As of April 23rd, 2023 this chapter is complete with the exception of future revisions since the majority of this was written within three days after being unable to think of any ideas for the past month.
This chapter is shorter than the previous but will still be quite the read as well.
Serenity and Struggle
The wait for the morning light lasted an eternity. The room had been long dark, even before the events of last night. The room began to have a shape once more from last night when the soft glow of the sky faded into the window. I had not moved a grain of rice in any direction other than my chest which steadily rose and fell since I was left to myself.
Soft footsteps interrupted the silence that laid thick over every inch of the home. The steps paused at my door for a few tensing moments as a soft sigh sent them towards the kitchen area. A door could be heard opening and closing as the house fell into an even more deafening silence. A silence that no longer had multiple lives within it, but just one. Worry once more filled every inch of my person. Was I about to have to depart, or was I overthinking.
Through all that I had ever done. Anxiety always laced it all in any thickness. I had always worried of getting caught, or succumbing to something that would leave me much worse off than what I had begun with. I never wanted to be stuck in a cell for the rest of my life, nor had I ever truly wanted to die, even through the countless thoughts that I had ever had on the matter through the deepest parts of my depression. Always wanting and not wanting to die prompted me into a craze when it was nigh.
I decided to try to stand once more, throwing my legs over the side of the cot. With a push of the arms, I managed to get upright. I looked around for anything I could possibly balance myself on, but to no avail. Giving a sigh, I managed to make a few steps toward the door of the room, stumbling a bit and falling into it with a huff when I was so close. I worked to regain my balance once more. It all had been quite difficult, yet I managed. I opened the door to walk down the hallway, bracing myself on the walls, towards the front door which had been to my left entering the kitchen. I reached for the handle as I opened the door, peering outside.
The village was in view, but a distance away, as miniature silhouettes paced around the place. I stepped a few steps on the porch being sure to at least close the door behind me. The porch was small as just a chair sat off to the side. My legs were due spent as I began making my way over to the chair to sit down. A soft gust of fresh air had whispered its way across my body forcing an alleviated sigh. I leaned back in the chair, closing my eyes briefly, to open them once more looking around at the landscape. The land was mostly flat with the exception of tall mountainous pillars littering most of the landscape sparsely enough for any civilization to thrive. The large cleared area I was in is surrounded by the forest and thicker patches of bamboo acting as a barricade which could both protect the village and close it off from the rest of the world. The village itself was quite small, consisting of enough buildings and homes to at least keep it self sustaining.
For once, even if for a short while, I didn't feel like I had to be running from something or trying to survive. While I doubted it would last much longer, the time I had now felt like something that needed to be taken. My stare into the distance with eyes bloodshot from the stress my exhaustion covered me with, was interrupted when a distinguishable figure became visible. The leopard has returned holding at least some kind of bundle. Her steps towards her home were slow, seeming to know some kind of dread was ahead when she stepped foot into her home. She seemed to be in some kind of daydream as she never noticed my presence on her porch until she was inches from it stopping. Our eyes met, as one set stared with discomfort into the other exhausted set.
"So you want me gone?" My voice deduced itself into a whisper while my gaze dropped to the ground.
"I–I never said that." I stared her in the eyes again.
"Considering how your actions spoke louder than any uttered words, is that not the case? I can rest till I can walk, and take off in due time for you to never have to worry about me evermore. The monster never desired in the slightest to hurt you." She fell silent. A hurt 'no' broke free from her lips.
"No?" I spoke a bit dumbstruck, leveraged into a monotone.
"N–No. I–I just needed some time to just think. I just didn't think…" She paused, thinking, then continued, at least only articulating understandable words into a half understandable quote. "I–I just feel–think that I can trust that you won't stoop to ever do–have to do something that disgusting and vile again, but it's just unsettling–uncomfortable knowing that it was what I assume was a snow leopard. You know, since I am one myself." I shook my head, keeping my gaze towards her. The events only began to carve through my mind. I growled in self hatred which earned a few feet of distance between the both of us. I shook my head hoping that a small bump between my skull and brain would literally jar the thoughts from it. It barely sufficed but it was certainly a bit better than before. Any more words about it will drag me into the abyss.
"Just forget about it." I said, frustrated and defeated. My will to mutter any word more had signed its own will to only let my limbs speak and just died on the spot. I worked my way to my feet to slowly pace back into the home and into my area where I laid down once more and closed my eyes to try to just sleep. 'Leave me alone'.
