Secret of the Sapphire It was 6:32 pm, Eastern Time when the plane from Oceanside landed in New York City. Mia, Arine, Sam, and Pierre had spent more than five-and-a-half hours in the air. Having traveled over three time zones, they were beginning to feel the effects of jetlag. "Ugh," said Arine. "We are going in the wrong direction." "What do you mean?" Sam asked. "East instead of west," Mia said. "Our internal clocks are having trouble adjusting." "Ah, I see," said Sam, now understanding. "It is true," he agreed. "It's harder going east than it is going west." As the three college students were chatting, Pierre was scanning the crowd. Then, he saw two people walking toward them, a man and a woman. Both had dark hair, which would have been pitch-black if it were not for a sprinkle of gray that was starting to appear at their age. Pierre recognized them instantly. "Sir David!" he called. "Madame Julia! Bonjour!" "Bonjour, Sir Pierre!" the couple said in unison. By then, Mia, Arine, and Sam had looked to see whom Pierre was calling to. Mia, for one, was overjoyed at seeing the middle-aged couple. "Mister and Missus Lancestor!" The brunette screamed, running to them. "Mia Carver, is that you?" the woman asked. "My have you grown!" said the man. As Mia reached the two, she gripped them and pulled them into a tight embrace. "It's great to see you guys again," she said, letting go of the couple to look at them face-to-face. "How long has it been," said the woman, "ten years?" "How are your parents, Mia?" the man asked. "They're fine," replied Mia. "Of course I don't see them very often since they're still in Vegas." "I trust you've been taking care of her, Sam," said the woman, pretending to come down on the boy. "Yes, Mother," said Sam, pretending to be embarrassed by the woman. After a brief moment of laughter, Sam embraced his parents. "Who would have thought," said Mr. Lancestor. "Mia Carver, the elf." "I was surprised as well," Sam said. "Before last week, I didn't think that Mia's pointed ears meant anything!" After the reunion of Mia and the Lancestors, Julia noticed the blond-haired girl simply looking on at them. "And this must be Arine Sylven," Mrs. Lancestor said. Arine held out her hand toward the woman and said, "Pleased to meet you, Missus Lancestor." "Please," said the woman, "call me Julia." Arine and Mrs. Lancestor shook hands. "And you may call me David," Mr. Lancestor said, holding out his hand. Arine shook David's hand and said, "Nice to meet you, David." After all of the introductions had been completed, Pierre piped in, "Well, what say you we get some food? We have less than an hour-and-a-half until the flight to Zurich leaves." "That's a good idea," Julia said. "We probably won't have anything to eat until tomorrow morning." Sam, remembering the last time he was at the New York City Airport, said to the brown-haired girl, "They have a sushi bar nearby, Mia." Her face lighting up, Mia cried, "Sushi? Yay! I love sushi!" ---------- The six companions sat down for a Japanese dinner. "Mia has been fascinated with Japanese culture as long as anyone can remember," Julia explained. "I know," said Arine. "She told me that her parents found her in Japan as a baby." "A newborn, actually," said David. "Judging from her weight and level of development, the doctors estimated that she was no more than few days old when she was found." "I wonder who her real parents were," said Arine. "Not knowing her true origins," David continued, "Mister and Missus Carver decided to give the child a Japanese name because that was where they found her." "I thought her name sounded Japanese," the blonde said. "Her biological parents were obviously descendants of the elves," said Julia. "Otherwise, Mia would not have any elfin powers and she probably would not have had the ears either. "The ears are kind of cute..." said Arine. She then looked at Mia and said, her voice a little lower, "...but I wish they didn't come with her weak heart." "Her powers are beginning to awaken," Pierre said. "We saw the strength that she showed the other night. When she completely awakens, I am sure that her elfin powers will give her the strength to overcome her heart condition." "As long as Arine is with me," said Mia, wrapping her arm around Arine's back, placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder, "I feel like I can do anything." Turning to Arine, she asked, "How are you enjoying your California Roll?" "It's good," Arine replied. "It's not like it's anything new to me. I've had California Rolls before." "Well of course you have," said Mia. "It's only natural to suspect that a girl from the West Coast has had California Rolls. Maybe you would like to try something a little more exotic?" "What about your eel?" "I thought you'd never ask." Mia picked up a piece of her sushi order with her chopsticks and brought the piece in front of Arine's mouth. Arine opened her mouth and ate the piece of sushi that Mia had fed to her. "How is it, Arine?" the brunette asked. Arine swallowed and said, a little surprised, "It's good. It's really good!" "Unagi has always been my favorite sushi." "I'll definitely order unagi the next time I go out for sushi." As Mia and Arine chatted and ate, David whispered to Sam, "How did Arine talk you out of going out with Mia?" "She didn't," Sam whispered back. "I was the one who told Arine to go out with Mia." David was stunned by his son's response. "You did WHAT?!" he said as quietly as possible. "Mia knew me as a brother figure," Sam explained. "She couldn't love me any other way. It was only after her attack two weeks ago that I saw it. And I could see in Arine's eyes that she was crazy about Mia. But she was too afraid to admit her love for her best friend, so I gave her a nudge