Book 9: Chapter 33: People Are Confusing
It took three days before Sen was satisfied that they’d collected enough beast cores. Rather, it would have taken them a handful of hours to collect what he thought he’d need for the assault on the Twisted Blade Sect. He wanted to make sure that they’d have enough to help fend off a dedicated assault on the Academy compound while he was gone. That had eaten up most of the rest of their time. He didn’t think an attack would come while he was away this time. There was going to be too much irresistible force nearby with Master Feng and Auntie Caihong there. But a lot of things I never thought would happen had come to pass, so what the hells do I know? Better to be prepared, he thought.
Everything had changed when he’d caught the presence of something interesting flickering on the outer edges of his spiritual sense. He’d shot after that elusive feeling with Falling Leaf following on his heels. It had taken half a day to finally catch the spirit beast that Sen had sensed. The only reason that they’d been able to find it at all was because Sen and Falling Leaf had strong shadow affinities. But there it was. A shadow stag. A quick look at Falling Leaf showed a look of almost desperate need in her eyes. That answered that question. She could use the thing’s core to help her advance.
“Should we try to talk first?” asked Sen.
“Why?” asked Falling Leaf. “It’s not like it will understand us.”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
Falling Leaf spared him a look that said she thought he was being intentionally annoying. That look faded when she seemed to realize he was being serious.
“It’s not self-aware,” she said. “You can’t tell?”
“No,” said Sen in a distracted tone. “I’m surprised. I thought sapience came with advancement.”
Falling Leaf scrunched her face up in a way that reminded him a little of Ai. A thought he decided was probably best kept to himself. The ghost panther appeared to struggle to find the proper way to convey something before simply giving up on the effort.