I watched him as he entered my home. Sometimes my ability to understand boundaries can lead to worse issues than I wish to help. Only time can help this one so far. I held the bundle of clothes that I bought for him in my paws staring down in shame. I know he was something I feared from my childhood, but he didn't want that life anymore. Just seeing him really in just any capacity of what I've heard would prove to never help him, yet just turn me into his… Stop thinking like that.
I entered my home setting the clothing on the dining table. I didn't want to leave the house again as it forced his mind into assuming I didn't want anything else to do with him. I also didn't want to stay as my presence only provoked his frustrations. I could only just sit at the table and wait.
So I waited in place almost resembling the stillness of a mountain. Pondering my thoughts. Physical contact led to the rough night and verbal interaction led to now. What can I do? Was I wrong about how I went about everything? I honestly can't think of the answer.
I can swear up and down that he's lived a life without any worthwhile interaction with anyone else. I am quite surprised he held any composure around me, or even knew how to speak. How does he know any interaction? Can he even read, or had he only listened in on conversation? No, it can't be… Without knowing the meaning of word he cannot reason with word. Is he involved with someone or a group of someones? Many questions I would prod him with if only I hadn't leaned on more sensitive topics of the past. How am I such an idiot sometimes? Why am I? I learned quite the enumeration of knowledge from the wiser of people around me, yet I continue to dwindle into childish blunders.
I gave a frustrated sigh as I looked towards a window realizing that it must have been hours since I set here as the sun had fallen below the horizon pulling away the dusk into the twilight of night. Not a sound had brought me to any wakening from this trance. I stood to make my way to my room passing the tigers room on the way. 'The tiger,' I thought to myself. What could be a name honestly. I don't know him well enough to really give him a characteristic name nor do I want to dwell into naming him something that sounds cool. He did get here by going through the forest, and he would like to put the past of the mountains behind him. Something that isn't related to the snow or a mountain at least. Grass, 'eugh', no. Flower, too feminine for the likes of him. Cobblestone, so he can be walked on? No. Forest..? The forest can have a deeper meaning to it. Something that is shrouded in mystery that hides a world of secrets, whether it be pretty or traumatizing, is something that can be closely related to the likes of him. Forests can often get bad names but be home to some of the most beautiful amounts of things one would ever set eyes on. I think there is a name relating to forest at least.
Lim 林.
Such a simple name that wont draw attention. Tiger would just be tiger, nothing special, just a name that only meant what species he was. Shadow sounded a bit interesting but also seemed to just be a cliché since there are so many 'shadow warriors' around. Even if throughout his travels he would have been called any assortment of names associated with Shadow, not a shot with me.
"Lim," I said to myself with the first smirk I had today if it wasn't already tomorrow.
I stepped into my room, closing the door behind me. I removed most of my clothing only leaving my dudou which was a simple diamond shaped cloth which draped over my front hiding anything I wouldn't perverted eyes to stare at, yet the back was a different story as there was none. Simply facing people would suffice or walking backwards in this case. Yet this was my room and I could really not give a fuck what I did in here as long as nobody else was in this room.
I lay in my bed covering up with a thin quilt. Staring off into the ceiling simply thinking of Lim. It was hard to really pull any visually appealing physique whenever he was beaten down into looking deathly emaciated. His personality would be a deep puzzle to figure out as his broken mind would not allow for reasonable composure of act. Maybe he could be spontaneous and happy one day, then the next day he's ready to maul someone. It was hard to tell, only actually being able to interact with him in a few short bursts outside of exploring his Qi and whatever mess I caused. One thing throughout all the shades of torn he is, his eyes. The ocean had made its way into my guest room spraying a calming mist upon my mind. Staring into the deep blue orbs caused a jump in my chest out of some kind of nervousness. It may as well have just been my heartstrings crying for how such a person could end up the way they were. Maybe it was something else I couldn't really be able to fathom.
I closed my eyes thinking of those eyes. Those eyes froze deep in the back of my mind. The only eyes that I had seen that had provoked some strange feeling deep down inside. I yawned as I could feel everything calm. It was only a matter of time before I would begin to dream and not be able to tell how I fell asleep upon waking the next day.
