The Dragon Gods Box Set

by Resa Nelson

  She gestured for him to continue speaking his opinion.

  Asu Chu said, “Who wants to take babies away from their families? It’s very suspicious. When the families protest and refuse to give up their babies, the guards will have no reason to give. And when you have no reason to give for what you demand, you are weak. When families see the guards as weak, they won’t do what the guards say. The families will fight against them instead.”

  Looking at his son, Tao Chu lifted his chin in pride. He then spoke to Empress Ti. “That is what will happen. I’m terribly sorry for your physical state, but the one thing that can cure you is impossible to obtain.”

  “And yet,” Empress Ti said, “it is possible for men to condemn women to be boiled to death.”

  Tao Chu gave her a blank stare. “Only when the law is broken, my Empress.”

  The expression in Ti’s eyes turned to steel. “Laws that dictate how women must behave toward the men that force marriage upon them? Laws that favor men and dismiss women?”

  Tao Chu’s face softened. “Laws written by the Po Dynasty. And like your father, you have the power to change any or all laws as you wish.” Although still seated, the magician bowed toward her. “The Empress Ti must be obeyed by all in Zangcheen and the Wulong Province.”

  He’s right. I’m the one who holds all power now. And as long as Tao Chu acknowledges this, I’m better off using his skills as the court magician than getting rid of him.

  A sharp rap on the closed door startled Ti out of her thoughts. “Open.”

  When the door swung open, it revealed a young guard and Madam Po, leaning on her wooden cane. The guard announced, “The great-grandmother of the Po Dynasty wishes to speak with the Empress Ti.”

  Ti leaned back in her chair and beamed at the aged woman. “Please do join us!” To Tao Chu, Ti said, “I take your suggestion under advisement. We’ll talk later.”

  After Tao Chu exited the council room, Madam Po took the chair he vacated to sit across from the empress. She nodded her respect. “Empress Ti.”

  Asu Chu fumbled in confusion and stood, ready to leave.

  Ti placed a calming hand on his arm and said, “Stay.”

  Relieved, Asu Chu sat down again.

  “Member of my most revered family,” Ti said to Madam Po. “How can I help you today?”

  “My great-granddaughter has gone missing,” Madam Po said. “I have already searched through much of the royal complex but can’t find her. I humbly request your most kind assistance.”

  Ti giggled. “This is the easiest request I received so far! I know where Frayka is.”

  Madam Po’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but the expression on her face remained still and unreadable.

  “I have sent Frayka on a mission,” Ti said. “A mountain girl came to seek my help. Of course, the girl had no way of knowing that my beloved father is dead and that there will be no court for a week. I could have sent her away, but I took pity on the girl because her sister had been captured by a serpent.”

  “A serpent?” Madam Po’s jaw slackened in surprise.

  “To be more precise, the men in the girl’s village gave her sister to a serpent as a sacrifice.”

  When Madam Po spoke, her voice relayed genuine dismay. “How terrible.”

  “Yes, quite terrible.” Ti watched Madam Po closely. “While the mountain girl told me her story, my finest guard brought Frayka to my door. Of course, I have no idea why she wished to see me because she speaks so little of our language.”

  Madam Po lowered her head in shame. “I have encouraged her repeatedly to study, but Frayka has a mind of her own.”

  Ti reached across the table and held out a hand to Madam Po, who accepted it. Ti gave the old woman’s hand a gentle squeeze and then released it. “I’m sure you did your best, and I have confidence Frayka is inspired to take her studies to heart. Frayka’s entrance turned out to be opportune. I remember the stories I heard as a child of the Northlands and their dragons. It dawned on me that because Frayka has some Northlander blood that she would be the perfect solution to the mountain girl’s problem.”

  Madam Po steadied her hands against the table. “Solution?”

  “Of course! Northlanders are dragonslayers, aren’t they? So Frayka is the best candidate in all the Far East to slay a serpent. So, I sent her off with the mountain girl. Frayka will slay the serpent, the mountain girl’s sister will be saved, and the villager’s problem will be solved.”

