I Will Leave Before Dawn

Chapter 18: The Child that I once was

I blinked a few times before eventually opening my eyes. I found myself lying on a comforting, soft mattress.

Unfamiliar with the environment, I began raising my feet. I noticed that I was still in my raven form, only that my body was neatly wrapped in a bandage. No matter how hard I tried, my bones refused to shift, preventing me from returning to my human body.

Suddenly, a sight before me caught me by surprise, causing me to rise and stand on guard. A child with flowing white hair spoke to me, having awakened, perhaps, by the sounds of my flapping wings.

"Ah, you're awake," he said, addressing me. "What do you think? Is your body still hurting?"

He is a fool. I am obviously a raven. Why would he speak to a raven when it is clear that animals cannot respond? Although I am not precisely an animal, I remained unresponsive, acting as any normal raven would.

"From the look of it, you may recover in about a week or so," he said with a relieved smile.

The Child raised his hand towards me, and at first, it seemed as if he was going to strike me, as anyone else might, but I guessed wrong. Instead, he offered a gentle pat on my head.

When was the last time I had felt such tender caresses? I wondered to myself.

"Let's go outside and see if you can fly already," he suggested, lifting me up and cradling me gently in his arms.

As we walked outside, the surroundings presented a clear distinction to The Grim City. Mountains enveloped the buildings, and every tree whispered softly in passing moments. The people we encountered donned similar attire.

Could it be that I am in the QingShan Sect?

The Child gently placed me on the ground and encouraged me, "Go on. Try to fly."

I flapped my wings, enduring a brief moment of pain before my feet left the ground. However the ache in my wings grew, causing me to fall.

Midway through my descent, The Child hastily caught me in his arms.

"This won't do. It seems you still need time before you can fly properly," he commented.

Upon returning to the room, he offered me a few seeds and grains, but I pushed them away with my feet as I had no need for nourishment of that kind.

"Do you not like it? Should I bring berries and fruits instead?" He asked, yet I remained inert.

He sighed and sat beside me, silently gazing up at the sky, just as I did.

"Back in my homeland, I once managed to tame an eagle. But the eagle ran away during the catastrophe. Looking at you now reminds me of those good times," he said, wearing a peaceful smile.

I did not like it, but for some reason, I couldn't help but listen to his ramblings.

"Ah, my name is Damu Lan. I'm thinking of keeping you as my pet. But I'll have to ask my master first..."

The Child—Damu Lan, as he introduced himself—conversed with me, a raven.

"I'll ask him later! But before that, what should I name you? Hmm..." He pondered for a few minutes before exclaiming, "Ah! Mo Yun!"

"Mo, as in ink, and Yun, as in cloud. You are as black as ink, and you would soar through the clouds. It suits you!"

Good enough. I despised my current name anyway, the one bearing the Bai family name. The name uttered by Lord Huang in bed. The name cursed by cultivators and common folk alike. Mo Yun will do.

The Child returned to the room after seeking permission, though he did not look as cheerful as he was before.

"Master wouldn't let me keep you," he said. "I pleaded with him to let me keep you until you've recovered, but then I'll have to let you go."