I opened my eyes as nothing could lullaby me into a sleep I desired. I gave a brief sigh as I only stared at the ceiling. Frustration clouded my mind. 'Why must she keep mentioning what I hate to remember?' Maybe she just can't wrap her mind around me. I can't even explain myself in a rational way without sounding utterly stupid. Most feelings I have end up being backwards or out of place for their time. Though nothing I feel anymore can be considered positive by any means. At least I have some kind of common sense on the flip side when it comes to something actually important.
I set up with a soft sigh looking at the door in front of me. 'Fresh air.' I found myself sitting once more on the porch out front looking over at the moonlit valley before me. My mind couldn't find a straightforward path to truly go along with recent events. After not seeing any kind of sympathy since the orphanage nor having anyone let alone positively acknowledge you at all since then would be a turmoil on the mind. All that existed were developed reactions to push the childish feelings away that longed for this. The more I put my mind into trying to understand myself, the farther lost I would become.
A rustle around the house brought my survival sense alive from hibernation. I jumped to stand at the front door with utmost silence, waiting. Nothing ever came aroun–.
Two arrows embedded themselves into my abdomen, followed by one into my left arm. The dark of the night made it impossible to tell where anything was, as this terrain was also so new to me leaving any skill I had to waste. I bolted back into the door, throwing a chair into the door handle to wedge it shut. It didn't seem to help as an arrow flew through the kitchen window into my right shoulder earning a pained grunt. I crawled down the hallway getting away from any views of any window with a grunt and sharp gasps. The leopard's door opened as she stepped out in her dudou.
"What is going on?" She asked groggily. Yet it took a split second for her sense of exhaustion to wear away into an unrivaled alertness seeing the arrows. It wasn't another second as she was out the door once again. Sounds of pained cries ensued followed by a still silence. A figure stepped through the front door as my vision was beginning to blur. I got to my feet ready to fight.
"Hey.. It's just me." I gave a lightened stare as I no longer felt the rush, leaving me to drop to my hands and knees, then laid on my back. She was soon by my side looking over me with worry.
"Not… T–The f–first t–time."
"Doesn't matter." She spoke, lifting me to my feet and walking me to the kitchen where she laid me on the table with a quick haste to light the lanterns in the room then covering the windows. I began to lose consciousness as she neared. A quick slap shocked me back into some alertness.
The crisp slap across his face did the job. I didn't need dead weight while I did what I needed to do to help him. Blood coated most of his torso from each arrow. One through his right shoulder near his neck, while another was sunk deep into his left arm, with the remaining two embedded into his abdominal region. I had deep hopes that none of the arrows hit something vital to his survival. I rushed to grab some necessary items that I could at least use to stop all the bleeding. I was quick to at least get the arrows out of his shoulder and arm resulting in a pained wince using a tourniquet to stop his arm from bleeding anymore and stuffing a piece of fabric into his shoulder to put some pressure on the vessels slowing the flow.
The worst was upon me as I needed to make sure the next wounds were not fatal.
"Are you ready?" I said with a sigh. He nodded back. I grabbed an arrow which seemed to be aimed away from anything important earning me wide eyes and I pulled it out.
"Aaaaaahhh!" He screamed with guttural agony. The blood began to fill the hole as it flowed out in a small stream down his side. I jammed a cloth into the hole as I had to take my focus on the last arrow. I grabbed it, and began to pull. Agony writhed all over his figure.
"Gahhhahahahhhahh!" It started low and ended with a higher pitched screech, but the arrow was out. Another wad of cloth was stuffed into the remaining wound to stop the blood with some success, but not enough for me to find any sense of comfort. I knew enough to stitch a skin wound but nothing more than that. I needed someone to help but it was too far into the night. It doesn't matter right now, I need to find someone now.
"I need to find someone. I won't take but a few." With that I was out to town. All four limbs carried me faster than I thought they could. I entered the town in record time, finding an imperial guard patrolling the town. I ran up to the rhino in a hurry.
"Miss Mei, what are you doing out this late? What happened?" He said, noticing the blood that covered the dudou that I wore.
"Eyes are up here. I need you at my home now to take in any knocked out bandit you can find, round up a few if you need to. My guest has been hurt. Go now!" I ran off as the guard took off in the other direction to my home. I came up to the healers home with a haste I didn't know I had. I started banging on the door rather quickly.
"Zhou! Zhou!" I said as I continued to pound on the door. The footsteps came from the second story as they trailed down the steps and to the front door slinging it open with a quickness.
