Gang thought his father was a charming man that did not look like he was well over two thousand years old. At the very least, he looked like a distinguished man of fifty-five. He had been in charge of these docks since he turned eighteen, and when the time came and he was thought to be too old, his son would slip into his place. He would appear to retire, and that’s all it would be for a long time. Then when workers started to retire, die or move away, he would come back, and his son would do the same. It was a circle that would continue to spiral for millennia. Ever since they were granted immortality, this was how it worked.
They were granted immortality in return for watching over the seas. That didn’t happen until Bo Long had reached the age of fifty-five and Gang had grown into a young man. Gang’s grandfather, He Hua Long, was too old and did not want to have his frail body frozen into immortality. He passed away long ago.
“Father, we have talked about gathering allies in our quest to keep Gong Gong in exile,” Gang whispered. “I sought the woman from the market all those years ago and I found her. She’s agreed to help us.”
There was a tinge of excitement in his voice. His father believed he had dreamed her. But no longer could he say that. She was standing in front of him.
Bo looked from Gang to Val, his eyes skeptical. “Are you telling me this is a Valkyrie?” he asked.
“In the flesh, Pops,” Val said, smiling.
“I know, I know. I’m not what you’d expect. My freakish good looks tend to surprise people. I’m often mistaken for Scarlett Johansson,” she preened.
Bo was so shocked by her carefree demeanor that he laughed. Gang imagined his father thinking, this couldn’t be a famed messenger of Odin, could it?
“Father, if I hadn’t seen her with my own eyes, I would have never guessed it either. She doesn’t fit what we have pictured, does she?” Gang asked his father.
“No, not in the least!” he replied and extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He paused. “What did you say your name was again?”
“I’m Valdis, but you can call me Val,” she said, taking his hand.
“It is such a pleasure to meet one such as yourself. If my son didn’t say it was so, I would never have believed it. When he first told me about you, I thought he had lost his mind and you were a figment of his vivid imagination,” Bo said, gently ribbing his son.
Gang cleared his throat. “Father, we came to talk about Gong Gong and not my diminished mental capacity,” he said with a chuckle.
Bo’s smile faded. The little bubble of their conversation had burst, and all the sounds of the busy port came rushing back to Gang. Men shouted and the sound of engines and metal on metal assaulted their ears. “Come. Let’s not discuss these things in the open. My office is this way,” Bo said.
As they started off, Val found that she liked Bo, he was kind and affable.
They walked through the port, down row after row of large, steel shipping containers. Val wondered what was in them. They were all marked numerically and stacked five or six high. The sound of a ship’s horn was signaling its arrival or departure. Val was amazed at the sheer volume this port handled. Cranes were loading and unloading the ship’s contents. The sounds reminded her of bees buzzing about their hive.
They walked for a mile at least. Being immortal provided supernatural stamina and the enjoyment of physical exertion trumped taking vehicles. If anyone noticed that Bo didn’t drive the distance, they didn’t say anything to them.
They finally reached the outer rim of shipping containers. Rows of cars greeted them. A ten-story building rose up from the moat of cars like a sentry guarding the most precious gems. The sound of their shoes on the pavement, seagulls and the occasional horn were all that was heard.
When they reached the building, Bo swiped his key card and the soft puh was heard as the locking mechanism briefly disengaged. They were greeted with a blast of cool air and a large marble tiled atrium that had a piece of artwork shaped like a ship suspended from the ceiling. A lone security officer sat at his desk. He gave them a friendly smile as they passed by on the way to the elevators.
Once inside, Val almost laughed when she heard what music was playing. Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite was turned into some bad tune. She recognized it though, it would be hard not to. She would play it on endless loop to annoy her sister Erin, but whatever voodoo that Erin worked, it wouldn’t allow her to play that particular song any longer. Once the doors opened to the fourth floor, Val was resolved to find another song to annoy her with.
The offices were on the fourth floor, and they were fairly plain. Val thought they would be filled with years of memories, but they had a minimalist kind of style. The trio passed through the small reception area and straight back to Bo’s office. The interior of his office was another thing entirely. It was filled with pictures, some that were very old daguerreotypes, and had the feel of an old family business. Bo offered them a seat and sat behind the desk.
“I assume that my son has already given you the story of Gong Gong’s origins?” Bo asked Val.
When she nodded, he sat back and steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. He looked as if he was trying to decide how to start.
“When Ao lost his legs, he was blessed with the sacred task of carrying the Isle of the Eight Immortals,” Bo said.
Gang opened his mouth to speak, but his father held up his hand, stopping him.
“What is not widely known is that there is a Jian, or double edged sword, that dates back to the time of the great battle. This sword can severely injure a god, but kill an immortal. The Jian is said to be on one of the islands, but no one knows which. No one has really felt the need to look for it, until now,” Bo said. “The Jian will kill Xiang Yao, but not Gong Gong if he were freed.”
“So it sounds like we need to get the Jian sword and kill Xiang Yao before he can complete whatever he is trying to do to free the sea god,” Val said.
Bo simply nodded.
