by Cindy Lin
“It was an even wilder ride,” Usagi told him. Her stomach did a little flip at the memory of the flight.
“Well, it paid off,” said the Rat Heir. He turned the Conjurer over and ran a thumb across the lacquered images of the zodiac animals. “Now we have seven of the Treasures.” He handed the mallet back to Tora. “You and Usagi should have the honors of placing these in the chest.”
Saru took off the ring and put it in Usagi’s hand, where it glistened atop the scarlet leaf. Following Tora, Usagi carried it into the Great Hall, trailed by the others. They gathered around the chest that held the Treasures and carefully deposited the ring and hammer in empty drawers.
Usagi stepped back, absently twirling the stem of the maple leaf. It felt strange to no longer have the ring’s weight at her neck, but she was relieved to see it safely at the shrine with the other Treasures. She adjusted her rabbit pendant and gave its head an affectionate rub for helping to guard the Ring of Obscurity.
“What’s our plan for the five missing Treasures?” Goru slid open an empty drawer. He peered into it as if an artifact would suddenly materialize like a wish granted by the Conjurer.
Nezu brightened. “We’ve been working on that.” He took out the Mirror of Elsewhere. “While you were gone, Saru and I tracked all the Treasures in the Blue Dragon’s possession with this. We took turns looking, of course, so we wouldn’t get too attached.”
“Oh, the mirror,” breathed Tora.
With a gentle nudge, Usagi admonished her friend. “You don’t need that—you’ve got your tiger vision.”
“It’s not the same at all,” groused Tora. She gazed hungrily at the mirror in Nezu’s hand. “What did it show you?”
“There were critical things we didn’t know,” Saru explained. “Like whether the Blue Dragon had locked up the Treasures at the palace, or deployed them with his Dragonstrikers. So we did some surveillance.” She turned to Rana. “Snake Girl, would you mind getting the chart?”
With a nod, Rana ran off. She soon returned with a rolled-up scroll and spread it across the sparring mats. They knelt around it. It was a detailed chart that listed the five missing Treasures—the Coppice Comb, the Bowl of Plenty, the Winds of Infinity, the Pen of Truth, and the Jewels of Land and Sea—and where each one had been on a particular date and time, as shown in the mirror.
“As you can see, the Treasures have been kept at the palace since we began tracking them. He doesn’t let them off the grounds,” said Nezu. He gave Usagi a wry smile. “That time we ran into the Strikers with the fan was very bad luck—my guess is that they were taking the Winds of Infinity to the Dragonlord when we ran into them.”
Usagi could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she remembered that awful day, but Saru seemed to read her mind and put a hand on her arm. “The good news is, because they’re all at the palace, we can get them in a single mission,” said the Monkey Heir.
As she studied the chart, Usagi saw a problem. “Spitting spirits, the Blue Dragon keeps three of the Treasures on him! How are we going to get the comb, the necklace, and the fan if he’s wearing them?”
“That’s the bad news,” admitted Nezu. “But he’s not always wearing them. He takes them off to sleep.”
Goru whistled. “If they’re in his sleeping quarters, that’s hardly better. No one is allowed in his personal chambers except for his Dragonstrikers.”
“What about the bowl and pen?” asked Tora, leaning over the chart. “It looks like they’re kept in the Hall of the Golden Throne.” She traced a finger over the marks counting the number of days the bowl and pen had been in one spot.
Saru nodded and took the mirror from Nezu. “He’s got them under guard there night and day.”
“I’m not so worried about those,” said the Rat Heir confidently. “If we use the element of surprise, we can take on even Strikers. Our challenge will be getting the ones that the Blue Dragon carries.”
Frowning, Usagi worried her rabbit pendant between her fingers. “That, and finding the jade bead that the Tigress hid.” Without it, the Jewels of Land and Sea would remain broken, its powers lost.
That evening, Nezu laid out a table full of dishes for their return. It was far simpler than the banquet they’d had with the Miners in the Marble Gorge, but every bite was satisfying, from the eggs scrambled with bits of salted turnip to the bubbling stew of marinated boar meat spooned over a little steamed rice, fluffy and hot. There was an array of mountain vegetables, both pickled and cooked fresh, roasted sweet potatoes, and balls of minced lake fish and chives floating in a savory broth.
