ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

Chapter 40 - The Simple Things

Jason woke the next morning with an unusual smile on his face.

Sae, who'd twined himself around the outside of Jason's ear as he did every night, turned back into his regular fluffy shape--impossibly fluffy, if you asked Jason, considering the Ascended was made out of ice.

"Jason," said Sae. "Your mouth is doing something weird. Should I be concerned?"

Still laying on his back, Jason scooped Sae up in his palm and scratched the top feathers of the Ascended's head. "I have this unusually strange feeling. It's the one Banshee always seems to be infected with. 'Happy', I believe it's called."

"Most unusual," said Sae, adjusting his head so Jason was massaging his cheeks. "Yes, I think I like this happy thing compared to the usual whatever it is you are. Can I ask what caused this happy so I can make it happen again later?"

Jason continued scratching Sae as he thought it over. He couldn't pin it down exactly. It was more that he simply felt content, and despite his duties, he felt in control. He could handle them. There were deadlines and responsibilities, but right here, in this moment, they weren't heavy on his shoulders.

That, he realised, and he hadn't had the nightmare.

"Does there have to be a reason?" said Jason, sitting up and crossing his legs under the covers.

"I thought it might be making up with that girl last night," said Sae. "I don't think I've ever seen you so terrified that someone was going to hate you."

Jason tossed Sae into the air, who gave a rather offended squawk as Jason stretched his arms up and got out of bed.

"I wasn't terrified," said Jason.

"I can sense your mood, Jase. I've seen you face down Manifested with far less horror than the idea of talking to--"

Jason sighed. "Sae, that does not help the happy."

Sae landed on Jason's head and snuggled in. "No, but it helps mine."

After the rest of his morning routine, Jason returned to his room and quickly dressed himself. He walked to the window, where the small flower he'd been encouraging back to life after Gerald had nearly killed it was sitting in its pot. With a glove on, Jason scraped away some of the rocky dirt near the furthest edge and plucked the small, black crystal he'd hidden there from the soil.

Jason rolled Ella's corrupted fragment into his palm, watching the way it glinted in the light.

"Whatchu gonna do with that?" said Sae, crawling onto Jason's shoulder and plopping his beak down.

"I'm uncertain," said Jason. "Keeping it where I live would be a giveaway to my identity if it were discovered, but I seem to remember Golem's warning that we should never keep a corrupted fragment, so I'm concerned that if I hide it, it may influence someone else."

"The reason you can't keep a corrupted fragment usually is because they need an owner," said Sae casually. "Keep it near you long enough, and boom, you become that owner. Once they have an owner though, they're harmless to anyone else."

"How can you be sure a corrupted fragment has an owner?"

"Cos you can't break it," said Sae. "Also, because Ella drew on its power. You can only do that if you accept the owner thing."

"Could Ella find it, if she wanted to?"

"Might take her a while, but she could," said Sae. "Only if she really wanted to, though. Once you're bonded to a corrupted fragment, it's part of you. Only if--" Sae squawked. "Starlight dim it all, that's all I got. Rules kicking in." He lifted his beak to the ceiling. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm just trying to help the kid out, geez!"