“Okay. So how do we get to the islands where the sword is hidden?” Val asked.
She noted that Gang was quiet during this exchange and wondered why. She glanced his way and found his face buried in his hands. She looked back to Bo. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to this?”
Her eyes narrowed. She heard a groan come from Gang and swung her gaze back to him.
“Spill it, Gang. What is going on here?” she demanded.
“What my son does not want to tell you is a detail that he thinks will change your mind about helping us,” Bo said.
“Which is?”
“In order to get to the part of the islands that holds the Jian, you have to die.”
“What? Did you just say die? Like D.I.E. die? Nope. I’m out,” she said and started to get up.
“It’s not dying in the traditional sense of the word,” the elder Long said.
Val slowly sat down, her curiosity piqued. “It’s not some Young Guns style spirit quest is it?”
“I would brew a very special tea. This tea would lower your heart rate and your breathing would be undetectable. This would allow your spirit to travel freely. You would have to go to the island and collect the Jian without the guardians seeing you,” he added.
“Maybe I missed something, but I am a Valkyrie and can travel interdimensionally. I don’t need special drinks or drugs.”
“While any other time I would agree with you, this time I am forced to say that is incorrect,” Bo said.
Val canted her head and arched her brows. It wasn’t often someone had the balls to tell her she was wrong. Hell, she wasn’t in the habit of being wrong.
“Please explain this to me, because I’m clearly not picking up what you’re putting down,” she said.
Bo leaned over and pulled three glasses out of his bottom drawer. He offered one to his son and one to Val. She declined. He poured three fingers of whiskey into his son’s glass and did the same to his own. Putting the decanter aside, he took a sip of his drink.
“You cannot go in and be seen. The Island of the Eight Immortals has protections in place. No Variant can pass through it, even a messenger of the gods. There are two ways. The first is by invitation. The second is in spirit form, or as some call it astral travel. You have to get the Jian and get out. It is said that if the immortals catch you, they will never let you leave,” he added.
“Great, it’s a Hotel California,” she quipped.
When Bo looked at her quizzically, she gave a half laugh.
“Haven’t you heard of The Eagles?” she asked incredulously. “How can you live for as long as you have and not pick up pop culture? OK, so who would be on this side making sure my head stays atop my slender shoulders? I don’t want to sound like a complete and utter biotch, but we just met and you want me to put my life in your hands. You can’t blame a Valk for being wary.”
“You have no reason to trust us,” Gang said finally. “But if you do help us, I will be with you, and I’ll owe you a blood debt.”
“As will I,” Bo added. “And I will watch over you myself, as will my entire family. Please do not think we take this lightly. We know the depth of what we are asking you to do. If it was as easy as it sounds, I could have done it myself. Or at the very least, sent my son.”
Val took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. How could she refuse this? She couldn’t and she wouldn’t. She was a Valkyrie, and they take on challenges because their kind loves them so.
“Oh, all right! I’ll do it,” she said, turning to Gang. “And when we make it out of there, you owe me a date.”
Gang laughed. “Woman, I had planned on asking you anyway. I spent hundreds of years trying to find you again. I’m not giving up that easily!”
Val gave him a bright smile and nodded. “Then you have a deal. So, where will this take place?” Bo and Gang both let out sighs of relief.
“At my home,” Bo replied. “My wife and eight other children will also be in attendance.”
Val was curious about the sibling situation, since there were laws regarding having more than one child in China. Perhaps they were granted immunity? She left that question alone, but did have two more.
“When should I arrive, and is there anything I need to do to prepare?” she asked.
“Tonight would be good, and no, there is no need to prepare. We will do a cleansing ritual at our home an hour after dark. This will ward off any evil spirits that wish to enter your bodies,” Bo said.
Val nodded and stood. “I’ll be at your home an hour after dark.”
Both Bo and Gang stood as well. Gang moved away from his father’s desk and toward Val.
“Let me walk you out,” he offered.
Val said her goodbye to Bo and accepted Gang’s offer to walk her out. Once in the elevator, she could feel Gang’s eyes on her.
“How are you going to find my father’s home?” he asked, curiously. “I know shifters and other Variants have a great sense of smell, but I wasn’t aware Valkyrie held that trait.”
“Each one of us has a special talent. For example, Erin is a technopath and I am known as the tracker. I can find anything or anyone I need to find. It’s something our father thought would make us each unique,” she answered. “So I will find you tonight. I have some things I need to do first.” A shiatsu massage to be exact.
“Just in case, here is my mobile number,” Gang said, taking out a business card and handing it to her.
Val took the card and smiled at the dragon in the corner. Very subtle, she thought.
“You have a pen?” she asked, intending to give him her number. When he shook his head, she held out her hand. “Phone please.”
She put her number under The Greatest Valkyrie Ever and returned it to him with a smirk.
“I’ll be there soon,” she said. Once outside she whistled for Grimm. In classic Grimm fashion, he appeared in a flash of light. She walked over to him, and stroked his neck.
“You don’t have to worry if I will show,” Val said, mounting her horse. “Once I give my word, I am bound to keep it.” She leaned forward, whispered in Grimm’s ear. He whinnied and they took off.
