The Dragon Gods Box Set

by Resa Nelson

  This time, Madam Po held her cane with both hands to block the staff. With the flick of a wrist, the old woman entangled herself with the staff and wrenched it away from Ti.

  The guards murmured in appreciation of Madam Po’s skills and quickness.

  Ti applauded. “Very nice, Madam Po. I like those techniques. That’s what I want you to teach me.” She extended one hand and waited for Madam Po to return the staff.

  Doing so, Madam Po said, “You already know them.”

  Ti waved a dismissive hand toward the bench where Madam Po liked to sit. “No, I don’t. The techniques you’ve taught me are simplistic. They don’t work most of the time. But the way you defend yourself is another matter. So, think about whether you’d like to teach me what I want to know or if I’ll have to learn it by having my guards attack you so we can figure out how you do it.”

  Grunting once more, Madam Po shuffled to her favorite bench.

  Footsteps from the far side of the courtroom caught Ti’s attention. She turned to see Asu Chu running at her. He came to an abrupt stop, inches away. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Come with me right now!” His breath stank of garlic.

  Ti’s first instinct was to take a step back from his foul breath but then realized that doing so would make her look weak. That’s the last thing she wanted to do in front of Madam Po.

  If I don’t stay in control, that old woman could find out my secret. If that happens, she’ll ruin my life.

  So instead of recoiling from Asu Chu’s foul breath, Ti stepped to the side and beckoned for him to walk with her to the opposite side of the courtroom. She needed to get some distance from Madam Po so the old woman couldn’t hear whatever Asu Chu had to say. After walking for several seconds in silence, Ti spoke in a quiet voice. “Where do you want to take me? And why?”

  Following Ti’s lead, Asu Chu kept his voice low. “Something has happened. Something important. You need to see.”

  Ti considered the situation. Asu Chu had been her closest friend and ally for as long as she could remember. As the magician’s son, he had power. And he’d already used that power to murder Ti’s father at her request. Ti and Asu Chu were bound together by the late emperor’s blood.

  The empress had every reason to trust him. She spun to call across the courtroom to the guards. “We must cut the training short for today. Take Madam Po back to her quarters in the palace.” Ti then followed Asu Chu out of the courtyard and through the hallways of the Hall of Justice.

  The young magician chattered while they walked. “I have an uncle in another city,” Asu Chu said. “He comes to visit sometimes.”

  Used to Asu Chu’s flighty behavior, Ti reminded herself to be patient with him. She suspected his nervous chatter was the result of a chaotic mind, so unlike his father. But Asu Chu had his own peculiar way of giving Ti information she needed.

  Let him talk. He’ll get to the point sooner or later.

  Asu Chu rolled his eyes. “Uncle likes to drink. All the time. I never knew a man who likes wine so much. When he’s sober, Uncle is tight-lipped and mean. But when he drinks, he’s friendly. And he’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

  Asu Chu led the way to the council room but then blocked its closed door. “He was already a little drunk when he got here. I gave him more wine before I came to fetch you. It’s good to encourage him to keep drinking.”

  Bewildered, Ti stared at Asu Chu. “Your uncle?”

  Asu Chu shook his head. “No. The man who arrived a short time ago. I thought you would want to see him first.” He offered a knowing look. “He’s from the same mountains where you sent Frayka with that girl who had the serpent dragon problem.”

  Ti frowned with frustration. “I was training to learn how to fight! That’s far more important than getting word about what happened to Frayka. You should have waited!”

  The knowing look in Asu Chu’s eyes deepened. “This man didn’t come here asking for you. He says he has a crucial message for Madam Po. He says he’s bound to secrecy.”

  Ti’s skin prickled until it made her shiver. “A secret message for Madam Po?”

  Asu Chu nodded. “I suspect he might be willing to spill that secret to an empress.” Without another word, Asu Chu held the door open for Ti to enter.

