Two in one

I woke up in a strange place before I could open my eyes. I felt myself laying on something soft and warm.

It was a bed, though I was sleeping on my front side, my back was still stinging from pain.

I tried to wake up but heard a gentle voice saying.

"You need to rest little boy; your wounds have yet to heal." She said. A woman that I didn't who she was.

"Where am I?" I asked

"You are in the manor of Master Yo Ling. He took you in until your wounds are healed, you should be grateful."

"I am, I really am…" I said as I thought about what happened then.

I then drifted back to sleep.

The next time I woke up, I was feeling better, I managed to stand on my own, though there was some pain it was tolerable. I stood up and looked at the room I was in.

The first thought that came to my mind was

How the hell can someone afford to equip a room like this?

Jade vases, murals, weapons of all kinds on the walls and a carpet that was smoother than silk. The bed itself was huge. I even felt afraid that I might have dirtied it.

However looking at my appearance, I was shocked to see a new me,

I looked at an enormous mirror on the wall and saw myself.

I was dressed in a white shirt and pants. My skin was paler than I remember, but not the wrong kind of pale. My hair was cut short and handled with care.

My face looked much better than the last time I saw it.

I had a slim face, looked like a triangle, a small scar on my right cheek, barely visible, probably from a beating I took when I was younger, my eyebrows were somewhat thick, but my eyes were black as night. My nose was not too long or too wide, just about right. All in all, I honestly looked alright

Is that really me?

A shadow passed behind me as I saw it in the mirror and turned.

"You seem to be admiring yourself, I would never have thought that under all of that would lay a handsome young man." said the same womanly voice that I heard before.

"You are?"

"I am the head maid in this house. I took care of you on the orders of the master."

"Thank you for your hospitality and sorry for the inconvenience!" I hastily said as I bowed in respect to the treatment

"Don't worry about it. It was the master's orders. He also said that if you do feel better, then you should meet him in the courtyard."

"Right away" I replied

"You should wear something more formal than that. You don't want to meet the lord dressed in sleeping clothes."

Do they consider these sleeping clothes? If I owned these clothes, I would treasure them.

"I am sorry to inform you, but I don't think I have anything else to wear, the last thing I had was torn by some guy…"

"Don't worry about that. I already prepared something for you to wear."

"Really? Thank you!"

I said to her then I just remembered. "Who the hell dressed me?

"You should wear this," she said as she handed me a set of clothes.

They were a set of black cotton pants and a long sleeve shirt to match with shoes and a pair of socks.

"Are these for me?"

"Yes, now hurry up, there will be a maid in wait to accompany you to where the master is"

"Alright, mam…" I said as I waited for her to leave the room.

She took notice and smiled bashfully, yet she didn't say anything and left.

I think I know who changed my clothes, I thought to myself as my face heated up a bit.

Putting on the clothes and leaving the room, I met the maid that was waiting for me.

She, however, unlike the gentler looking head maid was rather stoic and cold, she had a tall frame, her face was oval face along with a small nose and high cheekbones. She wore glasses and long hair in braids. Her face was rather emotionless, but you could see her beauty and elegance as she moved, leading the way after signaling me to follow her.

As I did I admired the scenery, the long hall was decorated with all kinds of portrays of people and battle scenes. Even some had the picture of a dragon, a red mighty looking dragon.

I felt like I was taking a walk in history. But the walk soon ended as we reached the next corner where we were supposed to go down a long set of stairs.

The whole place was marvelous and whoever was responsible for decorations didn't spare a single coin to make it look more refined.

A girl then walked by. She was not a servant as she was younger. She wore elegant clothing. She had a fiery orange dress that had long sleeves and covered her back and would only show a bit of her neckline. She had a bright red hair color that looked like if it would burn any that touched it. She looked to be in her youth, probably fifteen years of age.

However, she was not smiling, and signs of clear exhaustion could be seen on her.

"M-Melinda," she asked.

"Yes, my lady!" said the woman who's cold expressions changed to those of worry the moment she saw the girl.

"I need more ice…I can't take it anymore, it's too hot."

Too hot? The weather is actually rather nice I thought to myself.

"Right away! She said, and she turned to me saying with a cold tone."

"Don't move from here and wait until I come back."

I was then left alone with the 'lady' who was sitting on the floor with clear signs of fever.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked

The girl looked at me and said

"Who might you be? I never saw you before. Are you one of the servant's relative?"

Though she tried to say that in a dignified manner, the fever made her efforts go in vain as she was clearly suffering from something.

What a terrible feeling I am feeling right now.

If only I could do something to help this young girl. But it seems that the maid will be bringing help to her.

"Akari!" cried the old man as he ran towards the stairs and up to where we were.

That old man's gentle look changed instantly to those of worry and panic. The master of the house Ling worried over this girl.

"F-Father!" she cried out.

So she is his daughter!

The maid called Milenda then came with many other servants holding buckets of ice.

"Hurry up!" he said as they began pouring ice on the girl.

I looked at what was happening and noticed that the ice itself would instantly melt the moment it touches the girl causing large amounts of smoke to rise.

She was like a burning inferno.

"God damn it… Hold on a little longer my daughter. It won't take long before the side effects are gone. Just a few more days," said the man clearly out of the conviction of his own words.

"What is going on here?" I asked

"Ah, you are here, lad… This is a family business you don't need to bother yourself with it…"

"Ah sorry to intervene in your family business, but I thought I could help…"

"Help?" said the maid "The best doctors and medics, mages and saints came here and were unable to do so and you orphaned beggar think you can help?"

Her words actually made me feel hurt. However I could not blame her, I am not from their world. They must have lived in great wealth and in a higher position in society, so why should she even consider one of a lower class, and more so, why should she even consider an orphaned 'Beggar's' feelings…

The girl looked to be in more duress than it seems as her facial expressions conveyed pain and agony, it was rather painful to look at. To look at someone that weak and that exposed while no one could help.

"What did you mean by you could help?" asked the old man, at tear point.

The strong, powerful hero of flame, the one that is the richest within this city and most influential looked meek and powerless at this point… what a sad thing to see…

"Sir, he is but a nobody, I know of a strong fire magician that can probably help, he is one of my relatives, and I think he would be more willing to help us with his vast knowledge, it would take just a few days for him to show up."

"She doesn't have a few days," I said

They then looked at me with anger.

"You are looking at the situation from the wrong point of view," I added.

"What do you mean?" said the old man, a bit interested, yet with a hint of hidden anger to his tone.

"I-I somehow can see the magic that is running rampant within her… what you all did was that you are tired to suppress it, block it and let it die out. The 'fire' within the girl is out of balance. She must reach for balance.

'the hell am I saying? Where did I get such knowledge over such thing?'

"Balance? What is, balance?"

"She needs to surrender to the flame, the more she fights, the stronger it will get until she is able to resist no more. The more she struggles, the less power she will have when the flame takes over, and if she doesn't have enough, her body will die…" I said

"How would you know such a thing?"

"For one to hold power… one needs to be in the balance… that is what my book said, and that is what my instinct is telling me."

"And how do we reach for balance?" said the girl in a weak voice.

"You can't…" I replied