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The great eastern city of Yüfar is the highest point in the world, it sits on top of the rounded, wind-swept Mount Sumara. While the mountain itself is not the tallest, its position on the Sumara Plateau makes it the highest elevation, and it is also the seat of the Elemental Pole of Wind or Air. Unlike Neduin City, northwest of Yüfar, the ancient city is not a technological hub or marvel. In fact, it seems very rooted (perhaps even stuck) in the ancient past. The people of Yüfar generally do not think Neduin City is "better" and, in fact, many of them are just waiting for the day when the city falls to pieces like another technotropolis did centuries before.

The mid-morning Sun had awaken the city into a full bustle as it did every day. Overcast clouds never came to Yüfar, for the Great Wind Dragon kept the air moving without respite. The heart of Yüfar was the inner city of the Great Wind Dragon, and in the center of that was his seat of power, at the heart of the Elemental Bureaucracy of Aira. If Neduin was the center of Esün bureaucracy, Yüfar was the center of Elemental bureaucracy. Elementals, spirits, dragons, and other beings aligned with one of the six poles either lived in or made regular trips to Inner Yüfar. So the Esün lived comfortably with other citizens of spirit and nature.

Maochan, the Great Elemental Daimyo of Earth and Wood, was always in the form of a Giant Panda who wore elegant cheongsam of celestial silk, and was adorned with ornaments befitting his position. Despite the luxury that his rank afforded him, he was very humble like the Earth he represented, and was very lively like the Wood that he embodied. He was especially fond of the mortal citizens of the city, the Esün, preferring their company to those of other spirits or elementals.

This fine, sunny day, Maochan was called to meet directly with the Great Wind Dragon. It had been some time since the two had met, and it was during a congregation with hundreds of other important spiritual and terrestrial dignitaries. Today it was just Maochan and Taifeng Long. It was very surprising when the message came on the wind, and Maochan had made other plans to visit the city's central Earth Temple. Plans which had to be post-poned to take advantage of the auspiciousness of this request.

Xiaolian, a nun who had grown up in the Western city of Myono (the seat of the Great Water Dragon) and had come to the service of Maochan, was standing just outside of his chambers when he emerged. With a tranquil, yet solemn expression on her face, she bowed reverently and greeted Maochan with great respect and humility. Maochan howled with laughter.

"My spiritual child of the essence, do not take the matter of service to me so seriously. The Earth endures, and that is cause for great relief - so relax. The Wood is alive and it dances in the Great Wind Dragon's breezes - so lighten up," Maochan said, placing a huge paw on Xiaolian's shaved head.

She looked up at the grinning panda spirit with beautiful green eyes and managed to form a smile, "I will try, Daimyo."

"Maochan," he corrected. "My name is Maochan. Daimyo is what the others spirits call me. They do not have the luxury of calling me by my name that the Esün have."

He laughed once again and that caused Xiaolian to smile genuinely. The pair made their way to the front entrance of Maochan's temple where two Wood Elementals were waiting with his overcoat and a beautifully wrapped package - a gift to the Great Wind Dragon in gratitude for such a sudden, and wonderful surprise request.

Outside the temple, waiting on the street was an imperial carriage made of green jade and gold. It was decorated with carvings of trees and mountains, panda monks and Shining Ones from the West. In the driver's seat was an avian wind spirit dressed in imperial armor of white and yellow jade, and in his hands were the reigns attached to shimmering gossamer birds (similar to ostriches) made entirely out of sparkling light.

Xiaolian helped Maochan into the carriage, and once they were seated and the doors were shut, the driver gave a beautiful bird call and they took to the skies. The take-off was so smooth, and the flight was so exquisite that neither passenger (had they not looked out the window) could not tell that they were moving at all.

"May I ask what you plan to give to the Great Wind Dragon?" Xiaolian asked.

"You may," Maochan replied.

There was a long pause before Xiaolian asked, "... what do you plan to give the Great Wind Dragon?"

