Chapter Text
“I can't take this anymore. I'm sorry, I can't just sit here and idly watch while you are dying!” Tears were pouring like a rushing waterfall down the pale cheeks of the young woman. Her loose black hair framed her face like a halo. She felt a burning lump in her throat that she forcefully swallowed down. Her entire body was trembling as she reached her small slender hand to grasp the hand of her beloved fiancé. In response to her touch, he gently squeezed her hand.
He looked into her chocolate eyes, almond shaped yet still reminiscent of a doe. “I'm not going anywhere, Xia.” He tried his best to reassure her. He was scared, but he had to be strong, he had to comfort her. He reached with his other hand and gently caressed her soft cheek. He gave a weak smile meant emphasize that he meant what he said, but the smile didn't bring her any comfort. She looked away from him, and clenched her jaw.
“Please don't go, I know you want to help me but I'll be fine, I...” He pleaded with her. He tried to sit up, but in his already weakened condition he could barely lift his head from the pillow he was resting on. He winced and a small moan from the agony he felt left his lips. While he had only just barely moved his body a few inches, it was still enough for a splitting migraine to take ahold of him. The headache was worsened since the sudden movement sent him into a fit of coughing that rattled his chest harshly.
Xia turned her eyes to him once more as she squeezed his hand. Her worry became more apparent than ever on her face. He had only just barely made it back to her alive. There was a horrid war plaguing their home and he was forced to enlist. He was only sent home due to his injuries he sustained in a recent battle. In the chaotic slaughter, he had lost his left leg and right eye. These injuries were accompanied by a sword that had punctured his ribs. Thankfully the sword just narrowly missed his puncturing his lungs. His injuries left him completely bedridden as his body slowly tried to heal itself. Then just when it seemed like he was about to make a full recovery, he was struck by the same sickness that was slowly killing off even the healthiest of members of their little village.
It started with a fatigue, then came nausea, headaches, coughing, fevers and chills. In the worst cases, those who were infected would start vomiting blood. The sickness didn't discriminate between healthy and weak, young or old. It just killed relentlessly. Of those infected, only a handful of people made it out the other side alive. Given his already weakened state, Xia feared that any chance he might recover would be stripped from him and she'd lose her beloved.
Xia was pulled from her worries when she noticed that his violent coughing fit had caused the stitches around his ribs to tear. Blood was already beginning to soak through the wraps around his torso. She got up quickly from her kneeling position by his bed to grab some more medicinal herbs from a nearby table. While she was preparing the herbs she also grabbed some clean wraps along with a needle and thread.
She came back to his side and she braced herself for what she was about to see. Even as a small child she was strange, the sight of blood or broken bones never make her sick to her stomach and it never caused her to run away from fright or faint. Instead she always had the overwhelming urge to help those who were suffering. But something about seeing him … seeing her fiancé in this state made her stomach twist up in knots and she would find herself freezing in place.
”Jiahao,” she spoke in a soft voice, “I need to change the wrapping and restitch your injury. It will probably hurt, but I need to help you sit up. I'm sorry.”
Jiahao nodded in response, “I understand, my summer flower, do what you must.” He took a deep breath as Xia wrapped his arm around her shoulder and helped him sit upright. His body ached and the throbbing in his head grew worse. He turned his head from her and coughed a few times into his hand. When he looked down at his hand he could see blood. He frowned as he knew deep down his surviving this illness while in his present condition was a long shot. If even perfectly healthy individuals were dying from this plague, truly what hope did he have? The only thing keeping him going was her. His love for Xia burned like a raging wildfire and the thought of leaving her behind cut deeper than any sword.
Xia bit her lip as she carefully unwrapped the cloth from his torso. She had to hold her breath as a putrid smell hit her nose. Despite her best efforts his wound still seemed to be infected and the medicinal herbs and lotions weren't doing much to help. His skin was already turning purple around the wound and the blood was slowly trickling down his side. She carefully set to the tedious work of stitching his wound back up, then applied what she could of the salves she had on hand. They were running dangerously low at this point. After having done so, she wrapped him back up with the clean cloths and helped him lay back down so he could rest.
She took the bloody rags and began to tidy up, cleaning as much of the blood off of her tools and herself. She washed the wrappings to the best of her ability and hung them to dry outside. As she finished her task, she turned to look at the house where her beloved lay resting. She then turned and looked at a distant mountain. She'd heard rumors swirling of a local and powerful mountain demon who occasionally would grant the desires of mortals on good days, but on bad days, he'd just as soon as eat the mortal if he laid eyes on them.
She and Jiahao had just spent the last two hours arguing about her plan to leave and go track down this demon. Xia wanted to attempt to strike some kind of a bargain with it. She didn't know what the demon could possibly want but she had already made up her mind. As soon as Jiahao was asleep, she'd leave to go track down the demon. She had packed a bag with enough food and water for a several day journey and she had gathered all the gold she could save in hopes that it would be enough to appeal to the demons better nature.
She sighed, trying to release the tension she was feeling. This would be her first time leaving her childhood home. She never had a reason to leave the safety of the stone walls that surrounded her home for more than an hour or two before. Though right now saving Jiahao was all that mattered, and if she could bargain with the demon to also find a way to cure the rest of the village that would make the journey more than worth it.
