by Cindy Lin
“The 46th Tiger Warrior wasn’t shy about knocking it on our skulls.” Inu smiled wryly. “He was just as strict as the Tigress.”
Usagi looked around the verdant valley, full of trees and bushy thickets dotting long rolling meadows carpeted in blossoms. The sun was giving in to the pull of the horizon. Before long, dusk would set in. “No matter how big Inu says it is, I don’t know how we’re going to find the ring here. This place is enormous.”
“Look to where the butterflies are thickest,” Tora said firmly. “That’s what I saw when I fainted at the Tree of Elements.”
At the mention of the sacred tree, Usagi stuck her hand in her pocket, where she was keeping the piece of ironstone that had fallen from its trunk. She fingered the stone’s rough surface. She wasn’t sure why she’d brought it, but it felt like a talisman of sorts—a piece of Mount Jade that might protect them on this mission.
Goru laughed. The butterflies had landed back on his head and gathered on his shoulders like a mantle. “Thicker than this?” He shook himself, and the butterflies dispersed.
“If it’s truly here, we should be able to locate it, between all of our senses—my dog nose, Usagi’s rabbit hearing, and Tora’s tiger vision,” said Inu. “We’ll search till it grows dark, and if we don’t turn anything up, we start again in the morning.”
A look of longing came into Tora’s eyes. “I bet if we’d brought the Mirror of Elsewhere, we’d be able to find it immediately,” she muttered to Usagi.
“Good thing we brought the Apothecary—your face would be glued to the mirror otherwise.” Usagi grimaced. “You’re just feeling its pull. It’s not like it would give us a map, you know. You still have to understand what it shows you.”
As they walked farther into the valley, they found themselves in an overgrown holloway. The sunken path was lined with sheltering trees. From a vaulted ceiling of branches, butterflies hung in droves, some looking like yellow-green foliage, and others like scraps of bright ribbon. A few were brown and dull, looking for all the world like dead leaves, until they unfolded their wings and fluttered, showing flashes of iridescent purple. The air was heavy with the sweet scent of flowers and green, leafy growth, with a sharp undernote of decay. As Warrior Heirs and presumed leaders of the mission, Inu and Usagi took turns going off the sunken path to do some preliminary exploring, rejoining the group as they traversed along the holloway. On one such excursion, Usagi discovered the trickle of a stream that ran alongside the path, and refilled everyone’s water gourds.
The sun went down and the light grew dusky blue. Butterflies settled onto every available leaf and branch, coming to rest for the night. Greenish lights began to wink in the air and the trees, becoming a constellation of fireflies. The valley wasn’t terrifying at all. If anything, it was enchanting. “How could anyone possibly think these butterflies are ghosts?” wondered Tora.
“We might as well get ourselves settled,” Inu suggested, and Usagi agreed. The holloway seemed a decent shelter, cool against the heat of summer and warm against the evening chill, with fireflies lending their shimmering light. They set up camp and laid out their bedrolls.
Usagi stretched out on the hard-packed earth, staring up at the winking fireflies and the patches of sky visible between the branches covering the holloway. Goru had begun to snore, and Inu soon joined in. She was drifting into sleep when Tora whispered her name. Usagi cracked an eye at her friend. “What is it?”
“I’m seeing a strange light in the sky,” said Tora.
Pushing herself up, Usagi tried to look. “Where?”
“It’s easier to spot if we move out from under these trees.” Tora got up and beckoned Usagi a little way from their campsite, where the two boys continued to sleep soundly. She pointed to the open sky. “It looks like fire.”
Above them was a sea of black, speckled with white starlight like grains of salt on a swath of dark silk. A curved sliver of moon hovered like a silvery claw poised to slice open the sky. And as she followed Tora’s finger, Usagi saw a glimmering golden light. Closer to them than any star, it was still just a bobbing speck. Could it be the ghosts the townspeople had warned about?
“What is that?” Usagi wondered. “I can’t see much from here.”
Tora’s amber eyes were narrowed. “It looks exactly like a lantern, only it’s not hanging from anything. It’s floating—and I think there are words painted on it.”
