"In order to get you into the sect without our interference we're going to teleport into Grandmother's Tea Shop. You're not to talk to us once we arrive, unless you really want to blow your cover. We'll just tell everyone that asks that you're a companion we met along the way. You should be able to fool anyone about your heritage if you just avoid telling them your last name. I've been thinking about that too. Your name was well thought out, but if you use it you're going to be found out. Make sure you tell everyone your name is Hana Maker. No one will make the distinction." Kuzunoha talked to Hana during breakfast. Her husband was busy loading up a storage ring for Hanahaksu.
"I know mom, I'm just so excited. That helps a lot actually. Hana Maker. I can do that, it even sounds great." 'Hana May-kerr, kerr, mayker, maker' She kept saying it in her head. Convinced she'd remembered it, she asked her mother what she sort of training she had done growing up.
Kuzunoha thought about it a bit and then answered as honestly as she could. "I grew on up Earth, things were different, I devoted my entire life to learning my family's legacy and following the path they had set for me long before my birth. It was very hard but I loved it and still do." She produced a set of robes. They were Onmyoji robes and a scroll. "These are the tools of the Onmyoji, they help contain demons and devils. It will help you understand light and darkness. Darkness isn't evil, if it was, your father and I could have never had you." She passed them over and then pulled a book from the shelf.
"These are your grandparents." There were pictures of her as a child, she was being held by her mother and father. "They were also Onmyoji, they met in Hokkaido. Your Grandmother loved the way your grandfather looked in his uniform, so she devoted herself to learning the craft and eventually married him. They were happy but they died when I was a still young." She held the picture to her chest and passed it over to Hana.
"I understand, Family is important." Hana touched the photo. "Where's Dad?" It was time to go, the morning suns had started to peek over the horizon.
"Don't worry, when we start moving it will only take a moment." Kuzunoha stood up and held the token in her hand. "He's on his way."
A moment after she was done speaking, her father appeared. "Okay. You're all packed." He tossed the ring to Hana.
"I dunno, did you finish stuffing whatever you think our daughter is going to need into that ring?" Kuzunoha smited him slightly and rolled her eyes. "Lets go." She grabbed onto them both while he started channeling.
"I love you Hana, we both do. Good luck." He flicked his finger and they disappeared.
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It was very early in the morning, there were no people inside of the Tea Shop.
A black sphere started to appear in the lobby, followed by three figures emerging.
When they noticed no one was around, Wu Hai gave a heaving sigh of relief. "Good, we made it before anyone saw us. Don't forget what we've told you, unless you want to be recognized, don't give your identity away freely."
Her parents kissed her on the head and then she watched her parents disappear. Some dust swirled as the space around them collapsed.
Hana looked around the room, she found the door and went outside. No one in the sect knew what she looked like, even as a child she had only been in Zao City for a short time and she was just a baby.
"From here on, its just me." She fingered the ring a little bit, found a place to sit down and ate a piece of cake her mother had stored away for her. 'Mom, this cake is pretty good but it would be better if you were here.' She almost worked herself into tears when the Suns came out.
Birds started chirping and people started moving around in the City.
She found herself in front of a line of people, they were headed toward the Castle. "Umm, excuse me. Is this the line for Zao Sect Disciple tryouts?"
"What do you want? Oh. Yes, I suppose. You don't look too strong, you also don't look like you have any battle experience. Save us all the trouble and get lost." The lizardman kicked the dirt toward her and turned around.
'Well that was rude.' She shook a little bit and noticed that her feathers were out of place. She spread her wings.
"Oh? You want to fight?" The lizardman noticed the change in her shadow and turned around.
Hana looked confused. "No, Just spreading my wings, you don't have to be so rude, ya know." She started feeling on them a bit. They were soft and sharp looking.
"Hybrids. Whatever, stay out of my way." He rushed to push her down.
She turned and the tips of her wings cut him deeply. Noticing, she said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Hana walked up to the Lizardman.
He was holding his arm and pissed off. "What sort of Qilin are you? Damn, those are sharp. Fine. I'll stay out of your way." He got up and rejoined his friends.
They didn't seem all that happy about the development and sped into the distance, hurrying themselves to the front of the lines.
Another voice came from behind, it was a Nyankin girl. She couldn't have been more than 16 years old. "Those boneheads are all tongue. Just ignore them and enjoy the tests. If you do good and make it through the first round of selections, you'll probably make it to the outer sect." She smiled and stuck out her hand. "My name is Jeannie, Your feathers are so pretty.. I'd ask to touch them, but they are so sharp they cut that other fellow." Her grin got bigger.
"I'm Hana.. Maker. Nice to meet you." She shook her hand and shrugged off the group from earlier. "What sort of tests?"
Jeannie's smile stopped, she said, "They test a lot of things, just do your best. The tests always change each year, but last time we went through twelve rounds before there were enough people eliminated, Nyan." She made a strange noise with her mouth and grabbed her elbow as she walked. "Last time I got injured early in a battle simulation. But I'm all better now!" She smiled again and kept walking.
Their heels gained a step when they got closer to the sign in table.
"Please fill these out." A strange beastkin woman at the table handed her a clipboard and pen. "Come back and see that guy over there when you're done. If you don't fill it out, you don't get to participate. Next." She called out for the next person in line and the girls went to sit and fill them out.
'Name: Hana Maker. Age: 13 Female. Race: _________' She thought about it, she wrote Hybrid. 'It can't be as bad as people make it out to be.' She let it go and kept reading. There were questions about her height, magical abilities and so on. She just put 'I don't know' where she thought it was appropriate.
When she turned it in, Jeannie was with her. "What sort of answers are these? I don't know? That's funny, but seriously.. You don't know your own powers?"
"Nope, All I know is that I have wings and Blue Eyes." She sounded positively enthusiastic with her response, it baffled the man taking her sheet.
"Take this token, it has your participation number on it." He passed it over.
'2774' "Wow, that many people?" Jeannie pulled number 2775 after reading Hana's number.
"Jeez, we're going to be waiting a long time. Lets go have some snacks and talk. These tokens will buzz when its our turn. That stage over there is where we'd have to go." Jeannie grabbed onto Hana's Arm and they started down the road.
Hana didn't know where they were going but she was happy that she was finally meeting people her own age.
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