Jing didn’t move for a while, wishing she had known how she had made Bast upset. It wasn’t her fault if she reacted wrong! She wasn’t use to someone treating her like that at all! Finally she stood with a sigh, desiding to head off in the direction Bast went.

Bast had not gone too fast, and the going was rather slow due to the lack of trail. Eventually he sat on a rock overlooking one of the streams that flowed through the forest.

Jing followed quietly and after a little while caught up, standing back and just looking at Bast. Why had he come here…?

Bast grabbed a pebble from beside him and threw it in the river moodily staring at the water.

Jing still didn’t move, just watching him. Her face was back to its normal color and she finally walked forward. “Bast…?”

Bast jumped in surprise, nearly falling into the stream. He swivelled his head around to look at her, then sighed, turning to look at the river again. “Yeah?”

“I’m sorry okay?” Jing said, surprised at his reaction. She stopped walking towards him and just watched the kankiru. “I’m not sure what I did to upset you… but I’m sorry…”

Bast shook his head. “Nah, it’s okay. I… shouldn’t have done that.” He said, “Sometimes I forget you’re just 16.”

Jing couldn’t help but chuckle a little “Just 16? Its better then being the age I look right? What you did… it didn’t make me mad I just didn’t know how to react.”

“I know… I wouldn’t have done that if you were the age you looked. I just…” He shook his head, “That’s fine Jing. You’re just a kid, of course you don’t know how to react. And I’m an old geezer too… fuck, that must have grossed you out!”

Jing bit her lip a little and shook her head “It didn’t gross me out Bast. Thats just it… it made me feel weird… but different.” She muttered, confused and unsure how to explain it. “No one had ever treated me like that before…”

Bast stole a glance back at her, then turned back to the river, but patted the rock beside him.

Jing looked at him for a moment before moving forward to sit on the rock.

Bast hesitated, then stole an arm around her, hugging her slightly. “Treated you like this?”

Jing jumped a little at the sudden hug, looking at the river and away from Bast. She nodded a little but didn’t say anything.

“What about your parents? Your family? Or your… friends..”

“My family… it felt different. And my friends…” She shook her head. “They knew better… and I did too.” She said, though the last bit was quiet.

Bast blinked, looking down at her. “Know better?”

Jing nodded “I wasn’t allowed to get close to anyone. The fact I was friends with those I was… made my parents pretty mad.”

Bast gave a small “Ah….” He mulled this over for a bit, “How… noble was your family?”

“Just below the royal family.” Jing explained with a sigh.

Bast gave a start and stared at her. “Wh… WHAT!?”

Jing looked at Bast, having half expected that kind of reaction. “I’m not joking if thats what you think…” She muttered.

He blinked, “Well, that explains things…” He muttered, and smirked slightly, as he squeezed her shoulders against his side. “Well, sorry girl, but here you ain’t no royalty, and this street-urchin likes you.”

Jing bit her lip, face going a little red again and nodded a little “A small part of me is actually glad I’m not on the island anymore…”

He nodded, “No rules or expectations?” He asked, and shrugged, “Those never bothered me…” He laughed, “Much to the chagrin of the church.”

“I would be married by now if I was still on the island.” Jing admitted. She then looked at Bast and chuckled quietly “Church didn’t like you?”

“Nope! They were probably quite happy to see me go.” He laughed.

Jing was quite surprised Bast didn’t say anything towards what she had said about being married but sighed “That must have been hard…”

“Specially living as an acolyte.” He chuckled. “It was fun teasing those old stiffs though.”

Jing couldn’t help but laugh a little as she heard that. “Wow Bast.” She said with a shake of her head. It was entertaining, Bast had bugged the people at the church while he was still on the island, while she had prefuded bugging the crown prince out of his mind.

“I guess they don’t like those who don’t conform to the norm eh?” He grinned at her. “They’re missing out on a lot.”

“They never have. We are examples of what happens to those who go outside the norm.” Jing said with a small nod. “Speaking out just once about my doubts got me cursed…”

He nodded, “Seems… strange though. You were so small, it’s normal in a child to speak out like that. Why curse a 10 year old?”

Jing shook her head a little “I’m not sure… Actually if I hadn’t been cursed I would have died the night after speaking out. Word got around that I yelled out at my teacher about my doubts in his teachings. A couple men didn’t like hearing that the one who was going to marry the crown prince had doubts about the teachings. They snuck into the house while everyone was asleep and killed me.”

Bast blinked, a mix of horror and surprise on his face. He was speechless and just stared at her.

Jing didn’t say anything else, just looking at the river sadly.

He frowned then, and looked at the water himself, thoughtful.

Jing looked at Bast out of the corner of her eye before looking at the river again. She didn’t know what to say, part of her really wished Bast would say something to end the silence.

“They… shipped you off the island the next day?” He said finally.

Jing nodded. “Ya… Once they found out I was cursed it was a little after noon that I was banished.”

“Hmmm…” His brow furrowed. “Curious… Do you know… of any other cursed ones? Before you and… well after me?”