"What! What is it! It's too late for…" The elder goat shouted but stopped upon seeing the rush I was in and how out of breath I had become along with the blood.
"What happened?" He spoke in a softer voice.
"My guest is injured quite badly and I am incapable of treating the wounds he's sustained from the bandits. He needs help now." I stared grimly at the goat who gave a sigh.
"You'll owe me for thi–"
"I don't care what I owe If you can help. Get your stuff." I stated a bit rudely taking him off guard a bit. I sighed.
"Long night."
"I don't doubt it, Miss Mei. I'll meet you there."
The pain pounded at my body as I noticed a larger amount of footsteps coming towards the cabin. They must have had reinforcements.
"Find them and take them in, I must tend to something."
I pushed myself to my feet off the table glancing at the door, waiting for the inevitability that I needed to fight to the death. The door opened and I was met with a green vested rhino. I stood in a half-assed fighting stance as my legs really didn't want to hold my weight.
"Stand down. I am a soldier and I am here at the request of Miss Mei. You're under the Imperial Army of China's protection for the time being." I sighed trying to stand straight up but falling back into the table swiftly bracing myself from falling any further with my elbows. My legs shook as I felt the blood leaving my head bringing that sickening buzz and black haze to my eyes. The guard picked me up and laid me on the table looking at the locations of each wound as my torso was just red and black at this point. My vision started to fade further as I felt the buzz grow worse briefly then fade into nothing.
I stepped back into the door of my home to see the guard I would call Shí Lěi standing there looking over Lim. I gave a sigh, seeing Shí turn to me.
"What exactly happened?"
"I assume the bandits I left incapacitated injured him with arrows. That's all I knew through the context I had when I was woken by his pained sounds. Zhou should be here soon."
"He doesn't look well… Even for just being wounded as he is."
"There's a lot of damning things about him that lead to where he is now. I'm pretty much trying to nurse him back to health in more ways than just physical at this point."
"Damning things..?" I nodded back.
"All I can really say is that he's been suffering for most of his life. Suffering from a reputation and being a lone wolf."
"This is a tiger."
"Oh my bad, I didn't know that. Thanks for correcting me." I spoke sarcastically with a frustrated sigh to end it with.
"You know I am joking, right?"
"You know I am highly strung to the point of snapping and exhausted right now. I can care less of a joke. Let me at least get some clothes on…" I walked to my room to briefly change, returning to Zhou inspecting the tiger with a face turning a bit grim, bringing my own frown.
"I can save him at least. It will be a task unfortunately. I need my privacy to focus as this will take a while, so I would advise anyone here to step outside." The old goat spoke with a deeper rasp taking over his already withering voice. As per request both Shí and I stepped outside the cabin and began to walk in no particular direction but keeping close to the house in case we were needed. I was stuck in worry that Lim wouldn't make it out of this ordeal. He did say that this wasn't the first time, but I can't help but think that it was said to help quell any worry. I punched a nearby tree in frustration.
"Long night?"
"No shit." I spoke frustratedly. He replied with a short chuckle.
"You think this is funny?!" I shouted. He shook his head.
"Miss Mei, you really are overthinking about this entirely." Shí spoke calmly.
"I'm thinking realistically." I spat with serrated malice.
"Zhou is one of the best healers I know. For you to fear for the tiger's life in his presence, is to doubt his years of effort in perfecting his work. I know you are worried, but right now, it's only best to focus on something else now that his fate has left your hands. You did your job to take down the threat, which honors your silent vows to help me and be an honorable warrior for your master." His words lulled a sense of peace to hang on my back as a cape.
"This makes it twice he's been in such bad shape." I said with hopelessness washing my tongue and vocal cords.
"Sometimes people are just stuck with that kind of fate on the way to destiny, whether it be a lifelong series of events or just these few times. It's unfortunate but it happens. If his destiny didn't lead him here, you may have been the one on the table, or simply dead by the time we found you. There's some things that your training will not prepare you for when you need it. You can only learn it after the events transpire. An experience never goes without a lesson whether you know that you actually learned something or not." He paused thinking.
"You may think things are rough, and I have seen you through rough times. There's honestly much worse that you could be going through right now. You could be the one on that table. You could be well on your way to your own funeral. I see you are so frustrated with tonight. Just relax Mei." His hand rested on my shoulder as we both stopped, he spun me around.