in the right direction. And just look at them now." Sam and David looked at the two girls. "Doesn't seeing them together just make you so happy?" "They do look very happy together," David agreed. "Madame Julia," said Pierre. "I need to know. What has the Lancestor Clan found out about the Prophecy of Awakening?" "Not much," Julie replied. "What we have found suggests that there is some power hidden within the Red Ruby and Blue Sapphire of Alvara that is supposed to unlock the elf's powers." "The Ruby and Sapphire are the keys?" "That is what the Lancestor Clan has been led to believe." "Why would Johan keep the Ruby from the elf?" Pierre thought to himself. "'Johan'?" Julia asked. "I'll bring it up at the meeting in Zurich," Pierre said. ---------- Meanwhile, an expedition in Scandinavia was in progress. Several Nordic people were trekking through the taiga forest. "How much further is it?" one of the younger hikers asked. "According to Lord Blake's findings," the leader of the expedition explained, "it should be about fifty meters ahead." "How do we know this place really exists?" another trekker asked. "If it did not exist," said the leader, "the Red Ruby and Blue Sapphire of Alvara would not have been discovered in the first place. The Clan Lords and I talked for many hours about granting me the White Sapphire while Lord Blake is cared for." Eventually, the hikers came out of the trees. What they found before them was a large, deep lake. "Suit up," the leader said. The hikers opened up their backpacks and took out wetsuits and swim fins, which they then changed into. The trekkers reached back into their packs and took out scuba gear. They strapped the oxygen tanks onto their backs and fit their heads into their helmets. Through the radio system that the helmets had built into them, the trekkers heard their leader ask, "Ready everyone?" The rest of the team gave their leader "okay" signals. The leader had a flashlight in his right hand and in his left hand, he held the White Sapphire of the Mustanen Clan. With everything that the expedition needed, the group dove into the lake and started descending into the depths. "This had better not be a wild goose chase," said one of the female members. "This is an historical place, Madame Annika," said the leader. "We are about to find a ceremonial ground where our ancestors held their meetings. The place where the Ruby and Sapphire were excavated." As the team searched the lakebed, the White Sapphire started glowing. "The White Sapphire of the Mustanen Clan is directing me," the leader said. "We're close." Directed by the pull of the White Sapphire, the leader aimed his flashlight to where the crystal directed him. The flashlight fell on a small cavity in the lakebed. "This way," he said, swimming toward the cavity. The cavity was just large enough to fit an average adult. The leader swam into the cavity and the other members of the expedition followed. "Are you sure about this, Lord Odin?" one of the members said, becoming apprehensive about the risk involved in such a venture. "We've come too far to turn back now," said the leader. "It's so dark here," Annika said, also becoming nervous. "Do not worry," said Odin. "The White Sapphire is guiding me." ---------- Odin and his followers emerged from a pool of water situated in a cave. "What is this place?" One of the members asked as he surfaced. Odin took off his helmet. "This must be it," he said. "We found it." Odin stepped out of the pool and held out the White Sapphire of the Mustanen Clan and the crystal started glowing white. Suddenly, crystals in the rock-face of the cave started glowing. There were shades of red, blue, green, white. The entire cave lit up with all the colors of the rainbow. The members of the expedition could not help but stare in awe at the light before them. "Ladies and gentlemen," Odin said, feeling very proud about himself and his team, "welcome to the sanctuary of the elves." "I never knew anyplace could be so beautiful," one of the members said. "All of these crystals are rubies and sapphires," Odin explained. "They are reacting to the presence of the White Sapphire of the Mustanen Clan. The discovery of this place will give new hope to our people. A tie to the past. A way of remembering our heritage." "Look at this," said Annika at one end of the cave. The other members of the expedition joined Annika to see what she had found. It was a large chamber, an extension of the cave. Inside the chamber were all sorts of sculptures, gemstones, and tablets. "This looks like some kind of repository," said Annika as the anthropologist on the team. "A place where the elves kept their most valued treasures." As the team looked at the artifacts, Annika picked up a stone tablet with ancient text carved into it. Upon looking at the text, Annika's eyes widened and she gasped. "My god," she exclaimed. "It's a manuscript of Alvara himself! Text written by the most powerful of all the elves." "Can you read it, Madame Annika?" asked Odin. "I can try," the anthropologist said. Annika translated the ancient text on the tablet, " Written here is the last account of Alvara, son of Aelfhere. It has been seven thousand and five hundred years since our last contact with the race of humans. But several months ago, humans have returned to our territory. They have sent powerful sorcerers to destroy our race. I believe it is because of a new religion spreading through the continent and that our existence threatens that religion. Even with the powers that the elves have been granted, we cannot hold off the Jewel Sorcerers' raid. There is not enough ruby or sapphire in our part of the world to use against them. My family and I have spent the past two days in this cave of crystal. There were two crystals