by Ellen Oh
“To prepare for what?”
“To save the world,” Koko answered.
Before Jiho could ask more questions, the others yelled loudly in excitement.
“That’s a Bellprix flag,” Calvin exclaimed. “And that looks like my cousin Beau! I can’t believe it! All these years we thought he was dead.”
Calvin bolted toward the loud and raucous crowd of soldiers talking underneath the bright sky-blue flag with yellow stars.
Shane shouted, “Wait for me,” and ran quickly after him.
Tess and Jay didn’t hesitate and headed over to where the purple and gold flag of Urcia soared over a crowd of brightly dressed people.
But Frankie just stared at the Orion flag before turning back to Jiho and Koko. “I don’t get it. Why are Orions here? Why are they fighting for you? It’s unpatriotic!”
“They aren’t fighting for Joson or the Kidahara. They are preparing to protect our entire world,” Koko said.
“I don’t understand,” Frankie said. “Why didn’t we know about it? Why didn’t any of them come home to warn us?”
Koko gently steered him toward the Orion encampment. “Go talk to them. They will explain it to you better than I can.”
They watched as Frankie joined his fellow Orions, who welcomed him warmly. Koko turned to Jiho with a smile. “Do you want to see my favorite place?”
She took him to the other side of the flatlands, where there was a large staircase built into a mountainside. They walked up the winding stairs that brought them to a hidden palace made of marble and gold.
“What is this?”
“This was the dragon queen’s palace,” Koko said. She pointed at the large golden doors. “Look, the double doors were large enough for Queen Nanami to enter in her dragon form, or small enough for her human form.”
Koko opened the smaller doors that were set in the larger ones. Inside, the halls were cavernous. Large enough for dragons to walk across the black-and-white-marbled floor. At the end of the hall, the rooms became human-size. An elegant and richly opulent receiving room opened to a large banquet room. Passing through the rooms, Jiho could feel the echoes of the past.
They walked up a smaller set of stairs that led to an upstairs apartment. “This is my favorite place,” Koko said.
Inside the apartment was a spacious living area and bedroom decorated with rich fur rugs and the most elegant furnishings Jiho had ever seen. The living room opened onto a large terrace that overlooked all of Mir. They walked out onto the terrace and breathed in the crisp mountain air.
“It’s magnificent,” Jiho said.
“I bet Nanami would fly right onto this terrace when she didn’t feel like seeing anyone,” Koko said. “At least that’s what I would do.”
“Does anyone live here now?” Jiho asked.
“No,” Koko said. “But the namushin keep it clean and ready. As if they think she will return one day.”
“The namushin are quite interesting,” Jiho said.
Koko nodded. “They’re my family.”
“You mean they stole you from your family,” Jiho corrected. “Your family is the king and queen of Joson. You are our princess. They stole you away and brought you to a world that is extinct. It’s too weird.”
Koko was quiet. “They brought me here because they say I’m related to Queen Nanami. I have dragon’s blood in me.”
“But that’s no reason to kidnap you.”
“I know that’s what it looks like, but they really are my family. And they need me.”
Jiho threw his hands up. “I don’t understand any of this. Why did they take you away?”
Before Koko could respond, a dozen or so namushin appeared before them and began to make a rustling and murmuring noise.
Koko listened intently before turning to Jiho. “Ask your questions later,” she said. “Right now we are being summoned.”
“We?” Jiho asked in surprise.
“It seems they were expecting you,” Koko said. “And they are quite happy about it.”
“They know who I am?”
Koko didn’t answer and instead followed the namushin out of the palace.
“Come quick.” She gestured to Jiho, standing by a palace door. “This is a portal door. It will take us to the other side.”
She opened the door and tried to bring Jiho in, but nothing happened.
“What’s happening?” she asked, puzzled. After she released Jiho’s arm, the portal door revealed the other side of the realm, but when Koko grabbed Jiho’s arm again, it became a solid wall.
