Chapter Text
“Ziiiiigs!” Cassie"s voice echoed between the giant sequoia trees that towered over the thick brush of the floor below. Dozens of radiant feathered birds chirped within the treetops, the canopy hiding them from view as it did most of the sun.
A large banana leaf was pushed aside as Cassie walked by with Jenos behind her. Ahead of them was an uprooted sequoia, its trunk trapped within the branches of its kin; unable to touch the ground as it rested at a forty-degree angle. She stopped at its large roots and cupped her hands to her mouth.
“Ziiiigs?! Here Zigs!” She called out again, a look of worry on her face. It wasn"t abnormal for him to disappear for a while, but given the circumstances, she knew he wouldn"t leave for this long.
“You said he was a red hawk?” Jenos inquired as he scanned the canopy above them.
Cassie turned to him, “Yeah. I just don"t know where he has gone off to.”
They had been searching the jungle for quite some time trying to locate her faithful hunting companion. She had explained to him that right before they met, she sent Zigs off in hopes of keeping him safe. Now he was nowhere to be found.
“Zigs?!” she tried again but to no avail.
Jenos shook his head, “I don"t sense him in the area. Perhaps he flew further away?”
She furrowed her eyebrows. It didn’t surprise her so much as it did catch her curiosity. By this point, Cassie was already fully accepting of anything that Jenos revealed about his powers. Even though she had only known him for an hour, it only felt reasonable considering who he was. Her father always said she was the friendliest person he knew, able to get along with almost anyone and the quickest to make friends. It was true, she certainly felt more comfortable around him now than she did before. Any anxiety she had previously was replaced by sheer interest.
“You can sense where others are?”
“Yes, if I focus.” Jenos went on to explain, his eyes staring off in the distance. “Every living thing has a soul just as every soul has an aura. No two are exactly alike.”
The gears in her head started to turn, “Sooo, you"d be able to differentiate Zigs from other birds?”
“I may, but I haven"t met Zigs.” He reminded, “I don’t know what his aura looks like exactly but judging from what you"ve told me, he is unlike any other bird.” He met her gaze, “I have yet to sense anything out of the ordinary.”
She looked away for a split second, “What if I looked for him?”
Jenos thought about it for a moment, “It’s not a bad idea. However, I can’t determine what might happen to you afterward. The experience can take its toll on the human mind.”
Her response was quick, “I"m willing to try if you are. What do I have to do?” She could see him hesitate, the only definite sign being his lips having opened and closed briefly with no words.
“You may get hurt.”
“I can take it; besides, you can heal me.” She disputed and waited only awhile longer before he finally gave in.
“Close your eyes.” He finally spoke before closing the distance between them. Sudden anxiety hit her, but she otherwise listened. She half expected to feel two fingers on her temples but instead, there was a sudden flash of light. At first, it was external—seeing it behind the skin of her eyelids—then suddenly it became internal as her awareness blurred. When it faded, everything around her came into view.
The jungle was more alive than she could have ever known. Ghostly in appearance yet so colorful. She saw what Jenos had described, but instead of just seeing it, she could also feel it.
She could feel movement all around her, from the ants crawling up the trees to the tap of talons from the birds in the canopy. This ethereal place was all connected with nothing left hidden. Even the roots in the ground were visible. Everything came to her all at once making her head begin to hurt. She lifted a hand to her temple as a silent hiss came from her mouth.
“You’re processing a lot of information, try to relax.” She heard Jenos say, his voice a soft whisper with a source nowhere to be found. But as was advised, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before trying again.
She tried to find Zigs within the canopy, but the birds were too loud and fluttered about faster than she thought possible. Their songs began to ring louder in her ears and she cupped them to drown it out. Her eyes shut again as she cringed, her confidence in handling all of it slipping.
But once again, Jenos stepped in to guide her away; the act causing the noise to fade.
“Focus on Zigs. Visualize him; call out to him with your thoughts.” He told her. His presence was calming and allowed her to refocus.
