The story so far:

---- Aija and the others are on the South-Land. They are waiting for the Leadership to attack. Aija finds out that The Gale was attacked on the Main Lands, and she worries for her brother - Rei/Goldstar. Goldstar is alive. They lost the Premiere, Leigh, Tailyn, Arah Lin. His leg is broken and his finger missing. Ze is getting better in his training. Ze and Ruyanir aren't married yet. Avery gets copies of the Leadership's experiments from Tailyn And feels bad for doubting Goldstar. Zuri thinks of the first time she met Aija. The Leadership attacks them and Zuri goes to protect the people of the South. Xan tries going after the others to help but soon realizes that he can't. He hates it. Zuri manages to get the shield up at the Zayr Settlement but a soldier fires at her. Luka goes with Var-Inu to fight and when seeking an Iernei shielder, an explosive hurtles to the ground towards him. Goldstar is weak thanks to his broken leg. he struggles in the battle. When a bomb comes hurtling towards them, Luka protects him. Thieron is with Aija and Ayr'i. They try and bring several jets down. When the Iernei spaceships arrive, the jets plunge into water, creating large waves that drag them all into the ocean. Aija and Ayr'i survive the ocean. The war comes to an end when Iernei spaceships arrive. Aija finds her brother Rei and Vincent alive. Nala finds Zuri in the Zayr Settlement. They go to the Core and find Luka, Aija, and Thieron.

----Aija and Thieron tell Goldstar all that has happened with them. Aija and Thieorn want to go to Ierne to give Aa'di Irih'va the Avo. Aija convinces Zuri to meet her family once before they leave. Luka didn't expect to survive this long. He now feels at home with Thieron and Nala. Zuri goes home. She asks her parents to go to the South-land with her. They refuse.

----Xan gets to the Core on the South back to the Aija and the others. He accepts Var-Inu's offer to get an Iernei body. Aija agrees to help and it works. Xan is now Iernei.  

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****11.1THIERON****

He heard them laughing.

He ran behind An'ri and R'irè, trying to catch up to them. The snow hindering him, he slowed, lost in a field of white-shrouded forest. He trudged upon unacquainted land, feeling like he should know this corner of the woods.

He came upon a familiar glade, and there she waited for him like he somehow knew she'd be. Aija wore a black gw'xun embroidered with gold, the Àvo glowing in her hand. She flung the device into the air; it burst into light that fractured into sparkles, taking the form of a Ro'ein with wings. The Ro'ein soared skywards, homewards, to the stars.

Thieron woke, slipping slowly out of sleep despite the dream. He groaned and pulled the sheet over his head, curling in on himself and stared at the faded sheet, a colour that once might have been a verdant green.

The dreams...it had begun when he'd bonded Aija to himself, and each time it seemed to expand. This time, the Ro'ein had flown to the stars. And Thieron knew the stars were considered home by them. His aunt Afè had told him, An'ri, and T'ea stories when they were younger. And Afè had told them once about the Gods and the Ro'ein and their long-standing friendship.

The Gods themselves were said to be an ancient race of people from a far corner of the Universe. As they learnt to travel the Universe, they found much suffering in every civilisation they encountered, and never acquainted with turmoil in their home-world, they decided to help. On their travels that took them far from home, some stayed back on a world they fell in love with; many continued through the Universe. They met the Ro'ein, who, grateful to the Gods, decided to join them in their mission. The Gods and Ro'ein travelled, searching for new civilisations and helping them if needed.

The Gods, formless, appeared to each civilization a mirror of its own. Most of the Gods and Ro'ein left their homes and journeyed so far they'd forgotten the way home. But the Gods didn't miss their home the way the Ro'ein did. Their home had been a warm, bright place, and the dark of space saddened them. Homesick, some Ro'ein tried to make their way back, but they'd gone so far for so long, they lost their way. The Gods, thankful for the Ro'ein's help, helped them by making the stars their home, for they too had forgotten where their comrades had come from. The stars held an inkling of the Ro'ein's home, and they accepted the generosity of the Gods.

Many Ro'ein do still visit the worlds if they are in dire need of help and return to the stars. They take the form, sometimes, of the world's civilization; they protect individuals or an entire world. Sometimes they only visit to help others, make others happy, ensure others live well with no consideration of themselves. Sometimes they save the world from ruination. They may come as inspirational leaders or simple people striving to improve the lives of those around them. Whatever they may come as, when they are away from the stars, they miss home, every moment. They do not know where home is; it is lost, and the stars are only a semblance. And for as long as the Ro'ein live away from the stars, they crave to go back home but don't know where it is and spend a lifetime missing and trying to search for home.

