I am very proud of this chapter! I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did when I started writing it but sometimes you just need to let the words direct you, am I right? I think a part of it was music played a heavy part in the way I wrote this chapter. I was listening to a song called Space Lion, which is part of the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack and I recommend you guys hear it. It it a spectacular piece of music. Okay enough out of me, I hope you all like and enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. :)
Dawn broke over the horizon, painting the sky with glorious oranges, blues and purples with a black and darkened landscape. Morning birds complemented every morning with their songs which helped make the morning that much more complete. Leah woke up early every morning to see the dawn and hear the birds. It was a much needed contrast to how last night happened and how scared Leah was, but now she felt a since of peace. It was always so beautiful and now she wanted to a part of it. She lost her uncle and she wanted to be away and forget about everything, if only for a little bit. Her uncle was dead and she blamed Li-Ming for it and she felt so bad about it. Wanting to be a part of something that she thought was beautiful wasn't too much to ask right now.
She rubbed her tired eyes with both hands. She hadn't slept a second during the night and how could she expect herself too? When you're in such a bad state of melancholy, there is very little you care about or are even capable of doing. She thought she should get some sleep but she couldn't find the will to. She couldn't leave her uncles side and she was waiting for either Lyndon or Li-Ming or hopefully both to come back. "Go on, get out of here!" Leah rolled those words in her head over and over again. She saw clearly in her mind the look on Li-Ming's face, that mixture of surprise, confusion and hurt. What made her feel worse was that she had humiliated her. All of Tristram was out there to see Li-Ming get yelled at like a child, something of which Leah knew Li-Ming didn't exactly take to kindly of.
If only she had taken Li-Ming's advice sooner, about keeping a clear mind, then maybe she could have kept the whole thing from happening in the first place. Li-Ming tried to reason with her, tried to explain, but Leah didn't want to hear a single word of it. She kept interrupting her and literally pushed her away. She was so damned foolish. If Li-Ming were in her place at the time she would have never blamed Leah for what happened. No, instead she would have placed the blame, all of it, on Maghda and her twisted and vile cult just as she should have, but she did not. If anyone were to ask her why right now, she didn't think she would be able to explain adequately.
"I've made some breakfast for you, Leah." Kormac informed.
"I'm not hungry, Kormac. But, thank you." Her voice was low and dry.
"Are you sure?" He knew when he started making the meal that she would decline it, but there was still the possibility she might, even if it was slim and almost nonexistent. If anything, it would remind her that if she needed or wanted anything, he was there for her, but it wasn't he that she wanted to talk too right now and he understood. Li-Ming was a hard person to get close too but Leah, with some doing, had won a place in the young wizard's world. It wasn't out in the open for all to see but Kormac realized it in the way Li-Ming looked out for Leah especially when she accompanied them to the Drowned Temple. It became clear that Li-Ming cared for Leah on a level higher than most and valued her safety greatly.
"Yes, I'm sure. I don't think I could eat a bite right now if I tried."
"Very well. It'll be there should you change your mind." She won't and he wasn't going to push her either. She lost someone very close to her. What she was going through, he's seen on a number of occasions and people dealt with it in many different ways. He didn't know yet how Leah will cope, but he prayed to God that she won't let this consume her. If she did, there was no telling how much damage she could do to herself and to those around her. Like Li-Ming, he's grown to care for Leah and he didn't want to see her go down a dangerous road. They weren't out of the woods yet; they needed to find where Maghda was holding The Stranger and if possible, avenge Deckard Cain. So they were going to stick around Tristram a little longer and in the meantime he was going to keep a close eye in Leah to make sure she comes out of this okay.
The Stranger's sword, now completed thanks to Deckard Cain was standing up against the wall. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of craftsmanship that Kormac had ever seen. A light shined through the center of the hilt which were made to look like wings and the blade itself was sharp and without a single scratch or dent. How Cain managed to put this back together before he died was a mystery and Leah refused to say anything. Whatever it was about this sword that caused so much misfortune in this land had better be worth it. There was no justification for what happened to the people of Tristram, of Wortham and of course, to poor Leah who was still leaning against the door staring out at the sunrise waiting for Lyndon to return with Li-Ming.
