AFIRE: fight for the Earth begins✓

29.2 AIJA

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 faints after Thieron saves her from the sea-savages, just as she remembers that a sea-savage bit her. Aija wakes as the antidote works. Nala tells Aija that she genuinely loves Zuri.

----Aija, Ze, Thieron, Luka, and Nala go to the South Land.

----Luka admits that they are there for a Harvest.

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****29.2 - Aija****

When Aija woke, Nala was already out of the room. She groaned, rousing herself from sleep. Her leg felt better. 

She yawned, only to freeze mid-yawn. It was still dark. Surely, she hadn't slept from one night into the next? 

By default, her hand went to her pant pocket only to remember her Scroll wasn't there. She let out a short sigh, annoyed. She squinted out into the dark, through the window; she couldn't make out much. 

"What time is it?" she asked Ze going to the main room. 

"They told me it is afternoon," he replied with a frown, clearly as confused as herself.

They walked across the grassy fields, Thieron in the lead. Aija was next to Luka and Ze next to Nala. She took in a deep breath of the cool air – it was fresh and pure in a way even the Innermost air wasn't. Aija remembered wanting to explore more of the Earth. She never knew this was how she would see a whole new continent, one hidden away purposely by the Leadership. She had been sequestered at Innermost all her life and craved to go out, explore. Never in her wildest dreams did she dream of her current situation. 

Aija and Ze had found it hard to believe the long darkness. They hadn't heard of this continent before – the South Land. It hadn't been mentioned in any books; it hadn't been taught about in school. It was like the world had forgotten about it (thanks to the Leadership), a place of long sunshine and long darkness. 

Aija kept herself alert, though all she wanted to do was stand in the middle of the grassy field and feel the cold air on her skin; relish the pureness in her lungs. She couldn't see the ocean or sea - whichever it was, but the sound of the crashing waves carried on the wind. It was a rather strange place. She wondered how much more of the beautiful Earth was hidden from them. 

As they walked further inland, Aija spotted a few houses spread across the land. Only a few of them had lights on inside. They soon reached what felt like the beginning of a small Settlement, and here all the lights were on – inside and on the paths. Thieron stopped behind what looked like an unoccupied house. He went ahead and peeped in through the window. 

Aija braced herself. 'One last Harvest.' Luka had told her. She couldn't let him kill the person in the first place; else she would have to release the soul. And she didn't want to doom it to an eternity of loneliness and possible conversion to evilness. She was disturbed when Thieron had told her of it. She wasn't sure if she could trust his words, but if it was true, it would be bad. 

Thieron nodded to Luka and turned back around. Nala followed him. Aija stepped forward to do the same, but Luka placed his hand on her shoulder. 

"You two stay here with me," he told them.