At that moment, Siyu comes around the corner to see Yun Tai softly speaking in a doting tone to the fluffy Spirit Cat from earlier.
The mighty Panthera returned to being human and is wearing a black robe similar to Yun Tai's. XiXi looks up and blinks, who isthat mountain of a man? His muscles are bursting underneath the robe, stretching its material. His face is ruggedly handsome and when he smiles he looks like a god.
Siyu sits down on a log then stretches out his long legs, "Yun Tai, do you want me to throw some wild potatoes in the fire to go with the roasted pork?"
Absentmindedly, Yun Tai nods, "Siyu, do you want to accompany Feng Tian on his journey. Maybe we can find a solution to your problem."
Siyu stares at Yun Tai with an incredulous expression, he hasn't left Yun Tai's land for over a hundred years. "Do you think that young Sorceress with Feng Tian is the key to finding a way for me to become the Lord again? No longer be a Panthera... a shapeshifter?"
XiXi's ears perk up and she listens intently, Me? Siyu is... is a man? A Lord? I can help you?
She scratches her furry thigh with her paw, it is a little itchy, did I get bite?
After she relieves the itchiness she turns her attention back to Siyu. You saved me if there is anyway for me to help you I will try a thousand times until I succeed! I just turned myself into this cat, I wonder if I can reverse it or there is a page in the Book of Zhang for that.
Yun Tai pictures XiXi with the grape stained face hanging out with the ugley slittle beast."I don't know, the little idiot seems flighty and careless."
OHHHH! you big bastard! Talking **** about me to him! MEOW...MEOW...MEOW!
They both look at the noisy little cat whose eyes seem to be sending angry flashes of light at Yun Tai's face.
"Are you holding the cat too tight?" Siyu knows Yun Tai's strength, he might be squeezing the little cat too hard.
Yun Tai loosens his grip and XiXi flies off his lap into Siyu's arms.
Siyu laughs looking at the little Spirit Cat who is snuggling in his lap. He taunts Yun Tai, " I think this kitten thinks I am more handsome than you!"
"..."
Siyu stands up and hands XiXi back to Yun Tai," I'm going to get some vegetables."
With an infatuated gaze, xiXi looks at him and meows, "Can I come with you?"
He is my hero and a Lord! She watches him leave and has a determined gleam in her eyes, I will make your dream come true of being human again!
There is a rustling coming from around the hut and both Yun Tai and XiXi look over to see a bedraggled Zhen crawling around the corner.
Zhen notices XiXi curled up in Yun Tai's lap with the warm glow of the fire highlighting her beauty.
Yes, he thinks, beauties rule the world. He gazes at his stumpy body. Of course you saved the little beauty and kicked me to shore.
Hmmph! When I am the Demon Monarch again...
Concerned about Zhen, XiXi decides to play the beauty card, she gazes up at Yun Tai and points a paw at Zhen. Her emerald green eyes pleading, I won't leave, I just want to see how he is.
Yun Tai lets her jump down and she limps over to Zhen.
"Meow..meow I'm sorry Zhen that was a very bad idea." She takes a paw and rubs his back, then motions for him to sit by the fire.
She takes a paw and with her tiny claws scratches a piece of meat off the roasting beast, ow, that is really hot, she blows on her paw, and places it to Zhen's mouth.
Yun Tai is feeling jealous of the attention his little Spirit Cat is giving Zhen and Siyu. When have I ever been ignored like in the past two days! First, that ignorant and unruly Sorceress who doesn't know how to recognize Mt. Tai...now this little Spirit Cat!
He walks over to the fire and grabs off a large piece of meat then tosses it on the ground by Zhen. He then roughly picks up XiXi by the scruff of her neck.
Zhen is just happy to be warm and have something to eat so he ignores them. Yun Tai you look ridiculous holding that little fluffy Spirit Beast, you are not The God of War I imagined. Of course I have felt your killing intent, maybe you just have a desire to protect small beautiful beasts.
Siyu returns with a handful of wild vegetables and puts them in a pot on the fire. He has small red potatoes on a skewer he sticks in the the pit alongside the meat.
He goes into the hut and brings out a leather flask of The Old Master's wine and passes it to Yun Tai. Yun Tai takes a gulp in a satisfied voice, "Ahhhh.. that old man really knows how to make wine.."
Siyu drinks some down, his eyes watering for a minute, "Yeah, Feng Tian had to run to the stream for water, he was crying." They both laugh at Feng Tian's low tolerance.
"The vegetables should be ready in awhile." Siyu rips off a piece of the roasted pork and sits on the log.
Yun Tai cuts a few pieces of the roasted pork and blows on it then puts it towards XiXi's little pink mouth.
She wants to be stubborn and refuse, but she can't let her pride get in the way of devouring the delicious looking meat.
Her little cat stomach is empty, so she graciously accepts it with a barely audible meow.
Yun Tai senses her reluctance and chuckles to himself, this little Spirit Cat is too hungry to be willful right now. He strokes her head while she is eating, XiXi is too busy enjoying the meat to protest.
XiXi sees them drinking from a flask and points her paw towards it, her green eyes twinkling, Meow...Meoooow...
From their expressions, I bet it is a delicious wine...Feng Tian's wine was so tasty....I want some!
