Half a year has gone by since the visit to the small town. I've gone to visit Alvin's Rest a good number of times since. It's a nice quaint little village. Maybe 30-40 families live there. There is no wall on their village. They all are farmers for the most part. When I first showed up, many people ran inside and hid in their homes. When Marcus saw me, everything was explained, and the children are even allowed near me now.

  There's a little girl, maybe 3 and 1/2 years old, who seems tougher than the rest. She was never hesitant to approach the "bigger Brutus", constantly saying back to her mother "he isn't mean, I feel it". These little interactions helped me a lot in the first few visits. Those were rough, only Marcus and Luke had the courage to come sit next to me and talk for a while then. Apparently the girls name is Susana. When her mother finally let her approach, there was no hesitation, she climbed right up on my back and was asking for horsie rides around town. Obviously, I complied. I think these acts are what won the town over to my side.

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  After a year, when all my siblings were "mature" enough to live by themselves, my parents started to encourage them to go and set up their own Dens in the forest. For some reason, I wasn't encouraged to do so, instead they told me to wait around a while longer. It only took 3 more months to understand why.

  In those few months, I spent the majority of my time practicing what Dad called "Qi control" this was fun and terrifying at the same time. I had to force my Qi to run faster and slower through my channels and rapidly change between these 2 states. Sometimes I would get carried away and have to start from calm again because I accidentally activated my "hiding" technique. That is what active uses of Qi are called, Techniques. Everytime it activated, Dad would instruct me to remember the feeling for later.

  Later came along in month 4. I was now a little under 2 years old. I was a bit larger than Mom but still not close to Dad or Mole in size. I've grown my own Celtic looking symbols into my fur now. Can't read them or understand what they mean, but whenever I practice my Qi control, they shine. It is quite interesting.

  We had a visitor this month. A wolf as large as Dad and smelling similar showed up. Apparently this wolf is just Grandpa. He came to "visit the kids, and see the younglings". I got quite a bit of attention from him, being as I still shared Mom and Dad's den. After the explanation as to my strange ability, he understood something from their conversation and mentioned returning with a friend. He didn't visit long, only a few days. Seemed like the serious type, blunt and to the point, looked concerned when looking at and talking with me though.

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  I finally turned 2 this month... My parents have said I should be fine to go and set up my own Den if I feel like it. Not sure why it took this long. I think it had to do with my ability to control my Qi and finally use the technique at will. Dad says I was slow to understand how. Not sure if I should be insulted by that. Doesn't matter. I finally get to choose where I want to live.....

  It wasn't much of a question. I showed up at the village, met a few new Mothers and Fathers, then asked Marcus if I could build my den on the outskirts of town. He seemed happy to show me the villagers were more than willing to let me live with them. They were very enthusiastic, even building me a ..... stable ..... definitely not an oversized dog house.... yeah... stable.

  Susana did not take long to show up after news of my new living arrangement reached her ears. She was almost 5 now, as she made sure to remind me every single time we met. Didn't change that I had to give her rides around the village though. Oh the misfortunes I suffer through to be accepted....

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  Time flew in days of casual bliss like this. I'd wake up, practice my Qi control more, test out "New" ideas for different ways to use my Qi, sometimes pass out from my own brilliant ideas, then just be kind with the villagers until it was time to sleep. Life was simple, and good.

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  One day after living in the village for a few months, the village was going through harvest times. The harvest must of been good this year, people were happy about the crop harvest at least. I even offered to help, not that I could do much besides watch over the children, almost 15 of the little ones now, ranging from 3 - 10 years old. Marcus sat next to me on a simple bench placed in the village center, taking a younger child to sit on his lap while he talked.

  "Been here a while now, no plans to leave then?"

  His question shocked me. Why would I leave? I liked living with them, helping their hunters out was nice, I got to try different foods, and even was allowed to be helpful by watching the kids....

  "Do you want me to?" this seemed like the best question to ask at the time.

  "Oh, no, no... I was just wondering is all. It's been nice having ya around. You make life much easier for all of us. Meat is much more common, the hunters don't get surprised by any predators any more." He trails off at this point, hand idly scratching his beard again.

  "I enjoy my time here. Took a while for the rest of you all to come around. Well, except this one..." I say before giving Susana a gentle poke with a paw. "She seemed to be the bridge honestly..."

  "You could say that. A lot of the others were worried you would hurt the children, and all knew you were a spirit beast... so we had no way to stop you if you wished it. My words and reassurances could only go so far. Your and her actions showed the rest." He laughs briefly at this, a gentle smile on his face. "I'm old Dranau... I have been feeling it more and more each month. My time is coming. 63 isn't bad for a mortal like me.... I had a good family, my son and daughters have their own family, I even have grandchildren. It's been good."

  "You ain't done yet, old man." A wolfish grin takes over my face. "Besides, the Crow wouldn't know what to do with you." The Crow is the local personification of death. Its a nicer one if I say so myself, something about recycling the soul to give a new life again, but stronger the next time. A strange coincidence if ya ask me.

  "Yeah yeah, I know... but I have to ask ya, can you convince yer family to keep an eye on this place. One day you might have to leave." I laughed at those words.

  "When that time comes, I'll make sure to beg my family to keep the village safe."

  The look of relief on his face was almost enough to bring a tear to my eye... almost.

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  Only a few days after my talk with Marcus, we had a visitor... well, a few. When the robed men, Cultivators, walked into town, I stood, ready to fight if need be, but following them was Grandpa. My confusion must have been written plainly on my face. The cultivators looked at me and chuckled, and Grandpa was rolling on the floor in mirth as his Qi speech reached me.

  "Relax.... These are friends. I doubt you would be able to hurt them much either way."

  "Yes, it's as old Feng says. We mean you and the village no harm. We were informed of your ..... interesting technique." The oldest looking one says while stepping forwards. His robes were pristine, not a speck of dust on them from the travel. He looked to be in his late 40s. Grandpa seemed to be relaxed so I let down my guard a little bit. Susana took this as her personal signal to climb onto my back, holding a stick in both hands while facing the others. Cute....

  "Ahhh, a little warrior. Relax too, for we don't plan to hurt or do harm to any one."

  Susana pondered the words for a bit before smiling and dropping her stick before patting my head and saying "They feel nice." Good enough for me.

  Awkward meeting almost over, Grandpa and the elderly Cultivator casually walked over to me, before one of the younger cultivators accompanying them, waved a hand and materialized a few large cushions and a low table. My eyes widened and my jaw went slack. "Where....?" The eldest simply said "Storage Ring. Common way for us cultivators to carry stuff around." He showed me a ring on his hand, the other cultivators following suit.

  With a smile and sitting down on the cushion provided he nods to Grandpa. "So old Feng, I thought you said you only had a strange grandchild to show me... why are there 2 interesting younglings before me now then?"