that were loose enough to pull from the walls, a Red Ruby and a Blue Sapphire. These crystals were more brilliant than any other crystals I had seen. I knew that their powers were great. But I was not able to use their power to drive the Jewel Sorcerers away." "Look at this," said one of the members as he was searching through the other artifacts. "What is it, Sir Ollie?" asked Odin. "It appears to be some kind of decorative design," said Ollie, holding up a tablet made entirely of corundum. Many smaller crystals of different color had been carved and cemented together into one large, smooth tablet. Odin observed the color scheme of the crystals that made up the tablet. "Is there a pattern to it?" he asked Ollie. "Not that I can see," Ollie replied. Odin held the White Sapphire of the Mustanen Clan close to the tablet and concentrated. The White Sapphire started glowing. "What are you doing?" Ollie asked Odin. "I wonder if this tablet will react to the activation of the Sapphire," the team leader replied. A moment passed, but the tablet did not react. "No good," Odin said as the White Sapphire stopped glowing. "What on earth is this tablet for?" he wondered to himself. ---------- Meanwhile, Johan was sitting at his computer on a travel agency's website, ordering a ticket to France. Johan had almost confirmed the trip when his phone rang. He picked up the phone and said, "Johan Mustanen speaking." "Sir Johan," a familiar voice said on the line," hello." "Lord Odin?" Johan asked. "Sir Johan," said Odin, "we have fantastic news." "I'm listening," Johan said, becoming more intrigued by the second. "The Alvara Expedition was a success." Odin's last statement was what took the cake for Johan. "You found the excavation site?" said Johan, very excited about the expedition's success. "We found artifacts dating back to before the Jewel Summoners came," Odin explained. "Well this is fantastic. Finally, our young one will have visual proof of their heritage. Not just what their elders teach them and pointed ears that give them a horrible heart condition. But real evidence that they are of elfin descent." Johan was broken out of his reverie when Odin said, "There is one artifact that we found, a tablet with a decorative design on it. It was made completely of rubies and sapphires, carved into a smooth tablet. We can't determine anything about it. The colors don't appear in any kind of pattern. I used the White Sapphire of the Mustanen Clan--" "You took Lord Blake's White Sapphire?" Johan interrupted, sounding angered by what Odin had said. "The Clan Lords believed that it would be best to take the White Sapphire on the expedition and use its power to find Alvara's Cave," Odin explained. "As I was saying, Sir Johan," the team leader continued, sounding irritated by Johan interrupting him, "I used the White Sapphire of the Mustanen Clan in an attempt to activate the crystals embedded in the tablet. Nothing happened." "Do you think it will react to a more powerful crystal like the Red Ruby of Alvara?" Johan asked. "That is the reason I'm calling," said Odin. "We want you to come back to Finland. Bring the Ruby and see if you can activate the tablet." "I was planning a trip to France when you called. I suppose a slight detour back home wouldn't hurt." Since Johan had not yet confirmed the flight to France, he changed his destination to Finland before he confirmed the itinerary." 'Pierre can wait,' Johan thought to himself. 'I must see Alvara's Cave for myself.' ---------- Mia and Arine sat side-by-side on Arine's bed. Mia was to Arine's left and Arine was to Mia's right. The two girls were kissing passionately, their arms wrapped around each other's bodies. Arine moved her right hand from Mia's back around to the brunette's front and grabbed her lover's left breast through the fabric of her red T-shirt. Mia moaned in pleasure as Arine played with her breast. Mia reached for the hem of Arine's blue T-shirt and pulled the garment up and off of Arine, exposing the blonde's smaller, but perfectly shaped breasts. The shorter girl moved her head down and kissed the soft mounds in front of her, causing Arine to sigh in pleasure. However, Arine's pleasurable sighs turned into lustful moans as Mia started circling her tongue around the blonde's left nipple. She sucked the pink nubbin into her mouth and Arine moaned again in bliss. Mia laughed mischievously as she pulled away from Arine just long enough to take off her top, exposing her own breasts to the blonde's gaze. Unbridled desire burning in her eyes, Arine pressed herself into Mia, and mashed her lips into Mia's shoving her tongue into the brunette's mouth. Mia sucked hungrily at Arine's tongue as her hands found Arine's breasts, kneading and groping the soft mounds that protruded from the blonde's chest. Without breaking their lip-lock, Arine pushed Mia down onto the bed and lay on top of the shorter girl. She brought her right hand down to the top of Mia's pants and unzipped the fly. She slid her hand into the brunette's pants, feeling the soft warmth of her friend's mound. She moved her fingers across Mia's slit, feeling how moist it was. Arine pressed her hand against Mia's wet folds, causing the brunette to moan loudly in pleasure. Desire taking over, Mia quickly unbuttoned and unzipped Arine's pants and started pulling them down. Arine removed herself from Mia's body long enough to pull her pants down and off her legs, exposing her completely naked body to Mia. Mia took off her pants as well, revealing her womanhood to the blonde. Arine lied down to Mia's left and Mia turned onto her side to face Arine. The two women locked their lips together again, savoring every sweet lick from each other's busy mouths. They wrapped their arms and legs around each