Star Beings: Dawn

An unwelcome return

Leigh and I didn't sleep much that night. I spent most of my time staring at the wooden floorboards above me, waiting for sleep to claim me. Leigh pretended to sleep, but I could feel her staring at me.
At some point, we both just stared at each other for a while.
"Can you sleep?" she whispered.
"No."
After that, we turned on the lantern and sat down on the creaky floor.
"...And that's how you properly wrap an injury." Leigh whispers, my arm in her hand.
I smile. Just moments ago, I showed her how to properly hold a dagger. She didn't know how.
Neither of us want to say it, but we're trying to keep the other alive.
I hear the quietest noise from outside. Someone is outside our door.
"Leigh... did you hear that?"
But Leigh's head is already turned, her dark eyes fixed on the door.
"Anai, hand me my bag."
I do what she says. She draws out a small pistol and slowly opens the door, keeping the firearm concealed.
She doesn't know how to use a dagger but just has a gun in her bag?
"Can I help-"
Leigh narrowly dodges a knife. It slices through the air, sinking into the wall just above my head.
I cover my mouth, stifling a scream.
"Ah. well then, let the record show you're the one that picked this fight."
Leigh swings the door open, takes aim, and shoots.
Her face is calm. She shows no fear as she pulls the trigger.
I hear a thud as the attacker falls.
"Let's hope Beckham believes us-"
I watch my only friend flinch, then stagger forward before falling, a dagger sticking out of her back.
"LEIGH!!!!"
I'm in action immediately, running towards her and scooping her body into my arms.
"Pull the damn knife out." she croaks.
"But you said-
"Anai, pull the fucking knife out."
I do as she commands. She quietly reaches for the spot that she was hit and heals it, resting once she does so.
"Haven't had to do that in a hot minute." she sighs.
I hear the floorboards creak once again.
"One sec..."
I get up off the floor, the shadows of the room swirling around me like a cape. I lean out of the doorway, a glare on my face and murder on my mind.
But I won't be killing them. No, I'll be doing something far worse.
I lean over Leigh and I's attacker. Then, I start throwing punches, beating them until they go limp. Then, I grab the body and drag it up the stairs, onto the deck, and to the captains quarters.
I don't bother knocking.
The noise the door makes as it hits the wall is enough to wake Beck up.
"WHAT THE HE- Anai?"
"Discipline your crew so I don't have to do it for you, captain." I grumble, dropping a body at Beckham's feet for the second time today.
"What?" "The motherfucker came to my room, stabbed my friend, and then I kicked his ass. What isn't clicking?"
The man studies me.
"I apologize on behalf of my crew." he finally says. For the first time, I notice his husband sleeping peacefully beside him.
We both just sit there for a moment, staring at each other.
"Is your friend alright?"
"She's fine."
With that, I leave, walking out onto the deck and then back down the stairs.
Leigh is still sitting on the floor when I return.
"Everything has been taken care of. Let's try to get some sleep, eh?"
My friend nods, climbing back into her bed.
"Are you alright?" "Yeah. Not the first time I've had to heal a stab wound..." she says drowsily. Moments later, I hear snoring. She's out cold.
I sigh and lay down, curling into a ball. Exhaustion quickly overtakes me and I fall into a restless slumber.