When the Ro'ein left to the stars, only to visit a world once in a while, the Gods created the Spirits in the image of the civilization of the world to guide and protect them. The Gods, themselves, continuously move through the Universe, safe knowing the Spirits guard the planets.

On Ytèan, the Spirit of Stars guarded the stars and the Ro'ein. Many believe the Goddess only divested him of his powers, and the Ro'ein welcomed him home in their stars, and he resides there among the Ro'ein. Many also believe he visits Ytèan and Ierne with the help of the Ro'ein in search of the one he loved.

To Thieron, the Ro'ein, Gods, and Spirits had been just that – stories; until Aija had come and changed it all.

Thieron worried about the dream coming true; Aija clearly used the Àvo. It wouldn't have a justifiable outcome in real life.

The door creaked open, and Thieron pulled the sheet off his face to find his sister peeping in.

"Skrnoè," Ayr'i muttered, entering. At last.

She removed her shoes and kicked Thieron once, "Move,"

"You don't have to kick me," Thieron grumbled, scooting towards the wall.

Ayr'i giggled and shoved him closer to the wall before popping onto the narrow bed beside him on her stomach, eliciting an 'ow' from her brother. "I miss it,"

"Kicking me?"

"Fighting with you," she yawned.

Thieron grinned and draped the sheet over Ayr'i. She appeared exhausted, dark under her eyes that hadn't been there days ago. He knew she'd been out for long hours helping the humans.

"You need rest; tiring yourself won't do anyone good,"

"I can't,"

"Why?"

Ayr'i gazed at him, her two-toned, mismatched eyes much like his, a hue darker in the unlit room. "I feel sick. I killed so many humans for Ai'r. I want to make up for it; I want to help as many as I can..."

Thieron heard the doubt in her voice. "But?"

"Nothing I do helps. I still feel sick about all I've done," whispered Ayr'i. "I should've known he was using us. I should've gotten you out and left."

Thieron studied his sister. Ten years older than him, she looked his age since ten years in Ytai age was not much a difference at all. It might as well be a few months in human years. It baffled him and comforted him that she resembled their aunt Eiva; Thieron had taken after their mother more, resembling their grandmother.

"Can I tell you something, Ayr'i?"

"Mmm,"

"There's no point in exhausting yourself so much. It doesn't get that better – the guilt."

Ayr'i stared at him, quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"You didn't know the truth. I've known for a long time. Still, I Harvested because I thought it's what I needed to do to keep you safe. Yet, it made me feel sick, and nothing helps. It doesn't help that, in the end, we managed to save humans. It doesn't matter how many of them I help out there now. I'll always feel guilty because those lives I took – they aren't coming back. Those souls are sitting in In'ealk for the rest of time. They'll never know peace, and I'm responsible for it. It won't change if I help serve food or clean the debris out there. So, Ayr'i, take it slow."

Ayr'i blinked back tears in vain; a few slid down her cheeks onto the pillow they shred. "Killing an entire race just for revenge wasn't good either, Ah'n. You did it all...for me,"

"And I'd do it all over again."

"Ah'n,"

"I hate myself for it. I hate that I would do it again. I'm scared of myself, Ayr'i, and all I would do just to have you by my side. I fear all the choices I've made until now. I'm terrified of myself."

Ayr'i put a hand over his cheek.

"No wonder Aija hates me."

"She doesn't hate you, Ah'n. I've seen her looking at you; there's no hate in her eyes."

Thieron smiled at Ayr'i's attempt to make him feel better. He stared up at the roof where a hover-light bobbed in the corner, emitting dim light.

"Dhi'er," Brother.

"Hmmm,"

"I would do it all for you, too,"

Thieron viewed the conviction she felt in her eyes. And, somehow, it didn't appease him.

****

Thieron leaned on the wall listening to her voice.

Aija laughed; the sound tugged at his heart made his stomach clench. He knew the moment he entered the room, she'd grow quiet, but he had to go in. So, he did.

Xan and Aija were playing a computer-version of the game Spaceship Hop in the Tech Room. Seeing them laughing, trying to defeat each other in a game, Thieron felt strange, unable to believe just days ago, Aija had wielded his lightning to kill soldiers, and Xan was still a cat. They looked like two regular teenagers, now, living in a peaceful world, as if they weren't in a war days ago.

Xan, as the Iernei boy, felt bizarre. Thieron knew Var-Inu and Ba'diur had taken an enormous risk with Xan's soul. The exchange was illegal for valid reasons, the most important being it rarely worked and went wrong more often than not. It required colossal amounts of power, and Xan had to be blessed by the Holy Entities that they had the Àvo to use as desired.

