"I never saw so sweet a face

As that I stood before.

My heart has left its dwelling place

And can return no more."

- John Clare, "First Love"

*****

Soundtrack of the chapter: Star Child by Ivan Torrent (DO PLAY IT!)

Media: The great Dragon Star

*****

Chapter Sixteen: A Mutual Agreement

Jasper extended his hand to Cady as she clambered clumsily over the rocks of the river. The black rocks were smooth from the endless cascade of the waterfall as well as the caress of the swift currents, making it difficult for her to stand firm.

"It's okay, Jasper. I got it," she panted and placed a tentative foot on the rock before her.

"No you're not. You're going to fall in," Jasper said, his hand still outstretched.

Cady rolled her eyes. The sky was pure blackness, and the gushing river outside Jasper's hut was a dark ribbon stretching from the North to the South, illuminated only by the weak light of the sickle moon. The tea lights Jasper had lit bobbed up and down the water surface, struggling against the chords which secured them to the banks.

A sharp breath escaped her as she pitched forward, aiming for the next rock. She lost her balance. With a scream, she fell backward. As quick as lightning, Jasper darted toward her and caught her by the waist, just as she was about to fall into the running water.

"See, I've told you so." He grinned, his face smug.

"Go away." She prised Jasper's hands off her. With caution, she made her way toward the flat boulder in the middle, making sure to avoid the smaller, jagged ones.

Jasper laughed and followed her. "Is this how you repay your savior?"

Cady placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. Jasper only seemed to be more entertained at her response, for he was already grinning from ear to ear.

"That doesn't count as life saving."

He pointed at the rushing river. "If I hadn't caught you, you would've fallen in and drowned."

Cady poked him in the chest. "I can swim."

"Even the best swimmers drown." He winked before it was turned into a look of surprised pain as Cady jabbed him in the stomach with more force than it was initially intended.

"Are you trying to curse me?"

Jasper caught her hand and held it away from him. She tried to dislodge it from his grip, but he held it tight. "We're not here to bicker, Cady. There are still many things you must learn to be a Walker."

Cady relaxed her stance, just as Jasper released her hand.

"Alright then, thank you."

His face lit up. "That's more like it."

Before Cady make a comeback, Jasper pressed a finger against her lips and shook his head. She was tempted to bite it, but he drew his finger back before she could.

"Tonight, I will be teaching you how to merge your abilities with your Consort. This way, when you are engaged in a battle, you and your Consort will be fighting as one, in one body. Your Celestial Energy will be combined, and your real Walker powers will be asserted."

Cady stood before him. "So, I don't have to call Zoroth out?"

He shook his head. "If he splits from you, your powers will be scattered. You need to know which works best on different situations. It takes a unity to bring out a Walker's real powers. That is why every Walker must have a Consort to be completed."

Jasper pointed at the far end of the river, where the shining waters converged and eventually vanished into the thicket of trees.

"Stand here." He tugged Cady's hand and led her to the middle of the boulder, giving her a perfect view of the river and the sky.

"See that point where the trees meet the river? Your energy shares a similar concept. You need to find the complementary point where your Consort's energy meets yours. All that shadow weaving, it is actually just you manipulating your own energy. Your Consort's energy is untouched."

"Now, close your eyes. Compress your energy into a ball like how I taught you."

Cady obeyed. She took in a deep breath to calm herself down. The sloshing of water against rock helped her attune her mind into a tranquil state. She opened her inner eye. Long, spindly threads laced the darkness, each one glowing with a soothing radiance. It was a profusion of colors. Red melded with green, yellow strands intertwined with blue. It was Celestial Energy, the fabric of Esvanira.

She reached out toward the bobbing lights, coaxing them to gather before her. She willed them to wind into a ball, packing them from the core. The ball of lights grew larger as more Celestial Energy gathered and swirled in her hands.

"Very good," Jasper said. "Now, draw on Zoroth's energy."

