"Well?" The little girl asked still not breaking eye contact.
The pressure in the dimly lit room increased several folds again, this time the pain was just as real as the force it exerted from above.
The torch's flame on the wall flit and darted.
"Vehatra," I stated between gasps, it was getting harder to breathe. Suddenly the pressure vanished and I could breath again but the crisp air only caused me to cough.
It was much too soon to stand again however, the little girl rose from her stone chair and stepped towards me.
"The representative of the human race?" She asked studying me. "Hmm vehatra visiting me in my eternal prison? Human, lying to me will only bring you death."
Reaching in my direction she offered "last chance."
"Wait!" I struggled to get to my feet although only barely succeeding "would you believe that someone on the island told me that I was vehatra and even showed me how to manifest hou and Dan?"
She exhaled and from her expression she was undoubtedly, angry.
"Are you trying to tell me that one of the self righteous dragon-born snobs showed you, a human mercy? And even so the benefit they get from vehatra's trial is if it ends in failure." Many white strands in the air circles around the little girl so much so that the semi translucent stands were obstructing view of her.
"Human, I may have been imprisoned here for thousands of years but don't think I'm a fool for a second because I won't hesitate to waste you."
That was the final straw, The point where I could no longer hold it in.
"Pfft!" I tried stifling my laughter but that only made it worse. Sure I was hurt and yes I can see the hou and Dan manifestation around her.
Yes I know she's probably insanely dangerous, but saying all that with the appearance of a 5 year old?
I laughed until my sides hurt.
She had released the hou strands and they dissipated while I tried in vain to stop my laughter.
"Human, are you making fun of me?" She asked.
I laughed even harder.
****
"Hmph," she had returned to her chair and I had calmed down some my mood one of a child who had been punished and was at the verge of tears. A small red mark where she had flicked my forehead with her finger.
It hurt.
"Yes, I've confirmed that you're indeed only a human child and your story is probably true," the little girl confirmed "only an ignorant human would have eyes but fail to see a mountain like myself.
"Pfft!" I put my hand over my mouth to stifle my stupid need to laugh barely succeeding but only after she'd taken notice. "Sorry." I offered meekly.
"Hmph, this senior's name is Su yan ji but you may call me great elder yan."
I nodded before I noticed her looking at me expectantly.
"Oh, I'm lalie, great elder yan." I replied.
"Just lalie?" She asked.
"No great elder yan, it's.... I... can't remember."
She looked me over, "strange."
And then.
"Even though I look like this I will tell you that this senior has seen thousands of years so don't forget to be respectful."
"Yes great elder yan."
"So, where is this benevolent dragon born who showed you mercy?" Great elder asked reluctantly.
"She," I paused realizing I'd never really thought about it very much. "I guess she... abandoned me."
She noticed me looking down, "You were close?"
I looked up at senior su yan ji, " I... Yes." I replied finally.
"I see. Little girl do you fall In love easily?" She queried, her face leaned slightly to solicit my response.
"I..." searching for the words I realized I was lost for them.
"That is a weakness you cannot afford to have here," she drawled "A turbulent heart leads to chaotic hou which can damage one's future prospects."
"eh?" I faltered my confusion probably showing.
"did the dragonborn not teach you?" she queried, her expression one of -you should know this-.
"She merely demonstrated," I replied, a remark which caused senior su yan ji to to raise her brows in what i can only assume to be surprise, "You can manipulate world energy after only seeing it done once?"
I nodded.
"show me," she demanded.
I held out my palm and concentrated holding on to the something that had filled me earlier, it felt more powerful now, stronger, more lively. I squeezed it gently and as it flowed from me heat came with it, but not only that this time electricity tingled around me and wind stirred the chamber causing the torches on the stone wall to dance roughly. So much so that around my very person the humid air started warming and buzzing making me uncomfortable until I released and then it all quieted. The thing inside me felt lighter now, less vibrant than before.
"What was that?" I asked surprised since this was never something I could do.
Senior su yan ji smiled interlocking her tiny fingers. "This place has always repressed my cultivation holding me here in this, prison. Finally after so many years of cultivating but not being able to absorb this world energy someone finally arrives with the power to do so and to undo my shackles."
"this.." I was confused again.
"You absorbed the energy of the black monolith before coming here did you not?" she asked.
"umm I sat by the rock."
she laughed "of course with no formal teacher you have no way to comprehend the jin precepts yet you've done it. here," she offered "ill explain, you understand hou and dan the basics of the basic, well above that lies hyu-jin, hou-yu, hon-gu and finally hou-en. What makes these precepts special and different from hou- dan is the fact that the world energy is stored inside and cultivated and grown until you transcend from a mere mortal into something even greater! An immortal God!"