I woke up on a cot in the hospital in town. My eyes stung a little and my head pounded. I sat up and saw that there was an empty cot next to mine. I stood up and balanced myself. I walked out of the room and I could already hear my brother from the hall.

“You have to tell me what that man was looking for!” I followed his voice.

He was standing and mother was reclining on her cot.

“August!” She smiled.

Her voice was course and she was covered in bruises, but she was alive and we were thankful for that.

“Mother,” I choked. “What happened?”

“Let me tell you, boys.”

She sat up.

“The night we brought Leo home, there was a meteor shower. Your dad told me to make a wish. I laughed as I held you in my arms, Leo. I told him that you were already the answer to my wishes.

Then, right there in front of us, a star shot into the ground. Your father picked it up and saw that it was a broken. He saw it as good fortune and kept it in his shed. Somehow someone found out about it and he buried it. That ruffian must’ve heard about it and wanted it, but I would never reveal it’s location. It’s still buried there; I check on it every now and then.”

We stood there dumbfounded.

“Mother, why did you never tell us about it?”

“I was going to tell you when you were a little bit older, so you could keep it safe yourselves, but it looks like time was not on our side.”

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She coughed, closed her eyes, then sighed.

“A few towns over is a wizard named Ikythyk. If you take the shard he can help you find a place to hide it. I am sorry that this all has happened.”

She then told of us the shard’s hiding place. She sighed and before she could continue, her eyes fluttered. It took a lot of energy just to deliver her speech and it showed. Her eyelids slammed shut and the only sound that cut through the silence was the airy sound of her breathing.

Leo and I both grabbed one of her hands and rubbed them affectionately. We nodded to each other in sync and exited the hospital. When were a little ways away, back towards our cottage, we stopped and let out a huge sigh.

“Well, that was something.” I said.

“I can’t believe that was kept from us.” Leo remarked. “Especially after father’s death.”

“Have grace on her, brother. A terrible thing has happened; let’s just try and find this thing.”

We followed the directions mother gave us. Past the shed, into the woods, and past the fifth tree on the left. There was a berry bush next to a rotting stump. We dug in between the bush and the stump and it wasn’t long until we hit a wooden crate.

I opened the crate and faint, yellow light shone from within. My eyes went wide when I saw the contents; it looked like a shiny stone, wrapped in a knitted blanket embroidered with one word: Leonis. I held the star and gazed at it; it felt so warm in my hand. I showed Leo and he held the blanket with fondness. We wrapped the star in the blanket and Leo housed it under his arm until we made it back to father’s old shed. We were able to find a few traveling bags. We put the blanketed star at the bottom of the bag and Leo strapped the bag across his chest.

The flames died down. There was a pile of ashes where my room had been. Some of the foundation stayed, the bones of the house looking like skeletal arms desperately grasping for life. We walked gravely around the wreckage, making sure not to injure ourselves. Leo kicked at some of the disintegrating pieces and watched them turn to ash.

Before we left the burning pile of memories, we stumbled, well- I should say I stumbled- on a metal casche box, halfway stuck in the dirt. I picked it up and opening it was a cinch. Inside was a trove of gold coins and a few multicolored stones. We took the stones and half the coins; we wanted to make sure mother had enough to be taken care of while we were gone.

We set off back through the woods to the next town over.