“The four of you are eating as if you haven’t eaten for months,” marveled Nezu, watching Inu collect every stray grain of rice with his feedsticks and Goru tilt up his bowl to get at the last drops of soup.
Usagi scraped her plate for the remaining crumbs of fried egg. “The last big meal we had really didn’t count.”
Swiping a splotch of stew that had fallen on the table, Tora nodded and licked her finger. “It really didn’t. We experienced the downside of getting exactly what you want from the Conjurer.”
Saru wiped her mouth and smiled. “I’m glad that you’re appreciating the simpler things here.” She turned to Rana. “I think it’s time.”
With a twinkle in her eyes, Rana got up and hurried out of the dining hall. While the rest of them helped clear the table and wash the dishes, Nezu brought out candied persimmons and sugared chestnuts with cups of hot tea to wash it all down. After gorging at the Miners’ conjured feast and suffering the effects for days, Usagi hadn’t thought she’d ever want to touch another sweet, but it felt different eating real food. She was on her third chestnut when Rana returned with a cloth-wrapped bundle, bringing it to Saru. As the Monkey Heir began to untie its bindings, Usagi felt a surge of excitement, realizing what was about to happen. “Oh!”
As Nezu turned and winked, Usagi stuffed the rest of the chestnut in her mouth and hurried off to retrieve a small bundle of her own. When she returned to the dining hall, Saru held a handsome bow, along with a finely decorated quiver containing a set of well-oiled arrows. Tora and Goru were called to stand before everyone.
Tora looked a little uncertain as Saru faced her. “Do you accept the title of Tiger Heir, promising to uphold and defend the Way of the Twelve?” asked the Monkey Heir.
“What about Warrior Trials?” Tora asked in surprise.
Saru smiled. “Warrior Trials were traditionally administered by one’s master. But since the Tigress is not here, and you’ve been learning alongside the rest of us, we Heirs have decided as a group that you are ready.”
“Besides, what you did to get the Conjurer back was a great trial in itself,” Inu added. “If that doesn’t prove that you’re worthy of becoming Heir, then nothing does.”
Tora’s hand strayed to the scars on her arm. Usagi caught her eye and nodded encouragingly. Tora threw her shoulders back. “Then yes, I do, with honor.”
She was given the new bow, which curled compactly when unstrung, much like Inu’s bow. “No more borrowing mine,” said Inu with a mock scowl.
Laughing, Tora tested the string, pulling it and flexing the bow. “I won’t,” she promised.
“And now something from me—or the Tree of Elements, actually.” Usagi stepped forward and handed her friend a small cloth pouch. “Remember that chunk of ironstone that helped with your visions?” she asked. “I think it’s time you started carrying it.”
Tora opened it and pulled out a finely wrought gold chain, which Usagi had asked Inu to make. The tiger-iron bead dangled from its delicate links. Tora’s eyes widened. “I don’t remember it looking like this.”
“I dropped it by accident into the firepit in the Miners’ Den,” Usagi confessed. “When I finally managed to pull it out, it transformed. The firepit’s the center of the Painted Hollow’s old ceremony circle, so some ancient power turned the tiger iron into this jewel.”
Tora touched the bead with tentative fingers. Its stripes
of red, black, and gold glistened as she examined it. “It’s beautiful.” She hesitated. “I’m a little nervous about carrying the ironstone. I worry that it’ll give me constant visions.”
“Wear it for a bit and see how you feel,” Nezu said, flashing a grin. “If anything, it will help you master your tiger vision. You’re an Heir now, so don’t be afraid.”
Nodding, Tora took a deep breath and slipped it on. After a bit she exhaled and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Now for Ox Boy,” said Nezu. Hunching his shoulders self-consciously, Goru shuffled forward.
“For Goru, you have shown that it’s not a matter of mastering a physical weapon—it’s a matter of mastering oneself,” said Saru. “Your bravery, resilience, and willingness to help in every situation exemplify the qualities that every good Warrior must have.”
Upon Goru’s accepting the title of Heir to the Ox Warrior, they presented him with a metal chain belt attached to a round iron weight the size of a coconut. It was a power chain sized to fit him, and so heavy that Rana had to enlist Nezu and Inu’s help to bring it into the dining hall. “You may prefer to use your fists, but it never hurts to have extra tools at your disposal,” Nezu huffed as they dragged it in.
