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.

---- Aija invites Zuri on a Harvest Stopping Mission. Zuri agrees to go and leaves her hometown earlier than intended. Zuri is picked up by Kuna, Etrie's partner. He tells that Etrie will erase her memories. Kuna and Zuri reach the place and meet up with Aija, Etrie, and Maya. The Harvesters come and attack them. One Ytai attacks her. The Harvest Stopping Mission is a success. Zuri is overwhelmed by the entire experience. Etrie agrees to let Zuri continue accompanying them on the missions, much to the chagrin of Kuna and Maya. Nala is waiting for Zuri at her Apartment. When Zuri asks her to answer her questions she refuses. Zuri fights with Nala and asks her to leave.

---- Gale work is getting to Goldstar. Iyler too seems to be distancing herself from him. He leaves after a disagreement with her about his secret identity.

---- Vincent, who worked at the Research Centre, talks to him at the Dinning Hall. Goldstar is flustered by him when he asks to accompany Goldstar to the South Land. 

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****17.3 - Goldstar****

Goldstar spent the rest of the day in the Tech Room going over the recent activities of R'ies and H'eon. Thieron had been spotted once on Ryder Street. Goldstar clenched his fists. If only he could get his hands on Thieron. It would get him closer to Ah'n, the nephew of Alton Ivar, which in turn would lead him to Alton himself – the Head of H'eon* on Earth.

Thieron was a difficult one to capture – if it were easy, someone would have done it by now. No one from R'ies had gotten close to capturing Thieron – not even the famous Etrie Ay'tir*.

A new report popped up on the smart screen. He touched it open with his finger. Kuna* had been going in and out of the Pristine One School Housing frequently.

School Housing? Goldstar thought. That's where a lot of families lived, and recently two people had 'disappeared' from there. Does the R'ies see many potential targets there?

"Damn!" he whispered angrily and continued browsing through the reports.

He made no effort to meet Iyler* all day, and by the lack of her presence around him, it looked like she wasn't making any efforts to see him either.

What had happened yesterday? An argument? Their first fight? Goldstar was puzzled.

Hours later, he found Premiere Red* at Hall and joined him for dinner. He was ravenous after having skipped breakfast and lunch. The two of them discussed the Leadership's possible intentions for attacking the Research Institute and Vincent's credibility. When it was time to leave, Premier wished him luck and hoped he wouldn't face any more Savages and Creatures.

Goldstar found himself craving to see Iyler before he left, but he knew he would ask her to go with him, and she would deny, again. Were things now so bad between them that she wouldn't come even to say goodbye before he left for the South?

As he walked through the grocery store – the front face of the Core at Pristine One – he heard quick footsteps behind him. Maybe she had come to see him off after all. He turned around, smiling, only for it to disappear. It wasn't Iyler.

It was Tailyn*, closely followed by Vincent*.

"Came to bid goodbye; until next time," Vincent informed, leaving Tailyn open-mouthed, forgetting what he had wanted to say.

"Thank you." Goldstar's voice was bitter.

"You seem upset," Vincent said softly, his deep voice sounding even lower-pitched. "You were expecting someone else."

It wasn't a question. It wasn't laced with doubt. He had stated the obvious. It unnerved Goldstar. Vincent felt like the dark clouds rolling in on a bright day.

"I must get going," Goldstar said, trying to keep his displeasure out of his voice. He walked out and found his previous driver, Daniel, waiting for him.

"Goldstar!" he waved, smiling. "How's your back?"

"Daniel," he smiled. "Much better, thanks."

Tailyn and Vincent followed him out of the grocery shop, and Tailyn waved as he got into the car, and Daniel drove away.

It was a long journey, and all he could think about was Iyler. It was like his thoughts were tethered to her, dragging him out of sleep each time he dozed; until all of his consciousness was drenched with Iyler, rendering him a sleepless night.

Daniel let out an audible sigh of relief as he drove the car into Landing Three, not having encountered any incidents in the Open. Goldstar was almost disappointed by the lack of Creatures and Savages to distract his overworked mind.

Pilot Nadia was already present as he stepped into the building. "Only you?" she asked, looking behind him.

"Yes,"

****

The crisp grass crunched under his feet as he made his way to the Zayr Settlement, wishing the Cities were as beautiful as the South Land. The air here held a slight fragrance and was far superior compared to the continually purified air of the Main Lands.

Na'zwen* was waiting for him at the border of the Settlement and bowed to him as he approached the Zayr. Goldstar bowed and followed him. Zwi'zwr* wasn't to be seen anywhere, and Goldstar wondered where the blonde Zayr had gone to.