Xxxxx
She shivered, it was chilly this morning and it stirred Lyndon awake. The sun was in his eyes and he blinked until they no longer burned. They fell asleep in the ruins of Old Tristram and Li-Ming was sleeping against his chest, her arms wresting lazily against his legs, he smiled. She was obviously cold, she was shaking in her sleep and her robes were still sitting next to them where she had placed them. He picked them up slowly and quietly and gently laid them over Li-Ming so she wouldn't be as cold. He was a despicable man in many ways, he came to terms with that years ago, but he wasn't without principles, so he wasn't about to leave someone to sleep in the cold.
He watched Li-Ming as she slept and listened to her slow and regular breathing. What had this girl gotten him into? He's only been with them for a few days and had already been put in severe life threatening situations and Wortham was a little over whelming. This whole rescuing people and stopping evil villains wasn't his line of work. Give him a simple robbery or the most complex heist, then he was in his proper atmosphere and if beautiful women were involved then count him in, but not this. When he decided he would help them in Wortham it was because he felt he owed something, but after seeing what those cultists did and how much destruction they caused, he didn't know if he would be able to live with himself if he didn't lend his new found comrades a helping hand. He wanted to see them stopped too. Again, his hands weren't the cleanest but mindless slaughter, rape and destruction was not something he was capable of tolerating. And, he had this girl who was sleeping against him to thank for it. This strange, powerful and lovely young lady, who was such an enigma to him.
People weren't complicated and if you gave him a day he could figure anybody out and how they worked no problem, but Li-Ming was rare. He knew the kind of person she was, but why was still unclear to him. In the forest, when he brought it up to her, all she responded with was, "I do it because I must." It was a broad answer and any guess he could come up with was only as good as anybody else's. He had the suspicion that Leah knew most about her than anybody else did but like everyone else she was most likely not going to say anything about it to him and he couldn't exactly fault her for it.
Sense he was in this for good now it seemed, he was going to make sure he got some answers. He couldn't be expected to sit in the dark about what's been going on and why they were looking for those sword pieces and why those cultists and that witch were also after them and why they kidnapped someone. Kormac would be hesitant but he was certain that Li-Ming would be willing to talk. She was the only one of the group that gave him the benefit of the doubt, there was no reason for that to stop now.
Li-Ming moved a little and was slowly waking up. She was chilly and she had goosebumps up and down her arms. What was she sleeping on? She turned around and saw Lyndon's face looking back at her. Having no energy to care about their current state, she laid her head back down on his chest and closed her eyes. "You're very comfortable to sleep on by the way." She admitted. His chest was warm and the slow pace of his breathing was oddly soothing. She didn't remember when she fell asleep but falling asleep on Lyndon wasn't something she planned to do.
"Thanks. I've always wanted to know how cozy I was. I can die content now." They chuckled. "We should head back to Tristram soon." He was supposed to bring her back last night but neither of them expected to fall asleep in this place. There was work to be done and judging by the severity of it all, they needed to hurry. The person they kidnapped must have played a key part in whatever was going on otherwise those cultists would not have even bothered. You don't take a hostage unless there was something to gain out of it. His fellow thieves were never good at keeping things to themselves and he had overheard them talking about it. He personally wouldn't commit such an act. He was above it and even if things were dire, he still wouldn't. He found it distasteful.
She was thinking the same thing but a part of her was concerned about going back. After what happened last night she didn't want to face the people of Tristram. It was an embarrassing blow to her pride. She worked so damned hard to help the people of Tristram and it only ended up in another town's destruction. When Maghda confessed her plan, Li-Ming felt like her world was falling apart. She had been played like she was nothing but a chess piece to further Maghda's ends and she didn't know if she was ever really ahead of her not and it irritated her greatly. She feared for Leah and was more afraid of what kind of torture that Maghda had planned for her.
