Jīvitaya wakes the next morning to a boom that shakes the palace. She looks out the window to see the crater in the field and jolts out of bed, running towards Kysanden's room. Kysanden meets her in the hallway before she can get halfway there. He must have been running for her.
"Jīa, stay here."
She shakes her head. "I'm not staying, Kys."
His voice is laced with desperation. "Jīvitaya, please."
She sighs. "Let's figure out what exactly is going on first. Then we can decide if I stay or go. But Kys, if this is what I think it is, I can't avoid it. The only reason I avoided it the last time was because I was frozen in a box."
Kysanden sighs. "I know, but can you blame me for wanting to keep you safe?"
"No. Now can we go figure out what is happening?"
He nods. "Of course."
Jīvitaya takes off, running to the field, where a small crowd of the La'Vi has gathered. They murmur as she passes.
"It's the Lilaria."
"Is the Lilaria going to help?"
"The Lilaria isn't safe, she should return to the palace."
"Lilaria, what's going on?"
Jīvitaya pushes through the crowd to the front, where her parents are already standing.
"Do you know what has happened yet?"
Her mother shakes her head, her eyes hard with hidden anger as she looks towards the dent in the earth. "No, but we found a message in the crater. It isn't in a language we know."
Kysanden finally pushes his way through the crowd. "What happened?"
Jīvitaya frowns and takes the message from her mother, passing it to Kysanden. He looks at it and reads aloud.
"Prince Kysanden and the girl are to both be returned to the Selemat fleet or there will be war between Selema and La'Vi'Ai. Place a white banner on this field if you agree to our terms and will give us what we desire at daybreak tomorrow. If no banner is placed, the war will start at that time." He stops reading and voices his own thoughts. "If my father just wanted me to return or there would be a war, then I would go. But he can't have Jīa."
Her parents speak in unison. "Agreed."
Her father turns to the crowd of amassed La'Vi and rises into the air before speaking, his voice booming. "People of La'Vi'Ai! The army stationed above us have given their ultimatum! They wish for us to give them their Lilar, who does not wish to return to his people, and our Lilaria! We will not stand for this!" The crowd cheers. "So ready yourselves however you can if you wish to fight for your Lilaria, your people, and your home! For tomorrow, there will be war! And if you can, spread the word to your neighbors and those who live in the outlying villages!"
The crowd bursts into cheers once more before dispersing from the field and returning to the city. Her father sinks back down to the grassy field and turns Jīvitaya.
"You don't need to take part in this if you don't wish to do so. In fact, I would prefer it if you didn't."
Jīvitaya throws up her hands in exasperation. "Why does everyone want me to stay out of it! First Kysanden and now you! I can't stay out of it! One, they want me, so I'm part of it and two, the only reason I was able to stay out of the last one was because I was in cryo! I can take care of myself, and La'Vi'Ai is my home now too. I want to protect it!"
Her mother sighs. "But what if they try to take you again by force?"
"I can use my powers now, so I can use them to take care of me, and besides, I know the tactics they used last time so I can avoid them."
Her mother doesn't look completely convinced, but she nods. "Very well, Jīvitaya."
"Thank you. What's the plan?"
Her father responds to the question, his voice thoughtful. "If you can, use your technology to stop them from doing any damage from their ships. Past that, if it's one-on-one fighting in person, use your powers."
Jīvitaya nods sharply. "I can try and use my tech, but I'm too far away to use it to determine what they have. I can't stop it until they've used it."
Her father smiles grimly. "That's better than nothing."
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Who is ready for war? Who will win? What will happen? Tell me your thoughts!
Happy reading!
~Goddess of Fate, signing out.
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Stars Of Memory
Science FictionJīvitaya Rai Naji is just an average human girl. Orphaned, but nothing stranger than that. She was one of the few witnesses to the first alien invasion on Earth. One day, many years later, she catches sight of one of them following her. She wonders...