"Not seeing Princess today?" Na'zwen asked his voice thick with the accent of the Zayr.

"Not unless time permits," Goldstar answered.

"Yes, it is great honor to meet Prince."

"I'm certain it is. Any rules you'd like to let me know before I meet him?"

"Just polite, as one must with royalty."

Na'zwen led Goldstar to the residence of the Prince. It was a rather big house, even compared to the Princess' place. There were five guards outside the gated area, all in a strange-looking uniform; they resembled the Ytai in appearance.

Na'zwen spoke to them in Zayr, and one of them nodded at the others, one of whom opened the gate. The one Na'zwen had spoken to said something, and he translated it to Goldstar, "No weapons. They check you."

Goldstar nodded his permission. The guard frisked him, and finding no weapons on him allowed him to pass. Na'zwen led him inside, where two more guards were present. The Zayr man spoke to them, and one of them went inside, returned and motioned for them to go inside the room he had just come out of.

The house was furnished simply with no decorations of any sort, except for the door curtain, which was made of strings of seashells. Na'zwen parted the curtain and stepped into the room. Goldstar followed him in. The door on the opposite side of the room led to a balcony where the Prince was now seated.

The Prince motioned the two of them to join him on the balcony, and the one Zayr and the one human did so. It had a view of the ocean, and Goldstar thought it must look amazing in the summer months when there was sunlight.

Goldstar didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't what he saw. The Prince was seated on a large wooden chair facing the ocean, his feet stretched out on a stool before him. The sound of the waves came in loudly.

"The Ierne Prince," Na'zwen told Goldstar, and to the Prince, he said, "Goldstar."

The Prince of Ierne looked at Goldstar. He resembled the Ytai in form. After all, Ierne's current inhabitants owed their ancestry to the Ytai*. Even seated, Goldstar knew he was tall like all Ytai. The Zayr's average height was the same as humans, perhaps more on the shorter side of humans.

The Prince was beautiful. Goldstar had no other words to describe the man. He had long, black-gold hair and amber eyes. 

He looked like he was made from the light of the sun and the darkness of space around it. 

His coloring was full of contrasts with black and amber and his golden skin, and it made him stunning, someone worth being a Prince.

The Prince wore fitting pants that tapered down to his ankles and wore an overcoat with long flared sleeves. The coat was unbuttoned, showing off his bare chest, and it had beautiful embroidery all over it. His straight black-gold hair reached his waist.

Gold bowed slightly, distracted by the Ierne man's beauty. If Ytai were beautiful, this man was something beyond that.

"Sit," the Prince said, his voice smooth.

Goldstar stared at him as Na'zwen sat down on one of the four chairs opposite the Prince.

Had he really spoken CommLang?

"Please sit." The Prince said, looking at him. "I know CommLang, as I do many other languages of the Universe."

Goldstar sat slowly, his senses taken over by surprise.

"I have heard a lot about you, Goldstar," the Prince told him, "of how you save lives of humans from your Leadership; of how you are fighting to bring equality among all of your people; of how you are trying to bring down the Leadership; of especially how sweet you are to the Princess of the Zayr."

Goldstar couldn't get over how perfect the Prince's CommLang was; he had concentrated more on his voice than the words he had said.

"I try," he replied to the Prince, who was clearly waiting for one.

The Prince smiled. "I had to see you for myself. Thank you for traveling all the way here just to meet me."

"Oh, no...Your...Highness? It's an honor to meet you. I'd gladly travel again just for this."

"Irih'va," the Prince said.

Goldstar frowned. What language was it? Was it Ierne? Or Za of the Zayr?

"You can call me Irih'va. It's my name."

"But..."

"I don't normally allow anyone to address me by name, but you are a highly respected human. And I see something great in you."

Goldstar was speechless. Na'zwen smiled at him with a nod.

"I hear from Zhaleh* that you have been offered the position of Premiere here several times. Why do you reject it?"

"Um...Your Highn..."

"Irih'va," 

"Yes..." Goldstar stammered. "It's because I love working on the Main Lands. I can't save people if I'm here. I can't do much against the Leadership if I'm so far away. I'd love to get my family here and live here one day. The South is my favorite place. But, Your... sorry, Prince Irih'va...I have a job to do now."

Saying the Prince's name felt strange like he was saying something sacred, and he wasn't worthy of it.

Prince Irih'va smiled his unwavering attention on him.

"If you need any help, I would love to lend it to you. You are a worthy person."

Goldstar was taken aback by the sincerity in the Prince's voice.

