The Dragon Gods Box Set

by Resa Nelson

  The other gulls tried to follow but came up short when they encountered the light and airy limbs of a moon-dust tree that waved in the wake of the first gull’s flight. The large round leaves fluttered, attached to the unpredictable movement of the string-like tree limbs.

  When Njall watched the gulls give up and fly away, he saw something peeking through the movement of the leaves. A tall white stone with one side worn smooth in the shape of a crescent.

  Excited, Njall stared through the still-moving leaves at the stone.

  That must be it! But where is the tree with the split trunk?

  Not wanting to risk missing another landmark grown over and hidden by the landscape, Njall pulled his boat ashore again and searched the bank.

  He climbed and peered in all directions but saw no trees that looked unusual. He searched the woods that threatened to consume the crescent stone.

  Taking another look at the map, Njall believed the tree had to be close at hand. He returned to the river but kept a slow pace and a sharp watch on both sides of the river.

  Njall’s patience paid off when his boat glided next to a tree whose trunk bore a hole in its center large enough for most men to walk through. Looking back, he realized that had the stone not been overcome by growth, it would be visible from here.

  Now what?

  After pulling his boat ashore, Njall examined the tree and its surroundings. He then stood in front of the tree on the riverside and peered through the opening in its trunk. At first, he assumed it revealed nothing more than a forest and foothills.

  But he kept looking until he realized he saw a stairway carved into the side of those foothills.

  Njall’s heart raced with excitement. He secured the small boat to shore and disguised it with brush.

  Making sure he had his map and all the food and water he’d gathered, Njall walked past the peculiar tree and toward the path he believed would lead him to reunite with his wife.

  CHAPTER 10

  Empress Ti strode through the palace hallways with purpose. At the same time, she worried.

  Time is running out. If I don’t act now, all will be lost.

  Asu Chu hurried to keep pace with the empress. “I don’t understand. What does Li Chien have to do with anything?”

  “You’ll see soon enough.” Ti glanced sideways at her friend. “But you must never tell anyone what you learn today. You will be killed if you do.”

  “Maybe it’s something I shouldn’t learn then.” Asu Chu’s voice sounded hopeful but scared. “What if I return to Father?”

  “It’s too late for that,” Ti said. “You already know too much.”

  She led Asu Chu deeper into the least-used hallways of the palace, the ones rarely seen by servants. Ti had discovered this place herself only recently, and it happened because the royal magician Tao Chu had brought her here in an attempt to help her.

  Now it’s time for me to help myself.

  Ti rapped on a closed door. Moments later, it cracked open.

  “Ah,” said Li Chien. “Unexpected visitors.”

  Empress Ti didn’t have to look at Asu Chu to know he must be staring at her most favored royal advisor in surprise. She’d done the same thing when Tao Chu had brought her here.

  “Please.” Li Chien cracked the door open wider. “Come inside.”

  Inside his quarters, the walls and ceiling were painted deep blue like the night and decorated with white bursts of stars. The chimes hanging by a closed window hung still and silent. A globe formed by nesting brass hoops stood on a low table.

  Li Chien lit incense nestled inside a brass burner shaped like a dragon. He gestured for Ti to sit in a chair and for Asu Chu to sit on the floor. Li Chien remained standing.

  The room reminded Empress Ti of twilight. Once seated, she looked up at Li Chien. “You said you would help me figure out what to do. That time has come.”

  “I see.” Li Chien nodded at Asu Chu. “And you wish for the boy to be here for that?”

  “Yes,” Empress Ti said. “He’s involved.”

  Li Chien grunted in disapproval but said nothing. He eased onto a large floor pillow by the empress’s feet. “If he repeats anything, it could put him in danger. And you.”

  “He knows,” Empress Ti said. “He will obey me.” She glanced at Asu Chu and saw him stare back with frightened eyes.

  “Let us hope so,” Li Chien said.

  A shadow fell over the room. Looking through the window, Ti saw a bank of dark clouds overtake the sun. “The last time we spoke, you said something about a blood moon. You said it’s a bad sign.”

