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 kidnaps Aija. She finds out that Nala works for Thieron. Ze, who was following her to rescue her, gets captured along with her. Thieron binds Aija to himself.
---- Zuri is worried about Aija and Ze, who were taken by Thieron. Etrie kisses Zuri; she slaps him. Ahi and Zuri patch up and agree to remain friends. Zuri is asked to go to the Secure Headquarters for questioning. She goes to Innermost for it. Zuri is questioned by Secure Ivan who presumes that Ze and Aijs ran from home together. She meets the Oshiros and Iyler. Kuna tells her that Iyler is actually from the Gale.
---- Luka tries to coax Aija to eat. She agrees to it only if she is allowed to see Ze; he agrees. Luka finds that her soul is a strong deep-purple. Thieron wants Luka to scout for new souls. Luka finds Nala sulking in her room and asks her to go down before Thieron finds something suspicious.
---- Luka asks Aija not to talk of Zuri to Nala, especially in front of Thieron. She agrees for Zuri's sake. Luka goes to Etemir to scout for souls. He is caught by Etrie but manages to escape. Etrie is furious about Aija and Ze.
---- Thieron is planning the Harvest of the soul that Luka scouted.
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****23.2 - Thieron****
Thieron was running through the dense forests where his people lived. His cousin was chasing after him. He felt happy. He ran faster and lost his cousin as he twisted his way through thick trees. Thieron looked around as he slowed down. It was a part he hadn't seen in the forest before – strange because he knew it like the back of his hand.
He stopped and searched for his cousin-brother. He heard a rustling noise and turned towards it. He felt his breath catch as he saw Aija walking towards him; something was in her right hand. Thieron couldn't make out what it was.
She gradually closed the distance between them, her long hair swaying at her waist. She was alluring, and Thieron couldn't look away; away from the brilliant storm in her eyes. She smiled at him and threw the object that was in her hand into the air, and it burst into an iridescent sparkling light.
Thieron gasped awake. He blinked his eyes; it had been a dream. It had felt too real. He didn't realize when sleep had gently pulled him into its web. He knew he had been awake a really long time before he had finally fallen asleep.
He adjusted the pillow and settled more comfortably on the couch. He closed his eyes, but he kept seeing Aija. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling lost in thought, sleep driven away by the vivid dream.
He heard deliberately softened steps on the stairs. He listened as the steps on the stairs ceased. It resumed and went in the direction of the study. He saw as Aija tiptoed into the room. He waited to see what she would do. He heard her waking Ze up, shushing him as he startled and told him they needed to escape. He listened as they shuffled the window open and as Ze asked her to step out first and to be careful. They were on the ground floor, so the distance between the window and the ground wasn't great.
Thieron got up and went to the front door. He opened it quietly, peeped out, and found them standing near the narrow mud roads of the hills, discussing which direction to go. He walked towards them, his steps soft even on the grass, and stood behind them. They hadn't noticed him at all.
"Where do you think you are going?"
The two of them turned, horrified.
"Run!" Ze shouted as he pulled Aija and took off towards the right.
"How cute," Thieron murmured. "Ze, stop," he commanded.
Ze halted with a skid. Aija was pulled back by the force since Ze was gripping her tightly, and she nearly fell backwards, but she found her balance. She turned around, terrified.
Thieron yawned and put his hands in the pockets of his jogger pants.
"Ze?!" Aija shouted.
"I can't move." Ze's voice held panic.
Thieron went to the human boy and stood next to him. He told Aija, "Come on, go inside, there's no use trying."
She looked frightened.
"Ze, go back into the study and sleep." Thieron compelled him again.
Ze let go of Aija's hand, turned around and went back, utter confusion on his face as he tried to fight the compulsion and failed miserably. Aija looked on appalled as she tried to understand what was going on.
Compulsion didn't work on her; her powerful deep purple soul was impervious to compulsion of any kind. It made a lot of things more challenging than it needed to be; it was also another reason why he had bound her to himself.
"Do you want to try to escape?" he asked her, his tone saccharine.
Aija looked once inside the house and then at the road. She wouldn't leave without Ze. He had seen the way she looked at the human boy, it made him uncomfortable.
Almost unwillingly, she trudged along the road, the wild grass and back inside the house. Thieron yawned again as he followed her in.
It had been too easy. He probably should have tested how far Aija and Ze went before they realized the bond would let him know they were gone. It might have been fun, and he hadn't been sleepy anyway.
As he closed the door, he caught Aija still at the stairs staring at him, grey eyes filled with rage. "What did you do to Ze?"
"Compulsion," he answered, sounding bored.
Her thick brows knotted in confusion; her lips slightly apart. Thieron stopped far from her, feeling her violent spirit, and the image of her from his dream returned with vividness.
She frayed his cohesiveness and sowed desiderium.
No one had managed to do it, and she did it insouciantly; not really knowing what she was doing, and its effect was maximized on his heart deprived of feelings.
"You're ruining my sleep." he informed her desperate to make her leave.
She smirked, surprising him, "Good."
