Welcome to the cereal serial version of Octave of Stars! Episodes will release every Monday and Thursday. If you’re finding this story for the first time, be sure to start at Episode 01 for maximum comprehension, or check out The Index for all available Episodes.
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A chain-link fence topped with barbed wire surrounded the small lot, but it was mostly a formality. There wasn't much in there that was worth anything, anymore. Not that there wasn't much there; the junkyard was filled with various heaps in different states of rust and decay. Dirt bikes, dishwashers, hollowed-out cars, even something that might have been an airplane at some point. A wood-sided house with clay roof tiles sat near the entrance, the business office and residence of the proprietors, evidenced by the mangy bulldog, chained to a post in the shade.
Ash drove the cramped car up to the curb and peered out the window. Lumina had been right, he had found her car right away. It was decidedly British, curved and rounded in the way American cars weren't, and also very small. He doubted Gayle could even hunch over and drive the thing. At least the wheel was on the right side, meaning the left side. After a minute of searching around for the parking brake, he turned off the car and got out, putting on his backpack. As he stepped up the driveway, the dog growled, then barked once. Ash pulled a piece of sausage wrapped in a paper towel out of his pocket, and bent down. The animal happily stumped over to him and slobbered it out of his hand, then let him scratch its head. This much, he remembered.
A gruff voice came from within: "Who's there?"
"It's me, Tío Calvo," Ash replied, still bent over the dog.
Uncle Calvo emerged from behind the screen door to the house, dressed in denim overalls and a striped shirt underneath. His skin was more brown than his nephew's, his mustache gray and bushy, his shiny head gleaming as he moved from the shade into the light. "Ash? It's been a long while, never thought I'd see you around here, niño."
"Yeah, that's kinda what I thought too," Ash said, straightening up. "Which one is this now?" he gestured to the satisfied beast.
"Lodo the tenth," Calvo said proudly. "I don't think I've seen you since the eighth was a puppy."
"That sounds about right," Ash agreed.
"Well, what brings you out here? And why are you wearing my hermano's old jacket?"
"Heh, those things are kind of related. I need some help. I'm trying to build something, a few things actually. I thought about something else on the drive over. Anyway," he stood up a bit straighter. "I'm prepared to trade in my favor for something way smaller than it's worth, in exchange for something else."
Calvo raised his thin eyebrow. "Which is?"
"You don't ask me about what I'm going to use it for."
The older man crossed his arms. "I don't know if I can do that," he said.
"Well…" Ash said. Lodo barked at an errant bird.
"How about this?" Calvo countered. "I ask you something in return. First, does it have to do with your old pandilla?"
Ash shook his head, his face set. "No, I haven't talked to any of the gang for years, and I'm not about to start."
"Good, good. But, with or without them, is this thing for the good, or for bad?"
Ash straightened up. "Definitely good. It's to help someone important."
Calvo examined him for a moment with narrowed eyes. "Alright. But if you get brought in for causing trouble again, I'll just say I never helped you."
Ash breathed out, relieved. "Sounds good to me."
Calvo's eyes brightened. "Bueno. Then show me what you've got. Your tía just made some tamales this morning."
Ash showed his uncle the plans he had drawn up and the parts he had to make them work. Calvo dismissed this idea and scrounged up a pair of small industrial nozzles, able to withstand moderate heat and with a built-in valve. Adjusting the flow would just look like he was fiddling with his watchband.
Calvo showed him a quick device he had knotted together. "This mechanism will trigger whenever you twist your wrist just so."
Ash nodded. "That's great, I didn't want to get caught with finger wires."
"Just be careful if you shake someone's hand…"
"Yeah, I will."
"How are you going to keep from burning yourself, though?"
He should have thought of that first off. "Oh right, maybe some big gloves, like the ones I use at the restaurant."
"Bueno. Even better you don't need to use your fingers, eh?"
They chatted as they worked, talking about the junkyard business, and how Ash wasn't going to school anymore. Calvo had never met Cascadia, so Ash was able to avoid questions about her welfare, only referring to her as his neighbor when necessary. He got caught up on his cousins and was told to bring Óscar Mario by the next time he came. After another tamal, he started on his next project.
"So, I want the flames to run down the length of it, like a torch."
"Hmm… that reminds me of something."
Calvo waded into the thicket of junk and came back with the burner element of an old barbecue grill: a long tube with holes drilled down the length where the flames came out. By drilling another set of holes on the other axis and welding the top closed, Ash thought he had his prototype.
Calvo frowned at it, though. "Does this need to be sturdy enough to hit something, or are you just going to wave it around?"
"Both, definitely." Ash finished the cigarette he had been smoking.
"Then we'll get a stronger pipe. Also, I thought you quit that already."
"I don't think I ever really stopped…"
As the sun was approaching the horizon, Ash packed up his new gear, kissed his tía goodbye and promised his tío he would visit more often. He was glad he hadn't taken the bus, the new tool didn't quite fit in his backpack and he didn't want to draw any more attention than he had to.
