“Pardon the intrusion, Taizi!” someone sputtered out as they stumbled into my chambers.
I shot up in bed as the flesh on my hands and arms morphed into a combination of red and gold scales. The dimly lit candles radiated off of my body, casting an ominous shadow against the ground. My dragon growled when I realized it was Sun Fang. “What is so important that you felt the need to barge into my chambers at this hour?”
“We received word from Mutsushina, Taizi.” His hands trembled while he extended the bamboo scroll towards me. His head bowed low in submission, letting my dragon know he wasn’t a threat and respected us.
“How many times have I told you I don’t care about the kitsune? Take your scroll and leave.” Throwing myself against the bed, I pulled the covers over my head, hoping he would take the hint and leave.
“I-it’s a decree from the Emperor.”
“All the more reason for me not to care,” I muttered.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Give me the damn scroll,” I demanded as I threw the covers off and stalked over to him to snatch the fragile parchment from the water dragon’s hands. My eyes raked each line repeatedly before I shook my head in disbelief. The strokes for each character were clumsy, the forger was clearly unfamiliar with our language. And the seal didn’t have the correct spelling of the family name or proper insignia. “Where did you find this?”
“The Emperor gave it to me, m-my Lord.”
“Gather your things and prepare the boat, Sun Fang. We’re going to Mutsushina. Tonight.” And with that, I ushered him out of the room by forcefully pushing him through the entrance before locking the doors behind him. I walked over to the nearest closet and began throwing on clothes.
Excitement coursed through my veins and I was certain I grinned like a madman. Whoever wrote the note had no fear. No one dared to forge Imperial Wuzhean documents. Dragons had powers tremendous enough to topple even the sturdiest of empires.
‘A worthy opponent has finally revealed himself,’ I thought. ‘And I will be there to make sure he knows Taizi Zixin is no fool.’
With my head held high, I made my way towards the main gate. Xinyi was no longer keeping watch, as another sentry had replaced him. I praised the Goddess Meihui silently for my fortune, for the person looking over the horizon with a close eye was one of the fresh additions to the Imperial Guard, Tian Yi.
The skies were black, but a full moon hung high among the scattered stars. Even in complete darkness, Tian Yi could see anything that came within proximity of the gate.
He turned when he heard my approaching steps, his red eyes twinkling against the dark canvas like an ominous scarlet moon. He was a young one, with unrefined senses. I could feel his anxiety seeping from his qi. “Good evening, Taizi.”
“Are you alone, Tian Yi?” I didn’t like the idea of a wyrmling being the Palace’s first line of defense, especially after killing one of the five Pixie Generals. The Dark Court would retaliate, regardless of whether the marriage to Lindie happened.
“For now, Taizi. Guyang left to turn in his report about the battle in Luxuria. He should be returning soon.”
“Very good. Keep a sharp eye. You never know what little flies will be attracted by the light of a dragon’s flame.” I resumed walking towards the gate, gesturing to Sun Fang to follow closely behind. The black gate remained closed, and I cleared my throat, hoping the recruit would understand and agree to my implied request to open the gate.
“The Emperor told us not to let anyone leave or enter once nightfall is upon us,” Tian Yi said. “Otherwise, permission must be granted in advance.”
“Perhaps we should return to your quarters, Taizi? We don’t have the formal paperwork,” Sun Fang remarked, hope laced in his tone. He wanted us to take the easy way out, to abandon this silly conquest of mine.
However, no one ever said no to the Crown Prince. And anyone who had the backbone to do it could be coerced into changing their answer. Tian Yi was only another pawn, or an obstacle, to get what I truly desired.
“We have a decree from the Emperor, freshly marked with the Imperial seal,” I said, without an ounce of hesitation in my voice. Waving the scroll around, I rested a hand on the hilt of my sword. “Or do you plan to go against your future Emperor?”
“You’re not the Emperor yet, Zixin,” Fùqīn answered suddenly. I spun around, so I now faced him. His eyes were bright red, his fury radiating off of him in waves. “You may be my son, but forgery is a crime, especially forging the seal of the Emperor.”
Arrogance got the better of me as I threw my head back with a scoff. Even if I admitted I wasn’t the one to forge his signature and seal, he wouldn’t believe me. In his eyes, I would always be a failure. “You know nothing about me. I lived on the battlefield for the past twelve years. What was it? You wanted a strong heir you could be proud of. But you like having all the power, don’t you, old man?”
“You will not leave the Mainlands. Whatever quest you’ve set yourself on, I won’t allow it! You’re engaged to be married. Your cooperation is necessary for Wuzhen’s future.”
“The Aeyavielans are pacifists. They don’t believe in battling for Wuzhen or anyone, for that matter. Do you really think the Dark Court will continue to sit idly while the marriage ceremony takes place? I’m leaving tonight and will do so without your permission. If you disagree with my actions, feel free to chase after me and accept my duel.”
I grabbed Sun Fang by the collar and called upon my dragon to jump high into the air, over the concrete walls. “Taizi, the Emperor seemed furious. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back and beg for his forgiveness?” he asked.