“A sky lantern!” Usagi had read about them in the shrine library. Back before the formation of the Twelve, when the ancient tribes of Midaga were constantly warring with each other, they used fire signals such as sky lanterns and hilltop torches to send messages. But such things hadn’t been used in centuries. “Where do you think it’s coming from? Could it have drifted here from Woodwing?”
Frowning, Tora shook her head. “I suppose. But the town isn’t that close.”
“Maybe it’s a ghost like they said,” joked Usagi, but she felt a shiver of alarm.
Tora snorted. She stared at it a while longer, then headed back to the camp. “I think we need to shoot it down.”
Spinning on her heel, Usagi trotted after her. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea? That could raise trouble if you get caught by whoever’s sent that up. And what if you miss?”
“One—I don’t miss,” Tora threw over her shoulder. “And two, I won’t get caught. I’ve got my spirit speed, and besides, I doubt there’s anyone else in this valley. Look at this old path. No one’s been here in years. I’m going to borrow Inu’s bow so we can get a closer look at this thing.”
Usagi was doubtful. “I don’t know—Inu’s not going to like you playing with his bow.”
“Playing?” scoffed Tora. “I’m as good a shot as he is. He won’t mind. If it bothers you, you don’t have to come.”
“You think I’m going to let you go after this by yourself?”
“Of course not.” Tora’s snaggleteeth glinted. “Why do you think I woke you in the first place?”
Quietly, they stole into the camp. Tora lifted Inu’s bow and quiver from his belongings with careful movements, and Usagi grabbed her walking stick with its hidden sword blade. There was no telling what they might find, so it was better to be prepared. They left the two boys snoring in their bedrolls and set off toward the light in the sky. Using their spirit speed, they ran and bounded in the direction of the lantern, its golden flame shining like a beacon from a lighthouse.
Before long they drew close enough that it seemed to hover directly overhead. Usagi could hear the hiss of the fire that burned at the base of the lantern, propelling the paper balloon high in the air. They were far from the sunken path and the shelter of the holloway, closer to the rising walls that cradled the valley. “Now what?”
“Now we get this thing down.” Tora looked up at the floating light and drew out the bow. Nocking an arrow to the string, she took aim and let it fly.
The arrow soared up into the dark. There was a ripping sound as the arrow punched through the sky lantern’s fragile paper walls, jerking it aside. It began to list and lean, collapsing on itself, and within seconds the flame that had lifted the lantern began to consume it, licking at the paper with flaring, leaping tongues.
“It’s burning up!” Usagi clapped a hand to her mouth as the lantern, now a ball of fire, began to fall. As it plummeted toward them, she and Tora shrieked and darted out of the way. The lantern crashed to the ground in a blaze of burning paper and bamboo, the thin frame crumbling as it burned.
Tora sighed. “Well, that didn’t quite go as planned.” She approached as the fire shrank and sputtered out, toeing the charred remains. The paper was burned clean off. There was nothing left to read.
“Did you get a look at what it said before you shot it?” Usagi asked.
“Not really.” Picking up a burnt scrap of bamboo, Tora examined it dolefully. “Something about a wish or a prayer?” She looked around, scanning their surroundings. “I wonder where this could have come from.”
<
br /> Usagi rubbed her rabbit pendant, listening carefully. The night air was still, and to ordinary people it would have seemed dead silent. But echoing in her ears were the clicks of insect jaws and their tapping legs, the swoosh of owl wings, the fluttering of moths, the movement of ground squirrels and other small animals in their burrows. Far off in the distance, Usagi could just make out the snores of Inu and Goru. At least they were still asleep.
And then she caught a more unfamiliar sound—a strange thrumming, almost like a very fast heartbeat. It was coming from somewhere deep inside the valley, even farther from where they were, and it seemed to call to her. “I’m hearing something. I think we should try to find it.”
“Lead the way,” said Tora, looking intrigued.
For a moment, Usagi hesitated. Should they wait for the morning, so their whole group could investigate together? It might be safer. But the thrumming sound was so curious—she felt the urge to find it right away, while she could easily locate it among the notes of the night.
