Jian - Meilin's Past

[03:09] <Earthflame> Jian arrives at the Metal Temple shortly after... Carrying another armful of scrolls that he thought might help.
[03:11] <@Deedles> Meilin is sat on the large rock outside of the temple, her legs crossed and her blade resting across her lap as she seems deep in thought.
[03:12] <Earthflame> Jian diverts his path towards her, steps purposefully loud to let her know he's approaching.
[03:13] <@Deedles> She blinks and looks up, shifting her gaze towards him "Jian..." she speaks softly, her expression serious.
[03:15] <Earthflame> He nods his head to her. "Teacher... I found some information. I think it could help with the seal." He glances up at her. "...I want to do all I can, while I am here. I need to know how, once I return to the world below."
[03:17] <@Deedles> Meilin nods and pats the spot beside her "I have thought about it and I think I have something which can help." she tells him
[03:23] <Jian> He places the scrolls down carefully, and hops up beside her. "What is it, teacher?"
[03:34] <Deedles> She lifts her sword and places it on his lap "This." she says
[03:37] <Jian> He frowns softly, moving to rest his hands on the sword. "This... The blade that you thought took his life?"
[03:38] <Deedles> "I know it did, there is a piece of him, his spirit, still inside it." His mentor informs him, parting her lips as she goes to speak, but pauses as she tries to find the words "I thought, if it can be returned to him, maybe that will help?"
[03:39] <Jian> Jian nods slowly, running his fingers along the blade. "That would help indeed. But..." He looks at her. "Can I leave you without your sword?"
[03:40] <Deedles> "If it means helping Taishin then, yes. I can fight without it." Meilin tells him firmly
[03:42] <Jian> He nods. "I will carry it with me, when I leave. Until I meet him again. But... Do you think a complete soul will protect him? He told me that The Emperor could take others, potentially. It would just be easier with Taishin."
[03:44] <Deedles> "If he only took part of Taishin it is possible he only revived the part of him that held corruption, returning the missing part at least couldn't hurt." She replies softly, looking thoughtful
[03:46] <Jian> He nods at that. "I am sure... But I will still try to make a seal. He is a good man. I owe him my life."
[03:47] <Deedles> "Yes, I think you should, the seal should work." Meilin agrees with a firm nod
[03:48] <Jian> He slowly runs his fingertip along the edge of the blade, although it doesn't break the skin. He asks, very quietly. "...How did it happen to you, Teacher? How... How did the Corruption take you?"
[03:49] <Deedles> Meilin looks away "I... don't wish to speak of that." she answers quietly
[03:51] <Jian> He nods. "I can understand why... But I also want to know, Teacher. I only heard rumours in the world below. I want to know the truth of your experiences... Because I fear I am going to face many more like them, with my return to that world."
[03:52] <Deedles> "There is only one thing you need to know." She turns to him, gripping his shoulders tightly as she looks him square in the eyes "Don't ever fall to the temptation of power. Power is not true strength, allies and things to live and die for are.
[03:54] <Jian> Jian is shocked by the intensity of his teachers response, nodding before it really catches up with him. "...I know, teacher. I am just unsure..." He looks away. "...I hate injustice. I wished to forge my soul into a pure, true blade that avenges the wronged and defends the innocent. But that desire drove me to Corruption and madness in the first place."
[03:58] <Deedles> "Because it became about the fight, not about what you fight for." His teacher replies
[03:59] <Jian> "...That is what I fear."
[04:00] <Deedles> "Have you not found something to live for yet, Jian?" She asks him
[04:01] <Jian> "I have many things to live for. My friends. My task. To kill the man who murdered my father..."
[04:01] <Deedles> Meilin's expression turns hard "... Why do you wish to kill him?"
[04:02] <Jian> He turns back, looking just a little confused. "...He killed my father. He took the Clan I was to inherit, and turned them into a corrupt nest of brigands and thieves supporting the Black Lotus. Why would I not kill him?"
[04:11] <Deedles> Meilin grips his collar "Because revenge based on selfish wishes is a one way street to greed for power, which the corruption feeds of." she frowns at him "I order you to not go anywhere near that man until you have another reason to fight him than revenge." she tells him in a low tone
[04:13] <Jian> ...A surge of resistance rises in Jian. He tries to back away, pulling himself free of her grasp. "...Can you not hear what I'm saying? He Killed my father. A great man who I never knew because his lieutenant stabbed him in the back, forcing my mother to flee her home. I have the Right to kill him." ...The white bandage still wrapped around Jian's left hand begins to stain red.
