Brilliance, a Legend of Mana Story
Chapter Fifteen The Brilliance of Pearl, Part One
When Thesenis pushed her from the office, Pearl held an overflowing bag of tools. The woman had stuffed it, shoved it into her arms, and tossed her out without ever speaking a word, so Pearl had no idea what she was supposed to do.
Maybe ... maybe she thought I was a delivery girl ... the Jumi thought sadly. I guess I should just set this down somewhere. She glanced around, wondering if it would be safe in the hall. As she bent over, a piece of paper slipped out, floating gently to the floor. With a heavy sigh, she took it, and started to stuff it back into the bag. It was a matter of chance that she caught one of the words.
... Leires ...
Stunned, Pearl set the bag down quickly, and read the letter from the beginning.
Whether or not you realize it, your particular condition has been one of major discussion amongst the faculty here. I owe a personal favor to your friend Riven, and I will seek to repay it.... possibly for the rest of my life. After extensive research, I have set Thesenis upon the task to cure your condition. As much as I hate to say this about a teacher under my employ, avoid Nunuzac.
He is not to be trusted.
Return to Leires, and begin your preparations.
Mephianse
Pearl scanned further down the page, and realized they were instructions. Instructions for repairing her core. Flipping to the next page, she discovered there were actually two sets of separate directions, one describing how to 'salvage the Pearl persona', as it was described, and the other how to 'salvage Blackpearl'.
Pearl wanted to cry badly, but she didn't dare. One of her personality's would die if she went through with this.
But ... this isn't what we wanted, Blackpearl whispered. At least ... not like this.
I need to help our people. They need you now Blackpearl. They need a warrior that can fight the Nanten. Pearl took a steadying breath, and picked up the bag, slipping the straps over her shoulders. I need someone that can help Riven.
It was not too far to the Tower of Leires.
Or rather, it wasn't far enough.
Sandra held a core in her hand, and like every time before, it made her feel good. And sick. But she held onto it anyway, hoping against hope that the power within it would reach through and kill her.
Godhand would never keep his promise. She knew it, but it was the only choice she had. She couldn't kill him. He was too powerful. There was no one she could turn to, because once they learned that she had killed again, they wouldn't trust her, or believe that he had Florina.
She'd followed him one night, before the camp had broken up, to the tent where they kept her prisoner. She hadn't realized he'd known she was there, and he made a show of hurting Florina to draw her out. When Sandra tried to fight, he'd put her into the dirt.
As she lay there, face pressed into the ground by Godhand's boot, he told Florina the names of the Jumi she'd killed already. Florina had listened silently, stoically, but Sandra had cried. Defeat, and shame at how she'd sold out everyone made her tears fall, wasted in the dirt.
Florina could never love her anymore.
Sandra reached into her pocket, and drew a card. "Ace's high." She glanced down from her perch, and saw Pearl walking down the street. It was dark, and the streets were empty. Elazul was nowhere in sight. It would be so easy to take her. Her hand tightened on the diamond core she already held, and she nearly threw up.
The more cores she brought Godhand, the longer she would have to plan his death. She'd spaced them out, giving them to him one at a time. He never seemed displeased. Sandra stepped to the edge, and prepared to leap.
Someone crashed into her from behind, and they fell. The rooftops in Geo were notorious among thieves for being death-defyingly high. Her head snapped back as a clothesline caught her in the chin, but she caught the next one and halted her fall. Pulling herself up, she balanced precariously on the thin rope, looking below for her attacker.
The other woman caught a rope in the same manner she had, but her momentum caused the rope to bend, and then snap upwards, the slingshot effect bringing her up to Sandra's level. She landed lightly on the rope, without a hint of effort.
Sandra smiled weakly. "I don't suppose you're just a thief with a inferiority complex?" She reached into her pocket and withdrew a half-dozen cards.
The other woman reached behind her, and pulled out a flail. She spun it, and began inching towards Sandra. "No. But you're not a thief either." As she moved out of the shadows, Sandra saw that her attacker was a cat-girl. She looked familiar, and it only took Sandra a moment to place her.
"You're a murderer," Daena snarled, and lunged. Sandra quickly flung her handful of cards, but the girl twisted in midair, bouncing off an adjacent clothesline, and flying right for her. She crashed into Sandra again, and they hit the wall behind her. Daena caught another rope, and pulled herself up.
Sandra threw her grappling hook, managing to catch a windowsill. The arc of her swing brought her up again, and she just barely landed on the same rope Daena was on. The rope swayed dangerously, and Sandra almost fell, but the cat-girl didn't even look fazed.
"You're running out of tricks, murderer," Daena said.
"How are you doing that?!" Sandra snapped.
"Cat-like reflexes, duh." Daena lifted her flail, and her tail twitched behind her. "I'm putting an end to you tonight."
"I'm doing what I have to do." Sandra pulled on her grapple's rope, and it loosened. She flung another card she'd concealed in the palm of her hand, and it cut through the rope Daena stood on. The cat-girl leapt for the jewel thief, grabbing the rope she held onto, but Sandra cut it, and leapt backwards onto a windowsill.
Her enemy fell with a unladylike curse, and Sandra tossed her hair dramatically. "... I'd make a joke about kittens, but I'm just not up to it right now," she said, before disappearing into the building.
Daena turned over, landing on all fours. She scowled upwards, and then scanned the street quickly. Pearl was gone. Dropping back to the ground, she sniffed around quickly, before taking off, following Pearl's scent.
"Be careful with that, you buffoons!" Pierce slapped the zombie, which just turned and looked at him stupidly. He rolled his eyes, and grabbed Irwin, shoving him onto the table. "This is an insult," he snarled. "That bitch Kana, giving me these stupid monsters ... How am I supposed to work with these?!"
