**Warning: violence, blood**

The story so far:

---- Aija is a Volunteer at the Pristine School at Innermost. She works along with Zuri and Ze, who are her friends. Aija witnesses a strange event one night – light emanating from Rez's body. The kidnapper is after her soul, next, but he leaves her alive and goes away. Another man finds her, he wants to take her somewhere else - Aija though wary of him agrees. Aija learns of the existence of the aliens – the Ytai. Also, about the R'ies and H'eon, Harvesting and Àvo from Etrie. Etrie tells her that the man, who Harvested Rez (Thieron), will now go after her. He tells her that the spy/kidnapper's name is Luka. Etrie asks her to work along with him.

---- Aija is invited by Etrie for a Harvest Stopping Mission. Aija tells Zuri about Quinn – she's to meet him as an order from the Leadership. Kuna, who works for Etrie, picks Aija up for the mission. Etrie partners Aija with Kuna for the night.

---- Aija goes along with Kuna as he trails the target – a girl.

---- The Harvesters turn up for the girl's soul, it ensues in an attack in which the target's friend is hurt.

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****10.4 - Aija****

"Take this girl and run," Kuna told Aija.

"Where to?" Aija asked her eyes still on the blonde girl. There was so much blood.

A man shouted something at them, in a language Aija didn't understand. He came from behind a building running towards them. Two more joined the man behind him.

Kuna spoke to the black-haired girl, "Run to your house. My friends are there; they will help you. Go..." and to Aija he said, "Go with her. Hold the blade tightly. Run now. Call Etrie and tell him you're on the way."

Aija held the girl's hand, and the girl ran towards her house. Aija held the blade tighter and shouted into her AIVIO Scroll, "Call Etrie."

"Calling Etrie." It responded.

Etrie answered on the first ring. "Aija?"

"Etrie help!" she shouted, already breathless from running. "We're headed towards the girl's house. Kuna is alone."

"Run fast. I'm coming." Etrie's voice came through.

Aija remembered her self-defense classes during mandatory physical education. She had been good at it, but she had never really used them in real life. She had never needed it before, and now she had lost touch. She had never practiced after school, and she was very doubtful if she could defend herself now. She cursed out loud, and the girl looked at her. She shook her head, and they continued to run fast.

She should have been more physically active. Of course, she had never imagined she would be caught in a situation like this one day. It had been beyond her reality, and she hadn't imagined running from killer aliens. If only she had attended those extra training classes where one had to build stamina through running. If only. She had avoided them like one avoided the plague.

The girl took several turns running faster, and Aija had a hard time keeping up. Her backpack kept hitting against her back and light though it was, it felt cumbersome as she grew tired. Aija felt like her chest would burn from the air.

"I can't," Aija slowed.

"We're almost there!" the girl pleaded.

Aija felt faint; the cold breeze ruffling her stamina further. She fell to the ground, her legs giving way.

"Go." She gasped for air. "Go home. Run. Leave."

"I've got you." she felt arms around her.

It was Etrie.

"Stay behind me." he told the girl and told Aija, "You're okay. Take deep breaths."

"Please hold her," Etrie told the girl and stood up.

"I'm here." the girl said, holding her.

Aija felt embarrassed. She had come to help, not become a burden herself.

"Give the girl." she heard a male voice, speaking CommLang.

One of the men had followed them.

"Can you walk?" the girl asked.

Aija nodded. The girl helped her up, and they walked away from the two Ytai men. Aija turned back once; Etrie and the man were in the middle of a fight. She gripped her blade tighter as they walked towards the girl's house. It was a small house, one among the many tiny houses in the lane.

The door auto-unlocked for the girl, and she asked Aija to go in. The lights switched on as she entered, and the girl followed her in. The house was as big as Aija's room at her parent's place. She placed her backpack on a chair, but she felt so bad that she could not stay inside for long. She walked out and stood near the road, waiting for Etrie.

"Here," the girl offered her a glass of water.

"Thanks," Aija accepted.

She felt awkward. She felt safe near the girl's house when she had just been running for her life.

"Will she be alright?" the girl asked.

Aija looked at her. She looked a few years older than herself. Her skin was fair, and the black hair suited her so well. There were tears in her blue eyes.

Aija didn't know the answer to her question. She was supposed to have asked her that. She had just seen her friend killed.