[04:17] <Deedles> Meilin slaps him hard across the face before she lets go.
[04:18] <Jian> ...Unbalanced, he falls off the rock, landing flat on his face with a thud. He lies still, not moving a muscle, nor saying a word.
[04:21] <Deedles> She grabs her sword as she follows him down onto the ground. "I taught you better than that..." she says quietly
[04:22] <Jian> He stays still, not moving to get up. He speaks, his voice harsh and muffled by the ground. "...Now can you see why I am afraid?"
[04:25] <Deedles> "Yes... But you can't let the fear destroy you."
[04:27] <Jian> He groans slightly, dragging himself to his feet and wiping the dirt from his face. "Fear, hatred, despair... I am caught between so many paths to ruin. I..." He looks guilty. "...I was hoping to end him, before I lose myself... To ensure that this world continues, even if I do not. I respect you and Taishin, Meilin... But I am not sure I am as strong as you."
[04:28] <Deedles> "You are! You are stronger than me!" Meilin shouts at him, something which the Metal Mentor has never done before.
[04:29] <Jian> His eyes widen. "...Why? Why do you think so?"
[04:32] <Deedles> Her eyes narrow sadly as she turns away "You say you've heard stories of what I did... and yet you need to ask why?"
[04:33] <Jian> "I've heard village rumours... I don't know the truth, teacher. It is why I asked."
[04:36] <Deedles> "You know I fell, you know I killed someone I loved... What else do you need to know?" she bites back
[04:38] <Jian> "...The details. The context. How it happened, and how he saved you." He looks down. "...I know it's painful teacher. But... I want to understand. I want to learn how to stay strong, like you and Taishin. He told me his story. Yours sounds so much more painful... But knowing it might help me that much more."
[04:41] <Deedles> "No..." she answers simply, turning her back to him as she begins walking away.
[04:42] <Jian> Jian stares after her, silence his only response. He watches as she walks away, not moving from the spot.
[04:48] <Jian> After she enters, Jian moves to pick up the scrolls again. He had intended to deliver them...
[04:48] <Deedles> She's not in the large entrance hall where the altar is, so she probably headed up the stairs to one of the upperfloors of the temple.
[04:49] <Jian> Jian follows the familiar path... Just going to drop the scrolls off where they can be studied along with the other materials. He wasn't intruding on her intentionally...
[04:50] <Deedles> Meilin is standing furthest in in the study, her hands resting on a table as her face is lowered towards it, her back facing the doorway.
[04:51] <Jian> ...Jian enters quietly, carefully stacking up the borrowed scrolls on the shelves. He takes a while to speak, and when he does his voice is quiet. "...I am sorry."
[04:53] <Deedles> Meilin shakes her head, even though she says nothing at first "N-no... I am." she answers, her voice trembling slightly.
[04:53] <Jian> "...I pushed too hard. I have my own pain, but... It must be nothing on what you went through."
[05:08] <Deedles> She sighs as her hands slowly curl into fists "No... You should know." she says quietly
[05:12] <Jian> Jian looks to her. "...Thank you, Teacher. I..." His own left hand is still curled into a tight fist, gripping at the bloodstained bandage.
[05:23] <Deedles> She lifts a hand to her face "Most of it is a blur, now, but... I'd not always had the corruption, it just... suddenly appeared one day. Me and Taishin had always competed in who had the most skill and power, and lately I was always falling behind. I was frustrated, my pride mas hurt and I was angry... And then it appeared. I felt so much more powerful, and I thought I could control it." she shakes her head,
[05:23] <Deedles> emiting a dry and choked laugh. "I was wrong."
[05:25] <Jian> Jian closes his eyes. He shudders, as he feels the words ring a similar chord deep inside his soul. "...Yes."
[05:29] <Deedles> "My mood was getting more and more sporadic, Taishin noticed and tried to help me, but I kept telling him I could handle it.... I blamed my anger on him interfering, acting like I couldn't look after myself." She pauses as she slams a hand onto the table in front of her. "I was such a naive brat!" she exclaims in anger, an emotion the young swordsman probably never thought he'd see his Master express.
[05:30] <Jian> Jian tries to stay silent, but the quiet sound of tears is good at making himself heard. Still, he listens, eyes fixed on his mentor.