"You are fortunate enough to at least have shared the moments with those that you have shared them with. For every good experience teaches you a valuable lesson, there will be a bad experience that teaches you a valuable lesson as well. Don't ever look at a bad day with an attitude of 'why are things so bad', only look at it with a determination to learn from it. One thing I can tell you is that your bad experiences will never compare to some others. One will never compare to thousands." He looked me in the eyes patting the top of my head leading to me easing up a bit.
"You still remind me of your youth." He replied with a smile, bringing my own smirk along with it.
"I thank you Shí…"
"So this tiger. From how you act towards his state, there must be something else going on." My eyes widened a bit before shrinking back into a neutral stare.
"I can't say so. More so just trying to get him to warm up to just someone. An isolated one, he is."
"I see." I figured the best time to talk about what I knew would be now… Here goes nothing.
"Do you remember when I was younger and I was afraid of that one tale? How you said you would protect me if the monster ever came after me." He chuckled a bit.
"Yeah, I do remember. Why bring it up, or erm… You don't mean?" I nodded.
"You guessed right, but I wish for this to stay between the two of us. I want nothing more to come out of it if you hold any respect for me in these moments." Shí seemed a bit shocked at my statement.
"I understand your request but you know you're harboring a criminal?"
"To Nepal. Besides, when was the last time you heard about him? He must be 'dead' by now." Shí shook his head disapprovingly.
"This is 'wrong' Mei. Besides Nepal is an allied territory to us so their business is as much as ours." I sighed.
"I understand what you mean, but I still wish to help him."
"How do you know he didn't come after you? How do you know that he isn't here to cause more damage?" Shí spoke with audible frustration against my brick wall of stubbornness.
"Does, 'If his destiny didn't lead him here, you may have been the one on the table, or simply dead by the time we found you,' sound familiar? If I'm not mistaken, he has had any and every chance to at least try to attack me since he has been at my residence. The only hostility I've been met with was when my actions would displease him, or my prodding into his past would upset him. He doesn't react without an action done to him. Everything he has done was out of survival. I just need to learn how to approach him without upsetting him." Shí grew concerned.
"And if you mess up 'that one time' and he kills you?"
"I wouldn't really care then as I would be dead." I said bluntly. He groaned.
"My point is that, you shouldn't be so quick to trust him."
"I don't. I only trust myself to find trust in him. And a mutual trust we can begin to share." Shí sighed.
"You've always been so tough to convince something else when you have your mind set on something."
"When have I really ever been wrong?"
"Well… Let us see. There was that one time you broke your leg after telling me you can land just fine from a great height. 'Oh no I can do it, all felines land just fine'." Shí picked apart a great deal of my errors in quick succession earning a frustrated sigh from me.
"It was rhetorical." I mumbled.
"It was an answer," Shí spoke, boldly.
"Just let me have my chance," I almost whispered. Shí sighed in defeat knowing I stood on this mountain and would die on it.
"I–I suppose. I can't believe I am doing this disservice to both countries, but he will be left alone. But, If he does so much to hurt anyone here or you. I will not hesitate to chop his head off to hang on my wall." I frowned.
"I know I can help him."
"Good luck. The last time I heard something similar uttered from someone's mouth, they ended up beaten in a ditch along with half their valuables robbed. Some people cannot be 'helped' or 'fixed'. I can already see the letters around you to spell 'disaster'." He paused once more to further his explanation.
"I've watched this happen more times than years you've been alive. They always think they can help, going as far to take beatings from the one they wanted to help. It always leads to something abusive that would go as far as almost getting someone killed or put in an infirmary. Don't think that you can be this 'exception' you think you see. You can only hope you're fortunate enough, but I don't have my doubts this can go bad quicker than your reaction time to a sudden loud noise."
"I know I can help," I said, a bit defeated.
"As I had said. Good luck. I will have my axe sharpened and ready," Shí said sharply.
"As much as I hate to disappoint you Mei, I am only looking out for you." His tone returned to a comforting tone.
"He just feels different. I've come across many others you would deem the same, but. He just feels different I suppose." Shí tilted his head.
"They all end up being 'different' as the only thing that really is different is the skin they are in. You sure you just don't have the hots for him?" Really?
"I would slap you if you weren't an imperial."
"Checkmate." He grinned.
"His Qi. It had a shift when I went to interact with his unconscious state. It was swarming in darkness, but when I entered I witnessed it balance with a weird burst of Qi. I've no idea if it was from my master, or if it was the universe. Nonetheless It's nothing I had experienced with anyone else."
