Chapter Five - Dreams 2

Aloradyth dreamed of that man for the third time and this time he really did answer all her questions in the oddest way imaginable. He handed her a stack of books that had pages marked with different information. The first question that was answered was, were was she? The answer was she was in Dragon Jade caves it was an old relic that had suddenly appeared the day Aloradyth had been born.

It was said that only the strongest could make it bend to their will and you had to be even stronger still to escape from its wall. The cave, when you could control it, would lead you to everything you would ever need or want. The next question was, why was she here. The man shrugged and said it was because her mother had been told to. Then he pushed the books back towards her.

"Why did medical books and pills show up out of nowhere?" Aloradyth asked him as she set the books on the grass beside her. The man stood with his back to her. After about five minutes of waiting she knew he wasn't going to answer her. Then much to her surprise he turned to look at her. "You said that medical books just showed up?" Aloradyth nodded. "Good then I'll start teaching you how to make medicine." With that the books beside her vanished and he started to walk away with out saying anything else.

Aloradyth jumped up and started following him on the small forest path. They walked for about fifteen minute before they reached a meadow with a small house sitting in the middle of it. "Is this were you're going to teach me?" Aloradyth asked as she looked about. The meadow literally looked like a picture out of an old fairy tale. Down to even the way the light fell like a curtain over the house. There was even deer grazing on the edge of the forest.

Aloradyths mouth fell open as she looked at it. Horror filled her as she realized she actually liked it. Then with a silent sigh she shrugged and excepted it. The man didn't answer as he continued across the meadow. When he reached the door he waved his hand over the door then pushed it open before he stepped in he paused and turned to look at her. "My name is Fain Chang Kai. Use it from now on." Then with that he entered leaving a stunned Aloradyth staring after him. After a moment she shook it off and followed him inside.

The inside of the little house did not look like any place she had seen in this world so far. It was completely built out of wooden logs, like a log cabin, the ground floor was completely open with a balcony that shaded the edges of the room in the center of the room stood a large furnace with a fire burning. On the edges of the room were long tables covered in shallow boxs that held herbs of every kind. Stairs to the second story of the house were to the left of the door pushed against the wall, doors lined the second floor. More herbs hung from the tall rafters to dry filling the house with the comforting smell of medicine.

Fain Chang Kai Turned to look at Aloradyth who was exploring his secret home, his heart fluttering. He couldn't help the happiness that surged up as he thought of how he had built this house after Aloradyth had seen this type of home before she had married Isaac. He had wanted to burn it when she married but decided to turn it into his medical workshop instead just so that he could feel closer to her. As he watched her he couldn't help wondering if she could ever love again, and if she could would she ever love him? A sigh almost escaped his mouth but he caught it just in time. Looking back up he watched Aloradyth walking around on the second floor then suddenly his face flushed as he rushed up the stairs.

Aloradyth was trying doors and finally found one that was open just as she started to open the door she heard a voice behind her. "I didn't know you were interested in entering other people's rooms Young Aloradyth." Her head snapped up as she looked behind her to see Fan Chang Kai leaning on the railing behind her. She blushed slightly in shame as she realized her actions were out of line.

"What?" She asked in fake confusion. "That room." He said standing up and walking over to her. "Is my room." He finished his sentence in a whisper right next to her ear his breath tickling her neck. Aloradyth jumped slightly to the side before she made a break for the stairs. Fain Chang Kai had to swallow his laughter and had a hard time doing so as he followed her back downstairs.

"So why are we here? And were is here exactly?" Aloradyth asked as she sat on a cushion by the furnace. Fain Chang Kai didn't respond as he settled down on the cushion next to hers. "Watch." Was his only instructions as he unwrapped a bundle of herbs, Aloradyth hadn't seen, and began putting them one by one into the furnace. As he did Aloradyth began to feel more and more presher and power beginning to come off of him in waves. Soon the flames in the furnace were no longer red and orange but blue and purple. Fain Chang Kai sat with his hands palm together head bowed his eyes closed.

Then once the flames turned a dark purple his eyes suddenly snapped open and his hands he turned in a circle before thrusting his hands palm out at the furnace. The flames flared black than went out completely. Fain Chang Kai reached out a hand to one of the far tables and a porcelain bottle floow into his out stretched hand he then thrust the bottle into the hot furnace. Pulling it out Fain Chang Kai had a small smile on the corners of his mouth as he turned and to hand the bottle to Aloradyth.

