The Dragon Egg Princess

by Ellen Oh

  “Look, Princess, over there! What do you see?” Mari asked. She pointed to a patch where long curly-headed ferns grew wild.

  “Brackenhead fiddlers!”

  Mari laughed. “Bracken fiddleheads. They’re ferns and very delicious, but in large amounts it can make you very sick and even kill you.”

  “Or just give you really bad gas,” Jiho said.

  “Or give you really bad gas that kills you,” Micah cut in.

  “What? I’ve never heard of gas killing anyone,” Jiho retorted.

  “Oh yeah? Well, it killed my cousin Mung,” Micah said. “He was this really big guy who just loved to eat them. In fact, he loved fiddleheads so much, he refused to ever go without them. His mom had to gather extra bushels of the stuff to dry for the winter to satisfy his constant craving. I remember when we would have family meals with him, no one could ever get any fiddleheads, because he’d always hog them for himself, leaving us with not even a single piece.” Micah shook her head sadly. “One day I was determined to get some ferns for dinner, so I sat myself next to Mung, ready to grab some as soon as my aunt brought them out. When Mung saw what I was waiting to do, he grabbed the entire plate, licked his chopsticks, and stirred them into the ferns so that no one else would want to eat any.”

  Koko pulled a disgusted face while Jiho snorted with suppressed laughter.

  “Then one day, Mung got a very bad stomachache coupled with a high fever. He suffered in agony for many days. Nothing relieved the pain. He couldn’t eat or drink. He just rolled on his bed, moaning terribly. It wasn’t until the fourth day that Mung rolled over and let out a tremendous fart. It was so loud that all the neighbors thought it was thunder and wondered if a storm was approaching.”

  Koko stared in horrified fascination at Micah as Jiho pressed his hands to his mouth, trying desperately not to howl with laughter.

  “After farting, my cousin immediately declared that he was starving and demanded to be served a big meal. His mom rushed to prepare his favorite dinner of rice, fish, and fiddleheads. Well, Mung took one bite of the ferns with his rice, farted again, and yelled ‘I’m dying!’ before expiring on the spot.” Micah ended her story with a somber shake of her head. “It was the fiddleheads that killed him.”

  “How can you possibly know what it was he died from?” Koko asked.

  “Oh, we’re absolutely positive,” Micah said. “His fart was so powerful, it knocked out the wall behind him. Left a big hole. Holding that much gas in your body acts like a poison, you know.”

  A mad giggle escaped Jiho.

  Koko rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what’s so funny about body functions,” she said.

  All the clan members laughed.

  Koko ignored them all and asked Micah, “Did your cousin really die from passing gas?”

  “Well, if it wasn’t the fart that killed him, it was the smell that did him in!” Micah replied. “The stench was so powerful that months after he died, if you passed too close to his house, it would knock you out. It burned all my nose hairs off. I still can’t smell things out of my left nostril.”

  Koko looked so horrified and disgusted that Jiho completely lost it and laughed until tears leaked from his eyes.

  “Don’t worry, Princess,” Mari said. “Micah’s cousin Mung is still alive and eating fiddleheads as we speak.”

  Koko glared at Jiho, who was still laughing hard. “It’s not that funny,” she grumped and then marched ahead.

  It took them two days of walking to reach the outskirts of the forest where Micah had set up a rendezvous with her clan members. There they found horses and a brightly colored closed wagon, plus several new Botan clan members.

  “Today is market day,” Micah said. “We’ll go to the town square to sell our products, and from there we’ll get to the palace.”

  Micah went into the wagon and came back with Botan clan uniforms.

  “Put these on,” she said. “You are now part of our clan.”

  Koko snatched up the clothing and went toward the wagon when Micah stopped her. “Sorry, Princess, you’ll have to change in the forest. This wagon is off-limits. It is packed with all our goods.”

  Several minutes later, Koko returned dressed in the black and white colors of the Botan clan. Micah looked her over critically.

  “Is there any way you can change your hair color? It’s too distinctive,” she said. “We need something not so memorable.”