"So he has you practicing Qi?"
"I sort of went off the learning curve he set out for me. I did learn how to give, and interact with another's Qi. Unfortunately, that's about all I know. Though I have become glad I took a lot more time and studied ahead of what he had, otherwise he may have still been out and we both would have met a darker destiny." Shí nodded.
"I'm a bit inclined not to trust your word as It could have been made up in some kind of desperation to throw me away from this cas-." I had closed my eyes to focus and I grabbed his left hand with my left paw as we both entered the same realm I've been in a few times.
"What? Where are we?" Shí asked, absolutely dumbfounded.
"Are you more inclined to believe me now?" I floated towards him. He nodded quickly with eyes that begged for me to get him out of here. We returned back to the area we were before as I had let go of his hand. I stared back into his eyes.
"How did you learn to do this? It often takes a lifetime to reach this point."
"I would rather not talk about it. While you may understand me on the outside and some beyond my surface. I hold much deeper meaning and experience than I would ever tell anyone else. I may be arrogant and an idiot sometimes, but it doesn't stop me from being something much worthwhile for the time that was put into me. Don't put doubt into me when and where you don't fully know me. Never underestimate your opponent."
"I see." Shí said. He grew a grin.
"Is that a yes or no to having the hots for him?" I growled. He always had to add a joke into anything that was serious.
"No."
"Never underestimate your opponent. Especially my ability to outwit you off guard."
"I really want to slap you." I groaned.
"I dare you." He smiled wide. I turned and walked away.
I admit, I wouldn't be nearly the way I was today without Shí. Sometimes he could just really roll my patience flat. He wasn't hardly ever without any wisdom though unless it was truly something that he could not understand. His words almost always carried a deeper message whether the message was directly spoken or riddled out for me to figure out. There was a balance in it unlike the wiser tortoise I knew who only spoke in some kind of riddle when offering words of wisdom.
I knew Shí whenever he was appointed to our village to help assist against any bandit raids when I was just beyond the age of about ten. A few years before I had closed away from anyone when it concerned me personally. We got to know each other very well in the years as I began to learn a lot from him after I had opened back up and felt better about just being me. His simple conveyance of anything helped me to my feet, even through my adoptive fathers death.
I paced around a bit, cooling down a bit and parsing through whatever thought broke through the locks of my mind. I decided to return to my home as the sun began to crack the horizon Illuminating everything around me. Stepping on the porch I heard a conversation going on inside.
"So this is the monster she was afraid of? Doesn't seem like one to me. His Qi feels a bit too rich to actually be what the tales entail," Zhou spoke, sounding a bit baffled.
"She told me herself. I didn't like the idea of him being here as it was and still don't, but I think something is piecing together," Shí said.
"Like.?"
"They're meant by some kind of destiny for each other. In what way I do not know. We could have cubs running around at one point, or she may just end up a memory to him as much as he will be to her. Though I have a deep feeling that one might die."
"With all due respect Shí. Miss Mei doesn't seem like the kind to actually engage romantically with anyone. She may be all this and that, but I honestly cannot see anything romantically. The latter honestly sounds like the likely story to come of this as she's too formidable of a warrior to let her guard down enough to be killed by him." Zhou was at least right on that behalf, as no matter what, It was just hard to see anyone at all being someone I would come to 'love'. I also had enough teachings to know my opponent in battle to not let them get an upper hand.
"It's not impossible is it?" What?
"I–I.. No, it's not Shí. But with someone she feared since she was a youngling you're trying to see how a square fits into a triangle."
"You forget a simple house can be built with just that square and triangle. One does not need to fit within the other. One just needs to complete the other in a way. Without him, she could have been injured badly last night or even killed. He was just in their way of getting to her. Who knows what else she found out that would have further brought a different look to his tales we all know of. It's not impossible by any means. I mean look at him. He's just not missing fur from being shot is he? You can see his ribs clearer than crystals, and each joint is in the same clarity. He is not well." It was weird seeing Shí actually stand up a bit for someone that he originally would have intended to take away earlier.
"I see what you mean Shí. There's more than just what we know."
"Will he live?"
"He should. He just needs to lie down for a while. I will leave him to Mei as he would likely be more inclined to trust her. You should probably as well, we don't want an accident being caused by an outside force."
