Shadow Jewel: The Heart of Elovia

The Warrior Baia

Startled by the sound of her own scream, Lilit gave a start. It was still night. Harukan was fast asleep beside her. She wondered how he managed to sleep so soundly. It had turned bitterly cold and she had fallen asleep from pure exhaustion as soon as they'd got back to the waggon. She felt for her blanket which had somehow moved. Having found it she sat on the floor with her knees drawn up to her chest and rested her back against the side of the waggon with a soft blanket made of kenya fur drawn up around her. As she ran her fingers over it, she felt a small unevenness in one corner. Taking a closer look she noticed that a faded insignia that had been sewn onto the material. It was barely recognisable. She held the blanket closer to the gap in the waggon's side through which moonlight fell and was able to make out the shape of a cat sitting on its hind legs. Her hands started to shake uncontrollably. The cat was the insignia of the Searchers. Terrified, she flung the blanket away and leaned her head against the waggon's wooden side. Sparse light was seeping in through the cracks. The sun was not yet up; but it would not be long before the desert would be bathed once again in harsh sunlight. She threw an envious glance at Harukan, wrapped up in his blanket and snoring peacefully. Finally she decided to wake him and gave him a poke. He gave no reaction, so she pinched his nose instead and he made a short snorting sound.

 "What the devil...?" he mumbled irritated. When his head had cleared he sat up and greeted her with a friendly "Good morning Lilit!" 

Without returning the boy's greeting she held the blanket under his nose. "See this?" 

Harukan wrinkled his brow. "See? See what?" 

"The sign of course – the sign of the Searchers!" She lowered her voice. "Do you think he's a Searcher?" she asked in a conspiratorial tone. 

Harukan stretched his limbs. To her annoyance he seemed to take little notice of the blanket. Finally he answered. "The blanket certainly doesn't prove that he is. He could have bought it anywhere, whatever..."

 "Why am I wasting my time by asking you? You're nothing but an ignorant slave!" No sooner had she spoken the words than she regretted it; but it was too late. The sadness in the boy's eyes was harder for her to bear than the words he shouted at her. 

"And what does a half-blood know about the life of a Diamondite? Nothing at all! Do you think I've always been a slave, huh?" 

Lilit search frantically for words to respond; something she could say in her defence. Perhaps she should just put her arms around him. Yet before she could say or do anything the bolt on the waggon door was slid back and Skat appeared, frowning like thunder. "What's going on here? Your shouting  can be heard for miles around!" 

"I'm not staying in the waggon any longer with this silly cow!" Harukan cried. Lilit could understand the boy's frustration. Skat listened to the boy with slight amusement, but Lilit saw his nervous sideways glance; his attention seemed to be on something in the distance. Her curiosity aroused, she tried to follow his gaze without it being too obvious. To her astonishment she saw Fayn in the distance, like a mirage, her long raven hair and pale blue linen gown streaming in the wind. Though the Fairy was still some distance away, Lilit thought she saw the flash of metal. She narrowed her eyes and recognised that Fayn was practising sword-fighting with Barrn. 

Skat turned his attention back to his two charges. 

"Now let's separate you two little squabbles. Lilit, you will come with me. Harukan, you may go to Fayn's tent if you wish." 

