Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon

by Mary Fan

“Aren’t they coming from Hell?”

  “Apparently not. Some may cross in and out of Hell, but that’s not where they originate from.” Ibsituu scowls. “Mowang’s defeat was supposed to restore the balance of the world, but there’s a darker, crueler force at work. Whatever the demon king’s intentions, he was slowing the spread of the Ligui, and without him, they rage free.”

  “But how—”

  “I don’t have all the answers.” She gives me a stern look. “I’ve told you all I know.”

  “Sorry,” I mumble.

  “It’s been frustrating.” She shakes her head. “I’ve used my most powerful spells, but the truth evades me. Meanwhile, the innocent continue to suffer. I heard news of another Ligui attack just this morning.”

  Guilt unfurls in my heart. Destroying Mowang may have freed the Yueshen, but it condemned others to the Ligui. “Where was the attack this time?”

  “A small village far from here. I only learned of it because a mechanical pigeon arrived in the city with a note begging for aid. I believe it was called Dailan.”

  My face goes cold. I’d hoped the Ligui would stay away from my village long enough for me to marry Kang and secure his protection. Instead, by helping destroy Mowang, I may have somehow released the very monsters I hoped to protect them from.

  Dailan has survived many such attacks before. I breathe deeply, forcing myself to remain calm. “Was there anything else?”

  Ibsituu meets my gaze with a sympathetic expression. “That was your village, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. Will Baiheshan be sending anyone to help?”

  “The note wasn’t asking for defenders … It was asking for shelter for refugees. It appears there’s not much left to defend.”

  No … I feel as if I’ve just fallen on a field of spikes. If I hadn’t accompanied Tai on his quest, if I’d taken the River Pearl from him when I had the chance … I might be married by now. Those mechanical dragons would have been patrolling the sky, and Dailan would still stand. What about Anshui? Mother? Are they even alive?

  I bolt up so fast my chair rattles. “I have to go.”

  “Of course.” Ibsituu waves her hand over the River Pearl. “But you will need this … I will not take long.”

  She gives the sword one last long look, as if committing it to memory, before closing her eyes. Blue magic swirls at her fingertips, which she brings down to the hilt. My heart hammers with agitation as I watch.

  Discipline, Anlei. Father’s voice rings in my head, and I picture the stern look he would have given me. The River Pearl is moments from your reach. Dailan’s people still need the viceroy’s protection. They’re seeking refuge in Baiheshan, but cities don’t like opening their doors to a flood of strangers.

  I focus on the mental image of my father. Protection for Dailan is the bride price Kang was willing to pay if I married him. He still has to keep that promise. He has to let them into his city.

  I repeat those thoughts, using them to anchor me to the floor while Ibsituu completes her rituals. Though I still intend to return to Tongqiucheng, I decide to stop by Dailan first. I have to at least know if my family survived.

  After what feels like an eternity, Ibsituu says, “It’s done.”

  She hands me the pearl. The sword lies on her table, and though its carvings remain as beautiful and intricate as before, its blade has lost its luster, and the round hole in its hilt looks like a gaping wound.

  I accept the River Pearl, and the hum of its energy pulses through my skin.

  I tear out of the temple and down the mountain, praying to whichever gods might be listening that my family survived the consequences of my mistakes.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  A RETURN

  Red rays from the sinking sun glaze Dailanjiang, making it appear like a river of blood. As I lower the ship toward the glistening ripples, I tell myself over and over that my worst fears can’t have come to pass. The ghostly whispers of the ship sift through me like frozen rain. I feel as if a hundred haunted souls surround me, asking something of me—but not saying what. Whatever magic the viceroy used to enchant this ship, it must have disturbed the dead.

  Dailan appears on the horizon as I glide down toward the water. A strange rush fills me—the warmth of home coupled with the chill of fear. The fading light silhouettes everything. From this distance, it looks as it always did—a cluster of low buildings carved by glimmering streams and surrounded by green swaths. A smile tugs at my lips. Though the length of my journey can be counted in days, I feel as if I’ve been gone for too long. I’ve seen so much, experienced so much. It’s as if I lived an entire lifetime since I said farewell to home.