"You ready for this?" she asked him.

Zoroth grinned. "Ready as ever."

She sank back into the soft whispers of Celestial Energy. This time, instead of seeking for the brilliant lights, she felt about for the darker parts of it. She eventually found Zoroth's energy lurking in away from the plentiful Celestial Energy. It was silvery and sleek, reminding her of Christmas tinsels. She stroked the shimmering strands which responded to her at once. Her Consort's energy was different from the rest. Where the latter was bursting with colors, Zoroth's was simple and exuded an aura of fortitude and restraint.

With a small sigh, Zoroth's energy penetrated the compressed ball of energy in Cady's hands, winding among the others, weaving in and out with ease.

"Now, allow the energy to envelope your body."

Cady twitched her palms, and the ball of Energy melted into her body, ripping through her channels. Fire surged through her blood and throughout her channels. She threw back her head as it soared up to her head. Zoroth's wings burst from her back and his spine arched. His claws split the tip of her fingers as they emerged.

It felt like the moment when they first bonded, when she had accepted Zoroth as her Consort, and she his Ascendant. Now, they were bonded physically. Cady spread Zoroth's wings. To her surprise, the wings curved in take off position. She knew she could fly, because Zoroth was her. She shook her hair loose from its ponytail and her red curls fell around her head like a halo.

With a silent chorus with Zoroth, she spread her wings and soared into the air.

A high pitched squeal of delight escaped her lips as she did a cartwheel. Zoroth guided her slowly with every turn of the wings and every breath of the wind. She faltered when a strong gust of wind blew, but Zoroth taught her to fold her wings and dip.

Everywhere she saw was shadows. It wound around the trees, slithered down the grass, hid among the flowers. She sent out a silent greeting. They responded by rising from the ground to meet her. They wrapped around her, prodding her wings with enthusiasm before they sang with her.

She tugged the shadows gently, and they responded to her. She visualized the shadows shifting into dozens of arrows. They obeyed at once. With a wave of her arm, the shadow arrows hurtled to the trees at top speed. Each deadly sliver shot through the barks, shattering the trees before they buried their heads in the ground as a final stop.

Excitement crawled up Cady's stomach. There was so much power to shadows. If she learned to harness them to its full extent, she could be unstoppable. No wonder many feared the Walkers. They may be less compared to the other Starlets, but their potency of their Affinities made up for the numbers.

Her eyes ran over to Jasper, who was observing her wordlessly. He titled his head to the side, motioning at the empty space beside him.

Cady nodded and folded her wings. She dropped next to Jasper, harder than she meant to. The impact sent a shudder up her knees and she winced.

"I really need some practice," she said, massaging her legs.

"True," Jasper agreed. "You have some raw talent there. But with enough practice, you'll be unstoppable."

Blood soared to Cady's ears. She rubbed her toe against the rock, secretly pleased. "Are you saying this just to infatuate me?"

"Just take the compliment. I don't say that often."

Jasper walked to the edge of the boulder and stared at the sky, seemingly deep in thought. Cady felt the happy balloon inside her puncture a bit.

She walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

Jasper shook his head and sighed. "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

"You weren't born when Walkers and Oracles lived in harmony. I was very young before the Great War. I had a close friend from the Hall of Shadows, but she died defending her Hall."

She. Cady's heart pounded in her chest. Was she his lover?

"My mother once said, we become stars when we die. The good achieve asylum in the Celestial Kingdom, the bad were reincarnated from the Underlands to redeem themselves. There is no hell. Now I look up, I see her star. She has achieved asylum."

Cady kept silent, uncertain whether she should comfort Jasper. He looked so woebegone, his eyes shining under the pale glow of the floating tealights and the sickle moon. The glisten in his eyes was so real, it could be mistaken for tears.

Jasper raised his hand and jabbed it at the sky.

"Do you see that star? The brightest of them all?"

