Stars Of Memory

Chapter 57

The crystal doesn't move and he readjusts his grip, ready to pull again. There is a roar, and he yanks his hand away, startled. Jīvitaya stares around her, confused and blinking wildly, as a large black mass hurtles toward him. His hand comes up holding something just before Jīvitaya hears a crunch and Ilior screams as he falls backward. His agonized scream is followed by several more gruesome noises. Jīvitaya winces, and the black animal twitches its long tail.
It turns around, and Jīvitaya sighs in relief to see that it is Laira. Laira strides toward her and nudges at her arm. Her teeth scrape lightly against Jīvitaya's skin and Jīvitaya holds still. Slowly, Laira peels away the sindar with her teeth, freeing Jīvitaya. Then she collapses into the dirt. Jīvitaya throws the rest of the sindar off of her and kneels beside Laira, who lets out a low purr. Jīvitaya runs her hand along Laira's body and pulls it away when she feels something wet on her chest. She pulls her hand away to see a thick red liquid on her hand. She looks down at Laira sorrowfully and has to blink back tears.

"Oh, Laira, no. Don't do this. You can't die."
Laira huffs, and Jīvitaya strokes her head softly. They stay like that for a couple of minutes before another La'Vi comes up to her.

"Lilaria, it's not safe here."

Jīvitaya nods, just as her crystal pulses again and she is hit by another wave of weakness. She shakes off the black spots in her vision and stands shakily.

"I know, but I can't leave her."

The woman smiles. "I'm a healer, I can try to help. But I don't know how much I can do." Jīvitaya stumbles as she is hit by another wave from the forest. "Lilaria, are you alright?"

Jīvitaya shakes her head. "No, but the problem isn't one you can help with." Then she pauses. "Actually, could you tell me what is on my neck?"

She points to the spot on her neck and the woman moves to look at it, her fingers lightly skimming over Jīvitaya's neck. "There is a small metal disc here, and it appears to have melted into your skin. What is it?"

Jīvitsya frowns. "It's a device they used to permanently stop me from using my powers. The thing is, I have the power of technology, which is a weird one. It isn't reliant on magic, not really, so I think it can bypass the block." She taps on her chip and it spits out another, larger one. She hands it to the woman. "Can you place this over the device and press on it right in the middle?"

The woman does so and it clicks. Jīvitaya feels a white-hot burning sting as the device falls off of her neck. She turns as the woman catches it and holds out her hand, summoning her powers. A flicker of flame licks out and she smiles.

"I need to go, so if you see anyone with the same device on their neck I want you to do the same thing you did to me, alright? That chip can be reused. There aren't many of the devices so people like my parents are being targeted."

"Yes, Lilaria. But are you well enough to be doing anything? Where are you going?"

"They're bombing the crystal forests. That's why I'm unwell. And if I don't go, La'Vi'Ai will perish."

The woman nods. "I understand, Lilaria, and I wish you luck."

"Thank you."

Jīvitaya rises into the air, averting her gaze from Ilior's mutilated body, and shoots off toward the crystal forest. As she flies, she sends Iyokú a message.

"They're bombing the crystal forest. I need you and the Correllia to get there as quickly as possible and bring as many La'Vi who can use nature as you can. Hurry."

Jīvitaya finally makes it to the crystal forest, having been halted every so often in her flight by another bombardment on the forest. She has barely landed atop the stone that lies above the forest when another bomb comes. She pulls the stone over the edges of her feet and stretches out her hands, creating a hard, thick wall of air between the incoming bomb and the cliffs surrounding the forest. The bomb hits her wall and explodes, and she flinches at the resulting boom. Iyokú alights beside her and frowns.

"Jīvitaya, what is going on? I heard the message, but I don't understand."

Jīvitaya repeats what she had said in the message. "They're bombing the forest."

"How did you know?"

Jīvitaya taps on her throat. "The life crystal. I can feel what happens in the forest, remember."

"How do we stop it?"

"I dismantled their other weapons systems and I should be able to dismantle this one, but I can't do that and also shield the forest at the same time."

Iyokú nods. "Let us take over the shielding, and you work on the weapons system."

Jīvitaya nods and waits for Iyokú's shield to surround the forest before she releases her own. She senses more shields fall into place and the stone beneath her feet thickens. She taps on her chip and it spits out a tablet for her to use. She taps on it and a drone emerges from the tablet and hovers in the air. She sends it off to the ship high above and it returns a few minutes later, its task complete and successful. She sighs in relief and turns around to look at Iyokú and all the other nature users. Her eyes widen when she sees King Taln standing behind Iyokú, something long and silvery held against her neck.

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Poor Laira. Do you think she'll be okay? What's going to happen to Iyokú? Tell me your thoughts! Happy reading!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out.