Chapter 9: Reflections and Dreams

Disclaimer: Yawn…same as last time… Zzzzzzzzzzz…

(A week later) Liana woke up to a new day, which was not as up lifting as it sounds. The sky was over cast and thunder boomed. She wondered how she had slept through the storm that was currently in full glory. Wondering to the window, she sat and watched the lightning streak across the sky. It was somehow relaxing, listening to the rainfall, the thunder crash and boom and the lightning crack. She remembered her lessons about the lightning, that it could kill, or seriously harm a person and start fires. It was strangely beautiful. Beautiful and dangerous. Closing her eyes, Liana thought back to the past year.

[Flashback] "Father, I don't want to be a proper noble lady! Can't you at least let me be a knight if not a shang? Alanna the Lioness and Keladry of Mindelan have both been able to do it…" Liana of Rarowri complained yet again to her father, Lord Thian. It was her wish from small to become a shang, and she was six, the year when most people started training if they wanted to be a shang. Both she and her father had gone through this many times. [End Flashback] Liana chuckled to herself. She was now well on the way to realizing this dream, and she would not have to shout so much at her father. Somewhere, deep down, she knew she loved him.

[Flashback] A young lady was standing there, but instead of a beautiful dress that noble ladies wore, she wore a shirt and breaches. "Hello Liana!" she smiled. "Your mother has asked me to teach you. I'm the shang unicorn." [End Flashback] "Who knew mother was that sly…" Liana murmured to herself. She was not the only one who was remembering the past, however…

Locke tossed and turned in his bed. He had not slept the whole night because of the storm. Settling down in a comfortable position, he closed his eyes and searched through his memories.

[Flashback] A young boy, six at the very most, stood in front of his father, arms crossed, eyes angry. The Shang Lion had inspected the boys from the village, and he had chosen Locke to go with him to learn shang fighting. His father was angry. The oldest son in the family was supposed to take over the father's duties as he got older. If Locke left, who was left to look after the family? Locke's younger brother, still a baby? Even Locke, at his age, understood his father's anger. But even so, he did so want to be a Shang…[End Flashback] A tear fell from Locke's eye. He was glad that no one had seen it. After he had insisted on going, his father had… Locke shook his head. He didn't want to think about it. He wondered if his father still remembered him, or if his family had thrown all thoughts about him away. Searching some more, he found a happier thought.

[Flashback] Locke looked around, stunned by the enormous building that was going to be his home for a long, long time. He was unsure about what to do. The Shang Lion had shown him around, and introduced him to some other new students. It looked as if the next few years were going to be actually bearable, if not fun…[End Flashback] Locke smiled. The next few years had indeed been fun, as well as entertaining.

Liana smiled to herself. She wondered what she would do once she became a Shang. If she became a Shang, that is. The Shang's had told them that to become a Shang, they would have to go through some sort of ordeal, and there were people who had not passed it. Liana let her thoughts roam.

[Begin Thought Flow] When I'm a Shang, I'll help the poor, I'll travel everywhere, helping people wherever I go. I'll gain respect and fame and popularity, and everyone will know my name! [End Thought Flow] Liana smiled to her self. She would realize her dream. She would.

Locke changed position again. He didn't know how he would face his parents when the time came for him to go out into the world. Would his parents be happy to see him, or would they shun him, and cast him out? Locke tried to remember his family. The family of others would send them letters and often visit them at the school, like Liana's mother. They both looked so happy, so overjoyed… Too bad him and his father were too proud to apologize.

Inside a hut, an old farmer tried to sleep. His thoughts kept wandering back to his long lost son, wandering what he was doing, wondering how he was coping, suddenly he shook his head. He didn't want to remember him. Not that son. That… person had run away, abandoning a family, but still, he was related… the old farmer shook his head. It wasn't right. He had shut out all thoughts after he disowned his son, why was he now remembering him?

Lord Thian of Rarowri tossed and turned in his bed. He couldn't sleep, for some reason. He was thinking of his daughter, gone for a year now. He wondered if she had really consented to going to the convent, Liana was a strong-minded girl… He wondered if he had done right, denying her the privilege to be a warrior. After all, she had really wanted to be a Shang…

Hi there! This is the author speaking… I need you all to help me out. Please do me a favor and think of how I should continue the story. If you are any good at writing, then could you please send me an e-mail at sara_ang1990@hotmail.com with the next chapter? Thanks! Oh, and if you are sending me an e-mail, do note that in the next chapter, Emekien gets expelled. I just need to know how.