Last Updated:
2024-02-21 19:09:54
ALKEBULAN ADISAHello, Star-Trail Readers. Expect the next chapter to be little-to-no dialogue. Rather, it will be written as a summary of what happened over the next few months. I believe this is the best way to keep the pace of the plot. Basically, this next chapter will be more of a ‘show’ than ‘tell’. Thank you
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STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER ONE: VEILED BLESSING
February - [Height of Aquarius] 2655; 79(10000) A.S.A (After Scripture Ascension) Blinding pain jolted through Etanai as a wooden baseball bat made brutal contact with the side of his head. His jelled-back Copper-Brown hair did nothing to buffer the heavy impact. He staggered around the chaotic surroundings, managing to avoid collision with any of the fighters pounding for blood against their opponent. Etanai pulled a trembling hand to his temple and picked up wetness his blurry eyes confirmed to be blood. His shaky legs gave way and he dropped to the sandy floor, resulting in him having to crawl his way to the crevice between the nearest houses. His ears slowly picked up the screams of intense fighting beyond the noisy ring and he squinted a pair of Hazel eyes to focus on the scene – more than fifty men were running about, utilizing sharp metals and guns of all sorts against each other. The streets were vacant of the locals for a reason. He would have never taken this route had he
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER TWO: WRAITH VALLEY (1)
The temple of wisdom, being a receptacle of immense ancient power and influence, has its boundaries occupying up to twenty-five percent land mass of the entire city. The space holds various sectors which include their private military and academic institutions, among many others. One of the countless buildings here is the Main Assembly Hall where public addressing takes place, and currently, it is filled with the only camera crews allowed from the various high-tier media outlets. “In an era of technology and democracy, Igineri is a first-world country thriving at the top of the game. It is a powerful nation that had begun a rapid rise since the great Watcher shared his wisdom throughout the planet with great love and patience, while also showing the unfathomable manifestation he possessed from unraveling the mysteries of the first constellation he comprehended. We are the roots and glue that continue to hold up other countries of the Ayika Continent. Without the aid we provide every
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER THREE: WRAITH VALLEY (2)
Chad's golden eyes widened as he noticed Ricky aiming a fist at his head, which he avoided with great reflex only to spot the fist making contact with a creature mid-air. Chad quickly took five steps backward to get a better look. "It's a Zeal-leacher," Cassandra spoke up as she reached Chad's side. "You okay?" Chad nodded before glancing sideways at the combination of a scream and guttural croak. A distance to his left, he saw a female finalist struggling beneath another Zeal-leacher that suddenly released its tongue to latch onto her face and she slowly went still. Cassandra comprehended what had happened and turned to Ricky. “Hey! Get away from that thing!” “Not fast enough.” Simply ignoring the warning, a cocky smirk was well plastered across Ricky’s face as he began throwing brutal punches that seemed to keep the Zeal-leacher down. “You don’t seem much of a challenge. Turns out your strengths are mere exaggerations.” He then switched to stomping on the creature’s face. “Shou
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER FOUR: GUILT ON TRIAL
“3” “4” The gold of bright energy slowly revolving around Eshya contradicted the deep etch between her eyebrows in mood symbolism. She could feel them; her protective blessings dissipating one after the other. Admittedly, it was one of her weakest blessings; it was all she could grant without crossing the line. It should have been enough to withstand the Zeal-leachers' lenient attacks and yet, she didn't expect something would trigger these creatures' ferocious side. “7” “10” The priestess’ heart lurched at the increasing death counts; that was half of the finalists. The severity of the situation shocked her and she automatically began to take her steps forward when an intense flail of crimson energy spread out just beyond the barrier. It swiftly tightened around her neck and torso, trapping her arms in the process. Eshya stared at the center of the energy in slight confusion. "Show yourself!" “I was just about to, child.” An inundation of cries and laughter accompanied the bo
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER FIVE: STAR-TOUCHED TOWARDS THE ELEMENTS.