“It’s me,” Jiho said. “I cancel magic. It’s why I could see the entranceway to Nackwon. Magic doesn’t work on me.”
Surprised, Koko was about to say something when the namushin murmured loudly.
“Well, we’d better hurry, since we’re going to have to go the long way.”
Chapter 12
THEY RAN BACK down the mountain staircase to the training grounds, and then to another winding path where more namushin were waiting for them. They were led up a rocky terrain that opened onto a breathtaking waterfall that was both tall and narrow. In the foreground, a group of five large crystal chairs were placed in a semicircle that sparkled against the splendor of the natural world. Only four of the chairs were filled. The one at the end was empty. In the middle sat an elegant woman with a medium brown complexion who appeared ageless and formidable. She held a large ivory staff decorated with leaves and flowers in one hand. There was no doubt in Jiho’s mind that this woman was in charge.
He was surprised to see his Orion friends there. They looked relieved to see him and just as mystified as he was.
“Welcome to Dragon Tears Waterfall,” the elegant woman said in her low, melodious voice. “The Nackwon Council is grateful to have all of you join us this morning. I am Grand Council Master Aeria and these are my fellow masters, representing all of Nackwon. Master Diana of the fairy court representing the magic realm of fairy, Master Zaki of the namushin faction representing the creatures of the woodlands, and Master Remauld of the wizards and witches guild.”
The masters all inclined their heads, although the jovial-looking namushin master waved his hand and smiled broadly. Master Diana was a very tall, striking-looking fairy with high, sharp cheekbones; copper-toned skin; black hair; and narrow eyes that looked nearly black and icy cold. In contrast, the diminutive Master Zaki had a warm, friendly face with big round eyes that disappeared into his chubby cheeks when he smiled. He was all green like a namushin, but was half the size of the other masters. The last master was an average-looking man with a very fair complexion and graying hair that was once a mousy brown. He would have been nondescript except for his eyes, which were a piercing blue.
Master Aeria pointed at the empty chair. “The master who represents magical creatures is no more—the chair has sat empty for five hundred years, ever since the death of the great dragon queen Nanami.”
All the masters bowed their heads in respect. After a long silence, Aeria continued.
“The reason we brought you here is because we are aware of Omni Murtagh’s plans to destroy the Kidahara,” Aeria said. “We need you to tell us all that you can about their plan.”
“We weren’t really informed about it,” Calvin answered. “We’re just scouts.”
“You all know more than you are aware of,” Aeria said. “If you don’t mind, would you be willing to let us retrieve the information directly?”
They all took an involuntary step back.
“Does it hurt?” Shane asked.
Aeria smiled. “No, it doesn’t hurt at all. It is a simple spell that sharpens your memories and helps you remember what you’ve forgotten.”
One by one, the Omni crew presented themselves before Aeria and their memories were retrieved.
“I remember overhearing a conversation,” Calvin mentioned. “Something about Prince Roku being a principal interest holder in the Omni Murtagh company.”
The council memb
ers reacted strongly. “It’s as the namushin warned us. Roku is behind all of this.”
“Roku is a mere human,” the council master Remauld said. “What does he seek to gain from this?”
No one had an answer. They continued their memory retrieval with Frankie. “There’s a map that has a detailed blueprint of a new city right at the heart of the Kidahara, where Mount Jiri is.”
The masters shook their heads but moved on.
“I saw Mr. Murtagh holding a large pearly white stone. It was glowing, and I swear he was talking to it,” Frankie said.
“Who is this Murtagh?” Aeria asked sharply. “And can you describe the stone?”
“He’s the owner of Omni Murtagh. Well, actually the son of the owner. But he’s our big boss,” Calvin interrupted.
Frankie nodded. “Yeah, the stone was the size of my fist, and it was really pretty. It was the night we first entered Joson. I got up around midnight to do my business, and I saw him with the stone. I remember, ’cause it was a full moon and I thought the stone looked like a mini moon.”
Master Diana grew visibly agitated. “The moonstone,” she said in a shaky voice. “Then the rumors are true. She is beginning to awaken.”
