Hellaine: New Companion
Part 1: Lapis Lazuli
Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances, own Deltora Quest or any characters from the series.
Rated: T
A/N: I do own Hellaine and her past.
Summary: Lief, Barda and Jasmine meet the mysterious Jordan of the Sands, a fighter that hails from the stony wall around the Shifting Sands. Who is she? What does she want with the Games?
Hungry for Blood
The sun was low in the sky when the eight finalists, the ones who would fight their last battles on the morrow, were announced.
Barda, Jasmine, and Lief were among them. So were Hellaine, Joanna and Orwen. The other two were a short heavily muscled man named Glock, and the Doom.
"A fitting name for such a dark creature," muttered Barda, as Doom stepped forward, unsmiling, and held up his arms to the cheering crowd. "I do not relish the idea of fighting him. Jordan either for that matter."
Lief nodded in agreement. Hellaine knew her way around a fight. But he had thought of something that worried him even more. "I did not expect that we would all be finalists," he whispered. "What if we have to fight each other?"
Jasmine stared at him. "Why, we will decide who is to win, then just pretend to fight," she said. "As, in any case, we must do for all our other bouts tomorrow. We must let our opponents win, and so avoid injury. We are already sure of 100 gold pieces each, because we are finalists. That is all the money we need, and more."
Barda moved restlessly. Plainly, the idea of cheating to lose offended him as much as the idea of cheating to win.
"It would not be honorable..." he began.
"Not honorable?" hissed Jasmine. "What has honor to do with this?" she spun around to Lief. "Tell him!" she urged.
Lief hesitated. He was not troubled, as Barda was, by the idea of deceiving the organizers of the Games, or even the crowd. On the streets of Del, honor among friends was all the was requiered, and survival was the only rule. But part of his mind...the part that still simmered with anger over the warning note and the locked door...rebelled against Jasmine's plan.
"Our rival will know, if we do not try to win. It will seem that we are at last bowing to their threats," he said in a low voice, running his fingers over the rough leather hilt at his waist, the dagger Hellaine had given him.
Jasmine snorted in disgust. "You are as foolish as Barda! Will you risk our quest for the sake of your pride? Oh, I have no patience with you!"
She turned her back and stalked away.
That evening the finalists ate together in the dining hall attended by Mother Brightly, smiling and bright in her ruffled red dress. It was a strange meal, for where only the night before the room had been busy and filled with noise, now it was empty and echoing. The defeated comptitors, it seemed, had already been sent away. Lief wondered how they were faring, for many of them were injured and almost all without money.
Jasmine was still angry. She ate little and drank only water.
"The Queen Bee Cider is too rich for me," she muttered. "The thought of it sickens me. The air in the arena stank of it. The people in the seats were drinking it all day."
Barda frowned as Hellaine had just sat down, looking sympathetic. "It should not be sold to them. It is intended for use by fighters, who need massive energy, not for those who simply sit and look on. No wonder they cry for blood."
"Here, Jasmine, try this." Hellaine prompted, handing Jasmine a cup of golden liquid.
"What is it?" Jasmine asked, sniffing it.
"Tea." Hellaine replied. "I don't like the Cider either, so I make this tea instead. I get the same results, and it's not as rich."
"Why should I trust it?" Jasmine asked.
"Do you want me to take the first drink?" Hellaine asked. Jasmine eyed her and nodded. Hellaine picked the cup off the table and sipped the hot liquid. She set the cup back on the table and slid it to Jasmine. "It will help return your strength and help you sleep tonight."
"Sleep?" Jasmine glared.
"It has a calming effect." Hellaine clarified. "At least, its supposed to."
Jasmine hesitated, but finally took the cup in hand and sipped lightly. It was sweet, but not sickly. It was warm and light, and Jasmine felt ten times better when she finished it.
"You make that?" Jasmine asked.
"When I need it." Hellaine nodded, rubbing her arm.
"What happened to your arm?" Lief asked fingering the dagger.
"Got caught in the ring." She shrugged.
"Thank you." Jasmine sighed, handing Hellaine her cup. "For the tea."
"I can make more if you want any."
"Why are you being so nice?" Barda asked. "You're a competitor, against us."