In the end, Li-Ming was happy that Leah was okay, physically that is but she hadn't given much thought about Deckard Cain. He had been helpful and encouraged them to continue. Leah was right, she and him were a lot alike the only difference being that she had a means to defend herself. The fact alone that Maghda would do such a thing to an old man who couldn't fight back enraged her. She swore when she got her hands on Maghda she was going to make it hurt and make her beg for a quick death.
She wasn't going to rush in head first this time. Li-Ming would be damned if she let what happened last night happened again. There were considerations that would need to be taken into account.
Xxxxx
For once, Deckard Cain looked like he was really at peace. All his life he had busied himself with ancient books and ridiculous prophecies. He never let himself rest. When he wasn't reading, he still had so much going on in his mind. Leah, pictured the inside of her uncle's mind to be like a huge library with shelves back with books that went miles high with ladders that reached the top. Each tome therein would be old and covered with dust but each one holding knowledge that only he could understand. Leah held onto his hand and rubbed her thumb across the top. It was hitting her that she will miss everything. The adventures they went on, the crazy tales he would tell her. Everything.
Some of the early risers in Tristram stopped by to give her their condolences, but some were not the best. The town was no apparently split on how they felt about Li-Ming. After the accusations that Leah had so hot headedly spat at her, some of the town's people agreed. It wasn't want Leah wanted to happen and some of the things they said were horrible. There was nothing she could do about it now and she didn't have the energy to argue with them so she could change their minds.
She sighed. This was difficult for her. She had never lost anyone she cared about before and she never knew that it hurt this much. Every fond memory made her feel worse, like there was a hole that was deepening in the inside of her stomach. Her lip quivered and her eyes were glassy, but she was done crying, there were no more tears to shed. She was dry. She sniffed and rubbed her tired, stinging eyes and wondered how long this feeling will endure. Death was a powerful and unpreventable force with the potential to change people in the most extreme ways. Leah didn't know what she was going to do now, her uncle was the only reason she remained in Tristram in the first place but now there was nothing here for her. Whatever she decided, she was going to make her mind up soon.
"I made you some tea." Kormac said.
Tea was the best idea she'd heard all morning. She took a sip and leaned against Kormac who took a seat next to her. This morning would have been a whole lot rougher if Kormac wasn't here to be with her. He was patient and tried everything he could think of to make this easier for her to handle. When he wasn't trying to make her feel better he took to cleaning the house up. He swept, put dishes away and organized everything. He even hid the sword from her sight. It was the right move because she didn't want to so much as think about that cursed sword lest she get upset. Kormac did everything he possibly could think of to make this place feel like a home again. A place where people are meant to feel safe and comfortable.
Someone knocked on the door; dunk, dunk, dunk, dunk, but neither of the two answered it. Another knock came but instead of getting up to answer it, Kormac shouted, "Please leave! It is not a convenient time!" Dunk, dunk, dunk. His words went unheeded and he swore he was about to pop a blood vessel in his head. Plenty of the town's people have already said their piece and all they wanted was to be left alone. Both had enough to hear about what people had to say about Li-Ming or what happened last night, he thought he had made that perfectly clear. Guess not. He got up from the chair and marched towards the door with some firm choice of words in mind.
"Alright, now listen all of you…"
Lyndon back away with both hands raised like he was being accused of something that he didn't do-for once. Even when he wasn't up to no good he still got yelled at and it made him think about what he did to get so lucky and why it was only him it happened too. He was relieved at least that Kormac stopped himself short when he realized it was he and Li-Ming who were at the door instead of the town's folk and so was Kormac.
"Oh God! I cannot tell you how good it is to see you guys right now."
