“Is that why you spared me? Did your breath eat their souls? Am I just allowed to walk away?” asked Pai Mei as his eyes searched for the fastest path away from the enormous dragon.

“Why don’t you tell me your name human? I’ve given you mine. You don’t want to be rude, do you?” Asked Zageracks.

“I suppose not. I am Pai Mei, disgraced disciple of the Sand Tempest school.” Pai Mei replied.

“Disgraced you say? There is nothing but honor in your soul, it is why I spared you. Will you tell me your tale?” Asked Zageracks.

Pai Mei proceeded to tell the story all the while Zageracks was nodding his head and asking questions. By the time the tale had ended the great dragons body was circled around Pai Mei and its head was resting comfortably on its two front legs. The sun had gone down at this point and Pai Mei had yet to be eaten. Zageracks offered him a bargain. He would repair Pai Mei’s body and train him in a new fighting style. In exchange he would guard his lair for ten summers after which he would be free to do as he wishes. Pai Mei didn’t see that he had a choice, but ten years felt like a long time at his age. Pai Mei agreed and began floating up to the dragons back. The wingless great lizard zipped through the air at great speeds on its way to the lair.

After the healing ritual that left Pai Mei feeling better than he had in months, he spent the next several years training during the day and guarding the mouth of the cave entrance. Zageracks took a humanoid form during training to better teach Pai Mei. The form was mostly human except for some sharp claws at the tips of his fingers. The lessons he received in controlling his aura far surpassed what was taught in the monk schools. The dragon had insights from centuries of experience. The years were good to Pai Mei, he managed to fill out with thicker muscle than he had at his peak in the Sand Tempest. He found the training added points to his agility as well. He could now vault over fallen trees and bounce off cave walls at speed correcting his landings in midair. The animals Zageracks brought back from his hunting trips were magically enhanced based on a dragons diet. When pressed on what they were and where he found them, the dragon would not reveal his hunting grounds. As Pai Mei was expected to prepare his own meals, he found fast gains in his cooking skill working with such exotic meats.

One day a rival dragon appeared to challenge Zageracks. Pai Mei stood firm at the entrance denying passage to a creature that snap him up in its jaws and proceed forward unhindered. As it began to move Zageracks stepped out from the entrance in his humanoid form. He stood next to Pai Mei and gestured for him to step into the cave. Pai Mei nodded once to his master taking three short steps back. Words were exchanged in a language that sounded like hisses and barks to Pai Mei resulting in the opposing dragon lifting a claw to smash Zageracks. Stone built up around the claw and began to glow with a brown light. Zageracks shook like a dog trying to dislodge water from its hair revealing long green hair coming from the top of his head, a green mustache that ran off of his face to around his chest and a sharp green beard grown from the tip of his chin to meet the hair of his mustache. His humanoid face seemed to be older, and his robes fell off his shoulders. As the opposing dragons claw began to fall Zageracks drew in his breath. The claw stopped several feet away from Zageracks head as the enemy roared into the sky. Pai Mei had to shield his eyes as an ocean of pale green energy shot from Zageracks mouth. A green version of his opponent leapt out from the huge body being dragged toward Zageracks. The Arcane power on display had to be of the planar level but Pai Mei held his ground strengthened by his resolve that Zageracks wouldn’t let him be harmed. As the dragons soul inched closer and closer to Zageracks the main body stopped roaring to assume a subservient pose. The head even lifted up to expose its neck. Zageracks released his technique letting the soul return to the body without consuming it. This was a display of power leagues beyond when Pai Mei witnessed years ago with the bandits. The bandits died instantly, while this upstart dragon fought against power until it realized it was outmatched and gave in. It then took a humanoid form, only it was more lizard than man. Its scales were a deep brown, and he still had a lizard tail.

“Pai Mei, meet your new sparring partner Ryujin.” Was all that was said before Zageracks turned on his heel and walked back into his cave. The last five years of training were more difficult. The idea was Zageracks wasn’t really trying to hurt him, but Ryujin was jealous that a human was learning from such an honored dragon. Often times Ryujin would take it too far only for Zageracks to heal Pai Mei and tell him to try again. Once Pai Mei started winning half the fights, Zageracks told them both the next day would be the last match between them.

The match began the next morning. Ryujin tried to sweep Pai Mei’s legs out from under him with his tail, but Pai Mei was ready for it. He quickly hopped up and used his aura to force air around his legs then drive them down with extra force right on the tail. That was met with a spinning right leg from Ryujin solidified with his rock aura. Pai Mei was not on stable ground, so he had to bend his right arm up meeting his right knee to his elbow to block. The hit was solid, and it shot him across the practice yard slamming him into the sheer rock of the canyon. Pai Mei used the bounce off momentum from the wall to circle his wind aura into a horizontal cyclone sending him back at Ryujin like a bullet, ignoring the pain from slam he just absorbed. Both feet made purchase into Ryujin’s chest forcing him back a step before he hardened the aura around his tail keeping him upright. That’s what Pai Mei was waiting for, in that instance he drew his right hand down commanding his aura to slice a wind blade right where the tail and main body met. He managed to cut halfway through the tail causing cracks to spiderweb through the rest of the length. Ryujin screamed lunging forward with a right jab slamming into Pai Mei’s right shoulder. He heard a crack and lost function to his right limb. Pai Mei danced away from Ryujin, but he smelled blood in the water. Ryujin pressed the attack striking with rights and lefts driving Pai Mei back. Then Ryujin planted his feet forcing his aura into the surrounding rock walls dropping stones and boulders forcing Pai Mei to dodge in all directions. This gave Pai Mei the idea that if the angry lizard can do it so could he. Bouncing up from the last falling rock he slammed his aura into the surrounding air spinning it around the dragon lifting him into the air. Pai Mei began to buffet his body with strong gust of air spinning him end over end. Once the wind stopped and Ryujin began to fall back to the ground Pai Mei appeared directly under him thrusting his left hand straight up forming a spear of pure gale force wind releasing it directly into Ryujin’s back and shoulders. Ryujin spun from the force of the spear slamming into the ground bouncing once and coughing up blood. Pai Mei leaned against what was left of the rock wall panting with only ten percent left of his health, stamina, and mana bar. That’s typically where the fights end. He turned his head to see a full-sized dragon form Ryujin, blood dripping from his maw, he lunged to snap his jaws around Pai Mei before being tackled to the ground by Zageracks. Ryujin bucked Zageracks off of him and lunged for Pai Mei before falling to the ground lifeless. Behind the huge body was a bright green light being drawn back into Zageracks mouth.

“He was unworthy of mercy. Your ten years of service are up, do as you like.” Zageracks said lumbering back into the cave.

“That is the Zageracks I know. His word is beyond reproach.” Old Pai said stroking his beard, eyes lost in memory.

“So what happened after that? Did you go back and get your revenge on the school that betrayed you?” Deacon asked fighting back a wince of pain.

“A story for another time. You need to talk to him. If you trust me cotton head, you can trust him.” Old Pai said stepping toward the door.

“Boo!” Deacon yelled at his back before being struck in the forehead by condensed air.