Sleep crashed into Lin Liqin like waves on the beach, coming in fits and receding just as quickly. Every time he closed his eyes he could hear his sister's whimpers. Then they would turn to sobs as he opened his eyes to find himself in the woods, an arrow in his mother's back. Lin Liqin would startle awake, but Tsubame was there. She held him, rubbed his back, and hummed a tune he'd written for her years ago. Sleep crept in again and the cycle started anew.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Tsubame had fallen asleep at some point. Lin Liqin untangled himself from her arms, careful not to wake her as he got out of bed. The pair had been so exhausted from the last night's ordeal that they hadn't even removed their clothes before collapsing into bed. Making his way into the hall, he noticed a large window at the end.
As Lin Liqin gazed out the window he was unsure if he was truly awake or still dreaming. A vast chasm stretched out before him, populated with an infinite number of enormous pillars that extended in every direction. Lin Liqin could vaguely sense the astronomical distance to the nearest pillar, yet it still loomed larger than any thing he'd ever seen. The sheer size of it made him question if it was even possible for something like that to exist.
A voice echoed behind him, “You're up early. Were you able to get any sleep?”
Lin Liqin turned to see Ku Wei leaving the room next to the one him and Tsubame had shared. “Some,” Lin Liqin replied, but the dark circles under his eyes betrayed just how little. He couldn't help but notice the fresh blood stains on Ku Wei's white sleeves. Lin Liqin hesitated for a moment, scared of what the answer may be, before asking, “How is my sister?”
Ku Wei gave a reassuring smile, “There will be some scarring, however I expect her to make a full recovery. She's resting right now, but you can check on her in a few hours. She should avoid talking and chewing as much as possible until her wound heals. I'm recommending a liquid diet the next few days, after that she can try eating rice and steamed vegetables.”
Lin Liqin laughed nervously at the idea of a liquid diet for Lin Liqiu, the girl that would often choose an extra bottle of wine over a bowl of rice. He could imagine her reaching for a bottle as soon as she woke. However it was the rate of recovery that truly surprised him, “So soon? How is this possible?” He'd seen people die from wounds half as bad as his sister's and had expected months of care and treatment, if she survived.
Ku Wei waved his hand and a swell of vibrant green chi surged forward. Lin Liqin was caught off guard and instinctively raised his arms to brace for impact, however when the chi enveloped him he felt the fatigue from the restless night leaving him. As Lin Liqin quickly came to the realization of what that meant, Ku Wei explained, “I will use my chi to stimulate her recovery, but it is the treatments that Tomo taught me that will make her recovery go smoothly.”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“I still haven't met this Tomo. Who is he? What is he like? Is he around? I'd like to thank him for helping my sister,” Lin Liqin rattled off several quick questions.
“He should be where I was treating your sister. Now that she's resting in her room he probably reverted my operating room back into his sitting room. Chances are he's relaxing there with a book while sipping coffee. As for who he is, that is complicated,” Ku Wei led Lin Liqin towards the coffee nook while describing Tomo's last visit to the royal palace.
As they entered the sitting room Lin Liqin summarized, “So you're saying that the Emperor is secretly a woman, and not just any woman but The Contender. And Tomo is The Academic. And the two of them are madly in love, but are fighting for control over the Gaian Empire. Ku Pa wants the war to continue as a type of revenge, but Tomo thinks it's time to move on. Does that about cover it?”
Before Ku Wei could answer, Tomo spoke up from a nearby table, “A bit reductive, but that is the gist of it, yes. Would either of you like some coffee?”
“No thank you, Grandfather. I'm going to get some rest. If you're planning on staying up Liqin, you should have some coffee. The little boost I gave you won't last long. My room is across from yours. Come get me when your sister wakes up,” said Ku Wei as he headed back to the dorms.
“I guess I'll try some coffee then, not like I was going to get any sleep anyways,” Lin Liqin sighed.
Tomo motioned for the young man to join him, as Lin Liqin took the seat across from him he noticed a rather large cat approaching the table. Above the cat a cup, a saucer, a spoon, a jar, a small pitcher, and a steaming kettle all floated gingerly through the air. The cat leapt onto the table and the items landed gracefully beside it. The cup positioned itself before Lin Liqin and the kettle positioned itself above it as it filled the cup with a dark fragrant liquid, the smell instantly captivating him. Meanwhile the small pitcher was filling the saucer with milk as the cat watched it eagerly.
“Thank you Schrodinger.” Tomo reinforced the sentiment by running his hand down the cat's spine, which it seemed to enjoy as it arched it's back. Schrodinger was about to dive into the saucer when Tomo nagged, “Remember to take your time. We don't want you getting another tummy ache, do we?” With an annoyed glance Schrodinger began to slowly lap at the milk. During this exchange Lin Liqin reached for his cup and took a sip, the initial taste was quite enjoyable but the bitter notes at the end ruined the experience. Seeing his sour expression Tomo added, “While I enjoy mine black, I usually suggest first timers add milk and sugar.”
Lin Liqin added a spoonful of sugar from the jar and a splash of milk from the pitcher before taking another sip. With a nod, he said, “Much better.”
The three sat in silence enjoying their drinks. After finishing his cup, Lin Liqin eyed Tomo suspiciously, but didn't say anything. Therefor, Tomo took the lead, “Sounds like Liqiu will be able to leave in a week or two. Do you have any plans after that? Do you know where you'll go? What you'll do?”
“Honestly, I'm still surprised we made it out alive. I expected you to hit me with the hard sell during this meeting. Something like 'you need to work for me to pay off your sister's treatment'.” Lin Liqin watched closely trying to gauge Tomo's response.
“Have I missed my opportunity?” Tomo teased before continuing, “We could use your help, but I won't strong arm you. What we are trying to accomplish is going to be difficult enough without having to look over my shoulder all the time. I have an eye for talent and you three definitely have it, but more importantly I need people I can trust. People that believe in what we're doing and actually want to be here. As soon as Liqiu has recovered you are free to go, but you are more than welcome to stay.”