Imprisoned

4-Monchou

I stirred in my sleep, pale light filtering through my eyelids. Stretching slightly, I blinked my eyes open, staring at red wooded beams on the ceiling, trying to remember where I was.

That was right. Alatus had appeared and brought me to Wangshu Inn. He told me I would be safe here, given that the owner, Verr Goldet, would know how to take care of me. I was still traumatized from yesterday's events. My new vision was laying on the desk across the room, as well as my polearm, cleaned and polished. 

I didn't move for a while, scared that if I got up I would return to the slaughter of mortals. Sighing, I curled up on my side, moving a strand of hair behind my ear, the rest of my snow-white hair fringing the edges of my eyes. Alatus had done that last night, tucking my hair behind my ear and giving me a soft smile. It had been so long since anyone did that.

I thought I had lost Alatus, my greatest friend, but I had come back to see him almost...different. He seemed colder, more hurt, almost hateful. I shivered at the thought. Shaking my head and clearing my thoughts, I stumbled out of bed, head still spinning from yesterday. I stumbled again and my leg locked. Before I hit the ground, I was caught, but I was too focused on my leg to see who it was. I screamed in pain, the person easing me onto the floor.

"Desmios, are you okay?" Alatus asked in a soft voice. I shook my head violently, sucking in pained breaths through clenched teeth. 

"It hurts, Alatus." I cried, leaning on his shoulder. 

Alatus hesitated, but then gave me a hug and quickly set two bottles in front of me. "I have to go, but Desmios, I got a medicine for any pain. The other one is so that you can control your impulse to kill mortals." Alatus smiled, "Also, Desmios, here, you must call me Xiao." I nodded numbly.

Once Alatus-, No, he was Xiao now, I looked down at the two medicine bottles and carefully read the instructions that were written down on a separate piece of paper. Taking a dosage according to the instructions, I moved onto a chair and my guzheng appeared. 

My guzheng was a gift from my mother, Guizhong. She made it and gave it to me, telling me that my music would one day be weaved into the very nature of the world. She also told me to share my music with mortals one day.

I closed my eyes and played the song of the wind, the waters, the sky, the earth, the flowers, of mortals, of animals, of the evil and good spirits that roamed this land, of the Adepti, the Yakshas, and of mother and father.

 I played through the day and through the night, making the sun laugh and the moon weep. I played until my fingers bled and my heart hurt, but even then I only stopped when Xiao stopped me and washed my fingers.

"You don't have to be scared anymore to go outside." he told me as I went to sleep, "You have me by your side. I can help you control these thoughts, okay?" he cocked his head to the side, coaxing a childish giggle out of me.

"Okay." I smiled one last time and fell into a dream only of music.

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THEY ARE SOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!

the fact that Xiao just like, appeared, just to catch her so that she wouldn't hit the floor. HE WASN'T EVEN IN THE ROOM!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! (shipping the characters I made to ship, and cheering on my own, except for Xiao)

-LittleSister