Just as guided, she began thinking of her friend. His red and tan feathers, the crest on his head, the sharp talons on his feet when he would perch on her arm. She smiled at the thought and tried to call out to him but couldn’t seem to do it. No sound was made.
“Don’t try to speak,” Jenos directed, “Envision his name: how it’s spelled, how it sounds.”
Ziiigs she thought, trying to do as she was instructed. It felt like nothing was happening, the whole ordeal becoming one of those dreams where you try to run, but are seemingly glued to the spot. Doubt started to form again and she was beginning to think her efforts were in vain, that is until she heard an all too familiar sound.
Zigs? She called back, lifting her head in attention as she looked around. He responded a second time and Cassie turned to where she heard him. His small body came into focus as he flew towards her. Still miles away, but she could sense him. He was coming back...
“Zigs!” She shouted happily, jerking awake and opening her eyes with a start. The decision was immediately regretted as the light of the sun burned her retinas and a pulsating pain began to throb against her skull.
“Ooow…” She moaned with a hand going straight to her forehead. Jenos remained next to her, his arm out in case she lost balance.
“You’re ok.” He reassured her, summoning a lotus constellation to ease her of the pain. Despite the sun bothering her, the light from those stars did not as its green hue chased away any discomfort.
“I found him,” She informed, “It worked.”
“Where is he?”
She pointed northward, “That way, he shouldn"t be too far.”
Nestled within a small clearing of the jungle was a Magistrate camp. Thin wisps of smoke rose into the sky above the countless tents as their red banners waved diligently in the breeze. Echoes of the blacksmith’s work filled the air along with the casual chatter and demands of the army that hustled about. Despite their organization, this militia was more or less hopeless in the eyes of their current acting leader.
Lian, Scion of House Aico and heir to the Ruby Throne. A resounding member of the Magistrate and one of the more valued of the noble houses. Her wit was about as quick as her reflexes as her skill in battle earned her respect amongst her soldiers. Her soldiers specifically, as she denounced her current troops as no more than fresh out of training green boys who couldn’t take any form of criticism without gossip.
She paid no mind to them as she walked by. Foot soldiers will be foot soldiers, and in her eyes, they were expendable. She had more important matters to attend to as their newly captured Paladin was awaiting her in the tent just ahead.
The curtain door was pushed aside as her highness stepped through. The two soldiers standing guard saluted her as she walked pass before making their leave.
“Well look at you, the great huntress caught like one of her own prey.” Lian insulted with a smug grin as she approached the blonde. “You should have ran faster, I was hoping to have an interesting day.”
Before her was a pole that kept their prisoner down on her knees and hands tied behind her back with a piece of cloth tied over her mouth. She pulled it down as the blonde glared daggers.
“Go to hell.” She replied with an emphasis on each word.
“There"s the Tyra we all knew and loved.” Lian teased before walking over to the counter to examine the tools laid out.
“If you want me to talk, forget about it.”
“Oh please, I have my ways of getting what I want regardless of your cooperation.” She retorted nonchalantly as she spun the saw blade of the tiny instrument she picked up. “But if you help me, I may be able to convince Karne not to string you up and turn you into a martyr.”
“You can tell Karne to stuff it!”
Her back was to Tyra as she put down the tool, “Can’t say I didn’t try.” She said before pulling out her rifle and aiming it at the huntress’ left knee. Then she pulled the trigger.
Tyra screamed with all the force her lungs could manage as she hunched over to try and fight back the pain. Her knuckles turned white in her attempt to resist the urge to thrash about, but that didn’t stop her muscles from shaking under the stress.
“Tell me where the Resistance are and I’ll make this quick,” Lian growled out as she knelt down to get near her prisoner’s face.
“Go to hell!” she spat out without lifting her head. Lian only rolled her eyes.
“You could have made this easy, but you had to be stubborn.” Lian replied in annoyance, “Where are the Paladin’s hiding?”
“I’m no rat!” Tyra snarled, now meeting her eye to eye.
