Legendary Stars

Part 4 Chapter 2

Boaz woke up early before the sun rose. He took the bandages off of his shins, and they were nearly healed. He was going back to try to reason with Zuriel. He attempted to leave as quietly as possible.

"You aren't staying for coffee?"

Boaz looked at Armani, who was working on morning refreshments, "Um, well, yeah, I guess I can stay for coffee."

Armani's olive-green eyes lit up, and she went to pour Boaz his drink. He sat on the floor rug as she brought him his coffee.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. If you were looking for Quillon, he already left. He escorts the children to school, and then he joins the riots."

"I was going to try and reason with her again," Boaz sighed.

"Be careful. Zuriel is a mighty woman. This war has not been easy on either side, and everyone has a reason to be fighting. Just be careful. It would be horrible to lose another Legend prematurely."

"Quillon told you, huh?"

"Yes, he did. There are a lot of mixed feelings about it, but I know you're going to be on the side of right regardless."

"Mixed feelings?"

"Yeah, people wonder why you just showed up out of nowhere. And why you are so intent on reasoning with Zuriel. Others want to know why you won't just put her in her place."

"What do they expect? I'm only twenty-one years old. I have a family that raised me without even knowing what my true calling was in life. I got here as soon as I could. It's not easy being the one who knows, especially when you can't say anything to the other Legends. I have to reason with Zuriel because I am her Legend too. I can't just put her in her place when I don't know what her place is."

"Bo, I get it," Armani whispered. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. Those weren't my questions," she gently touched her chest before turning away from him.

Boaz put the cup down and said, "I know, and I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just keep trying your best like everyone else out there. I have to help my mother. Take care of yourself," Armani retrieved the cups and placed them in the clay kitchen sink before disappearing into the narrow hallway.

Boaz stood up and sighed, "Alright, day two, here we go." As soon as he stepped outside, he ran as fast as possible to the line divide. It was early in the morning, so not many people were there when he arrived. The atmosphere was calm, unlike yesterday's palpable tension, and the Metalkeeper fortress looked quiet. Boaz stepped over the line and slowly walked towards the fortress doors. They were heavy and appeared to be made of several layers of high-grade metal, just like the entire fortress.

Before he could knock, Zuriel appeared beside him. Her sudden presence nearly made him jump. "I had a feeling you would be back. I guess yesterday wasn't enough," she scoffed.

"Zuriel, I just want to talk. I don't want this war and want to do whatever I can to end it. If we could just talk about a ceasefire, I will give you my word to end this war."

"Tell me, Legend, what did the Landkeepers say about negotiating a ceasefire?"

"Um, well, we are technically all Landkeepers...."

"Ugh, how about this, those who aren't gifted in metal, what did they say?"

"I haven't talked to them yet-"

"Why? Are you assuming that my kind are the only ones to blame? See, you are no different. Here you are, but we are the problem. That's been the issue since the beginning. Metalkeepers are the problem to the rest of you!"