Gui Empire, Imperial Capital, Reserved Housing for Black Dragon Sect, Healing Room:

“How is she?” Fan Ran asked Yu as he came to stop after having run into the room.

Yu did not even turn around when she answered. “Stable. At least for now. The sect healers got to her in time to save her life, but it was close. And there’s still a lot of internal damage.”

He exhaled a big breath. “It’s good that she’s stable at least, right?”

“You can’t see it because of the bandages, but her body is a mess. Forty-three broken bones, extensive hemorrhaging, including into her lungs, some of her organs had to be shifted or even partially rebuilt, and she has inflammation everywhere, especially her brain, which is the biggest worry. The healers have done everything they could for now, and will continue treatments at the correct pace. You have to give the body a chance to rest between healing sessions for the most severe injuries.”

“Sorry, not a healer. Does that mean she’ll be okay?” Ran asked softly.

“It’s… unclear. There was a lot of damage. We don’t know what…” Yu’s voice cracked and she couldn’t finish. She wiped her face with her free hand and cleared her throat. “We don’t know.”

“I’m so sorry. How are you two holding up?”

Yu lifted her eyes from her comatose friend to see her brother, who was mirroring her on the other side of Li. They were sitting opposite each other across the heavily bandaged form, both gently holding a hand.

Lei looked pale and distraught as he rubbed his thumb back and forth across the back of Li’s hand. Yu was sure she looked about the same, but with puffy red eyes.

Yu couldn’t really find the words to respond to Ran, so she just shrugged. Lei gave no indication he even heard the question, never mind would he provide an answer.

“Okay. If there’s anything I can do, let me know?” Ran offered.

Yu nodded. “Thanks.”

She heard Ran turn, but then he stopped and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. He didn’t do anything else for a few breaths, then she felt him lean closer and whisper, “She’s strong.”

Yu sniffled, but turned her head to smile as best she could at him and nodded again.

“Oh,” he said equally quietly into her ear. “In case you wanted to know, Bao Qing won.”

Then squeezed her shoulder, turned completely away and walked out.

Qing won, but Li didn’t. And here she lies. She almost died… Li almost died…

“Why didn’t you stop?” Lei whispered from across Li.

Yu could not stop herself from letting out a sob at his question. Lei looked up at her for the first time, and she nearly cried again at the devastation on his face.

“Why didn’t she stop, Yu? She’d lost. Why didn’t she just stop?”

Yu recalled the moment the fight had truly ended. It was well before the judge called it, even well before the final move of those entrapping columns. Li had been thrown from the rising platform the mercenary had built and then blew up. She had been thrown almost to the edge of the circle, numerous bones clearly broken, blood pouring from all over her body, including her head.

But Li had gotten back up. And she had been smiling. The whole time, she smiled and laughed as she dodged the flying stones. No matter what the mercenary did, Li wouldn’t go back down. It was the most miraculous thing Yu had ever seen her friend do.

Through the bleeding, however many broken bones, what must have been excruciating pain, and the constant barrage of attacks, Li had grinned her feral fighter’s grin, laughed her enjoyment of the battle, and moved among the attacks like a dancer.

And yet, eventually, the mercenary had ended it. Yu had to reluctantly give him credit. It was obvious he was trying not to kill Li, at least until the end. But eventually, she could tell he was running out of patience and possibly Qi. Yu figured he was, smartly, unwilling to take any further risks. So he enclosed Li in a prison of stone and after she proved she would not resign the match, did what he had had to do.

She did not blame him, or at least she tried not to.

It would definitely be good if I don’t see him in person any time soon. But…

Logically, she knew that if there was anyone to blame, it was Li. She was a battle maniac. She admitted it proudly and repeatedly. Li loved to fight. And that was the answer to her brother’s question.

“It’s her nature. She loves to fight.”

Finally, Yu saw a single tear fall from her brother’s eye. She followed it as it dripped down his face and then fell onto Li’s hand. He sniffled. “Yeah, I know. But…” He couldn’t finish whatever he was going to say.