other, pulling their bodies close to each other. Arine felt Mia's soft breasts pressing against her chest, the brunette's hard nipples digging into her flesh. Mia turned around in Arine's arms, facing away from the blonde, allowing the taller girl access to her front side. As Arine suckled on the side of Mia's neck, she brought her right hand to Mia's right breast and squeezed it for all it was worth. Mia moaned in rapture as Arine held her nipple in between her thumb and index finger. Arine pulled on the erect nub with her right hand as her left hand wandered down Mia's body into the darkness of the brunette's nether regions. Mia moaned loudly as Arine started fingering her wet womanhood. Loving the sound of Mia's heavenly voice rife with lust, Arine dipped her fingers into her lover's soft folds, eliciting more aroused cries from the brunette's throat. Mia rocked her hips madly, banging her cleft against the palm of Arine's left hand. Seeing that Mia was on the verge, Arine sped up her ministrations, ramming her fingers deep into Mia's dripping sex. The brunette moaned over and over again with each of Arine's thrusts into her canal. The pitch and volume of her moans escalated as she reached her peak. Arine felt the walls of Mia's vagina crush her fingers as a deafening cry of ecstasy escaped from Mia's lungs. The blonde could feel her lover's juices flowing from her opening, covering her hand in warm wetness as she came. Arine's eyes hot wide open as the intensity of Mia's orgasm shook her out of her slumber. She found herself on the plane bound for Zurich. She looked to her left to see Mia sleeping peacefully in the seat next to her. "Arine?" a voice asked from the window seat. Arine jumped at the voice and looked over toward the window seat to see Pierre looking at her. "Are you all right, Arine?" Pierre asked. Still in the process of returning to reality, Arine managed to choke out, "Yes. Yes, I'm just fine, Pierre." Satisfied with Arine's response for the time being, Pierre simply leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, trying to get as much sleep as possible before they arrived in Zurich. 'What was that?' Arine wondered. Her heart was still racing from the erotic, frighteningly vivid dream that she had just experienced. She looked at Mia's sleeping form and again felt the same feelings of lust and desire. Arine could feel her self-control evaporating and she knew that she had to distance herself from Mia before she raped the sleeping girl. Arine quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and retreated to the nearest restroom. No sooner had Arine sat down on the toilet when her hands flew between her legs and started rubbing. Arine had to relieve her sexual frustration before she took it out on Mia. The images from the dream, still fresh in her mind, fueled the blonde's need for release. Arine rubbed her clitoris furiously, bringing herself to a mind-blowing orgasm in a matter of seconds. Her back arched and her body convulsed, each spasm accompanied by a short, soft cry. As the blonde came down from her orgasm, her body went limp and her torso fell forward. Arine simply hung on the edge of the toilet seat, catching her breath. Arine cleaned up and walked back to her seat. Her walking was a bit unsteady, but she felt satisfied...for the time being. After she had strapped herself in with her seat belt, Arine looked back at Mia's peaceful form. For the first time since they had met, Arine was unable to smile at seeing Mia asleep. 'Mia...' she thought, wishing that she could give her girlfriend the kind of pleasure that she had felt. ---------- It was 9:44 am, European Time that the plane started its descent into Zurich, Switzerland. "Oh, God," groaned Mia, obviously exhausted. "I feel horrible." "I'm sure we all do," said Julia, who was sitting in the seat behind her. "At least you were able to sleep at all, Mia," said Sam. "These 747s are too cramped and it was too early to sleep when we left. I didn't get any sleep at all!" "As soon as we get to the meeting place," said Pierre, "we should all get some rest, give our bodies some time to adjust. There are sleeping quarters there that will be more than sufficient." "The Clan Lords have it easy, actually living in Europe," David said, sitting behind Pierre. "We Lancestors have our origins in England. Out of all the clans' native countries, England is the farthest from Switzerland, and it's only an hour's difference. Even living on the East Coast doesn't help our internal clocks much." "Maybe we should consider moving to Europe if another meeting comes up," Sam retorted. Everyone was too tired to laugh at Sam's sarcastic remark. ---------- At 9:59, a middle-aged woman with red hair waited by a limousine in the airport parking lot. As she scanned the people moving in and out of the airport, she saw six people walking toward her. She recognized the leader of the group as Pierre Doulin. "Pierre!" she called out, waving. "Bonjour!" "Bonjour, Rosette!" said Pierre as they met. Pierre and Rosette lightly embraced each other and kissed each other's cheeks. "Rosette, this is everyone," said Pierre, introducing the woman to the rest of the group. "Everyone, this is my sister, Rosette." "Madame Rosette," said David, holding out his hand to the woman, "Sir David Lancestor." "Ah yes," said Rosette, shaking David's hand, "the Lancestor Clan. Nice to meet you, Sir David." As David made room, Julia approached Rosette and extended her hand. "Madame Julia Lancestor," she said, "Sir David's wife." "Enchanté, Madame Julia," said Rosette, shaking Julia's hand. "Sam Lancestor," Sam introduced himself as Julia made room for him, "David and Julia's son." "Hello, Sam," Rosette greeted him. "Mia Carver," said Mia. Before Mia could say anything