Earlier: When Xiulan and the others left, it was time for us to leave, too. While I could get a head start on moving trees around and helping to repair the damage, we just didn't have the time right now. Zhuye and the others were waiting for us, as was the reason we had originally come here. Patching Tianlan up to Ash Forest really improved how well she could feel her Dragon Veins. She joked that it was because she had two eyes now, instead of one, and she could better direct us to the small ruptures nearer to the Grass Sea. “Vajra, if you need anything, just tell us and we’ll be right over,” I told the newest member of the human form club. I had already said my goodbyes to the others, while Meimei was still alternating between mothering Rizzo and Spooks, both of them bearing the hugs with smiles. “Worry not, My Lord!” she replied, puffing out her chest and flipping her hair. “Your Vajra will not give you any cause to worry! Nay, rest easy knowing that all in this forest resides within her palm!” I chuckled at her over the top declaration. She and Xianghua would get along like a house on fire. I was also relieved. At first, I thought there might be some problems with her calling me ‘Emperor’… but instead Vajra proved to be a very reasonable woman and had gracefully ceded that ground. ‘My Lord’ wasn’t much better, but it was a start until she was comfortable enough to call me by my name. “Then I won’t worry. I trust you, Vajra,” I replied. Vajra had already proven herself, silly moments aside. There was a feeling you got when you were around people who actually knew what they were doing, and Vajra struck me as a person who wouldn’t need much minding (...)