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, Ze, Thieron, Luka, and Nala go to the South Land. Luka admits that they are there for a Harvest. While they are on the Harvest, they get stopped by a group of people - the Zayr. Aija and Ze meet Princess Ruyanir of the Zayr. Ze and the Princess have an instant connection. The Prince has requested Aija and Ze to meet him. Prince Irih' va and Aija have a conversation about the Àvo; he explains how it works. Aija seems to like the Prince. The Prince gives Aija a strand of his golden hair - for protection. Irih' va sees Aija in his future but isn't sure she will choose him. He wants her to choose him. Irih' va catches Ze using his powers, and he shows Ze that he, too, has the same powers.
----Etrie and Kuna meet with Zuri at her home. They tell her that they are planning to get Aija and hopefully Ze, too.
----Etrie tells Zuri that he is going to kill Thieron and Nala. She is very adamant that she too goes to the Ker'zan with them.
----Goldstar and Vincent discuss The Leadership's motives. Vincent tells Goldstar that he is good at gathering information and will do that work for him.
----Vincent also tells Goldstar that The Leadership is creating the Green Plague.
----Goldstar reveals his age to Vincent, and questions his feelings towards the man.
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****32.2 - Goldstar****
There were whispers of what the Leadership was doing. But, they were too soft.
Some believed that the Green Plague was spread by The Leadership. Some even believed that The Leadership was conducting a dangerous experiment. Some believed that the Leadership received help to control Earth, from aliens (it was true). Many spoke of sudden disappearances – of Researchers, of even the ordinary people. But, most were afraid to speak of it loudly. They were worried the Leadership had spies everywhere and that they knew what was going on, anywhere, at any given point in time.
Not many knew of where the records were being kept, some said the Leadership had hidden them somewhere unreachable; some said the Leadership has already destroyed the records. Some even said that they were hidden in plain sight.
The whispers were many, and it was hard to decide which ones were real.
But, Goldstar was glad Vincent was doing his work diligently. At some point, something was bound to come up and click into place, and they would find the last piece of the puzzle they were trying to solve.
The preparation to attack the H'eon was going on in full swing, and Goldstar felt sad that he couldn't help. He couldn't even go on the day of the attack. He didn't have that many leaves left, and taking the remaining seven days he had, meant putting himself in trouble with the school. It would take excessive persuasion to be let back in, and it would be an embarrassment to his family. And Goldstar didn't want to quit his studies just yet.
He twirled the Scroll in his hand. He had told Iyler that he would definitely be there for the attack. In fact, Premier Red had wanted him to lead it and was disappointed when Goldstar had informed him that he couldn't be there.
He almost dialed up Iyler's number and then canceled it. He wanted her to learn of his absence from him, not the Premier. John Anderson was leading the attack now in his place. He didn't like that, but he couldn't make decisions when he wasn't even going to be there. Goldstar considered calling up Iyler again. They'd never spoken to each other on Scroll. But Goldstar was missing her, and he wanted to be the one to tell her he wasn't leading the attack that he wasn't even going to be there.
He looked at the time; it was close to ten p.m. Iyler should have finished her training. He started a video call and immediately cut it. It might be too much for their first conversation over Scroll. He instead phoned her. It rang eight times before she picked up.
"Yes?" she answered she sounded out of breath.
"Iyler,"
"Gold?" she sounded shocked.
"Yes, I wanted to hear your voice. I miss you."
Iyler remained quiet.
"Iyler?"
"Yes, Gold. Give me a minute," she said, and there was a bit of a shuffling sound. She spoke a few seconds later, "I didn't expect you to call."
"Of course," he said. "What were you doing?"
There was a pause and then, "Training. I'll see you soon, right?"
"About that..." he hesitated.
"Gold..."
"Iyler, I won't be there. I can't go; I have a few leaves left. John will lead the attack."
"I see..." she sounded distant like she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him at the moment.
"Iyler, is everything fine there?"
"Yes, yes..." she sounded distracted. "It would have been good if you were leading the team."
"Yes, I know, I'm sorry. Stay safe, Iyler. The Ytai are dangerous people. Come back to me in one piece."
"Yes," she said softness in her voice coming through.
"Run if you find yourself in trouble."
He heard the smile in her voice. "Just come."
He sighed, "I can't."
The conversation was short after he told her again that he couldn't go. She seemed distracted by something – perhaps the students she trained were still there. She wasn't willing to speak much, Goldstar noticed. So he ended the call soon. At least he had been the one to tell her that he wouldn't be there.
He swiveled around in his chair and found Vincent at the door. His stomach knotted, and heart flipped. He was leaning on the door frame, hands crossed across his chest.
"It's rude to eavesdrop." Goldstar chided.
Vincent smiled uncaringly. "It must be tough for you," Vincent spoke sitting on Goldstar's bed, and he wished he had locked the door to his room. No one had been at the Apartment when he'd come from classes, so he'd left the door open. "Not going to the Ker'zan." Vincent completed his sentence.
Vincent's smile had been replaced by a nuance of sadness.
"It is," Goldstar admitted. "I need to be there."
"Then, be there." there was no hint of accusation in Vincent's voice; still, Goldstar felt it.
"I can't," he complained. "Studies are important for me, just like your work is for you."
"How long do you intend to balance both?"
It was the one thing that bothered Goldstar the most. It was becoming insanely tough to balance both studies and the Gale work. He desperately wanted to continue both.
"For as long as possible," Goldstar answered.
Vincent studied Goldstar, and with every passing second, Goldstar felt more conscious of himself. "What is holding you back from joining the Gale full time?"
"My family, same as you."
"My family needs my money to survive, Veer. Yours doesn't."
Vincent called him Veer all the time nowadays, and Goldstar let him. It felt natural now.
"Not everything is about money, and I don't love my family any less just because they are self-sufficient."
"Of course not," the tone of Vincent's voice had changed, Goldstar couldn't figure out what it meant.
"Do you....want to go?" Goldstar frowned. "Join the attack on H'eon?"
"I would have if you would, not now." Vincent's eyes were on his; unfaltering. "I've met Iyler Sun Smith once before." Vincent's voice was low, still lilting with an incomprehensible tone.
Goldstar raised his brows with an unsaid 'And?'
"She seems not very....genuine."
"And you would know about her by meeting her once?"
Vincent sighed. He wasn't saying something.
"What is it?" Goldstar demanded.
"Nothing..." Vincent said with a wave of his hand and stood leave.
"What?" Goldstar asked again.
"I think you will have your heart broken."
Vincent left without another look at him, and Goldstar was taken aback by the hurt in Vincent's voice.
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