The air of bareness that carried through the entirety of Wraith Valley makes a wavering alignment with the sight of Zeal-leachers feeding off of their victims. The starving ones croaked odiously, slapping harsh palms on the feasting leachers' heads for a turn. Though the Star-Trail Accordance Trial was over, the current creatures no longer held any obligation to stay true to the pact or listen to their mother. The agreement prohibitions weren't maintained and the result had turned out grievous. A particular Zeal-leacher was beginning to get irked by three others slapping all over its body for a turn and was about to retaliate when its victim's hands, initially limped at the sides, suddenly lunged into its mouth, punching through the soft tissue of its throat and ripping out its tongue. It led out an intensely high-pitched croak, backing away along with the shocked aggravators as it spewed its blood of green liquid. It fell to the ground, convulsing in agony as the three Zeal-leacher
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER SIX: THE UNCO MEMBER (1)
Chad instantly recognized the short curls of a titanium-colored-haired male walking slower. “It’s you, Ricky’s Sad boy.”“I’m sure he meant Bava.” Cassandra wasted no time delivering a harsh slap to the gold-eyed man’s chest, ignoring his annoyed expression as she smiled at the familiar young man.The Amber-skin-toned man waved a hand with a gentle smile and his large pair of Alice-colored eyes behind thick lashes refused to spare Chad a glance. "I didn't introduce myself properly the last time. I'm Bava Edwards; Holy Warrior star-touched towards Water."“And I’m Chanti.” The other man, slightly teenage-looking, pointed a thumb to his chest with a goofy grin. “Garu Chanti. Please, just call me Garu.” He struck a dramatic bow and rose back up to questioning stares. “What?”Cassandra hesitantly sized up the rose-skinned man with a skinny build, then held his Dusk-colored eyes in a heated challenge, one the male with the radiating smile didn't back down in the slightest from, creating so
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER SEVEN: THE UNCO MEMBER (2)
“Damn it!”It was all Chad could let out as the group of four slowly succumbed to the barrage of attacks. Garu could only endure with sharp and loud grunts as he endured broken limbs and ribs beneath the endless pounding he received along with the rest.The Zeal-leachers reveled in the sight of pooling red blood for a change as they began pounding their fists over the crumbling bodies for better results.Garu, Bava, Cassandra, and Chad simply hid their heads beneath broken arms as they lay there, beneath the beatings they were certain wouldn't end long after they were dead. They should have known better than to assume they could face these creatures that lived only for the celestial of retribution. Who could deal a more deadly hand of revenge than these monsters with the sole purpose of enacting just that?Lengthy cries of sharp cracks whipped through the air around them and the four found the weight of impact bashing against their body was dropping rapidly until they were sure no Zea
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER EIGHT: YEARNING FOR HER LIGHT (1)
“Praised be the supreme watcher!” The four warriors spotted a smile of relief on the priestess’ face as she laid bright eyes on them, and it sent threads of warmth into their hearts. Her ceremonious dress from the previous day stood clear she had never left the Valley’s entrance. "Priestess….." A groan left Cassandra's lips and she dropped to the ground, pain crushing at every bone and muscle before she could pay proper respect to the holy star symbol. She cursed under her breath as she realized her body was naturally responding to the full sensation of the Zeal-leachers' last barrage of palm attacks. “Priestess, what’s wrong with them?” Eshya winced at the sight of the three young men in similar conditions as the black-haired woman, regarding her head security with little mind. “A parting gift from the goddess’ children, no doubt.” She spread her joined palms skyward while whispering in seconds of hushes. Four specks of light orbs flickered into existence and widened at a steady
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- STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: RECTIFICATION