  With an excited nod Koko pointed at her hair and changed it to a dull mousy brown.

  At that moment, Jiho came up to them and Micah gestured to him. “Change him also.”

  “Oh, I can’t change his hair,” Koko said. “He’s got—”

  “A phobia against changing my hair color,” Jiho said. He gave Koko a stern glare. He didn’t want anyone to know about his ability. “Besides, nobody knows me, so I don’t have to change anything.”

  Micah shrugged. “Suit yourself. Let’s hit the road.”

  The road to Jinju was surprisingly empty of travelers.

  “Strange,” Koko remarked. “I wonder where all the people are. Usually the roads are packed on market day.”

  It was strange, Jiho thought. Market days were always the busiest days for any town. This didn’t seem right.

  “Princess,” Jiho whispered. “I have a bad feeling about this. We should leave now.”

  Shaking her head, Koko refused to listen to him. “I’m going, Jiho, whether you come or not.”

  Frustrated by her stubbornness, Jiho vowed to be vigilant.

  Chapter 18

  IN TOWN, THE streets were more crowded, but subdued. There was a tenseness, a nervousness, like people were waiting for something bad to happen. And the Botan clan members had grown very serious. No smiles, no jokes. They all knew they were facing danger, but Jiho was more certain than ever that his suspicions were correct. They were walking into a trap. Jiho could feel it in his gut. But how would he save the princess? How could he tell her that this clan that she had grown to like and laugh with were about to betray her?

  He needed to talk to her. But he couldn’t get Koko alone. Micah kept close to her side, and Mari or another clan member would subtly step in front of Jiho, keeping him away. Once in the marketplace, the clan members parked the wagon at the least busiest corner. Jiho and Koko were given the task of setting up the stalls while the others emptied the wagon and began hawking their wares.

  Jiho’s nerves were taut. There was no one else loudly advertising their wares. Only the Botan clan. As if they were letting others besides the shoppers know that they were there. He could see that Koko was unaware of anything except the palace looming in the distance.

  “Princess, we have to get away,” Jiho whispered. “This is a setup. They’ve sold us out.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Koko said. “They wouldn’t do that to us. They are good people.”

  But before he could speak, loud shouting could be heard. From the other side of the marketplace, soldiers were searching the stalls, taking people in for questioning.

  “They’re looking for contraband,” Mari said. “But they also heard a rumor that the princess is here.”

  “Princess, Jiho, we have to hide you in the wagon!” Micah whispered.

  Jiho balked. This was the trap.

  Micah looked at him. “I can’t believe you still don’t trust me,” she said. She handed him a key. “This is the key to the wagon. Lock yourself in and stay quiet.”

  She pushed them over to the wagon. The door was open, and Koko made to enter but Jiho hung back.

  “Your lack of trust is going to cost the princess her life,” Micah said sharply. “They’re going to be here any minute, and you don’t have any papers.”

  “Jiho, please,” Koko begged.

  Unsure and nervous, Jiho followed Koko into the dark wagon. Micah closed the door behind them. Inside it was pitch-black.

  “There’s something really strange about this,” Jiho said. “I don’t like it. And how am
I supposed to lock the door when I can’t see anything!”

  “This wagon is strange,” Koko said. “It is making me feel sick.”

  “Oh no,” Jiho said.

  Just then they heard the click of a lock and the wagon lurched forward. They both fell to the ground. Jiho saw the walls of the wagon fall off and light stream in from the narrow bars of what was now their moving prison cell. Rage filled Jiho when he saw Orion soldiers leading their wagon away, and the traitorous Botan clan members riding alongside.

  “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you!” Jiho shouted at Micah.

  Once again, Jiho thought he saw a flicker of guilt before it was gone. Micah gave a slight smile and bowed. “You should have listened to your instincts. That was a foolish mistake on your part.”

  “Jiho,” Koko called. “I don’t feel good. Something is burning me.”

  She was lying down on the floor, and steam rose from where her bare skin was touching the iron. Jiho hurried to pick her up and hold her in his lap.

  Iron was deadly to magical creatures.