They stood there, waiting. Aija zipped up Kuna's jacket feeling cold. It was huge on her.

"Why were they after her?" the girl asked.

"I believe they were after you," Aija said.

"What?" she faced Aija panic enveloping her features.

Aija turned to the road, hearing footsteps. It was Etrie.

"Are you both alright?"

Aija nodded.

"What's all this about?" the girl asked him.

Etrie let out a breath, as he rolled his neck, getting the tension out.

"Where's Maya?" Aija asked, suddenly remembering her.

"She went to help Kuna." Etrie told her and then to the girl he said, "What's your name?"

"Taylor."

"Alright, Taylor," Etrie's voice was soothing. "Let's go in."

"But," Taylor started.

"Don't worry," he cut in. "I'll explain things inside. Come."

Etrie and Taylor went in. Aija stayed outside even though the cold discomforted her.

"Aija?" Etrie called from inside.

"I'll be here." she insisted holding on tightly to the blade.

Aija waited, growing edgier by the minute. She sat down on the small patch of lawn sandwiched between the road and the row of houses. She placed the blade Kuna had given her on her lap, put her elbows on her thighs, rested her head in the palm of her hands, and closed her eyes. Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away.

She felt someone tapping her shoulder and realized she had fallen asleep out there. Slowly she opened her eyes.

"Are you okay?" It was Kuna, kneeling before her.

"Kuna? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she hugged him, surprising both Kuna and herself.

"I'm...fine." he stammered. "Were you out here waiting for us?"

"For you, not Maya," she whispered.

Kuna smiled and put his hands around her. She pulled back and looked into his eyes, "What about the other girl?"

Kuna's smile faltered. He shook his head.

"Oh..."

"Let's go inside. It's cold out here for you."

Kuna helped Aija up. They went into the house. It felt suffocating with so many people and Aija was reminded again of the differences between her place and this.

Taylor was sitting beside the blonde girl's lifeless body on the floor. She was crying inconsolably. Maya was holding her; her expression soft and understanding.

"It wasn't even her fault." Taylor was saying in between sobs.

Aija felt awful for Taylor and the other girl. She stood near the door, unable to move or even have comprehensible thought.

"We should go," Etrie told her.

"And leave Taylor?" Aija didn't like it.

Etrie shook his head. "Maya will be with her. I have informed another team to come here to take care of things. We need to drop you back home. It's late."

The three of them left, leaving Maya with Taylor. Aija felt guilty; Etrie and Kuna were going because of her. They retook the Sub-Terra Turbo.

Kuna sat beside her.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"Why?" Kuna was genuinely shocked.

"I'm just a burden. I'm no help at all."

"It was your first time. No one was expecting you to be perfect. You stayed with Taylor the whole time."

Aija couldn't hold it in anymore. She cried. She didn't even know she had been fighting hard to hold back her tears. Kuna held her as she struggled with her emotions. She felt sad, guilty, and embarrassed. The image of the blonde girl, still conscious with the knife in her, kept eating at her mind. The night had been too much.

She had calmed down a little by the time they reached Innermost. Etrie and Kuna walked her home. Kuna held her hand in his all the way; but, she hardly noticed it.

They stopped in front of her apartment, and it auto-unlocked for her immediately.

Etrie sighed, "This will get better."

"Do you consider today good?" she demanded of him.

The three of them stood outside her Apartment.

"In a way - yes," Etrie admitted. "We prevented a Harvest, even though there were...unexpected complications."

"What about Taylor?"

"Depends on what she wants. I doubt she will want to join R'ies. But, we will keep her protected. Probably erase her memory of the Harvest."

"How can you erase memories?"

"It's our concern. You don't worry yourself with it."

Aija scowled at him, slightly offended.

"Kuna will continue to trail you. I'll inform you next time of a Harvest. You can decide if you want to do it or not." Etrie wasn't curt, but he didn't sound friendly either.

She frowned at him; Kuna nodded at her. He had been quiet all this time.

"Now, go get some rest," Etrie said.

As Etrie and Kuna started to walk away, Aija announced, "I'll do it. I want to help."

The two Ytai turned around. Etrie smiled. Kuna took something out from under his t-shirt – the blade he had given her before. When had she dropped it? She had forgotten all about it.

"You left this," he said, handing it over to her.

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