Harukan's eyes lit up and once again Lilit felt pangs of jealousy gnaw at her heart. Stubbornly she followed Skat into his tent. Giving a final shrug, he left her there on her own. There were so many things she had wanted to think about, but her thoughts kept drifting off and very soon she fell asleep exhausted. When she awoke her heart was racing; she had had nightmares again. Azra had appeared in her dreams and had killed Barrn before turning his bloody sword on her. Her heart pounded and it took her a moment to recognise the blurry outlines of her surroundings. She was still lying in the same  spot where she had fallen asleep. Slightly confused, she glanced around the tent. Night had fallen again; she must have slept the entire day. Still drowsy she rubbed her eyes and crawled to the tent opening. Outside a campfire had been lit and she could see Barrn's men eating and drinking together. She cast a furtive look around and found herself completely unobserved; guards were nowhere to be seen. Summoning all her courage she crept outside, not thinking of the possible consequences of her actions; she would worry later about how she would survive all alone in the desert. The cat insignia on the blanket had unsettled her so much that she simply had to try and get away from this sinister place. She had hardly gone a few steps when she heard something. Panic-stricken, fearing her escape had already been discovered, she flung herself face down onto the sand and hoped the darkness would provide her with cover. But the men she saw approaching were not Barrn's men. They were swathed in black cloth, even their swords were covered with it to stop them from gleaming suspiciously in the moonlight and revealing them. Anxiously she watched the men creep up to the camp where the warriors sat unsuspecting, enjoying their meal. Harukan and the Fairy were there too, eating and laughing. With a heavy heart she summoned all her strength and with a piercing scream charged towards the campsite. Unsettled,  Barrn and his men sprang up and reached for their weapons. Seeing Lilit surging towards them, Barrn gasped with incredulity; but there was no time for him to get angry. In her wake there followed an enormous, dusty, death-bringing swarm of desert raiders. Fayn with her sword had taken up position next to Barrn. With cruel determination she fought off every aggressor who challenged her. The warriors' swords clashed forcefully with those of Barrn's men and battle cries echoed through the still of the night. Lilit searched frantically for Harukan, but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly she sensed someone breathing behind her and instinctively leapt to one side. Spinning around she found herself looking into the masked face of a raider. He gave a loud laugh, certain of victory, and raised his sword, ready to strike. All at once his features softened and stopping in his tracks he stared in horror at the dagger protruding from his chest, before falling to the ground. Fayn rushed forward, one hand gripping another dagger, the other wrapped around Harukan's wrist. "Lilit, are you alright? Are you able to flee?" Surprised to see the Fairy, Lilit signalled with a nod that she was fine. Fayn stooped over the dead man; turning him over she yanked her dagger out of his chest in disgust. "Good! Now come on you two, off to the kenyas." The Fairy who had appeared so insignificant fought her way through to the kenyas and motioned Lilit and Harukan towards one of them. "That's Nargat. He's been trained to find water in the desert. Take him and you'll stand a chance." Harukan shook his head vigorously and his eyes welled up with tears. "I'm not going without you, Fayn," he sobbed, but the Fairy grabbed the boy roughly by his hips and swung him onto the animal's back. Lilit wondered where on earth this delicate little person found the strength to fight like a maniac and deal at the same time with a stubborn little boy. Fayn handed the reins to Lilit. "Now get moving; you must be off," she urged. Tears rolled down Harukan's cheeks and his voice trembled. "Come with us, Fayn, please..." Fayn stood up on tiptoe and put her hand up to stroke the boy's face. "Don't worry, my little one, we'll see each other again soon." "But I don't want to go without you," he pouted. Fayn leaned forward and peered at the boy with her blue eyes. Softly she urged, "Be a good boy now and look after Lilit." Lilit could see the little Diamondite's will start to weaken until after a few moments he resembled a soulless and lifeless doll. Fayn kept her eyes on what was happening around them, ready to strike with deadly precision if necessary. "Now you, Lilit! Climb up." Lilit was about to climb up behind Harukan when an arrow whizzed by overhead. Taken by surprise, they tried to assess the position of the marksman. The next arrow pierced the tail of the kenya on which Harukan was sitting. He appeared strangely indifferent to what was going on around him. Without warning the animal gave