Chapter 85
Bonds Forged in Shadows
Xiaoling sat silently by the dancing flame as Leo stirred the stew, slowly tossing in ingredients one by one. As he'd run out of meat, and hadn't been on the hunt since completing the longhouse, it was a return to his 'famed' vegetable stew.
He'd stealthily glance at her once in a while, but her countenance never changed; it was as though there was an ashen cloud hanging over her, with her head kneaded between her knees, strands of hair wildly floundering about.
Finishing the stew, Leo poured a plateful for both, setting hers down in front of her without saying anything and sitting down on the stone beside her.
"What is he like?" he broke the silence, prompting her to look up at last and see the plate of food.
"... annoying," she said. "A meddler. Overprotective."
"Sounds difficult to deal with."
"The most," her voice cracked faintly. "When Elders discovered that I'd cultivated Soul Blade Art, they were all... angry. The Sect poured so many resources into me, they said, and I was to throw it all away studying an Art that would never allow me to make anything of myself. I was just fourteen," she added with a faint chuckle. "Found this art in a hidden corner of the library that resonated with me so much that the thought of not learning it hurt, physically. So, without hesitation, I learned it."
"..."
"That's when my Master took me in," she added, taking a bite finally. Leo remained silent, listening intently. "Against everyone's wishes, he took me in as a Disciple, despite not knowing anything of the Art itself either. I didn't know it at the time, as he'd guide me carefully almost every day. It turned out that he studied it day and night, forgoing even his own cultivation to keep up. And even beyond that, he started seeking ways to undo the Art's curse. Master is one of the most talented cultivators in the world," she added. "Had he focused entirely on himself and his own cultivation, he'd have long since eclipsed this backwater place. But... he didn't. When the Sect was falling apart, bursting at its seams, and coming undone within, he arose from its ashes and took upon himself the weight of the crown. He single-handedly rebuilt it into a respectable place, the kind of Sect that gets flooded yearly by Disciples desperate to join us." she fell silent for a moment, her lips stretching out into a kind smile.
"Without him," she continued. "We'd be... well, rather, we wouldn't be. I wouldn't be. He can't die, not now. He simply can't."
Even Leo felt his heart stir at the story of the man he'd just met. From the tone of her voice, he knew that she wasn't exaggerating; rather, she was likely even summarizing things rather broadly. For him to be so respected... he wondered whether those were simply the ways of the Immortal Masters of this plane.
"He sounds like a wonderful man," Leo said.
"... I'm sorry," she said, looking away from him. "I, I know I am repeating myself. But I didn't know where else to go."
"There is no need to apologize," he said. "I'm a bit envious, to be honest."
"Envious?" she queried, looking up at him.
"Hm," he nodded with a faint chuckle. "I hope that, one day, those two kids will hold me dear as much as you do your Master."
"... I don't hold him that dear," she said, swiftly looking away. Leo merely smiled, setting the plate to the side and pouring two cups of the fruit juice, handing one over to her.
"Of course," he said.
"Where are they, if you don't mind me asking?" she took the cup.
"Ah, they left for the Cradle of the First Men sometime ago," he replied. "In want of seeing the world."
"The Cradle, huh?"
"Have you ever been?"
"I have," she nodded. "I didn't stay for long, though. When others saw how I fight... they got terrified. After a while, nobody wanted to accept me into their group, and I couldn't achieve anything on my own. So I left. Those two should do just fine, though," she quickly added. "I know Liang can be a bit... much, sometimes, but when the moment calls for it, there are few other people I know that I'd trust over him."
"High praise."
"He's a good kid," she added with a chuckle. "Whenever he was eligible for a mission outside the Sect, practically everyone wanted him in their group."
"How is the Sect doing?" Leo remembered to ask; though he never fully learned the extent of what transpired, he was at least aware that they were attacked and suffered consequences.
"Better. We're healing," she said. "But if anything happens... ah, forgive me. I promise I am usually not this much of an annoyance."
"Annoyance?" Leo chuckled. "I wonder."
"I see you've made more friends," she said, pulling her hair behind her ears.
"Hm," Leo nodded. "I don't have the heart to turn anyone away, and the word keeps spreading, it seems."
"They're very protective of you. I feel like they would tear me apart if I so much lightly shoved you."
"Ha ha, they are just afraid their daily meals will stop," Leo laughed freely for a moment, glancing at the shadows dancing in the light between the trees. There were quite a few that were hiding, stalking, and observing them, though quite a few stood out in the open--namely Howly and that black tiger.
"Do... do you have any plans of leaving the forest, Master Leo?" she asked after a momentary silence, prompting him to look at her. He kept staring directly into her eyes for quite a while as the silence stewed; in the end, unable to endure, she looked away and capitulated. "I mean, Leo."
"Eventually, perhaps," he said. "But this place is my home, and always will be."
"It's a wonderful home."
"Thank you. You are welcome to visit," he added. "Whether someone's dying or not."
"..." she slowly stretched her lips into a smile, seeming to barely hold back from rolling her eyes. Just then, he caught her eyes gaze past him and toward the upper floor of the longhouse; her expression dimmed immediately, as though she got covered with ash. "Ah, forgive me. That was rude." she caught herself and quickly lowered her head.
"What is?" he asked. "The only rude thing is the world which convinced you of it. I am not very good at distracting, though, I've learned."
"E-eh? Is... is that what you've been doing this whole time?" she asked, seeming somewhat surprised.
"In the troves of heartache," he said. "I've learned it is best to be consumed elsewhere."
"... I was," she said. "It was simply a momentary lapse."
"Let's go," Leo stood up.
"Where?"
"Where we belong."
He walked back into the longhouse, and she followed in silence. Up the slightly creaky stairs and down the wide hallway and toward the corner room.
Opening the doors, a pleasant scent assailed them.
Xiaoling raced past him and all but slid to her knees by the bed, whereupon she wept--not with ache, but with joy. By some miracle, the man seemed better. The cracks were gone and were not bleeding shadows, his complexion was rosier, and his breathing was steady. Blackie and Milky appeared from the seeming nowhere and climbed up to Leo's shoulders as he smiled.
She reached out and grabbed the man's hand, holding it gently. He realized at that moment that he wasn't merely a Master... to her, he was closer to a father.
When the world itself seemingly rejected her, he took her in, and gave her the roof to shelter her from the storm, and has continued to do so ever since. It wouldn't have been just the loss of one, but the loss of two--and that was where the hearts cracked into glassed shards, never to be whole again.
She twisted her head and faced him, the bruised purple in her eyes glowing like iridescent stars.
Thank you, she mouthed softly, and Leo merely smiled before leaving.
He didn't belong there, in the tender moment of love.
Stepping outside the longhouse, he breathed in deeply and stretched, his bones cracking. Once again, by some miracle, he'd helped someone. However, he was also... worried, ever so slightly. Per Xiaoling's own words, her Master was rather strong and spectacular--and if she seemed capable of 'seeing through' him, it was very likely that he would too. What if something went wrong with his healing, and he got angry, and decided to take it out on poor old him?
But, at the same time, there was no elsewhere to run... well, except one place. Shaking his head, he headed toward the pond in want of a bath, deciding to trust his dumb luck one last time. And, to a lesser extent, trust Xiaoling that she'd convince him Leo was mostly just a harmless hermit simply surviving life with his forest friends.