Of Ashes and Stars

Chapter One

Jasper and Aelis White were known as the best assassins of the Kingdom of Ariela if not, the whole continent of Junais. Junais was a rich continent, full of vegetation and a bountiful coast. Many people from other continents envied the lives in Junais, especially the lucky few in Krelis, known as the city of dreams, where the streets were lined with rich spice markets and the homes were adorned with almost obnoxious opulence.

Some people described them as lithe youths, no more than sixteen years, their bodies agile and deceptive, too swift for even the most vigilant guards to catch more than a glimpse of them.

Others described them as fully grown adults, their muscular bodies belying an older age. The only ones who saw the faces of Jasper and Aelis long enough to confirm the rumors rarely lived to tell the tale.

They pair had always kept those who knew their identities to a tight number; those outside the limited tally were quickly done away with. They'd always carried out their missions perfectly, as if a mere capricious ghost had decided to take an unlucky soul on hunt nights. Their track record was flawless; how could they have known that their newest would-be victim could be their one deviation?

They were sprinting across rooftops through the city of Zamrud aglow with shining emerald rooftops and castle turrets in the blinding sunlight. This wasn't unusual for the two assassins. The only unusual thing was that they were doing it in broad daylight. Why? Well, maybe it had something to do with the palace guards chasing them from down below. At first, the assassins thought it to be a coincidence that palace guards were at the same market as they were. But after being followed to their favorite secluded tea shop, they knew this was no coincidence. This was planned.

So, there you have them, jumping from roof to roof and escaping the palace guards from below. And no matter how fit or balanced you were, a rain-soaked rooftop was never trustworthy. That was the first mistake. Jasper missed his footing on a slippery emerald, making him lose his balance and flail around to grab onto anything that could save him. And Aelis... well she had to help in some way. Before he fell from the rooftop of the townhouse, Aelis reached out for his right forearm, grasping it tightly. Passersby whispered and pointed as the two assassins struggled. "Don't you dare make a wrong move Jasper," Aelis grunted, her voice strained.

"Let go," Jasper said, a marvelous idea popping into his mind. That was the second mistake.

"Are you out of your mind? You'll break multiple bones, if not die!" she exclaimed.

"Do you trust me?"

"I'm starting to question that trust but yes."

"Then let go. At least one of us will get away."

"Aren't you the martyr of the year?"

"Only for you," Jasper replied with a cheeky smile.

Aelis wondered once more what she was about to do, but eventually, let go. "You better not die, you damn moron," she muttered to herself. Aelis watched as Jasper fell and fell, closer to the ground and smashing into gablets until she could not stand the sight of her partner getting hurt. She turned around, stood up, and continued her escape back towards their mansion.

~

Meanwhile, Jasper was lying on a cart of apples he landed on quite painfully, trying to desperately ignore the sharp pain in his back, begging for it to go away. He knew he broke something, that much was certain. Whether it was the cart and a couple of apples, or his back, he did not know nor cared. But he also knew that he had to get out before he got caught. Jasper struggled down from the cart and took a moment to catch his breath. He then took off running when he heard the guards shouting a few streets back, which at first felt like a bruise but with every step it got significantly worse.

Ever since he was a child, Jasper had been trained to be an assassin. Being left on the front doorstep of his trainer as a baby, the life he was living was all he knew. Life was hard on him sometimes, making him want to give up. The pain he went through was unspeakable and unknown to him. So that was what he was trained on. Focusing on ignoring pain and blocking it out; pain and emotions were something that could not be thought of amid danger. This being one of those dangerous situations, Jasper ran as if his life depended on it. In this case, it did.

He ran in open daylight, his black cape flowing out behind him. People in the street and sidewalks exclaimed and grumbled as he pushed them out of the way. Eventually, he arrived at the main plaza. He was stuck. No way out, the ornate buildings surrounded him. His only chance of escaping was to go up. And that was exactly his plan. The tallest building in the plaza was the Palace of Courts; where only the worst criminals go to get judged. He never had to use the Palace, and ironically, this was the one time he needed it. Here he was, about to climb the tallest building. It had never been done before and Jasper wasn't sure if he was going to be able to succeed. Before he could regret anything, he took a deep breath and took off sprinting. People moved out of the way to avoid being run over as he got closer and closer to the building. Three feet away from the entrance, he took a gigantic leap, barely grasping onto the ledge of the building. He struggled to pull himself up and the next thing he knew was the sound of a whooshing arrow, the pain of it impaling him, and blacking out.

~

Aelis watched from the large study window as the guards hauled an unconscious Jasper away. She cursed herself for letting him go on by himself. Aelis realized that she would have to save him... again. Not today though. Today... today she had to take care of her baby girl.

A/N: hi i'm back. i probably should stop posting stories without finishing my other stories first but i felt like this one really should be put out there. vote, comment, share, etc. you're love is always appreciated and until next time <3