Shadow Jewel: The Heart of Elovia

Victim

Alrruna snatched up the floor-length gown that floated around her slender frame in the mild southerly breeze and hurried down the weather-worn stone steps. Their covering of soft grass brushed her bare feet as she descended. But what once would have pleased her, today she barely noticed as she hurried several steps at a time towards the dark shape waiting motionless below. Short of breath at the foot of the steps she reached out her hand to greet Thorn, but withdrew it again when he refused to take it. So much time had elapsed since their last encounter. “Thorn. It pleases me that you have accepted my invitation. I was afraid you would not come.” “Your concern was not entirely unfounded, Fairy Alrruna. I have no idea what there is to talk about.” Her pleasant smile faded.
“Thorn, please,” she begged, her voice dangerously emollient.“We must talk about what happened.” Seeing the grim look on his face she corrected herself. “Not what happened between us. I’m talking about what happened with Hereket...”

Thorn raised his head and peered down at the slender woman standing at his feet. He towered over her by three heads and more. Struggling to see her better, he shielded his eyes with one hand from the glare of the light.
She smiled at him apologetically. “Forgive me, Thorn, I had forgotten how much the light of our world bothers you. Come, let us go to my place where it is comfortably dark.”

He lowered his hand from his watering eyes and gratefully accepting Alrruna’s offer followed her as she nimbly climbed the steps to a small house atop the green cliff. Thorn’s black suit of armour clanked rhythmically as he made his way up behind her. At the top of the climb stood a modest dwelling, but Thorn was not fooled by the unpretentious façade. Following Alrruna into the house through a simple wooden door, he found himself suddenly surrounded by a miniature biotope. The entire room overflowed with brightly coloured flowers, garlands, twittering birds and delicate silver fountains. Alrruna motioned to a wicker chair standing amidst vibrant shrubs and foliage, and he sat down. The Fairy positioned herself on a divan directly opposite him. As if by accident, the strap of her dress had slipped from her shoulder, exposing the swell of a firm white breast. Amused by his lustful glances, she allowed the strap to slide even further, all the while eyeing him with sugary innocence. Thorn clenched his fists and tore his eyes away from her seductive pose.

“What is it you wish to talk about, Alrruna?”

She fluttered her long eyelashes. “Even out of bed, you are always in a hurry,” she scolded in an amused voice and placed her hand in his lap.

Thorn brushed it away contemptuously. “Look, just tell me what you want!”

More than a little offended, she registered his rebuff with some surprise. “I said nothing when you released the Deathflyers and I didn’t meddle in your family’s concerns, even though you made the terrible mistake of having ‘it’ locked up. But now I hear that the Demons are planning to wage war against the Diamondites.”

“It?” Thorn reiterated with cold emphasis.

“Her!” Alrruna corrected herself and got straight to the point without any further words of apology. “It is vital that you do not start a war.”

“For whom or what is it vital, my love? For your empire, the Diamondites’ empire, or mine?” he asked.

“Listen to me,” said the Fairy, "if you attack the Diamondites out of Revenge, they will band together against us. At the moment their people are divided and quarrelling among themselves. They are destroying each other, hell bent on increasing the power of their gemstones. A war, however, might unite them and then the Prophecy would be in great danger.”

“You mean to tell me you believe in the Prophecy? I wouldn’t have thought that you believe in folk tales!”

But Alrruna paid no attention to his mockery and continued unruffled. “For the sake of Elovia, you must not make war!”