  Seemingly unable to control his impulses, Asu Chu spoke up. “A blood moon? Only astrologers know when a blood moon is coming.” He stared at Li Chien. “I thought you were just Ti’s advisor. Nobody told me you’re an astrologer, too.”

  “Which is why you can tell no one,” Empress Ti said. “Whoever is advised by an astrologer gains power. If the other advisors find out I’m gaining power, they will work harder to find a way to destroy me. If you talk, you put my life at risk.”

  “Oh,” Asu Chu said, hunching forward. “Alright.”

  Turning back to Li Chien, Empress Ti said, “You said the blood moon predicts bad times but it’s unclear who will suffer. You said the dragon goddess of fire complicates the message of the blood moon.”

  Li Chien stared at Asu Chu, seemingly satisfied by the boy’s subservient posture. “As I mentioned to you before, it is unclear whether the dragon goddess brings the blood moon or if she opposes it. If she brings the moon, the future is in your favor, and the terrible times are for others, not you. But if she opposes the moon, those dreadful times will fall directly upon you.”

  Ti remembered his words and had spent much time thinking about them. “How do I know if the dragon goddess brings the moon or opposes it?”

  “It is a difficult thing to know.” Li Chien looked away for a moment. “But according to the astrological charts and histories, the next full moon will be a blood moon.”

  When he looked back at Ti, she thought he looked concerned.

  Hesitation filled Li Chien’s voice. “If the empress were to have some kind of weakness—some type of ongoing illness, perhaps—bathing in the light of the blood moon would build her strength.”

  Asu Chu sat up straight and spoke with venom. “What do you know?”

  Li Chien looked away again.

  At first, Ti felt panic.

  Does Li Chien know about me?

  Months ago, when Frayka first arrived in Zangcheen, Ti had consumed water from the Fountain of Immortality intended for her ailing step-sister. Although the water made her feel vitalized in the beginning, her teeth later weakened so much that they threatened to fall out of her head. The bones in Ti’s body softened to the point of flexing but not breaking.

  Does Li Chien know that Tao Chu prescribed a diet of infant blood for me to hold onto my health? Does he know about the men who have stolen infants for me? Does he know what I’ve done with their blood?

  And if Li Chien knows, will he tell the advisors who want to overthrow me?

  Even though panicked, Ti couldn’t help but notice a soft and sympathetic expression in Li Chien’s eyes. “Please, my most trusted advisor and astrologer,” Ti said. “Please tell us what you know.”

  Li Chien kept his gaze on the nested bronze hoops on the table next to him. “There are rumors,” Li Chien said. “But I trust my Empress Ti in the same way I trusted her father, the Emperor Po. It is my duty and my privilege to serve in whatever manner is best for my Empress.”

  His gaze lifted so that he now stared at the empress’s knees. “I would advise my Empress to bathe in the light of the blood moon, but it would be best to do so far from any prying eyes. I recommend leaving the royal complex and even Zangcheen. I would find a place where one could have full access to the light of the moon while avoiding any possible onlookers.”

  Ti found the proposal terrifying. “Leave? I’ve spent my entire life he
re!”

  “Leave for a short while only,” Li Chien said. “Just long enough to find a secluded spot and then return.”

  “And this will guarantee my safety?” Ti said. “It will guarantee that the future is in my favor? It will guarantee that the terrible times are for others, not me?”

  “No,” Li Chien said. “The only thing that can provide such guarantees is if the dragon goddess of fire brings the blood moon. Unless she makes herself known when you bathe in the light of the blood moon, the only way to know if she brings the blood moon or opposes it is to calculate when the moon turns to blood and how long it lasts. Even then, I would have to consult the charts and histories.”

  “I see,” Ti said. New hope lifted her spirits. Standing, she thanked Li Chien and then said to Asu Chu, “Come with me. We have plans to make.”

  Following her example, Asu Chu stood. “Plans?”

