Day 116

[from The Ember Stone]

As Jacob approached the spot at which he had found the stone, he saw a strange woman standing over the impact site. She had long, wavy blue hair that fell to her waist, and wore a sweeping blue dress with a low neckline, as a member of the aristocracy might. Jacob had never seen her like before. He wondered what business she might have with this stone.

The woman suddenly noticed Jacob, turning her attention to him and making her way towards him. "Hey, you, boy!" she called out. "There was a small red stone lying in the grass here, wasn't there? Did you see it? Do you know what happened to it?"

Jacob was slightly alarmed by the woman's aggressive tone of questioning. Somehow, his instincts told him that this woman was not to be trusted. He quickly shook his head. "N-no, I didn't see anything like that…" he said.

The woman stood menacingly before Jacob, towering over him. "I don't believe you," she said. "I think you know perfectly well where that stone is. In fact, I think you have it on you right now."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about-" objected Jacob feebly.

Suddenly, without warning, five watery tendrils shot out of the woman's fingertips, wrapping around Jacob's body and gripping him tightly, preventing him from moving. Two of the tendrils slid into his pocket and took out the small red stone. All the while, an astonished Jacob attempted to process what on earth was going on. He'd never seen anything like this before. Who was this woman, and why did she want this stone so badly?

"So you did have the stone," said the woman, smiling in triumph. "You know, I don't appreciate it when people lie to me. I think I'll kill you now, and-"

"Not so fast!"

A burst of flame suddenly struck the ground next to the woman, setting the grass near her on fire. Unfazed, the woman turned round to view the new arrival, and Jacob's gaze followed, his mouth agape as he struggled to keep up with what was happening. Walking towards the pair of them was a girl with fiery red hair, wearing a red and black tunic. Flames smouldered around her fingertips, and there was an vicious fire burning in her amber eyes. She did not seem the slightest bit intimidated by the woman standing in front of her, even though said woman was several inches taller than her and currently had several long watery tendrils extending from her fingertips.

The woman herself was similarly unfazed by the newcomer. "So you must be Erica, the Ember Stone Guardian," she said. "You're too late, Erica. I have already taken the first Shard, and once I dispose of this boy-"

"What? You're really gonna kill this innocent kid, who has no idea what's going on here?" Erica seemed more amused than sickened by this. "You really are a heartless witch, huh?"

"He got in the way," said the woman, "as have you."

"I really don't have any idea what's going on he- ACK!" Jacob tried to plead his innocence, but to no avail, and the woman merely tightened the tendrils' grip on him. He was now struggling to breathe, let alone move.

"Unhand that boy now!" insisted Erica.

"I will not," said the woman, "and you cannot make me, Ember Guardian."

Sensing she was getting nowhere, and that she probably couldn't beat a water elemental in a straight fight, Erica decided to change tack. "Don't you have nine more Shards to be collecting?" she asked slyly. "Every minute you spend here is a minute you could be out searching for them. You'll have plenty of time to kill us both once your master Vaz'qui collects all ten. That is who you're working for, right?"

This unexpected suggestion gave the woman thought for pause. "You would really give up this Shard in order to save this boy's life?" she asked.

"Sure, why wouldn't I?" Erica remarked. "It's doesn't matter if you have one of them, so long as you don't get all ten. I'd say it's a pretty fair trade."

The woman paused for a moment further, then nodded. "Fine. Then I will spare you both, this time. But the next time either of you crosses Caerulea, Mistress of the Waves, you will be destroyed. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes!" stammered Jacob. "Crystal clear!"

The tendrils loosened themselves from Jacob's body, and the weary boy collapsed to the ground as Caerulea's hand reformed into a normal hand. Then, in a flurry of spray, she was gone, taking the Shard with her, leaving only an amused-looking Erica, and an extremely confused young farmhand.

"Are you alright, kid?" asked Erica. "That must've been pretty scary, huh?"

For a moment, Jacob was speechless, trying to take in everything that had just occurred and trying to think of the right thing to say at the end of it all. Finally, he asked the first question he could think of: "What… just happened?"