The pictures I put up aren't mine btw. Sometimes I incorporate the picture into the plot as many of you are aware. Pictures are not mine arasso?

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Jun and I walked around casually hand in hand acting like tourists. I had my eye out for the monk I saw in my dream as well. He didn't quite look like the others. This monk wore the same garb as the rest but the tattoo on his neck set him apart from the rest. I wasn't sure if monks were allowed to do that but it made my mission of finding him much easier. I had told Jun about the dragon tattoo so he was on the look out for it as well. We kept walking around occasionally stopping to take pictures and point at things. We might as well make the most of this adventure as we could. I had tugged Jun towards the shrines near the rear of the city to check them out. Suddenly something caught my eye. A flock of monks was making their way past us but one of them really stood out. *The monk with the dragon tattoo.....*

"Is that him?" Jun asked me.

"It has to be." I told him. Just as we were about to call out to the monk he turned around and looked at us. He got out of line and made his way towards us.

"It's you......." He whispered in Korean. "I've been waiting. Come with me." He started walking towards the northern entrance.

"Where are we going?" Jun asked him glad that he could communicate with the monk in his native language.

"To the place that bears all your answers." The monk told us quietly. Jun grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Do you trust this guy?" He whispered.

"Yeah for now." I told him. Still a little uneasy with my answer, he followed behind me as we caught up to the monk.

"Stay close." The old man told us. We exited the Forbidden City and made our way towards the main street to catch a cab. "We need to get closer to the heavens so we need to go up to the mountains." He said.

"So you said you've been waiting. How did you know?" I asked him.

"I sensed someone seeking knowledge from me. Tell me where do you come from children?" He asked us.

"South Korea." Jun told him.

"Ahh then in that case...........where's the third one?" The monk asked us. Jun and I looked at each other completely puzzled.

"Third? You mean there's supposed to be someone else with us?" I asked him. The monk nodded.

"Let's continue this conversation later." He told us as he managed to flag down a taxi and we all got in. It was a silent ride to our destination because we couldn't bring up our subject. When the cab finally stopped Jun paid the driver and we all got out. The monk motioned for us to follow him again as we began our trek up into the mountains.

"To answer your question from before, yes someone else was supposed to journey with you." He told us. "He must've beaten us to the temple already." 

"You mean there's a whole temple up here?" Jun asked him. "In the mountains?"

"Of course. That's where I live." The monk told him. "Also if the third has already arrived then I anticipate seeing his skills. If he knew where to come then he must be truly strong." 

"Do we know him?" I asked.

"I can't say for sure." He told me. "Oh we're here!" He exclaimed. I hadn't realized it but while we were talking we had ventured deep into the mountain tops. In front of us stood an old fashioned Chinese temple. *Did I mention it looked creepy as ?* "Come in. Come in." The monk ushered us in happily. "Since we don't know how long you'll be staying I'll show you to your rooms."

"Jun and I can share a room so we don't take up so much space." I told the old man.

"Oh no worries. I live alone." He told me. I gasped.

"Alone?! Up here?!?" I asked him.

"Yes there is nothing to be afraid of child." He reassured me.

"Jun and I will share a room because I'm still afraid." I told him.

"If you insist but do you really trust that child to protect you if you're faced with danger?" The monk teased.

"Not really but it's better than being alone." I told him.

"Yah I'm a man you know?!" Jun protested.

"Yeah sure babe." I patted his arm to calm him.

"Looks like the third is here." The monk interrupted us. We followed him as he made his way towards the back of the temple. We entered a medium-sized room with a candle-lit shrine against one wall. Someone was kneeling in front of it. "It's him." The monk whispered. I stumbled back as the boy stood up. When he turned around my eyes almost fell out of my head.

"What's up guys?" He waved at us. My mouth dropped to the ground.

"Y-y-ou......." I stuttered.

"You're the third?" Jun asked him.

"Yup. I didn't expect you guys to leave so early. If you had waited then you could've flew with me in my jet. Maybe next time." He shrugged.

"E.Den why are you here? You have a jet" I asked him.

"You two weren't the only ones with weird dreams also I have connections." He told me.

"Unbelievable....."  I muttered pinching my nose between my thumb and index finger.

"Well now that you're all here let's get started............ENTER YOUR SPIRIT REALMS!!!" The monk shouted. Next thing we knew the door was locked and we were falling into nowhere. 

~~Who knows how long later~~

When I woke up to say I was startled was the least. I was laying in the middle of a giant swamp. "JUN!! E.DEN!!" I called but there was no answer. "What did that geezer mean by spirit realm?....." I mumbled to myself as I got up and looked around. It was eerily quiet and there was a heavy fog settling around the area. The trees extended up to the skies. Well if there was one in this place."OKAY OLD MAN THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE!!!!" I shouted hoping this was just some weird joke.

