Gem Shards

[Saphnie]

"I never had enough money for shopping. Never." Lilla looked at her hands and a tear trickled down her cheek. Mihst looked at her and...

[Spite]

felt a little sorry.
"Hey, chin up! No need to get worried about things like that. Money doesn't bring happiness anyway, justs craves the possesor for more. Greed is common with those that have money."

[Saphnie]

Lilla nodded unhappily and shuffled her feet.
Mihst sighed and shrugged. "We'd better set off if we're going to get those gem shards back. I hope you have a tent or some form of shelter - mine's too small to share."
Lilla looked up in surprise then frowned. "Oh. Um..."
"Just as I thought, you're completely uprepared." Mihst fingered his dagger. "I'll try to work something out. Got any food?"
Lilla nodded and picked up a small package hidden behind a tree. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string. "A loaf of bread, cheese and some potatoes. I knew I'd be going with you."

[Spite]

"Great, but that wont last very long.' Mihst sighed. "Never mind, let's go!"

[Amie]

Lilla shivered as they approached the village.
"It is said great evil grows here . . . the villagers are hiding something, I know it," she whispered.
"Shhh!" Mihst crawled on, and Lilla followed his lead.
"NO! You stay here! You'll wake up the whole village! I'LL find the gem shards, YOU stay watch!" Mihst growled. Lilla stuck her tounge out, and obediently sat. A few minutes later Mihst came back. "I can't find them anywhere!" he sighed.
In an instance, Lilla reahed for the little chain that hung round her neck.
"I do . .. . " she said in amazment . . .

[Saphnie]

"...is this what you're looking for?" Lilla whispered. She held out her necklace. Hanging on a thick piece of string was - a gem.
"Where did you get that?" Mihst said in a hoarse voice. He reached out to touch it. "It's an exact replica.."

[Amie]

"I . . . I don't know . . . " Lilla shivered. Was this the cause of all her visions? And, dare she it, her unusual powers?
"Its impossible," Mihst cried, "It can't be! There is only one! The legend! There is only ONE!"
The gem glowed.
"I don't believe it," Mihst gasped, "All my life I've been chasing after a fake gem . . . ALL my life . . ."
Lilla bit her lip.
"Mihst . . ." she whispered, "I don't know who my parents were. I was found. By the lake. With this." She fingered the gem, and it glowed brighter.
"HERE!" Mihst snapped, and snatched the gem. But it stopped glowing.
"Lilla," he whispered in disbelief, "I think you're the daughter of . . . ."

[Saphnie]

"Of who?" Lilla frowned, scared. Her hands shook, but not as much as Mihst's.
He held the gem in his palm, staring at it. His face was pale. "ALL. MY. LIFE!" he suddenly screamed. A dog barked in the distance and someone cried out.
"Mihst!" Lilla said, jumping up. "They'll hear you!"
"WHY?!" Mihst bellowed. "WHY DO YOU HAVE IT?!"

[Amie]

"MIHST!" Lilla screamed, tears pouring down her face, "Please. Come on, we must get out of here! Mihst . . ."
Mihst looked up, startled.
"You're right," he gasped, "What am I doing? The thought of so much power, its overwhelming! Yes, I see now, princess, I must protect you. If we dont sucseed . . ."
All of a sudden he jumped to his feet, and pulled her away. Away to the forest . . .

[Saphnie]

As they raced through, Lilla's mind raced faster. "Mihst, I'm not a princess... Mihst, what's going on... you're scaring me..."
"We have to go back," Mihst panted. "This is so strange. I never even met you until ten minutes ago..."
He stopped, whirled Lilla around and knelt down in front of her. His eyes were level with hers. "Lilla, you must understand, this is going to be scary. I want you..."
Dogs barked, dangerously close. The sound of people - ANGRY people - storming through the trees.

