Darkness silently spread across Yunbuck Village. The stars and three crimson moons shone brightly over the earth, casting a faint glow across the quiet shore.
Inside the little wooden cabin by the sea, Zuru lay on the couch, cuddling the silver case like an expensive girlfriend as he gently caressed it with a dreamy smile.
Sarah cast him another glare and now she got fed up. She walked over and planted both hands on her waist.
"Zuru, would you drop the goddamn case already and prepare for tonight?"
"No," Zuru replied without sparing her a glance. "It’s permanently attached to me now."
Sarah’s entire body stiffened in rage. "Quit acting like a baby and get prepared. Right now."
But Zuru only yawned lazily. "Ugh, stop being such a mom." He hugged the case even tighter. "We still have more than two hours before our next robbery. Come on... loosen up. Do what kids do." He glanced at her arrogantly. "It’s not like you played much of a role during the last raid anyway."
Sarah’s rage boiled over. "How dare you... I—"
"Cut the slack, woman," Zuru chirped in nonchalantly. "Mere revolvers were pointed at your head and you froze up like some bitchy statue." He exhaled in an exaggerated disappointmet. "Too much for having blood magic."
"What!" Sarah barked. "Oh, I’m the one that froze up? Well you nearly peed your pants, ugh." She grabbed a bronze cup on the table and flung it angrily at him.
"OW!" zuru yelped, rubbing his head, "What the fuck Sarah?"
"The fuck is that, your dump powerless ass pisses me off all the time..." She pointed at him. "And for the last time, it’s not blood magic, idiot. It’s haemomancy."
Zuru’s voice rose as well.
"I think you’re just jealous that Star stepped in and stole your spotlight."
"URGH." Sarah shouted as she rushed towards zuru ferociously.
"HEY, HEY. HEEEY." Zuru yelled as he threw the box over his head in defence.
But just before Sarah would pound on him, a door slammed shut behind them.
The two siblings turned reflexively, their eyes widening in surprise.
Star had stormed out of the inner room and was heading furiously toward the exit. He didn’t even spare them or their shenanigans a glance.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sarah called and hesitantly Star halted.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
Star exhaled, doing his best to hide the anger brewing inside him.
"I’m leaving," he replied flatly.
He turned to continue, but Sarah quickly stepped in.
"B-but why? And where are you going?"
Star threw his hands up. "Seriously? You’re asking me why?"
He shook his head with a humorless laugh. "You guys are planning another robbery as if what happened earlier was nothing."
"No, it’s not like that—" Sarah began.
"Not like what?" Star shot back, his voice rising. "I just threatened a little girl!" He pointed toward the door. "And when were you guys even planning to tell me about this next robbery? Or were you just going to use me... again?"
Silence fell over the entire cabin that only the creaking of crickets outside could be heard.
Sarah open her mouth to respond but nothing came out.
Star shook his head in disappointment. "That’s what I thought." He said, as he turned back towards the door.
"Hey, man," Zuru called quickly.
Star stopped but didn’t turn around.
Zuru let out a nervous chuckle. "Come on. You don’t have to leave." He sneered. "Uhm... I-I mean, we need you." He chuckled again. "You can’t seriously punish me for her mistakes, can you now?"
Sarah raised an angered brow but zuru ignored her
"She." He pointed at Sarah. "Was the one that should tell you but she didn’t..."
"What!" Sarah barked. "So this is my fault."
"of course it is." Zuru retorted mercilessly. "You’re the one acting like a mom, so you should’ve told him."
Sarah let out a laugh that bothered on insanity. "Oh right... like I have been the one that has been whining ’all day’ about being the eldest... AND FOR THE LAST TIME STOP SAYING I’M A MUM."
"Oh really mum, what are you going to do." Zuru croaked mockingly. "I believe you were angry about how the kid you saved, beat you in a robbery, you didn’t even want to prepare him for the next."
"ENOUGH!" star yelled as he stumped his feet forcefully on the wooden floor.
BAAAM!