"I shouldn't leave him alone with her."
"Heed no worry. Even if he's capable of coming to harm her in the coming days, which he is not. His stitches would rip and he would be out again before he could touch her and then end up dead swiftly before I could come back to help. Ripping stitches causes more damage than the initial wound as they have to rip out what they are going through, making It exponentially harder to actually fix. He's as good as dead if such a thing happened. But we should find Miss Mei and notify her that he will be fine." Zhou finished his statement as I walked inside.
"Oh we were just looking for yo-." Shí was stopped as I put my hand up to silence him.
"I've heard enough. I will request that if any of you want to stay behind when he eventually wakes. Do not interfere with our interactions no matter how uncomfortable he makes you. I would be the last person either of you would want to piss off currently." I shot an accusing glance between the two even if they were on the good side of their discussion.
"Understood," Shí said.
"But for the time being, leave me to Lim." I walked up standing beside him.
"That's his name?" Zhou chimed in.
"The name I have for him. As I currently do not know what qualities he has nor his parents to give him an actual well thought out name, I had to go on a whim and make something up. Though his name didn't come with just a random guess. A much deeper meaning can be seen if you understand where I came from when I thought of the forest when naming him. But for now shoo." I waved my hands, ushering them to go elsewhere. They were soon out of the house. I gave a sigh looking at the injured tiger before me. He looked so normal even through his injuries jerking a tear from my eye. It was a pain to see him in such a state as it was, yet there wasn't much I could really do about it.
I sat in a chair beside him and grabbed his hand, focusing really hard to connect our Qi. With the nick of time I was back into the realm. Nothing was there as usual at least, but I actually ended up being wrong this time. I felt a tug on my pant leg as I blinked to find myself in a dark room. A young voice spoke as I realized something. 'He wasn't dreaming the last times that I was here. It must have been one of the medicinal substances Zhou gave to him that brought on a dream.'
"Who are you?" A small white tiger spoke. A cute one to say the very least about it.
"I am Mei."
"Are you here to adopt me..?" I looked into his desperate eyes with a hint of sadness.
"I suppose I am." The tiger's eyes lit up bright as a smile plastered across his face. I walked over to the door to find it was locked. A bit bewildered, I banged on the door.
"Hello!?" I shouted. No sound was heard beyond the door.
"She doesn't like when I make a sound…" I turned to look at the younger Lim.
"What..?" He stepped closer as the beam of moonlight highlighted the small cuts that covered him. I was to say the least mixed in fury and an amount of sadness that would cripple my better judgment.
"She did that to you…" He never responded, but only looked down in shame.
"It was my fault. I shouldn't have left thi-..." He was cut off as I ran over to pick him up into a hug with tears beginning to form in my eyes.
"No. It's not."
"But the headmistress says…"
"She. Is. Wrong." My voice was a bit more harsh to drive a point that only frightened the child.
"Don't hurt me…" I sighed as I began to pat his head.
"I never will." The sound of a door opening behind was heard.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" An older female voice snapped at me as I turned around holding Lim.
"Why are you holding that waste of air? I should have you arrested for trespassing on my property." She scoffed ready to beat at me with her cane.
"Actually, I am here to adopt."
"Why would you want that thing? Matter of fact, No! You will not leave with that monster. What danger you could be in is unfathomable with him!" I was disgusted.
"Yet the only danger was the danger he was in under your care." I said with enough of malice and glare to almost kill without touching anything.
"I simply do not care. He should have been dead by now, yet he still walks. As for the other matter. Put him down and get out of here or face consequence."
"He's coming with me, whether you like it or not. If you do not heed what I mean. I will be the danger you try to get me to heed with him." The goat swung the cane meaning to hit me but it made contact with the tiger. A deep feral rage I didn't know I was capable of took over as I set the tiger down and went after that goat. There was no kung fu, only the untrained beatings of my fists against the goat. What snapped me away was the cry of Lim. Turning to look at the horror in his face at what I was doing left a deep pained feeling in my chest.
I moved toward him but he only backed further away. The coughs of the goat interrupted what was going on.
"You disgusting felines are all the same! Always causing trouble everywhere you go. You're no better than the child you want. You are nothing but a worthless piece of scum! Look at it, it's afraid of you." The goat coughed once more trying to collect any sense it had left.
"I didn't mean to… I didn't know what snapped." I spoke to Lim.
