Spring Winds

"Wah, Scaly, calm down! You can't hiss at her like that!" ∑('＝';)

'What has gotten into Scaly?' ヽ(´A｀ヽミノ´A｀)ノ

"Junior Sister, you better stand back," Ye Lian Hua warned as she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, which only yielded another hiss from the serpent. "Perhaps, Jin Gang isn't in a clear state of mind right now."

"HISSS!!!"

"Hey! That's rude! Don't you know that she's my senior sister!"

'Aiyah, why is Scaly acting so aggro against Senior Sister?!

Could it be that Scaly still holds a grudge against Senior Sister for what happened before? 「(°ヘ°)

Hmm, no good, no good, ah! ヽ(;▽;)ノ

I can't have my new friend and Senior Sister be at odds! Just like two sides of a hand, no matter which side you hit, it will still hurt!

I better get between them before this gets ugly.'

"Scaly, you can't hiss at her like that," stepping in front of the furious snake, she stretched her arms out to act as a barrier between the two opposing sides. "Don't you know that she's my senior sister, the one that I was talking about earlier?

Remember?"

"Hisss…" The snake stopped displaying its fangs. However, it didn't drop the hostile aura it projected.

'Aiyah, what to do?' (´･_･`)

"Shh, it's alright, Scaly. Senior Sister isn't going to do anything to you," she reassured the snake as she signaled her senior sister to stop touching her weapon.

The serpent calmed down slightly as Zhu Na Ran patted its smooth scales. She started to chat away with the snake about how great her senior sister was and that Ye Lian Hua never did anything to harm others intentionally without reason.

"Why are you so upset? Is it because we attacked you a while back? I know that Senior Sister was a little harsh… "

"Hiss…"

"No? Then what?" (・へ・)

"Hiss…"

"Ah," Zhu Na Ran nodded in realization from the snake's 'message.' "Alright, I'll tell her."

"Senior Sister, Scaly said that it doesn't like the name, 'Jin Gang,' and would instead go by my excellent suggestion of the name, 'Scaly.'"

The snake looked like it didn't agree entirely with her, but alas, it was a speechless snake and could do nothing about its silly name.

"It has nothing personal to do with you, Senior Sister. But it's just sensitive to the particular name.

Just a lot of emotional baggage with that name."

"Ah, I apologize," Ye Lian Hua bowed slightly. "This one failed to realize that you've changed your name of address. I hope you can find it within you to forgive me as well as for my past actions against you."

"Hiss," nodding its head, it seems like 'Scaly' has forgiven her.

"Aww, Scaly, says that it forgives you! You should pet Scaly, Senior Sister! So that you two can be great friends!" (*^ ^*)

"What?"

"Come on, don't be scared; Scaly doesn't bite!" Grabbing Ye Lian Hua's hand, she dragged her senior sister before the massive serpentine being. Placing Ye Lian Hua's hand on the snake's nose, Zhu Na Ran released her hold and backed away to witness the 'beautiful scene' before her.

"Aw, it's so nice for two people suddenly becoming friends!" (๑꧆◡꧆๑)

The snake and the older girl looked at her before looking back at each other. There seemed to be a momentary bond of common understanding.

"Please forgive my junior sister's behavior; she's strange but has a good heart.

Even the name she has chosen for you is a bit… bizarre."

The snake rolled its eyes as if saying, 'tell me about it.'

"Hey! You two just met; how could you team up against this auntie already!?" (＃｀^´)ﾉ

'My naming skills are amazing! Scaly was so happy with it before!' (#｀3´)

"How about, hmm," Ye Lian Hua touched her chin in thought. "Lin Lin[1]. It's a little similar to my junior sister's name that she has given to you; however, I think it sounds a little more conventional.

I hope you don't mind."

The snake, now named Lin Lin, shook its head as if saying, 'I don't mind.' It appeared more satisfied now that it's been given a common name. One that doesn't sound like it's been gifted by a child.

The 'child:' "Why do I feel insulted right now." ʰᵘʰ (# O_O）✧

"Hey! Scaly, I chose that name with love and care! （￣^￣）

Plus, a name is given to one by their parents! After all that we've been through, this auntie might as well be your foster mother!" (@ˋ _ ˊ@)

Once again, the serpent rolled its eyes.