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Ash held his phone up to his ear. "Hey Azalea, I'm outside… Cool, see you in a bit."
From the exterior door to the library, he could see the last few moments of sunlight over the tops of the nearby buildings. This was now the fourth sunset that he had watched without Cascadia, and hoped that wherever she was, she might be able to see it as well. A breeze moved around some trash and old leaves in a corner, and an outdoor cigarette receptacle stood nearby, the filters on the top of the pile having the distinctive pattern of Gayle's brand. He felt the pack he had bought in his pocket and thought of taking one out, but just as his hand clasped around it, the door opened and a girl with dark skin popped out.
"Hey there," Azalea said, holding the door so Ash could enter.
"Hey, I like your hair," he said as the large door shut again.
"Thanks!" She shook her head, the loose ends swirling around. "But wait 'til you see Gayle, oh my gosh."
As they entered the hallway leading to Lumina's door, Azalea stopped in front of him and turned around. He was reminded of their first meeting, and he wondered if she was going to give him some kind of vegetable. "Alright, Mister Surprise-Pants. What have you been working on all day?"
"Oh, right. I should have shown you outside, it's actually pretty explainable." He checked around the long room. "Are there any fire sprinklers in here? Wouldn't want to set those off."
"I don't think so."
"Great. Check these out, then." Ash set down his backpack and took off his turnout coat, exposing the devices strapped to his arms. A metal cylindrical nozzle was attached to a flexible rubber bag covered in duct tape, with a small flat knob at the wrist and pieces of metal and plastic all around.
Azalea's eyes glittered. "Cool…"
"No, not cool…"
"Huh?"
He looked pleased with himself. "Just wait. You should stand back, though."
She did, and Ash raised his arm and twisted his wrist like he had practiced, feeling for the click. Once he had it, the nozzle popped outward, close to his palm, and he lit it up.
Azalea moved back a step as a gout of flame erupted from Ash's hand, which stopped with another flick of his wrist.
"How's that?" The nozzle clicked back into place.
"Awe-some! Ball of fire, deal fifty damage to any unit!" She pumped her fist in the air. "I think you got promoted again."
The doorway opened, and Lumina peered out. "What's all this racket?" She saw Azalea's mad grin and Ash's confident face. "You kids, stop causing a ruckus in my garden and come inside."
The kids did so gratefully.
"I hafta go help Gayle get ready, you can change in the back room when we're done. Bye!" Azalea skipped through the small dwelling and closed the door on the other side of the television room.
"She seems happy," Ash commented as he unstrapped the launchers from his arms.
"They are both in wonderful moods," Lumina agreed, setting down two teacups and filling them from the kettle. "How was your little jaunt? I trust you found the car?"
"Uh, yeah. Pretty easy. I filled up the tank on the way back, but I couldn't find any petrol stations, so I just stopped at a gas one."
Lumina chuckled. "That will be fine, how thoughtful of you." She sat back down at the table and Ash joined her, after he put the equipment back in his pack. On the table was a folded tea towel, on which sat several tiny black tubes with clips.
"What are those?"
"Ah, this is how we will be communicating tonight," Lumina said, handing one to him. "You put it on behind your ear, against your head, like so." She demonstrated the technique, he tried one on. "They use a special kind of technology that transmits sound directly into your skull, so no one can overhear us speaking to you."
"Really? I never heard of that before."
"Yes, well, they aren't commonly available to the public. But they work quite well. The power switch is here. The microphone is very sensitive, so we will be able to hear everything you do or say. But, if you need to have a private conversation, use that switch there. Or if you need to eat, it's unbearably loud on our end when you chew or drink. And, I believe that is all. Just make sure your hair is covering it, or it's behind your ear."
"Got it, thanks." He ran his hand through his black and gray hair at the mention of it. It definitely needed a trim.
Lumina took a sip of her tea, then smiled at him. He was such a nice young fellow, she thanked God yet again that Ash had turned out to be so kind and caring. She had seen so many Fire Stars get consumed by their own flames of vengeance and control, it was refreshing to find someone so different. She wondered if his proximity to Cascadia throughout the years had contributed to it. Two of the Water Stars she had met were such kind and gentle people, and by what she had heard from the others, Cascadia was quite similar.
Ash picked up his teacup. His first thought was to pretend to taste it for temperature, even with the rising steam, but in honor of his first tea-drinking experience here, he took a big gulp right away. "Oh, I almost forgot again," he said, the sound of him speaking and setting down the cup surprising Lumina. It seemed like anything startled her any more. She gave him an imploring look.
"I told you I talked to Cas' brother, right? His name is Aidan, and he lives in Ireland with their parents. Well, not like with their parents, he's married, I mean in the same country."
Lumina was grinning at this display.
"Anyway, I told him what was going on, and he asked if you were one of the people who was helping me. He mentioned you by name, and said he had found you through research. He also said you were a 'force to be reckoned with.'"