Yun Tai looks at Siyu and laughs, "I think the little kitten wants a sip."
The two men start laughing in deep hearty voices, still hoarse from the strong spicy wine going down their throats.
XiXi looks back and forth at them with a disappointed look on her little furry white face, her saucelike green eyes looking down at the ground. Now the big bastard even has my hero laughing at me.
Siyu gets up and walks over to table by the hut. He brings over a small bottle.
"Little thing, you are too tiny to drink from that flask, you would never wake up, but here is some wine I made last Spring. It is made from the blackberries I grew beyond the lake."
He cups his hand a pours a few drops into it putting it to her mouth, her little pink tongue comes out and laps it up. Yummy..she quickly laps up the rest.
XiXi looks up at Siyu with pink hearts popping around her little head.
Her infatuated gaze irritates Yun Tai, the little cat seems to be smiling at Siyu.
Yun Tai's eyes narrow as the little cat flutters her long eyelashes in a flirtatious way while gazing at Siyu.
Yun Tai pulls her into his chest. "That's enough for it to drink Siyu," and knocks his hand away.
Although she feels dizzy,XiXi glares at him, I want more!
Yun Tai feeds her some more meat, but pushes the small bottle of wine away that Siyu left by his side.
XiXi yawns between bites, that wine I had is making me sleepy, I only had a tiny bit. This body has no tolerance!
She naturally stretches out in Yun Tai's lap as her eyes flicker then close. She is relaxed and comfortable forgetting she despises the man whose lap she is resting on so perfectly.
Yun Tai peers down at the sleeping cat. I have never seen such a pure white , green eyed Spirit Cat before, she must be LingLing's pet she brought back with her from the Sect.
He thinks about having to return the kitten and feels a certain reluctance to do so. Stroking her fur and watching her little antics are making him feel human emotions again.
When he is locked in combat he sometimes feels his humanity slipping away. During the war, always surrounded by Demons in wastelands, covered in blood daily, the putrid smell of their bodies disintegrating.
This little Spirit Cat is so pure and beautiful, her scent is very fresh and clean.
Siyu and Zhen can't believe what they see, Yun Tai is looking at that little kitten with..is that love reflected in his eyes.
Zhenrubs his furry head with his paw knowing the cat is XiXi. This is going to get very complicated. He laps up the wine that spilled. It would be nice if this King could have a cup..
Siyu is wondering if the Spirit Cat is an enchantress disguised as a Spirit Cat, in all the years he has know Yun Tai he has never seen such a gentle look in his eyes.
The three of them sit around the fire eating with Zhen trying to keep a low profile.
Siyu and Yun Tai discuss what this journey will entail. Yun Tai is drinking from the flask getting drunk and his mind is wandering to XiXi. What a little nuisance, just the father wouldn't be bad but she is too impulsive. She could get killed within the first few hours of travel.
He doesn't want to worry about her. His goal is to protect the Dragon and its Beast Core. He knows the secrets it contains,The Righteous Order must be protected at all costs.
He takes another swig from the bottle. What kind of world do they come from that allows a third grade Sorcerer to bring his simple minded daughter along on such a treacherous mission.
Yun Tai explains the reason for the journey andSiyu agrees to go with them. Being the Lord of the Falcon Knights he too knows the importance of the ancient dragon's Beast Core.
Yun Tai also states as his speech becomes a little slurred, he is going to ask Feng Tian why that girl must tag along. She could stay with Ling Ling. The old man Zhang Yu could go as bait for the Beast Hunters.
Yun Tai goes on to say that between Feng Tian, Siyu, and himself they could easily wipe the Beast Hunters out that want to remove the old Dragon's Beast Core. They could acquire the female Dragon and dismantle the hired mercenaries plan.
Afterwards, they could then disguise a similar Beast Core as the Zehron Water Dragon's and send Zhang Yu and his daughter back to their world. No one in their world would be able to distinguish the fake Core from the real one. When they attempt to use the Beast Core for whatever evil reason they have planned, they would assume the information they had gathered as to the Dragon's Beast Core potency was false.
Yun Tai runs this plan past Siyu to see his reaction
Siyu considers it and interjects, "It sounds too simple of a plan"
"...".
Well this is just an initial idea, I didn't put a great deal of thought into except for the part, THAT GIRL ABSOLUTELY CANNOT GO!
When only bones remain from the wild pig, and all the vegetables are gone, the they groan that they had eaten too much.
Yun Tai is also feeling the effects of the copious amount of wine he drank. He stands up first and says "I am going to bed, I will go back to the bamboo house in the morning."
Siyu waves him off, he stays up during the night to enjoy being human. He usually crves wooden figures while thinking about bygone days. Today his mood is a little lighter, he has his first bit of hope to return to his life with the arrival of the little Sorceress. I wonder why Yun Tai dislikes her so much?
Yun Tai is still holding onto the sleeping cat and gently lays it on the bed.
XiXi is in a drunken stupor from that strong wine and doesn't stir.
He looks at the beautiful white cat curled up by the pillow, takes off his outer robe and lays down next to her.
He rationalizes placing her on the bed, "It's too cold on the floor for you little kitten."
Yun Tai climbs onto the bed beside the little white cat.. drunk... and with the room spinning.