Lu Jade hissed softly as he gestured towards the molten expanse where Hellphet was hidden. “That Fire Pool, Big Brother Raphael. It wasn’t always Hellphet’s, you see. It belonged to the Skyfire Phoenix Clan. A magnificent lineage, they were, rulers of these skies for generations.”

Raphael questioned, "Skyfire Phoenix Clan?" The words felt foreign on his tongue.

Lu Jade’s tiny head bobbed excitedly. “Yes, Big Brother. They commanded flames unlike anything you've ever seen. Their feathersss blazed with celestial fire, and their criesss could shatter mountainssss. Even the most powerful beasts bowed before their might. But then…” Lu Jade’s voice trailed off.

“Then…?” Raphael prompted. He found himself strangely engrossed in the serpent’s history lesson. This was a far cry from the boredom he’d usually felt listening to Tajmani’s endless boasts about the Bloodthorne lineage.

Lu Jade sighed. “Then came the Great Calamity War, Big Brother. It engulfed all of Yama Yaguai in flames. Beast fought beast, clan against clan, a struggle for survival, for dominance.” He paused, as if reliving those ancient horrors in his mind.

“The Skyfire Phoenix Clan fought valiantly, but their numbers dwindled. And Hellphet saw an opportunity. He waited in the shadows until the Phoenix Clan was weakened, and then he struck, Big Brother. He ambushed them when they were most vulnerable and claimed their Fire Pool as hisss own. A treacherous victory it was.”

Raphael shuddered, not entirely from the memory of that monstrous Hellphet. It was this cycle of betrayal, of seizing power through cunning rather than might.

"And what of the Phoenixes? Are they all gone?”

Lu Jade shook his head. "Rumors persist on the wind that some fled West beyond the lands of Yama Yaguai. But their numbers are few, mere shadows of their former glory."

Silence hung heavy between them. Then Lu Jade pointed with his tail. “Look, Big Brother, over there.”

Raphael shifted his massive head in the direction of Lu Jade’s pointed tail. He saw a grove of bamboo swaying gently, and also a fierce peacock that was sharpening his sword on the stalks.

“That wanna-be swordsman iss called Splinter Roc. Every day, he practices his swings in that bamboo grove. The lord there seems to like him because there’ll always be fresh bamboo for him to chop every day.”

“The lord?” Raphael mumbled.

“Yes, that entire territory is governed by Lord Lingshi. He’s a bit of a recluse, hardly reveals himself. You see those bamboo shoots over there, Big Brother? All of those are Lord Lingshi's follicles. His main body is hidden underground.”

“Wow.”

Raphael was taken aback. This strange world of beasts was intriguing. And Lu Jade, though smaller and far less physically powerful, possessed knowledge that awed him.

Sensing Raphael’s fascination, Lu Jade slithered alongside him. "Come, Big Brother, I’ll show you a hidden gem.”

Following Lu Jade’s sinuous form through the forest, Raphael felt a strange peace settle over him.

…

Sometime later, they arrived at the mouth of a cave entrance obscured by cascading vines and iridescent flowers. Inside the cave had a soft light. As Raphael’s eyes adjusted, he saw thousands of glowing crystal formations that adorned the walls.

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Lu Jade led him deeper until they came to a clearing. In the center, resting upon a raised dais of stone, lay a massive rock, polished smooth and jade green, perfectly shaped like a giant's bed.

“This…?” Raphael instinctively lowered his head to inspect the curious stone.

“My home, Big Brother.” Lu Jade explained. “I discovered this cave 120,000 years ago during a terrible storm.”

Raphael was stunned. This serpent was hundreds of times older than him, a creature from an ancient lineage, and yet it called him ‘Big Brother’? The irony of it all wasn’t lost on him.

Lu Jade continued. “I discovered the Jade Stone by happenstance. I took shelter here when I was exhausted and injured. I slept upon this jade bed, and when I woke, my bronze scales, they’d turned green, just like the stone itself.” He gestured toward the jade bed with pride.

“It has transformative effects, Big Brother, capable of accelerating a beast’s cultivation. But…” his voice lowered, “after my scales turned green, my own family mocked me, they bullied me relentlessly, and I… I became Lu Jade.”

His story resonated deep within Raphael, bringing back memories of those nobles in Tajmani's circles who mocked his unawakened bloodline, branding him a ‘dog’. He wasn't alone in his pain, even in this strange land.

Lu Jade continued. “I’ve kept this place a secret, Big Brother, for millennia. You are the only one I have shared it with.” He nudged the Jade Stone bed with his head. “Have a seat, Big Brother, try it. It’s the least I can do to repay your kindness.”

“Are you sure?” Raphael hesitated. He had no desire to become a jade green bull, but then curiosity won over. He carefully lowered his enormous body onto the smooth surface of the Jade Stone bed.

Immediately, a wave of jade light washed over him and began seeping into his very core. It wasn't the pain of a searing blast or the crush of the 'Gold Press'. This sensation felt different. It pulled at his being gently but insistently.

Then, his vision shifted.

He was within his Cosmic Mind Sea once more, a breathtaking panorama of colors, swirling galaxies, and radiant nebulas. But now, a jade light permeated the very fabric of this internal cosmos. It began swirling around his dual sun core.

Shao Jin’s golden light flickered. It was receding as if absorbed by that incoming radiance. But something else was happening. His own essence, his blue sun that had so recently devoured Shao Jin's was changing; becoming more stable as that intrusive jade essence bathed and cleansed.

Suddenly, the jade light withdrew, and his vision returned to that majestic cave with soft green glows.

Shao Jin's presence, that overbearing primal energy, it was gone. The conflicting wills that had battled so ferociously inside him had settled. He was in control entirely.

And his hide remained the same golden color. This was a relief.

"Big Brother, how are you feeling?" Lu Jade was a bit concerned that he hadn't gotten up in a while. Could it be that this beast had also been changed by those energies?

"Much better." Raphael’s true voice, now free of Shao Jin's influence and baritone depth came flowing out effortlessly, surprising Lu Jade with its innocence and purity. That tone had been tempered by his years of servitude but was still, unmistakably a human voice.

"The effects of this stone, it's stabilized my consciousness. Thank you, little Lu Jade.”

Those simple words warmed the little serpent's ancient heart. "You… You sssthank me?" Lu Jade whimpered. It had been millennia since someone had acknowledged him with gratitude.

"How is… this… this kindness? Such purity…”

His whimpers shattered Raphael’s heart as memories of his own unthankful days were replaced by something genuine and hopeful. This was how true connection were meant to be formed. It wasn't power, arrogance or pride.

"Wipe your tears." Raphael urged softly before hopping off the Jade Stone bed with his massive hooves, but those steps were lighter somehow, free of the burden he’d carried for so long.

He felt stronger, his own man now, inside a colossal golden bull's body which made things more terrifying for other, especially, those Bloodthorne fools if he ever had to encounter them,

“Remember, you are my guide, Little Lu. Show me around this place. Show me the wonders you’ve seen, those things you spoke about.” Raphael spoke with genuine enthusiasm.

Lu Jade quickly wiped his tears with his tail before following alongside his ‘Big Brother’.

Those events from moments before when he was attacked and terrorized, they vanished, for his newfound friendship with Raphael swelled his ancient, battered heart with a joy that words couldn’t describe.

“Yes, yes. We’ll explore all of it, together. I promise.” His sibilant voice had a genuine desire to impress Raphael as he lead the way further into Yama Yaguai.

And as their hoofed-steps and slithering forms continued deeper, something wondrous occurred. A beastly brotherhood was being formed.