Val had tracked the Long family to a large property. Larger than most would expect in China, but then again, this family had been here long before all the high rise buildings sprouted.
It was a stunning property. It had a stream with a wooden bridge that allowed entry to a grove of cherry trees. She could imagine the beauty that spring would bring. There was a koi pond and a bench on which to sit and read. She stepped up to the classically designed house and the door opened before she could knock. Gang greeted her with a nervous smile.
“I thought you would have changed your mind,” he said.
“No. When I say I’ll do something, I stick to it,” she replied. She was ready for this. She never backed down from a challenge.
“No one would have blamed you if you had,” he said, opening the door so she could enter.
Inside the house, she had expected a low dining table with pillow seats, maybe a dragon theme throughout, but there was none of that. Instead she found dark wooden floors, an open floor plan, and a spacious kitchen with an island that had a granite countertop.
Val heard Gang close the door behind her, and she took off her shoes and padded into the house. On the living room floor, there were two air mattresses, presumably for her and Gang to lie on after they drank the tea.
From another room came the Long family, all ten of them, not including Gang.
They bowed to her and she reciprocated the greeting with reverence. Bo introduced his wife Fu. She was simply stunning. Even the gray in her hair, seemed to enhance her beauty.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Long,” Val said.
“Hush, hush. You can call me Fu. After what you are willing to do for us, you are family,” the woman said.
Val offered a genuine smile. “Thank you, Fu. How should we begin?”
Fu took Val’s hand and motioned for her to sit on the air mattress.
“Once you drink the tea, you will get very sleepy, very fast. Your heart will slow to a beat or two a minute, your breath will be nonexistent. By mortal standards, you’d be considered dead, but you are not. We will be here to make sure you and Gang are safe, because if your body dies while you are in astral travel, your soul will wander the Earth,” Fu said.
Val nodded and sat on the edge of the air mattress. Hearing it squeak, she scooted back further until she was in the center. Gang did the same, while his mother prepared the cocktail.
Fu poured the drink into two large coffee mugs. She handed them to Val and Gang and encouraged them to drink.
“Bottoms up!” Val chugged the tea. “That has to be the nastiest thing I’ve—” Val swayed where she sat and Bo caught her and laid her gently on the air mattress.
Gang followed suit, and soon he was in the same state as Val.
Val found herself floating above her body, but could feel a tether attached through her spine. Soon she saw Gang hovering above his body too, though he looked spooked.
“This is freaking insane!” Gang said. It wasn’t an audible voice, but she could hear him nonetheless.
“I’ve never felt so—so free!” she said. “Now, how do we get there?”
Gang was still floating around like a kid, but then he seemed to remember their mission and sobered quickly.
“My father told me that we just need to think of the islands, and we will be there. But we have to be wary. There are guardians in place to protect the Jian,” Gang said.
“What kind of guardians? I wish I could bring my sword with me.”
“They are seers. They would alert the Immortals that there is danger, and the Islands would completely disappear, like a mystical cloaking that not even a tracker as skilled as you would be able to find,” Gang said, somberly.
“OK, let’s get this show on the road,” she said, about to slap her thighs, but realized she couldn’t feel them. “Hey, are we able to ho
ld hands?”
“Let’s give it a try?” he suggested.
She held out her hand, and he did the same. When they touched it felt like her hand went to sleep, a prickly, white noise sensation.
“I guess that’s a yes,” he said with a smile.
Val smiled. “OK, so describe this island to me so I can get a clear mental picture.
“The islands are large and look to be several separate pieces of land, but actually, they sit on Ao’s back. They are lush with ferns and palm trees. The ground is not the hard shell you’d expect, but a fertile soil that is nutrient-rich.” His voice was melodic and very hypnotic.
Gang started to describe the islands. His description was so vivid, so clear that she had her mind locked on it and before she could open her eyes, they were being pulled in that direction.
When she opened her eyes, the island waited before them, lush and green. She looked to her left and found Gang standing next to her. She still felt the tether flowing out of her spine. It was an odd sensation. She knew what they were there for and felt drawn to it, pulled in the direction of their fate. No one stood in their way. It was too easy.
Val looked at Gang, noting the apprehension on his face. With each step, they could smell the scents of the tropical island. There was moss, bracken and even the scent of a recent rain lingered in the air. When they finally reached a temple, it resembled Yonghe Lama Temple in Beijing. Still, they saw no one. It couldn’t be that easy, could it? Val wondered.
They reached the top of the stairs and entered the temple. The Jian was on a display stand in the center of the room.
“This isn’t like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is it?” she asked, glancing over at Gang.
“I hope not,” he said, looking around nervously.
A deep voice reverberated around the room. “We know who you are, Valkyrie, and the only reason you and your companion still live is that we cannot allow Gong Gong to be freed. If you were here for any other reason, your soul would remain on this island. Take the Jian, but return it to us when you are through. If the blade isn’t returned, the shifter’s life next to you will be forfeit.”
Badass and the Beast: 10 Page 6
