A gloomy overcast afternoon accompanied the twinging sound of slow paced strumming resonated from crevasse of a mountain.
Rai Kiyoshi hid in the shadows along the inner walls of the mountain guarding Rai Shinah from afar.
The depressing melody tore at the protective layer over Rai Kiyoshi's sorrow that plagued his heart ...the song so haunting... yet beautiful.
He watched over Rai Shinah from afar plucking gently at a zither made of exquisitely aged Rosewood.
Her graceful motions quicken, the sad melody manipulated the sensation of imperilment.
A sense of panic ignites the flames that tormented his soul. The tone carries him back to that distant land, purposely antagonizing his powerless plight.
His discomfort soars to new heights with the progression of the song, her aggressive strumming guiding his emotions slowly into a dark abyss...
The foreign melody ends summoning a flush of rainfall, Rai Kiyoshi leans against the wall of the mountain, his body drenched in sweat, the song resonated with him long after the music has ceased.
Rai Kiyoshi heard her praying softly, before casually glancing near his hiding spot.
Rai Shinah rises from her seat, placing an item on the zither. She looks towards Rai Kiyoshi's location again before trotting away.
Rai Kiyoshi walks near the zither out of curiosity, to find a succulent pink peach flowing with a mouthwatering amount of spirit energy.
"Ughhh so pathetic.. the little brat was sad yet I was the one to receive comfort." He sighs before biting into the delicious peach.
——
In a evacuated town in The Spirit Beast Kingdom.
"Big Brother Shen ... Big Brother Shen it's just as you suspected all the agitated spirit beast were knocked out. The soldiers are placing them in transferring cages safely. All the surrounding towns have been cleared with minimal damage. Thank you, without your poison powder those towns would have been destroyed beyond repair. The Spirit Beast Kingdom really owes you one this time! If there's anything in the future we can help you with, we won't hesitate to take up arms." Prince Jing Xuan sat across from Rai Shen, his excited expression glowed with appreciation.
"As expected, there's no need for thanks between brothers Little Xuan. What about General Weiss?" Shen inquires while pouring Jing Xuan some tea.
Jing Xuan's smiling face abruptly changes into a menacing expression. "It's as you predicted, he withdrew his troops before the first signs of beast attacks today. Unfortunately due to my negligence he again had time to exchanged the spirit stones you provided with scented pouches in the lures we set and fled north."
"Don't panic, he won't get far."
"You knew he'd steal the spirit stones again?" Jing Xuan mischievously glances back and forth, before directing his gaze at Rai Shen eyes full of respect and curiosity. "Big Brother Shen ...quick tell me what you done!"
Rai Shen chuckles and tosses a huge bag from his spacial ring near Jing Xuan's feet. "Of course I have someone shadowing him."
"Huh ..Spirit stones? Wait.. aren't these the stones that we used in the lure traps? Ha ha that a foool! Wait when did you exchange them? What did he take off with?" Jing Xuan laughs in between questions, it took a while before he was able to collect himself.
"Some random shit off the floor.."
"Ahahha no you didn't!! You let him steal plain rocks off the ground... Ahaha Big Brother Shen that's just too wicked! Ha Ha! Serves him right!" Jing Xuan was laughing so hard he fell over.
"No..not rocks"
"Haha.. not rocks ..then what..... BAHAHA!"
Prince Jing Xuan's laughter resonated throughout the entire town, his infectious laughter reenergized all the soldiers under his care.
——
Rai Shinah's Mindscape
"Kitten ..Hey lower your flame.. or let me take over. Your going to ruin the ingredients again, let's stop here for today your obviously not in the right mindset to make pills." Little ShiiShii lightly knocks on Rai Shinah's forehead waking her from her trance.
"Ouch!! Oh no my Rejuvenation Pills! Little ShiiShii look at what you've let me do!" Her little wrist flicks the flame back.
"Me? I stoped you three times from blowing up our house and you have the cheek to blame me! You Plump Little Meatball!"
"Who you calling a Plump Meatball, You... Youu.. Gluttonous Rice Ball! I'm very lean for my age, Thank you very much..."
Little ShiiShii watches her throw a tantrum affectionately.
"Hehe a gluttonous rice ball? Well this gluttonous rice ball is going to make some for dinner tonight would you care to join me?" He cleans off her pot of half baked Blood Rejuvenation pills.
"Hmph who wants to eat with you! Don't try to deflect my attention with food."
"Ha your attention is always on food, so how could you be sidetracked by anything else?"
"It is not! Hmph I'm going back to refining pills, don't you dare disturb me."
Little ShiiShii chuckles softly, glad that she's no longer upset. He walks around her table and starts washing some vegetables for her dinner.