"Actually .... they are on the same level as you. I figure it should be simple."
Pierce whirled on the speaker, glaring furiously. Khoval patted the boy who spoke for him on the head, and the child purred softly before stepping aside. Khoval entered, and Pierce back off quickly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for my daughter." Khoval glanced around the room, noting Bud and Lisa in cages hung from the ceiling. His eyes finally settled on Irwin. "Why is the Faerie's lord here? You want them to hunt you down?"
"He attacked Godhand, and Godhand gave him to me," Pierce said defensively.
"Whatever." Khoval rolled his eyes. "I want to know why Sable is not here. Godhand has no answer. He seemed surprised to learn she was not."
Saiga started out, and then paused, glancing back at them. Both were scowling at him dangerously. "What?"
"I have work to do," Pierce said, at the same moment Khoval said, "Sable is all that matters."
"Do it," Saiga reiterated. "I forged the Hokuten, and neither of you have the strength to fight me for leadership. Not even together." Saiga turned, and stalked out of the shack.
Pierce turned his attention to the boy. "This is the man that fought Godhand?"
"One of them." Khoval snorted loudly. "I can't believe this boy gave Godhand so much trouble."
"I can't believe Saiga trained him...and expects us to babysit him."
Khoval examined the boy thoughtfully, before shrugging. "Saiga needs him for something. But for what? His children are at the center of whatever he and Godhand are planning ... I know it."
The sorcerer ignored him, digging in his pockets and producing a bottle of dark ink. Lifting his left hand, he dipped the points of his long, sharpened nails into the liquid. He then began writing on Riven's forearm, fingers etching designs in a fluid motion somewhat reminiscent to an instrument being played.
The symbols glowed darkly, and Pierce nodded, capping his bottle and replacing it in his pocket. Khoval arched an eyebrow, but Pierce only smiled, and tapped the side of his head.
"We're lost." Elleira reached up, tugging unconsciously on her hair, and not even noticing she did it, though it looked as if she was about to tear it out. "I've never gotten lost before..." she glanced at Cervantes, who was looking at her archly.
"I've never gotten lost on the way to Lumina before!" she said loudly, before starting to walk again, angrily heading back the way they'd came.
Cervantes cleared his throat, and when she looked at him, he pointed. "Lumina is over the crest of that hill."
She frowned, and started in that direction. Once more she stopped abruptly, slowly turning and looking about.
"Soldiers," she said.
"And lots of them," Cervantes agreed. "Should we hide or fight?"
Elleira took off running, not answering him. He followed quickly, sighing when she dropped to her belly and crested the hill by crawling. "The troops are moving out ...that looks like the main force of the Nanten. The guys we saw at the Jumi's city."
Cervantes knelt down beside her, studying the marching group carefully. "It looks like they're headed out of these lands. But I don't see any of the commanding officers with them."
"The Nanten Seven ..." she thought for a moment, then said, "Six, rather."
"None of them are dead, either." Cervantes scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Did they put the zombies to sleep, and send the soldiers home?"
"Maybe." Elleira crawled back, and got to her feet, dusting herself off carefully. "I don't care, so long as I never have to cut through an army ever again. I prefer fighting one-on-one."
The old man seated himself, and yawned, covering his mouth with a fist. Elleira smirked, and sat down next to him. "You know," she began, "this has been a lot of fun."
He arched an eyebrow, making her laugh.
"I don't get to run around very much anymore, trying to save the day. Not since the whole ..." She trailed off. Resting her chin on her knees, Elleira stared off at the horizon. "I have a bad feeling. Everything I know is falling apart."
Cervantes nodded grimly. "These warriors are breaking the rules of your land. Its not surprising that it would seem everything was out of sync."
"The rules of my land?" She lifted her head, staring at him in confusion. "What're you talking about?"
"Their techniques, their tactics ... their magic ... they're from a different place. Someplace much different then Fa'diel." Cervantes leaned back, pulling his hat over his eyes. "Fa'diel was set aside, in a sense. Life at its purest state. These men are corrupting it. Mana is the force that breathes life into all. Magic is the manipulation of the universe to empower oneself. Fa'diel was never meant to know the bitter taste of that power."
Elleira chewed on her lower lip for a moment, watching her companion. Finally, enough silence went by that Cervantes lifted the brim of his hat with a thumb. "Something the matter?"
Elleira shook her head. "Everything you just said makes absolutely no sense. But since nothing has made sense lately, it makes sense. In a nonsensical sense."
Cervantes couldn't help laughing, and she smiled broadly, jumping to her feet and dusting off her skirt. "Come on gramps."
"Gramps?" Cervantes asked.
"Yeah. Despite you being a priest, 'Father' doesn't fit you at all." Elleira took off running, and Cervantes got up quickly to follow her.
Without sound, without being noticed, the Deathbringer stood upon the hill where they had just rested. Empty eyes followed them as they moved away. A harsh wind blew, but it could not touch him. He brought up his right hand, closing it into a raised fist, and the soldiers marching down the road behind him halted instantly.
He held out that hand, and extended one finger. Pointing at Elleira's back.
The army of dismissed Nanten raised a cheer for their new leader.
And in Godhand's camp, Kana set down the crystal sphere she used to watch the Deathbringer. He would prove both his loyalty to her, and justify his namesake by killing the girl. And that would also give Kana her vengeance.
Beside her, the shroud - under which were her dead brother remains - stirred. Kana sang a soft lullaby, like she had when they were younger, and once again it was still.