more, Rosette blurted out, "The elf!" The redheaded woman took Mia's hands in hers. "I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Carver," said Rosette very excitedly. "You do not know how honored we all are with your presence." "Please," Mia said, appearing flattered. Rosette then noticed the blonde-haired girl standing idly by, and released Mia's hands. "And you must be Arine Sylven," said Rosette. "Yes, Madame Rosette," Arine said timidly. Rosette held out her hand to Arine. Arine took Rosette's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you all," Rosette said. "And now," said Pierre just as weary as the other five travelers, "if you don't mind, we all are in need of sleep. If we could be on our way as soon as possible..." "Of course," said Rosette. With that, the six travelers and Rosette stepped into the back seat of the limousine. The driver drove off toward the meeting place. ---------- The entrance to the meeting place was a small French bakery. Rosette led the six travelers into the bakery. In the kitchen was a door that nobody except the employees and the Jewel Summoner clans knew about. Behind the door was an elevator that led underground. After everyone was safely in the elevator, Rosette pressed the button for "B1". The elevator doors closed and the group started their journey underground. The doors opened one floor beneath the street level. The floor that they were on consisted of three hallways, one leading to the left of the elevator, one leading right, and one leading straight ahead. Lining all of the hallways were doors that looked like entrances to hotel rooms. "I will be taking my leave now," said Pierre. "Bonsoir." With that, Pierre started walking down the hall to the left. Rosette led the other five travelers down the hall straight ahead. "As you can expect," she said, "the four Jewel Summoner clans are very large, so we have an entire floor reserved for residence. Sam, if your parents have not told you already, members of the Lancestor Clan stay in Quadrant C. Your parents have a room reserved for them whenever they are needed here." "Thank you, Madame Rosette," said Sam. The three Lancestors walked to the entrance to room C-34. David took out a key and used it to unlock the door. "Mia," said Rosette, "since you are an honored guest in these halls, you can stay anywhere you like on this floor." "Anywhere as long as I can get some sleep!" exclaimed the brunette. "Well," Rosette said, "Sir David, Madame Julia, and Sam were the last of the Lancestor Clan to arrive so there are several rooms vacant in Quadrant C." "I suppose the room closest to Sam's," Mia said. "Very well." Rosette presented Mia with the key to room C-36. "Your room is C-36," explained the woman, "right next to Sam's." "Thank you, Madame Rosette," Mia said. "Thank you, Madame Rosette," Arine repeated Mia. "Sleep well, you two," said Rosette. "Unless you're not up to it by then, the meeting will begin at eighteen hundred hours." "Six pm?" asked Mia, not used to military time. "Yes, six pm," Rosette confirmed. "That should be fine," said Mia. "The meeting hall is on floor B3," Rosette said, "two floors down. All elevators go to it." "Thank you, Madame Rosette," Mia and Arine said in unison. With that, the two friends entered their room. "Oh, boy," groaned Mia, throwing herself down on the bed on the right side of the room. Arine lay down on her stomach next to Mia and draped her right arm over Mia's body. "Sleep well, Mia," said the blonde. "Sleep well, Arine," Mia replied. Even after they had bid each other a good sleep, Arine was restless. She was still troubled by the dream that she had had on the plane. Although she knew it was unlikely, she tried to forget about it. However, before she could curl up next to Mia again, Arine felt the brunette kissing her lips. Becoming lost in the feeling of their soft lips locking together, Mia and Arine wrapped their arms around each other, pulling each other deeper into the kiss. Mia reached for Arine's right breast and started fondling it, causing the blonde to moan into her mouth. Arine could feel her nipples press against the fabric of her shirt. Mia reached to the hem of Arine's shirt and pulled it off, releasing the pressure that the garment was putting on the blonde's swollen breasts. Mia kissed the round globes before her, eliciting small moans from the blonde's mouth. Arine gasped when she felt Mia licking and sucking on her erect nipples. Mia gently pushed Arine onto her back and went back to kissing her lips. Arine, wanting to feel Mia's warm flesh, pulled the brunette's shirt off. Not missing a beat, Mia went back to kissing Arine as soon as her slightly fuller breasts were exposed. Mia pressed herself into Arine, driving her own erect nipples into Arine's. Both girls moaned in bliss as their nipples were stimulated by the other girl's. Mia got up from Arine's body and straddled the blonde. The brunette had a mischievous smile on her face that turned Arine on even more. Mia unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, pulling them off her legs. Mia's wet womanhood was just as beautiful as in Arine's dream. As Mia went back to kissing Arine, Arine reached around the smaller girl's body and grasped Mia's buttocks. Mia moaned at the contact and then started laughing as they kissed. Mia started moving down Arine's body, kissing her chin, her neck, her collarbone, her cleavage. As she started stimulating Arine's breasts with her mouth, Mia unzipped Arine's pants and snuck her right hand into Arine's nether region. Arine moaned loudly as Mia started pleasuring her sex. Mia continued her way down Arine's body until her face was between Arine's legs. Mia took off Arine's pants, revealing the blonde's aroused vulva, dripping with