  Ti turned toward Li Chien. “For as long as I’m gone, you will rule in my place. I will write the official papers tonight. Let everyone believe I’m sick and sequestered in bed. Tell the royal physicians that my illness is celestial and that only you can help.” Ti smiled. “Let the rumors fly. But stand strong and keep everyone in his place until I come back.”

  Li Chien beamed with relief. “That will be simple enough for the few days you’ll be gone.”

  Ti smiled. “I plan to be gone much longer than a few days. Much longer.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Frayka stared at the sea and thought about her dream. In that dream, Dagby had slipped and fallen into the water inside a well.

  I dreamed that because GranGran told me about babies going missing in the outer reaches of the Wulong Province. I’m afraid for Dagby’s safety. I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold onto her.

  Unable to reach her child, Frayka had shouted to the water for help, hoping the dragon god hid somewhere in the depths of the well.

  A disembodied voice had told Frayka to help Dagby. In response, Frayka shouted that she couldn’t help Dagby because the portents had deserted her. Frayka had no power without them.

  I dreamed that because the portents have been my greatest ally and dearest friend all my life. Any time I needed help, the portents guided me. I feel helpless without them.

  Then the disembodied voice had instructed Frayka to try. Wedged in a secure position, Frayka had lowered her body far enough to grasp Dagby and pull her out of the well.

  What if that wasn’t the dragon god of water advising me? What if the portents were speaking to me in a dream? Maybe the portents are telling me it’s time to depend on my own judgment.

  Frayka mulled over that thought.

  Maybe the portents are right.

  She’d been away from her home in the Land of Ice and Njall for so long that she couldn’t remember what it felt like to be a Northlander. For the first time, Frayka felt uncomfortable in her own skin. For the first time, she felt like a Far Easterner.

  What does it mean to be like people who can be so cruel? Does it mean I can become just as cruel as they are?

  Frayka reminded herself that her only link to the Far East was through GranGran. Her great-grandmother didn’t display cruelty. She’d been firm with Frayka but not unkind. And GranGran fought as well as any Northlander.

  Shaking her head in dismay, Frayka didn’t know how to resolve her feelings about being a Northlander but looking like a Far Easterner. She imagined it would take time, and the solution wouldn’t come to her today.

  Still staring at the sea, Frayka wished the dragon god of water would rise into sight and solve all her problems. She snorted in amusement at that thought.

  If this is how I think, no wonder my portents won’t come back! I can’t sit around and wish for my problems to be solved. I need to get up and do something about them.

  Frayka paused, remembering GranGran’s advice about finding the dragon god of water.

  No need to rush. It’s best to let all unfold in due time.

  Frayka snorted again and spoke out loud to the empty air just in case her portents might be listening. “No need to rush! My baby is now in a part of the Far East where babies go missing. I have to protect her. And the best way is to find the dragon god of water. Once I make peace among the gods, I can take Dagby home to Blackstone where she’ll be safe.”

  The mountain behind her gave a soft rumble. Frayka turned to look back at it. “You talked to me once. Maybe you’ll do it again.”

  Frayka climbed up to the mountaintop. When she reached the Gate of Fire, she noticed once more how it reflected streams of molten fire even though they moved far from the path.

  Frayka stood in front of the Gate of Fire, admiring its fine craftsmanship. She glanced at the dancing gold dragons with red gemstone eyes that decorated the top of the gate before she walked through.

  On the other side of the gate, Frayka walked across the white marble plaza toward the palace made of gold. Prepared to shout for hours, Frayka took a wide stance and said, “I’m not leaving until you talk to me. I can shout for days.”

  But before she could call out the name of the goddess, Fiera seeped through the marble in the form of black smoke and then took her goddess shape. Her long black hair curled and stood in stark contrast against her pale skin. Her flame-colored gown whipped in the wind, and the warm gems scattered across the gown's bodice and high standing collar sparkled in the strong sunlight. Without any sense of decorum, Fiera stared at Frayka and said, “What are you doing here?”

  Frayka had lost any fear of gods long ago. She saw no need to give Fiera any kind of special recognition. “I can’t find the god of water. I learned his gate travels. If I can’t find his gate, I can’t find him.”

