When Stars Fall (NaNoWriMo22)

Chapter 2

"Am I beyond the Wall of Stone?"

"Yes," I answer him plainly. He's not from Beyond, I gather. His question and his dress have made it obvious. My eyes stray down to the candle still clutched in his hands. "You're not of this realm." I carefully maneuver over the fallen trees, stepping closer to him. "May I ask where you've asked the hestrelle candle to take you?" He grows suspicious of me at the mention of his candle, and he tucks it away in a bag. "My name's Averett and I've come looking for something." He dared to cross the Wall in search for something. I take a cautious step back.

He's handsome for a mortal. His golden hair and olive complexion has made him appealing. The sunlight has shown favor on this man, clearly. "You're in search of the Star, aren't you?" That piques his interest. Averett comes over to my side quickly, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Have you seen it? It should be somewhere around here, but I was so sure that the candle would take me to a crater not the forest." I cannot help but be amused. He's clueless to the world beyond him. From here, I can see his eyes. They hold such wonder and curiosity. Is this my guide? Is he whom I should follow? Whom I should trust? "I don't understand why it didn't work."

I try to hide my amused smile as I turn to him. "The hestrelle candle is meant to take you where you wish to go. With a single thought, it takes you there," I comment. "The candle did work. You must do the rest." I turn my back to Averett and walk away in the opposite direction of my crater. I grab the skirts of my smooth dress as I do so. I should keep my identity to myself. There are already so many that wish to find me. And I'm not entirely sure what to make of this Averett. Mortal men are always so greedy, so violent. I hardly wish to trust someone who isn't at all trustworthy.

My ears listen as his steps follow mine. "Tell me, why do you wish to attain the Star? A boy from outside the Wall of Beyond, of all people." I weave in and out between the trees, slowly acclimating to the world around me. It is much easier to walk among this planet's nature now. The noise isn't so overwhelming nor is the light too blinding. "I have my reasons," is all he answers. I hum in thought. It is not exactly a lie. Everyone that seeks a Star has their reasons to attain one. Most of those reasons are as dark as the great expanse. "Many over the centuries has fought for Stars. What makes you so different from the others who are willing to kill for them?"

I am suddenly hit by a thin chain. It wraps around my body, growing and slithering all the way up until I am completely immobilized. The silver chain tightens the more I struggle with it. "What have you done, you fool?" Averett cautiously steps in front of me. "Do you know what this chain is? Do you know how you've trapped me?"

"I couldn't risk it," he answers for himself. "You mentioned the others that've killed for Stars. Only others who are after the same thing I am know that."

If I could kick him, I would. "Do you know what happens when Stars fall? Clearly, you don't if you believe that no one else knows the history of the massacres." Averret flinches at the hideous truth in my words. But, I care not. I am angry at myself for turning my back on this human. It made it easier for him to bind me to him. "I know enough." I scoff at the lack of truth that holds. "Not enough to know a Star when you see one!" There it is. There's a moment of disbelief, then realization. Then, to my utmost misery, triumphant. "Y-you're the Star? You're the Star!" He eyes me with curiosity. He observes my face, my hair, my skin. "I can't believe it! You're the Star."

"Yes, yes," I interrupt his circulating thought, "I am the Star. Now unbind me!" Averett doesn't seem to be listening to me. His eyes just keep bouncing to and fro with excitement. "Ah," he grimaces as another thought comes to his mind, "this complicates things." He picks up the remaining loose chain from my feet as it extends magically in his hands. "I need you to come with me. I- well, I promised to bring the star, you, to the woman I love as a gift." A gift? He wants me as a gift! I would rather throw myself to the Witches than be placed on a mortal girl's mantle. "Absolutely not!" I exclaim, my anger brimming to its edge. "I need to go home and to do that, I need a candle like yours to get there."

He crosses his arms in thought as he formulates a plan. I asked to be helped, not be taken as an object! My siblings must be putting me on. Out of all the hundreds of people that might be able to help me, they send me this idiot. "Let's make a deal," he pulls on the chain, commanding it to unravel from my body. "I'll take you to Everly as my devotion to her and I'll release you. I'll help you go home." I don't even give him the pleasure of thinking about his deal. "No."

"I see that I got the most stubborn out of all Stars." The chain seals itself around my wrist. I yank it in anger and yell, "You moron!" I shove him. "Imbecile!" I shove him again. "You. Bloody. Bast-" He grabs my wrists, stopping me from finishing my insults, and pulling me close to his chest. "I prefer you not call me that. Besides, it seems to me that I am your master now. Here, in Beyond you called it, that means something, doesn't it? So, wherever I go, you go." He smirks as his eyes rake over the thin silver chain that irrevocably on my wrist. He plays with it between his fingers, pleased at having me binded to him. I snatch my wrist away from his grasp. "By all means, Master Averett, what shall you have me do? I am a Star, not a slave. Therefore, I implore you to treat me as such."

He drops his hand to his side, meeting my very angry eyes. "I have come to fetch you for Everly as a gift. Then, I swear to you, I'll let you go." There's that word again. Gift. I would question the seriousness of it all if it weren't for his confidence in bringing me with him. "You're serious." I step closer to him, the chain dragging along the grass. "You came here to get me as a gift for your beloved?" Averett tilts his head back, his eyes solely focused on me. "What? A ring wasn't enough? Out of all the attainable items in the natural world, you choose to give her a Star!" A sly grin plays at his lips, making him look arrogant.

I don't really have a choice, do I? Whether I was binded to him or not, I still need a guide to get me out of these woods. Soon, the late King's heirs will be coming for their birthright that's currently hanging around my neck. My chances with them aren't any better than my chances with the Witches. Resigned, I hold my wrist up in the air. "Let us go, then," I say with a sigh, "no use wasting the day away." Averett twists the chain across his palm and tugs me forward. "We have a deal, then?"

"Yes," I answer directly. "I will go to your beloved in exchange for your hestrelle candle."

The deal is sealed, and our journey begins for us both. My night began with such promise. I was happy and comfortable in my own home, expecting nothing but simply watching stories unfold. Now, I'm down here. I am living my own story. Or tragedy. I must put my trust on a human. Depend on him. Depend on his word. Can I do that? Is a mortal's oath reliable? Averett might not be who I was expecting, but I can trust that he won't harm me in any way.

And, anyway, if I must go to his Everly in order to reunite with my family, then so be it. I will go and present myself to this mortal girl. It couldn't possibly go any worse than me falling from the literal sky. Like the angels from mortal's religion did. The one thing that they do not speak on is what occurred after. That is the question, isn't it? What happened to the lone angels that fell into the mortal realm? How did they perish? How were they tainted?