Xan lifted his gaze from the screen to Thieron first. Of course, Xan would know first with his hearing and sight improved thanks to the Iernei body.

"Thieron," Xan said, voice managing to sound new and also like his own.

'Perhaps, Thieron, you have a heart, after all.' Xan had told him. The problem was Thieron had a heart, a still beating, still feeling heart. It wasn't as cold as people made it out to be, and sometimes he wished it were. Feeling as he did and having to do all he'd done didn't harmonise well.

Like Thieron had predicted, Aija's joy evanesced.

"Xan," Thieron acknowledged, noticing the heat rise on his cheeks. The boy had blushed last evening too when Thieron had spoken to him. It left Thieron confused. He told Aija, "I need to talk to you."

Aija glowered at him for a moment before grumbling a soft, 'fine.' She told Xan, "I'll see you in a bit."

Xan nodded and turned back to the game.

Thieron and Aija left the Tech Room, out into the long corridor.

"What?" Aija asked, walking towards the stairs.

"I need the ist'we stone,"

Aija stopped. Thieron went to stand in front of her, thinking of the moment she'd held him and whispered Irih'va's name like a spell meant to banish him. Thieron had spent the rest of the day flinging his blades at the wall in his room until Nala had come searching for him.

"Why?"

"I need to go to the Open; I left something important."

Aija bit her lower lip, considering his request. Thieron's eyes lingered on her lips, heart and mind going wild.

"I will return the stone," Thieron assured her, clearing his throat. "I promise. I'll be back, and we can leave for Ierne. The sooner we go, the sooner you get to have the bond removed."

"Take me with you,"

"Where?"

"The Open, you idiot," she said, tone indicating it had been obvious. But Thieron had been enamoured by her mere presence in front of him and busy reining in his desire to kiss her. He also overlooked her calling him an idiot; any other time, he'd have been furious.

"Are you sure? It's a short time; you can bear the pain. It's a mess. I'm sure E'mnrin would have handled it. But..." he stopped rambling, seeing Aija's amused expression.

"It wasn't a choice. You take me with you to the Open,"

Thieron nodded, knowing he'd do anything she asked of him.

"The stone's with Rei. Get it from him; I'll wait for you here."

"Wait in my room. My sister's there; she'll go with us."

Aija agreed and left. Thieron set off to find Rei, cursing himself for not asking Aija where he was.

He drifted through the Core, searching for Aija's brother, wondering why she'd given him the ist'we stone and why she didn't take it from him herself and, more importantly, why he'd agreed to retrieve it. Thieron came upon Zuri and Nala handing out dinner packages and Vincent and the Premiere eating in one corner of the tent. He did a three-sixty-degree of the space and still didn't spot the Leader of the Gale. He asked Vincent of Rei's whereabouts, to which he first received a glare, and upon clarifying that Aija had sent him, he received a response – the Dining Hall.

Thieron marched to the Dining Hall inside the building, hoping Rei was still there. He didn't want to take another tour around the place. He halted at the doorframe of the Hall. Rei was there, but so was his family. Thieron recognised Aija's younger brothers, the one who had shouted he'd hate her if she left and the one who had bawled his eyes out. Her parents and sister were there too, sitting beside Rei. They weren't eating dinner, just talking, and Thieron guessed this was why Aija had sent him to Rei. But why did she avoid family?

Thieron stood at the door, reluctant to talk to Rei in front of the entire family. Two Iernei Royal Guards stood behind them at a distance. Rei laughed at something his youngest brother said and glanced at the door. Thieron waved, catching his attention, and Rei's smile fell. Thieron sighed, how like his sister. He expected Rei to ignore him, but he stood, excused himself, and limped over to Thieron.

"Yes?"

"I need the stone,"

Rei frowned. "Why would I give it to you?"

Thieron was taken aback by how much Rei resembled Aija, despite their varying eye colours. Rei's eyes were brown, like cinnamon. Rei appeared around the same age as Thieron, around twenty-one or twenty-two. It brought to his mind that he'd lived longer than Rei, even his parents.

"I need it to go the Open. Aija asked me to collect it from you."

"You think you use Aija's name, and I'll just hand it over?"

Thieron bit the insides of his cheeks. "Yes," he taunted just to see if he would react.

Rei scowled, taking the bait; Thieron smirked. Something at the back of his mind told him not to taunt the brother of the girl he loved, but Thieron couldn't help himself. It was too easy.

"Well, damn you! You can go and...,"

"You can ask Aija if you don't believe me. If you give me the stone, I'll be out of here soon."