"If you actually wished to save him, you should really rethink how you do it. Fighting and forcing everything on others you want is not the way. Like I said before; all you disgusting felines are the same, not knowing how to control yourselves." The goat sat at the wall staring daggers into me. The tears welled in my eyes. I sighed as I dropped to my knees crying a bit.
"B–But how do I help?" I felt a soft paw on my shoulder as I looked at Lim once more through blurred eyes.
"Don't hurt anyone please." I wrapped my arms around the tiger.
"I–I won't."
"Promise?" A smaller voice came from his throat.
"I can't promise and I'm sorry. But I will do my best for you." My voice had grown weak. It was at least enough to bring a small grin to his face. I picked him back up in my arms.
"As for you." I gave the goat a death glare.
"The tiger is mine and I will never let your old clutches near him again." I stood tall over the goat as I walked out of the room with Lim and made my way to the entrance of the orphanage when I found it.
"Where are we going?" I stepped out the doors to just find a vast land of snow with rocky peaks stacked around.
"I–I don't know. But we will find home soon enough." I spoke, taking a few steps forwards and finding us inside–my. My home…
"That was.. Something." I spoke softly. I looked around the room which was the kitchen we both were in. There was Lim in his condition on the table with me at the side. Whether this had shifted into my dream or remained in his, I did not know.
"Who are they? Why is that man on the table?" Lim asked. I stepped closer to the table, getting a better look at everything. Lim gasped.
"He's hurt!"
"He is hurt, but he will be okay. Let us go somewhere else" I said walking outside. The tiger was amazed at the scene lit with gold before him as he was only used to the orphanage walls he was trapped in.
"It's amazing!" He spoke, all giddy from excitement. I gave him a pat on the head.
"It truly is."
I walked around with him in my arms for quite a bit as we saw various sights and places of interest. The trip was full of stories as I couldn't find a place to really stop telling. This child is almost the complete opposite of his older self. Something so full of life that It would wear me out just thinking of keeping up with him. Why did he end up the way he was? Even though this was only a dream, it didn't stop me from trying to understand him. I gave him another pat on the head as he nuzzled against me lulling into a nap. I softly chuckled as I turned to go toward my home. The serenity of everything had become a bliss unmatched.
We entered my home as I took him to my room to lay him down in my bed. I tucked him under the covers and took off out of the room leaving him to rest with ease.
"Help." My raspy voice was barely audible from down the way. I took off into the room to see a much more well bodied version of Lim surrounded by a blackened fog unlike the pure black of last time standing above me–the other me with claws covered in blood. I walked around cautiously to see that I was covered from head to toe in deep profusely bleeding cuts, staring at him in absolute terror.
"Don't hurt me… Please." My other self begged him, but he never responded.
"Leave her alone." I stated plainly. Lim turned to me with a death glare with his deep red eyes. I didn't need to force my desire or want, but give a sense of something that he needed and longed for. I needed to go subtly about it. I only walked towards him as he let a growl come forward. My gaze never waivered or showed weakness as it seemed to intimidate him. I only stepped toward him until we were nearly face to face. Subtle action showed no threat.
"You're not who you think you are." I gave a small smirk with a growl being a response. I leaned my head into his neck from the side as our heights were a bit awkward to have a fitting shape.
"You're just misunderstood." I mumbled into his neck.
"Get away from him." My weaker voice rasped out.
"I don't think I will. He's not who you think he is," I said.
"He's just like anyone else. Your fear is what put you down there. The side of me that I wish to ignore when confronting him. I simply do not care what he can do to me, as long as I try. Right?" I stated, stepping back ever so slightly to look into his eyes which had died down in intensity.
"Who are you?" I placed a paw on his shoulder to gauge his comfort in my presence which seemed to only soothe him more. He stayed silent but only stared intently into my eyes.
"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm only here to help." Lim tilted his head at me showing curiosity. The red had faded into a deeper purple with a bluish hue to them while the black fog had long dissipated. The twinkle in his more aged eye brought a similar feeling as to when his younger self first found out he was leaving the orphanage with me. He whispered.
"Thank you." He pulled me into a hug as I fell through him into darkness.
I opened my eyes to find myself back at the table holding Lim's hand feeling very well refreshed. The morning that had been present prior had turned to midday or maybe the next midday. I stood to move from my seat as I made my way to the door. Before I could make it to it, It opened itself. A tortoise stood in the doorway.
"Master?"