  “Princess, the entire floor is iron. You have to try to keep your feet up,” Jiho whispered.

  Koko nodded weakly. Her hair color had turned back to normal, and she was able to open her eyes. But she started shivering. “Thank you for holding me. It’s not as bad now.”

  But Jiho could see that being surrounded by bars of iron was sickening her. He carefully removed his bag from his back and reached in for the blanket he’d packed for the trip. It was a soft, warm, moss-green blanket that he’d taken from his tree house. The image of his little home in the Nackwon flitted through his mind and made him wish he’d never left. Shaking off the useless thought, Jiho wrapped the blanket snugly around the princess, careful to make sure no part of her was touching the iron walls or floor.

  “Don’t worry, Princess, I’ll take care of you.”

  The soldiers drove them through the heart of the city, where quiet, somber-faced citizens stood by and watched. Jiho could hear some people whispering the princess’s name while others openly wept. He realized this was not a city that welcomed Roku’s takeover.

  “Jiho,” Koko whispered. “I’m feeling a little better now.”

  “That’s great,” Jiho said in relief.

  “I think as long as I’m touching you, your immunity negates my magic, which is what makes me sick from the iron,” Koko replied. “Help me put the blanket on the floor so I can sit on it.”

  Grabbing the blanket, he spread it on the ground next to him. Koko slid onto it, crossed her legs, and leaned against Jiho’s shoulder.

  “As long as you are here, I can recharge my strength and use it to help us escape,” Koko said. “But it is going to be a one-shot thing, because once I let you go, I won’t have long before the iron affects me again. I was dumb before. I can’t afford to make another mistake.”

  “Princess, you’re not dumb for trusting people,” Jiho said. “You’re really smart and kind and generous and honest and everyone likes and respects you so much and . . . are you crying again?”

  Koko nodded, sniffling against Jiho’s shirt.

  “And disgusting . . . ,” Jiho continued.

  She giggled, but it got caught into a hiccup. “Thanks for that,” she said.

  “What? Calling you disgusting? I have more insults for you if you want.”

  “No, thanks for being my friend,” she said. “I’ve never had one before. A real friend.”

  Jiho was quiet for a moment. “Thanks for being mine too, Princess.”

  “Koko,” she said.

  “Koko,” he replied. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave them a companionable squeeze. “I’m glad I came with you. Don’t worry. Everything is going to work out.”

  Jiho stared at all the soldiers surrounding them and wasn’t sure he believed his own words.

  Chapter 19

  THE WAGON ROLLED down the streets of Jinju, heading toward the palace. There was no warning when the attack came. One moment they were rolling slowly down the cobblestoned streets and the next they came to a crashing halt. Jiho and Koko stood up to get a better look at what was happening. Blocking the street was Master Remauld. With a snap of his fingers, he disarmed all the Orion soldiers. Rifles, guns, knives, and swords went flying behind him into a glowing magical space that disappeared once the last of the weapons flew in. At that moment, soldiers fell out of the sky and attacked the now weaponless Orions and Botan clan members.

  “My soldiers!” Koko cried out. “They’ve come to rescue us!”

  Jiho was shocked to see all his Omni Murtagh friends suddenly fighting Orion soldiers. Even Frankie was there, enthusiastically punching several people in a row. And he even saw his father valiantly using his staff, bashing people left and right.

  But before he could say anything, the wagon lurched off at a high speed. An Orion soldier had climbed aboard and was whipping the horses.

  “Jiho, we have to get out of here now,” Koko said.

  “Are you sure you’re strong enough?” Jiho asked.

  “I think so,” Koko answered. She squeezed Jiho’s hand to reassure him.

  “At the count of three, let go,” she said. “One, two, three!”

  Jiho released Koko’s arm and scooted all the way back. Koko let out a blast of magic that blew down the walls and sent soldiers flying through the air. Jiho lurched to catch Koko as they fell off the wagon and hit the ground hard.

  “Koko, we have to run,” Jiho said.

  She sat up and grabbed her head. “I’m so dizzy.”

  Before Jiho could urge her to go again, he saw a battalion of soldiers coming toward them.