  “Has Frayka returned?” Madam Po said. “Is she safe?”

  “Not yet,” Ti said. “But I’m sure she’s fine. I will make sure that once she returns, you will be the first to be told.”

  An unexpected nudge from Asu Chu startled Ti.

  “She can help,” Asu Chu said.

  Madam Po caught her breath and then gave him a temperate smile. “I doubt that. I am no magician like you or your father.”

  Asu Chu nudged Ti again. “Her portents. Madam Po can help because of her portents.”

  Empress Ti sat up straighter and considered the old woman. “I’ve heard stories of your portents in the same way I heard stories about dragonslayers from the Northlands. Is it true you can tell the future?”

  “Not quite,” Madam Po said. She cast her gaze down with humility. “I have no control over the portents. I never know when they will come to me or what they will have to say. And quite often the message is murky, so I can’t guarantee my interpretation is always accurate.”

  Empress Ti suspected the old woman either lied or told a questionable version of the truth. “But there are stories about the old days when you helped emperors protect the Far East from invaders. You foretold seasons of abundance and seasons of scarcity. Because of that, the emperor knew when to store abundant crops so no one would starve. You foretold storms, so the emperor knew when to forbid ships to go out to sea. You saved lives.” Empress Ti narrowed her eyes slightly. “I find it impossible to believe that your portents are as murky as you claim.”

  “Those stories are exaggerated,” Madam Po said. “Stories of invaders and near-starvation and men who might have drowned at sea provide far more entertainment than the truth.”

  I am not convinced.

  Ti turned toward Asu Chu. “How do you think Madam Po might be able to help us?

  Asu Chu ran his forefinger along the grain of the tabletop as if following a path through the woods. “The advisors are angry that your father changed the law and made you empress. They all want to be emperor.” He looked up with surprise, as if he’d startled himself. “Except for Li Chien. I think he is truly worthy of your trust.”

  Ti nodded. “As do I.”

  Asu Chu returned his attention to the tabletop. “Madam Po’s portents could warn you about the advisors. If they plot against you, she’ll know. If they plan to kill you, she’ll know. If they hire assassins from other provinces to attack you, she’ll know.”

  Madam Po sighed. “You speak as if I have far more power than any mortal can have.”

  “Have I not made it clear I don’t believe you?” Ti said. “Your reputation precedes you. I trust all the stories I’ve heard about you. I doubt they were fabricated from thin air.”

  “But my Empress—”

  Ti raised a hand to silence Madam Po. To Asu Chu, Ti said, “Continue.”

  He swirled his fingertip like a typhoon on the table’s surface. “Of course, there’s all the other things we already know about. Madam Po can tell you when crops will and won’t be good. She can predict bad weather.” Asu Chu brightened. “Oh! And if the other provinces get riled up because you’ve become empress, Madam Po can warn you in case there’s an attack or even a war in the works.”

  To Madam Po, Ti said, “And I imagine everything Asu Chu says is merely scratching the surface of all the wonderful things you can do. For that reason, I would like you to move into the palace at once to make it easier for you to advise me.”

  Madam Po bristled. “That will only make my work more difficult.
I once tried living inside the royal complex. No portents would come to me. It was only when I returned to the city outside these gates that the portents flowed freely again.”

  “Asu Chu,” Ti said. “Go fetch the man standing guard outside this room.”

  The magician’s son scrambled to the door and pulled the guard inside the room.

  “Guard,” Ti said. “Escort Madam Po to the Desolate Cell inside the palace.”

  “Empress!” Madam Po said in horror. “I am your family! The Desolate Cell is for the most heinous criminals before they are put to death!”

  Empress Ti ignored her. Still speaking to the guard, she said, “Make sure Madam Po has plenty to eat and drink. Otherwise, as she so duly noted, Madam Po is to be treated like a dangerous criminal. Make sure her imprisonment holds.”

  If Ti’s orders surprised the guard, he didn’t show it. “Yes, my Empress.” He waited for Madam Po to rise and then escorted her from the council room and through the maze-like halls of the royal palace toward its most central and tiny room.