desire. Mia looked up one more time at Arine's face. Arine blushed with embarrassment, but showed no resistance. Receiving no objection from Arine, Mia took a hold on Arine's hips and brought her face down into Arine's mound. Arine moaned in pleasure as she felt Mia's tongue work wonders on her most sensitive spot. The blonde played with her own breasts as Mia licked up and down her slit. Mia slipped her tongue into the blonde's canal and Arine started rocking her hips to her lover's ministrations, shoving Mia's tongue in and out of her hole. As Arine felt her orgasm starting to build within her, she started thrusting her hips into Mia's face harder. Obviously noticing Arine's urgency, Mia started going down on Arine faster, swirling her tongue and lips all around Arine's vulva. Arine gripped the bed sheets to keep from pushing herself away from Mia's gifted mouth. The blonde clenched her teeth as she reached her peak, trying to hold back as long as possible. As soon as Mia's tongue started flicking Arine's erect clitoris, the blonde was rocked by a powerful orgasm. She arched her back and cried out in ecstasy as her orgasm rushed through her young body. It took a minute for Arine to come back to her senses. As the blonde opened her eyes, she was surprised by what she saw. She found herself lying next Mia in the same position that they were in when they had entered the room. Mia was sound asleep and they were both fully clothed. The bedside clock read 17:35. It was 25 minutes before the meeting was to start. Arine was still weak from her orgasm, so it took a lot of effort for her to sit up. When she got to her knees, she found that both of her legs were on either side of Mia's right leg. Arine looked between her legs and noticed that the crotch of her pants was drenched. "Oh, shit!" the blonde cried, realized that she had rubbed herself off on Mia's leg in her sleep. Mia murmured in her sleep. Arine froze, worried that she had awoken Mia. However, the blonde was relieved when Mia did not open her eyes. Arine quickly made her way to the adjacent bathroom to rid herself of the incriminating evidence. ---------- 'Another dream,' the blonde thought to herself as she stood under the shower, letting the warm water calm her nerves. 'I don't understand,' thought Arine. 'What's happening to me? I shouldn't be having these thoughts about Mia.' "Hey, Arine," said a voice from behind the shower curtain. Arine jumped at the voice. "Hi, Mia," said Arine, recognizing the voice that had spoken. "Are you almost done in there?" asked the brunette. "Uh, yeah," Arine stammered. "Almost." Arine turned the water off. Pulling the shower curtain back just enough to stick her head out, Arine asked, "Mia, could you pass me a--?" Arine stopped speaking dead in her tracks. Mia was standing before her, completely naked! "Pass you a what?" Mia asked nonchalantly. Arine's entire body turned red. She quickly closed the shower curtain and cried, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" over and over again. Mia pulled the shower curtain open and looked Arine in the face. "Sorry about what?" the brunette asked. "We've seen each other naked before." Arine quickly turned around, facing away from Mia. "Could you pass me a towel, Mia?" Arine asked softly. Mia stared at her friend for a moment, trying to figure out what Arine was so bothered about. Without a word, Mia took a towel from the towel rack and handed it to Arine. Arine quickly dried herself off and then wrapped the towel around her body. Arine exited the bathroom, being sure not to lay eyes on Mia's naked form. 'I can't look at Mia that way. I shouldn't,' Arine told herself as she dressed herself in a clean set of clothes. As Arine finished tying her shoes, Mia exited the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. "Arine?" she asked. "Are you feeling all right?" Knowing that Mia had just asked a rhetorical question, Arine replied, "Would you believe me if I said I was?" "No," Mia said, "I guess I wouldn't." "I don't want to talk about it right now," said the blonde, turning away from Mia before the brunette dropped her towel in order to get dressed. "Is there a time that you might want to tell me?" asked Mia. "I don't know," Arine replied. "Maybe. Just not now." "Okay," Mia said, honoring her girlfriend's wishes. "The meeting starts in a few minutes. Shall we go?" "Yes," replied Arine. Now fully dressed, Mia picked up the room key that was lying on the desk next to the bed. She and Arine exited the room and walked to the elevator. ---------- When Mia and Arine got off the elevator at floor B3, they found themselves in front of a long hallway that led straight ahead. They walked down the hallway, which led to a door, which was probably the entrance to the meeting room. As they walked through the door, the two girls found themselves in a large, square shaped room. The room was filled with many people, probably from the four Jewel Summoner Clans. It seemed that each Jewel Summoner Clan sat at a particular side of the room. At one of the four sides were seated Clan members with hair color ranging from brown to brownish-red. Mia and Arine knew that it was the Doulin Clan because Pierre was one of the members sitting on that side of the room. At another side of the room were members with mostly blond hair, but a few people had darker hair. Another side had members with hair that had a small range between light brown and dark blond. The fourth side of the room had members with very dark hair. What stood out from that side of the room was that Sam was waving to the girls. Mia and Arine walked toward Sam, knowing that the Lancestor Clan sat at that side of the room. "Rest well?" Sam asked as the couple sat down beside him. "Yes!" Mia sighed. "I feel much