With a smirk Maochan answered, "While meditating deep in the Yamilin I watched as a wood rabbit approached and sped off without pausing, but not before accidentally dropping a seed. It wasn't a seed from the forest, I could tell, so it must had come from the mountains. It was like a small, humble star.

"Over the following days and weeks of my meditation it was burried and rained upon, and within several years it had grown into a fine tree that bore leaves of many colours. After twelve years of meditation, I arose from my seat and approached the tree. It had born a single fruit and, as though the tree had been waiting just for me, the fruit dropped into my hands and the tree withered and fell into fine dust.

"This box contains that fruit, still fresh and beautiful as ever. I thought that an auspicious meeting warranted and auspicious gift."

The conversation continued until they arrived safely at the Great Wind Dragon's temple. Xiaolian ordinarily would not be permitted inside, as Esün are generally not welcome in places sacred to spirits, but Maochan would have it no other way. He would even refuse to see the Great Wind Dragon if he had insisted that Xiaolian could not come with him.

Out of courtesy for his Esün guest, Dafeng Long took the form of an elegant, androgynous Esün. He had long, straight, white hair and the look of youth almost literally glowed with him. His eyes were clear and awake and the colour of sapphire when the sun shines through it. The scent of a fresh breeze filled his presence, and his voice was like wind chimes or brass bells.

The three of them sat at a round table where tea, celestial wine, and fine cakes were offered and served. No one was seated above any other (despite Maochan's greater height), and everyone was equidistance from each other. The equality Dafeng Long showed his guests was not unheard of, but was not common, either. Xiaolian's tension would have caused her to sweat and breath rapidly, but the soothing essence of Maochan's Earth and Wood aspects, and the playful cooling nature of Dafeng Long kept her serene and clear-headed.

Maochan, in a manner that completely shocked Xiaolian, simply tossed the beautiful package toward Dafeng Long who caught it with a single hand without even looking up at where it was going or coming from. He unwrapped it quickly and his eyes grew wide upon seeing what lie within.

"You are too kind, Maochan," Dafeng remarked. "You are making look like an inadequate host with such an auspicious gift."

Maochan snickered, "And I'm sure that appearances are your top priority."

Dafeng simply stuck out his tongue playfully, which further shocked Xiaolian. How could such highly respected, ancient, and powerful beings be so casual with one another? Especially in the center of the seat of all Elemental Bureaucracy! Why, this very room, Xiaolian knew, was where the Dragon God himself dictated the edicts of the Elemental Hierarchy. She did not know what to say or how to react, so she simply sipped her tea and kept a tranquil smile on her face.

Holding the beautiful, multi-coloured fruit up, Dafeng inspected his gift. The colours were not at all loud or obvious. They were rich, but subdued, and they all flowed into one another. Green, red, blue, yellow and white mixing to form brown, orange, purple, and pink. Xiaolian was certain that she had not seen something so naturally beautiful, and she decided that she probably never wood, so perhaps you can imagine what she felt like when Dafeng began cutting the fruit into tiny pieces.

Dafeng handed out equal pieces of equal size to Xiaolian first, looking at her directly with a smile, then to his Maochan. Xiaolian had planned on waiting for the other two to eat first, out of both respect and uncertainty, but the two just gazed at her.

"Well ... go on," Dafeng said. "You are welcome to the first taste."

With restraint and equipoise, Xiaolian lifted a small piece of the fruit to her mouth and slowly chewed it. As its juices triggered her taste senses, and the taste senses struggled with the overwhelming excellent quality of the auspicious fruit, Xiaolian fell out of her chair. Maochan errupted with laughter and Dafeng, giggling, stepped out of his seat to help Xiaolian back into hers.

She apologized profusely and was interrupted by Dafeng, "but how was it?"

"There are no words ..." Xiaolian confessed.

At that point, Maochan and Dafeng themselves tried their pieces and they did not at all react. They each chewed and then swallowed their pieces and then concluded, "perhaps Xiaolian would enjoy this more than either of us."