Early on the morning of her birthday, Jiaoshu came to Dee's room. When she answered her door, he spoke only a few words, telling her to follow him. Confused, Dee pulled on her robe and followed the man down the stairs and into the basement. She asked no questions as to where he was leading her. At the moment, she was more curious to see where they were going than anything else. Though she had played many places in the house as a child, she had never been this far into the cellars that ran deep under the old building.

Jiaoshu stopped at a door that was covered by an enameled painting of the tiger that symbolized the Triad. From his robes he pulled a large key ring, selecting a very old looking key. Though the lock and key looked old, they were apparently kept in good working order. The mechanics turned with a soft click and the heavy door swung slightly open. Pushing the door open wide, he waved for Dee to proceed him. The door clanged shut and the lock turned once more as Jiaoshu locked them in the dimly lit room.

{The Elders told me that I had to wait until today to bring you down here. It is one of the rules that was decided when you were made an honorary member instead of full.} He shook his head, his eyes hinting at the sadness he felt from the original decision. {Every new member is brought down here on the night they are accepted. I wished with all my heart that I could have brought you down here a year ago.}

Dee's forehead furrowed at the man. As she looked at him, she now noticed how much gray had appeared in his hair, almost covering the black. He still stood tall and strong, however, and still carried himself with pride. Turning his back on her, he walked to the far end of the room, almost disappearing in the shadows. When he turned back around, he had a very old wooden chest in his hands. Carrying it to the center of the room, he placed it on a table and gestured Dee forward.

Silently he unlocked and opened the chest. Dee's breath caught in her throat at the sight that greeted her. It was like all the pictures she had seen of a pirate's chest full of treasure. The only difference was this chest was organized. Rows of gleaming jewelry lined up neatly, each nestled down in the velvet of its compartment. Lockets, necklaces, brooches, earrings, rings, and more were in the chest. Dee watched, as layer upon layer was uncovered, each containing something new and unusual.

{There. That is all of it. You may now choose one item that will be yours for the rest of your life.}

{I...Jiaoshu, I couldn't possibly take anything from here,} stammered Dee.

Cupping her chin, he smiled at her, fatherly love sparkling in his eyes. {Xiaohu, you need not worry about accepting this gift. All of it finds its way back to us somehow in the end. It is said that every single piece has a special power that it grants to the one lucky enough to choose it.}

Walking around the table, Dee patiently looked over each tray. Bright metals and jewels sparkled in the dim light, yet her hand never reached out. It wasn't until she was almost to the end that she turned and looked in the very bottom of the chest as she passed it. In mid step, she stopped and timidly reached her hand into the chest. With trembling hands, she picked up a ring with a dangling chain. Hesitantly she slipped it onto her left hand, fastened the chain around her wrist, and then looked up at her teacher.

To her surprise, the man stood and looked at her, eyes wide with shock. His eyes flicked to the ring, which sat on her hand, and back to her eyes. Though he opened his mouth to speak, no sound came out.

{Is something the matter, Jiaoshu? Did I choose wrongly?} she asked, her voice filling with anxiety as she attempted to unclasp the chain around her wrist. Fumbling, Dee found that she had a hard time finding the proper joint to open.

{No, no, my child! You have chosen well. Please excuse my shock. You see, the last one to wear that ring, to even be able to place it on her finger, lived nearly four hundred years ago!} He shook his head, putting himself to the task of replacing the trays in the chest. {That ring has never called out to anyone since before my time. Certainly one or two have tried to wear it, but the ring refused to stay.}

Petting the long chain, Dee looked the ring over. It was silver in color, but the metal shone too brightly to be silver. The ring itself was shaped like the head of a cat, two emeralds placed carefully for eyes. The chain that attached the ring to her wrist was jointed and upon closer inspection seemed to be a tail.

{The ring that has chosen you is a very special ring. According to legend, it only accepts one owner at a time. There is no way that anyone else can wear that ring so long as you draw breath. Even if something were to happen to you, it is up to the ring to accept its new owner.}

{Do you know what power it's supposed to have?} Dee asked, fingering the jointed chain.

A grunt came from Jiaoshu as he took her left hand and looked at the ring. {It is said that the wearer will have control over the feline form.}

{You mean I can control cats?}

{That I am not certain of. What I remember from stories is that you, the wearer, will be able to become a cat. All human thoughts, but the form of a feline.} The old man took a breath and shook himself. {But those are details for you to work out. The ring does not come with an instruction book. Remember, this is a gift that is not to be taken lightly. Learn to control it and it will be a great gift.}
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