The wooden floor exploded beneath Star’s foot. Cracks shot outward from the impact and raced across the planks like lightning. The entire section of flooring beneath Sarah and Zuru suddenly gave way.
"Shit—!" Sarah’s voice cut off as she dropped through the broken floor, Zuru going down with her.
For one strange moment, Star’s senses sharpened.
The falling pieces of wood seemed to move slowly through the air. He could see Sarah’s widened eyes, Zuru’s flailing arms, and the dust rising from the crater below.
His own mind nearly stopped. "...Oh, shit."
But his body moved reflexively as he lunged forward.
He caught Sarah just before she fell through the opening, one arm sliding beneath her knees while the other supported her back. He pulled her tightly against his chest and landed several steps away from the broken floor.
Behind him, Zuru dropped straight through the opening and slammed into the crater below.
CRASH!
"OW!" He yelped, but Star barely heard him.
He looked down at Sarah and she was staring right back into his eyes.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The cabin fell strangely quiet. Only the crickets outside could be heard.
Sarah continued staring at him, her face close to his.
His heartbeat suddenly felt louder than the collapsing floor. He stepped back awkwardly and cleared his throat.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah." Sarah replied far too quickly, as she looked away at once.
Star carefully lowered her to her feet.
"Yeah, fine, fine." Zuru groaned, from the crater, "I’m okay too. Thanks for asking."
Star completely ignored him, but just then a sharp fleeting pain hit his head.
"Ah..." He closed his eyes and held his temple.
Sarah noticed immediately. "What’s wrong?" She asked worriedly. She was about to approach him but suddenly paused.
"Y-your ring." She pointed at his finger. "It’s... It’s glowing."
Star looked at her, before quickly hiding his arm away.
"It doesn’t concern you." He replied rudely.
Sarah mood plummeted, but Star looked away emotionlessly.
"I have to go."
He turned and began walking toward the door.
"Please..." Sarah whispered, before she could hold herself.
Star stopped, and slowly tilted his head.
"Don’t go."
Star remained still. Deep down, he wanted to stay, they had been there for him... and in as much as they were flawed, he had grown to see them as...
Friends.
He exhaled slowly.
"I’m sorry, Sarah."
His voice was quiet as he started down the steps.
"I lost my family too," Sarah said quickly.
Star paused, but this time, he didn’t look back.
"I mean..." She gave a sad little chuckle. "Not everyone. I still have Zuru, don’t I?"
The next instance her eyes widened and a surprise gasp nearly left her mouth.
Star hadn’t moved again, rather he sat on the step and gently tapped beside him in a gentle invitation.
Sarah did her best to hold back a tear as she went forward and sat beside him.
"Thanks."
Star smiled warmly. "What happened?" He asked.
Sarah lowered her gaze and absentmindedly fiddled with the edge of her clothes.
"It was another warm evening," she began. "Mother and I were picking corn from the farm." A small laugh escaped her. "As we worked, we heard Zuru and Father returning from the river, arguing over who had caught the bigger fish."
She shook her head, remembering those happier days.
"You know, Zuru was more like my father. Annoying, talkative..." Her smile slowly faded. "Funny... caring." She quickly wiped a tear from her cheek.
Star’s mood sank. He didn’t want to imagine that peaceful moment ending. He already knew where the story was headed, since he had been there before.
"Everything was perfect." Sarah continued. "Until they... until they attacked." Her voice trembled. "Creatures I have never seen before, monsters, beasts..."
Her eyes lowered. "Demons."
Star swallowed and instinctively hid the finger wearing his ring.
However the fear of that very day seemed to still show in Sarah’s eyes
"Father told Mother to hide us beneath the floor. She quickly took us down and warned us not to make a sound." Sarah’s fingers tightened around her clothes. "We hid inside before she closed the floor again."
Sarah let out a humorless chuckle. "I didn’t even know we had a secret space under the floor."
"Which means they knew," Star said thoughtfully.
Sarah winced, a bit confused.
"I mean, they knew about demons and monsters. Maybe they had seen it before, or maybe they were just being... parents."
Sarah simply shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe."
