AFIRE: fight for the Earth begins✓

25.3 AIJA

The story so far:

---- Aija is a Volunteer at the Pristine School at Innermost. She works along with Zuri and Ze, who are her friends. Aija witnesses a strange event one night – light emanating from Rez's body. The kidnapper is after her soul, next, but he leaves her alive and goes away. Another man finds her, he wants to take her somewhere else - Aija though wary of him agrees. Aija learns of the existence of the aliens – the Ytai. Also, about the R'ies and H'eon, Harvesting and Àvo from Etrie. Etrie tells her that the man, who Harvested Rez (Thieron), will now go after her. He tells her that the spy/kidnapper's name is Luka. Etrie asks her to work along with him. Aija agrees to work along with Etrie on Harvest Stopping Missions.

---- Thieron kidnaps Aija. She finds out that Nala works for Thieron. Ze, who was following her to rescue her, gets captured along with her. Thieron binds Aija to himself. Luka asks Aija not to talk of Zuri to Nala, especially in front of Thieron. She agrees for Zuri's sake. Thieron and Aija go to the Open. They meet Alton Ivar. Thieron finds Aija is out of the room and when he goes to find her, he sees that Dhor-Wo has found her. He gets her back to the room, furious. When they go to see Var-Inu, the Ytai man asks to see her. And, then, he tells Thieron to take her to get the Avo. They are attacked by a Savage. He manages to stop it. Var-Inu burns it. Aija asks if he is really Ah'n. He tells that he is Ah'n.

---- Xan speaks to Aija. He tells her what happened to him.

---- Zuri is having a hard time with both Aija and Ze missing. She finds Iyler at Aija's apartment and confronts her about not being form the Secures. Etrie informs them about the bond Thieron has with Aija. It makes getting them back all the more complicated. Zuri is invited to Aija's parents' home. She accepts the offer and goes. Zuri sees that Aija's family is ostentatiously rich. She and her brother Rei talk and he asks Zuri if Aija really was happy. She says yes.

---- Aija confronts Thieron about he being Ah'n. he agrees that he is and tells he has done it to keep the attention off himself in case things go sour.

---- Unable to stay alone, and not finding herself sleepy, Aija goes downstairs, where the three Ytai are having a conversation. Thieron switches on the DigiScreen and she changes it to the news. She sees the news about Ze and Xan. 

---- Thieron tells Aija that the Leadership is creating the Green Plague and also tells her of the Gale. 

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****25.3 - Aija****

"Get ready."

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions," Thieron growled.

He was wearing what seemed like his fight gear - dark blue, a shade of blue that was almost black and a matching coat. The same clothes he'd worn when he'd killed Rez and when he'd kidnapped her.

They were going on a Harvest.

Aija dragged herself out of bed. She had been asleep, and Thieron had woken her up. The whole day had gone by uneventfully, and Xan was still not to be seen. She wondered if Thieron had something to do with it. She resisted the urge to ask him about it.

She wore her own clothes, the blue jeans and white shirt she'd worn the night Thieron had taken her. It was washed, and it smelled good. She was tired of Nala's oversized clothes.

She went downstairs and found Ze ready as well. His usually shaved head was now covered in small brown curls. He also had stubble. Aija had never seen him so unkempt, it made him look cute.

"Do you have any idea where we are going?" he asked her.

She walked to him and whispered in his ears, "A Harvest."