Chapter 44 - Awakening

I felt something had changed in me.

A moment ago, when Min began using the puma style and gained the initiative, I felt my Chi react despite my otherwise solid control.

It was as if a part of my mind awakened and suddenly I could feel everything around me. The sun shining down on us, the wind as it moved the grass, the movements of the earth under our feet… then it felt like a storm was coming.

But the storm was inside me.

My whole body felt electrified, even the hairs on my arms were standing on end.

My heart beats like a drum and my mind is completely at ease.

Then I felt like something had broken out from inside me, only to be filled by energy so absolute that I stood in complete awe for a moment that seemed like an eternity.

My body switched on its own accord to dragon style, and the feeling of power increased.

A dam had broken inside me, and now I could see every moment and reaction from Fa Min even before it happened.

I threw a right hook and he evaded to my left while throwing a short kick… and instead of my midriff, he bit back a grimace when my right elbow blocked his knee.

It was a speed that defied explanation.

My body moved even faster than my mind, and with a precision that amazed even me.

I had never felt so in my element, so… right.

One of my arms parried his next kick and, a blink later I had already landed three punches to his midriff.

Fa Min retreated a few steps and spit out blood.

My body moved, preparing to strike again before he could recuperate when my mind finally engaged.

‘Stop! He is not your enemy!’

My body began aching something fierce, while two voices argued in my head. One was mine, and the other was too… but it sounded like a raging animal.

‘They are all enemies!’

‘No! The Fa family are our friends!’

‘The Fa, the Shen… the name doesn’t matter. They all want to control us!’

‘That is not true. Our family loves us, the Fa respects us. We have no enemies here!’

‘Not here, not now, but soon. All who challenge the dragon must die!’

‘Who is the dragon?’

‘I am! We are!’

‘If WE are the dragon, then the Dragon has no enemies here. Look around us!’

I feel my head turn to look at the people surrounding us. Most look afraid of me, but only three of them look at me with worry in their eyes… Master Fa, Xiao Ling and Bai Fan.

‘Mate-not-mate and was-Mate are worried, why?’

It took my mind a moment to understand that it was referring to Bai Fan and Ling respectively ‘They must be wondering if we lost ourselves.’

‘We are not lost! We are found!’

‘Yes, we are found, but do they know it?’

‘If they are mates, they should!’

The strange voice in my head growled in displeasure at having to settle for mates who didn’t understand us, but my other self was ever so positive.

‘Then we must look for someone who understands. Surely, if we live long enough, we will meet her.’

‘Yes! A mate who understands!’

‘We might not know her yet, but we will, someday.’

‘Yes! Dragons are immortal, we shall wait for her!’

Then, as one, both voices spoke in my head. It felt as if they were speaking a prophecy…

‘We are immortal, we will wait for her! For the mate that will understand!’