Jing shook her head “I’ve seen the records in the royal library. With the time frame you told me you were banished, your the last one to have been cursed before me.”

Bast sighed, as he tried to remember clearly that passage he’d read. Something about two cursed ones… and the end of the world. He shook his head, but he was beginning to think he understood now why they wanted Jing and him.

Jing watched Bast confused “Bast… whats wrong…?”

Bast shook his head and smiled. “Jing… whatever happens, we can’t both be caught. Okay?”

Jing was very confused about this. “Bast… What are you not telling me?”

Bast hesitated, not meeting her eyes. “Just… it’s really important, okay?”

Jing’s hands went into fists “Stop hiding stuff from me please Bast! Its just like earlyer! Please just tell me!”

Bast sighed, silent as he looked at the ground. “I’m not sure, I can’t… remember it well.” He admitted. “Once I saw this… prophecy… it was… written in some secret documents of the church I found.” He looked up slowly. “I can’t remember it well. I just remember it mentioned two cursed ones uniting, and the end of the world.”

Jing was shocked at what she heard, looking right at Bast. “Do you think thats why… they are trying to catch us?”

Bast nodded, “Yeah… I’m suddenly pretty sure that’s why they want us. It sure doesn’t explain the Demi part though.” He shrugged. “I wish I could ask that guy about that…”

Jing blinked a couple times as she heard him “Wait Bast your not serious right? You can’t ask Aurixel about it!”

“I know… at least, not without getting caught I can’t.” He added.

“Your not getting caught Bast.” Jing said quickly, glaring at the Kankiru.

Bast smiled, “Really?”

Jing looked at him and nodded “Your not allowed to be caught.” She grew silent for a minute, before growing more serious. “Was that what you were thinking about earlyer? Under the tree?”

Bast blinked, “Oh… ways to sneak out of the valley without you knowing.”

Jing glared at Bast “Can you be serious for once? Bast… the idea you had before but changed the subject to keep from talking about it… Just talk to me!”

Bast smiled, “I can’t be serious! Besides, I prefer to see you smiling.”

Jing glared at him, hands in tight fists. “Bast…” She muttered, glaring at him. “What idea did you have…?”

“I already told you.” He shrugged.

Jing was silent for a moment before shaking her head “Why would you want to leave the valley?”

“Because I want to get to the bottom of this… and staying here just… makes me antsy.” He said, turning away. “If we’re going to fight this, then why do we have to keep hiding and fleeing?”

“Well… we really don’t. Personally I would love to just walk out and maybe even try to talk to Aurixel. He might tell me something and he wouldn’t hurt me…” Jing grew silent, sighing quietly.

“He would still try to take you…” Bast pointed out. “And he did get you killed once.”

“Tecnally it wasn’t him that killed me by destroying that bubble and having me drop head first into the rocky ground.” Jing said before shaking her head a little. “And if he tried to take me… I might be able to get more answers.”

Bast frowned, “I wouldn’t… I can’t let you go alone.” He said.

“You already said we can’t both be caught.” Jing pointed out, looking at him.

“I know! But I’d feel better if it were me… not you.”

Jing shook her head “I know Aurixel. I might be able to get him to talk atleast a little. That and if something does happen… I’m still cursed.”

Bast sighed. “I won’t let you.” He said finally. “I… I can’t… let you do that.”

“Why not?” Jing asked, crossing her arms. “I might be able to get some answers. Not only about why they call you Demi, but more on why they want us both.”

“And then what? What good is all that if they take you?” He pointed out.

Jing was silent for a minute, he was right about that… “I could find a way to get away…”

“Get away? Are you kidding? Alone? Your powers aren’t all that powerful, Jing!” He argued, “Besides, I… I can’t stay behind wondering what they… they’re doing to you…”

Jing winced as she heard that. Her powers… they wern’t showing up at all right now! She was silent though, looking at Bast “You would worry about me that much…?”

“Of course I would!” He almost yelled, hopping to his feet in agitation and stalking about beside the stream. “I… I can’t stand the thought.”

Jing jumped a little at the sudden outburst, watching Bast for a moment before standing and following him, bringing a hand to take his. “I’m sorry Bast…”

Bast calmed down a bit, and pulled her into a hug. “You’re… very important to me Jing…”

Jing was surprised by the sudden hug, but after a moment she moved a little and hugged him back. Her mind went to the thought of Bast going off to get answers insted of her suddenly, and that made her hug tighten. She… couldn’t stand that thought either! “Your… really important to me too Bast…..” She said quietly.

Bast smiled slightly, and relaxed further, still holding her close. “Just forget about it… it’s too dangerous for either of us. We’ll find some better way… we’ll capture Aurixel instead.”

Jing nodded a little, she wasn’t sure if that was possible… but it was better then either of them being caught.

“We’ll set a trap for him, and make sure we’re the ones in charge.” He said with a nod.

Jing nodded again, still hugging Bast. She had nothing to say, but knew that was the best thing they could try for now.