"Sorry it took us, we got caught up." Lyndon said. A hint of suspicion hung around them and Kormac wondered what the hell he meant by getting caught up. He swore if Lyndon did anything to get to Li-Ming while all of this was happening there was going to be hell to pay. Speaking of Li-Ming; Kormac shot her a glance and he couldn't tell who looked worse for wear Leah or her. She looked beat, her armor was damaged, her hair was in disarray and her expression was dead pan. He couldn't tell what must have been going through mind, but that was a given with Li-Ming. If there was ever a person who could reach into the depths of her mind and sort through the chaos that are her thoughts, the knowledge that person would acquire would be invaluable.
"How's Leah doing? Li-Ming asked.
"Not much better than you are by all appearances. It's too be expected but I tried making her breakfast but she refused to eat it and she refuses to sleep and rest." Li-Ming was taken back to how she felt when Isendra died. The sheer emptiness she felt knowing the person she cared most for was gone. She sat there in the empty house holding onto Isendra and wished that she would wake up and tell her that everything was okay and that she was going to fine, but all that happened instead was Li-Ming crying over her best friend's body as she held her in her arms.
The way Leah was when Li-Ming ran into the house last night was the perfect reflection of that moment. Li-Ming could see herself in Leah right then because it was the exact same. She wanted to comfort Leah and let her know she wasn't going to face this alone. Not like Li-Ming had too when Isendra died. She couldn't rely on anyone, not her parents, not her contemporaries and certainly not her master-Valthek. Isendra's death caused some changes within Li-Ming that were unsavory and Li-Ming was afraid that the same would happen to Leah. She didn't deserve this. Why was fate cruel to those who did nothing to warrant such misfortune? The righteous and good suffered while the wicked prospered. May the heavens be damned for allowing things to happen this way.
They walked into the house and Leah ran to Li-Ming when she laid eyes on her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'm so sorry for shouting at you. It was wrong of me too…"
"Shhh. You are not at fault, Leah. None of this is your fault besides, you may have been right." Leah backed up unable to believe what she just heard. Li-Ming had thought about it on the way back from the Old Tristram ruins and she couldn't keep the truth from rearing its head. Maybe if she was patient by even a fraction then maybe Deckard Cain would still be alive and Leah would have been spared from knowing this pain that Li-Ming was all too familiar with.
"No, Li-Ming. I was wrong. When Maghda attacked us, she and her minions bound me with some sort of magic while she tortured my uncle and all I could do was sit there and watch." She was on her hands and knees, pleading, begging for Maghda to stop. She was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen if it meant her uncle was okay. Her minions stood over her with their hands out casting there spells that kept her from moving all the while feeling like her life was being drained from her.
The Stranger was pinned to the floor just as helpless as she was with a minions boot planted firmly against his back. These people had no since of honor and delighted in disgracing others with every turn they took. Maghda was torturing poor Deckard, Leah begged for him to do as she wanted but Cain did not waver. His spirit was strong and not even Maghda could break it.
"It's your choice Cain. Either use your Horadric arts to repair the sword or your dear Leah dies a horrible death." Maghda said. The stranger's sword fragment's laid before them all, ready to be made whole again. The light they created was bright like the pieces were crying for rejoice. All Cain would have to do is use his knowledge to make it happen, but while his body was weak, his will was strong and he would never give in to Maghda's demands.
Cain mustered the strength to look Maghda in the eye and ask, "All this pain…all this destruction-What is the sword to you?"
"To me, nothing. To my master-Belial, it means everything!" Maghda held her arm out and Leah shouted for Maghda to stop what she was doing. Maghda smirked at her idle demand and a red aura surrounded Maghda.
"Please stop! Don't hurt him anymore, please! He's just an old man. He has done nothing too you!" Oh, where was Li-Ming? Why wasn't she here? Dammit! She was probably off on her own again doing who knows what. Li-Ming you idiot, why do you always need to be on the move, why couldn't you have taken a moment to stay for a bit. Leah felt anger towards Li-Ming because she knew if she was here than Maghda would have been in serious trouble but as it turned out Li-Ming couldn't be relied on.