  The garlic on Asu Chu’s breath was nothing compared to the stench of the drunk sitting alone at the council table. If he’d trekked to Zangcheen from the southern mountains, it appeared he hadn’t bathed since leaving home. He drank directly from a bottle of wine despite the cup near his elbow.

  “This is the man I told you about,” Asu Chu said as he followed Ti into the council room and closed the door. He hesitated. To the old man, he said, “I forget your name.”

  The old man rested the bottle on the council table but kept one hand wrapped around its neck. He stared at Ti with watery and bloodshot eyes. “Call me Lang.” He waved his other hand toward Ti. “And this is the Imperial Daughter?”

  “Call me Empress Ti. My father changed the law before his untimely death. Now his eldest child will rule, even when that child is a daughter.”

  Lang giggled. “I thought the boy was pulling my leg.” He gazed at Ti in wonder. Still seated, he attempted to bow. “My empress.”

  Not daring to get closer to the old man’s rank odor, Ti sat at the head of the table, several seats away. “I hear you’ve brought an important message to Zangcheen.”

  Lang nodded. “Been walking around the city all day until somebody finally told me I could find her here. Had a demon of a time trying to get past the guards at the gate, but this boy happened by and helped me.” Lang grinned at Asu Chu.

  Ti said, “You’re looking for Madam Po?”

  Lang held his free hand toward the empress and pushed it down as if trying to quiet her. He whispered, “Careful! It’s a secret!”

  “A secret?” Ti played along and matched his whisper. “You don’t want to keep a secret from your empress, do you?”

  “I have to,” Lang said. “It comes from a higher authority.”

  “Higher authority?” Asu Chu said. “There’s no such thing!”

  Still clinging with one hand to the wine bottle, Lang clamped his free hand over his own mouth and then mumbled.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Ti said to Lang. “You’re committing a crime by keeping important information from your empress. I could take you to court right now and convict you. The punishment would be the Death of 1000 Cuts. I understand it’s quite slow and painful.”

  Lang whimpered. The knuckles on his hand gripping the wine bottle turned white. He let go of his mouth but kept his free hand in front of it like a shield. “Only you. Not him.”

  Satisfied, Ti said to Asu Chu, “I need you no more.”

  Asu Chu’s face sagged with disappointment, but he left the council room and closed the door behind him.

  Ti continued to speak quietly. “Now then. Tell me about this authority you say is higher than me.” When Lang hesitated, she remembered Asu Chu’s story about his uncle. “And please keep enjoying the wine Asu Chu gave you. You’re our guest! Enjoy!”

  Lang took another swig. “I shouldn’t tell.”

  Ti gave him a warm smile. “There’s something you probably don’t know about higher authorities. We know each other. And we work together. The one who gave you this secret is probably a good friend of mine.”

  Hesitation crossed Lang’s face. “Truly?”

  Ti nodded.

  Lang drank again and studied the wine bottle as if it held the answers to his questions.

  “I am your empress,” Ti said. “I’m here to help you. But I can’t help you until I know more about why you’re here.”

  “It’s the dragon god that gave me the secret,” Lang blurted.

  It took all of Ti’s willpower to keep from laughing out loud. It took even more willpower to stay calm.

  What is wrong with Asu Chu? How could he have believed this old fool?

  “The dragon god of
earth,” Lang continued. He glanced at Ti. “There are many dragon gods. But you know that already.”

  Normally, Ti would have stormed out of the council room by now. But she couldn’t stop thinking about who Lang had come to Zangcheen to see. Maybe she could glean something of value from this drunkard. “Yes, I know there are many dragon gods. But why would one send a message to a mortal in Zangcheen?”

  Lang shrugged. “It seems like a common thing to me. Everyone lets family know when there’s a new baby.”

  “Baby?” Ti sat up, now giving her full attention to Lang. “What baby?”

  Lang shifted in his chair, searching for comfort that eluded him. “It’s only for the family to know. That’s what the dragon said.”

  “And which family is this message for?”

  Lang took another drink and then whispered, “Madam Po.”