"Where is she?"

"Waiting for me – in my room,"

Rei's glare made sure Thieron knew he'd kill him and Aija, too, probably, for good measure. It would ease Rei if he knew Ayr'i was in his room too, but Thieron didn't mention it or the fact that Aija avoided him.

"Lead the way,"

Thieron did, slowing down for Rei, who limped, cursing his leg once in a while. He didn't use the crutches any longer, but it was apparent his leg still hurt and hindered.

The door to his room was ajar, and Thieron pushed it open. Ayr'i lay on the bed, and Aija sat on the single chair across from it.

"Can we go now?" Ayr'i asked, sitting.

Rei peeped into the room, eyes first falling on Ayr'i and then Aija. Aija stood, surprised to see her brother.

"Come out," Rei snapped, glaring at her.

Aija did as asked and gave Thieron a murderous scowl on her way out. Rei closed the door behind her.

"Ano'h?" inquired Ayr'i. What?

Thieron shrugged. Ayr'i flopped onto the bed again, tired. He removed his shirt and strapped his holster on, ears on the Oshiro siblings.

"Why the Open?" Rei's voice floated in.

"I don't know. They want to go; I'm going along." Aija replied.

Rei sighed. "When are you leaving for Ierne?"

"Tomorrow,"

"Tomorrow? It's my...,"

"Birthday, I know, Rei. I'll not leave without seeing you."

"You should meet them once,"

Silence.

Ayr'i observed Thieron as he inspected his blades before sliding them onto his holster. He added a nyb gun too. Thieron knew Rei talked of their family.

"How are they?" Aija sounded apologetic.

"Shocked, but fine; the boys are taking it the hardest. They had their school, friends, all they've known there."

"The South is different," agreed Aija.

"They can go back to the Main-Lands once we deal with the Leadership. You belong there with us."

"I'm not sure I can ever get back to volunteering again,"

"Then, what?"

"I don't know, Rei. We'll figure it out later."

"Fine. Still, you should meet them once before you leave for Ierne."

"I told you," Aija said after a long stretch of silence. "I will when I return."

Thieron glanced at the door. If Rei believed she would willingly return from Ierne soon, he'd be a fool.

"You will come back, Ai," Rei commanded. "Earth is your home."

Thieron heard no response from Aija.

"Here," Rei spoke.

"Thanks,"

"Keep it with you, always. Don't give it to him."

"I know," Aija stressed, tone querulous.

"Promise you'll meet me tomorrow."

"I promise, Rei. I won't miss your birthday."

****

Blood streaked the hallways.

At least E'mnrin had disposed of the bodies. A'ru explained that they'd managed to seize some of the In'ealk Alton had collected, but most had already been moved by the H'eon elsewhere. While the Mansion had been under attack, some H'eon members had moved the In'ealk out. Thieron had to admit that Alton had planned decent contingencies; he'd thought quite far ahead. Perhaps, he just hadn't predicted his early death. Also, several H'eon members had managed to escape. But what mattered, for now, was the H'eon didn't have the Àvo, and humans were safe.

Thieron wandered through the familiar Mansion, Ayr'i on his heels, surveying the place. Aija had brought them there, taken one look at the blood pooling on the floors and walked away to a different part of the building. Thieron suspected there would be blood everywhere, but he didn't mention it to her.

Thieron and Ayr'i stepped into the South Wing, and Thieron stood for a moment looking at the gardens. Just days ago, he'd confronted his uncle there and seen Ayr'i for the first time in years. Ayr'i left him standing there, going to the rooms, saying she had some clothes left there.

Thieron coursed through the corridor and came upon what he'd come back for – the photo. The very last photo of his family; he should have taken it from the Mansion the day he'd found out it was there. Alton sure had the audacity to keep this photo when he'd had his sister and brother-in-law killed and ruined his nephew's and niece's lives. Thieron hadn't taken the photo out of fear that his uncle would doubt him. Now it hung there on the wall, covered in blood; an aphorism to how much had gone wrong in his life.

"I always wondered whose blood it was," Ayr'i joined him, a duffel bag in hand filled with clothes.

"Mine," confessed Thieron. "I'd tried to fight them off – those humans. I ended up with scratches on my hands and arms. Sometimes I wish I hadn't used salve to heal those cuts. I wanted a reminder of that night on me."

Ayr'i beheld the photo, blinking back tears. "You took after O'ht,"

Thieron breathed in deep. He did resemble his mother. "Do you think Ea is fine? One of us should've stayed with her."

"I might have, but I want to be with you, too. How to choose between my cousin and my brother who I'd not seen in ages?

