The story so far:

----Aija, Zuri, and Ze are three friends, who were working at the Pristine School at Innermost. Aija gets involved with the Ytai first, leading Zuri and Ze to them as well. Zuri falls in love with Nala (Lalana), who is Ytai and works with Thieron. Aija and Ze are captured by Thieron, of H'eon, when they were at the Hospital - Aija was at the Hospital with Kuna of R'ies and Zuri to stop a Harvest; Ze was there to visit his sick student Xan. Thieron has bound Aija to himself, and Nala has bound Ze to herself. Luka works for Thieron(Ah'n), along with Lalana (Nala).

----Aija, Ze, Thieron, Luka, and Nala go to the South Land. Luka admits that they are there for a Harvest. While they are on the Harvest, they get stopped by a group of people - the Zayr. Aija and Ze meet Princess Ruyanir of the Zayr. Ze and the Princess have an instant connection. The Prince has requested Aija and Ze to meet him. Prince Irih' va and Aija have a conversation about the Àvo; he explains how it works. Aija seems to like the Prince. The Prince gives Aija a strand of his golden hair - for protection. Irih' va sees Aija in his future but isn't sure she will choose him. He wants her to choose him. Irih' va catches Ze using his powers, and he shows Ze that he, too, has the same powers.

----Zuri had visited the Oshiros and seen the home Aja had grown up in.

----Zuri is sad about what Nala has done. She really does like Nala.

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****32.1 - Zuri****

'My favorite color is the color of your eyes. I like you – terribly so. And I don't like being apart from you.' 

Zuri gasped awake, the residue of Nala's sweet voice cushioning her consciousness. 

Her breath was shallow and rapid as she sat up to drink some water, hoping it would calm her. Even after Nala had betrayed her, Zuri couldn't get her off her mind. 

"Is everything fine?" Kuna was standing at the foot of her bed. He had been spending days and nights at her place, often sleeping on the couch in the main room. 

She nodded. 

"You were crying in your sleep," he told her concern in his eyes. 

He hadn't tied his hair into a bun again, and the curls framed his face. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and he looked exhausted. Ever since he had seen Aija with Thieron that night, he had been even more on edge. And Zuri felt that he was blaming himself for Aija's current situation. 

Zuri's fingers went to her cheeks. Tears had streaked down, leaving wet trails. She wiped them away, aware of Kuna's eyes on her. It was still dark outside, and she still had some time before school. 

"Did you honestly love Nala?" 

Zuri's head snapped towards Kuna. He looked sad. It hurt more than if he would have been angry. 

"You kept saying her name in your sleep," Kuna said, as a way of explaining his question. 

I still do; apparently, she thought begrudgingly. 

"It was a mistake," she said instead. "I didn't know who she was, let alone that she wasn't human." 

Kuna didn't respond. He nodded once at her and left her room. 

Zuri lay back in bed, though she was now wide awake. She didn't want to start the day yet. It was painful without Aija and Ze. 

It looked like the Secures had almost given up on the search. Not that they were of any real help. But, it had the Oshiros insanely worried. 

Zuri wanted to reveal the truth. Several days she had called Mrs. Oshiro to tell them about the Ytai, about H'eon, and R'ies. And tell them where their daughter really was. But every time she called her, something held her back. She didn't reveal the truth to them; instead, she spoke to them in general about how the investigations were going on. 

It also didn't help that she wasn't allowed to go back home yet. She missed her parents and Alex terribly. Alex had called her several times and cried, asking her to go home to see him. Even though they could see each other on the DigiScreens, it wasn't the same as really being with each other. 

Her mother had sent some cake through Ahi, and Amyas had sent some of the blue fizzy drinks through him. Neither of them had improved her mood. She had shared the cake and drinks with Etrie and Kuna. Maya showed herself on rare occasions, at the most once a week, and wasn't there the night they'd had the cake and drinks.

"Zuri!" She jerked awake. 

"What?" 

"You're late," Kuna told her. 

Sunlight was streaming in through the window. Zuri had fallen back asleep, thinking of her family. 

"Damn!" she yelled and jumped out of bed. 

By the time she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed, Kuna heated a breakfast for her. She was too late to take a shower. She bit into the sandwich twice along with the packaging and grimaced. The packaging was a sweet, melon flavor, and the sandwich a savory egg. They didn't go well together, but she was late and didn't have the time to eat them separately. She left the sandwich half-eaten. 

"Take it with you!" Kuna called after her as she ran out the door. 