  “Everything is fine,” Ti said with a wide smile. “Don’t you see? I’m part of the Po Dynasty, and so is Madam Po. We’re related. We come from the same family. You can give me the message, and I’ll deliver it directly to Madam Po.”

  Lang drank from the wine bottle until he drained it. When he tried to place the empty bottle back on the table, his hand slipped and it slid away from his grasp. The wine bottle rolled over the edge of the table and shattered on the floor. When Lang looked at Ti, terror filled his eyes. “Forgive me, my empress! Please!”

  Now I’ve got him where I want him.

  “Of course,” Ti said with as much warmth in her voice as she could muster. “Don’t worry about that silly bottle. I have plenty of servants. They’ll take care of it.”

  Ti’s mind raced. She couldn’t risk letting this codger come face to face with Madam Po or even TeaTree. Those two promised to be nothing but trouble with their whisperings in a language no one else in the Far East could understand. Every expression she’d seen on their faces convinced Ti they were up to no good.

  I have to stay in control. I can’t let this man see Madam Po—it will have to be a written message instead. My handwriting is everywhere—even my guards recognize it. I’ve signed dozens of orders. I’ve written new proclamations for the advisors to consider.

  But Asu hasn’t. Few people can recognize his penmanship.

  Now all I need is the message.

  Lang continued to stare in his drunken stupor at the empress, and fear still lingered in his eyes.

  Ti knew she had to take action. She believed her best bet to succeed would be to make that action gentle. Stiffening her resolve, Ti stood from her place at the head of the council table and slid down to sit next to the smelly man.

  Lang watched her as if she were a snarling bear.

  Forcing herself to be friendly, Ti placed a gentle hand on his arm, feeling him flinch beneath her touch. “My friend, Lang. You have done the entire Po Dynasty a great service by acting as a messenger for the dragon god who asked you to deliver this secret to Madam Po. But she is feeling ill and can’t see visitors today or any time in the near future. As her relative, it would be my honor to write this message with my own hand and deliver it to her. That way, only Madam Po and I will know the secret. And because we belong to the Po Dynasty, you can be sure we’ll never tell that secret to anyone.”

  “You’ll keep the secret?” Lang’s arm trembled beneath Ti’s hand. “No one else will ever know?”

  “I promise.” Ti grinned. “No one else will ever know.”

  Lang cleared his throat. “Madam Po has a great-granddaughter. A Southlander.” Lang paused and squinted at the ceiling as if it held some kind of answer for him. “No. The girl is a Northlander.” Lang looked at Ti and then down at the table while he squirmed. “The Northlander girl has born a healthy baby girl.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Ti’s head spun.

  Eight months ago, Ti drank water from the Fountain of Immortality intended to heal her youngest step-sister. Soon after, Ti experienced troubling aftereffects. Her teeth threatened to fall out of her head. Her bones seemed to be turning to jelly. When she consulted the royal magician Tao Chu, he questioned her and concluded that she suffered because the water was stuff of the dragon gods, never intended for mortal consumption except to heal serious disease. The only solution to keep Ti intact required her to drink the blood of newborn children and smear their blood all over her skin, which she’d been doing ever since.

  What if there’s something special about the blood of a child with Northlander blood?

  Ti remembered stories about the Northlands from her childhood. Stories about Northlanders who changed their shape just by thinking about how they wanted to look.

  What if blood like that is better for me?

  What if it has the power to heal me?

  Awash with hope, Ti considered picking up a shard of the broken wine bottle from the floor and slitting Lang’s throat. But then it occurred to her that he might be of use in the future.

  Ti stood and backed away until she could breathe without noticing the strength of Lang’s stench. “The Po Dynasty thanks you. I invite you to stay for a while in case Madam Po wishes to send a reply.”

  Opening the door of the council room, Ti searched for Asu Chu but saw him nowhere. She spoke to her favorite guard Jojen. “Get this drunk cleaned up. Put him in the visitor’s quarters and make sure he gets nowhere near Madam Po.”

  Before Jojen stepped into the council room to retrieve Lang, Ti placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Whispering, she said, “And then find Asu Chu and his father. Bring them to me at once.”