He spoke after a beat of silence, "I can drop you to Zya'ara, dhi'nur,"

"And you?"

Thieron glimpsed at his mother in the photo: beautiful, so pretty, and so young. She didn't deserve the death that had been dealt to her. Thieron was scared to see his family again, especially after he'd run. He'd killed Seinir and left and hadn't returned. He almost understood why Aija avoided her family.

"I'll go if you go with me,"

"Ayr'i...,"

"Come home, once. I know you haven't been to Zya'ara since...since Seinir."

"I...," Thieron started, but the echoes of two gunshots rang through the quiet, interrupting him.

Ayr'i and Thieron exchanged looks of concern.

"Aija," Ayr'i whispered. "Ah'n, where is she?"

Thieron took off towards the dance-hall from where the shots had sounded and where he sensed Aija was through the bond. Two more shots boomed into the silence, and Thieron panicked. A'ru had assured him that all H'eon members were either arrested or had escaped. He wished he'd kept Aija close to him.

Thieron ran into the dance-hall, Ayr'i close behind him, and spotted Aija. She had the lightning gracing her fingers, facing a Ytai dressed in H'eon's gear. Ieas. It was Ieas, the pesky Ytai who always bothered Thieron in the Open, and she held a gun aimed at Aija. Thieron didn't know if Ieas had threatened Aija or really tried to shoot her, but knowing Ieas' hate for humans, he decided it must be the latter.

"Ieas!" he yelled, furious, and handed the photo to Ayr'i, who'd followed him.

"Thieron?"

They stood on shattered glass from the once glass-dome that had adorned the hall until Alton had brought it down. Sunlight streamed in, bright and golden. And Aija's lightning glowed.

"You!" Ieas shouted in Ytèan, aiming the gun at him. "You betrayed us all! I saw you kill Dhor-Wo! You killed Roè!"

Thieron walked to Aija and stood beside her. Ieas held the Izemirn shot in her hands aimed at him, and a shiver ran through him, thinking of the Ker'zan and Etrie shooting him.

"Yes," Thieron told her. "I did all that. Ieas, lower the gun."

"Dv'o!" she yelled. No. "How dare you? You ruined everything! Why? For her?" she asked, glancing once at Aija.

"Nè," Yes.

Ieas pouted. "You'll die today," she declared, voice low with a warning. "You," she looked at Ayr'i. "Weren't you loyal to Roè? Wait...," she glanced back at Thieron, "your eyes aren't blue. Why?" Ieas' gaze hopped from Thieron to Ayr'i a few times, no doubt realizing what they were to each other. "You're siblings?"

"That we are, Ieas," Thieron lifted a palm at her. "Put the weapon away. We can talk,"

"Talk?" Ieas' fingers grazed the trigger.

Aija's electricity grew in response.

"You ruined everything, and you want to talk?" Ieas scoffed. "I've been hoping Roè's nephew would come. But where is Ah'n? You all betray us. Ah'n will come for you! He'll bring justice to H'eon!"

"I am Ah'n, nephew of Ai'r," Thieron told her. "I killed him because what he wanted was wrong. Ieas, we can't wipe out humans; there are repercussions to all actions."

Ieas screamed and fired the shot at him.

"Dv'o!" Ayr'i shouted.

The bullet didn't hit him; Aija created a shield of lightning around them like he'd anticipated. Thieron removed the nyb gun from his holster, and as soon as the shield dissipated, he shot Ieas in the chest. It knocked her out cold, and she fell with a thump to the floor, sending the Izemirn shot sliding away.

"Is she dead?" Ayr'i asked.

"No, I only stunned her," explained Thieron, collecting the shot. He picked it and noted three more billets in its core. "Thank you," he told Aija, who appeared dazed.

She gave him a solitary nod, the lightning still crackling over her fingertips. Thieron had known Aija would save him. She may be angry with him, but she'd never let him die. He'd been wrong about needing to protect her; he needed her. Aija was Thieron's shield, his emollient, the reason for his beating heart, quite literally.

"Aija," he placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention from Ieas on the floor to him. "Let go,"

She pursed her lips, staring at the lightning on her fingers.

"Breathe, vā rye'la,"

Aija sucked in a long breath of air and let it go. The lightning vanished. She lifted her gaze to him. "Call me vā rye'la again, and you're dead."

And even though her words stung, Thieron chose CommLang, "Sure, my dear,"

Aija growled, kicked him on the knee, and left, storming out of the dance-hall. Thieron hissed, rubbing his knee.

Ayr'i laughed, eyeing Aija. Later, she asked, "What to do with this one?"

"Let A'ru handle it."

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