  As I draw closer, the details become clearer. I furrow my brow, unwilling to believe what I’m seeing. The buildings don’t look dark because they’re shadowed … they’re the charred remains of burned wood. What looked like walls from a distance turn out to be the skeletons of buildings with collapsed roofs filling the space between blackened beams. A fire has ravaged my village.

  How did this happen? The Dailan Guard was still strong when I left it. And though Ligui have been known to start fires by knocking over torches, ours is a village surrounded by water. My heart clenches with sorrow and anger, and my eyes sting. This is my nightmare from the Courts of Hell come to life—me helpless and unable to save the home I love. My gaze claws over the ruins of my village for any sign of hope.

  I find it in the figures that move through the littered streets, salvaging whatever they can from the wreckage.

  A handful of people cluster along the riverbank, drawn by the sight of the flying ship, but I don’t see my family among them. As soon as the ship touches the river, I grab a rope and jump overboard. Cold water splashes up my entire body as I wade to shore, cursing the current for slowing me.

  “Anshui! Mother!” I step onto the shore. Shocked exclamations from the villagers buzz past me—they thought I was the viceroy or his men returning. I ignore them.

  The wooden gateway over the main road is gone, reduced to cinders. A sob rises up my chest. It’s only a thing, but it was a piece of my home. “Meimei! Ma!”

  “Jiejie!” Anshui emerges from the wreckage of a house and rushes to me. “It is you! How are you here? Were you flying that ship?”

  I catch her and hold her in a close embrace. “Yes. I heard about what happened to Dailan, and I had to return.”

  “You received one of my mechanical pigeons?” She releases me. “I sent one to every city I could think of.”

  “You made it?” Pride swells in my chest. “That’s amazing.”

  “I was the only one left who knew how. The spellmasters … They joined the Guard in defending the city, using magic as weapons. But … the Ligui … they were too strong.” Her eyes glisten. “Did the viceroy send you to lead his men to protect us?

  I smile at her innocence. “I wish that were true, but I flew alone.”

  Her face falls. “We can’t stay here. The fire destroyed so much … We’ll starve.”

  “What happened? Where is Mother?”

  “The Ligui attacked two days ago. There were more than we’ve ever seen before … They overwhelmed the Guard and crashed through the barrier spells. The only reason any of us survived is because they attacked near dawn, and the sun rose in time to drive them away. They seemed determined to destroy everything, seizing every source of fire and spreading the flames everywhere. I’ve never seen them so vicious before. We lost so many … They came to our house …” She stares at the ground. “I used a pistol to hold them off, but I’m not a warrior like you. Mother’s hurt … I don’t know if she’ll make it.”

  The words sit at the edge of my mind, refusing to sink in.

  “I tried to protect her.” Tears stream down Anshui’s face. “But when I wasn’t looking … I’m sorry.”

  My eyes sting. I arrived too late. I don’t know what to say, so I just pull Anshui back into my embrace.

  She sobs against my shoulder, hot tears soak
ing my tunic. “Why hasn’t the viceroy sent his bronze dragons to protect us yet? I thought after we gave him the River Pearl we were supposed to be safe …”

  “No one told you what happened in Tongqiucheng?”

  She shakes her head. “Is he on his way? If you received my pigeon, that means he received the message too, right?”

  “I didn’t receive the one you sent to Tongqiucheng … I heard about the one in Baiheshan.”

  “What were you doing in Baiheshan?”

  “It’s a long story …”

  Though I long to wake Mother, if only to say hello, I know she needs rest. Her skin is paler than white ash, and the bandages wrapped around her limbs, chest, and head send guilt lancing through my heart. I kiss her forehead. Her soft breath tickles my face.

  Anshui puts a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Come. We can check back later and see if she’s awake. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

  I rise from my kneeling position and let my sister guide me around the other injured villagers who lie on thin mats spread across Headman Su’s house—the one structure that survived intact. My vision blurs, and I squeeze my eyes.

