We were just children that roamed the streets with the other orphans. We huddled together for warmth and begged for food. It was not like heaven where we had everything we wanted. Here, we could get hungry and feel the elements. The street kids took us in as we were cute and we still had a bit of angelic aura. It did not stop people from being mean or mistreating us, but you had to be a real asshole to do so. As the triplets grew and the street kids grew we were able to talk to them and teach them things. Aralim was the most influential. Because it was a small and poor village, there were no forges or medical tools. I could diagnose and treat illnesses anyone in the village had. It was not due to an unwillingness, but there was no way anyone could afford to procure it. The village was near clay deposits. Aralim was able to form them into all the things people needed. He was even able to make art. It sold well and people really listened to him. I was able to talk to Lin from time to time and I even taught him how to diagnose and treat patients.
The triplets came of age and Lin wanted to travel to a big city to practice medicine. Wen and Yong wanted to leave as well. We had educated them well enough that they could read and write. They believed they could tackle the civil service exam. Half of the street kids decided to follow them. With us in tow, that meant a group of ten. The city we wanted to go to was a week away. The first three days were fine, but on the fourth day, we were set upon by bandits. Us angels calmed the group and told them we had no money, but we had some skills that could be of use to them if they let them live. It was a bit demoralizing, but we were now slaves of a bandit group that paid fealty to the Bandit Queen, Liang Zhen. We were taken to the main camp a few days later. It was a small town on the north western mountain range. When we met Liang Zhen, she looked at us as if we were filth. "Who the hell are these country bumpkins!? Explain." Our captors told them about our offer. I told them about our skills. "We just need the tools to show you." I said.
She gave us another look over before looking at her blade. It was old and chipped. She looked at Mydaiel and said "I want a new blade in a week." She then turned to me and said "I expect all the sick and injured men to be on the mend by then." He looked at Aralim and said "I don't understand what an artist is supposed to do for us. A thief steals an artist's work. Why would I want one? You are useless." I spoke up and said "Give him some clay or paint and he will capture your likeness." Her eyes sparkled and she said "I can't steal a picture of myself if no one makes one, that's true. Fine. You have a week." We got to work. Lin and I attended to all the men that were injured. Mydaiel made a mythic sword for her. He even used sliver and some of his blood to grant it the property to do radiant damage to evil and supernatural enemies. He engraved the metal of the blade and the wooden hilt he was given to set the blade in. Aralim painted a picture so accurate and lifelike, it even reflected the greed in her eyes. She took the tributes and made us stay in her camp.
As Liang Zhen went on the battlefield and captured several settlements with her men, she had taken the whole north of the country. It had taken many battles of attrition over a period of seven years. She was even known as the "Lady of the North". The ruler of the country acquiesced to her might and gave her certain concessions. First was that she would marry one of the king's sons. The second was that she would be officially recognized as a duchess as long as she swore fealty to the king and ceded control of the north east back to the king. It was more than anyone could dream of when they had first met. None of us had any architecture skills so we did not leave any great works aside a large hospital outside two villages. However Aralim did leave giant sculptures of Liang Zhen and the initial ten of us in every town and city. Some of them had settled down as smiths, artists and doctors and gotten married. The triplets were in Liang Zhen's court along with us. They had all gotten married as well. As far as I could see, things were doing well.