  Fiera looked down her nose. “Why bother me about it?”

  “All of you dragon gods must know each other. Can’t you speak to him on my behalf?”

  Tiny flames burst inside Fiera’s eyes, making her look angry. “You forget to whom you speak.”

  “I do not.” Frayka held her ground. She remembered why the All-Father had chosen her to find the dragon gods and talk some sense into them. “You’re my goddess. And I speak as a Northlander with Far Eastern blood. You coerced the Northlanders into worshipping you. I’m one of those Northlanders.”

  “Hardly.” Fiera sniffed in disdain. The tiny flames still burned bright inside her eyes. “You’re too young to remember the Northlands or what happened to them.”

  “My father told me the tales. I know all about them.” Frayka paused and allowed all the conflicted feelings she had about herself to come rushing back. “Look at me. I’m a Far Easterner, too.”

  Fiera flicked a disinterested glance up and down Frayka’s body as if in verification. “What does that matter?”

  Frayka remembered the bit of comfort she’d found amidst her conflicted feelings. “I’m the great-granddaughter of Madam Po.”

  The tiny flames in Fiera’s eyes became as still as statues. “Madam Po?”

  The surprise in Fiera’s voice inspired Frayka. “I believe you know her. It seems most dragon gods do.”

  Fiera’s voice turned to steel. “For the sake of Madam Po, I will help you should you convince all the other gods to do the same. Until then, no amount of shouting will tempt me to speak to you.” Fiera’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Go home before I throw you to the flames.”

  Nodding in consent, Frayka walked back to the Gate of Fire and exited Fiera’s realm.

  Although disappointed in learning nothing new about how to find the dragon god of water, Frayka smiled, now convinced that he would help once she found him.

  CHAPTER 12

  Empress Ti consulted the royal magician, Tao Chu, inside his quarters and safe from prying eyes. The magician’s son, Asu Chu, sat close by on a floor pillow and covered his face with his hands as if not wanting to know what they discussed.

  Ti felt anxious and exhilarated at the same time. She’d spent her life sequestered inside the royal complex. For the first time ever, she�
��d set foot outside the gates and walked to the harbor of Zangcheen where she’d confronted Asu Chu when he disembarked a ship.

  Now she prepared for the greatest and most dangerous adventure of her life.

  “How do I look?” she said, spinning slowly in front of the royal magician.

  “Like an average commoner of Zangcheen.” Tao Chu smiled in satisfaction.

  Ti winced at the stiff and coarse fabric of the simple white shirt and pants she wore. “How do commoners wear such clothes every day? It’s so rough against the skin.” Ti lifted her pant legs and looked down at the simple black shoes that completed her disguise. “And these shoes are so uncomfortable!”

  “Royalty comes with many privileges,” Tao Chu said. “It is easy to take such privileges for granted when one knows of nothing else.”

  “I suppose.” Ti let go of the pant legs and took a few steps to test the shoes. A new thought struck her. “What about my hair?”

  Empress Ti typically began each day with the royal coiffeur, who took painstaking steps to arrange Ti’s silky black hair into one or more knots on top of her head.

  “The common women often wear their hair loose or tie it together at the nape of the neck.”

  Ti bristled. “The nape of the neck? That’s where concubines wear their knots. I will not be confused with a concubine!”

  “Of course not. May I suggest you let your hair down and let it fall where it may?”

  Ti looked at the royal magician in dismay. “My coiffeur is the one who puts my hair up and takes it down.” She hesitated, not wanting to admit that she had no idea how to let her hair down.

  “Asu,” Tao Chu said. “Help the empress with her hair.”

  Asu Chu looked up in surprise, as if covering his face with his hands had somehow made him invisible. “What?”

  The royal magician took the empress by her hand and guided her to sit in his best chair. To his son, Tao said, “Empress Ti cannot go out in public wearing a hairstyle that announces to the world that she has royal blood. You’re a clever boy. You can puzzle out how to release her hair from its bonds.”