Blind Rebirth (BL)

New day

A-Ta woke up confused. 'Where am I?' he looked around, not recognizing the place for several seconds. 'Oh!' a soft yelp escaped him as he remembered the happenings of last night. Relaxing slightly, he tried to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes. Sunlight seeping through the crack between the door frames, indicated it was day. Yet everybody else seemed asleep. A-Kai, laying in front of him, nearly slid under the bed. A-Hei curled up in a blanket, snorted quietly. One of his younger companions splashed across the floor, took as much place as possible. A maid of small frame, clung tightly to her sister, who for all she was a women, was taller than most of them.

It was a peaceful image, not a one he wanted to disturb. With that resolve, A-Ta laid his head in the crook of his elbow and sighed. It would be impossible now to come back to sleep - he thought. But he had time to think, at least.

Firstly, he could not believe he was here. It obviously was not a dream, as he hadn't dreamed in a long time. It also couldn't be an illusion, because who would waste their time to put one on him? Nobody. It would not be a madman's imagination too, since he was far from going mad. As far as one can be baring years of tortures - he added as an after thought. So, it must be truth. But doubts lingered in A-Ta's mind, whispering that this was too good to be real.  

Secondly, A-Kai's company yesterday, was very unexpected. Ignoring that single event where they were forced to relay on each other, this was a surprise. Previous night reminded A-Ta of when he was at his worst; lost, broken, lifeless and ready to die. It seemed like centuries ago, when they cuddled in that cold cell, close to death. That was the first time A-Ta saw A-Kai in better light. Right now, glancing at the teen, he could hardly trace those childish features A-Kai sported back then. His hair was long, mat, but well kept. He had three thin braids at the side of his head, telling a secret message: his rank. Which came down to the only thrilling thing in the palace; their secret 'government'. Only other boy-slaves and a few maids knew about this little community of theirs. In it, three braids meant 'senior'. A-Ta also had them. They were so faint and innocent, that nobody bothered to investigate them. Xue Mei probably thought that it was some kind of a trend. Thinking so, A-Ta smiled. A-Kai indeed was a senior - the ever so cold, experienced and sneaky teen. No, not sneaky - clever, more so. Even three years ago, you could not find words to describe him better than this. Only his appearance changed. It somehow amused A-Ta.

He appreciated their talk last night. Or rather, the fact that A-Kai didn't judge him and allowed him to cry. It did help, even if just a bit.

Thirdly, a sect? What sect would a bunch of whores and maids make? The concept was funny in itself - sects were noble, otherworldly. Complete opposites of those principles sat here - as noble as worms, covered in mud and dirt (metaphorically), tainted. They would make a joke of a sect at most.

Fourthly, who was Yun Shizi? He was a strong cultivator, that for sure. But anything other? Nah. Maybe, that the stranger was a men, yet it wasn't set in stone. The stranger could be a disguised women, though A-Ta doubted it for unknown reasons. Yun Shizi wore visibly expensive robes, black, sparsely decorated with golden thread. His hood hid his face, and A-Ta wondered how the men saw anything in it, since it obstructed his sight thoroughly - though it would explain some of his weird behaviour. Yeah, Yun Shizi was a mysterious character.

Fifthly, words of the beast were... Interesting, to say the least. A-Ta didn't dwell on them too much at first, but they brought him some confusion later on. Yun Shizi didn't speak? So how did he learned spells? The ball of light, still hovering over them, was a prove that he could use them. There were instances, where A-Ta had a feeling that Yun Shizi was unable to hear rather than speak. For example, they spoke something aloud and he wouldn't react. Maybe the beast said the wrong word? It meant hear, instead of speak (which was very unlikely, but fair enough)? Over this, A-Ta pondered the longest.