The Legend of Caelestella

Someone awoke him from his shallow state of rest. 'Astar.'

Astar shuffled on his mat. The rough ground had made his back stiff. 

'Mm?' He replied, still half asleep.

He felt a slight pressure on his stomach and it carefully trailed it's way to his waist. Astar peeked his eyes open, it was still dark outside. Camping outside in the cool air beneath the stars was nice. He turned his head to the side, checking what was resting on his waist. A hand? He followed the arm around till he found its owner. Haruki was lying beside him, the hand that wasn't on Astar's waist was supporting his head upright. Astar turned around towards Haruki, resting under his arm and in the safety of his chest.

'Well, we were meant to start our turn keeping guard, but I would love to stay like this.' Haruki whispered.

'Mhm.' Astar said. He yawned and snuggled himself in more. 'Five more minutes.' He pleaded softly.

'Mmm, nope. You can sleep like this once our hour is up, though.' Haruki promised him. Astar grumbled and didn't move a muscle, he was too comfortable. 

A hot breath tickled his neck as Haruki breathed slowly and calmly.

'Fine,' Haruki said as he began to sit up, 'I have no choice.'

'No…' Astar muttered as Haruki's warm figure left his side. The world began to shift and he felt himself lift off the ground, he finally woke up properly. 'Whoa!' He exclaimed as Haruki lifted him out of their make-shift bed. The ground below him moved as Haruki stepped out of the group's campground and over to the designated 'lookout', which was really just a section of red sandstone that jutted out from the mostly even floor of the canyon.

'I'm awake now,' Astar yawned, 'I think?'

Haruki carefully lowered him down to the ground and Astar reached his arms up, stretching his body out after his nap.

'How long do we need to watch for?' Astar asked.

'Just an hour, it's Dasheil and Aiden's turn after us.'

The wind picked up, sending dust into Astar's eyes. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to rub the dust out of them. He opened his eyes slightly and saw Haruki with his hand over his eyes, bracing himself upon the top of the rock in a stable stance. Astar dropped his arms by his side, his shirt rippled in the wind. He stood at the base of the outcropping, looking up at Haruki, admiring. The wind settled and Haruki carefully lowered his hand and looked down at Astar. His facial features softened as his gaze hit Astars. Suddenly, he sharply jolted his head to the side, watching the vast open space beyond their campground. He reached his hand out to Astar, not moving his gaze from the expanse of the canyon. Astar gently climbed up the base of the rock, he reached up towards Haruki's hand, their fingertips brushed past each other.

'Whoops' Astar whispered.

He stepped up the rock a little further and grabbed Haruki's hand. Haruki gently helped pull Astar up the rock till he stood beside Haruki. Haruki wrapped his arm around Astar's waist and pulled him closer. 

'Do you see that?' Haruki whispered softly. Astar felt his face go flush, all he could focus on was Haruki's hand on his waist. He broke his focus and squinted his eyes, looking out towards the part of the canyon's expanse Haruki was focused on. A shadowy figure, similar to what Haruki had described earlier in the day, moved slowly against the furthest canyon wall.

'What…' Astar trailed off. The cloaked figure suddenly whipped its head around in their direction, its glowing eyes were visible from even a kilometre away. Haruki reacted quickly, grabbing Astar's shoulder and pulling him down to the surface of the rock.

'Did they see us?' Astar whispered.

'Shh.'

Astar tried to get a look over the peak of the rock, but Haruki's hand rested firmly in the centre of his back, his uncanny strength practically pinning him to the rock. Who had been tracking them?

'Is that the same person you saw from before?' Astar asked softly.

'Don't know…' Haruki muttered.

'What if they're tracking us? Our friends could be in danger, Haruki.' Astar tried to wiggle free, he had to go check that their group was alright.

'No.' Haruki whispered firmly. 'Stay where you are.'

'But-'

Haruki's tone was firm, almost commanding. 'I'll go, don't move from here.'

Haruki stood up, carefully retreating down the rock. Astar turned his head, watching Haruki as he crept along. Despite, his tall, sharp and muscular features, Haruki was quite agile, easily slipping between the shadows as if he was one himself. A scream sounded from the distance, near where the figure they'd seen had been stalking. Astar sat up, alert and ready to jump into action if needed. However, nothing stood where the figure had been. Where had they gone? Astar stood up, surveying the campsite and the surrounding open area. Nothing. No trace of a soul besides the ones who rested within their camp. He heard the sound of pebbles rolling off the rock he stood on, he turned back around.

'Haruki you scared…' He stopped. It was not Haruki. The figure, who towered over him, must have been almost seven feet tall. His cloak shrouded his face but the glow of his pale yellow eyes was overpowering in the darkness of the new moon. Astar stepped back, his voice caught in his throat. The man's muscular silhouette stood still, unmoving. Astar felt himself tumble backwards, the dark man suddenly shot his arm out, reaching to grab Astar's arm. He gripped Astar's forearm tightly, once again stone still. His skin was white, and as cold as ice. His frozen stature seemed to spread to Astar, making him unable to move. Whether he was consumed by fear, or some sort of magic was working on him, he found himself as still as stone.