a loud bleat, shook itself wildly and tore the reins out of Lilit's hands. Lightning-fast she tried to grab the bridle, but it was too late. The kenya fled in a panic. Lilit's eyes grew wide with horror as she watched it disappear with Harukan into the desert. Shaken, Lilit had little time to worry. Before she knew it another arrow had pierced the ground where they stood. She screamed, but the Fairy servant had already spotted the aggressor and hurled a dagger at him. The next arrow struck Fayn on the arm. Without batting an eyelash she tore out the arrowhead and took cover with Fayn behind the kenyas. Only then did she allow herself a quiet, agonised curse as she felt the burning pain in her arm. "Lilit, you have to find Harukan." she said. "Take one of the kenyas and go after him." Lilit stood up. She was undecided. The thought of leaving Fayn behind, injured and all alone, didn't appeal to her at all. "Go," Fayn bellowed all of a sudden. But Lilit just stood there without moving. "Give me a sword and I'll fight it out with you!" "You can't fight," the Fairy said, wiping the blood from her face "But I..." Lilit stammered, but the Fairy waved her hand. "You owe me nothing, do you understand? Now get lost, beat it!" she cried, her voice a trace colder than before.  A black shadow appeared beside them and the blade of a sword flashed in the moonlight. Fayn jumped up and pushed Lilit out of danger's path. Lying in the sand where she had fallen, Lilit turned her head to look at Fayn and her opponent. The Fairy had dropped her daggers. Quick as lightning she had drawn her sword and was skilfully countering the man's blows. "Come on," he teased, "Let's have some more of your blood or maybe your life, so that my stone can become even more powerful." The man's opal-coloured diamond gave off a jealous glow as he raised his sword and stormed towards the Fairy. At the last moment a dark grey protective shield flared up before Fayn, causing the desert raider's weapon to miss its target. Skat stood behind the Fairy, gasping for breath. Blood dripped from his sword and his clothes were in tatters, but his eyes glowed. "Battle stone versus healing stone - and to make matters worse, a Fairy! What a coward you are!" The desert raider swept past Fayn and lunged at Skat. Now it was Opal versus Grey. Lilit had meanwhile picked herself up and stepped back. In the middle of all the turmoil she spotted Barrn in combat with one of the men. With his wide-bladed sword he struck a deadly blow and then turned to the next aggressor. His hair hung wildly about his face and his clothes were splattered with blood; he was breathing heavily and bleeding out of several gashes. Yet the impression he gave  was one of colossal strength. Lilit stumbled over something. Looking down she saw that it was a dead desert raider. Her throat grew tight at the sight, but she kept on running, not caring where she was heading. She wanted one thing only - to get away from the blood-soaked sand, the terrified screams and the clashing of the stones. She ran and ran and very nearly ran straight into the sword of a desert raider in her path. "Well, well! You're just what I've been waiting for!" he howled. Lilit shrank back and a voice cried out, "Hey, here's a more equal opponent for you if it's a fight you're looking for!" Lilit turned her head and her eyes filled with tears. Still clutching her gemstone, she was unable to speak. Barrn had appeared from out of the blue and was spitting blood at the raider's feet. His narrowed eyes revealed his rage. He took Lilit by the shoulders and shunted her behind his back, out of harm's reach. "You're afraid to fight someone who could send you to the fragment hell, aren't you?" he jeered. It did not take a mind-reader to guess what the raider was thinking. In utter disbelief, he scanned Barrn's torso as if searching for something that would betray the presence of a diamond and reveal to him who his opponent was. Unable to detect an aura he became slightly worried, but not enough to prevent him from taking up position in front of Barrn and taking aim with his weapon. Barrn was still holding onto Lilit, afraid she might suddenly throw herself  between him and the desert raider. His firm grip hurt her and she asked herself why he was risking his life for her. She looked down at the gemstone in her hand and suspected he was doing it for that and nothing else; the coveting way he had surveyed it, unable to take his eyes off it, had convinced her of that. Suddenly sobered by the recognition she broke free of him and walked away. Behind her she could hear the sound of metal grating on metal and the panting of the two men as they fought each other. With an air of indifference she passed by the other warriors. Only when she saw Azra did she stop for a moment as he finished off a desert raider with a single strike. His gemstone was twinkling with such intensity that it lit up the spot. He had pulled his hood further down into his face so that only his mouth