Goru lit up. “Bulging blisters! This will help me pack a punch.”
He put it around his waist and hefted the weight in his palm like a juggler’s ball. He was also given a coat of fine chain mail interlaced with rows of small iron plates. “I’ve been working on that for months,” said Inu, smiling. “You’re so big and strong, you’re practically a weapon unto yourself, but with some extra protection, you’ll be unstoppable.”
With a grin, the new Ox Heir slipped on the metal jacket. “Bring on the Dragonstrikers,” he roared.
“What about Snake Girl?” asked Tora.
Rana smiled. “I’ll be next soon enough! Inu, you’ll have to make me a coat of scales when the time comes!”
“That I will,” promised the Dog Heir, chuckling. They raised their cups of tea and cheered the two newest Warrior Heirs.
“Six Heirs, one Heirling, and seven Treasures,” exclaimed Nezu. “Do you know what that means?”
Saru put her arms around Tora and Goru. “It means we’re more than halfway to completing the Circle.”
With Tora and Goru as Heirs, everyone’s focus turned back to planning the final mission. Hard at work one day in the shrine’s library, they went over dozens of old scrolls depicting the Palace of the Clouds. They noted all the changes that the Blue Dragon had made to the compound. From memory, the former Dragon Academy cadets sketched a map featuring new fortifications and building complexes that had been added, like the Academy and the Sunburst lockup.
“We lived and trained here,” said Goru, stabbing the map with a thick finger. “In this part of the Central Court.”
Rana pointed out the Inner Court, where the Dragonlord’s quarters were located. “Remember this garden, by the royal residence? We escaped under the wall right in this far corner.”
“And the Guard and Dragonstrikers are housed in separate barracks in the Outer Court,” Tora said, inking them onto the paper.
The senior Heirs offered their own observations. “The bowl and the pen are kept at the throne hall, which is in the heart of Central Court,” said Saru. The Monkey Heir circled the building on the map, then marked another building in the Inner Court. “The rest of the Treasures go with the Blue Dragon every night to his private chambers here. That’s where he removes them to sleep. Our best shot at those will be at that time, but it won’t be easy.”
“So we’ll aim for the Hall of the Golden Throne first,” said Inu.
Leaning forward eagerly, Rana traced a path on the map. “I know a good way in . . .”
Usagi interrupted. “First we look for the Tigress,” she said firmly. “We shouldn’t let her languish a minute longer.”
Nezu tugged on his whiskers. “But we’ll still need to secure the other Treasures once we get there.”
“Which includes the missing bead from the Jewels of Land and Sea,” Usagi pointed out. “The Blue Dragon is desperate to find it. If we go after the Tigress first, we can rescue her and track down the Jewel at the same time.”
Saru tilted her head as she considered the map of the palace. “I certainly don’t want to delay Teacher’s freedom any longer than necessary.”
“But won’t she slow us down?” Rana asked. “We’d still have to get the other Treasures. How would that work if Mistress Horangi is with us?”
A flush of anger rose in Usagi, especially when Saru nodded thoughtfully. Was she agreeing with Rana? How dare they even think that the Tigress would be a drag on the mission? She was their mission. Usagi was about to blurt all this when she saw Tora put a hand over the tiger-iron bead at her neck, frowning. Her friend squeezed her eyes shut as if she were in pain.
“What’s wrong, Tiger Girl?” asked Nezu, looking concerned.
Goru peered at Tora. “I think she’s having another vision.”
“Spirits,” said Nezu, impressed.
They waited with bated breath while Tora pinched the space between her eyebrows. Finally she opened her eyes, troubled.
“I saw Uma,” she told Usagi. “She looked like she was in trouble—she was tangled in a Striker’s fly-net somewhere in the wilderness.”
Usagi sat bolt upright. “What? She’s a Dragon Academy cadet. She’s going to be a Striker. Why would they need to capture her?” She scrambled to her feet. “I have to check the Mirror of Elsewhere.”
