Sitting across from Grandpa and the cultivator is a unique experience. This man seems quite relaxed compared to the two gate guards. I can only watch in amusement as the two other cultivators escorting this man set up an on the spot tea meeting, full of reverence for these simple items. A bronze tea kettle and porcelain looking cups are produced from the storage rings, as the men go about preparing tea. One uses flame in the palm of his hand to heat the kettle and start the process of boiling the tea, seemingly unaffected by the heat of the flame and the now warming bronze.

  Turning my attention back to the older cultivator, he smiles at Susana next to me, then looks to me, nodding his head once and taking the now ready tea from his companions. He pours Susana, Grandpa, and I a cup before pouring one for himself. "Thank you" escapes my lips without thinking about it and it is at that point I realize I have no way to hold the cup and drink from it. The expression I must be making causes the man to laugh lightly, before smiling at me.

  "Relax, just drink as you normally would anything else. I will not be offended for lack of manners." This must be true as grandpa has no reservations, lapping at the tea served to him, albeit carefully as to not spill the cup.

  "Why did you mention two interesting people when you arrived earlier. Mom and Dad said I had something interesting but who else could you be talking about?" I look around momentarily before realizing he must mean Susana.

  Speaking of Susana, she is smiling and blowing on her own cup of tea, careful not to burn herself as she takes a sip, making a face before setting it back down.

  "You are an interesting person. Spirit beasts are supposed to inherit the strength of one of their parents, but according to old Feng here, you inherited neither of your parents strengths and have something different." as he says this, his gaze turns to the two others who traveled with him. "No word of this to the sect at large. You can consider it a secret you take to your grave. I will not have my friends suffer for lack of thought of my own juniors." At the word friends, his hand snakes out, ruffling the fur behind each of grandpa's ears.

  If Grandpa minded this he doesn't show it. He just accepts the gesture with a small twitch of his tail. The man then smiles at him before continuing to talk with me.

  "Could I ask you to show me the Technique you were born with? I understand this is a dangerous thing to do, but I couldn't be of any help if you aren't willing to show me. I'll even swear on my cultivation to the heavens that I will not use this information to harm you or your family."

  His posture barely shifts, but I can see an intensity in his eyes that doesn't match the relaxed atmosphere. As I look to Grandpa I can see he is trying his best not to laugh at his friend. Privately to Grandpa I "whisper" "So, what is so funny? He seems very tense, it is a little unsettling to be honest." This makes Grandpa lose his control, obvious amusement flowing off of him, his face visibly relaxing and all dignity gone from his posture. "My friend here is a scholar more than a fighter. He cannot stand to not know something."

  The cultivators stare at me is only even more intense after Grandpa says this openly for all to hear.

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  "How did you hide your voice from me? What did you do? I haven't had a technique slip past me in a long time... One as simple as Qi speech should of been at least detectable .... " This sets off a long rant where the cultivator appears to just be talking to himself... I just turn back to Grandpa who is even more amused.

  As all this information is swirling around in my mind, I decide to start drinking my tea, a funny but simple idea taking root in my mind. With a wolf grin on my face I turn to Susana.

  ---------------------------------------------------

  After finishing my tea, and having an almost one sided plotting phase with her, Susana let loose a few giggles and patted my shoulder from where she sat. A simple nod of agreement is all I need to know how to handle this situation.

  Turning to the cultivator still muttering to himself I interrupt. "So, shall I refer to you as stranger or will we share names?"

  He starts at my voice, practically standing up in surprise before sitting down again. With a slight cough to recenter himself, he nods. "I am Elder Hue of the Roaring Gales Sect. We are the local sect for the region, defending the province and its towns and villages from the demonic beasts and cultivators who hide in the hinterlands and outskirts."

  Before he can go on another rant... "I am Dranau. This is Susana." She waves a hand before leaning against my side, seemingly bored of all the ceremony.

  "Well, will you show me or at least describe this Technique of yours... it has some peculiar capabilities"

  "No."

  "If you would kindly come over here to .... wait what?"

  "I will not show you."

  The grin on my face and Susana's giggling should be giving away the simple ruse but Elder Hue seems oblivious to the joke.

  "Why not? I already offered to swear under the heavens that I won't harm you or your family."

  "It's my secret to show, I don't want to."

  "But old Feng here said he had something interesting for me... tells me a little about your ability then runs off without explaining anything else... I NEED to know."

  "I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow..."

  "Come on a simple demonstration is all I ask... you don't even have to move."

  I let out a large fake yawn and lay down on the cushion. "But it is not an easy Technique to activate. I would have to focus for a while."

  "I am more than willing to wait." As he says this he turns to his guards that came with him, gesturing for them to come over.

  I take his moment of distraction, following the steps my parents had me practice for months, and in less than a second I get my Technique working. The feeling of the Qi flowing over my skin and fur still is disorienting. Almost like having water rush along your back at a rapid pace, before running back up over your chest in a cycle, but still letting you breath just fine.

  Grandpa maintains his composure, even though I see him tense for a second before a grin settles over his features.

  Susana is still leaning against my side, even though she can't see me, she knows I am still here.

  At Elder Hue's command his guards approach, one bowing his head slightly. "Would you kindly take out one of my restorative pills, we can give Dranau one to get his energy back so he can show me the Technique." After asking this he turns back to where I was sitting before just staring at where I sat. His eyes scan over me, the look on his face priceless, before he starts to pull papers with weird symbols on them.

  He activates one paper after another, faster and faster, until I lose track of how many different symbols I have seen. Grandpa is rolling around on his back in sheer joy at his friends expense, his face showing pure serenity. He couldn't be happier with how this turned out.

  Before I get tired from using the Technique I start to wind it down, letting my Qi return to its default resting state, sluggishly flowing through my channels and no longer rubbing abrasively over my fur and skin. "Well, that was unpleasant. Did you learn anything?"