Page 47

It was just that their movements looked a little too sneaky.

For the past two days, the little ones had kept running back and forth between the forest and his home, pawing at the wine jars as soon as they returned.

They were clearly up to something.

He caught the little ones, picked them up and questioned them.

Every little one he held kept its mouth tightly shut, eyes darting to the left and then to the right, refusing to meet his gaze or make a sound.

Xie Juanhan decided to ask Telingewei instead.

"Running back and forth between the forest and the kitchen?" Telingewei thought for a moment. "The forest to the west?"

Xie Juanhan pointed. "That way. I think it is west."

"Then they might have gone to see the Pixies," Telingewei said. "They might want to ask the Pixies to bless the berry wine."

"Pixies?" Xie Juanhan was unsure what the unfamiliar term meant. "Do you mean the fairies?"

"They're different. Pixies are more timid and shy than fairies, and they show themselves to other intelligent beings even less often. They're different kinds of magical creatures."

"Pixies like goblins? The goblins we ran into when we went looking for mushrooms last time."

"They're much cuter than goblins, and prettier too," Telingewei explained. "Pixies are fairly kind, and they don't do much destroying or stealing. They can also bless plants and crafted goods."

Xie Juanhan said, "They sound interesting. Are you all close to the Pixies?"

Telingewei fell silent for a moment, as if he didn't know how to answer.

Xie Juanhan said, "Hmm?"

Telingewei sounded a little helpless. "No."

"Only the Companion Beasts are friends with the Pixies."

"I'm not. If I show up in front of the Pixies, they'll pelt me with flowers and berries."

"..." Xie Juanhan couldn't help smiling. "Why would they do that?"

Telingewei gave Xie Juanhan a mildly reproachful look.

This guy was actually laughing at him.

Xie Juanhan hurriedly rubbed Telingewei's arm. "It must be the Pixies' fault!"

Telingewei said, "They don't like dragons. They think I bully other little creatures and hog the Magic Forest."

Xie Juanhan said, "Then they might not like me either."

"Impossible," Telingewei said. "You're completely different from me. They'll most likely like you."

Xie Juanhan said, "Maybe? But they definitely like the Companion Beasts."

At that thought, Xie Juanhan felt a little amazed.

The Pixies didn't like dragons, yet they were friends with the Dragon Companion Beasts.

A curious friendship.

Telingewei said, "The Pixies' blessings are very effective on crafted goods. If you don't mind, you could ask them to bless the wine."

Looking at Xie Juanhan, Telingewei added, "If it doesn't conflict with your Dragon Power."

"It won't," Xie Juanhan explained. "Dragon Power is essentially a kind of energy that helps living things grow better."

"The Pixies' blessings should help the selected microorganisms in the wine grow better. They don't work in the same way as my Dragon Power."

Telingewei said, "Then should we ask the Companion Beasts to get the sprites to give it a try?"

Xie Juanhan said, "I'll talk to them."

So, when the little ones were pawing at the wine jars again-

Xie Juanhan poked his head out from behind the kitchen window. "Caught you. Sneaking a drink?"

Several of the little ones shuddered and hastily pulled back their paws, hiding them under their bellies.

Xie Juanhan said, "No more pawing at the wine jars. Be careful, or your fur might fall in."

The little ones protested with quiet chirps, saying their fur wouldn't fall in.

"You can't open the wine jars even if your fur doesn't fall out, unless you're doing something else." Xie Juanhan leaned on the windowsill, a smile in his eyes. "You are doing something else, aren't you?"

The little ones looked at one another, but still didn't make a sound.

Xie Juanhan said, "Let me guess. You open the wine jars every day to report back to the Pixies in the forest?"

The little ones hadn't expected him to know already. They obediently chirped, "Chirp."

Xie Juanhan smiled. "Why didn't you tell me? I wanted to ask you to get the Pixies to help."

The little ones' eyes lit up. "Chirp?"

Xie Juanhan said, "Really. If the Pixies bless the berry wine, we'll be able to make even better-tasting wine."

The little ones chirped, "Chirp, chirp, chirp!"

Xie Juanhan wanted to ask the Pixies to bless the berry wine, so, in keeping with local custom, he made a fresh cream cake especially as an offering to them.

Xie Juanhan had become quite skilled at making cakes on the flat-top stove.

For the Pixies' cake, he specially prepared large cups of milk and cream, free-range eggs bought from Ailan Village, fine white powdered sugar, and wild pea nectar.

After half a day of careful work, the cake came fresh out of the oven.

Perhaps because it was meant as an offering to the Pixies, this cake turned out particularly well.