  CHAPTER 17

  What happened to Ti? Has the death of her father spun her into a realm of madness?

  To buy time, Madam Po feigned difficulty when she walked with her cane. She forced her hands to tremble and showed great effort to take every step.

  After shuffling her way through several hallways, Madam Po recognized the door to the Desolate Cell from her younger days when she worked more directly with the emperor. She knew it to be an unpleasant place and had no interest in spending any time inside it.

  “Move along, Madam,” the guard said.

  Madam Po slammed the end of her cane against the marble floor, and its harsh sound echoed through the hallway. “What did you say to me, young man?”

  Flummoxed, the guard looked at her with wide eyes. “I must obey the Empress. You must go to the Desolate Cell at once.”

  “That is precisely what I am doing,” Madam Po said. She shuffled her feet in place as if trying to keep her balance. “I’m an old woman. Old enough to be your great-grandmother! Did your family fail to teach you how to respect your elders? Do you come from a backwoods region where everyone is a simpleton?”

  The guard blanched. “No! Of course not, Madam. I am only doing my duty.”

  Madam Po held her arms out to her side and pretended to teeter, doing her best to feign an oncoming fall.

  “Madam Po!” The guard rushed to her. Taking the old woman by the arms, he steadied her. “There,” he said. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine as long as you don’t rush me,” Madam Po said in a huff. “Is that how you treat the elders in your family? You rush them and force them to tumble onto the ground in their haste?”

  The guard became more flustered by the moment. “No. I never do that.” He fluttered around her like a butterfly, as if worried she might teeter again.

  Madam Po stood quite still and darkened her tone. “Then why do you treat the eldest member of the Po Dynasty with such carelessness?”

  “Madam Po, please,” the guard said, bowing again and again. “I beg your forgiveness. I only meant to obey my Empress, not to do any harm.”

  “Well, then,” Madam Po said. “You can do your duty without forcing me to hurry, can’t you?”

  Still bowing, the guard said, “Yes, Madam Po. I promise to treat you with the greatest care.”

  “Good,” Madam Po said. With a lightning-swift move, she spun her cane in the air and brought its full force against the back of the guard’s neck.

  The single blow knocked him unconscious.

  Tucking the cane under her arm, Madam Po reached down to wrap her hands around the guard’s ankles with the intent of dragging him into the Desolate Cell.

  “Now, now, Madam Po,” Empress Ti said.

  Madam Po looked up to see the empress walking toward her, trailed by that foolish boy, Asu Chu.

  She followed me!

  If it had been anyone other than Ti, Madam Po would have raised her cane and continued fighting. Her hand twitched, desperate for the feel of the unassuming weapon.

  Ti walked and stood within easy striking distance. She raised an eyebrow as if challenging any thoughts of defiance.

  Madam Po made a point of moving slowly to remove the cane from where she still had it tucked under one arm. She used it to steady herself.

  To Asu Chu, Ti said, “Go find more guards and bring them here.”

  Asu Chu’s forehead crinkled with worry. “But what if she hurts you?”

  Ti gave a gentle smile to Madam Po. “A member of my own family? Madam Po would do no such thing.”

  Asu Chu pointed at the fallen guard, still unconscious on the floor. “What about him?”

  “She has no allegiance to him.” Ti kept smiling. “And there is no real consequence for what she has done so far. No real consequence for a member of the Po Dynasty.”

  “She’s dangerous!” Asu Chu whispered.

  Madam Po kept her expression still and neutral.

  Why can’t she leave me with him? I could take out this boy even easier than the guard.

  “Nonsense,” Ti said. “Madam Po knows that if I’m harmed when alone with her that the consequence will be her immediate execution. And then her great-granddaughter would have to fend for herself, which would likely be a very unfortunate task.” Ti turned and pointed down the hallway from which they’d come. “Go get more guards. Now!”

  Asu Chu scooted away as fast as his legs could hustle.

  Turning back to face Madam Po, Ti said, “Well, then. I heard stories that you seem to defy your age, but now I can see for myself that those stories are true.”