  * * *

  When the guards escorted Madam Po back to her room in the royal palace and locked her inside, she noticed they’d placed a thick mat on the floor.

  “That’s for me.” TeaTree sat on a bench by a simple table placed between the thick mat and Madam Po’s bed. He spoke in Far Eastern. “I assumed they would separate us, but it looks like we’re stuck together.”

  Madam Po sat next to him. “Just as well.”

  Now we have the opportunity to compare what we’ve each learned during the past eight months.

  “You weren’t gone long.”

  “Ti has a hunger for learning to fight, but the magician’s son interrupted our session. He pulled her away, and she told the guards to bring me back here.”

  Although TeaTree had already told Madam Po what he learned about Frayka’s disappearance, he’d spoken in Northlander. Now that she had the information she wanted, Madam Po saw no reason to make the guards suspicious by continuing to converse in anything but Far Eastern. All she and TeaTree had to do was dance around sensitive topics to keep from giving away their importance. She began by pretending they hadn’t yet talked about his travels.

  “I missed you, my friend,” Madam Po said. “Tell me where you’ve been and what exciting things you have seen since we last met.”

  Understanding flickered in TeaTree’s eyes. Without missing a beat, he said, “Most of the journey was terribly unexciting, but I’ll tell you about all the wonderful trades I made and some of the interesting people I met.”

  TeaTree began at the beginning of his journey when he first left Zangcheen. His stories would sound boring to any eavesdroppers, but Madam Po listened with care and noted how he included a few details here and there to flesh out what he had already told her about the village where he learned about Frayka’s disappearance as well as the places in the outermost regions of the Wulong Province where he heard the troubling accounts of missing infants.

  When TeaTree seemed to be winding down his stories, a scraping sound caught their attention. Madam Po and TeaTree looked at the locked door.

  A folded piece of paper had been shoved beneath it.

  After exchanging a surprised look with TeaTree, Madam Po walked to the door and picked up the paper from the floor and saw her name written on the outside. Rejoining TeaTree’s side, she whispered, “I don’t recognize the handwriting.”

  She then opened the folded paper and read the message inside.

  To Ma
dam Po:

  I write to deliver a terrible secret. The secret is about your great-granddaughter Frayka. She is now my wife. She gave birth to our child, a daughter who takes after me. The child looks mortal at first glance, but her skin is covered in scales, and long claws grow from her toes and fingers. I expect flames to come from her mouth any day now. I think my child is wonderful, but mortals will think she’s a monster. We’ll protect her. That means keeping her away from the mortal world.

  We would like your blessing. Please send word.

  The Dragon God of Earth

  Shaking her head in dismay, Madam Po handed the note for TeaTree to read.

  Moments later, he stared at her. TeaTree pointed to word after word in the message. He whispered, “This makes no sense. None of this makes any sense.”

  Madam Po took the paper back from TeaTree and examined it. Previously folded in half, a crease ran through it. She tore the paper in half along the crease and gave the half bearing the message to TeaTree, who tucked it away in the pouch hanging from his belt. The other half of the paper bore her name on one side and was blank on the other. She wrote “From” above her name on one side and then wrote a message on the blank side.

  To the Dragon God of Earth:

  You are most kind to announce the birth of my great-great-granddaughter. It makes no difference to me that she has scales or claws. It makes no difference if she breathes fire. Frayka and her daughter are my family. I love them no matter what.

  Please take good care of them, and I will come to you as soon as I can.

  Yours,

  Madam Po

  After showing her note to TeaTree, Madam Po rapped on the closed door of their room.

  The lock clicked open, and the royal guard Jojen eased the door ajar. “Madam?”

  “I assume you slid the note addressed to me under this door,” Madam Po said.

  Jojen gaped at her without answering.

  She held up the folded note she’d written. “Give this to whatever messenger gave the note to you. This is my response.”

  Without a word, Jojen took Madam Po’s note, closed the door, and locked it again.