“If I adhere to his wishes now, I’ll suffer for it for the rest of my life. We have to find out what the Dark Court is planning and eliminate them before they strike at us. If you also disagree, you’re more than willing to return to the Palace. Although, you may be labeled as a traitor for abetting someone who supposedly forged the Imperial seal.”
“W-well, since you put it that way, I suppose I could accompany you.”
* * *
“Taizi, are you sure this is a good idea?” Sun Fang asked for what felt like the thousandth time. His eyes darted all around, as if waiting for us to be ambushed by enemies or the Imperial Guard.
“I only suggest good ideas, Sun Fang. Quit squabbling and keep rowing,” I growled out.
“Yes, Taizi!”
A few moments of silence passed before the dragon raised yet another question. “Forgive my ignorance, but why are we in a boat instead of flying? The trip would be twice as fast.”
“Use your brain, Sun Fang. Do you really think people would ignore the sight of two dragons leaving the Mainlands? Everyone knows what I look like. The Dark Court would swarm us in an instant.”
Mist manifested just above the water’s surface. A low humming sound echoed around the boat, and the water was now glowing an ominous blue.
“Sun Fang, I specifically asked that we not go through the Sea of Calypso! Now the nymphs will never let us leave. How you made it into the Palace is beyond my intelligence,” I snapped at the water dragon.
The nymphs of the Isles of Calypso were cantankerous, perhaps because they struggled to find viable mates in recent years.
“Sun Fang!” I hollered once more. Turning around, I discovered he had fallen prey to the song of the nymphs. His eyes had turned glassy and his mind was obviously in a lustful haze. A woman had risen out of the water and was tempting him with kisses and more, trying to persuade him to follow her into the water.
Another nymph with daisies and honeysuckle weaved into her golden hair, brushed up along the side of the wooden boat. Wisps of air were the only thing supporting her. We were completely surrounded.
My mind was rattled, knowing that my next decision would decide our fate and whether I would ever find out who the forger of the letter was. The nymphs’ song were very effective but did nothing to me, presumably due to the fact I could not be swayed by females. Their song fell flat on my ears and I prayed to Meihui that they would stop the infernal racket.
O’ sailor, who sails the briny sea
listen to our call,
so you may enter Miyarene.
Abandon your effects and all your senses,
under our spell you shall fall.
Lend us your heart and never depart,
Calypso is at the bay.
Hold no fear,
come to our home and stay,
your paradise is near,
to the right, you’ll steer.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes at their song’s lyrics. It astounded me that any fool was rendered useless with such words. Against my best wishes, I pretended to fall under the nymphs’ spell. Swaying to the song’s melody, my eyes closed like I was about to fall into a deep sleep.
I waited until the nymphs drew closer, knowing that there would be a small opening for me to break out. Sun Fang wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer, given his weak disposition. This would be the last time the idiot would be in charge of navigation.
As soon as the nymphs were close enough, I released a torrent of flames fanning around the boat. A cloud of smoke formed along the surface of the water as the nymphs shrieked in agony.
“Your little spell does not work on me. Back to your islands, enchantresses. Or shall I incinerate you?” my voice boomed at them. They shrank back in terror as they watched flesh turn into scales, and man become dragon.
“You’re the–” the flower-headed maiden started, finally understanding that she was dealing with Wuzhen’s future Emperor.
“Yes, and it would be in your best interest that you forget you ever saw me. I would hate to see your homes become engulfed in flames because you couldn’t keep idle gossip to yourself.”
“And what if the Emperor were to ask if we saw you?”
“That senile fool already knows. If it bothers you so much, you can simply tell him you didn’t see me.”
“We cannot lie to the Emperor! They would quickly prepare the execution grounds for treason.”
Ah, yes. That confounded universal law that prevented anyone from lying to the royalty, including the Imperial Family. Although it was clever, it held little threat unless we had a means of determining whether someone’s words or actions were truthful. And we certainly did not have such an ability in our ranks.
“Lying should come easily for your kind. You do it all the time with your cursed words. What were the words again? Abandon your effects and all your senses. Under our spell, you shall fall?” I bared my teeth at them, making sure they got a good look at the sharp canines. My dragon rumbled in content. Its teeth were aching to sink into the delectable nymph flesh, but there was little time. The sentries would notice my absence soon enough.
With a blood-curdling shriek, they fled without another glance in our direction. Sun Fang was in a deep sleep. The weak dragon wasn’t able to withstand the enchantment and was now sleeping it off. Glancing at the paddles, I curled my lip in disgust. There would be more obstacles preventing me from reaching Mutsushina.
So, I rowed until we escaped the Sea of Calypso and floated around in the middle of the Sorcha Peninsula by Aivrena. Knowing the elves, they wouldn’t try to interfere and would turn the other cheek if they took notice of my presence.
I jumped into the air and shifted into my dragon form, throwing Sun Fang over my shoulder. My dragon grumbled, not appreciating my act of kindness in the slightest. Although he was not the brightest nor the strongest, it helped to have at least one other person by my side. I may be a dragon, but I certainly wasn’t invincible.
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