  The dead number in the dozens, which, for a small village like ours, might as well be thousands. I don’t know how we’ll bury them all when Dailan is already stretched so thin between salvaging and caring for the injured. Grief weighs on my heart so heavily I fear it will drag me into the ground, leaving me a weeping heap.

  I pass Pinghua on my way to the threshold, and a sharp mix of sorrow and relief courses through me. The last time we fought together, I abandoned her to pursue my own revenge; she’s always been such a fierce fighter, but she was injured in that fight. Is that why she’s here now, lying unconscious with bloody bandages wrapped around her leg and face? Yet at least she’s alive … There are so many I once knew that I haven’t seen since returning to Dailan. I dread to think of where they might be.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

  Anshui gives me an annoyed look, but her eyes are sad. “How many times are you going to say that before you accept that this isn’t your fault?”

  “But it is.” I wander down the street, not really heading in any direction. Gold lines of barrier spells glimmer around the edges of Headman Su’s house, and I wonder if they’ll be enough to protect the injured inside. The sky fades above us, the blue hands of twilight blotting out the pink of sunset. Soon, darkness will rise, and the Ligui could return again. But who will defend what’s left of Dailan? Only a handful of guards remain, including me.

  The River Pearl, sitting at the bottom of the cloth bag slung over my shoulder, bounces against my hip. Earlier, Anshui sent her last mechanical pigeon to Tongqiucheng to tell Kang that it’s here. If we’re lucky, he’ll receive the message and return with his flying armada, though that might take a few days. I want to shove the relic into his hands so he’ll grant my people his protection.

  “Kang’s fleet would be here now if I hadn’t gone with Tai,” I murmur. “Our village wouldn’t have been burned … so many would still be alive …”

  “You couldn’t have known.”

  “I knew it was a risk. I shouldn’t have let him go the night he stole the pearl.”

  “If you hadn’t, the Yueshen would still be trapped by Mowang.” Anshui glances up.

  I follow her gaze. The moon shines bright. I can’t help picturing Tai up there right now, soaring across that far-off realm. “I suppose. And Tai would never have given up on the River Pearl. He would have found a way to steal it again—or been caught trying. Kang would have executed him.” A shudder runs down my spine, and it brings me some comfort to know that at the very least, Tai and his people are safe. “Still … I don’t know if freedom for the Yueshen was worth the price.”

  Anshui gives me a stern look. “You did the right thing. And when Mother wakes, she’ll tell you the same.”

  My sister’s willingness to forgive me so easily warms my heart.

  “There’s no sense in dwelling on what already happened.” Anshui places a hand on my arm. “I hope I get to meet Tai someday.”

  Irritation pops up my chest, though not at her. “That’s not going to happen. Our quest is finished, and he’s gone.”

  “I don’t believe that. Neither do you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Just that you talk about him an awful lot, and I have a feeling he’s doing the same up in the Yueshen’s realm.”

  Ibsituu said something similar, and it irks me that both she and now my sister seem to think there’s some lingering connection between me and Tai. “Why do you say that?”

  “It’s obvious, shagua.” A playful spark lights my sister’s eyes. “You’re completely obsessed with him.”

  My jaw drops. “I am not!”

  “Then why do you keep talking about him?”

  “You wanted to know about my journey, didn’t you? He’s the reason any of it happened.”

  She throws up her hand. “If you were any denser, you’d fall right through the earth! That conversation ended an hour ago, but you keep bringing him up.”

  “That’s only because I can’t get him out of my thoughts!”

  Anshui smirks. “Jiejie, what do you think love is?”

  I blink at her, not knowing whether to laugh or smack her. She’s being completely ridiculous—I’m not in love with Tai! How could I be when half the things he does make me want to throttle him?

  My sister giggles. Though it’s at my expense, it’s good to see her happy again. “Is he handsome? He sounds handsome.”

  “You’re being foolish,” I grumble.

  A red flare explodes in the sky, and a man’s distant shout rings out. All humor vanishes from Anshui’s face. I stare in disbelief at the bloody stain against the clouds. How will we protect the survivors of the last Ligui attack with so few of us able to fight?