  “I am willing to help you in whatever way I can with my portents,” Madam Po said. “But there is no need to put me inside the Desolate Cell.”

  “I agree,” Ti said. “But there will be a price to pay for what has happened here today.”

  She pointed at Madam Po’s cane.

  “I want you to teach me how to fight,” Ti said, smiling once more.

  CHAPTER 18

  After cooking and eating the next fish she caught, Frayka felt better. She suspected she could have eaten another entire fish, but a sense of urgency convinced her to press forward.

  Now that she’d seen what she believed to be the Gate of Earth, Frayka wanted to waste no time in finding its god.

  Frayka remembered what she noticed when the clouds blocking the sun separated just enough to allow a shaft of light to illuminate the Gate of Earth. She remembered how she’d noted its location so she could find it.

  The lightning-struck tree split in half marks the north boundary. The slope falls at the south boundary. Walk 50 steps from the brook to get to the gate.

  Frayka walked along the brook until she spotted the tree that looked as if it had been struck by lightning not too long ago. She looked up at the sky to check the position of the sun. Based on its location and the time of day, Frayka believed that the top of the mountain behind her must be north.

  That meant the southern slope had to be farther downstream.

  Frayka kept walking. Every so often she looked back to make sure she still had the lightning-split tree in sight.

  Soon, she came upon the slope that took a sharp downward drop.

  Satisfied that she’d found the right location, Frayka turned her back to the brook and counted while she walked 50 steps into the mountainside forest. When a thicket of brambles blocked her path, Frayka drew her dagger and chopped her way through them. The brambles left thin trails of blood running down her face from where they scratched her.

  A wolf howled in the distance, making Frayka feel lost and vulnerable. Growing up in the Land of Ice, she’d never met any animals more dangerous than sheep.

  Daylight dimmed when clouds crossed the sun. Looking back, Frayka saw that the brambles blocked her sightline of the brook. Without the sun and the brook, she took her best guess about whether or not she kept a straight course.

  When Frayka reached th
e count of 50 steps, she stopped and looked all around. Although she stood in a patch of forest that resembled where she’d seen the Gate of Earth from the opposite side of the brook, she couldn’t be sure that she’d found the right place. After all, the jade gate had blended in perfectly with the greenery surrounding it. Only that shaft of sunlight coming from an otherwise dark sky had touched upon the gate in a way that made it sparkle and stand out from its surroundings.

  What do I do now? The gate has to be here somewhere.

  Frayka decided the most logical approach would be to walk in a spiral. First, she chose the most unique tree in sight: a dying pine tree whose needles had gone brown at the root but whose tips were still green. She used that tree as the center and then walked slowly in an ever-widening spiral. While walking, Frayka kept her arms stretched out to the side in case the camouflaged gate might brush her fingertips.

  But instead of cool jade, Frayka felt sharp pine needles, leaves, and bushes. When her circular path had spread so wide that she found herself at the sharp drop of the slope again, Frayka looked for the half-dead pine tree and made her way back to it.

  I don’t understand. I remember seeing the gate halfway between the dropping slope and the tree struck by lightning. The gate should be at the center of my spiral. Why can’t I find it?

  Back at the pine tree, Frayka stared at it for a long time as if waiting for it to turn into the Gate of Earth.

  It’s here somewhere. I know it is. I’ll try again, but this time I’ll spiral out in the opposite direction.

  Walking a bit faster, Frayka circled around the dead pine. When she had circled it a few times, she looked back at the pine and noticed something flash across her vision.

  Frayka halted and stared at the dead pine tree. If it had been night, she would have described the flash as a falling star.

  But the flash hadn’t occurred at night. And it hadn’t fallen from the sky. It had flashed horizontally through the forest between Frayka and the dead pine tree.

  Keeping her gaze on the dead pine, Frayka continued forward on her spiral path. No flash appeared.

  Sensing what she had seen was important, Frayka wanted to see it again. That meant she needed to reproduce whatever circumstances allowed her to see that flash.