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.

✽✽✽

****9.AIJA ****

Tai'un.

The Spirit of Free-will.

For some reason, Aija couldn't get him out of her mind. Neither his eyes nor the feeling that hummed in her bones whenever she thought of him. Or the feeling of familiarity that graced her senses - did she know him from somewhere? Or someone like him? Or did it stem from knowing his true name?

'This fight isn't the one you've got to hold worries for,'

Well, the battle had come and gone and left her feeling hollow. If this wasn't the fight she had to worry about, she feared, more than ever, the other one to come. Tai'un's pronouncement rang inauspicious.

The bustle of activities outside had woken her. Aija had lain in bed, panic-struck on the thought of walking onto that field of death. She'd gotten out when she'd heard arguments outside the room, and peeped out to find Iyler arguing with a man slightly older than her. Iyler had caught Aija and stared at her, wide-eyed. She'd asked what Aija was doing on the South-Land. Aija had only shut the door in the girl's face, not wanting to deal with anyone; especially, Iyler.

Aija, now, paced the room; the desire to go help and the need to stay in, away from the gore, wrestling for her heart's deference.

She'd taken one look at herself in the tiny mirror hanging on the bathroom wall and cringed at what stared back at her: sunken vacant eyes, a reflection of the void in her heart; additional white strands among the black of her hair; the scar – redder on her cheek against her tired, wan skin.

Aija had seen pictures of soldiers who'd survived the Earthen Wars. She'd felt like they'd only physically survived, husks of people who'd once lived in them, with all the horrors of wars etched on gaunt faces. All but dead, except for beating hearts that kept them breathing. The Leadership made it a point to have lessons on the barbarity of war in school and why it should be avoided. How ironic that they resorted to it when they wanted to subdue the ones who question them.

Aija had spent hours with Zuri, searching for survivors. They'd come upon small piles of bodies with missing parts, guts spilt, destroyed and half-burnt by the bombs, collected by the Iernei soldiers. The sight had left Aija queasy, and even worse were those who'd survived the explosives and were conscious. All around her, humans and Zayr cried for their people. All their mourning, melancholy, ate at her bones, brewing febrile grief in her blood that threatened to spill out in the form of tears. She'd told Zuri she felt sick and left, feeling awful that she was no help at all. She'd tried to help clear the debris, instead, but the weight of sorrow, anger, and helplessness surrounding her flourished, and she had to leave.

Aija had nearly made it back to the South's Core when her abhorrence had spilt out of her in the form of the contents of her guts. She'd taken a few steps more before she fell to her knees, crying, tears storming her, powered by woe and the blood that smeared her skin from where it soaked the earth. She knelt, shivering and crying, no one stopping to check on her, for they too shared her pain and left her to lament her loss on her own. But Aija hadn't lost anyone, and that left her a guilt-ridden mess. She felt guilty because she'd survived; her brother and friends had survived, and yet so many had not. She felt terrible for being grateful when the people around her mourned. She'd stayed to prevent it, to save people, not just survive.

Aija didn't know how long she'd cried for when a pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders; with avant shamelessness, she'd whispered, "Ah'n," before she deduced with blurry eyes that it was Vincent. Vincent helped her up and back into the building. Without a word, he set her up in a room, went out, returning with a change of clothes and a tray of hot food which Aija devoured without fuss, despite the rottenness that had plagued her stomach. If she threw up, it was a problem for when she did; she was hungry.

Vincent asked her to rest when her sobs had abated and left to take care of other things. Aija had fallen into a restless but dreamless sleep until she'd awoken that morning.

Three knocks on the door made Aija stop her pacing. She waited to let whoever it was, leave. If it was Iyler, she harboured no patience for the girl. The knocks came again, and for the first time, she paid attention to her bond, and decided to answer it.

She wedged the old wooden door open and caught sight of black gear. She trailed her eyes upwards and found a pair of mismatched eyes gazing down at her that did things to her heart, things she hated acknowledging.

"Your brother wants to speak to us," Thieron's deep lilt made her heart chime.

"I'll be there," whispered Aija.

Thieron smelled good, looking fresh. He must have taken a shower upon returning and returned around the same time as she because her bond had stayed quiet the whole time. But there was a dreariness to him replacing his usual hubris, and an enervated lull like the demons in him had abandoned control and let mayhem clutter what was left in him, and it turned him lugubrious.

