Xia shot up like a rocket and looked around. She was in her office. She breathed a sigh of relief. Reaching up she wiped her face dry from the tears that always follow the dream. She didn't know why she cried, they just came.
She looked at the paper again and sighed. Every word looked the same as the last. Her eyes were beginning to hurt reading paper after paper. Time for a break.
As soon as there was some distance between the temple and herself, Xia reached into her robe and pulled out her pipe. She leaned against a building as she went through the motions of preparing her pipe. Finally it was ready and lit, she took in a deep breath and held it before exhaling.
Xia pushed off the wall and began walking again. She looked to the sky, it was about mid day now. The residence were going about, doing their thing. Her mind however, was trying to recall details of the dream from that morning. Try as she might, the priest could hardly recall anything except the last image that filled her vision. That of a smiling man with the greenest eyes, fading.
The face burned itself into the front of her mind, try as she might she couldn't forget it. It was really beginning to irritate her. The priest gave a low growl as she went around the next corner.
Hands shot out and grabbed her as she walked into someone. Her heart stopped as she reacted, grabbing the offending body parts she sent their owner flying to the ground. She took a few steps back and waited. Her heart still racing.
"Ouch...." the body on the ground said after a moment. "I take it that means your alright?" the man gave a small chuckle as he rose to his feet and dusted off his clothes. "Forgive me if I startled you, there wasn't much else I could do to keep from knocking you down..." He smiled as he scratched his head. "You see... I'm new in town and seem to be lost... maybe you might give me directions?" he flashed a big smile and his green eyes looked hopeful.
Sanzo's heart rate finally returned to normal. She looked over him and for a moment had a feeling of dejavu. Calmly she picked up her pipe and looked it over. The drop caused it to go out and reluctantly put it away for the time being. Something about this man made her unable to say no. "Where are you going?"
"So you'll help me?" he perked up. "My name is Haru Chen, I'll be teaching at the temple... If I ever find it..." he held out a map of the city. "I'm horrible with directions..." he chuckled. Sanzo thought for a moment before she walked past the man called Haru and headed off.
Haru was about to call out to her when she stopped and glared in his direction. "You coming?" she said impatiently. She gave him a moment before she started heading back to the temple.
"I never caught your name."
"Never gave it."
"May I?"
Silence. "Xia."
"Xia eh? Sounds lovely...."
There was silence for a few moments before Haru spoke again.
"I can't shake the feeling I've seen you before..."
Xia looked at the young man for a moment and turned back with a 'tch'. "It's just your head," she replied. Tho she did feel the same way about the young man, that she knew him from somewhere.
"Master Sanzo!" several monks cried out as she approached the temple. Haru stopped for a moment when he realized they were speaking to the young woman he was walking with. "Master Sanzo, you know the Abbot hates when you leave without notice, he worries so...'
"Unnecessarily too... Show Mr. Kai here to the classrooms. He's already late so as it is. Now if you'll excuse me..." Sanzo left Haru to the other monks and made her way back to her office.
Haru stared after Xia dumbfounded. He was only snapped back to the here and now by one of the other monks who escorted him to where the children were playing. "Hello children!" he gave a big smile as he set down his bag and got to work.