"My, how flattering," she said, the beginnings of a faint blush starting on her cheek. "I suppose I have made a name for myself among the various communities. A great deal of information about us exists on the Internet and in other places, but most others just dismiss it as fantasy or some kind of conspiracy theory. I wonder though, as we become more connected, how difficult it will be for us to continue to stay hidden…" She took a sip of tea, and Ash did the same. "Anyway, I'm not surprised at what he said. Intelligence is important, and watching over people is doubly so. I've tried to be helpful to as many Stars as possible in my years, those I can meet in person and otherwise. Drake isn't the first one of us who decided to hurt others in the pursuit of his goals, after all."
"But what did you do before TV?" he inquired.
"Beg pardon?"
"No offense, but I'm pretty sure you were alive before TV was popular, or probably even invented. I know you use the TVs to spy on cameras and stuff, but how did you watch people before?"
Lumina's glasses glinted. He wondered if she was doing that on purpose. She grinned wider than he had ever seen her. "Back then, we used mirrors."
The door to Lumina's private rooms creaked open, and Azalea's voice came bounding out first. "Okay, everyone, she's ready! Close your eyes!" The girl herself came out with Gayle on her heels, so she saw the expressions of the people seated at the table first. "Aw, nobody closed their eyes…"
True to Azalea's continued promises, Gayle's hair was sufficiently dramatic, coiffed with an elegance that fit her perfectly. Her outfit was no less stunning. The fabric of the dress was divided, the lower half around her legs was the color of a blushing pink rose, the hem cut a few inches above the floor. Above her waist, the dress had been sewn from an ornate golden brocade of fabric, with patterns resembling a rose flower. It covered her neck, and her arms to just below the shoulders. A pair of elbow-length rose-colored gloves adorned her slender hands and completed the ensemble. The fabric of the lower half shimmered around her even when she wasn't moving, and glowed no matter how the light hit it. She stood tall and confident, ready for action while still feminine and radiant.
Azalea made her do a little turn. "Well, what do you think?" she said, demanding praise for her handiwork.
"You look marvellous, darling," Lumina said. "Absolutely stunning." Azalea was watching Lumina for her to continue, but Gayle was watching Ash. He had looked genuinely surprised when she came out of the hallway, no doubt reconciling his friendly waitress, the eco-terrorist, and this débutante all into the same person. She frequently had trouble with that herself, but then again, the wind could be many things too.
Ash swallowed. He had spent enough time around females to know how to handle this. Cascadia would emerge from her bathroom in a pretty outfit to meet her parents for dinner at a nice restaurant, and ask the dreaded question: 'How do I look?' With the couple of girls he had dated, and most women in general, they were asking for confirmation: 'Tell me I'm beautiful.' But with Cascadia, who already knew that, she really wanted to know if she had lint on her skirt or if her hair had come undone when putting on the dress. Girlfriends wanted affirmation, sisters wanted a critique. Gayle was definitely in the slightly older sister category, so he went with it.
"That dress looks great," he said. "The color really goes well with your hair."
Gayle relaxed, she hadn't noticed how tense she'd been. "Thanks. It was hard enough to find a dress this long, I made most of 'em look like skirts."
Ash stood up from the table, picking up his bag of clothes from near the door. "Alright, my turn. I'll be done in a minute."
"Good thing too," Gayle said, moving to sit down in the chair he had just vacated. "I cain't eat nothin' without an apron or somethin'."
Ash moved toward the back room, but Azalea darted in front of him. "Oops, forgot something, one second." He idly watched one of the televisions that had been left on, an old nature documentary. "All yours!" Azalea traipsed back through the room, holding a short necklace made from pink and golden burnished stones.
Lumina gathered them all again, those going out across from those staying in. Ash had opted for the full load-out, dark gray wool slacks with a matching vest and jacket, both with glossy black buttons. The tie was of a similar dark color, patterned with subtle lines that could only be seen up close. He had put a red pocket square in the place for such things in the jacket, regretting that he didn't have a pink one so they could match. Before donning the jacket, Azalea had helped him put the harness on and make sure it didn't show, so he was set. Azalea now stood beside Lumina, already wearing the radio headset on her neck, fiddling with the long cord.
"Dearest Lord," Lumina intoned, holding hands with Azalea. "Protect these, your servants. Help them to free captives, just like you did on earth. Help them to bring about justice, but always remember that justice without mercy is cruelty,"1 she looked directly at Ash, and he nodded slightly. "Let us never forget your will."
All four Stars united their voices: "Amen."
Octave of Stars is currently airing on Substack for free, with two of the 45 total posts per week. It’ll be fully released at the end of April 2024. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can get the entire story right now, in either Ebook or paperback. Every purchase supports the ZMT Books mission of family-friendly entertainment.
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Oh no, Lumina’s been reading Thomas Aquinas again…