better." The brunette turned to Arine and said, "What about you, Arine?" "Yes," Arine said blandly. "I slept well." Mia had a worried expression on her face, but did not nag at Arine to tell her what was wrong. Just then, four elderly people, one from each side of the room, rose from their seats. "The Clan Leaders!" Sam exclaimed as he saw the four people made their way to the center of the room. "Bonsoir, buonasera, god dag, good evening," the woman from the Lancestor Clan said. "Thank you all for coming," said the man from the Doulin Clan. "For those of you who do not know us, I am Lord Felix of the Doulin Clan..." "...I am Lord Giovanni of the Valentino Clan..." said the man from the brown-haired clan. "...I am Lady Fredrika of the Dagomar Clan..." the woman from the mostly-blond-haired clan said. "...And I am Lady Alana of the Lancestor Clan," said the first woman who had spoken. "We know that many of you have come to us from around the world," said Lord Giovanni. He had a very noticeable Italian accent in his voice. "Most of you would probably prefer to be back home, enjoying your lives. However, we have now reached a turning point in our world's history." With an obvious French accent, Lord Felix said, "The elf has been found." Many of the Clan Members murmured at Felix's statement. "The Blue Sapphire of Alvara has activated, indicating that the elf has awoken. However, according to Sir Pierre Doulin, the elf's powers have not been fully realized yet." "Fifteen centuries ago," said Lady Alana in a British accent, "our ancestors slaughtered all of the pureblooded elves. Finally, after fifteen hundred years, we Jewel Summoners have a chance to make things right again. The Lancestor Clan has gathered information over many decades that leads us to believe that the Red Ruby of Alvara and the Blue Sapphire of Alvara are the keys to unlocking the elf's hidden powers." "Unfortunately," Lady Fredrika said with a Nordic accent, "the Red Ruby of Alvara is missing. The Dagomar Clan was charged with the duty of protecting the Ruby. However, twenty years ago, the Ruby was given to young Madame Erika Dagomar. For years we have tried to find Madame Erika, but have had no success." It was at that time that Pierre stood up. "Sir Pierre Doulin," said Felix, indicating that Pierre had permission to speak. "I know the whereabouts of the Red Ruby of Alvara," Pierre said. Again, the convention murmured. Pierre continued, "Only recently have I discovered that one, Johan Mustanen, possesses the Ruby. How he attained possession of the Ruby, I do no know." "Can you draw any connection between this Johan Mustanen and Madame Erika?" asked Fredrika. "Johan expressed adamant hatred for the Dagomar Clan," Pierre explained. "When I mentioned the name 'Dagomar' to him three days ago, he used the power of the Ruby against me." Touching the cast that his leg was wrapped in, he said, "This broken leg is the result of Johan's assault." "Johan was able to use the Ruby's power?" a surprised Lord Giovanni asked. "He is a descendant of the elves," said Pierre. "I believe that the Mustanen Clan's origins lie in the human-elf hybrids that existed nine thousand years ago. Somehow, the knowledge of their origins has remained intact through the millennia." "You say that Johan showed adamant hatred for the Dagomar Clan," said Felix. "Perhaps Johan encountered Madame Erika some time ago," Alana suggested a possibility. "Erika did something to profoundly upset Johan, so he attacked Erika and took the Ruby from her." An elderly man from the Dagomar Clan stood up. "Lord Sven Dagomar," said Lady Fredrika. "I believe that I may have encountered Johan twenty years ago," the man said. Pierre spun his head toward Sven, surprised by his statement. "You did?" the professor asked. Sven asked, "Does he have somewhat long, silver hair, blue eyes? About mid-thirties?" "That sounds like Johan Mustanen to me!" Pierre exclaimed. "Twenty years ago," Sven told the story, "I received a message from Madame Erika though the pyrite crystal that I carried. The message conveyed that she was under attack in northern Finland. I and other members of the Dagomar Clan went in to rescue her. When we found Madame Erika, she was being attacked by a young man, who was in his mid-teens at the time, with long, silver hair and blue eyes. We rescued Erika, but she had been choked to near-asphyxiation. We used quartz crystal to help her recover. Madame Erika should have remained in bed for several weeks to recover from a respiratory infection that she contracted, but she insisted on fleeing. She said that Johan would not stop hunting her. She took the Red Ruby and fled, knowing that Johan would most likely use a sapphire or ruby of his own to track the Red Ruby's movements. She did it to protect the Dagomar Clan." "It seems that Johan caught up to Madame Erika along the way," Fredrika said. "Do you know how long Madame Erika had the Red Ruby of Alvara before Johan gained possession of it?" Alana asked. "No, Lady Alana," said Sven, sitting down again. "Sir Pierre?" Felix asked. "No, Lord Felix," said Pierre. "I only encountered the Ruby three days ago." Pierre sat down. "We must retrieve the Red Ruby from Johan," Alana said. "Only with the Ruby can the elf fully awaken." A young woman from the Valentino Clan stood up. "Madame Alessandra Valentino," Giovanni said. "How do you propose we retrieve the Ruby from Johan?" asked the woman. "If it comes to it," said Lord Giovanni, "with spinel." "You can't be suggesting that we use force against Johan," Alessandra said, her voice beginning to rise. "Our ancestors destroyed the elves fifteen hundred years ago and now we have to attack elves again?" "The entire point of retrieving the Ruby is for the elves," Giovanni rebutted. "The new