Lotus Cards
Chapter Seven
- - -
China – Present – 3 P.M.
Sweat rolled down her face, but it did not deter her from nocking another arrow, aiming and releasing. When it hit the middle of the target, she let a satisfied smile grace her lips. She had been practicing for hours on end, not even taking a break for lunch.
Shimmering blood could be seem sliding down the string of the bow and soaking up the tail end of the arrow before it was sent flying. Her fingers were cut from the string. They stung at first until they settled into a comfortable numbness. Her mind was in a blur and the only thing that registered was that she needed to keep going, to keep nocking the arrow and releasing.
Hei was watching his mistress from behind her and her incredible archery skills. Now that Xing Xing was gone, he was the one who was supposed to take over the account of the estate and the estate's mistress. Whom he was increasingly growing worried over, though he did not show it through his impeccable discipline. He recalled that his twin brother Wei, who was with the Li heir, sometimes had problems such as this that occurred with Master Syaoran-sama.
He had to be strong for his mistress and for his sensei, Xing Xing.
"Milady," he interrupted his mistress just when another arrow thudded into place. "Perhaps it would be wise to recoup for awhile."
Meilin heard him. It was, after all, a woman's talent to be able to multitask. But she chose to ignore him as she strung another arrow.
Hei got the idea, but did not relent. He knew that there were a lot of important duties that still needed to be passed through his lady.
"Milady," he said gravely. "It is time to choose the date for Xing Xing's funeral."
And then arrow flew over the target, completely missing it.
Meilin narrowed her eyes and slowly, almost ominously, lowered the longbow.
Hei calmly took her attitude in.
She closed her eyes and knew that she couldn't avoid her late governess' death for long. Xing Xing had just died this very morning, and already they were talking about her funeral. But it was to be expected. She must honour Xing Xing soon, before she started to decompose in the foyer.
"How is the weather for the next few days?" she asked in a half-dead tone.
"All perfect," Hei answered without missing a beat.
"In three days time then," she said. "It shall be small, pertaining to those who knew and loved her. She shall be buried in the garden with a small memorial."
He bowed lowly and replied, "Hai, Mistress Meilin-sama."
"Now leave me."
"Hai," he turned and began to walk away.
"Wait."
He stopped.
"Near the pond," Meilin looked up into the blue sky with dimmed chocolate-red eyes. "Have her buried near the pond… so that she may catch the falling leaves during autumn, dance on the ice during winter, breathe in the sakura blossoms during spring… and watch the lotuses bloom during the summer."
Hei closed his eyes in solemnity. He thought her a great mistress then, and thought that he would honourably, and gladly, serve her for the rest of his life.
"Hai, milady."
And then he left, his footsteps whispering across the grass.
A tear fell from the corner of her eye.
"Xing Xing."
- - -
China – Three Days Later – 11 A.M.
Lady Li Meilin stared at the closed casket as the monk continued on with the ceremony. Hei was right, and she knew that with him in her service, he'd always be right. He was right about the weather, it was stunning with the sun and the white clouds and everything…
Xing Xing would have loved it.
She stood at the front, dressed in a black turtle neck and a black skirt that reached to her ankles. She had black shoes and black lacy gloves that matched the black veil that covered her face. She let her hair free and it streamed down her back. She had her back straight, her head high, her shoulders back and her hands clasped politely in front.
She must look strong for her servants and especially for the representatives from the Li Council. When told of Xing Xing's death, the Council assumed that the old governess had died of old age.
Meilin let them think that. She had more things to worry about other than the opinion of old men and women who stereotyped against her. She had invited her parents and siblings – and only her father showed up to keep the reputation of their family. No doubt her mother did not attend because she did not want to admit to herself that she was the mother of the Li abomination. Her parents, most likely, prevented her siblings from coming, just in case she contaminated them.
She gritted her teeth and felt empty. She wanted Xing Xing to be there… to hold her as she cried. She gave a long blink and composed herself as they lowered the casket. It was a nice place to be buried at, right beside the pond where a small waterfall was located with koi swimming around. She knew that Xing Xing would love it.
Her father was a broad shouldered man, very handsome for a man his age, and his hair was just beginning to show a bit of white. He was also very proud and looked down upon his middle child. He was always thankful that his youngest did not turn out to be like Meilin. In fact, his youngest even surpassed his oldest in magic, but the oldest was the best marital artist.
When the casket hit the bottom of the six feet hole, he did not turn towards the young hostess when he spoke in a clipped tone, "My apologies, my daughter" - she could tell that it took quite a lot of will power from him to not spit out the endearment – "but I must go now. Take care."
She, at least, had the courtesy to face him and bow, "Thank you, father. And farewell."
He left, followed by his servants and the representatives sent by the Council. She didn't even blinked when they walked past her without even offering their condolences. She turned to face Xing Xing's burial site and murmured to the governess, "I will be strong and capable… for you, I will be a Card Captor that will even rival the Card Mistress."
Hei heard, along with some others that were standing closest to her. Thankfully, those standing closest to her were the higher ranked of her servants and were the most understanding.
Yes, they shall aid their mistress in any way possible.
- - -
The sun was setting, that much she noticed, but she had yet to budge from her position in front of Xing Xing's grave. In the next twenty-four hours the household would fast and mourn over the deceased. But afterwards… afterwards…
She had already told Xing Xing what she would do.
She would not falter.
That was for sure.
- - -
China – Present – 1:03 P.M.
Meilin lowered her chopsticks and sipped on the tea. That was the cue for the maids, who were standing against the walls, to clean the table after lunch. The rushed over and began to stack the plates. It was a pity, actually, to always prepare so many dishes for only one person who ate alone.