  “Halt or we’ll shoot!”

  The soldiers drew their weapons as they approached.

  Jiho froze. “Koko, we need your magic—can you try it?” he whispered.

  She stood determinedly and took a deep breath. Koko swirled her hands round and round, capturing magnetized air into a ball. Faster and faster it spun, sparks shooting out of it like fireworks.

  “What are you waiting for? Shoot her!” someone screamed. The soldiers stopped, ready to fire.

  Koko took a deep breath in and then shot her arms out hard, sending the ball of air exploding into the ground in front of the soldiers and scattering them all in a hundred directions.

  “That was brilliant!” Jiho shouted. He turned back to catch Koko before she crumpled to the ground once more.

  “Koko, what’s the matter?”

  She was breathing shallowly, and her complexion had turned deathly pale. “The iron must have affected me a lot more than I thought. I feel wiped out.”

  Jiho held her. “Come on, we have to get out of here.”

  Supporting her around the waist, Jiho looked for a way out of the city.

  “Princess! Thank the heavens I’ve found you!”

  They turned around to see Ranger Park arriving with Jiho’s friends.

  Relief flooded Jiho at the sight of his father. He was reminded of when he was little and the sense of safety that he always felt when he was around his dad. It was why his leaving had been so much harder for Jiho.

  “There is no time to lose, we must get you out of the city!” Ranger Park said.

  “My parents,” Koko cried. She turned to stare at the palace that was now a short distance away.

  “The last thing they would want is for you to be imprisoned too,” Ranger Park said. “We have to escape! Now.”

  The Omni Murtagh crew surrounded Koko and urged her along. Ranger Park took the lead, while Calvin and Shane positioned themselves in the back. They were all armed with heavy staffs similar to Ranger Park’s. Jiho was happy to see his friends. Tess and Jay flanked Koko, holding their staffs protectively around her while Frankie patted Jiho on the back. “You should’ve told us what you were doing, Jiho,” he said. “We would’ve come with you.”

  “You mean you would’ve stopped us,” Jiho retorted.

  “Yeah, that’s what I really
meant.” Frankie smiled.

  But his smile abruptly died when they found their way blocked. The Botan clan had found them. There in the front, by Micah’s side, stood a fair-haired woman in a gray hooded cloak.

  “I’ve seen her before,” Jiho said. He had a flashback of the cloaked woman talking to Brock Murtagh back in Hanoe. Same gray cloak, same white hair.

  “Who is she?” Frankie asked.

  As if she heard their question, the woman answered.

  “I am the fairy Samena,” she said. “And I am in desperate need of Princess Koko’s services. If the princess were to come with me, I would help free her parents from the dungeons.”

  Koko began to approach her, but Ranger Park held her back.

  “Don’t trust her, Princess,” he said. “We don’t know who she is or what she wants.”

  “I only want what we all want,” the fairy said. “I want what is best for the Kidahara. Of course our opinions might differ on what that might be. But I’m sure I will be able to persuade you that my way is the right way.”

  “I don’t think so,” Ranger Park growled. He held his staff in front of him, readying himself for the fight. “You’ll not take the princess from us.”

  The fairy fell silent, staring in fascination at the staff in his hands. Her eyes glittered malevolently.

  “Jiho,” Ranger Park whispered. “Take the princess and head for the east gate. Our forces are convening there. Tess and Jay will guide you.”

  The fairy finally spoke again.

  “You also have something that I need,” she said. “Something that used to be mine. And now I want it back.”

  “Come and get it,” Ranger Park yelled.

  The Botan clan stepped forward, and with a wave of her hands, Samena conjured up swords for them.

  “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but knives will always kill you,” Samena taunted. “Bring me the princess and that staff.”

  Micah bowed and with a loud cry, the Botan clan attacked.

  “Go now!” Ranger Park shouted before smashing his staff on the head of an attacker.

  Tess and Jay hustled Koko away, but Jiho stared at his father, suddenly afraid for his well-being. He seemed so alone and vulnerable in a way Jiho was not used to. He took a step toward his father when Tess called for him.