Chapter 8
Night fell in Caldeum and Fan-Min argued with her little brother over their course of action. "If you didn't want to come with me, then why did you come with me?" She yelled.
"I couldn't leave you alone." Fan-Huang argued. "I need to keep you safe."
"You're a pushover." She snapped. "Trust me. I don't need you." She huffed and sat angrily on her bed. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. In fact, this would all be easier without you."
"Why's it so important we meet Li-Ming?"
"It's not about meeting Li-Ming." She about bit Fan-Huang's head off, her eyes crazy. "It's about having her teach me." She stood back up, unable to sit still. She was too worked up. "She's the greatest wizard this world has ever seen."
"You honestly think she's greater than Isendra or Tal Rasha?"
"Yes."
"There's really no way I can convince you to go home?" Fan-Huang sounded desperate and Fan-Min knew he was sincere in his intention to keep her safe. As weak as he was, she knew he always had her best interest in mind. But that didn't change anything.
"Fan-Huang." She said calmly, but firmly. "Are you a fool?" Her older brother looked at her confused. He didn't follow where this was going. "We don't have a home." Her words were true and they hit Huang in a painful moment of realization. "We left the Yshari Sanctum. We broke our vows. We are not welcome there any longer. We're Renegade Wizards."
Fan-Huang felt tears running down his face. He collapsed back onto his bed. "But..." His word was shaky and broken. "It was a home."
"Maybe for you." Fan-Min came and sat by her brother. "Not for me."
"What was it then?" His broken eyes did what very little things did for Min: caused her heart to crack, flooding her with the very uncomfortable emotions of sadness and sympathy. She placed a tiny arm around her small brother and could feel how successful his work-outs with Kazur had been. And therein laid the issue. Kazur. He missed Kazur. It wasn't his bed. Or the classes. It wasn't the safety. Or the food. It wasn't the Yshari Sanctum at all. It was Kazur.
"For me?" Fan-Min asked absently as she thought about her brother's pain in his separation from his best friend. The very man that was to him what Fan-Huang was to her. A big brother. "For me it was a prison." She sighed. "I never wanted to hurt you. This is why you should never have come." She stood back up and put her stoic game-face back on. "Stay here." She commanded. "Kazur will come. I know this." She smiled to her brother. "He'll find you."
"That doesn't fix anything!" Fan-Huang shouted. His sudden burst startled Fan-Min causing her to nearly gasp. "Don't you get it?!" His voice was louder than needed. "It wasn't just Kazur. It's you too! I want you both. You're my little sister. I can't live this life without you and yet you keep trying to push me out!" The words struck Min like a slap across the face. She had never realized just how much her big brother cared about her. She had always seen her power a reason for him to not care about her. She didn't need it. This wasn't just care that would protect her. This was love.
"Then you'll have to come with me." She said quietly as she climbed into bed. She'd had too much of this emotional crap for one evening. "I'm going to New Tristram. If you want me in your life, then you'll indulge me on this selfish journey."
"Then I guess I'm going to New Tristram."