Elazul's condition failed to improve the next few days, but he wasn't getting worse. I had the sinking feeling that he'd be crippled for life, but Elazul seemed to have other plans. I sat by his bedside, day and night, refusing to leave him for fear of him getting worse.
He hardly spoke, and refused to eat. I could hardly get him to drink the juice that he sipped on reluctantly. One day, I thought his core looked a bit better, but it could have been just me. He seemed a bit better, however, so I left him to nap alone for awhile while I did chores. His eyes were open when I came upstairs with the dinner he probably wouldn't eat.
"Must...find...Pearl..." he moaned, then winced at a pain. "Urgh..."
"What is it?" I asked him, gently.
Elazul took a deep breath. "I want to protect Pearl!" he wheezed. "I don't know what Sandra and the other one are up to... but I won't--" his voice began to trail off. "Let them--hurt Pearl!" he shut his eyes in pain and cried out once more.
"I'll go look for her," I promised him. "I'll check the surrounding areas and see if I can find her."
This satisfied him, and he finally choked down some cornflowerbread and mashed masked potatoes.
The next morning, as promised, I left to look for Pearl. I checked all of the surrounding areas... Mekiv Caverns, the jungle, the Mindas Ruins, Luon highway, Lake Kilma... my search proved nothing more than fruitless, but this was as far as I could go. I couldn't go anywhere out of short walking range from my home, as I needed to take care of Elazul.
I returned home at twilight, discouraged.
"Welcome home," Lisa said, as I walked in the door. She and Bud were sitting at the table, eating dinner. "Sorry we didn't wait for you."
I shook my head. "No matter. I'll eat later. How's he doing?"
"A little better," Bud said, cheering me up slightly. "He's sleeping right now."
I went into the kitchen and chopped up some sweet moai. Putting these into a pot, I shelled some lilipods and chopped some spiny carrots. These went into the pot along with some milk. After I seasoned it, I let that simmer on the stove. Once it was hot and cooked through, I filled two bowls with the soup, put it on a tray, and took it upstairs.
Elazul stirred, upon hearing me. I helped him sit up and propped pillows behind him for support. Then I handed him the tray, keeping my own bowl for myself.
"What about Pearl?" he rasped, looking at me with hope in his eyes.
I considered lying to him for a split second, to make him feel better, but that would accomplish nothing but hurting his feelings. I decided to tell him the truth. "I can't find her," I told him. "I don't know where she is."
"So you can't find her," he whispered. "I'll go--look for her! Ugha!" He groaned in pain as he tried to stand up.
"No, Elazul," I told him. "You can't. You've got to rest."
He looked away from me, stubborn.
"Finish your soup," I instructed. Reluctantly, he did so. "Get some sleep, Elazul. I promise I'll go out again tomorrow."
I crossed the room to the partition I'd made, and climbed into the bed where Pearl had been sleeping. Some of her things were still here; I was careful not to disturb them. Who knew where she was, or who she was? I sincerely hoped I could find her soon. Pearl had become such a good friend, and I didn't want her to be changed or murdered.
I finally slipped off to sleep that night, and woke up early. I stood up and stretched, then changed out of my sleepwear. When I emerged from my little partition, I received a rather nasty shock. Elazul was gone.
I crept downstairs to find Bud and Lisa still asleep in their little room... the library was untouched, as was the main room. I finally found my clue in the kitchen. Some leftover food was strewn about, and I finally saw the little scrap of paper that was tucked underneath the soup pot.
"Leires," it read, "must find Pearl."
Oh, Elazul! He thought too much of himself. I hastily scribbled a note to Bud and Lisa on the back of the paper, left it in the front room, grabbed a few applesocks, and dashed out the door.
The way to Leires was longer than I remembered, and slower than I would have liked because I had to use my map. I reached the plains by mid-afternoon, but I couldn't see the purple glow anywhere. I simply had to waste precious hours until it got dark enough to navigate by the tower itself. When I could finally see it, I didn't stop running until I reached the Gate of Ravens, where I found Elazul collapsed on the ground.
"Elazul!" I cried out, alarmed. I helped him stand up.
He coughed once, then looked up at me. "It's nothing," he said. He did look a lot healthier, now. "Pearl must be in that room," he continued. "Will you come with me?"
I nodded.
"Let's go!" he ordered, and I followed him into the tower.
This time around, the monsters didn't seem so tough. Even in his weakened condition, Elazul was an excellent fighter, and his techniques were matched by no one. By now, we both knew of all the shortcuts in the tower as well. We reached the eleventh floor without much trouble; I thought Elazul was having trouble breathing, but he wouldn't show it and I could do nothing for him.
I started to open the door to the Room of Fate.