"Sorry, can't, thank you!" she yelled in response. 

She ran to the school - it seemed far away that day, even though it was just the neighboring building. She smiled regardless of her situation. A weird fledgling friendship had formed between herself and the Ytai. Both missed Aija, together in their hurt, they had been spending time with each other with one goal – find Aija and Ze. She didn't know if she needed Kuna more or if he needed her more. They relied on each other so much these days that she couldn't go through the day without seeing him either in the morning or night and talking to him about school or discussing other Ytai issues. 

If only all Ytai were like him. The Earth would have been a safer place. Aija and Ze would be by her side at school every day, and who knows; maybe she and Nala could have had a good relationship. 

****

Zuri sunk onto the couch and stretched. 

"Rough day?" Etrie had come to check up on her. 

"Every day is the same," she said, tilting her head back, closing her eyes and resting it on the couch. "You're rare these days." 

"I've been busy," Etrie said, stuffing himself with salad. 

Zuri's Apartment had become Kuna and Etrie's unofficial second home. She'd even started stacking more food in the cold storage for them. Often, they ate even in her absence. Like now, Etire had arrived even before her and had taken a salad. It was half done by the time she had come. 

"With what?" she asked. 

"With planning, to get Aija and Ze back." 

This caught Zuri's attention. She opened her eyes and straightened as she studied Etrie. "I thought you couldn't get them." 

"Unless, we killed Thieron and Nala, or removed the bonds." Etrie reconfirmed. 

"Yes, so?" 

Etrie smirked rather pleased with himself. 

"Which of them?" Zuri asked, wondering if he was serious. 

"The former," Etrie revealed. His eyes held a twinkle. 

Zuri's mouth opened wide as she stared at him and then looked at Kuna, seeking confirmation. 

Kuna nodded finally, a genuine smile on his face. 

"Is it....possible?" Zuri stammered. "It's something you said was immensely difficult." 

"Yes," Etrie said. "But it's time we did it. It'll be a hard-hitting blow to Ah'n and Alton Ivar. They rely so much on Thieron for a lot of their work. And I'm determined to get Aija and Ze back." 

She blinked, looking at the two Ytai in turn. The longer she looked at them, it dawned on her that they were undeniably resolute. 

"I swear on the Leadership if anything goes wrong..." she started a warning. 

"It won't." Etrie cut her mid-sentence. "There is an event H'eon holds every three years – the Ker'zan. Every prominent member of H'eon on Earth and other worlds too will be there. 

"Thieron must attend it. And if he's there, Aija will be too. I'm not too sure of Luka, Nala, and Ze. At least, he's alive for now. We have to take our chances and hope Ze will be there too since this time is different. We go in and out, soon, kill Thieron and hopefully Nala too; get Aija and Ze out."

Zuri wasn't confident about this. But Etrie looked sure enough about the plan. And, killing Nala too... 

"Isn't the Gale planning to attack them?" Kuna frowned. He was standing behind the chair, Etrie sat on. 

Etrie grimaced. "It's an added risk, yes. But we can go and get out before things get sour. Aija will be right next to Thieron, so it will make it easier." 

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Zuri admitted. 

"There's nothing to worry about," Etrie assured her. "The Gale will steer clear of us. Their targets are Thieron, Ah'n, and Alton Ivar. It's just that I plan to kill Thieron and Nala and get out of there with Aija and Ze before the Gale attack. Ivar will expect Thieron to be there early too." 

Zuri still felt worried. It was too risky; there would be literally hundreds of H'eon members. They'd be walking into the enemy's house – to kill the enemy. 

"How will you kill Thieron? Something you haven't dared to attempt in years." Zuri said. 

"Izemirn," Etrie said. 

"Huh?" 

"Izemirn," Etrie repeated, "is the one thing that can kill Ytai effortlessly. Ytai are strong; a simple blade won't kill them unless it goes directly into the heart, or one's neck is broken, but it's challenging to get close enough to do either of those. But, Izemirn – it's a blend of a stone and a plant extract. The combination is deadly to Ytai. If it enters the bloodstream, Ytai die in two minutes. 

"Unfortunately, I couldn't get a hold of the liquid shots. They are expensive and hard to get. I managed to get a few bullets. It's slower than the shots, but it'll do – especially if it's shot directly into the heart." 

Thieron shot in the heart? The thought sounded scary even though he deserved it. 

"Wait..." Zuri frowned. 

"What?" 