The two holy warriors shared a cushion, their backs initially turned to one another until Bava gently grabbed him by his bare shoulders to turn him around, and the pair of gold-colored eyes met the Alice-colored ones. “Why are you protecting Ricky? I know this has to be more than what you led on.” The amount of openness conveyed in Bava’s words warmed Chad’s heart. “Ricky…was the first person to ever treat me like I mattered. The confidence in me today was first ignited when I met him.” Bava couldn’t help raising an eyebrow to relay his skepticism. “Are we talking about the same Ricky?” "I know it's hard to believe but he saw me for who I was. That bastard saw how broken I was and yet, he chose to have me in his life." Chad's eyes were welling up at this point. "So of course I fell for him, and he…well he tolerated me." “Stop!” There was a trace of defiance on Bava’s face. “See, that’s the problem. You should never give your heart to someone who merely tolerates you.” Chad scoffe
- STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: TAKING CHARGE
“Hello, I’m Etanai.”“I’m Bava.”“Hi, I’m Cassandra.”“Call me Garu.”“…Chad.”The five holy warriors sat around the living area in awkward silence after that greeting. Head Instructor Gambit didn’t even spend one minute before he left Etanai to these four faces he wouldn’t dare call friends.He cleared his throat. “So I’m twenty-three years old. What about you guys?” Though he maintained a relaxed smile, he was deeply cringing inward. What kind of a conversation starter was that?The four glanced at each other with lost eyes for a few seconds before they gathered themselves."Well, I'm twenty-four years old." Bava sent Etanai a calm smile. He then turned to give Cassandra a gentle nudge. “Your turn.”“Oh, um. I’m a year older than him.”"Well, I'm much younger than these guys." Garu smiled widely. "I'm nineteen."Etanai was much calmer once he saw these guys were genuinely accommodating him. He was worried for nothing, or so he thought.Everyone turned to look at Chad.Then golden-ey
- STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: THE DOMINANT DISPLAY
“That bitch! She stole my arms. Look at me now! Who does she think she is?!” Meadow floated back and forth in the air as she was fuming. She had two worm-size appendages, wiggling where her arms should have been. The lanky shadow sat on a rock as he stared at his sister with worried eyes. “Meadow, you need to calm down. Fretting won’t solve anything at the moment.” "Shut up, you stupid twig!" Meadow turned her fury on her brother. "You are good for nothing. You just floated there while that little brat did this to me." A sadistic smirk spread across her chubby face. "I should tear you apart right now and keep those arms of yours for myself. It's the least compensation you could give me. You hardly use them anyway. You're a useless waste as a sentient shadow." She lunged forward and quickly wrapped her mouth around one of Shall’s hands and she began munching on it. “Ow! Meadow, stop it! You’re acting crazy!” Shall let out a whine as he backed away to no avail; his sister refused to l
- STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: HONORING THE STATUS
“Why did you guys call me over at such an early hour?” Eshya walked into her father’s living area with puffy eyes. She found him and Gambit seated as they consumed their breakfast.“Join us.”Eshya looked at her dad with skeptical eyes before walking over. “I can’t remember the last time you invited me over just to have a meal with you.” She saw the guilty look on the middle-aged man’s face. “And I’m guessing today’s not that day either.”Gambit stifled a laugh, which earned him a pissed glare from the third pillar so he pretended he had choked on his tea. "That's my cue."Eshya saw the head instructor getting up. “Where are you going?”“Oh, I’m not part of this conversation. That’s between you father and daughter.” He began heading for the door. “I have a lightning warrior to train.” He turned his head back at Eshya. “Is the boy up?”Eshya nodded her head. “He should be. The temple servants say he tends to wake up very early.”Gambit ‘mmhed’ in understanding and he left.Eshya turned
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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: BEAUTIFUL EYES AND PLUMP LIPS
“You two did it, right?” Elder Rowan stared at the fifth and eleventh pillars sitting across from her with reserved emotion on her face.There was a smirk on Elder Change’s face. “That was the plan, wasn’t it? We successfully got the priestess looking quite incompetent in that hall.”Elder Kissani chuckled with delight as he took a sip of his wine. “Let’s see if she dares to show off before us ever again. She forgets her status would be nothing in the eyes of the people without us there to lift her up.”“Enough of this for now,” Elder Rowan interjected with a lazy wave of her hand. “Talking about that spoilt brat would only sour my mood.”Elder Change raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Still pissed she spoke to you that way?”Elder Rowan gave no reaction to that. “Let’s talk about something else.”The next hour was spent chatting away at random happenings they had recently encountered. After this, the fifth and eleventh pillars bid their farewells and left the fourth pillar’s qua