Maghda's smirk turned into a grin and the red aura condensed and shot from her arm in concentrated ball of magical energy and shot Cain. "Uncle!" Leah held out her hand, desperately trying to reach out to her uncle but the crazed minions of Maghda did not halt their spell. Leah's vision blurred and her blood rose to her head. Her heart beat thunderously under her breast and her breathing was laboured. She felt her untapped power fill her being and her eyes went white. Unable to control her power it continued to grow and the cultists concentrated on their magic more in attempt to stop Leah's power but the soon realized it was all for not.
Leah's power could not be contained as hard as the cultists tried and a dark red blast of magical energy erupted from Leah's body and Leah screamed as she felt the magic release itself from her body. Leah's power exploded throughout the house and killed all the cultists therein. Maghda shielded herself with her own magic and stared in disbelief. Leah was back on her hands and knees, drips of sweat fell from her face. The blast took a lot out of her and she barely had the strength to hold herself up.
"Your rage is overwhelming child." Deckard Cain was on the ground, mere inches from death. Maghda had no further need of him because of it. Without Cain to put the sword back together it would be a fruitless effort to continue his torment any longer. Mghda couldn't stay any longer any way's, she felt Li-Ming's presence in New Tristram and she was approaching quickly and needed to get out before she arrived and ruined everything. This "wizard" was proving to be a problem. Her persistence was annoying, but Maghda had watched and studied Li-Ming. She was anything if not predictable. She will be dealt with soon enough.
"You win this round but, if the sword cannot be mine-I will take the one it's bound too." Maghda opened a portal underneath The Stranger that swirled and bubbled with a dark magic and The Stranger sank. He struggled and tried to pull himself out with no avail and he was soon lost. "In the end, the blade shall be mine!" Maghda claimed before she vanished into thin air.
Leah rushed to her uncle's side and help onto him. He was fading fast and there was no hope for him. Leah refused to believe it she didn't want her beloved uncle to die. It wasn't fair. He was a kind soul and never wronged anyone, not ever. Maghda was vile and cruel but why did she need to do this to an old man, what was the goddamned point! "Uncle," Leah's breath hitched in her throat and it was hard for her to speak. Her tears fell from her face and onto her uncle's forehead, she tried to hold them back but they fell regardless. "You can't die."
"Nothing can stop that now, my dear." Leah didn't want to hear that. She would have rather heard Maghda's taunting laugh again than hear that. What was she going to do without her uncle, the man who raised her and treated her like his own? The man who was the closest thing to a father that Leah has ever known. If Li-Ming was here none of this would have happened this way. It was her fault this happened. If she could have patient for once she would have been here to take care of all of this but she wasn't. The only person she cares about is herself it seems and after everything Leah had done for her.
"But there is one last thing I must do. The sword must be made whole." He reached out to the sword with a trembling hand and, using the last of his strength he used his knowledge on the sword. The sword fragments moved and a bright, blinding light filled the room. Leah opened her eyes slowly, and laying before her eyes was the sword complete in all of its glory. It was big, and shined with a beautiful glow. The hilt and handle looked like it was made from solid gold. "Just- as I- suspected." Cain's breathing was heavy. His life force was quickly draining from him. "The sword, is of the High Heavens. The Stranger- is an angel."
No more. Leah didn't want of this. She didn't care about who or what The Stranger was or that the sword was from the heavens. She just wanted her uncle to stay alive. "Heed my journal, Leah." His strength was waning and his eyes began to flutter. Leah's held onto him tighter and she cried harder, she didn't want to hear any of this, not while she was losing him. "The truth-lies-within." Cain spoke no more. Leah held onto his body and cradled him. She screamed and she cried harder than ever.
In the midst of everything Leah knew now that it was wrong to have blamed Li-Ming for what happened. But she was angry and couldn't think clearly. Even now she felt bad because after shouting at and pinning everything on Li-Ming, Li-Ming still came back and comforted her and listened to her as she explained what Maghda had done. She didn't think that if she was Li-Ming's place that she would be so forgiving. Maybe that was just another part of Li-Ming that was unexpected or perhaps this was her keeping her head calm and sorting everything out before she decided on what she was going to do.