Confused Aloradyth just stared at him especially the small smile that played across the corners of his mouth that slowly disappeared as she just sat there. "Young Aloradyth take it and drink it while its still warm." He said his voice showing a little tension. Aloradyths hand seamed to move on it's own and reached for the bottle. Fain Chang Kai pushed it into her hand. She blinked a couple of times and looked down at the small bottle. "What is this?" She asked looking at it.

Fain Chang Kai didn't answer again as he stood up and began collecting more herbs from the table. Aloradyth sighed and drank the bottle of medicine. She looked at Fain Chang Kai's back as she watched him her vision began to blur. She shook her head trying to clear it but it was no use she felt herself beginning to fall. Fain Chang Kai looked over his shoulder and saw her eyes close. He dropped what he was doing and rushed over to her just in time to catch her as she fell asleep. He sighed as he watched her slowly begin to glow and her legs begin to fade. Leaning down he brushed his lips against her forehead as he whispered.

"Sleep well. This medicine I gave you will help your body finally grow. You dont have to be stuck in the body of a ten year old any longer. I'm sorry for the pain it is going to give you though." His lips brushed against her skin one last time before she fully vanished from his arms. One small tear lingered on his eyelashes as he stood and began preparing another bottle of the same medicine, which was called the Honey Toxin. It was called this because it did wonders for people who had been malnourished for years. It helped them grow and obtain the nutrients they needed to truly being cultivation.

The only down fall to it was it caused a great deal of pain as the person, who took it, grew. The reason was it caused them to reach their full potential size within 12 hours of taking the full dose. Good thing he had only given her one out of five bottles that she was going to need to take. He brushed the tear away and straightened his back all emotion vanishing as he once again took up the task of making medicine for Aloradyth.

Aloradyth didn't wake for eight of the twelve hours she was growing and when she did her eyes growing round as she sat up. "Aaw." She said rubbing her aching legs. It literally felt like she had broken both legs and arms at the same time. Shaking she stood and walked down to were she had found a large hot spring the day before. She sat on the edge of the pool and stripped her outer garments.

She started to strip the rest of her clothes but had to stop to rest because of the pain. She closed her eyes and leand against one of the many large rocks on the edge of the pool. What she didn't see was Fain Chang Kai appeared beside the pool and poured the second bottle of medicine into the water. He watched her for only a couple of seconds before he vanished again. Just after he vanished Aloradyth finally opened her eyes, stripped off the rest of her clothes and stepped in to the hot water.

As soon as the water closed around her foot she clenched her teeth in pain. Soon she was used to the hot water and sat down all the way to her chin. The hot water did wonders for her aching body as she let herself float on the surface of the water. After scrubbing clean she climbed out and dressed once again in her male clothes. She was walking back to were she had her fire when she saw a shadow following her every movement. Stopping she pretended to have a rock in her boot. All the while watching the shadow out of the corner of her eye as it got closer to her. She didn't move as the shadow suddenly sprang forward and grabbed her quickly pinning her to the floor.

"First rule of being anyone always be vigilant." It was her Uncle Mou. Silently she rolled her eyes before she quickly took that opportunity to lift a leg and throw him off of her before flipping to her feet, grabbing his arms and pinning him to the ground. She then used his own belt to tie his hands and feet together behind his back. It all happened so fast that Young Mou didn't even realize she had moved. Aloradyth started to walk away but paused when her uncle called to her.

She looked back once only to say. "Second rule Uncle Mou never underestimate you opponent." Then continued on not listening to the calls of her uncle any longer. Once she reached the fire she once again began pushing her body over and over again to its limits.

Every once in a while the pain in her body became so unbearable she went back to the pool walking past her still tied uncle and soaked. What she didn't know was every time she went to soak Fain Chang Kai would put all sorts of medicine in the water for her to absorb, both the Honey Toxin and the medicine to help rebuild her muscles and bones. As well as other medicine to help with tendons and blood cleansing. Each time she noticed something was off but she could tell it wasn't bad. After the third time she noticed her chest was being to develop. A scream of excitement broke from her lips as she dashed down the tunnel of the cave past her uncle and to the opening of the cave.

"Mother!" She called pounding on the rock. "Mother!" She called again this time she heard her mother on the other side. "Aloradyth did something happened is your uncle being to mean to you?" Mia Mia asked slightly worried. Aloradyth laught. "No mother, I'm finally becoming a woman!" Just as she finished she felt a sharp pain go through her lower stomach. She groaned and doubled over in pain. 'Curse period pain.' She thought as she heard her mother start squealing in excitement.