She nodded. Among the thousands of glittering stars, there was one which was the largest, a diamond amongst dust.

"That is the dragon star. It was believed that she was the mother dragon, a great white beast who watches over Esvanira and all its inhabitants. One day when Esvanira is in great need, she will show herself to the world once again."

"Make a wish, Cady. Always make a wish when you see the dragon star."

Jasper closed his eyes and bowed his head, deep in a wish.

Cady, however, stared right at the dragon star. When she moved her head, the light seemed to shift, like a dragon unfurling its wings. She blinked hard, and the wings vanished.

She then wished.

May you lead me to my real family.

When she was done, she opened her eyes. Jasper was already at the edge of the boulder, waiting. He seemed distracted, and sad, for he was fiddling with the pendant that hung from his neck, a round sapphire that Cady noticed he always wore.

"Come, Cady. Your training for today is done."

Jasper bent his knees and sprang for the rock before him. But it was a rather hesitant move. His foot struck the edge of the stone and he slipped.

"Jasper!" Cady cried out and lunged forward. She caught his wrist but his momentum was too sudden even for Cady. He dragged her forward and both fell into the frigid river with a resounding splash.

Freezing water forced its way down Cady's throat at once. She struggled against her instinct to draw air. Instead, she did a powerful upstroke, which brought her breaking to surface. She gasped, drawing in sweet air. Jasper emerged a second later, shaking his hair like a wild horse.

"I guess we're even now, huh?" Cady smirked.

He turned around and looked at her through his wet lashes. His hair clung to his face, the water gleaming on his skin. "I stopped you from falling in, but you fell in with me."

"Aw, come on. I tried!"

They were now so close, their faces were mere inches apart. Cady could feel the warm flutter of his breath on her brow, since he was much taller than she was. His arms hung loose by his sides, forming ripples as the river gushed past them. Jasper was staring at her with a fierce intensity, like fire gutting a forest. His wandering eyes finally landed on hers.

"Your catch is awful." With that, he swept Cady into an embrace.

He rested his head on Cady's shoulder, and his hands around her waist. For a moment, Cady was so startled she forgot to breathe. When she finally came around her senses, she moved her hands and wrapped them slowly around Jasper's neck.

Her heart was a hammer in her ribs, pounding so hard she feared it would fall from her chest. Jasper's clothes were cold against her, but his skin radiated warmth. Cady found herself leaning closer, running her hands over his back, exploring it. Jasper, on the other hand, remained motionless.

She couldn't explain why she felt so attached to Jasper. It was a different kind of tug, unlike Eli's. Eli was like tinsels to magnet, while this, was a moth to light. It would perish without that blinding source.

For a while, they leaned against each other, both unwilling to break the silence. The water pooled around them and rippled out. Jasper finally released Cady and stared into her eyes. She stared back, holding the same intensity mirrored in his.

"Let's go back," he said, and gave her hand a gentle tug, leading her toward the bank. Cady waded behind Jasper. A slight breeze tipped from the south, and she crossed her arms around her chest, shivering.

Jasper cast a look backwards. "I have some spare clothes at the back of my hut. They once belonged to a friend of mine, but she is dead now. You two seem to be pretty much the same size."

She nodded, feeling a twinge of pain in her heart. Who was this girl Jasper kept on talking about? Was she important to him?

Stop it, Cady. It is none of your business! Her inner self chided.

Oh yeah? Her darker side retorted. Then why did he hug you then?

Maybe he was cold... She faltered.

Well, maybe you're wrong. Maybe he has feelings for you.

"Cady, come here." Jasper's voice shattered her inner bicker. She shuffled forward and saw that Jasper had thrown open the cover of a chest. Clothes and weapons lined the insides in neat rows. He drew out a pair of breeches and a faded shirt and handed them to Cady.

"Go change, don't catch a cold. You can use my room."

As she exited the room, Jasper called out to her again.