She ran out of the library, Tora on her heels. They raced into the Great Hall and Usagi skidded to a stop in front of the chest holding the Treasures. Yanking open the drawer with the mirror, she reached for it, heart lodged in her throat. Had her sister undergone a change of heart? Had Uma decided to leave the Academy? Had the Dragonstrikers hunted her down? Spitting spirits, she should have checked in on Uma sooner. It had been well more than a year since she’d laid eyes on her sister.
The image of Usagi’s panicked gaze blurred, and then the mirror cleared. There was her sister, dressed in the cadet blues of the Dragon Academy. Uma’s expression was as severe as her hair, which was tied tightly back in a flowing tail, but she was sitting quietly.
“I see her!” Usagi exclaimed. “She’s not in a fly-net—that’s good. But where in the world is she?” The image expanded to show her sister with a group of other cadets. They knelt in a long, grand room lined with twelve sets of imposing carved pillars painted in a riot of colors. On an altar across from the cadets, the Bowl of Plenty and the Pen of Truth were displayed, cradled in silk cushions. Two Dragonstrikers in full armor stood at attention on either side, firecannon on their shoulders. “The Treasures,” breathed Usagi. “She’s in the Hall of the Golden Throne.”
Kings and queens once sat on the dais at one end of the throne hall, receiving subjects and conferring with the Council of the Twelve. Anyone who approached the throne platform would pass a niche that held the Summoning Bell. Now the Dragonlord had turned the bell niche into an altar for the Treasures and made the throne his own. The image of the Blue Dragon came into focus.
Usagi recoiled. She hadn’t wanted to see the Dragonlord since their last encounter, and had managed to avoid seeing him in the mirror until now. But she couldn’t look away. The Blue Dragon sat on an ornate gilt chair in the middle of a dais, flanked by two carved golden dragons. He listened with his hooded eyes half-closed as ministers and Guard commanders knelt before him and gave reports. His chin was propped on one hand, but as he shifted, Usagi saw that across one high cheekbone was a strange mark—that of a hand, a pale imprint against his gray-blue skin. Her eyes widened. The Tigress had slapped him, right before their last battle, and her handprint remained emblazoned on his face all these months later.
On a silk cord at his neck was a black pearl and a white one—the Sea Jewels that were said to control ocean waves. But the Land Jewel was still missing. The Tigress had said she’d hidden the rep
lacement jade bead away from the Blue Dragon, and it appeared that he hadn’t yet found it. Usagi was heartened until she noticed the folded fan tucked in the front of his belt. “The Blue Dragon has the Winds of Infinity right on him, just as Nezu said,” Usagi confirmed.
At his side, a small table held an elaborate tea set. There were multiple bowls for rinsing tiny cups used in tastings and ceremonies, and pots of tea brewed with different types of leaves at different strengths. He poured himself a splash of tea in a cup that would barely hold the Ring of Obscurity. With long-nailed fingers, he held the cup delicately to his dark purple lips, looking over the rim. His hooded eyes stared at the Striker kneeling before the dais, helmet removed. With a jolt, Usagi recognized him. “Well, if it isn’t two-faced Tupa,” she muttered. “Hello, traitor.”
“Oh, let me see,” said Tora, reaching for the mirror.
Holding a hand up, Usagi brushed her off. “Wait—I’m not done.”
As Tupa bent humbly, his gilded helmet in his arms, he said something to the Dragonlord. The Blue Dragon’s gaze grew hard, and he hurled his teacup in a sudden movement. The cup whipped across the room and struck the bowing Tupa squarely on his shaved head. Usagi winced, even as she remembered the former Ram Heir having a skull hard enough to butt straw target bales without hurting himself. The cup shattered and porcelain fragments flew everywhere, including into the group of cadets sitting to the side. Her sister didn’t flinch, even as a thin line of blood appeared on her cheek. The Blue Dragon stood and began shouting soundlessly at his Striker captain.
Usagi dropped the polished disk as if it burned. It tumbled to the floor and swiveled around and around on its knobby handle like a slowing top.
“What did you see?” asked Tora, her brow wrinkled with worry.
She told Tora about what she’d just witnessed, and seeing her sister cut by flying shards. “It didn’t even faze her, and she was bleeding.”
“Sounds about right,” nodded Tora. “When the Dragonlord is your master, he can do whatever he wants. He can use you for target practice if he feels like it.”