"Wait!" Elazul called. "I heard the Door of Fate opens only to the one who knows the person inside. Pearl is inside. I'll open it." He pushed hard on the metal doors, but they didn't move. "Ugh!" he cried. "Resist me, will you? My memories are not enough to open the door!" Elazul stepped back, looking almost heartbroken. "Pearl..."
Just trying it out, I approached the door and pushed it. My heart fluttered when it opened without a hitch. I met Elazul's eyes, nervously. He shook his head. Now was not the time to ask questions. We entered the room.
The sight, to me, was all too familiar. There was Pearl, and across from her stood the woman that she had changed into back in the caverns.
"That knight is...!!" Elazul gasped.
Both women in the room ignored him. "Pearl," Blackpearl cooed softly. "Your goal is to reach the stratum of Clarius."
"Yes," Pearl replied, her eyes glazed over.
"Pearl, you will become the Clarius," continued Blackpearl.
"Yes..."
"You will succeed Florina and give your life to the race."
"Yes," Pearl said, once again.
"Pearl," Blackpearl said, looking at her intensely. "You will shed your life as tears and give it to everyone."
Pearl said nothing.
"You will continue giving your life until it is no more."
Pearl's eyes suddenly regained some of their sparkle. "No," she said, quietly.
"Listen to me," Blackpearl ordered. "It is the best way. She will come back with the Mana Sword and the power of the Mana Stone." Her voice was so chilling, so convincing, that I felt the spirituality of what she'd just said. "You must persevere until then," she concluded, gazing hard at Pearl.
"No," Pearl protested. "I don't want do die."
"You must!" Blackpearl commanded.
"No!!" cried Pearl.
"Stop it!" Elazul yelled, not wanting to watch any more of this.
"Elazul," Pearl said, smiling a bit at him.
Blackpearl looked Elazul over with her piercing brown eyes. "Jumi of Lapis Lazuli, you need not interfere," she said.
"Pearl is my partner!" Elazul shot back.
"Back off," warned Lady Blackpearl, "or you will die."
"I promised I would protect her," Elazul told her, his chin high. "I cannot back off!"
"Please!" Pearl turned to me, begging. "Help Elazul!"
I nodded. "Of course."
"Foolish death-seeker," sneered Blackpearl. "Well, fine. I do not wish to defile this place. Come, let us fight below."
"Very well..." Elazul said, quietly. He looked very scared.
"Pearl, you just wait here," Blackpearl said. The quivering girl made no reply. "Do not worry," continued Blackpearl. "Your destiny is predetermined."
"Pearl," Elazul told her. "It's all right. I'll come back for you."
Pearl smiled. "All right."
"Prepare yourself and go," ordered Blackpearl. "I will follow."
We traveled down to the bottom of the tower, Elazul and I, a somber duo. Blackpearl was a distance behind us. When we reached the entrance hall, she smiled cruelly and pulled out her axe. I gulped. This could prove difficult.
I was not mistaken. The three of us were a tangle of blades in the middle of the room. It was all I could do to stop myself from hitting Elazul on accident. Just as I was charging my blade for a Shield Breaker, however, Blackpearl lashed out with a triple laserbeam from her axe. I fell to the floor, hurt. Elazul, even in his weakened state, refused to give up. He extended a hand to me and blocked Blackpearl's attacks with his sword.
I was extremely grateful that he cared enough to get me off the ground. We truly were friends, no matter how he chose to act at times.
I performed my Shield Breaker on Blackpearl, who stumbled back and cried out. This gave Elazul the opening he needed. With one Bird of Prey move, it was all over. He leaped up into the air and she never saw him coming.
"Heh..." Blackpearl said, putting her weapon away and wiping blood from a cut on her face, "most impressive, Lapis Knight."
"We have a deal," Elazul told her coldly. "You'll leave Pearl alone."
"Yes," nodded the woman. "For a while..."
"I don't want to fight you anymore," said Elazul.
"Pearl is mine," Blackpearl stated. "She will come back to me. Face it."
I looked at Elazul. He obviously understood what she was saying, but didn't want to explain it to me. Blackpearl smiled at me sadly. "He who cries for a Jumi shall turn to stone. You be careful. The old saying is true, Leora. Stay away from them."
She flipped her hair up, carelessly. I noticed just how much like Pearl's it was. One braid instead of two; that was the only difference.
"Well, good-bye," she said, and disappeared. The moment after she did, Pearl walked in from around the corner.
"Pearl..?" Elazul asked, a smile growing on his face.
"Elazul," Pearl replied, gently.
"Let's go," he told her.
Pearl nodded. "All right. Thank you."
"Thanks for your hospitality," Elazul told me. "Perhaps we'll meet again."
I blinked, as they walked out the tower together. Once again, the mysterious couple was all but lost to me.