"That doesn't mean I can't help." She replied. "I'm not here to win."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't want the 1000 gold coins. I am happy to get 100."
"Will you still try to win?" Jasmine asked.
"The way I see it. If I win, I will have played a fair game. If I don't, I will still have 100 coins to keep me going."
Just then Mother Brightly rang a small bell.
"One word before you begin retiring to your rooms, my dears," she said, as the finalists turned to her. "I want no tricks or trouble here tonight, so I plan to take your keys and lock your doors myself. I will unlock them in the morning immediately after the waking bell."
There was complete silence in the room. The woman looked around, her plump face very serious. "So sleep soundly and regain your strength," she went on. "Tomorrow you must show no sign of weakness or lack of purpose. The crowd...well, it is always very excited on the final day. Very excited, indeed. It has been known for finalists who do not participate well to be attacked and torn to pieces. I would not like this to happen to any of you."
Lief's stomach seemed to turn over. He did not dare glance at Jasmine or Barda.
"So this was how the Games organizers made sure all the finalists try their best at the last. The crowd is their weapon...the crowd, swarming, acting with one mind, excited to fever pitch and hungry for blood." Hellaine cried in frustration.
"So it would seem."
"We'll have to be more careful." She said pacing the room.
"Much." The man replied. "Go to sleep. We will need our strength tomorrow."
Hellaine nodded and stopped at the center of the room. With a swift stride, she stood in front of the man and hugged him gently.
"When will this all be over?" She wondered aloud.
"I wish I knew." He sighed and enveloped her in a hug.
Lief stepped outside into the cool air and heard a light melody, gentle and sweet from around the corner. He followed the sound and found Hellaine sitting alone, her skin giving off an etheral glow under the light of a full moon. A silver flute pipe sat against her lips, the source of the melody.
"What are you doing out here?" Lief asked sitting next to her on the ground.
"Can't sleep." She replied. "Snuck out the window, you?"
"Nervous for tomorrow. Haven't gone back to my room yet." He replied. "You sound really good."
"Thanks. I've been playing since before you were born." She replied.
"How long?" Lief wondered.
"Long as I can remember." She shrugged.
"Can I hear more?" Lief asked. "It's calming."
Hellaine nodded with a smile and placed the flute back to her lips. The tune she played as soft and gentle, a lullaby. Lief smiled when he head it, remembering it from when his mother would sing it to him as a child.
Lief closed his eyes and hummed along with the pipe.
"You know this lullaby?" Hellaine asked when she finished.
"My mother sang to me when I was little. It was my favorite." He replied.
"My aunt sang to me." Hellaine sighed.
"Do you ever miss your family, being away from them?"
Hellaine shrugged. "What about you?"
"Everyday," he replied. "Hellaine, tell me the truth."
"Okay," she nodded.
"Why are you trying to help me? Why the warnings, the coins, the dagger?"
"I can't tell you yet," she replied.
"What can you tell me?"
"I know your quest. I know what you are trying to do."
"How?"
"I can't answer that, I just know."
"Why are you trying to help me?"
"I want this hell to end. I swear to you right now. I will give you whatever help I can to end this hell."
"Who are you in all this?"
"I can't tell you right now."
"You tell me anything."
"Not if I want to survive to protect you."
"What are you saying?"
"My life is at your feet kid. I'm the best warrior you will have in this fight and my life is yours."
"We hardly know each other." Lief stated.
"Does that bother you?"
"No, you haven't lied to me, that much I know."
"How?" she asked
Lief shrugged, he wasn't really sure.
"You were the one who took our key, weren't you?"
"You have good accuracy kid..."
"Lief."
"What?" she replied.
"My name is Lief, not kid."
"Sorry, hate fake names."
"Me too," Lief agreed.
"So, work on your sword work and you could be worthy of the Jalis."
"Really?"
"You cut my arm deep Lief, that takes skill," she smiled and stood up.
"Something wrong?" Lief asked.
"No, I'm just going to bed. We have more fights ahead of us, and I don't know about you, but I need some sleep tonight."
"Good luck tomorrow." Lief said as she reached the corner.