She walked inside with her head hanging low as she was in deep thought. She went to the kitchen where Jiahaos' mother was busy preparing several bowls of noodles. Xia asked “Is there anything I can help you with?”
Her soon to be mother-in law jumped. “I didn't hear you come in.” She looked at the fresh vegetables that she had just finished chopping, “I suppose you can help me with the broth. But you don't have to dearest. You're already doing so much for my family. I haven't seen you take a break or rest even once.”
Xia smiled weakly. “We're going to be family soon enough, I feel like it's my responsibility to at least make sure my future husband is well taken care of. And you've just been so busy, helping with the housework, cooking and Jiahao is the very least I can do.”
Jiahao's mother gave her daughter-in-law a soft smile. Xia was such a good and kind girl. She loved her son deeply and worked so hard. She was proud of the little girl she once knew and how she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman of twenty-three years. “I remember how my son and you used to play in the yard as children." His mother let out a small laugh. "Back then you two were always fighting over what games to play, and who got the largest share of snacks. It seems like some things never change. I couldn't help but overhear how you're fighting over finding a way to save his life. I can't tell you what to do, but please for his sake, don't go. You can't guarantee you can obtain a cure from that demon and I fear my son only has a few days at best. I think it would be better for him if you stayed by his side until the very end.”
Xia's face flushed beet red. She was embarrassed to know that his mother overheard their argument. “I can't." She admitted. "Even if it's a long shot, I still have to try. If he does die, I'd rather know I at least tried everything to save him, instead of just sitting there watching him slowly pass away.'
“I understand.” His mother said simply with a slight frown. They continued preparing the dinner in silence.
When the noodles were finally ready Xia took a bowl to Jiahao. She helped him eat his food slowly so he didn't accidentally make himself more sick. Afterwards she changed the bandages around his the stump where his leg once was and the bandages covering his missing eye. Jiahao was quiet. He could feel a knot forming in his stomach. Their argument didn't get resolved and he was genuinely worried she'd try to leave the moment he least expected it. He also knew at this point he wasn't in any kind of position to prevent her from leaving.
“Xia.” He began, “Please don't go. You and I both know the rumors. So far everyone who has ever gone to make a deal with that demon hasn't returned. I don't want you to get hurt for my sake.”
“I already told you, I just can't sit here and watch you die. I know it's dangerous and risky but I still think it's worth the effort to at least try!”
Jiahao breathed a deep sigh. Normally he appreciated her stubbornness, but this was not one of those moments. He was slowly beginning to run out of reasons for why she shouldn't go, at least none that he assumed she'd be willing to listen to.
Silence overtook the couple once more, neither willing to give up in this argument. Minutes passed by slowly before Xia finally spoke up once more and asked, “Why can't you just trust me?”
Jiahao immediately replied, “I love you, but rushing headfirst into this kind of dangerous situation is foolish at best, deadly at worst. I don't trust this demon we know hardly anything about especially when we don't know if he'll try to eat you.”
“I understand but still...” Xia began to say, however she was cut short when Jiahao began coughing again. His breath was raspy and his skin had already taken on a flushed sickly hue. She gently placed her forehead to his, he was burning up. “Your fever is getting worse. I'll go make you some medicinal tea.” She said as she stood up once more to leave his side.
“Xia.” Jiahao's voice was hardly louder than a whisper. He tried to grab her hand, but missed it by just a hairs breadth.
“It's okay, I'll be back. I promise.” She smiled at him as she took his hand and kissed it softly. “Just relax.”
With having reassured him, she stepped out of the room and returned to the kitchen where she started up a fire and began to warm some herbal tea for him. It didn't take long for the delicious scent of peppermint to fill the room. She then grabbed a tray and placed the tea kettle, a cup and finally a cold and damp washcloth help bring down his temperature on it. When all was said and done she returned to his side. He could barely keep his eyes open so Xia carefully helped him drink the tea she had prepared and gently dabbed the cold rag along his face to wipe as much of the sweat that had formed off of him.
He groaned but said nothing in response to her touch. The lump that she felt in her throat had returned. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. So instead she began to softly hum a tune he was all too familiar with. It was their song. She had come up with it and would sing it to him. It was a song full of love with a soft yet melancholy tune. Her song helped bring him into a dreamless peace as he began to softly snore.
She sat by his side until the moon was high in the sky. It must have been around two in the morning before she finally bent over to kiss his forehead “I love you.” She whispered in his ear.
She walked on tiptoe to the door of the house, where she grabbed her satchel full of food and gold that was waiting by the door behind a potted plant. She adjusted the strap on her right shoulder as the bag itself rested on her left hip. She then grabbed a dark blue cloak that was embroidered with lotus flowers. With one swift movement she put it on and covered her head with the hood. "Xia." The sudden calling of her name caused her to jump. She turned to see his mother standing a few feet away. She looked at her daughter-in-law with sad eyes. Wordlessly she came to Xia's side and gently grabbed one of Xia's hands where she placed a small satchel inside. "It's not much but maybe our combined gold will help convince the demon to hear you out. Just ... just whatever you do, come home to us."
Xia nodded with a small smile as she hugged her mother-in-law. As she pulled back she said, "I promise I'll come back, and I'll save Jiahao. She then opened the door to only to be greeted by the chilly night air. She shivered and pulled to cloak closer to her body for warmth as she snuck out into the night.