"A little girl gathering mushrooms, a big bamboo basket on her back. Barefoot in the early morning, she came to Notting City..."
At dawn, a little girl with a scorpion braid and pink clothes stood by the gates of Notting City. A bamboo leaf covered the basket on her arm. Humming as she skipped along, she joined the line of travelers waiting to enter.
In Mushroom Village, the kind village chief had given her a work-study place at Notting Junior Soul Master Academy. She had left several precious herbs behind, bid the old woman farewell, and come alone to Notting City with the rest. She planned to sell the herbs and get acquainted with the human city before school registration began a month later.
The line moved slowly. For the past three months, the gate inspection had included an extra step: recording the name, age, and Martial Soul of every child entering or leaving Notting City.
"Name?"
"Hello, Mr. Guard. I'm Xiao Wu—Wu as in dancing."
"Which Xiao?"
"..."
"Xiao as in small."
"Age?"
"Six this year."
"Has your Martial Soul awakened? Do you have Soul Power? What's your Martial Soul?"
"Mm-hmm! It awakened in Mushroom Village, and I have Soul Power too. My Martial Soul is a rabbit. A little rabbit."
A-Hu, the guard recording her details, paused. He looked up at the girl, then exchanged a glance with the guard helping him. As though confirming something, he said without changing his expression:
"Oh, a rabbit Martial Soul. Come with me. Notting Junior Soul Master Academy has a special training program for children with agile beast Martial Souls. You'll need to register in detail at the City Lord's residence."
"A-Long, I'll take her over. Keep registering the others."
A-Long nodded. A-Hu led the bewildered Xiao Wu straight into a