Tora smiled. “I’ll see for us in the dark. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
Slowly they traipsed toward the sound, as Usagi tried to pinpoint its source. At last she figured it was coming from deep in the heart of the valley and the direction of the holloway. Using their spirit speed, they raced toward the end of the sunken path, only to find it blocked off. Usagi drew her hidden blade and poked at the thick brush and hanging vines that clogged the old holloway, but Tora shook her head. “We’re going to need help with this.”
They decided to return to their camp and come back with the others in the morning. “Something’s beyond this—I can hear it,” Usagi said, sheathing her sword reluctantly.
She could barely sleep when they got back to their bedrolls, and when the sun peeked over the lip of the valley and the sky began to lighten, Usagi shook everyone awake.
“Tora and I found something last night,” she announced. “Well, a couple of things. I heard a strange noise, and traced it to the end of this path, but it’s blocked. We’ll need to clear a way through to find out what it is, but I think it’s important.”
Goru rubbed his eyes and stared blearily at her. “What was the other thing?”
“A sky lantern.” Usagi held up the charred bamboo frame. “Tora shot it down.”
The Dog Heir sat up. “She what?”
“I borrowed your bow,” said Tora with a cheeky shrug. “Hope you don’t mind.”
Sour-faced, Inu examined his bow, then grunted. He turned his attention to the lantern piece, then gave a low whistle. “I wonder what sort of signal was being sent. Or who was sending it.”
“Well, we didn’t see anyone, and it burned up before we could figure out what was written on it,” said Usagi. She bounced impatiently. “Can you get up now so we can go?”
After rousing out of their bedrolls and downing a quick meal, they set off. Urged on by Usagi, they sped down the sunken path with spirit speed until they reached the place that had stymied Usagi and Tora the night before. In the daylight, Usagi could see why Tora had insisted that they needed more hands. The holloway was impassable, sealed off by a wall of vegetation that extended outside the sunken path. The entire surface was covered in fluttering butterflies, like a bright silk tapestry come to life.
Goru began to rip out the thick vines while the rest of them hacked and pulled at weeds and brush. Butterflies flitted about them—so many that it was hard to see at times. At last an opening was created. Inu sniffed carefully and cocked his head. “I’m not smelling anything different,” he said. “Just plants and insects. So many insects.”
They slipped through one by one and found themselves in the middle of a lush wood. The thrumming was louder now, and Usagi surged forward. “Come on, it’s this way,” she said. Squeezing past closely grown trees and scratchy bushes, she led the others to the source of the sound, the hum vibrating in her ears. Butterflies were everywhere, even more of them than Usagi thought possible. It felt as if they were walking through drifting clouds of color.
“What’s that?” Tora gasped.
They stopped and stared. Usagi squinted, trying to make out what Tora was pointing at. It was a hulking shape that at first looked like a fallen log, only it was streaked with silver and glistened in the sunlight. One end of it was attached to a massive tree, and it rested on the ground, dwarfing nearly all of them.
“Is that . . .” Inu swallowed. “A chrysalis?”
Goru stepped closer. “You mean to say there’s a butterfly growing in there? But . . . it’s nearly as big as me!” He peered at the shining, translucent casing, through which intricate wing patterns could be seen, as well as the folded limbs and body of a giant being. “Burping blisters—I think I see the ring.”
“What?!”
“Where?”
With exclamations of shock, they crowded around. Goru pointed. There was a steady flutter beneath the surface, which seemed to be the source of the thrumming sound that Usagi had been hearing. And nestled inside the chrysalis, in what appeared to be a coil of rope, was an amber stone rimmed with pale mother-of-pearl.
“How in the world did it get in there?” Usagi wondered.
Inu got on a knee and reached out a tentative finger. “It must have been placed here by Master Pom for safekeeping. Judging from the size of the chrysalis, it’s probably been guarding the ring all this time.” He touched the translucent, silvery casing.
“By the gods,” Tora whispered. “It’s just as I saw on Mount Jade. How are we going to get it out?”
Reaching into his belt, Inu drew out a knife. “Easy. We’ll just make a tiny little cut here and slip the ring out. It shouldn’t hurt the butterfly one bit.”
“Are you sure?” Tora nervously rubbed the scars on her arm. “In my vision . . . there was a giant butterfly, and it wasn’t friendly.”