“We don’t know that for certain,” Master Zaki admonished.
“Don’t be a fool, Zaki,” Diana said harshly. “The signs have been all around us. We must prepare before it is too late.”
“What do you mean? Who’s waking up?” Frankie asked in confusion. But the council members ignored him.
“I must warn the court immediately,” Diana said. She stood abruptly, gave a curt bow, and vanished.
Remauld and Zaki made elegant bows to Aeria before they too disappeared.
Aeria rose to her feet and approached the puzzled group.
“You must have so many questions,” she said with a smile. “If you follow me, they will all be answered.”
She walked them through a path around the waterfall, where it formed a small stream that flowed into several small pools of brilliant blue.
“This is the pool of dragon’s tears,” Aeria said. “It will show us the most important moments of our history.”
“How does it work?”
Aeria turned to the pool.
“Great spirit, will you share with us your knowledge?”
The water began to slowly ripple, and a shadowy form could be seen deep in the depths of the pool.
“What is it you desire to know?” A deep voice rose up to them.
Aeria turned to Jiho and gestured to the pool.
“Well, I’ve always wanted to know how the Great War happened and why magic remains only in Joson,” Jiho said.
The pool didn’t respond.
“Oh,” Koko said. “You have to ask it as a request.”
“Great spirit, please show us how the Great War happened and why magic remains only in Joson.”
The pool began to quickly share moving images on its surface. First it showed the vastness of the Kidahara, but it looked very different. It panned over open meadows and valleys and light that penetrated the entire forest. Far different from the dark, dense closed forest that it was now.
“It’s like a movie,” Shane said loudly, before being hushed by the others.
“Long ago, the human world and the magic world were separated by the mist of the Nackwon, which hid the magic realm within the boundaries of the Kidahara. Magical creatures stayed in the Kidahara, and humans stayed out,” the spirit spoke. “But the humans began to chop down all the trees around the boundaries, angering the namushin. The namushin brought their complaint to the high court of Kidahara, a council made up of members from all the Kidahara citizens, who sent a powerful fairy, Luzee, to investigate.”
The pool then showed a woman with silver hair and steel-gray eyes and skin the color of fallen snow.
“That must be Luzee before she became empress,” Koko whispered.
“She was beautiful.” Jiho marveled.
“She was evil,” Koko replied sharply.
The pool then showed Luzee passing through a thick mist and suddenly appearing in front of a group of men who were chopping down trees. Frightened, the men attacked Luzee, who killed all of them with a wave of her hand. She ventured deeper into the human world, moving from village to village, observing human life and leaving death behind her.
“Luzee was ambitious, and she saw an opportunity to rule the human land, exploiting their fear and hatred of the unknown. Having seen the human world, she decided that she wanted it. She went to the council and advised them that the humans were a danger to the Kidahara. And then Luzee destroyed the veil that separated the two worlds. For the first time, the human world became aware of magical creatures, and they were horrified.”
The next scenes showed humans waging war against dragons and other magical creatures.
“Dragons!” Frankie shouted.
“They’re amazing,” Jay said. “I wish we could see one for real.”
No one answered. Jiho felt awful, as the spirit then shared images of humans killing dragons.
“The first dragons terrified the humans, and the humans began to hunt them down. The dragons were quick to join forces with Luzee against this new danger.”
A woman wearing a black suit of armor appeared, who was more stunning than Luzee. With strong features, ebony skin and hair as blue/black as midnight that flowed down her back. She stood by Luzee’s side, and the dragons that descended from the skies behind her all bowed.
“Now she’s beautiful,” Koko said. The little namushin rustled and bowed reverently at her appearance.
“She’s like a goddess,” Tess breathed. “Who is she?”
“The dragon queen, Nanami, in her human form. She joined forces with Luzee to stop the humans from killing dragons,” Aerie said.
“Luzee used the humans’ fear and tendency to violence to turn the citizens of the Kidahara against them,” the spirit continued.
