Threads Chapter 411-Development 3
The earth vibrated, a deep rumble rising up from the depths far beneath her feet, growing in intensity as it neared the surface. With it came a tide of flame and heat, flaring the pulse of the veins that ran under the earth. Pebbles rattled. The pressure in the air grew. Then, flame-flecked water erupted, a scalding pillar that rose many meters into the sky.
Ling Qi leaned back into the wicker chair that had been built and bound to Zhengui's shell, watching the boiling droplets rain down. Wherever they crossed into the shell of colder air around her, they burst into puffs of drifting snowflakes, which in turn melted as they touched down on Zhengui's shell. The rapidly alternating temperature kicked up a low, constant whirl of wind around them both, tugging at the hems of her gown and causing his ash to drift in swirling patterns.
"So, the thunderhoof jerk does not act like a proper king, even though he is very big and hogs a whole section of the veins to himself," Gui explained cheerily to her. "Scholar friends think he will only challenge Zhengui if I say I am king of the big clifftop, though!"
"I, Zhen, will thrash this challenger with my big sister and the little star and others, because a king does not fight alone."
That was taking a fourth grade beast too lightly, but Ling Qi didn't feel the need to be too serious when Zhen was puffing himself up. She simply made a mental note to keep him away from the reserved zone around the powerful beast.
"I am sure you will come out on top when the time comes," she said instead, watching the geyser descend as the pressure lessened, the waters burbling back down into the cracks in the earth. "What about the lower vale, here in the north?"
"There are the funny wood-rat friends at the Falling Waters Palace, but the rest is not very organized," Gui replied. "Little courts full of silly fairies and wood spirits and some beasts who are big but much smaller than Gui, but there are a few who hold places in the hills and woods who Gui will have to talk to."
"They will submit to I, Zhen, or be humbled and shown their error." Her little brother tilted his head upward to let her easily scratch his serpentine jaw and throat.
"Gui thinks we should make them understand with words rather than biting, like Big Sister does."