Yu nodded. There really wasn’t much to add. No ‘but.’ Li just loved to fight.

“From the moment I met her at the dining hall, she was itching to hit things. Even after we sat down at a table that first day, her fists were swinging, and she was threating to punch people in the head.” Yu sniffle-laughed. “I’ve never seen anyone so small be so violent. I wondered for a while if she had a little beast in her. When I started training her, I’d never seen anyone so excited to hunt something, especially if it was stronger than she was. Holding her back from just charging in was a challenge. She was… relentless.”

Yu smiled sadly at a memory that popped into her head. She decided to share it with her brother.

“You know what she told me once after a training session this year? She said, ‘I fight. It’s what I love. I think it’s why the gods gave me life. There are just a lot of people that need to be punched in the face and the gods know it!’”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Lei laughed a wet laugh. “In the face. Yeah… Relentless. She’s always so full of energy.” Then he creaked out, “How can she just be lying here?”

Yu looked down to where she was holding her friend’s hand. From finger to wrist, they had both been broken messes by the end of that match, along with most of the rest of her. Yu scanned her friend from head to toe once again, stiff bandages covering almost every bit of her to stop her from moving too much in her sleep… her healing coma.

Then she lifted her eyes to see her brother. He was her rock. There was no one in her life more steady than him. More present. But now, he seemed… defeated. His posture was slumped, his hair a mess, his hands shaking. But most of all, his eyes gave away his pain. They were almost dead.

Gently laying Li’s hand back on the bed, Yu stood shakily to her feet, walked around the low healing bed, avoiding Bai who was on the floor at the foot with his tail lying across her ankles, and to her brother. She lightly placed her hand on his shoulder and just waited. He slowly turned to her, blinking up at her with those bloodshot desolate hopeless eyes.

Yu leaned over, sat in his lap, and wrapped her arms around his large chest. For a moment he didn’t respond, then she felt him give in, letting go of Li’s hand and almost wilting into her embrace. His head went onto her shoulder as he wrapped his own large arms around her.

For first time in all the years she had known her brother, her strong, fearless, honorable, loving brother, she saw him break down and cry.

He wept into her shoulder, body shaking, wracked with sobs of despair. She held him, gripping him back, and just tried to comfort him.

“She’s going to be okay,” Yu whispered, hoping with everything she had it would be true.

She felt his nod, but he didn’t stop squeezing her.

After all this time, brother, for every moment you defended me, encouraged me, saved me… after everything you’ve done for me, it’s my turn to hold you.

“I love you, Lei. And so does Li.”

His keening cry tore at Yu’s heart, and she wept with him.

***

Yu was called away by her master and, with great reluctance, she left Lei and Li alone in the healing center. She had promised to return as soon as she could though, and made him promise that he would take a rest when she did. He did not so much agree as grunt, but she let it go, feeling pretty close to the same.

“I understand you are distraught, and I apologize for having to take you away, but you do have responsibilities to more than just your friend.”

“Responsibilities?” Yu asked, exhausted. “Isn’t there a break before the spirit realm now? I thought we had a while before we go in.”

“You do. But there are things you must be a part of, as reluctant as I know you are.”

“Are they important? Like actually important, I mean, and not just a game?”

“They are, although you may disagree at first.”

“Wonderful,” Yu sighed in resignation. “Well, thank you for being up front about it at least. What is it this time?”

“First, you must rest and eat. You have not slept yet, and while you are healed, your body is still behind where it needs to be in regards gaining back what you lost.”

Yu was reluctantly forced to agree. She was drained, physically and emotionally.

“Yeah. I’m feeling a little fuzzy. I kind of thought I’d sleep and eat in shifts with Lei, actually.”

“I will not try to dissuade you from staying by your friend’s side, but again, you have other responsibilities as well. As long as you are able to meet those, I will not interfere. I can even assist, if you are open to that.”

Yu looked up, surprised. “Assist how?” She immediately thought about healer Da Bing. He was a cranky old man, but also an outstanding healer.

