AFIRE: fight for the Earth begins✓

14.5 GOLDSTAR

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.

---- Thieron and Nala check out a new target, and realize that Etrie's team was trailing the same target.

---- Goldstar preps for the Transfer to the South Land. Goldstar and the Transfers are attacked by the Savages and Creatures in the Open. They are saved by the Gale squad of the Open. Goldstar is terribly hurt and he is told that his wound will definitely scar. They set out to the South Land.

---- They drop the Transfers at the South Land. When Gold asks Iyler to marry him one day she doesn't respond.

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****14.5 - Goldstar****

Goldstar and Iyler headed down for lunch; somehow, having 'lunch' when it was dark outside seemed strange to him. 

Premier Zhaleh and the new Transfers were already seated. Goldstar and Iyler sat next to each other, and she joined the on-going conversation about life in the South Land. Goldstar sat quietly, listening to Premier Zhaleh explain to the Transfers of how life worked there.

The couple – Kai and Elin – wanted to have a wedding, and Premier Zhaleh was assuring them they would receive help. Goldstar wondered if he and Iyler would ever get married. She seemed more comfortable in evading the topic than talking about it.

He ate well in silence. The food at the South Land was such a pleasure to eat; the food brought his taste buds alive. The packed meals in the Cities seemed to kill them. He excused himself soon from Premier Zhaleh and left. He was aware of Iyler looking at him as he walked away without a word or a look towards her, but he wasn't in the mood.

He pulled his new coat tighter as he stepped into the cold dark afternoon. The sun was close to being a sliver in the sky, and in a few weeks, it wouldn't be seen at all.

A few were people going about their work after lunch. Goldstar knew several of them; he had helped many of them and had brought them to the South Land. Many remembered him, and many of them made it a point to visit him when he stayed in the South. He walked along the mud path snaking between the houses enjoying the place. Occasionally, he met people he had rescued, and they stopped to inquire how he was doing.

He smelled the Zayr Settlement even before he saw it. The fragrance of the multitude of spices they used in their food wafted far, and it was inviting. He walked further towards the Zayr Settlement and saw the people going about their work everyone in their traditional clothes.

The Zayr were people of the planet Ierne. The planet of Ierne was close to Ytèan, and the Zayr were people who were in constant conflict with the Monarch of Ierne. More than half of the planet belonged to the Monarch; the Zayr were trying to bring him down and take control of the Empire. Most of the Zayr wanted it, but some were on the Monarch's side. They were threatened by the leader of their clan to support him in his conquest of the Empire. The Monarch gave these people refuge, but the place was in perpetual war. So, some of the Zayr had started to seek haven in different planets – where the civilization closely resembled them in appearance. And, they had found Earth millions of light-years away from war-ridden Ierne.