She must have caught onto the restrained astonishment on his face, for she grinned. Pleased that she had ruined his composure, she climbed the stairs, her steps purposefully heavy and loud. He pulled at his hair, equally frustrated and flustered, and sat on the couch.
She tried his patience; he hated it.
****
Thieron pressed a button, and the front windows of the car rolled down. Aija stuck her head out and breathed in the cool air. She had been staring out awed by the hills, the greenery, and the scattered houses.
They had left later than he had intended to. Aija had purposely delayed getting up and getting ready. She had intentionally refused to get up and then have breakfast. She hadn't left Ze's side for a long time. It drove Thieron mad, and he'd had to drag her into the car (even though she hadn't finished eating; it was her problem now, he had given her enough time), where she had kept her smug expression long enough for him to go crazy and then she had been entirely distracted by the hills.
He knew she had never seen the hills before. She had never been out of Innermost either till the day Etrie had taken her out. Kids from families like hers never needed to go out of the Capital. They had everything they needed and more right there.
Years after the Wars, even after equality was established, there was no true equality. It was equality for everyone in nothing but name. The Leadership maintained certain cities in the Pristine Cities; many others were neglected. The Leadership only took care of itself and those it needed to remain in power.
Humans were still pathetic, even after destroying most of the planet, again bent on personal power and personal benefits. The R'ies was stupid in believing the humans could do better this time around. It has been over seven hundred years now, what have they really done for Earth? All they do is continue to live the way they lived.
The humans had already received a second chance after the Wars when the Leadership was formed and helped by R'ies to maintain peace and help repair the destroyed Earth. The Leadership only did things to secure their power, instilled fear to maintain that power. It sill neglected the healing of the planet.
Aija sighed loudly, drawing him out of his reverie. She wore Nala's camo shorts and a black tee. Her long hair was tied in a bun atop her head, a few strands escaping it and framing her small face. She looked ready to run. He was surprised she had not tried to open the car's door on her side and jump out yet. She was calm, and it kept him alert.
She was, at times, intense and calm, and others distant and volatile. It was hard to predict how she would react to varied situations, and it kept him on his toes.
Thieron had contacted Alton earlier and told him he was arriving so that he could get Tech to keep his car out of sight of Secure Cams and drones on his path.
Aija had her gaze intentionally outside the entire time, and it looked like she was lost in thought. As if she had forgotten, she was with him. Thieron drove fast, the feel of the speed of the tires on the road exhilarating. He didn't like the hover cars though they were faster. This car was rather fast too, and he preferred it.
A few hours into the drive, they stopped for lunch at a small secluded park in a neglected town. They stepped out, stretched, and he handed her the lunch Luka had packed for them; Aija accepted it without revolt. Her quiet compliance was triggering in him, suspicion.
What was she thinking? Planning? When would she bolt? Would she take her chance to escape without Ze? Her aura showed no indication of her planning anything - but then again, she was a powerful soul like Luka, and could control what she showed in her aura. She would be able to do it subconsciously, without realizing she was doing it - for that's how strong she was.
She found a fallen dead log and sat on it, opening the box of food. She took a deep breath of the bread before taking a bite of it and closed her eyes as she ate it. Thieron didn't realize he had been staring at her until she looked at him, annoyed. She had finished half the bread and had moved onto the salad when he noticed that he was looking at her. He went back into the car and finished his food.
"Where are we going?" she asked once she was done.
"You'll know." was all he told her and handed her a breathing mask. "Wear this once we are there."
Aija accepted it with nothing but a frown on her face.
Soon they were on their way again, and she was quiet the rest of the way, alert in a way that made him tense. He grew restless; she had not made a fuss once they had started driving from the hills, nor had she tried to get on his nerves. She had been extremely quiet.
****
"Get up," he told her as he drove into the Mansion. It was dark, and the first stars were blooming with the darkness.
She woke with a start as he stopped the car in front of the Main door, startled that she had lowered her guard, and slept with him in the car.
"Wear the mask." he reminded her. He didn't want her catching the Plague; she would be of no use then. "Once in the Mansion, you can remove it."
He gave the keys of the car to En'ari, a fellow H'eon member, and led her to the Mansion. It was well conditioned and had pure air circulated all the time – not for humans (no human who came there left alive) – just so that the temperature and air were more comfortable for the Ytai; not that they needed it, but Alton was a man of indulgence.
Thieron looked around a little wary of running into Dhor-Wo while having Aija with him. Hopefully, he wouldn't show himself after what had happened the last time he had.
Aija looked around as she followed him, no doubt taking in everything around her with her observational skills. The helpers stared at her, and she kept close to him, many of the H'eon members stared at her with disgust; some like she was prey. If it had been anyone other than Thieron, she would have been dead already. The Ytai maintained their distance only because they didn't want to anger Thieron. They knew when to not interfere.
To his utter dismay, Dhor-Wo appeared around the corner of the hallway, and Thieron wondered, not for the first time if the Ytai had nothing better to occupy himself with.
"Stay close to me," he warned Aija.
She did, sensing the importance of his words through his tone.