“You"ll certainly become food for some if you continue to—”
“Lady Lian!” One of the captains shouted as he entered the tent. But Lian and Tyra refused to be the first to release their scowl and thus continued to glare at each other as Lian replied.
“What?!” she shouted angrily.
“The excavation team just came back with news I think you"ll wanna hear.”
Lian sighed but otherwise stood to take her leave. “This better be good.” She mumbled coherently enough for the captain to hear.
“I’m not kidding you. It was him.” The soldiers stood in a circle as the returned excavation team retold of their experience at the ruins. They talked amongst themselves until Lian arrived and with her their captain.
“What is so groundbreaking here that your foot soldiers had to interrupt my interrogation?” She demanded with hands on her hips as she and the captain joined the group.
“I think you’d better hear it from them.” He said with a nod to the excavation team. “Go ahead, lads.”
“Well, we might have run into someone that could potentially become an issue, ma’am.” One of them stepped up to speak first.
“And by potentially, he means definitely.” Another added.
Lian began to tap her foot unconsciously, “And who is this person? Is it a Paladin?”
“N-no, ma’am. It was… well, you really wouldn’t believe…”
“I don’t have all day.” She complained in crossing her arms.
“It was Jenos!” the other soldier answered for his comrade.
“Jenos?” her voice held doubt. They all knew the story, but it was just that, a story.
“It was Jenos. He flew down to the ruins as a ball of light and started taking us out!” Another soldier began to explain.
“He was just above the ruins when we last saw him, levitating in the sky like it was nothing.”
“He had the mask and everything, and his eyes glowed!”
Their captain gave Lian a quick look as she pondered on their claims. Her previous gestures had ceased as their talk of fiction quickly seemed to be more than just some mindless tall tale.
“What do you want us to do?” the captain asked.
She glanced between the soldiers and him, “I want to be sure that this person you all saw is in fact what you claim. If it is him, then we mustn’t let him join with the enemy.”
“Yes, ma"am.” They all said in unison.
“If you see him, do not engage. Alert the captain and me before any act of aggression is decided.” She added as her eyes brushed over the crowd, “You’re dismissed.”
The soldiers dispersed and returned to their previous doings. And as the crowd thinned, Lian remained to ponder over their claims. Jenos… had returned? If it were true then they were in for one heck of a war. However…
Her hand came up to her chin as a small smile formed on her lips. If Jenos could be ‘convinced" to join the Magistrate, the war would end before it even began. Moreover, if she recruited him into her own armies, House Aico would become more powerful than ever before. She would become a queen with the very cosmos at her command. Not even Karne would dare go against her.
It was a dream she was determined to see through.
“What was that anyway?” Cassie asked in casual conversation as they journeyed in the direction where Zigs was sensed. “It was so weird; everything felt… different.”
“What you saw was the astral plane,” Jenos answered and she gave a short hum in question for him to elaborate. “It"s the border between physical and spiritual life. A place where one may transition between life and death. But in order to safely do so demands discipline and great will. With enough practice and inner strength, one can travel through the astral plane outside their body and return unharmed.”
“Wow. And you do this kind of stuff all the time?”
“ I spent years mastering it before my ascension and generations afterward performing the act. It’s not a threat to me anymore.” He told her in turning to meet her gaze, “But you’ve surprised me. I was worried about what might happen to you, but you handled yourself well, especially for your first time.”
“Really? It didn’t feel like I was handling anything. And that headache was not fun.”
“Another plane of existence will do that to you. But having come out of it with only a migraine, I’d call that a success.”
She chuckled at his casual attitude toward it all, “Right. I’m just gonna let you handle all that spiritual monk stuff.”
“Monk stuff? Interesting description.” He teased and Cassie gave him a look.
“You know what I mean.”
A squawk sounded from ahead and the two turned their heads to see a red hawk flying toward them. A big smile formed on Cassie’s lips and she held out her arm for Zigs to perch.
“Zigs!” She greeted lovingly as he settled. “There you are. We"ve been looking for you.”
Zigs chirped at her, and she giggled, “Apology accepted.”