The next morning I'm awoken by shouts. We've reached the port.
DJ escorts Leigh and I onto the docks before bidding her old friends farewell.
"They're pirates at heart. Ya can't keep 'Em confined to the land for long," she chuckles.
We make our way through the streets, traveling towards the volacano.
"Where are we going?" Leigh asks as we approach the wide fields leading to the base of the summit.
"In there. It's dormant, so Creation just sorta placed our base inside."
"Creation? You've met fucking creation???" Leigh whispers with wide eyes.
"Yeah."
Leigh doesn't speak the rest of the way up. We slip through the almost hidden entrance and into the hidden paradise inside. My friend looks around in awe of the place. DJ and I share a look.
This was normal for us. Casually knowing literal gods was normal for the Star Beings and I. But Leigh isn't a Star Being, or a chosen vessel of Destruction's. No, Leigh is simply a human being with extraordinary healing abilities. She's lived a life that DJ and I never got the chance to have.
Except, no, she hasn't. She was forced into this war around the same age they were. The only difference is that the Star Being's had quite a few more resources. And I... I was on the opposite side. I was leading the opposite side.
Guilt almost overwhelms me as I see Elian, Hera, and the twins waiting for me outside of the building. I haven't forgotten about what I said the last time I saw him. About what I did the last time I saw him. I was trying to push him away, I won't hide that. I thought it was the only way. It would've hurt far worse had Elian been staring at me with pity instead of resentment at the trial.
Yet, here he is again. Smiling at me with that stupid crooked grin. I glance at the twins. I've been gone for almost a year and a half, and they're proof of that. The two of them are both walking and talking. It makes sense, both of them are around two by now.
As I approach Elian, he opens his arms as an invitation. I consider just shaking his hand. But, gods damn it all, I need a hug.
As he wraps his arms around me, I try  not to start sobbing.
"Glad to have you back, kid." "I'm sorry, uncle." I whisper into his coat. Elian only squeezes tighter.
"Shh... no apology needed, Ani." He says quietly. Those words are more genuine than anything that ever came out of Eligio's mouth. Then again, not much of what my father said was genuine.

Elian and Hera lead me inside, and I am immediately met with the rest of the Star Beings staring at me.
"We're gonna go see if there's a place open for you and your friends, ok Anai?" Hera asks. I nod, and my aunt and uncle retreat.
I avoid Maxine's eyes. In fact, I avoid everyone's eyes. Guilt weighs heavy on my shoulders. But, then I hear the familiar sound of platforms clopping along the tile floor.
"Well look what the cat dragged in." Hade laughs. They weren't here before, I realize. They don't stop at the couches where the others are sitting. The sound of their boots grow closer and closer until I can feel them towering over me. I look up, meeting their gray-orange eyes.
"You seem to have lost some muscle there, Timor," They smirk.
"Yeah, that's what happens when you don't work out for over a year," I growl. Their arm is different. It's no longer an illusion, and is instead mechanical. I can hear the faintest whir of gears as they tap their fingers on their thigh, light reflecting off of the iron surface and into my eyes.
My gaze slides back up at their angular face.
"You've gotten weak" is the last thing they hiss before raising their fist up and swinging. I barely flinch as I grasp their hand, pure annoyance dancing across my features.
"Wrong. In this past year and a half I've been beaten and starved multiple times. I've lost muscle mass because for periods of time it was all my body had to survive on. Everyone in that prison hated me, and I don't blame them. I took the punches. I didn't complain when meals wouldn't come for weeks. I understand I was a horrible person, and I'm sorry for what I did to you...." I glance at Maxine, her dark eyes meeting mine, "to all of you. But I have not grown weak. And this will be my first and final warning against referring to me as such, Hade."
The fire-haired nightmare steps back. I keep glaring at them.
Weak? Me?
Please.
"I could still beat you in a fight," They grumble. "Hade!" DJ whispers, shaking her head rapidly.
"Really?"
"Hell yeah," they laugh, "you can say whatever you want, but you've gotten soft. It's obvious just from looking at ya. If we fight, I'll win in a minute flat."
I feel a smile curl across my face. My next words drip from my mouth like venom.
"Prove it."

WHAT IS UP GHOULS AND GOBLINS!!!! I AM (sadly) ALIVE!!! And, this update took me so long for two reasons: one) the events previously mentioned in my hiatus announcement and two) I want to get on a more concrete schedule, so now I've got next chapter written and I'm working on the one after that. The new times are gonna be Monday's at either four or six (sometimes I'm not home until the latter).  Now have some art, ya heathens!