Thieron raised a tattooed hand and stopped. Aija glanced at his outstretched hand and then at him. A second later, like he'd decided to go ahead and do what he'd intended, his hand rested on her cheek over the scar. A spark of lightning flared. His hand slid further back till he had four fingers behind her ear over the nape of her neck and his thumb traced her cheekbone, lifting her face to his. Her heart pealed with anticipation, mirroring the pining gleaming in his eyes.

"Do you feel better today?

Did he know how she'd felt yesterday? Had he seen her?

"Yes," Aija bit her lower lip, and she could swear upon Tai'un's holy name that Thieron looked at her lips, eyes brimming with desire, drawing a sharp breath.

He let her go at once. "I'll be waiting with him. Come when you're ready." He didn't wait for a response and tore off down the hallway.

****

Aija hovered at the threshold, peering in, surveying the two humans and one Ytai. Premiere Zhaleh paced the room; Rei sat opposite Thieron, glowering at the Ytai, who diligently kept his gaze out of the large window framing the sustained sunrise, absentmindedly twirling a blade in his hand. Rei was like one of the Leadership's menacing bombs in the air, just about to hit the ground and explode. Aija dithered, not knowing if she'd be the fire, triggering Rei's explosions or the shield. She'd much rather be the pacifier.

Aija had taken a bath after Thieron had darted away and found fresh clothes in the lean wardrobe by the bed. Her hair, still wet, dripped water-trails down her shoulders and back, making the white, oversized shirt stick to skin.

She heard the heavy footsteps before she caught Vincent come round the corner; he appeared freshly showered too. Vincent stopped at the threshold, mirroring Aija's stance by leaning sideways on the doorframe.

He peeped into the room, Premiere Zhaleh's eyes seized the movement, and she halted. The two men, seated, remained in their poses: one ripe with fury, the other all avoidance.

"Looks tense,"

Aija agreed with a nod.

"Feeling better today?"

Aija glanced at Vincent before turning her attention to the doorframe, fingers prodding at the fraying wood splinters. "Yes, thank you," she whispered, not understanding how the same question from Thieron had furnished her with ludicrous emotion when from Vincent, it felt nothing but unremarkable; a typical question after a tiring day.

"Good," Vincent hummed, his baritone voice making it a music note. "Let's get this over with, Aija; Rei looks about to detonate."

"Rei?" Aija's eyes perched onto the man's green eyes.

Vincent blushed, a faint shade of rose that reminded Aija of the strawberry lollies she and Rei would fight over when they were kids. The pink hue of adoration soaked his stunning sapphire-blue aura. Aija closed the distance between them with an excited jump and hugged him. Vincent held her in a tight embrace. Aija propped her chin upon his chest and looked up at him. "Welcome to the family, Vincent."

"Family?"

"Family, brother. I told you he'd be Rei to you one day."

Vincent inclined his head in a single nod, a smile on his lips, beginnings of tears in his eyes.

"Please," Premiere Zhaleh joined them, demeanour antsy, and flipped a nod towards Rei and Thieron.

"Yes, right," Vincent let Aija go, not before giving her a grateful smile, as he stepped into the room. Aija knew even if she were the trigger, Vincent would be Rei's calmant.

"What took you so long?" burst Rei, standing when he spotted her. "And why didn't you dry your hair? You'll catch a cold!"

Aija ousted her brother's concern with a wave of her hand. Thieron had his eyes on her when she entered and continued to gaze at her as she took to the chair beside his. His aura swirled with light-brown, soft-blue, and that damned pink. Always that accursed shade when Aija was in his presence. She wished she could stop seeing auras just to stop seeing that colour all around him, making him a bright spot at odds with the drab world. If she didn't see it, it wouldn't tug at her heart.

"You wanted to talk?" Aija asked Rei, noting the apprehension in his emerald-green aura. The first time she'd noticed it on the war-ground, it had amazed her. The rich emerald-green of Rei's aura – a precise match to Vincent's eyes had made her want to disclose it to them. But she'd decided against it, not wanting to scare Rei with her aura-seeing capabilities. Now seated beside the other, Vincent's sapphire-blue and Rei's emerald-green auras glowed with matching shades of pink.