"This is not a joke." Someone said. I whipped around but no one was there.

"WHO'S THERE?!?" I screamed. "I CAN KICK YOUR !!"

"I highly doubt that." The deep voice spoke again.

"This isn't funny now come out!!" I called. The leaves behind me rustled as a white dragon emerged from the bushes. It was HUGE. "What the ?......"

"You summoned me." The dragon spoke. I almost fainted when I heard it. I stumbled backwards and fell over a rock as the dragon looked at me in amusement. 

"I'm hallucinating right now. That's all it is." I said to myself. I smacked my face a few times but nothing happened.

"I see you fear me in this form. Shall I change into something more appealing?" It asked me. I subconsciously nodded. Next thing I knew there was a handsome guy around my age standing in front of me. "Is this better?" He asked me. I nodded taking in this new attractive form.

"Can you stay like this?" I asked him. I didn't think I could handle it if he appeared in front of me as a dragon again.

"As long as you wish my lady." He responded. I was blown away by this handsome man....I mean dragon. "Come for I shall share my wisdom with you?" He took my hand and led me somewhere. I was in shock as he dragged me through the murky swamp. We came to a small pond with white flowers surrounding it. We sat down on a boulder by the water. "Please call me Zhao Tian my love."

"Okay so explain Zhao Tian." I put an emphasis on his name.

"See the white flowers all around. They are an omen. White means death in China. For these particular flowers to appear in your realm is quite unlucky." He told me.

"What's a realm?! Zhao Tian tell me what's going on and who you are." I demanded.

"I see patience is a virtue you do not have my lady." He chuckled and flipped his silky black bangs over his eyes. I just gawked in amazement. First I fall into an alternate dimension and then a fricking dragon shows up and starts calling me his love. *The is going on?.......*

"Please explain." I hissed at him.

"I think the elders were wrong in choosing me as your guardian for Zi Tao would have suited your tastes much better." He told me.

"And why is that?" I asked him.

"Because you are cranky like a panda if you try to steal its bamboo." He chuckled again. I wasn't understanding his Chinese humor so it was starting to irritate me.

"I'll just stick with you for now." I told him.

"As you wish my darling." He took my hand and kissed the back of it.

"I never thought in all my life I would have a dragon hit on me." I muttered to myself. Zhao Tian laughed again. I growled and glared at him. He seemed to get the hint that I was annoyed.

"Let's start with who I am to you. I, He Zhao Tian, am your spirit guardian. Your personality is most like that of a dragon's and also that is your Chinese zodiac." He told me.

"How come you know even I don't know?" I asked him.

"Because I am far wiser than you." He said and hit me on the head. "Keep in mind that I am much older than you."

"Is that a threat?" I scoffed at him.

"Moving right along, I am here for your safety. You may not have realized it but I've always been with you. Well inside you to be exact." He said. I narrowed my eyes at him

"What do you mean inside me?" I hissed at him again.

"Yah if you keep being like this then I'll have to hand your over to Zi Tao." He said. "And let me tell you, he is not as friendly as me." He warned.

"Fine I'll be obedient. Go on." I told him.

"To answer your question consult your tattoo." He asked me.

"What tattoo?..." I muttered. Suddenly my back felt like it was on fire. I looked at Zhao Tian whose eyes had gone as dark as coal. He motioned towards the pond. I took off my shirt and went over to the water's edge. My reflection revealed a giant dragon tattoo that took up the span of my fragile figure. "It's you in your animal form." I said.

"Correct. It's always been there. You've just never been aware of it. Just like I've always been with you." He told me. I took note that his eyes had gone back to their normal grey color. 

"So what's going on?" I asked him.

"You and your friends came here seeking answers and we intend to give them to you." He told me.

"You mean Jun and E.Den have guardians too?" I asked him.

"You're catching on quite fast my love." He praised me. "Since you have accepted your destiny then I shall help you on your quest for knowledge." 

"Promise?" I asked him. It was kind of funny how I was putting all my trust into this guy when we had only met but what other options did I have? It had also just dawned on me that we had been conversing in Mandarin this whole time. I guess I hadn't lost the language after all.

"I've been bounded to you since the day you were born. Of course I promise." He told me. "May I?" He asked opening his arms for a hug. I nodded and let him wrap his arms around me. Never had I felt so safe in my life before. *Omfg I'm falling for a ing dragon!!*

"Then let's do this." I said confidently as Zhao Tian smiled at me. With that settled, we combined our strengths as I set out on my journey for knowledge and wisdom with my guardian dragon right by my side.