[Amie]

"Oh, drat," Mihst cried. Lifting Lilla onto his shoulders, he began running again.
Questions rushed through Lilla's mind. What was happening? Deep inside her she searched for answers, a little light on her past, but none came.
"If I'm correct," Mihst said, "We'll be safe. If I'm not, well, we're dead meat."
He rushed into a clearing and sat down.
Lilla screamed. "Mihst, this is no time for resting! Come on, we're going to get KILLED!"
The shouts and noises cam closer. Closer. Closer.
All of a sudden, she heard yelps and screams. Why didn't they come into the clearing and kill her and Mihst?
"Only pure blood can enter this clearing, princess," Mihst said, as if to answer her thoughts, "The wise king made it, a long time ago. He made it . . . to protect you . . ."

[Saphnie]

"Why? Who am I? Tell me!" Lilla cried.
"No." Mihst turned. The angry faces of the villagers looked at them through the trees. "Wer'e safe. At least they think they still have the gem..."
"Mihst, I'm really scared. I don't even know you!" Lilla said fearfully. "Please tell me what's going on."
Mihst took out his dagger and twirled it in his hand. Throwing it up and catching it by the blade. Throwing it up and catching it by the handle. The blade. The handle. Blade. Handle.
"There is a legend," Mihst began, "that there is a gem. It's called the Gem of Sha-rah. The wise King, King Elthadon, had it forged for him by the dwarves."
"You can't forge gems," Lilla frowned. Mihst glanced at her and she flinched.
"The dwarves can. They forged this gem and gave it to King Elthadon, who took it to Merlin and had him cast a spell on it so that he would remain in power as long as this gem was in his hands. Which was pretty stupid of him, because..."

[Amie]

" . . . because if anyone else was to steal the gem, then, well, THEY woulld be in ultimate power. King Elthadon realised his mistake, and tried to rid of the cursed gem. No matter what he did, the gem could not be destroyed. His kingdom and beautiful wife suffered because the gem. Day after day, night after night, the kingdom was always under attack. Then one day, the Queen realised she was pregnant. The King feared for the safety of his child and wife, so he sent her to a new planet known as Earth. When the baby was born, he sent his finest soilder down to Earth to help out. But soon, dark forces realised of the baby, and knew it would be the perfect tool of blackmailing the king into handing over the gem. They tracked the Queen and baby down. Hell, did that soilder fight. He fought for the safety of the baby, and the Queen. Hell, he fought." A tear trickled down Mihst's cheek, and he brushed it away madly, "That soilder was struck down, and the Queen fled with her baby . . ." As Mihst talked, the gem glowed, and Lilla saw it in her head, her mother . . .

[Saphnie]

...her mother, racing through the trees, a baby clutched in her arms. Shouts and screams filled the air. Tears ran down the Queen's cheek... would she make it out of this alive?
She came to a clearing. The King was waiting. They hugged and cried. The King waved his arm and someone appeared next to him. The someone waved his staff and the clearing lit up. As the light faded away, the Queen kissed the baby on the forehead and set her down on the ground. She sobbed, turned and fled, the King and the other person following.
The vision faded. Lilla blinked and burst into tears.

[Amie]

Mihst looked up in surprise.
"I haven't even finished yet!" he said.
"But why? Why leave the gem with me?" she sobbed.
"Why? Why do you think? If they took it back with them, then it would be taken by evil forces for sure. They left it here with you so that you could forfill your destiny when the time is right . . . The legend says . . . well, anyways."
Lilla heard the voices in her mind over and over again.
"We'll come back, Lilla. My darling Lilla. I promise. Be brave . . . . . ."
She burst into another set of tears.
All of a sudden, she heard rustling of trees.
"It can't be . . . how can they get through?" she cried.
"The magic grows weak as time passes. Don't worry, it'll still take a few days for them to get through, but we best going, don't you think?" Mihst said calmly, collecting together his things.
"Lets go," Lila said determinately, not telling Mihst of her mothers promise . . ..