Thieron faced Rei, waiting for the onslaught of questions that awaited them.

"Premiere," Rei addressed the black-haired woman instead, who stood by the window, behind him, a ray of sunny disquiet with her dandelion-aura. "If you don't mind, please bring my dim-witted sister a towel to dry her hair with," he requested with gritted teeth.

The Premiere left, expression sour.

"You can't ask her like that," Aija stood. "She's the Premiere. I'll get one myself."

"And I'm the Leader of the Gale. Sit," ordered Rei.

"That's just the news,"

Vincent shook his head. Aija sat, torn between annoyance and pride for her brother.

"And I'm not dim-witted," clarified Aija, extracting a smile from Thieron and a scoff from Rei.

Premiere Zhaleh arrived with a towel, and Aija thanked her. The Premiere sat beside her and crossed her arms, waiting.

"Now," began Rei, once Aija had worked the towel's dryness into the wet of her hair. "Where's the Àvo? And why don't you let me punch this monster here, Ai?"

Thieron sighed, and Vincent and the Premiere watched as he straightened in his chair, blade in hand.

"The Àvo's with me, Rei," Aija pulled it out of the pocket of her shorts and placed it on the table.

Rei picked the purple sphere of rock and turned it over in his hands, inciting movement from the light contained within it. "This? This is it?"

"Yes," Aija confirmed.

"It's a piece of rock," Rei frowned. "Is there something inside?" he held it closer to his face, peering into the solid rock.

"I think it's a Ro'ein,"

Everyone eyed her; three of them confused, one reverent.

"What's that?" Rei placed the device back onto the table between them.

"A protector of the Universe," Thieron answered.

"A what?" the Premiere questioned.

"I'll explain later," Aija interrupted as Thieron began an elucidation; it was a different thread of matter altogether.

"Did you honestly kill Alton?" Rei growled, eyes carnal with hatred.

"Yes," Thieron answered, fidgeting with his blade.

"What happened?" Rei asked Aija.

"It's his story," Aija glimpsed at Thieron, who visibly despised all the focus on him.

But he told Rei, Vincent, and Premiere Zhaleh his story. Aija had heard most of it when he'd told her, Zuri, Nala, and Luka, but he hadn't gone into details then. Now he told them how Alton had his parents killed, shocked Rei and the others by telling them he was Ah'n – Alton's nephew. He told them about Var-Inu deceiving him by telling his sister Ayr'i's life depended on his obedience to Alton, of how he'd planned to use the Àvo to save Earth, but as he got to know Luka and then Aija (which earned him a glare from Rei) he didn't want to sacrifice their lives and started searching for a way out of his bond with Alton.

He told them Alton forced him to Harvest humans, and it still haunted him. And for a moment, Aija pitied him. He wasn't born a monster; he was made one by someone's insanity – a demon born not out of hatred but a need to survive and protect; an irony.

Thieron also told them of the R'ies' plans for Earth – they wanted to use the Àvo to establish absolute control over Earth. Etrie had wanted Aija to use for the Àvo, which is why Thieron had taken her and bound her to himself, eliminating any chance of Etrie taking her. That was new information for Aija. She shuddered as she learnt of Etrie's plans for her and the Earth. She thought of how, of late, she'd started to find Etrie distrustful and how she'd trusted Thieron even before she could see auras. She thought of her first encounter with Etrie; it felt like years ago. Etrie had claimed he believed Earth belonged to humans and they needed another chance to do right. All lies.

All the while, Aija had her eyes studying Thieron's aura for lies, but none came. And despite herself, Aija found herself warming up to him.

"How do we know you don't lie?" questioned Premier Zhaleh.

"He's not lying," Aija answered; she thought she noticed Vincent nodding, so subtle. But she was good at catching them.

Rei narrowed his eyes at her, not appreciating her support. "Why did Alton kill your parents?"

Thieron inspected the blade in his hand, the one he'd used to draw the bond, the one he favoured. He let loose a deep rasp, and his eyes rose to meet Rei's. "My parents were Ithi'hra members – they are the parent organization to the R'ies on Ytèan. They were trying to protect Earth from Alton. And Alton hated that my mother – his sister – married my father."

Rei frowned, a question on his face.

"My father was human," Thieron dropped his secret.

Aija's heart thundered. That made him...