She saw that it was inefficient - time and money wise. She planned to rectify that at once.
"Call for Hei," she ordered, but the order was not to any specific maid, but they got the gist of it.
In a brief moment, Hei was in the room, bowing.
"It is a joke for one person to eat so many dishes with a bowl of rice. I only need two. Please attend to that," she said.
"Hai, milady," he agreed.
"I will be in the library," she said, settling the tea onto the table. "Do not disturb me."
"Hai," he bowed lowly and stayed in that position until she walked clearly out of the room. He breathed in and looked out the window. The change in his mistress' attitude was apparent to all the servants. It would seem that Lady Meilin-sama had grown ten years as the result of Xing Xing's death.
- - -
Meilin had only been in the library once, and only once when she first arrived to the manor. Her impression of the library was exactly the same as the first time she saw it. It was huge, immensely huge. Three stories high with millions of books, desks and computers, this library was always updated.
Fortunately, the household servants always cleaned it at least once a week or the dust would have choked her to death.
She knew what she had to do. If she were to become the mistress of the Lotus Cards, then it would be wise, she had concluded, to do some research on the creator: Mistress Hol Fa.
She started on the first floor, skimming through the titles on the spines. After about the first few hundred, she sighed aloud.
"This is gonna take awhile," she muttered, almost peevishly.
Hei, hiding behind the library doors, smiled at the little lapse of his mistress' new I-am-a-Li-and-I-feel-nothing mind-set.
- - -
Pausing before a particular large volume on the second floor, she bent her head to the right and read the spine: The Life of Clow Reed. She bit her lower lip and wondered if there would be any mention of his younger sister, Hol Fa. She reached up and was about to pluck it down when she felt an aura coming from it.
"A trap?" she murmured to herself in suspicion.
She lowered her hand but could still feel the aura. It was familiar, very familiar. And close, very close.
She swallowed, almost painfully.
And it was then that realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
It wasn't the book, it was-
She gave a sharp in take of breath before snapping her head towards the library windows just in time to see the glass shatter as a vicious wind ripped through the entire room. A shelf fell from the third floor, the floor above hers, but she paid it no attention when it ripped down near her head and landed on the floor below hers with a sound that was muffled by the wild air around her. She narrowed her eyes as books were suddenly tore from their shelves and flung every which way, some even coming close to hitting her, but she did not falter her pose, still looking at the now broken window.
Among the chaos, the only thing she found herself thinking was, "Damn, this is gonna cost a lot to fix."
She felt, rather than saw, the air rushing towards her and she jumped out of the way before it could slam her to the nearest shelf. But of course, she jumped over the railing and then in mid jump did she remember that she was on the second floor… and was about to collide with the first floor.
Hitting her hands together and producing her trusted bow and arrow, she screamed, "Allow thy limbs to grow, and I shall enwrap my foe! Nature!"
She shot the arrow and then a large tree sprung from the ground and grew, tearing the roof of the library apart. She couldn't help but wince, perhaps she should have limited herself instead of giving into panic. She then landed softly on a bed-sized leaf coming off from the overlarge tree.
Feeling the air movement change, she jumped down from the leaf and onto another as the invisible enemy slashed the first leaf apart. She continued to jump down while nocking another arrow and whipping out her other card, "Grant me thy light, and I shall show thy might! Ying!"
The White Maiden appeared dutifully beside her mistress and formed a sort of barrier around her. The air hit the barrier and retreated quickly with Ying following closely behind, but then she stopped, having lost the enemy.
Meilin landed on the ground safely, right beside the fallen shelf, when a piece of fuuda was flung from no where and sent a blue, electric net to snare something invisible. In that brief moment, she could see a transparent image of a woman with bird-like wings: a Harpy.
"Meilin-sama!"
She turned to see Hei there with another fuuda ready.
The Harpy screeched and flung her wings with such force that it broke the magical net. In a flash, the Harpy was once again the air itself, undetectable. The White Maiden stood in mid-air, searching frantically for her foe as Nature burrowed itself back into the ground.
"Air," Hei supplied, glasses slightly askew. "She gives her master or mistress the power to control the air, to manifest wind, to make twisters and tornadoes."
"Xing Xing has taught you well," Meilin spared him a compliment and then they leaped apart- a small crater stood where they once were.
A slight misshape in the air, Hei flung another net-producing fuuda, trapping the Harpy once more. This time, Meilin would not be made a fool of. Another heavy beat from her wings, Air was free, free enough to be hit by Ying.
Meilin watched the Harpy toppled through the air as she struggled to right herself. When she was about to reach her centre, thick branches, acting like vines, wrapped around her, ensnaring her wings to her back tightly.
The new Card Captor had her bow and arrow ready and then shot, "Lotus bind me to thee as I, the Phoenix, rise from mine ashes. Let thy Card be the execution, to mine evolution! Air!"
- - -
The Air Card depicted the Harpy, eyes closed, in mid-twirl with the air enwrapping her body gracefully.
Meilin smiled, and then frowned.
"Hei, get me that book," she referred to the heavy volume she had intended to read before Air decided to intrude.
The butler made to move through the rubble but then paused when his mistress spoke again.
"And I guess I don't need breakfast anymore, and limit my lunch to one dish – my dinner to one as well," she went on, despairing as she listed all the things she could give up to rebuild the library. "No more dessert… no more cookies… no more cakes-"
Hei coughed and then said, "If I may, milady. I assure you, our account can provide for cake."
Meilin broke into another smile, a smile Hei had not seen for the longest of times.
- - -
the point