The Prince looked a few years older than he was in human years. But, Goldstar knew even the Ierne lived long lives like the Ytai and Zayr. He would match a human in his mid-twenties in all but true age.

"Thank you, Prince Irih'va." he bowed sitting.

Prince Irih'va said something to Na'zwen in Za. Goldstar felt slightly flustered. He made himself a mental note to learn at least Ytèan and Za; it would benefit him.

Na'zwen left the room. Goldstar alerted, wondering if he missed something and rose to leave.

"Please sit." Prince Irih'va said softly.

Goldstar sat back on the chair, puzzled.

"Ruyanir has told me so much about you. She adores you like she would a brother." The Prince sounded more candid now.

Goldstar smiled. "I'm glad to hear so."

"I love what you do for your own kind." Prince Irih'va said, putting his feet down from the stool and sitting more formally. Goldstar straightened.

The waves crashing onto the rocks filled the silence, and a stiff breeze blew in their direction, sending strands of the Prince's long hair wildly across his face.

"For real, if you need any kind of help please, let me know."

"It'll be my honor to receive your help."

"It was my pleasure to have met you, Veer."

Goldstar froze. Princess Ruyanir* might have told him of his real name.

"It wasn't Ruyanir who told me of your name." Prince Irih'va said as if he had read his mind. Could he read minds?

Prince Irih'va smiled as he stood, and so did Goldstar. The Prince was tall, really tall, and Goldstar found himself looking up at the man.

"I know many things, Veer. People don't have to inform me of things for me to know them. Come visit me if you come to the South again when I'm still here."

Goldstar nodded. He bowed and turned around when the Prince's smooth voice said, "Veer?"

He turned back around. "Yes, Prince Irih'va?"

The Prince looked at him with sadness. "You are in for heartbreak. And then you will do something great. A storm will provide you respite from the scorching heat."

Goldstar blinked. How was he supposed to respond to that? What did it even mean?

"Until next time...." Prince Irih'va nodded once and turned around, looking at the ocean.

Goldstar headed out and let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

What did the Prince mean?

Na'zwen was waiting for him outside the house. The guards let him out, and the Zayr said, "Come."

The two of them walked on the grassy land, and Goldstar pulled his seaweed-green coat tighter around himself. The wind was chilly, more so than the last time he had come. The Zayr walking next to him had on traditional clothes made of leather. It was simple clothing, and it looked like the cold didn't bother him at all.

"Where now?" Na'zwen asked.

He was slightly shorter than Goldstar. He was light-skinned like all Zayr, and strangely it reminded him of Vincent.

"I need to head back to Core. Please tell the Princess I will meet her tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Tell Zwi'zwr I asked after him."

"Yes, Goldstar... We see tomorrow together."

"We see tomorrow together." Goldstar bowed slightly and walked back to Core, storms, and sunshine on his mind.

At Core, Amelie Caron* and Premier Zhaleh Ivanov* were sitting on the lawn outside, the small Scroll in Amelie's hands. They knew how to cleverly hack into the LINC without being discovered at all. There were frowns on their faces as they watched something on the Scroll.

"What's the matter?" he asked, walking up to them.

"We just received a message from Premier Blue." Premier Zhaleh said.

From Pristine Four, thought Goldstar.

"We didn't call you because you were with the Prince," Amelie informed him. "This is bad."

Goldstar watched the news on the Scroll. Mike Wiet* was giving an announcement:

".... My apologies to the families who lost members in the blast, we should have been more alert about the happenings around us. We have a special Secure team out right now searching for the two Gale members who were seen placing the bomb in Director Ersco's son's laboratory in the Secure Cam footage. The Gale has been trying to disrupt our peace by targeting the Leadership and its projects. I assure you; the Secure team will capture these two men and bring justice to the families who lost someone precious to them. We the Leadership will bring the Gale to a stop, reduce these tormentors to ash before they harm our Cities further. I..."

"What?" Goldstar shouted, seething with anger.

"They did it and turned it on us!" Premier Zhaleh fumed.

✽✽✽

*Character Index

H'eon Ter/15

Etrie Ay'tir Ot/Chr 3.a

Kuna Ot/Chr 3.b

Premiere Red, Premier Zhelah Ivanov, Amelie Caron Ot/Chr 3.h

Vincent Ot/Chr 3.t

Tailyn Ot/Chr 3.d

Na'zwen, Zwi'zwr Ot/Chr 3.k

Ytai Ter/12

Princess Ruyanir Chr/In 2.b

Zayr Ter/19

Mike Wiet Ot/Chr 3.o