Konna

~Chapter 23~

The sun above was beginning to dip it's head below the horizon. An ombre of colours from a golden orange to a rich blue filled the sky. White sparkling diamonds began to twinkle above. As the light of the sun faded away, the surrounding lantern posts began to flicker on. A warm orange glow filled the cobbled streets. Roses as red as cherries climbed across the sides of the buildings, providing a splash of colour. On the edges of the pavement were patches of lush green grass. A young plum tree had been planted in the centre of one of those grass patches. The tree was about 2 meters tall. Buried within the green leaves were round purple fruits. Their weight caused the branches to sag. 

The rich fruity aroma of the plums made me drool. My stomach growled with eagerness. I hadn't eaten since the morning due to the soul animal awakening ceremony. As I reached out to pluck one of the fruits, Renna slapped my hand away.

"If you're that hungry snack on this. However, don't spoil your appetite. We'll be eating out later." Renna passed me a steamed bun from her storage ring. Wisps of steam danced in the air around the bun. I took a bite of the bun and savoured it's delicious taste. Inside was a hoisin duck and cucumber filling. As I happily ate with one hand, Renna took my free hand and directed me across the capital streets. Soon we reached the familiar shabby shop. The sign was still slanted and looked like it was on the verge of collapsing. As we entered, the familiar twinkling sound sounded.

"I'm coming!" yelled Shin from the back of the shop. Soon Shin came out. One of his hand's was suspiciously hidden behind his back. He wore a loose white top with denim shorts. His emerald eyes sparkled with excitement and a big smile was plastered across his face.

"How did the soul awakening ceremony go for you both?" asked Shin.

Renna puffed up her chest as she proudly announced, "I awakened a tier 6 arctic wolf and tier 6 wind magic." Renna then summoned her cute fluff ball. The little wolf sat down and tilted its head. It looked around the room confused. When it spotted me, it bounded towards me. It was like a bouncing fluffy ball.

"Woof!"

The wolf cub stood up on its two hind legs and reached out its front paws on my ankle. It constantly whined as it begged to be picked up. I ignored the wolf. It eventually became dejected. With it's ears drooped, it returned back to Renna's side pitifully. Shin chuckled.

"Have you decided on a name for your soul animal yet?" inquired Shin to Renna.

Renna shook her head. "I'm still thinking about it."

Shin then looked over to me. "What about you missy?"

I closed my eyes and called out to my little caterpillar. As I touched the red orb light in my mind, the little caterpillar materialised in my cupped hands. As the little caterpillar looked around at the inner beast cores, it became agitated. Thinking that it was afraid, I sent it back to my inner world.

"Tier 1 butterfly and tier 1 earth magic," I replied.

Shin looked at me with eyes of pity. "Don't be disheartened. Even if your soul animal is weak, having an elemental affinity sets you apart from others," encouraged Shin.

"Thank you," I slightly bowed. The little dragon who was watching from the side scoffed.

"Soo uncle, that meal you promised..." Renna said slyly.

"Don't worry I haven't forgotten. But first I have something for you," chuckled Shin. He then removed his hand from behind his back and produced a plain looking small black box. It had a golden ribbon wrapped around it and a small tag attached to it. On the tag was written the words 'happy birthday my lovely niece.'

Renna excitedly hopped over and snatched the box from her uncle's hands. She undid the ribbon and opened it. Inside was a dainty silver bracelet with a jade pendant. The colour of the jade perfectly matched the colour of Renna's eyes.