Felih grins at her visible delight, her enthusiasm just making him feel glad. If nothing else, his wild adventures can bring cheer to someone here, and that makes them all a bit easier to handle, in the end.

"Neither did I, to be honest. It came as a shock to me, but apparently some rare few can live so long as to become like spirits, powerful and intelligent, with wisdom and experience of the world all their own. Oh, but there is a small downside to this- the stronger spirits keep themselves in balance, careful balance between constructive and creative force, and the forces of rancor and destruction within them. In fact, the very shrine they resided at is meant to house the spirit of a creature long since sealed away, when he gave in and became overcome by the wild, uncontrollable rage and urge to destroy, losing the balance within himself."

"One of the great four guardian beasts there was a great, ancient white tiger named Byakko- a kind soul, noble and stern- whose own time was approaching to try and quell the rancor within him. And, well- the easiest and safest way to do so would be to unleash it... and let my friends and I battle it into submission."

He laughs weakly then. "Well, we certainly weren't expecting yet another trial..."