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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: THE SEIZED SHADOW’S PART
“There’s a great imminent incident that might befall the temple. Then we have the temple’s military properties that have been hijacked by the Scripture Rejecters. It seems they getting bolder.” Eshya’s looked to the third pillar. “A troop of our military men and women lost their lives and five truck-loads of Aster-Firearms to them and a….crocodile.”Elder Tobias held a finger over his mouth as he laid back in his seat. "That's everything so far."“Know that we do not want you thinking too much about this, Priestess. That is our job as the twelve pillars of the temple.” Elder Niola placed a comforting hand on Eshya’s hand. “You just need to focus on consolidating your powers and bonding with your warriors. You will need these if you’re to enter a Soul-Bond of Constellations with them.” She looked up to find Eshya with slightly wide eyes and her body suddenly went stiff. “Priestess, what’s wrong?”“It’s Etanai, he needs me!”The third and second pillars shared a glance before the forme
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CHAPTER THIRTY: DELE, VITA, AND ODETTE
Etanai felt his stiff body loosening up as he conjured enough strength to open his heavy eyelids. A groan escaped his lips as he found he had passed out on the ground.“You’re finally awake.” Etanai jerked up into a sitting position to find it was Gambit, occupying his one-seat sofa. “Get up, boy. You should go freshen up; you look a mess. By the way, weren’t you taught the habit of maintaining your space?”Etanai followed his gaze while getting up on his feet. To the walls, he found the existing proof of what had happened before he passed out. His body shook slightly. “Those shadows! Head Instructor, there were….”Gambit halted his words with a raised palm. “I know, my boy. I saw everything. That’s why I’m here” His hand then gestured to his left. “Go shower first.”Etanai gently nodded before walking away to do as he was told. A quarter of an hour later, he returned much-refreshed in a new outfit. The temple had provided him with a full set during his stay in his cell, courtesy of
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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: DECIPHERING THE PERSISTENT VISION
“What did you see?” Elder Tobias picked up the cup of tea before him with shaky hands and he took a sip while his eyes darted between the expecting faces of Elder Niola and Gambit. "It's the same vision as last time; those figures on the ground, screaming in agony. They still lay helpless before me." He put down the cup as the warmth from the herbal concoction seeped through his body. "An insistent vision becomes an imminent one." “It’s seems that way.” Elder Niola glanced out the large windows. “The issue now is deciphering the vision right and properly preparing as much as we can for it.” Gambit had his head down in deep thought for a while before looking back up. "Could it have something to do with the stolen cargo we were discussing?" He found the pillars' gazes on him. "I'm aware Pillars sometimes have visions that are triggered by a conversation. What if the incident at Kalion forest is tied to this?" “In what way would that be though?” Elder Niola’s gaze returned to the room
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: THE SAME VISION
The Temple of Wisdom’s Intelligence Unit is one of Comet Tower’s most important departments. They are responsible for gathering all classes of information concerning the temple from around the world.“Rubbish! This is slander!” The eleventh pillar couldn’t help the bitter expression on his face. It was hard to convincingly deny such a report made by their very own intelligence unit.“Elder Change, calm yourself.” Elder Kissani sent a discreet look before turning back to Eshya. “Priestess, may we see this report?”Eshya handed over the file to Elder Kissani who began going through it with Elder Change. Meanwhile, Elder Rowan’s posture remained straight and her eyes didn’t shift away from the holy star symbol in the slightest; this, however, was a staring challenge Eshya was willing to put up with. The priestess wasn’t going to cower before this woman at a time like this.“Aren’t you also gonna check for a possible sign of fraudulence?” With folded arms, Eshya nodded at the woman with