"Hmph, Senior Sister" — she pouted as she crossed her arms, feeling wronged — "how could you team up against your little junior sister?"

"Hmm," her senior sister smiled without looking at her as she continued to speak to the serpent. "Please ignore my junior sister, but I would like to ask a favor of you, Lin Lin."

Lin Lin hissed, perplexed as to what Ye Lian Hua could be asking for.

"Would you mind if you could help us open this door?" Ye Lian Hua gestured to the stance door behind them that refused to budge an inch. "We could use your strength in a situation like this."

Lin Lin looked at the door before cocking its head as if analyzing it.

Then the snake recoiled back as if it were a spring before it shot straight towards the stone door.

"Pop!"

Like a cork, the door quickly popped open after Lin Lin successfully pushed the stone door open from its air-tight seal.

"Wah!" Popping her head into the darkened entrance, her eyes watered from the floating dust in the air. However, she didn't care as her eyes greedily took in the surroundings. "Look at this place, Senior Sister!" (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

"This doesn't look like the exit," Ye Lian Hua muttered as she peered inside, cautiously.

"No! Even better," Zhu Na Ran cheered as she jumped inside, excitedly. "It's the treasure crypt!

The tomb of the two lovers!" ( ✧A✧) YES!!

---

"Wow, this place is even better than I imagined it to be!" Starry-eyed, Zhu Na Ran looked through the dim light at the delicate illustrations and decorations. 'Too bad Scaly couldn't be here, but Scaly looked tired after opening the door for us. It has been a rather eventful day.'

"Look at all of that gold," Zhu Na Ran exclaimed as she pointed at the thin gold lines that shone in the darkness. "It's so beautiful! Don't you think so, Senior Sister?"

"Ehmm," her senior sister hummed as she looked at the carved statues and pictures. "These are very well preserved.

However, we're not here for sightseeing, Junior Sister. Remember our mission."

"Yeah, yeah, look for the exit. But! This place is so cool, why can't we just, you know, explore a bit?

It will be fun!" (∩❛ڡ❛∩)

"Oh no," the older girl shook her head as she released a binding spell, which promptly tethered the two girls together with a thin blue rope. "We are getting out of here as soon as possible. We can't keep the others waiting.

We've already had numerous instances in which we separated from them for considerable periods of time from just this mission alone.

I wouldn't be surprised if they already had an obituary prepared with a fill-in-the-blank answer for our untimely demise."

'Herm, I hate to admit that Senior Sister is right; however, does she need to be so pessimistic? It's not like we haven't gotten out of situations like this before!' ¯_(ツ)_/¯

"Alright, fine, fine, I'll be good!" After all, there was no use in arguing with her senior sister. " But is this really necessary?" Holding up her bound arm, she pointed disdainfully at the thin blue rope that wrapped around her wrist. "I'm not going to run away or anything."

"I'm not taking any chance."

"Hmph," she pouted as she narrowed at the faintly glowing blue string. 'Does Senior Sister really think that this thread can hold me?

Hehe, little does she know, this auntie has already figured this trick out!'(◔◡◔✿)

Pushing some qi into the thin rope, she worked on trying to remove the binding.

'The trick is to unwind the rope by pushing it off from underneath.' And slowly but surely, her binds started to slip off.

However, before it could come off, her binding quickly clung back to her wrist!

'What is this!? I was so close!' Σ(゜゜)

And not only that, her binds seemed to have become thicker! Instead of the thin lines of string, it transformed into ropes as thick as a finger!

"Trying to break free?"

'Oh sh*t.' ∑('＝';)

"What do you think of this spell I developed, Junior Sister?

Each time you try to remove the bindings without the caster's permission, it becomes thicker.

Quite clever, isn't it?"

"E-eh, very."

'F*ck! ＼`•̀益•́´／

Doesn't that mean that Senior Sister could keep me here leashed like a dog forever?!

Aiyah! If Senior Sister ever uses this on me in the future, how will I live then?! I'll always be chained to her! ヽ(;▽;)ノ

No, forget the future, what about right now! How am I supposed to find this treasure! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Aiyah, Senior Sister, why must you bully me!'(;￣A￣）

[1] Lin2 Lin2 - Scaly, but you know, renamed in Chinese. Personally, I think it sounds nicer as it matches our eastern setting. But of course, I doubt ZNR would refer to 'Scaly,' as Lin Lin anytime soon.