"I'm half-human, half-Ytai," Thieron whispered, tone defensive. "My parents died protecting the Àvo from my uncle. I'm half-human, and though none of my father's family belonged to Earth, I'm still in a way connected to this planet, for my ancestor's once lived here alone. I'd never want to see my people die."

My people...

Thieron. Half-human.

Thieron faced Aija. She held his gaze: so open, vulnerable. He'd laid himself stripped of secrets in front of her, seeking her approval.

Rei cleared his throat, a demand to lay their focus back on him and not each other. "What of the Àvo now?"

Thieron explained that Aa'di Irih'va of Ierne was an Ithi'hra member who took care of matters on Earth. Thieron wanted to give the Àvo to the Ithi'hra through the Emperor.

Aa'di Irih'va; Aija wanted to see him.

"I'll go with you," she told Thieron, "to Ierne."

"No!" Rei screamed.

Aija huffed.

"There's no more danger, Gold," Premiere Zhaleh's tone was soft.

"She's going nowhere with him," Rei looked between Aija and Thieron.

"I have the ist'we stone; I'm going," Aija lifted her right hand. "Also, there's the bond."

"Remove it!" Rei ordered Thieron.

Thieron crossed his arms over his chest and stared defiantly without a word of agreement, his posture his protest.

"You claimed your work is done. You don't need my sister anymore. Remove it,"

"Etrie's still searching for her. And after that night," Thieron scanned Aija's face referring to the night she'd saved him on Ytèan, "he'll surely come for her. She's safer with me."

"What night? What happened?" Rei fumed.

Thieron smirked, and Aija knew he was taking her brother for a ride.

"I betrayed Etrie," Aija eased Rei's mounting tension. "I saved Thieron and left Etrie. He's angry with me." What she didn't mention was she'd done it before she knew Thieron was good and Etrie's plan to sacrifice her to take over Earth.

"I'm going to Ierne; hence she goes with me." Thieron smiled.

"For now," Aija stressed.

The smile fell from Thieron's lips and resettled on Rei's.

"Fine," Rei's anger fizzled out. "But, Ai, come back home soon; you belong on Earth."

"Of course, she belongs on Earth," Premiere Zhaleh smiled. "You'll have a home on the Land of the Free, Aija."

Vincent smiled.

Aija nodded. Home was a place she'd longed for her entire life. Even home hadn't felt like home, and she'd learnt that home was a feeling, not a place. Ierne and Ytèan had come close. But she still longed for it. For home.

****

"Aija,"

Thieron followed her out; she paused.

They weren't to leave for Ierne for another three days; that was the deal with Rei. It left them on the South-Land, and Aija had no desire to go out onto the war-field and resume helping the wounded. It made her feel guilty, but she decided if she helped it wouldn't be the injured; she would help clear the land of debris. Better than not helping at all. Rei had gone to the Medic Centre to help out, definitely the better sibling suited to medicine.

Thieron stood in front of her, looking down at her through thick lashes, eyes dark. His hands were free of the blade.

"Yes?"

"I...," he trailed off, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

The earthy scent of the soap he'd used perfumed him. It wasn't like him: the loss of words, the hesitation, the near lack of lordliness.

He didn't speak, so Aija raised her right hand; the bond's black line dark against her brown-skin, beside the shimmering Ro'ein mark. "Remove it. My brother is right; you don't need me anymore."

Thieron flinched at the curtness of her tone. "Not now. I mean it – Etrie still poses a danger," he told her, his tone not antagonistic but apprehensive.

"I can take care of myself," the bright sparks of lightning graced her fingers.

"Once I remove the bond, you may not have the lightning,"

Aija huffed; the sparks fluttered out.

"I'll remove the bond, Aija. I will...give me time. Removing it needs far greater power than creating it. The magic is greater on Ierne; we'll be there soon."

"I don't need you on Ierne. I know someone who can remove it. Once I'm on Ierne, I..."

"Irih'va? Why is it always Irih'va?"

Aija smiled. There it was – the grief in his voice when she spoke of the Emperor.

She closed the space between them and put her hands on Thieron's arms. He took a sharp breath; she felt his body tense under her touch. She'd found a way to discompose him.

Aija stood on her toes, leaning into him, her eyes peering into his. "Irih'va," she whispered, tone saccharine.