She turned around and genuinely smiled at Lief. "You too," she nodded.
Lief looked at his card, his heart in his mouth.
The number upon it was 3.
He glanced at Barda and Jasmine and to his relief saw that Barda was holding up number 1 and Jasmine number 4. So, for this round at least, they were not to fight each other. But who were their opponents to be.
He looked around and his heart sank as he saw scar-faced Doom walking towards Barda, holding his card high so that all could see the number 1 upon it. The giant Orwen had drawn the second number 4 and was already standing with Jasmine, who looked like a child beside him. Glock and Joanna had both drawn cards marked 2, meaning their was only one left.
"Are you ready, Joker?" Hellaine asked from behind him. "I won't go easy on you just because your a child."
"I'm sixteen." Lief argued.
She smirked, remembering that fight from the first day. "Joker, if things go bad, get out, I will."
"Go bad?"
"I don't want to hurt you, let me land a hit to your chest. I'll push you out of the ring. If I am losing badly, I will do the same."
"You want to throw the fight? Despite what Mother Brightly said yesterday?"
"I don't fear the crowd. Leave in the dead of night, you can beat the crowd." She replied.
"Is that your plan?"
"If I feared these people, that would be my plan."
"Then what is your plan?"
"My business, just as your quest is yours." She replied.
The two sat in silence, facing each other, waiting for the starting bell.
When the clear note of the bell rang clear through the arena, Hellaine jumped right into action. Her foot lashed out and caught him on the point of his chin, knocking him flat on his back.
The crowd laughed and booed.
Lief scrambled to his feet, shaking his head stupidly. He could not see Hellaine at all. With amazing speed she had darted behind him. She kicked the back of his knees just enough for him to stumble forward. In moments she was darting around him, leaping and kicking him lightly. He would have light bruises in the end, but nothing terribly bad. She was obviously going easy on him.
The crowd had begun jeering, chanting his false name, "Joker," and laughing. A wave of anger cleared Lief's head a little. If Hellaine was fast, so was he. He jumped backwards, away from her, so that she was forced to face him. Warily, they circled one another. Then, without warning she sprang forward, catching his around the waist and throwing him to the ground.
He fell and lay gasping, one arm limp and helpless. All Hellaine had to do was finish him. Stop him from raising to his feet, but their eyes connected. They're was the ghost of familiarity about them, as if he knew her.
Hellaine hesitated and Lief took the chance to knock her off him.
Hellaine moved with his kick and moving into a perfectly graceful back flip, her hands briefly touching the arena floor, and coming out without a hit. She sped forward and darted in every direction. Lief lost sight of her and felt a sharp pain in his back.
He staggered, crashed to the sand and went limp. He was done and he knew, if this was her going easy on him, he feared for any opponent she truly wanted dead.
Barda and Doom were still fighting, struggling in a grip that neither would break. They were alone in the arena now. Dimly, Barda was aware that two people had been carried away while Glock, held back by three strong officials, and Hellaine, still raved at them with murderous rage.
"Glock is a madman!" Doom growled. His voice full of loathing.
"And are we not madmen?" panted Barda. "Whichever one of us wins will surely have to fight him. Do you want 1000 gold coins enough for that?"
"Do you?" hissed Doom, his dark eyes flashing. "For my own purposes I am condemned to this. But you...surely you are not. We have given a good enough show. If one of us falls now, he is free to go on his way. Think!"
"What if it is you that loses?" hissed Barda.
"Then there is another. A better fighter even then I. But they will not fight alone if I have that choice."
"You work with that madman?"
"Maybe so, but how do you truly know the answer, Berry?"
Barda thought and faltered.
It was the smallest hesitation. One tiny gap in the concentration that had armored him for so long. But it was enough for Doom. A twist, a mighty thrust, and Barda was off balance and staggering.
The other man's fist crashed into his jaw. Barda saw bright pinpoints of light. Then the ground was rushing up to meet him. In seconds he was lying on his face in the sand, dazed, his head spinning, his whole body aching, listening to the crowd howling Doom's name. Through his pain he wondered if Doom had tricked him, or done him a great favor. Had this defeat been because of Doom's wish, or his own?