Jenos blinked at them as Cassie and Zigs talked back and forth. The two were legitimately holding a conversation and she could understand everything her bird was saying. It was interesting enough to include the strange bond he had felt between her and Zigs while the two were peering into the astral plane, but this only added to his suspicions. It was the way these two had bonded; almost as if they were life linked.
The thought alone concerned him because if two beings were life linked, that meant if one of them died, the other would follow suit. And to cast this onto any living being would require mastery over magic. Cassie had already proven she didn’t know all that much when it came to the arcane arts, so that would mean someone else did this to her. Now the question was, did she even know?
“Why do you have to keep bringing that up? I said I was sorry.” Cassie complained with a sideways scowl.
Jenos decided it was high time to intervene, “Uh, Cassie?” At the sound of her name, she perked up and immediately corrected her manners.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t even introduce you guys.” She noticed before holding her arm out. “Jenos, this is Zigs. Zigs, Jenos.” Zigs squawked a reply only his owner could understand and judging from her reaction, it was probably an insult.
“Zigs! Be nice.”
“Cassie, you can understand Zigs?” Jenos asked, letting that undoubted insult slide.
“Uh yeah. I’ve been asked about it from the Paladins too. A lot of them think it’s weird… except for Inara. She talks to rocks, so...”
“I don’t think it’s weird, just… different.”
“It wasn’t always this way, but it certainly comes in handy when you’re a scout.” She
His mind was working, “Have you been able to communicate with other creatures?”
She tilted her head, just as curious of the fact, “No, actually. Just Zigs.”
“Interesting.”
She was going to ask him about it when Zigs began squawking again, which was quickly followed by reprimands. The two went back and forth a little while longer as Jenos floated there, deep in thought.
“You still didn’t even tell me where you went, or why? I don’t see how this is—” Zigs interrupted her and her annoyance was immediately lost.
“What?” She glanced over at Jenos who turned his attention to her from the change in her voice. Zigs was still chatting away before she held up a hand to stop him.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Zigs go back. What do you mean you found Magistrate soldiers?” Per her inquiry, the hawk retold of his encounter with some soldiers and his witness to a familiar blonde hunter getting captured.
Her eyes widened and she gasped, “That’s Tyra!” she exclaimed, before addressing her awaiting friend, “She got captured by the Magistrate!”
“Tyra is a friend of yours?” Jenos inquired and Cassie nodded.
“Yes. I’ve only known her for a little bit, but she’s one of my teammates. She"s part of the Resistance.” She explained. Her eyes went back to Zigs, “We have to help her before something bad happens!”
And just like that, she dashed off in the direction Zigs had come from.
“Cassie, Cassie! Wait!” Jenos called after her with an outstretched arm. He reached out using his telekinesis and lifted her up to keep her from continuing. She ran in place for a moment before realizing her feet weren"t touching the ground and resolved to just dangle there unamused.
“We need a plan before we just run over there.” He reasoned.
“But you"re a god,” she argued, “You can just go and save her, right?”
Jenos sat her back down and shook his head, “That doesn"t mean I do whatever I want.” A heavy sigh left him, “Cassie, my power is dangerous and using it in a reckless manner can have consequences. The cosmos are not to be taken lightly nor are they to be used wrongfully.”
She blinked and looked down at her feet.
“You asked for a healer, but more so than that, you asked for a teammate. If we’re going to be a team, you have to trust me. I didn’t take the oath of the pacifist; I will help in every way I can. But if I hold back, it is with reason.” She looked up at him now. “Can you trust me?”
She stared at his mask, gazing into the eyeholes that shined with a bright light. His sensible nature reminded her of her father, the one whom she had left behind without a proper goodbye. She could always trust her father, and now, she felt, she could do the same for Jenos.
“I trust you.”
A smile appeared on both of their faces, “Thank you.” He said, “Now, does Zigs know where they are?” He asked and Zigs turned to him with the answer.
Cassie kept her smile, “He says he can lead the way.”