[05:37] <Deedles> "Before I knew it... it had a hold of me. All I saw were enemies who tried to hold me back and who didn't understand me. People who were jealous of my gift and just wanted to stop me because I was exceptional..." her knuckles go white as her hands clench "I went on a rampage.... So much of the town was destroyed, but thankfully no one died ... No one but Taishin who intervened to stop me. He tried to talk sense into me, but I wouldn't hear a word of it...
[05:37] <Deedles> No one but Taishin who intervened to stop me. He tried to talk sense into me, but I wouldn't hear a word of it... Until I ran my sword through him. It was as if I'd been stuck in a drunken haze and the image of before me, with my blade piercing him, brought me into complete sobriety..." she lifts one of her hands to her face as she cries, tears falling onto the table infront of her.
[05:39] <Jian> Jian moves to her side, resting a hand on her shoulder. "...He saved us both, teacher... And now we will save him..." He tries to sound strong, but his own voice is caught by tears, memories of blood and rage echoing in his mind, in response to Meilins words...
[05:40] <Deedles> "Yes... you are right about that." Meilin agrees, her voice quiet, but firm.
[05:42] <Jian> "If Taishin had not been there... I doubt I would have been so easily stopped..." His voice is a whisper. "...I keep thinking about it. I could have hurt, maybe killed, my friends..."
[05:43] <Deedles> She can't help but smile sadly as Jian says that "That's so like him... Always being in the right place at the right time."
[05:43] <Jian> "...At first I blamed him. He took my arm, and feeling so powerless filled me with rage and hatred... But he was right, again. He told me it would have come out sooner or later."
[05:47] <Deedles> "It would of, he just made it happen sooner rather than later... Probably so he would be there when it did..." Meilin theorizes "At least... that's what I think, if he still is the Taishin I knew."
[05:49] <Jian> Jian smiles. "He certainly seems to be, even if he doesn't remember it... He told me why he made his Corrupt Chi into armour."
[05:50] <Deedles> "Why?" She wonders, looking at her student intently
[05:51] <Jian> "...Because it felt wrong to him. But he knew he had to use it... So he kept it outside himself. He said that he felt bad that I lacked that luxury... The Corruption flows within my blood."
[05:54] <Deedles> Meilin looks thoughtful as she nods slowly "Yeah... It is something that is permanently part of you."
[05:57] <Jian> "...Do you really have no idea where your Corruption came from? There must be a source..."
[05:58] <Deedles> She shakes her head "No, I don't."
[05:58] <Jian> "...May I sense your Chi?" He asks, the words very soft.
[05:59] <Deedles> The Metal Mentor hesitates before she nods
[05:59] <Deedles> "Alright..."
[05:59] <Jian> He rests his hand against her shoulder, closes his eyes, and concentrates...
[06:01] <Deedles> Jian can feel a core of cool and calm metallic chi, which is surrounded by two streams of chi swirling around it, one corrupt and the other enlightened. It seems like the two were stuck in an eternal dance, floating and flowing around and around.
[06:03] <Jian> Jian focuses on the Corrupt Chi... He has sensed five different sources, by now... The Mirror Beast, Tsuwan, the Concentrated Corruption, Taishin and Himself... Did this bear a resemblance to any of the others?
[06:03] <Deedles> There is a similar between all of them, but the corrupt chi within his mentor feels more like that of himself and Taishin.
[06:04] <Deedles> *similarity
[06:04] <Jian> "Hmm..." He ponders. "...It feels similar to what I felt within Taishin, and like my own... But not the same. I cannot divine anything about the source from this... But it cannot have come from nowhere."
[06:07] <Deedles> "Nothing ever comes from nowhere, I just don't know where this came from... yet." Meilin replies softly
[06:08] <Jian> "We will found out... If only to protect other people from the same temptation. We both know how much destruction it can cause."
[06:22] <Deedles> Meilin nods as she pushes herself away from the table "That we will." she agrees, her voice back to its usual calm tone.
[06:24] <Jian> "I brought some more scrolls... Obscure spirit lore, but I think it might help." He gestures to the freshly stocked shelves. "Shall we?"
[06:26] <Deedles> His mentor nods before moving up to the shelves "Lets, no time to waste."
[06:26] <Jian> Jian smiles, moving up alongside her, pulling out scrolls and speaking his mind. There was work to be done...