She might have as well yelled 'Boo!' at the top of her voice, seeing how it unnerved him.

Aija smirked, letting Thieron go. She left, leaving him alone in the hallway, a hyperventilating mess.

****

Aija careened over a latticework of light and dark smears created by the hover-lights. Her feet squelched over wet mud – wet from rain and...blood. Aija took in a deep breath which she soon regretted. The smoke and smells that still stained the air assaulted her lungs, and she coughed.

Aija found Zuri among the Gale and Zayr clearing the wreckage from fallen Leadership aircraft. The surviving Leadership's soldiers had been held in the Human Settlement as prisoners until Rei decided what to do. He didn't want to kill them, but keeping them meant a burden on their already depleting supplies.

Zuri saw Aija, dropped a piece of metal in her hands, and walked towards her. "Did you know it's September?"

"September?" Aija hadn't known. Rei's birthday was in September. Had she missed it? It hadn't been long since her birthday in August. Time slithered like water slipping away through the crevices of joined palms; hurried despite best attempts to not let it escape.

"What day is it?"

"Sixth," Zuri wiped her gloved-hands on the seaweed-green gear she wore.

Aija had found the Gale gear in the wardrobe but had opted for casual clothes.

If it was the sixth, she still had time for Rei's birthday. Perhaps that's why he'd demanded that she stay for the next three days. He could celebrate with family since he was going to bring them to the South.

"I missed your birthday," pouted Zuri.

Zuri appeared exhausted. She'd tied her copper curls into a bun atop her head; a few strands escaped, framing her round face.

"It's alright," Aija said, thinking of Dhr'aar – the enyr that had come to her on Ytèan on her birthday – and Thieron. She could still taste the chocolate cake he'd baked for her if she closed her eyes; the image of him frosting the cake with his blade burnt into her memory. Along with the feel of his touch on her skin. That. Always that.

"Belated happy birthday, Ai,"

"Thank you, Zuri." Aija smiled. "Where's Nala and Luka?"

"They went to collect the stuff at the house and bring Xan here,"

Xan, the poor thing, always left out.

"Zu, Rei's going to the Main-Lands using the stone. He can take you home."

"I'm not going,"

Aija had fought with Rei about not wanting to see their family yet. She was leaving for Ierne soon; she didn't want to meet her family and disappear, yet again, upsetting them. She'd promised Rei she would meet them once she came back. But she didn't mention that she didn't know when she'd come. Somehow to meet her family just to say goodbye again felt diabolical, particularly when she didn't see a future on Earth. How many farewells could one go through?

Aija told Zuri about their trip to Ierne, and she wanted to go too. Aija didn't refuse but did ask her to meet her family before leaving. Zuri agreed.

"You should see yours too," Zuri suggested as they walked back to Core.

"I had my time with them, Zu. I'm tired of farewells. You didn't have time with yours."

Zuri grumbled something ineligible.

"And what after Ierne?"

Zuri halted. "What about you, Ai?"

Aija observed her best friend; the sorrow in her eyes plunged into Aija's heart. "I don't know,"

Zuri exhaled loudly; she swung around, facing the rising sun. To Aija, it seemed like the sun had risen a little higher now. "I know I want to be with Nala. And you,"

Aija watched Zuri standing under a hover-light, creating a halo over her hair.

"It's time you lived for yourself. Stop waiting for me, Zuri."

"Well, I won't have peace unless I know you're safe!" Zuri swivelled to Aija, tears in her eyes.

Aija took Zuri's hands in hers and peered into those startling ocean-green eyes. "I will be perfectly safe on Ierne,"

Ierne felt like home; Ze lived there too. But Aija couldn't get Thieron's hurt out of her mind when she'd mentioned the Emperor. It didn't matter what Thieron did now. But it made Aija miss him even as she envisioned a life without the half-Ytai, half-human. 

"I'll see for myself when I come,"

"Yes," Aija laughed. "Zuri, you're my best friend. I love you. I want you to be happy. Do what you need to make yourself happy. I'll always love you, no matter where you are, even far across the Universe."

"And I, you, Aija," Zuri hugged her. "I'll always be a little in love with you. I gave you a piece of my heart. I'm not taking it back."

"I'm not giving it back, Zuri. I keep it in mine: safe."

✽✽✽