“Before you ask, I cannot use clan resources to support outsiders.”

“Oh,” Yu responded glumly. “Umm. What can you do then?”

“Well, firstly I can get a letter to your friends at the sect and let them know what happened.”

Yu paled, realizing she would have to tell Lu and Ai.

“I can also do the same with your family if you like. You or your brother may write something up, I will see it to your mother or father.”

Yet another thing Yu hadn’t thought of. She was so caught up in Li and Lei, she had completely ignored the rest of the world.

“Umm. Those would be great, thank you.”

“What’s more, we have other options besides Long clan resources you know,” he added.

Yu looked up at him, confused.

“I am the sect master, if you recall?”

Blinking at the obvious statement, Yu realized she had, with everything that had been happening, forgotten that she was part of a rather prestigious sect and that her master was the man in charge.

“Umm, right. Can we get her help from the sect?”

“I can directly step Jao Li to the sect healing center and ask Shuiguo to look after her.”

Healer Shuiguo was a core elder and the best healer in the sect. Probably one of the best in the empire, although Yu did not know how she compared to Da Bing.

Yu stopped walking. “That’s…” She struggled to speak for a second, that spat out quickly, “Can we do that? Can you send Lei too? Will she be willing? Let her know I’ll pay her whatever she wants. No matter how many points, I’ll agree.”

“Calm, disciple,” he said placatingly. “We will work something out as compensation. In the morning, I will move her and your brother. Take the evening to rest and eat plenty of infused meats. When you wake, alert him and compose whatever letters you wish me to act as messenger for.”

“Thank you so much!” Yu tried to genuinely express how appreciate she was.

“To me, these are small requests with little cost.”

A while passed as they walked in silence to the exit of the arena and entered the carriage to the estate. Yu opened and closed her mouth a few times, wanting to try to say something she, but she was struggling with it. Yu felt like she owed her master an explanation for something, be she was unsure of how to say it.

Maybe her emotions were just heightened from everything with Li, but she said what was on her mind without really planning it out. “Master, I know why you did what you did, and I understand. I really do. Now at least. It’s just…”

She got stuck trying to find the words and her master simply looked at her, dark eyes interested.

“I like the changes… Our relationship… I mean…” Yu found herself starting and stopping, struggling to speak what she was thinking and feeling.

“I’m scared it’s not real,” she finally let out all at once.

“Ah,” he acknowledged with a nod. “I see. As you have shared your concerns with me, do you mind if I do the same?”

“You want to share your concerns… with me?” Yu asked, pointing at her own chest.

“I confess that I forget sometimes, what it is like to be young. To believe that three years is a long time… and it is for you. It is a huge portion of your short life. For those of us who have lived for a millennia or more, it is easy to forget that the passing of time holds more meaning for the young.”

“I-I see,” Yu said, not at all seeing.

He laughed once. “How can you? You do not grasp why I bring this up, and it is through no fault of your own that you do not. What I mean to say is this: It is understandable that you would be reluctant to accept things will change in your life now, including between you and I. Given what I was forced to put you through over the last three years, I found your distrust a likely outcome. But I should have also recognized that the transition, even once accepted, would take time.

“Still, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me, because it was a reminder that the last three years were a much longer period of time for you than they were for me. For me, who can sit in a room and meditate for decades at a time, those years may as well have been days. For you, however, they were a part of your formative years. You fostered relationships, found friends and family, built an entire life at the sect. I really must remember that our perspectives are different.”

“Umm, thank you for understanding, I guess?” Yu said hesitantly.

“Understanding is not easy for anyone, disciple, and even less so for the old and powerful.” He sighed then. “Unknown futures await us all. It is a part of life, even an exceptionally long one. I do not know if that will make you feel better or not, but it is true. The best we can do is use the tools available to us to make of it the best possible outcome. No matter how old and powerful one is, we all fall under the whims of fate’s music, especially when someone else plucks the strings.”