Xie Juanhan gave it a shake, and the cake wobbled slightly, with a peculiarly moist texture.

When he cut it open gently, the center was semi-set, as though milk and honey would drip from the cake at the slightest squeeze.

Xie Juanhan cut the freshly baked cake in half and gave each Companion Beast a piece.

He and Telingewei also sampled it with tea in the study.

Once they had finished eating, he packed the cake and honey water prepared for the Pixies into a basket, then handed it to the little ones to carry in their mouths.

The little ones carried the basket and led the way, while he and Telingewei each carried a large wine jar, intending to take them into the forest for the Pixies to bless.

The little ones were somewhat excited, scampering through the forest on all fours.

Every so often, they looked back at the two of them, silently urging them to hurry.

Holding the heavy, wide-bellied wine jar, Xie Juanhan said with some effort, "Stop rushing us. If you keep it up, the wine will spill."

Telingewei glanced at him.

He immediately understood what Telingewei wanted to do and hurriedly said, "Don't! The wine can't be frozen. It won't ferment if it's been frozen. Putting it straight on your back won't work either; it'll spill. Let's just carry them forward slowly."

Telingewei could only regretfully abandon the idea of turning into a dragon.

Xie Juanhan's cottage really was quite a distance from where the Pixies lived.

Xie Juanhan was nearly out of breath from the walk by the time they finally arrived.

The Companion Beasts set down the basket they had been carrying, indicating that the Pixies lived nearby.

Xie Juanhan turned and looked around.

This part of the forest lay at the foot of a mountain, with stones of all sizes scattered among the short grass.

In the distance, he could also see a few mushrooms here and there.

There were faint little paths along the edges of the mushrooms, probably made by the Pixies.

There was no sign of the Pixies themselves, however.

Perhaps the shy little creatures were hiding.

The Companion Beasts turned and urged the two dragons to leave. "Chirp, chirp."

Xie Juanhan said, "Just a moment."

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei put the wine jars down in the grass, then took the small cakes and honey water out of the basket and placed them on a stone.

The two dragons then backed away several dozen meters under the Companion Beasts' watchful eyes.

The little ones stared intently at them, indicating that it wasn't far enough. "Chirp, chirp!"

They had no choice but to retreat farther, until they were back in the forest.

Only when the Companion Beasts could no longer see them were they satisfied. Standing in the grass with their tails held high and their heads and chests raised, they called to their friends. "Chirp, chirp, chirp."

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei hid behind the trees and quietly waited for the Pixies to appear.

"Cheep." An answer came from a crack between the stones.

Then faint popping sounds rang out in the air, and tiny sprites appeared out of nowhere. "Cheep, cheep."

The Pixies were even smaller than fairies, only about as tall as Xie Juanhan's index finger.

They wore flower wreaths and held little wands, looking around curiously.

The Companion Beasts immediately rushed over. "Chirp, chirp!"

The Pixies happily landed on the Companion Beasts' heads and bodies, rolling around in their thick, long fur. "Cheep."

The little ones communicated for a while.

The Pixies emerged from the Companion Beasts' fur and looked curiously at the little cakes and honey water.

They watched for quite a while before fluttering their wings and carefully approaching.

Some Pixies fetched cups and plates made from leaves, poured out the honey water and cut the cake.

They tasted it carefully.

Before long, all the Pixies' eyes lit up. "Cheep!"

The Companion Beasts grew even more pleased with themselves. "Chirp, chirp!"

The Pixies cried out in praise. "Cheep, cheep, cheep!"

The Pixies didn't just eat; they also shared the cake and honey water with the Companion Beasts.

The Companion Beasts didn't stand on ceremony and feasted with their Pixie friends.

After finishing the cake and honey water, the little ones flew happily around the two wine jars, tapping their wands as they blessed the berry wine.

From a distance, Xie Juanhan watched the Pixies wave their wands and bless the wine jars.

They were too far away for him to clearly sense the flow of magic power.

But judging by the Companion Beasts' excited expressions, the Pixies' blessings should have been effective.

The Pixies and the Companion Beasts played in the grass for quite a while.

Once they grew tired, they slowly vanished into the air.

The Companion Beasts also settled into the shadows of the wine jars, their eyes drooping and their tails swishing back and forth, looking as though they were about to fall asleep.

After making sure the Pixies had left, Xie Juanhan walked out of the woods with Telingewei.

When the little ones saw them, they couldn't be bothered to get up. They merely yawned and wagged their tails in greeting.

Xie Juanhan looked at the wine jars.