"When did you get to know of this Izemirn?" 

"It has existed for ages, millennia," Kuna said. 

"If this Izemirn," Zuri spoke, "existed for this long why didn't you do it before? Why not kill Thieron and the rest before with it? Why now?" 

"Because," Kuna spoke, "it's considered a dishonor to kill Ytai using Izemirn. Ytai were warriors for the longest time, and using Izemirn is considered to be the equivalent of stabbing an enemy in the back when they aren't aware. It's cowardly. Warriors have to fight face to face, with honor. Izemirn is illegal – developed and used by those who fight dirty, those who have no principle in them. Any Ytai who uses Izemirn is considered spineless, weak, and a dishonor to the family." 

"You're willing to use it now." Zuri pointed out, puzzled. 

"Yes, because we have neither the choice nor the time," Etrie explained. "We can't go into the Ker'zan and challenge Thieron to a fight till death. That's stupidity. Even if getting Aija back means I'm dishonored, I'm willing to do it. In the end, it matters only that we got her back." 

"Let me do it." 

Etrie and Kuna looked at her, eyes wide with shock. 

"You don't need to face dishonor – from anyone. You're doing the best you can, you're not cowardly." Zuri told Etrie. "I'm human. I don't care about the stigma surrounding Izemirn. No one will blame me. I used it to save my friend – that's what I'll say." 

"Absolutely not!" Etrie and Kuna said simultaneously. 

"I don't care what people will say about me. It's the least of my concerns, right now." Etrie was angry. "But you aren't doing it. That's final. You aren't even going to the Ker'zan with us." 

"I am going," Zuri said, voice steady, not a bit ruffled. 

Etrie stared at her, surprised by the steadiness and confidence in her voice. 

"No, Zuri, you aren't," Etrie told her, trying his hardest to contain his anger. "There are several things that could go wrong that night. I'm not risking having you there." 

"You just said a while ago that nothing would go wrong," Zuri argued, not raising her voice. "I am not a dead weight; I can take care of myself, even against Ytai. I am going with you; I can even kill Thieron for you. But no matter what, I go too. That's final." 

"You are strong," Kuna said, sitting next to her. "But, you are one human against at least a hundred Ytai." 

"Give me a gun with Izemirn. Then I can stand against them, without you fearing for me. Don't even think of leaving me behind." 

"If you crave something dangerous and exciting, I'll send you on Harvests with a different team, as I promised before. The Ker'zan is a whole different level of danger." 

"Harvests are boring," Zuri stated calmly. 

Her calm demeanor was putting Etrie on edge, she knew it. He looked at her, thinking she was overconfident. She wasn't. Zuri knew of the risks; she was walking into enemy territory. But she couldn't stay still and do nothing. 

"No," Etrie said. "There's going to be no more discussion about this." 

"I am going." Zuri stood in anger. "You can't stop me." 

"Zuri..." "Etrie, please." she cut him off. "I can't stay here doing nothing. I'm going insane. And I need to bring Aija back myself, I want to kill Thieron." 

Etrie and Kuna both stayed silent for a moment. Zuri still stood, staring down at them, furious. 

"Is....is this about Lalana?" Etrie asked. 

"Lalana?" she frowned. 

"Nala, her name's Lalana." 

"Oh..." Zuri felt betrayed. 

It must have shown on her face because Etrie added, "Her name's Lalana, but she's called Nala by Thieron and Luka and most others." 

"Why would you ask that?" she asked. 

"I saw the way you looked at her that night," Etrie explained. He looked hurt. "I also saw how she looked at you, which is surprising, considering it is Nala." 

"It's about Aija," Zuri said although she knew it too. It was also about Nala. About seeing her again and taking Aija like Nala had. 

Etrie didn't believe her, but he didn't push the matter further. He let out a sigh a moment later and said, "Fine, you can join us." 

"Etrie!" Kuna protested. "It's dangerous!" 

"Yes," he agreed and told Zuri, "which is why I need you to stick by me at all times. No matter what, you can't run off anywhere just because you spotted someone or something. Alright?"

 Zuri grinned, nodding at him. "Thanks." 

Etrie only shrugged, looking tired. 

Zuri was pleased. She hoped Etrie would allow her to kill Thieron. It was asking for a lot, but she wanted to do it. She wondered how Nala would react to that, and surprisingly it left her feeling awful and awkward. 

And, it wasn't pleasant knowing that Nala would be killed too, even if it was to free Ze. 

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