"If only I could control this…power. I could have saved him." Leah's words were low and quiet. She didn't have a lot of energy and she appeared as if she was on the verge of collapse.
"Leah, do not blame yourself. Maghda is one that must pay for Cain's death." Li-Ming's blood lust towards Maghda could not have been any more barbaric. She wanted to make Maghda feel what Leah felt. Helplessness, with no hope of someone coming to aid them. Li-Ming wanted Maghda to know that her defeat was a certainty and that her death was truly upon her before her house of cards fell on top of her like a great weight. Now that the sword was whole, all they needed to do now was find The Stranger and return it to him. Only problem was no one knew where they went, or so she thought.
"Maghda…" Leah choked on the name. "And her master, Belial. My uncles journal speaks of "an angel falling from the Heavens as the shadow rises from the abyss," the Stranger may be the key to all of this!" Li-Ming had already deduced that much.
"Leah, we don't even know where they've gone. They could be anywhere and it could take me weeks to find them." Li-Ming was going to have to search persistently if she wanted to find them. That would mean packing provisions and being gone for whole weeks at a time. She could convince Lyndon and Kormac to split up and search as well to help widen the search but with lack of communication it would be difficult. As much as Li-Min didn't want to waste all that time she didn't see any other way.
"When my power…erupted. I saw into Maghda's mind for an instant. She's fled to the Highlands. You can reach them through the caves above Wortham. You have to know she'll be waiting for you." Li-Ming imagined how essential Leah would be if she learned to control her power. If she was capable of seeing into the minds of others so easily she must have a lot of serious untapped potential. Li-Ming herself couldn't even do that and she could manipulate time and space with ease. The ability to look into people's minds was a whole other field of magic that was difficult even for the most experienced of mages.
"She can set all of the traps she wants; it won't save her from me. But there are things we must do before we set out to find her."
"What do you mean?" Leah asked.
"We need to be better prepared. Maghda was able to do what she did because she planned ahead of us and manipulated us into doing what she wanted so she could further her own plans. She's clever, we have to give her that much. But, it will not happen again."
"Li-Ming aren't you forgetting that she has The Stranger. Who knows how long we have until she decides to kill him." Kormac said.
"I doubt she will. She's using him as bait, like fish to a hook, we will come biting. She expects us to come for him with the sword in hand. Here's when she makes her mistake. She's clever but a novice when it comes to fishing, and she baits for sharks."
"So we're going to do exactly what she wants us to do." Lyndon wasn't sure if liked where this was going.
"Exactly. Because we know that she expects us, there is no way she can surprise us."
Kormac shook his head. "Doesn't this seem reckless? I mean come on, even for you Li-Ming this idea sounds radical."
"That's because it is." Li-Ming turned and face Leah. "We're going to get Maghda and we will avenge your uncle."
Even in Leah's melancholy, she couldn't keep the contagious enthusiasm that Li-Ming was sharing away. The gratitude that Leah had for Li-Ming could not get much deeper than it was now. It was ironic that in her attempt to become a friend to Li-Ming, she instead became her most trusted friend. Plans never really went exactly as they expected them too when it came to Li-Ming, it was becoming a running theme, and last night may have been the worst outcome of this causality and they all knew it but they weren't going to rest until Maghda has had hers.
Xxxxx
It was now midday and the sun shone brightly, although it did little to grant reprieve. Tristram and Wortham were in morning for their losses and Tristram spared all they could to help their neighboring village. Leah had eventually fallen asleep, not out of choice but because her body couldn't keep her up any longer. She had fallen asleep on the chair in front of her uncle's bed, and when Li-Ming noticed she carried Leah to bed and wished her a good rest. Haedrig was out on his forge and was concentrating on his work. He was always so focused when he worked, the knitting of his brows and the sweat the dripped from his forehead and the occasional nail or two the stuck out from his mouth while his hands were busy hammering hot, molten steel.
