"That is not mommy, Ning Feng. That", the Grandmaster said, even his usually ironcd ess slightly broken, "is worse."

  Lize, Yule, and Ari readied themselves, but Tang Yin couldn't help but stare into its eyes.

  They were pools of jet bck so deep, like two ponds you could fall into. It was colored in an undefinable color; she identified it as whitish, something all ed up. The scales were as big as her entire body, and the wings even folded in were gigantesque.

  "Dragon.", Tang Yin whispered in awe, realizing something, "tree boy, you are uest. The eyes give you away the same deep color." She said, ailled a toothy smile appearing. His slender and elegant head bowed down slightly.

  "Not as stupid as I thought.", no he said, and Tang Yin stepped forward.

  "I may be the less intelligent part of the genes, but not a fool.", she answered and held out a hand. His head lowered until his gigantic head and deep bck eyes were right before her, blinking as her hand touched his head. The scales under her hands felt alive; she never knew scales thought like that. "Something about you and your brother feels familiar.", The dragon said, "that is why I came, among other reasons."

  Tang Yin g the others, that had retreated rather quickly. "What reasons?"

  The drago silent as he curled himself in front of the cave. "I didn't know spirit beasts were capable of speech.", Yule whispered, shuddering.

  "They are; I heard of it before from stories as the oldest among them speak the human nguage.", The Grandmaster said, eyeing the dragon suspiciously, "but that only goes for tury-millennium spirit beasts." Their Merary pany grew stiff in fear.

  Ning Feng clutched her Teddy as Yu Hua took a step back like everyone else but the Tang Twins.

  "He said he means no harm, so who cares what he is as long as he is friendly.", Tang Yin's said and bowed forward, "what is your name?" she asked curiously, making even her brother look as if she had lost a few remaining screws in her head, an aplishment in her eyes, he never lost his cool.

  "Mhh, Jiang, for River.", he answered, and Tang Yin smiled.

  "Well, I am Tang Yin, Yin like silver. These are Tang San, Ning Feng, Yu Hua, Lize, Yule, Ari, and the Grandmaster. I tioking your scales?" She asked, and his vast eyes bli her.

  "You are a fearless human child, " he said, tilting his head so she could touch it better. The scales underh her hands had a white-grey shine of total uniqueness, they were smooth and hard, but at the same time, they carried a certain kind of warmth ihem that made them very fortable to touch. Insider her, she felt something stir, react to the dragon, Jiang, and feel fortable.

  "What kind of spirit beast are you?" she asked, stroking his head under her brother's watchful gaze and the other's shock.

  "My kind is called bone night dragons or death moons.", He answered her.

  "That sounds really fancy." She put away her hand. "Thank you for lettiouch you."

  "Hearing that from someone who is dying, already died once, how amusing." He put three stones before her, "These are for you and the one among your panions that has no spirit ri." He said.

  The Grandmaster stared at the stones in awe. "Are those stones from the spirit beast graveyard?" He asked, entirely shocked, and Jiang nodded.

  "They are payment fur dinners on the way out of the forest." He said, and Tang Yin tilted her head like he before.

  "Will you not apany us into the city?" she asked, but he shook his giant head, "No."