age cannot begin without the ruby's power. If Johan cannot understand that, we must use whatever force is necessary to take back the Ruby of Alvara from him." As Alessandra sat, a man from the Lancestor clan stood up. "Sir Gabriel Lancestor," Alana said the man's name. The man spoke, "Our information to date suggests that the Red Ruby and Blue Sapphire of Alvara are the keys to unlocking the elf's power. Does anyone know exactly how that is to be accomplished?" "Unfortunately no," Alana replied. "More research is needed. And there is no way of knowing how much more research is needed." Lord Felix then said, "But the Prophecy of Awakening states that once the elf completely awakens, the new age of the elves will begin. The elf has begun to awaken, which means that the Prophecy will come to pass most likely within your lifetime." Gabriel sat down. "Does anyone else wish to speak?" Felix asked. Nobody spoke for several seconds, indicating that there was nothing more for the Clan Members to say. "Bon," Felix said. "Now that our exchange of information has been completed, it is time to present..." Gesturing toward the Lancestor Clan, Felix finished his sentence, "...the elf." Mia rose from her seat next to Sam. All of the Clan Members in the room looked at Mia with awe. "Come here, my child," said Felix, holding out his hand toward Mia. All eyes were on Mia as the 19-year-old walked to the center of the room. Felix gently touched Mia's face and then brushed her brown hair away, revealing the pointed ears that Mia carried. "Mia Carver indeed is a descendant of the elves. Her pointed ears are proof of that." Felix looked into Mia's face and said, "Mia Carver, it is you that are destined to bring about the new age of the elves." Felix then reached into his pocket and pulled out a crystal that was the deepest blue Mia had ever seen. "For fifteen hundred years," Felix told the story, "the Doulin Clan has been charged with protecting this crystal. The time has come to give it back to its people. Mia Carver, I present to you the Blue Sapphire of Alvara. May it grant you the power to guide your people into the future." Felix held out the Blue Sapphire of Alvara to Mia and she took it. The convention applauded as the Sapphire was given back to the elf. However, as quickly as the applause started, the room suddenly fell silent. Many of the Clan Members looked at the Sapphire with looks of confusion on their faces. Sam looked around the room, wondering what had the Clan Members so confused. "What's going on?" he asked Arine, hoping that she might have an answer. "I don't know," Arine replied, just as confused as Sam. "Is something supposed to happen?" Mia asked Lord Felix. "I don't understand," Felix said. "The Sapphire should be reacting to your touch." It was then that Sam's father stood. "Sir David Lancestor," Alana said. "The Red Ruby of Alvara is also needed to awaken the elf's powers, is it not?" David asked. "It is needed to awaken the elf's powers, yes," Felix replied. "But we still should see some kind of reaction." Pierre stood up. "Sir Pierre Doulin," said Felix. "The time has not yet come," said Pierre. "Mia is still discovering her powers. When she has learned to use them, I am sure the Blue Sapphire of Alvara will activate." The four Clan Leaders turned to each other and whispered things to each other. After they had turned back to the convention, Felix said, "We have no choice but to accept that possibility." Pierre and David sat down. "Does anyone else wish to speak?" Again, nobody spoke up. "Excellent. We will reconvene tomorrow at eighteen hundred hours. There will be a promotion ceremony at ten hundred hours tomorrow morning. This hearing is adjourned." With that, all of the Clan Members stood and started talking amongst themselves. Mia stepped down from the center of the room and walked to Arine. "What do you think?" the brunette asked cheerfully, holding the Blue Sapphire of Alvara in her hand. "It's a very beautiful crystal," said Arine, looking into the Blue Sapphire. "I think it would look great as a pendant," Mia said. She then asked, "You want to hold it?" "Oh no," said Arine, feeling a little overwhelmed by Mia's question, "I couldn't." "Why not?" Mia asked. "It matches your eyes perfectly." "It's your sapphire, Mia," Arine replied. "I don't deserve something as important as that." "You're sure?" Mia asked. "I'm sure." "Okay." With that, Mia put the crystal in her pants pocket. "Shall we?" she asked, holding out her elbow toward Arine. Arine held Mia's arm in her hand and the two started walking back to their room. ---------- Meanwhile, the Mustanen Clan was reconvening in their meeting room in Finland. High-ranking Clan Members again sat around the large, round, dimly-lit table. "Sir Johan," said Lord Odin. "I trust you flight home was without incident?" "It was, Milord," Johan replied. "Have you brought the Red Ruby of Alvara back with you?" the female Clan Lord asked. "Yes, Milord," replied Johan. "Madame Annika," said another male Clan Lord, "bring forth the tablet." Annika stood from her seat and passed the multi-colored crystal tablet into the bright light at the center of the table. "Sir Johan?" the Clan Lord said. Johan held the Red Ruby of Alvara over the tablet. Johan tapped into the power of the Ruby and it started glowing red. Reacting to the power of the Ruby, the crystals in the tablet started glowing different colors. The Clan Members stared in awe at the image that the tablet revealed. "Who is that?" one of the Clan Members wondered. Where the other Clan Members had looks of intrigue and curiosity on their faces, Johan's expression was one of absolute shock. "Impossible!" he cried. ---------- To be continued...
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