He did not wish to thank about what happened. He already paid his dues when his wife was killed when Tristram suffered their first attack, and keeping himself busy helped keep him from thinking about. He gave people his condolences when they passed but that was it. A small gesture, but one not wasted and greatly appreciated by all. He saw Brother Malachi pass a number of times and the old man looked tired. He was probably busy giving those who lost loved ones in last night's attack spiritual guidance along with any medicine he could provide for their injuries, and there were many.
"Haedrig?" He hadn't noticed Li-Ming approach, and man did she look like a mess.
"Li-Ming, pleasure to see you." He walked up to her and gave her a kiss on both cheeks and said, "How are you holding up? Some people have been talking and say you're to blame for all of this." He didn't believe it. Li-Ming, if she could have avoided it, would have done everything in her power to stop the attacks from happening and she tried from what Kormac had told him earlier. He didn't know how anyone in Tristra could hold her accountable after everything she did to save them from the undead and the Skeleton King. They should all be more grateful that she arrived when she did otherwise they would all be mindless monsters.
"Let them talk. I can't force them to change their opinion, even if they're wrong."
Haedrig got a laugh out of that. "So what is it I can do for you?"
"Well, as you can plainly see, my armor is damaged and my robes have suffered as well."
Headrig held his hand out for her robes and Li-Ming handed them to him. He looked the cloth over and it has seen better days. It was shredded and burnt in some areas and it smelled like she had been rolling around in burning timber. He looked back at her and saw the damages she was talking about. There were three distinct claw marks that had town through the outlying cloth that covered the leather and the leather itself had taken damage in other areas. There was also the hole in her side from when she had gotten shot a few days before. That could be used against her if any of her enemies were smart enough to notice or think about it. It looked like he was going have to repair Li-Ming's entire set, but there was one problem.
"Li-Ming, do you have any cloths you can change into?" Li-Ming's cheeks turned a shade of red before she said no. "Come here." Haedrig hated taking measurements because it was the most tedious part of the job and he didn't even like math. But he had to confess it was a handy tool and probably one of the most important inventions in all of mankind. Even if it was like reading a language you barely had a grasp on. "This shouldn't be a problem. You're the same size as my wife; with the exceptions of a few differences."
"Really?"
"Aye, you can borrow some of her cloths for the time being until I get your outfit repaired."
Haedrig gave her a pair of black trousers with matching boots, but finding a shirt for her to wear was a little troublesome since Mira had a bigger bust and so Li-Ming ended up borrowing one of Leah's. It was still a little loos on her but not as much as Mira's clothing would be.
It was different seeing Li-Ming wearing regular attire for once and to Kormac she looked almost normal. This was but a glimpse of the woman she could have been if she were given a chance for a normal life. He personally didn't remember what that sort of thing was like and he didn't think Lyndon knew either. Leah was the only one who got to live such a life and even hers was a little suspect. Now her life was going to change in a way that couldn't be avoided that will cause her to miss out on so much that the everyman and woman had the luxury of enjoying every day.
Li-Ming was sitting outside on a bench with a chocolate treat. She was tending to her own thoughts when Kormac walked over to her and sat down next to her. "How are you doing, Li-Ming?"
"I'm well. Thank you for asking."
"Has anyone harassed you?" He was afraid that the townspeople who blamed her would try to take matters into their own hands. He didn't want to have to deal with those people any more than he absolutely had too. Li-Ming shook her head no and he felt glad but he thought that may have been because the people may have feared her, which would be another gross judgment. Li-Ming was a great and powerful warrior but the townspeople should know that she wasn't in the habit of attacking innocent townsfolk.
"That's good to know."
"If there is something on your mind Kormac, do not hesitate to tell me what it is."
He sighed, "I fear for Leah's well being."