"But when the screams and those terrifying sounds stopped..." Her voice grew quieter. "Father, Mother... everyone was..."
Her voice broke. She tried desperately to hold back her tears, but they rolled down her cheeks anyway.
Star didn’t know what motivated him, but in the next moment he found himself taking Sarah’s palm into his and squeezing it reassuringly.
Sarah’s eyes widened as an unknowing gasp escaped her. But Star bravely gave her an encouraging nod.
The warmth of his grip touched her heart and gave her the courage to continue.
She exhaled. "We weren’t even the ones who got out by ourselves. When Zuru tried opening it, it was so heavy. Something had clearly fallen on top of it."
She wiped her cheeks. "We thought we were going to die until it was finally opened. When we stepped out, almost t-the entire north was nothing more than rubble. We nearly lost everything."
Star frowned thoughtfully. "The entire north?"
"Yeah." Sarah nodded.
Star’s eyes narrowed as he remembered about the monster raid his father told him about that took place in the North. According to him, it was among the worst attack of his time.
Star stared at Sarah for a moment. "Who did you say saved you again?"
Sarah shrugged. "Well, there were many of them, but they were led by one powerful king. King Karren? Or was it King Karion?"
"King Ikaris," Star corrected.
"Yeah, I think. But he was called the dragon king. He arrived with some elite soldiers that drove the monsters and demons away."
"The I.Vs." star supplied.
"Probably... It’s been a bit long. I mean I was eight, and Zuru was ten." She turned back to Star. "Do you know these people?"
Star hesitated. He thought about saying the truth, but he had no intentions of letting them know he was royalty, especially now that he was a fallen one.
"Yes." He replied "King Ikaris was their leader, and... and o-one of the I.V soldier was someone I used to know, served with my father under the king. I guess that’s how I got to know much about King Ikaris." He smiled. "But you should be glad he came to save you honored, even."
Sarah frowned. "Honored?" The word came out dripping with hatred. "He’s a coward."
Star felt his heart stop, but he said nothing. He knew pretty well that anything that came out of his mouth might make things worse, especially now that Sarah was so emotional.
But Sarah continued. "If he had arrived earlier, my village would have been saved. My parents, most especially, would still be alive right now." Her voice trembled. "And we wouldn’t be living this crap of a life that you so much detest."
Star said nothing. Sarah had just spoken ill of his father, almost damaging the good memory he still carried of him.
He kept quiet, but the anger inside him continued to build.
Sarah noticed the sudden change in his mood and quickly added, "I’m sorry if I said something wrong. It seemed like you liked this man."
Star exhaled. "Yeah. He was my hero." He paused, then raised his head. "I’m so sorry for your loss, Sarah. I didn’t know... I didn’t know that this life you guys lived was just a way you survived."
Sarah couldn’t believe she found herself smiling.
"You’re the only one who seems to have understood," she said. "I mean, not like I’ve explained it to everybody I’ve met."
They laughed a little. When the laughter died, Sarah lowered her head again, that was when she caught a glimpse of the golden ring.
"Your ring?" She asked curiously. "It was glowing."
Star felt his inside twist. "Oh that?" He stuttered, "it... It’s magic regulates my anger." He lied.
Sarah nodded. "Oh, well, that makes sense."
Quickly, Star changed the topic. The ring always brought back memories he would rather keep buried for now.
"Dont mind zuru, you were pretty brave out there, earlier."
Sarah smiled shyly before avoiding his eyes.
"Thanks, but you know, out there, I used to act all tough. Like am untouchable, or the bravest girl Zuru had ever known." She shook her head. "But deep down, I’m afraid something might happen. Something that will compromise us. Something that could even lead to our execution."
She looked at Star. "You know, even though we’re not what people expect, we’re still the world-most-famous thieves."
Star chuckled despite himself. He went ahead and held Sarah’s hand tightly.
"I promise you, Sarah. I will never let anything happen to you... like y-you guys."
Sarah blushed. "Does that mean you’re going to join us in the next robbery?"
Star simply stared at her.
"It means what it means."