A hot force pulled him back, breaking him from his frozen state. A strong arm wrapped around him, pulling him close to Haruki's warmth. 

'Who the fuck are you to touch him?' Haruki asked in a low, dangerous voice. The tall man stood ever still. The glow of his eyes focused down on the two of them. The man raised his hands slowly, in a peaceful gesture, and walked backwards to the end of the rock before turning and fleeing quickly, too quickly for someone his size. Astar stumbled backwards, Haruki steadied him by placing his hand in the centre of his back for support.

'Are you okay?' Haruki asked, swiftly grabbing Astar's shoulders.

 'Who..?' Astar had tried to ask who the man standing before him was, but his voice caught in his throat

'The same glowing eyes…' Haruki mumbled, looking down at his feet, his hands still firmly gripping Astar's shoulders.

'Wait, is that the figure you saw earlier?' Astar asked, his breath shaking.

'I believe so.'

'Well…' Astar thought aloud, 'we know who his target is, at least.' He shifted uncomfortably. Ellie had mentioned a few days ago how Kezran had been searching for one of the rare light magic users. 

In the ethereal realm of Caelestella, where the very fabric of existence danced with the radiance of divine beings, there reigned a deity whose brilliance outshone even the brightest stars. Ilo, the God of Light, was revered among the celestial pantheon, his luminous presence a beacon of hope and guidance for all who dwelled within the celestial planes.

Yet, amidst the grandeur of his divine court, there existed a rare phenomenon—a mortal, chosen by the illustrious God of Light himself to bear a fraction of his radiant power. Astar, a humble soul among the mortals, was bestowed with the sacred gift of Ilo's magic. But little did he know, this divine favor would come to weigh heavily upon his shoulders, burdening him with a destiny far more perilous than he could have ever imagined.

For while the fall of Caelestella cast a shadow over the heavens, dimming the glory of its once majestic realm, Ilo's lofty status shielded him from the worst of the catastrophe. His powers remained untainted by the chaos that ravaged the celestial spheres, his brilliance undiminished by the darkness that threatened to engulf all.

And so, as one of Ilo's chosen apprentices, Astar found himself ensnared in a web of fate, his newfound abilities a double-edged sword that cut deep into his soul. For with the privilege of wielding the God of Light's magic came the weight of responsibility, the burden of upholding the dwindling light against the encroaching shadows. 

Perhaps, in the end, Astar would come to realize that his position as one of Ilo's favored few was not merely a blessing bestowed upon him, but a curse that bound him to a destiny fraught with peril and sacrifice, and as the echoes of celestial strife resounded through the heavens, Astar would be forced to confront the harsh reality of his existence—a pawn in a cosmic game of light and darkness, where the line between blessing and curse blurred into obscurity.

☆

The stars sat still in their skyward positions, their faint tendrils of light reaching out to escape their prison above. Astar shuffled his knees closer to his chest in an attempt to seek any sense of security he could. The desert nights proved to be barren and haunting, the previous intense heat replaced by an unforgivingly stone-cold environment. 

He couldn't sleep, not since the incident a few hours before. A faint glow peered over the top of their designated lookout rock in the distance. Phyre and Elva sat on the other side, obscured by the boulder. Astar feared that his presence in this mission may prove to enstow more anarchy then they had bargained for, and the recent event had not disproved his theory. 

He had a lot to consider, and the gravity of these decisions held his shoulders dejected. He worried for his friends, if his life would be what risked theirs, and as pained and grieved as he was to admit it, he also feared for his own life. He believed that if his life became a threat, perhaps these people might just eradicate that threat. 

He looked over at Haruki in the bedroll next to him, perhaps even he might consider the greater good over Astar. He clawed at the skin on his legs, pulling it taut. 

'What's wrong?' Haruki rolled over.

'Sorry,' Astar muttered.

'I can sense your unrest from here,' Haruki acknowledged.

'Say, what if my presence becomes a threat?' Astar asked. 'In terms of the knights of Kezran, I mean.'

'You won't.' Haruki assured him.

'But if I do-'

'You won't,' Haruki repeated. 'I'd reduce the very fabric of our world to ashes before I'd believe you pose any intentional threat.'

Haruki rolled back over and pulled the thick winter bedroll closer around himself. Astar watched as his chest rose and fell under the blankets.

Astar pondered this. It was an aggressive approach to reassurance, however, a typical approach for Haruki. He smiled faintly. Although Haruki's approaches may not be traditional, he still meant well. His heart was in the right place, and that was what mattered. 

His weary eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay awake. He had been too paranoid to sleep, but over time the pressure of sleep had weighed him down. 

He slid further into his bedroll, he wouldn't sleep, but just rest his eyes.