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 agrees to work along with Etrie on Harvest Stopping Missions.

---- Ze catches Aija returning early in the morning with two unknown men. He worries if she is doing something wrong by dating one of the men she is with. Ze decides to talk to the girls about it. Ze talks to Zuri about Aija – she too has seen Aija with the unknown man.

---- Zuri confronts Aija about the men she'd been out with.

---- Luka and Nala talk – Nala admits that she really, really likes Zuri. Luka trails Aija; is caught by Kuna, who speaks in a manner that makes it obvious that Luka's feelings for Aija is evident to all.

---- Thieron is in the Open. Alton asks to visit him – something he had been avoiding for a long time since he punched Dhor-Wo, and broke his nose and jaw.

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****12.2 - Thieron****

As Thieron approached the enormous gate, two guards opened it for him. 

He walked in, head held high, and the two guards nodded once at him; their expressions not unfriendly like before. He frowned, by the unexpected gesture. He didn't need to surrender his weapons, so he went to the East Wing where Alton's office space was. As always, most of the servants avoided him, some even openly whispered as he walked past them, but this time the atmosphere was slightly altered. A few even smiled at him. 

Thieron ignored them entirely as always, but he couldn't understand why there had been a difference in some of their attitudes. Was he in such deep trouble that they were rejoicing? He knew he was in trouble; in fact, he was expecting someone would ask him to surrender his weapons and be escorted to Ivar's office. But it hadn't happened.

He turned at the end of the corridor and marched to Ivar's office, where the two guards were back in front of his door. As soon as they saw him at the end of the corridor, one of them went in – to inform Ivar of his arrival. The guard came out, and by the time Thieron reached the door, the guards held it open for him.

Thieron walked in expecting the blue-black haired Ytai to be standing, waiting for him with fury. Instead, he was sitting relaxed on the leather chair behind his ornately decorated table.

"Te'n'qua it'teh" Welcome home.

Thieron halted in front of the table; Ivar's voice wasn't unkind.

"Sit," Ivar said, still speaking in Ytèan.

Thieron took a seat opposite to him, fully alert.

"I've been trying to reach you," he said as if it wasn't obvious. He was calm, and it was making Thieron feel strange.

Thieron nodded in response, completely unsure of whether he was supposed to speak or not. 

"I can understand why you didn't receive my calls. You were afraid that..."

"I wasn't afraid of anything." He mumbled.

Ivar smiled. Thieron noticed four In'ealk on his table.

"Of course, you weren't afraid. If you were, you wouldn't have hit Dhor-Wo in the first place."

A long silence ensued. Thieron wondered why Alton wasn't angry. Or had he had enough time to calm down? But that wasn't possible. Dhor-Wo was treated like a prized possession by him.

"I must say you are remarkably strong for an ahd'tna. You broke both his jaw and nose in one strike. How did you hit him?"

"I don't remember," Thieron admitted; the word ahd'tna stuck in his mind.

"Hmmm.... You were in a fit of rage." Ivar spoke more to himself. "Anyway," he told Thieron, "I'm not angry."

Thieron stared at the man. Really...? He thought.

"I know Dhor-Wo had it coming from you a long time now. He provoked you all the time. You just had so much patience; I thought you were handling it all well. But, everyone has their breaking point, I suppose."

Thieron sat quietly, trying to analyze Alton Ivar's words. 

What was going on?

"Do you know, Thieron, that most of the helpers are happy with you?"

Thieron was genuinely shocked by that.

"I see you are surprised. It seems Dhor-Wo had been taunting them, and many feel he got what he deserved. You've apparently gained their respect."

So that's why few of them had smiled at him.

Thieron had come preparing himself for punishment, not praise.

"I believe things do have a way of working out for you. It might be true when they say the Spirits are on your side." Alton told him, as he picked up one of the In'ealk. "We are very close to our goal by the Gods' grace," he informed, changing the subject. "Are you close to finding the Od'ro In'ealk?"

Thieron nodded. "I have my eyes on the Od'ro. I just need to capture the person. Once I do I'll have two Od'ro In'ealk. We can soon use the Àvo to take Earth."

"Ja'oe." Good.

Alton stood up, and so did Thieron.

"You're doing a good job, Thieron. And after what has happened, I have decided that I'll send you with your Od'ro In'ealk to get the Àvo; may the Spirits protect you on your journey, like they always have."

Thieron nodded elated, but careful not to show it openly.

"Why don't you bring that girl and boy here with you? I was hoping to meet them sometime. You've been working with them for years now."

Thieron was glad he never brought either Nala or Luka with him. Alton's men always had an eye on him, especially in the Open. He liked to keep Nala and Luka separate from the people of H'eon and H'eon away from them. He didn't like mixing them, though Nala and Luka worked for him for the same cause. If Alton Ivar ever got involved with them, it would be ad and Thieron wasn't going to risk it. Luka and Nala were his.

"Maybe, sometime in the future," he replied, trying not to sound curt.

"Okay," Ivar accepted. "Please stay home tonight. It is late. You can leave right after breakfast. If you haven't had dinner, I can arrange something."

"I have eaten."

Alton Ivar sighed. "Fine, once you have the second Od'ro In'ealk inform me. I shall begin the preparations for travel. You will need to travel after the Ker'zan."

"Ji Ca'hir e nav'ei," Thieron stated, bowing. The Universe is ours.

"Ji Ca'hir e nav'ei," Alton said.

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