Behind Queen Nanami, an army of dragons rose up into the air and attacked the humans. They snatched up humans in their claws, flew high into the air, and dropped them to their deaths. Others would use their bodies to smash into soldiers. But the humans were numerous, and their weapons were deadly.
“The humans’ military might was powerful, and the frightened council members of the Nackwon made Luzee their ruler. And Luzee waged war against the humans. The dark creatures of the Nackwon who feast on violence and bloodshed reveled in her leadership and quickly pledged loyalty to Luzee. With the allegiance of the dragons and the dark creatures, Luzee became all powerful, and she proclaimed herself empress of the Nackwon.”
Luzee is then seen being crowned, with Nanami by her side. The next scene showed images of Luzee, leading an army of dragons and magical creatures against the humans in scenes of terrible carnage.
“But the humans invented terrible weapons that were unaffected by magic.”
They saw humans rolling out cannons and using muskets and bombs that wreaked havoc on the fairy folk.
“Wait a minute, that oni we saw didn’t even flinch when we shot at him,” Calvin said. “He said it tickled.”
“Most magical beings don’t have skin like the oni, which is similar to pliable metal. Or body armor like the giant spider, the Vorax,” Koko replied. “But bullets could shatter dragon scales.”
The pool continued. “Angered, Luzee began to search for ways to grow her magic. She seized the precious moonstones from the fairy court and the head wizard Sejo’s magic staff. And then from the dragons, she demanded a dragon’s egg, the most pure magic in all the world.”
“I don’t understand why they would give such powerful magic to her,” Jiho said.
“They had no choice,” Aeria replied. “The guilds were powerless against her and her army.”
“Luzee was determined to become the most powerful being in the world. She invoked the darkest magic to create the staff of ki, in an attempt to steal the power of any magical being for herself.”
The water rippled as the pool showed Queen Nanami reluctantly passing a large golden egg to Luzee. The malevolent glee on the fairy’s face as she gazed rapturously at the dragon’s egg was frightening to behold. She then wove her magic to combine Sejo’s staff with the egg and the three moonstones and a blood sacrifice. Luzee sliced her palm using a dagger with a rippled edge. She coated Sejo’s staff with the black blood that oozed out of her hand. Chanting, she tossed the staff into the air as flames engulfed it, burning off the black blood and turning it pure gold. The new staff drew the dragon’s egg and the three moonstones, locking them into its crown with a bright flash of light. Luzee smiled brilliantly as she seized the floating object and proclaimed it the staff of ki. The next scene showed Luzee pointing the staff at a young fairy, who was then dragged through the air into Luzee’s grasp. The staff caused wisps of pink essence to float out of the fairy’s mouth. Luzee inhaled the pink essence until the fairy’s once-vibrant form turned limp and colorless.
“With the staff of ki, Luzee could bind any magical creature to render them powerless. She absorbed their magic by breathing in their essence and leaving them an empty, withered shell that disintegrated into dust. Luzee became so powerful that she conquered all the worlds and enslaved both human and magical creatures. But still, she was dissatisfied. She hungered for more power. She knew that dragons were the most magical beings in Nackwon. Having a dragon’s egg made Luzee greedy for the power of a full dragon. So she seduced Nanami’s younger brother, Koto, and while he was sleeping, she stole his magical essence. But before she could finish, Koto shifted back into his dragon form and was able to escape and warn the others. Nanami turned on Luzee and led the rebellion army against her. Humans and magical creatures worked together to fight against Luzee and her army. The knights of Joson, humans who could wield the magic that now flowed into the human world, joined forces with Nanami. But Luzee was so powerful she broke the wall between the living and the dead and brought an Agma army full of demons to our world.”
The pool showed Luzee, her eyes glittering like jewels, and behind her, an army of Agma. Those who had died and become demons. Hideous and foul, Luzee unleashed the Agma on a human village. They mauled and killed the entire settlement, leaving behind new Agma to rise from the dead and join Luzee’s army.