The Dog Heir gestured to the giant form on the ground. “This isn’t quite a butterfly yet. I won’t hurt it—I’ll just nick the shell. It’s not going to feel a thing.”
Curious, Usagi placed a hand on the chrysalis. It was cool to the touch, and she could feel the vibrations of the fluttering heart beneath the tough, glowing membrane. “I think it’ll be fine,” she agreed.
“Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Tora, backing away.
Inu’s dark eyes crinkled. “I’ll be careful.” He took the tip of the blade and scored the chrysalis lightly, then went over it again with more force, until a small slit had been created right over the ring. He looked at Usagi. “Your hands are smaller. Can you fish it out?”
Nodding, Usagi leaned over and reached for the ring. The thrumming sound grew louder, and the ground at their feet began to tremble. There was a crack, and the slit in the silvery shell zipped along the length of the giant chrysalis. It split open, and the veined wings began to unfurl. A barbed leg shot out. Usagi screamed and they all scrambled back.
“Spitting spirits, we’ve awakened it!” cried Tora.
Chapter 11
The Keeper of the Ring
THE GIANT CHRYSALIS TREMBLED, and the split in the translucent silver casing grew even wider as a second leg poked out, jointed and covered in thick spikes. They waved about wildly, and Goru had to duck. Inu rolled out of the way. Usagi and Tora jumped back. Two prismatic round eyes, glittering and as big as platters, emerged along with a curling long appendage. It was the butterfly’s tongue, Usagi realized—and it was wrapped firmly around the ring.
“How are we going to get the ring now?” she cried. Even as she spoke, the butterfly was prying itself out of its old shell, heaving and unfurling bit by bit.
With his knife still drawn, Inu warily approached the butterfly struggling to get out of the chrysalis. He reached for the ring. Another set of legs popped out and shoved Inu back. He stumbled and fell, and the butterfly cast aside the rest of its carapace and crawled out, looming over him, waving two knobby antennae as long as Usagi’s arm.
Goru grabbed Inu and
dragged him out of the way. Gaping, they all stood in a wide circle around the butterfly, unsure what to do next.
Though its wings were crumpled and just beginning to expand, the butterfly was already enormous, with a body that unfolded into segments thick as a tree trunk. They were dark gray and furred, and the undersides of the wings were pale and webbed with veins. They looked like giant dead leaves. But as the wings stretched out and began to beat, Usagi saw brilliant flashes of iridescent purple on the top side of the wings, which were edged in black and dotted with cream and coral spots. It was a butterfly known as the great purple emperor, but far greater than any she’d ever seen—and the Treasure was still clamped in its curled yellow proboscis.
“I don’t want to hurt it,” said Inu. “But we need to get that ring before it flies away.” Slipping his knife back in his belt, he reached for his walking stick, where a metal claw on a long chain was stashed inside.
Flexing his hands, Goru stopped him. “Don’t use that,” he said. “I’ll handle this, giant to giant.” He took slow steps toward the butterfly. Its wings were now at their full expanse, stirring the warm summer air with each slow beat. “Nice fly-fly,” he crooned. “Good butty-butt. Just give me the ring. No one wants to hurt you.”
“Boils and blisters,” Tora burst out. “That’s no way to approach a butterfly.” She yanked up a handful of wildflowers and shoved them into Goru’s hand. “They love flowers—show these and maybe then it’ll let you get close.”
Usagi began grabbing for more. “That can’t be enough. Look at the size of that thing.”
But Goru had already shuffled closer, offering the blooms to the butterfly. The faceted eyes, as golden as the ring’s stone, were trained on the flowers. Its antennae waved, and then the tightly curled tongue began to loosen, along with its grip on the Ring of Obscurity.
“It’s working!” breathed Tora.
Goru brought the flowers closer, closer—and then he made a grab for it, throwing an arm around the butterfly’s head and trying to pry the ring from its proboscis. There was a loud whoosh that seemed to come from the butterfly’s entire body, and its hind legs stomped several times, while the barbed front legs flailed. One struck Goru, and a swarm of butterflies flew at his head, blinding him with their fluttering wings. Trying to wipe them from his face, he loosened his grip on the giant butterfly.