The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

In the morning, Xinyi woke up feeling peckings on her cheeks. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a nightingale.

"Kuaille!" She excitedly spoke and opened her mouth wide, yawning as she stretched her body. 

"Good morning, Xinyi. Welcome back. I could not greet you last night because of that strict panda. He won't allow us to come and help you."

Xinyi's brows rose. "Xionmao, forbade you?"

"Yes, he said to leave you alone and sent me to the mountains to watch for the dragon and the little beings' arrival," Kuaille complained. "But when I left him, he went to watch you fight. Grr, so unfair."

Xinyi snickered and tapped the bird's beak. "Ooh, you poor thing, but I bet you were also watching the fight."

Kuaille lifted his beak. "So what? Can I not watch too?" 

Xinyi giggled. "I'm happy to see you. I'm also happy to know that Xionmao was there last night." But was curious, thinking, Was he planning on helping me if I was in danger? Then she looked back Kuallie. "You're here. So have they arrived?" 

Before Kuaille could speak, "Good morning, Lady Lei." Gu Dai came in the room with a basin of water."

"Good morning, Gu Dai," Xinyi smiled at the enthusiastic maid. Gu Dai also assisted her when she came back last night. Xinyi stood and went behind a divider. The maid followed, helping her wash her face and changed her clothes. 

Suddenly, she heard a commotion outside. Before she knew it, colorful specks of dust gleefully zoomed in and flew around her with indistinguishable chatters. Xinyi closed her eyes and thought of them as animals. When she opened them, she chuckled looking at the floating inch size hippos, ostriches, pandas, and others.

They were so adorable like little animal stuff dolls. She wanted to hug them because of their cuteness but clenched her d.e.s.i.r.e, afraid she might crash them by the time she touched them. 

"You're back, my babies. Where's Nianshi?"

"I'm here, my lady," Nianshi entered, in human form with his hairy c.h.e.s.t exposed and belt lightly fastened. 

Xinyi walked out of the divider wearing a red dress. "Welcome back." 

Their presence comforted her and realized she relied so much on them lately. That fight last night made her see the reality that she might face stronger enemies someday. She also saw how complacent she was after moving to Fengfu.

She sharpened her gaze and pointed a finger at Nianshi. "Nianshi, Skrider told me you can train me. Teach me how to use my powers. Most of all on how to manipulate time."

Nianshi gave her a sinister grin, giving her chills. "Oh, ho. I'm not a kind instructor, my lady." 

"Bring it on. I can handle it," Xinyi said, clapping her hands with glee.

Yet, an hour after...

Xinyi sat on the grassy garden outside Nufang pavilion. She was sweating bullets and gasping for air. "You're not charming at all," Xinyi grumbled.

"I already told you. I'm very strict. Use all your senses to catch these wee Hutyuns."

"Why do I need to catch each of them to learn how to manipulate time? You also make them fly very fast, making it harder for me." Xinyi pouted as she hugged her knees.

"Remember this. Your training is not only for you to learn how to manipulate time. It's also for you to learn how to use your power hidden inside you. If you can harness that power, you can not only manipulate time, you can also send fires, command raging storms, and others. 

"You can also summon animals in an instant in the middle of a fight without talking to them. You could make them move like they are your eyes, feet, arms, and everything. You could do all of these while moving."

Xinyi recalled her headache after using the hawk's eyes. She silently agreed. Also, Nianshi's enticing descriptions of what she could do, motivated her to undergo thorough training daily. 

If I can make the animals move as Nianshi said , that will be great.

"But we are here. The queen doesn't need the animals anymore," said a Hutyun who gave Xinyi a floating cup with water. Xinyi took the cup and drank the water in one gulp. A miniature panda Hutyun held a towel with his paws and let it fall on her.

Xinyi wiped her face. "No, Nianshi is right. I must learn to use my powers." 

"That goes with you too, li'l beings. Your queen had to learn to summon you in silence. Your connection with her must remain even you're far apart. She must learn to use you as her weapon with ease as if you're one with her." 

"You're right, great dragon," the Hutyuns said. "Our former king Kaos never tell us what to do. We moved and changed into anything in split seconds without hearing his commands."

"Wow! He did that? How did he do it? Could I do that too?" Xinyi asked like an attentive child who wanted to hear a nice story.

"Yes, you can. But you need to connect your heart and mind to them. This time, make them go to you without talking in their minds. Concentrate. Think of them as part of you, not separate beings," said Nianshi.

Xinyi stood again. "Okay. Control my emotions. Think of them as part of me." As she started thinking deeper, they heard a loud gurgling sound. She smiled awkwardly. "Hehe."Her stomach rumbled in hunger. 

Then they heard a smirk. They spun their heads to the pavilion's entrance. It was Ming. He hastily covered his mouth and coughed twice to hold the bubbling laughter from escaping. However, Xinyi's cheeks turned pink for she understood he heard her stomach complaining.

Ming approached her to save her from further embarrassment. While walking, he made a side glance at Nianshi and darted his eyes on the c.h.e.s.t. The dragon rolled his eyeballs and arranged his clothes and secured the belt on his waist. Ming nodded in approval.

"Welcome back. And thank you for saving me last night," he said with a soft voice, looking at her with tenderness in his eyes. "I'm glad you're back." He said so but the meaning of those words ran deeper. Xinyi's ears turned crimson as he stared at her with deep emotions. 

"No problem at all. I only did what was right to do," she said, trying to sound cool. But deep inside she wanted to scream at him and say, Don't look at me that way. 

*Gurgle, gurgle!* went her stomach again. Popping the hearts back into mini animals. The dragon rubbed his eyes, unsure of what he saw.

Oh my, how embarrassing. Xinyi gulped in shame. 

"Let's join the others for breakfast." Ming reached for her hand and pulled her to walk with him. Xinyi tried yanking it back but Ming's hold tightened. She shook her hand but Ming firmly clasped it. Thus, she stopped her resistance and blew strands of hair covering her face, resigning to her situation. But deep inside, she didn't know what to make out of this Ming anymore.

Why is he like this now?

---- o ----

In the Goding camp, General Hester brought his flying horse down. The rest of his men followed suit. General Lofey stared at the young man's tired blue eyes and sunken face. Hester's blond hair was messy and his clothes bedraggled. They were obviously deprived of rest and a good bath. 

Why are they in this state? Why didn't they rest before they come back? What really happened out there? And who were the people who tried to enter the city last night if they newly came back?

General Lofey had many questions in his mind but saved for later. These people had to have a good meal and an ample of rest first.