was visible. Lilit stopped in her tracks. He was smiling at her as he chopped off the arm of another raider! She felt a lump in her throat and wondered at Azra's bizarre behaviour, but before she could spend too much time wondering a Kenya galloped past, kicking up sand with its hooves. Coughing and sputtering she caught hold of the animal's mane and hoisted herself onto its back. The animal seemed unperturbed by its chance rider. Lilit dug her thighs into the animal's flanks and gripped the reins. With reassuring words and gentle force she eventually succeeded in bringing it to a halt and turning it around. They broke into a trot when from the corner of her eye she saw something that  made her rein the kenya in. A man in dark grey clothing was sneaking up to Barrn from behind. No matter how good a fighter Barrn was, without a stone he was powerless. The man was drawing closer and closer and Barrn, still battling his earlier opponent, was unaware of the lurking danger. Bastard or not, she thought, I'll have to help him. After all, she owed him her life. With a deep sigh she tore the kenya around and headed towards the Wari. He saw her coming. Disbelief and horror turned to resignation when he realised he was cornered and defenceless. Lilit leaned into the kenya's neck and groped for the invisible dagger she always carried with her. The raider took advantage of the Wari's moment of inattention and raised his sword ready to strike. Barrn, barely able to keep the raider at bay and keep a close eye on Lilit at the same time, seemed oblivious to the death-bringing shadow creeping up on him. Lilit made a wild dash for Barrn. Leaning over the side of her kenya she thrust her dagger into his would-be attacker's side. She felt the man's warm blood running over her hand as she swiftly withdrew her weapon from his body. At that moment Barrn succeeded in slicing his opponent in two with his sword. Turning to see where Lilit had gone he found his attacker spread-eagled on the ground – dead! He studied the man intently. Lilit had never killed a Diamondite before and the dying gemstone's sudden implosion had taken her by surprise. A dark grey wave  sloshed over it, carrying it away to a world free of pain and sorrow. Visions of people she had seen murdered by the raiders danced before her eyes; she heard the penetrating screams of the dying. An icy hand seemed to grip her vital organs and tug at her heart. In desperation she tried to separate her gemstone from the dying jewel. With all the strength she could muster she severed the connection at last, but her pearl-coloured diamond now glimmered in a deep dark grey. Frightened, she reached out and touched it. Had it chosen its path? Had it become a warrior stone? Before long however the colour faded and her stone assumed its natural bright hue. She took a deep breath, reined in her kenya and brought it up next to Barrn. "Now we are even, you scoundrel! You saved my life and now I have saved yours. I owe you nothing more. And should our paths ever cross again, I shall fight you to the death." Before Barrn could respond she turned her kenya around and rode off. But suddenly, without warning, the animal buckled under, struck by an arrow; Lilit was thrown off and flew head over heels onto the sand. A man in a black mask bent over her. "Ugh. A half-blood!" he spat out with contempt. He had a dark-grey gemstone that seemed about to metamorphose to a higher level. There was the flash of a sword. Lilit was quick to react and rolling onto her side she stabbed the man in the chest with her magic dagger as he bent over her. He  stiffened, lowered his sword and held his hand over the red spot eating its ways through his clothing. With a strange, gurgling sound, he collapsed on top of her. Disgusted Lilit freed herself from under the dead body and retrieved her valuable dagger. Quickly she wiped the blood from it so that it would return to its invisible state. She was about to tuck it away in her clothing when her gemstone leapt onto the dead man and sucked all the power from his stone. This time Lilit was overwhelmed by feelings even more painful than the last time this had happened. A thousand needles seemed to bore themselves into her body. Tormented by the pain she let the dagger fall and sank to her knees. The touch of a hand brought her back to reality. Barrn stood staring at her dumbfounded and breathing heavily. Following his gaze she realised he was looking at the dark grey gemstone and it took her a moment to realise it was her own stone. "By the seven swords, what...?" she whispered, hesitating for a moment. Seeing what was happening she cried out, "Barrn, look out – behind you!" Not one second too soon, for a dark figure had appeared directly behind him. With lightning speed Barrn reached for the dagger Lilit had dropped and thrust the blade into the man's throat. Despite the deep gash in his neck the man was not immediately dead, but stood there swaying. Drawing his sword, he staggered towards Barrn.