"A human?" Dhor-Wo asked in CommLang no doubt to scare her as he approached them.
Thieron didn't respond and walked away, turning the corner towards Alton's office.
"Have you finally lost it?" Dhor-Wo asked, following them.
He seemed to have recovered his confidence. His nose looked healed, and as good as before. Of course, it didn't take much to fix a broken nose, but he was hoping it wouldn't be set straight.
"I suppose you haven't learnt your lesson," Thieron said in CommLang turning around. Aija stopped beside him, looking between him and Dhor-Wo. "Shall we test how well your nose and jaw have healed? Maybe your nose needs a little shift near the top, why don't I reset it for you? Hmmm...?"
Dhor-Wo smirked. "I live for your reactions, Thieron. You..."
The door behind them opened, and Alton came out, his presence silencing Dhor-Wo.
"Dhor-Wo," Alton addressed him. "I believe you understood what I told you that time." he reminded.
Dhor-Wo bowed once to Alton, glared at Thieron and Aija before leaving.
"Come in," Alton told them.
Thieron and Aija stood in front of Alton, who was wearing one of his suits. Aija took in Alton's office, and Alton Ivar regarded her carefully. Her eyes fell on the two *In'ealk on his table, and they remained there, studying them.
"I ordered you to Harvest her," Alton spoke in Ytèan.
Thieron replied in Ytèan, "She has a purple soul, Roe,"
Alton smiled, "Then, good work getting her from Etrie Ay'tir."
At the sound of Etrie's name, Aija perked up and looked at Alton. She studied the man, taking in his appearance and more.
Alton smiled at her, she didn't look away; she also didn't return the smile. She had removed the mask as soon as she had entered the Mansion, and it was now in her right hand.
"Sit," Alton commanded in CommLang as he sat on his chair on the other side of the table.
Thieron sat, and she followed him.
"Was that painful?" Ivar questioned him, pointing to the *Uil'dran.
"Quite," he admitted.
"It is strong, ahd'tna," Ivar said, his tone amused.
Thieron held back his anger. He hated being called ahd'tna. Alton called him that on purpose, knowing how it affected Thieron. But, thankfully, even though he was speaking in CommLang, Alton hadn't used the CommLang word for ahd'tna; Aija was obviously paying attention to the conversation.
"No In'ealk today?"
"No," Thieron answered, "but I have found the second *Od'ro In'ealk. It's in my possession."
"Of course," Alton agreed. "Arrangements are being made, but you can only leave after the Ker'zan."
Thieron nodded. He hated the Ker'zan, but he had no choice other than to attend it. Especially since this time, it decided whether he would go to Ytèan or not.
"You must be tired," Alton told Aija.
She didn't respond. Thieron was secretly proud of her defiance at that moment; not quite when it came to himself, though, he had to admit. He had no choice but to entertain Alton Ivar with a response. Ivar had looked after him; given him a home. Even if there were moments when Thieron hated the massive Ytai, he had no option but to courtesy him; even when Alton belittled him. Aija didn't have that obligation, and she was using it well.
"Go have dinner and rest," Alton told him after she remained quiet in spite of him waiting for her to respond.
Thieron stood, and so did Aija.
"Ji Ca'hir e nav'ei," he said, bowed and left.
Ji Ca'hir e nav'ei. The Universe is ours.
Whose was it really? The question had bothered him for a long time when he had been younger. Now he just didn't think of it anymore.
Aija followed him out, keeping close to him as he walked to the Dining Hall. "You don't like that man, do you?" she asked.
He glanced at her. Her grey eyes were on him; she already knew the answer to it, why was she asking him?
"Just eat quickly," he told her.
He caught her faint smile just before it vanished.
As they sat with their trays of food, Ieas came practically prancing down the Hall and set her tray opposite his as she sat. Why was she always there when he was?
Thieron groaned.
"It's been quite a while," Ieas spoke in Ytèan and studied Aija for a few seconds before her attention flitted back to him. Aija was inspecting the food on her tray as if it were inedible.
"Why the human?" Ieas asked.
"I would appreciate your silence," he told her. "I have a headache."
"Of course," Ieas said, "having a human by your side is definitely a headache inducer."
After dinner, through which, gratefully, Ieas had decided to keep silent, he led Aija to the room he used when he stayed at the Mansion. He hated it, especially since Aija was with him now.
He let her go in and change first. He waited for about an hour before he went back in.
"What?" Aija asked. She had changed, and her hair was down.
"I'm sleeping here," he announced.
"No," she glared at him.
"You have no choice in the matter," he said, taking one of the two pillows on the bed and threw it on the couch.
She glowered at him as he set himself up on the couch.
"Don't wander off," he warned her. "You're alive because of me. This place is full of Ytai, who won't hesitate to Harvest your soul."
She was furious as she got into bed. She turned away from Thieron and pulled the blanket over herself.
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Terminology/Character Reference
Uil'dran Ter/16
Od'ro In'ealk Ter/9
In'ealk Ter/9
Ieas Ot/Chr 3.v