"You forgot this." He lobbed a large towel at her. It came in contact with her face and slid into her arms.

"Thanks."

Cady turned into Jasper's room and bolted the door behind her. A couple lard candles were lit and stood by the windowsill, casting a haunting radiance across the small area. A single bed stood in a corner, where dream catchers hung from the ceiling, their little crystals tinkling together. A row of small vials containing multicolored liquid dangled from the windows, catching the moonlight. Next to his bed, was a large ash-colored shelf where more heavy volumes and loose crystal scraps occupied the empty space. What intrigued her most was the large double edged sword that rested on two pegs on the wall.

She took a candle and went up to the weapon. It seemed to be made of bone, with a line of fine inscriptions running from the first tip to the other. It was enormous, more than the span of both arms held wide. The person who wielded it must be a powerful person.

Remembering what she was here in the first place, she dropped the shutters and hastily changed. Wiping herself dry with the towel, she noticed that the fabric was worn and tore at a corner. Curious, she brought it up to the light.

Black stains faded into the towel. It looked like dried blood, or ink, she wasn't sure. But it made her drop the towel and left the room.

Jasper was already done, and was now scribbling into a notebook by the table.

"Hey, thanks for the lesson," she said.

He nodded without looking up. "You need to stop thanking me for every lesson. It's my pleasure."

Cady slid into the chair next to him. "Jasper, do you remember our talk about Eli Sanguinis?"

He slammed the notebook shut. "You remind me every time we meet."

"You said you will help him. He collapsed the other day during a walk. I don't think he can pull through much longer."

Jasper threaded his fingers through the chain that hung from his neck. "I will, once the grand feast of Raphine Sanguinis is over. I don't like too much people. I heard that even the Chaldean Order is coming over for his birthday."

"But," Cady started. "That is like two more days. Eli is still in pain."

Jasper leaned forward, his movements causing shadows to dance across the walls. "I will be out the next couple days. But I will return just in time when the banquet ends. Don't worry about your friend, I will try my best to help him."

She bowed her head in thanks. "You're a good person."

"What?" He blinked.

"I said, you're a good person."

Jasper only laughed weakly. "I've been called many names, Cady. And good wasn't one of them. You'll soon come to understand."

He got to his feet and opened the door, beckoning at the Cady. "You better catch up on your beauty sleep. You got to look your best at the High Priest's birthday."

It was her turn to laugh. "Why? To catch his attention? I think my ultimate motive is to avoid him."

"It is always a tradition for every Starlet to look their best for the birth anniversaries of their leaders. Now go back, it's late."

Seeing that Jasper was tired and wasn't inclining toward conversation, she took her leave.

As the door closed behind her, she wondered about Jasper. Sadness and loneliness radiated off him. It was hard to detect at most times, but today, his guard was down. She still remembered his light touch, his breath on her hair, and then way his lips tilted when he smiled that crooked smile. He was breathtaking.

"You'll see him again," Zoroth said. "Don't miss him too much."

"I don't miss him."

"Your heart says otherwise, little one. I can feel it".

"Whatever you say Zoroth, whatever you say."

Like how Jasper had taught her, she allowed Zoroth's energy to meld into her systems. With a strong upstroke beat of her wings, she soared back to the Hall of Spirits.

Deep down, she knew Zoroth was right. She missed Jasper already.

*****

A/N

Le ship is sailing! If you guys wanna know, the ship name is Casper (Cady+Jasper), like the friendly ghost XD This was just super sweet to write, I enjoyed every moment of it. Slowly, Cady is getting stronger as a Walker. Thoughts on Casper and his decision to finally help Eli? :D

Shoutout to Ferret-bird, an amazing designer and writer whom you must check out and roll all over her profile! Want to read an stunning LGBT fantasy, look no further than her featured story--The Third Son!

ps: Don't forget that the THoG fanart/fanfic contest is still open! 

KFC biscuits,

Stef