a chime, and then saw hers chime and glint in return. I looked around, and who had just walked in the door but Elazul himself!
"Pearl!" he cried, his voice filled with relief.
"Elazul…" Pearl murmured, a smile in her eyes.
"I thought I told you not to wander around!" Elazul yelled. I knew how much he cared for Pearl, but I still thought he could be a little nicer to her.
"I'm sorry," Pearl apologized. "If I try to remember something--"
Elazul cut her off and took her hand. "Thanks again," he told me. "Let's go."
Pearl withdrew her hand from Elazul's. "I feel like I can… please help me… Please…" Elazul huffed, and began to walk away. "Please Elazul…" Pearl begged. "Elazul…"
Elazul paused and turned around. "I understand," he said, finally. He then approached me. "Take Pearl to the bottom of the tower." He then pushed his face so close our noses were almost touching. "If anything happens to her, I will kill you… Understand?"
I nodded, shaking.
"I'll clean up the little trash." Those monsters were little trash? "Don't let Pearl get in over her head."
Elazul left the room, and Pearl turned to me, her face once again crimson. "Thank you for helping me," she said.
The trip town was fairly uneventful, thanks to Elazul taking care of any monsters I had missed on my way up. The only thing I fought was a lone Mad Mallard on the third floor. Piece of cake. We had reached the entrance to the tower and were about to go outside (to my total relief) when we heard a small sound behind us. We both turned around.
"What was that?" Pearl asked. She walked a few paces towards the other wall, then bent down to pick up something. "A note?" she marveled. Suddenly, her voice filled with panic. "The jewel hunter!"
I hurried up to her to look at the note. "I will take your white pearl," it read, simply. I heard another sound behind me. When we turned back around, that horrible woman, Sandra, stood there smirking.
"I've wanted to meet you," she said to Pearl.
"No…" Pearl squeaked. She took my shoulders gently and stepped behind me. I can't say I blamed her one bit.
"Your core is mine!" Sandra declared. "Judge the clod who has forgotten its sparkle! Go! Jewel Beast!"
Sandra took a shining gem out of seemingly nowhere and threw it up into the air. Suddenly, it grew into a horrible looking monster! Its torso was like a badly cut jewel, and it had four, sharp-looking, spider-like legs. Its neck seemed to be made of the separated strata of an old petrified stone, and its head was nothing but a unique skull.
I had no choice; I had to fight again. "Pearl, get out of the way!" I yelled.
Pearl panicked. "But the jewel hunter--!"
"Get behind me!" I ordered. "And stay there!"
I fought the jewel beast the best I could. Luckily, its defenses were horrible, even if its attacks were strong. Pearl behind me was a bit of a bother, but I couldn't let her near Sandra. It would mean her life.
It seemed like hours for the battle, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. It had weaknesses everywhere, and I defeated it quickly. Perhaps it was because I was not a Jumi. Those things seemed like the natural enemies of the Jumi.
Sandra scowled for a minute, but then her smirk returned. "Quite a partner you have, Pearl," she said, sweetly.
"Why..?" Pearl asked. "Why do you hunt us? How terrible!"
"Listen to your core," Sandra said, her voice growing low and husky.
"Huh..?" Pearl said, not understanding.
"We'll meet again," Sandra said. It was more of a statement than a threat, but we all knew that that woman was dangerous. She pulled out her grappling hook, caught something on the ceiling, and disappeared into the night and the tower.
"Am I going to die?" Pearl wondered. "A guardian without a knight is a sitting duck. Elazul is looking for others… and if that Jumi is a guardian, then he'll… and I'll be all alone…"
I didn't know what to say to her.
"I hope he never finds one," Pearl said, resolutely.
I still couldn't say anything to her. I'd figured out that the Jumi operated in pairs, and that Elazul was Pearl's knight. However, I failed to understand the role of the guardian. Pearl had done nothing up in the tower.
"I have to go," she told me. "Elazul is waiting… I'll get yelled at again."
"Don't let him," I told her. "It's not your fault."
She smiled. "Thank you, Leora. Take care…"
And Pearl walked out of the tower, leaving me all alone in the night.