The Awakening of the Awakener

Wind Takers

Pain...

...Pain...

So much pain.

He did not think that he could feel anything other than the pain which ran down his body in waves as he hung limply in the chains after they finished with him. He did not think he would ever feel anything again, but the shock which he felt when he was suddenly freed...that eclipsed anything else that he had previously felt. In a brief burst of a plea, the glanced up at the girl in the cage which hung above him. The man who saved him did the impossible, he saved them both...

And left...

Lu Ping carried her across the tundra. The cold snow seeped through his clothes, and combined with his other injuries it was definitely not an ideal situation, but he did not care about that right now. He just did his best to keep going...

Until he could not keep going anymore, crashing into the snow, letting his vision finally blur as he could barely think anymore. 

He thought he saw a hand reaching towards his, but his eyes fell closed, shutting the world out.

He heard voices. His mind was playing tricks on him again.  He thought he felt the sun, but he knew that it was only an illusion, that it would be ripped away the moment he opened his eyes. He had long since dreamt about seeing the stars in the sky, feeling the sun on his skin, opening his eyes to see the long expanse of the sky above his body. It was mere dreams. He would never escape the Mountain and Sea gang, it was idle hope that he could not allow himself. He had to remember who he was...what he was...and remember that it was sheer impossible. The Mountain and Sea gang would never let him leave. 

He felt something cold touch his forehead, and his breath caught, fear flooding his body without his consent, he felt terror, he felt ice, and he struggled to move away from whoever it was cleaning his wounds this time. He felt soft hands, undoubtedly belonging to a youthful person, gently push him back down and hold him in place while the other pair of hands continued to dab at his forehead. 

Whoever was cleaning his wounds was being merciful. For that Lu Ping could only be grateful. It must be someone new. Usually the Healers who tended to him were not so kind. His breath came out in small gasps and little whimpers. 

"Where did you find him Master?" A voice asked, and Lu Ping felt himself flutter under the confusion. What did they mean? Where did who find who? Who was this person?

Lu Ping struggled, but he managed to open his eyes. When the glare cleared, he saw two faces, and old one, and a young one...

And promptly flipped out. He screamed but not making a sound as it caught in his throat, Shoving them away from him and flying away from them hastily, likely tearing at some of his injuries as he did so, but he did not care. He did not know these people. These surroundings were not familiar. What was this? Was this a game? Were they playing with him?

Lu Ping felt tears gather in the corner of his eyes as he backed himself towards the wall of where it was that he was currently. He glared at them, eyes wet but flashing dangerously as he realized that he had no clue what sort of people these guys were, he had no idea where Su Tang was, he had no idea what had happened since he was ripped from the chains he had been the last session he had with the Wind Leader. 

He saw someone running towards him and, instinctively, lifted his hands up to protect his face, his face turned to the side and breathing quick as he dared not look at them. His body was as tense as a board, and his breathing was harsh and quick.

"You are going to reopen your wounds!" The person scolded. Lu Ping waited but when it became clear that whoever it was that was before him was not going to hit him, smash him, or curse him, he slowly lowered his hands, his face pale, his eyes wide, and tears having filled the corners of them. He cursed his weakness mentally. 

"Wh-" Lu Ping coughed a little, his throat was dry, but he powered on anyways. "Where a-am I?" He asked, eyes glaring at the old man. This must be the person who was called master. 

"You are at the Wind Taker's Institute." Lu Ping, breathing still heavy, stared at them with confusion.

Was he really...was he really free? Had he really escaped. An emotion that he could not quite explain flew through his eyes. It was so raw, so heavy, even the master had to look away. 

"What..." Lu Ping stopped, not daring to believe it. He had gotten away, what was the odds that she had managed to as well? "What about my s-sister?" He asked. 

She was not his sister. Of course not, he had no idea who she was or where she was from. All he knew was that she was brought in once, several years after himself, and they used her to force him to comply. He would not have anyone else tortured if he could prevent it, and there was so little that he could prevent anyways. 

"Lu Ping!" He heard the yell and his breath caught, his eyes flashing with disbelief, water filming them as he did so. He looked at this Master person, and watched as he simply gave a small nod. He rushed past the youth, shoving by him not caring about the indignant hey he had been given, running past the Master without even looking as he raced outside, and saw her.

She was alive.

HE was alive.

THey were alive.

How? Lu Ping could barely remember but he saw the man in black who had run after the Mountain and Sea Gang, giving them enough time to escape. Graciously. He collapsed in her arms as he wrapped his own around her and he could not help the tears which began to flow as he saw, for the first time in ages, he saw the sky. the sun, beating down on them harshly, but he saw it as it lit up the world around him. 

"We are alive." He whispered, barely daring to believe it.

"Yeah, we...we escaped." Lu Ping swallowed heavily, forcing back the tears which just wanted to keep flowing. He could not believe that they had truly survived. Lu Ping slowly pulled away from the younger girl who he had begun to think of as a sort of surrogate sister. He had no other family, after all, and if he had once had them they were likely dead by now. 

He pulled away from her fully now, able to reassure himself that she was alive, and okay. That she had made it, and he looked up to the sky, eyes wide as he took in the sky. It was so wide, wider than he ha dreamed it of being. So vast, and open, and everything he had dreamed yet more than that. 

He-He had never truly expected to be able to see it. The sky, or the sun which burned his eyes as he looked at it. He looked around them, saw everything brightened by the light of the sun.

He was truly free.