  I grab my sword from its strap. “Anshui, get inside.”

  She seizes the pistol tucked into her belt. “I can fight too.”

  “You can’t—”

  “Yes, I can. I already did.”

  I stare at her in disbelief. She’s never been a fighter—in fact, this is the first time I’ve seen her hold a weapon she wasn’t tinkering with. Yet three days ago, she defended our house because I wasn’t there. But she’s only thirteen. “Go! You aren’t trained!”

  “Do you think the Ligui care?”

  A black wisp draws my gaze. I whirl in time to face a shadowy being that materializes before me—a multi-limbed monster with gaping mouths screaming from three heads. Flailing arms ending in grasped swords swipe at me.

  Enraged, I lunge at it. “Gai si! Haven’t you done enough?”

  A shot rings out. The thing screeches as yellow light spews from the spot where the bullet hit one of its heads. Anshui’s aim is true; I shouldn’t have doubted her. But I still hate that she’s out here, forced to fight because she’s one of the few people left who can.

  I attack with renewed fury. I have to destroy this Ligui before it reaches my sister. My sword crackles against the creature’s shadowy blades, and gold sparks fly. After ducking to avoid a blow, I swing upward and slice through one of its torsos.

  A second shot from Anshui destroys one of the two remaining heads. As the creature stumbles, I thrust my sword into the shadowy mass. The last smoky wisps of the Ligui dissolve. I glance at Anshui. Terror fills her face, but she keeps her pistol raised as if ready for more.

  Shots from other guards pierce the air. The clang and crackle of enchanted swords whirl on the wind. A black cloud covers the moon—I gape as I realize it’s actually a swarm of Ligui. Already I can tell that there are too many to fight, too many to drive back.

  Rage pulses through my veins at the cruelty of fate. The River Pearl sits in the bag on my shoulder. It’s all we needed to ensure Dailan’s protection, yet I’m too late to deliver it.

  A Ligui materializes in the shape of a lion a few feet away. Four dragonf
ly-shaped shadows flock around it. There’s no one else in sight.

  I charge. As long as there’s still breath in me, I won’t let anything harm my sister. I slice and swing in every direction, attempting to battle all five enemies at once. Anshui’s shots pop through the dark, and sparks spew from the dragonflies’ wings. Acrid smoke whirls around me. An abrupt swipe of the lion’s paw sends me tumbling to the ground, and I taste metal.

  Before I get a chance to recover, the shadowy lion explodes, and the dragonflies scatter. The clunk of metal and the whirring of propellers blow down toward me. A bronze dragon snakes through the air above. Kang must have received Anshui’s first message—not enough time has passed for him to have received the one telling him about the River Pearl. Maybe he came because he fears he’ll never get it if there’s no Dailan left to protect.

  I exhale. Explosions of enchanted fire rock the ground and pierce the sky with their yellow light.

  “Jiejie!” Anshui, now standing behind the enchanted barrier of the headman’s house, gestures for me to join her.

  I start toward her but glimpse a human-shaped Ligui disappear around a corner ahead. The sight of the white crescent glowing on his neck sends anger surging through my veins. Does the Shadow Warrior keep reappearing just to torment me?

  I race after him. Kang’s dragons won’t be the ones to take him down—it will be me. That raw, gnawing need to destroy him seizes my entire being. Nothing will stop my revenge this time.

  As I draw closer, he spins to face me. I strike with a fierce cry. He catches my blade with his own shadowy weapon. His white eyes meet mine as magic snaps and crackles from our locked swords.

  I shove forward, forcing him back. Rage hums through my core.

  “Anlei! Stop! It’s me!” Though darkness obscures any movements of his mouth, his voice is bright and clear—and familiar.

  I’ve never heard a Ligui speak before. I didn’t think it was possible.

  This must be a trick. Without hesitating, I swing again.

  “Anlei!” He blocks my blade.

  The shadows fade from his face, and pale moonlight spills onto his familiar features.