"As do I, Kormac. I think she'll be fine as long as there is someone to keep an eye on her and help her through this."
"May I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
"That friend of yours, Isendra. What happened to her? Leah told me a while back that you do not have a single person in your life to confide in so, what happened to this person?"
Li-Ming turned her face away and said, "She died."
"I'm so sorry. I only ask because of what Leah is going through and I think only someone who has gone through what she is can help her."
"What do you really want to know then? How did it make me feel?" He nodded. "Pretty much as you can imagine how Leah feels about her uncle's death." Kormac didn't mean to upset her and now he felt guilty, but it helped him imagine how difficult a personal loss could be for even the toughest people. If what she said was true, than Li-Ming and Leah now had more in common with each other than either of them could have anticipated. When they are near one another they may as well be looking in a mirror. Kormac could see both girls when he looked at either of them. Their similarities were as strong as their differences. It was like they were now two halves of the same person.
It was paradoxical too now that he thought about it. Li-Ming was younger than Leah but her personality was like that of someone who has lived a long and tumultuous life. Unlike Leah, who had the optimism and good natured naivety of a child who was still learning the ways of the world.
"I'm sorry, Li-Ming. I didn't think about how would feel about the subject."
"Next time, you may do well to do that." She said before she walked away. LiMing was tired of everyone asking about her life. Why couldn't they all just leave her alone? She went to the docks and grabbed some rocks on the way. She took her boots off, soaked her feet in the lake and threw the rocks she collected into the lake.
Life was unbearable sometimes and she wished it could be easier. She threw another rock and watched the ripples move across the water. The little waves that bumped the water and the coolness of it on her feet settled her mind. She closed her eyes and imagined herself jumping into the depths of the lake and it had no end. The fish would swim right beside her as she swam deeper and deeper, flying through an unknown and peaceful world. She would feel the water moving across her body like a soothing wind as she moved deeper. She would look up and see the sun above and the calming darkness below.
She imagined huddling up and a bubble of blue light surrounding her, keeping her warm and safe from the world. She would sleep here if she could. Sleep in the deepness of the sea in her protective bubble and she would never again have to worry about the woes of the world. This world of hers would be her sanctuary. Whenever she would have a bad day, she will close her eyes and imagine herself at the bottom of the sea in her little bubble. Nothing would be allowed in nothing, nothing at all. No man or woman, nor angel or demon. It was hers and hers alone.
The sad truth was that she wouldn't be able to stay in a place even if it could exist, not with her goal. There were always people in trouble and she couldn't just ignore what she believed to be her purpose in life. If there was a person too tired to stand, she would be the one to carry them. If someone was danger, she would be the one to save them. If someone was hungry she will happily give them her own meal instead of letting them starve. It was a curse and blessing. She looked at more as a blessing but it was hard to accept sometimes. In the end she will always be happy making sure others were in peace. There was no way around it. Besides doing nothing would be akin to being like her old masters at the Sanctum, and that was not an option. She would rather die first.
She smiled to herself and threw another rock. All this thinking made her feel even better to still be alive. She was never going to stop her quest to fulfilling her destiny and she will be glad to help all the people she could along the way.
Alright, I have a few things I need to cover.
This is turning out to be a pretty busy month for me, some friends and I are getting a place here soon and already that has cut into a lot of writing time. Second, a family member has passed away today, my great-grandmother who lived to be 95 years old and I don't know how much that is going to effect my time yet. But some good news, I turned 23 last Sunday, that was a thing. Spent time with some friends and I played cards against humanity for the first time which was a lot of fun.
So all in all I don't know how much time I will have to write for the next few weeks but I'm sure I'll find time too everyday, just not as much as I would like to have at least until December. When December comes I will have a lot of time because I'm taking a week long break from work which I am looking forward too and when I am on break I will try to write as much as I can with the time given.
As always I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and again, I will try to do as much writing as I can in coming days and try to get another chapter out for you guys. Bye for now and as always, PEACE!