by Cindy Lin
Usagi bit her lip. “That’s terrible.”
Glancing down at the tiger-iron pendant around her neck, Tora frowned. “So she’s not stuck in the wilderness. I’m not sure what my vision was about, then.” She bent and snatched the mirror up, and began polishing it on her sleeve. “Gods, I’ve missed this thing.”
“You’ve been doing so well without it,” Usagi reminded her. She took the mirror from her friend and put it back in the chest. “Try not to look in it for a little bit longer?”
Tora rolled her eyes. “All right.” She sighed. “It’s not like I’m great at reading what it shows me, either. I have a feeling that what I thought was my father in the mirror might have been Imugi all along.” She took Usagi’s hand. “Come on—let’s go tell the others what you saw.”
As they left the Great Hall, Usagi’s dread grew. She had a dire feeling about the Tigress. No wonder the old warrior had appeared so unwell—the Dragonlord treated even Tupa, the head of his prized strike force, as if he were nothing. Could Uma still be devoted to the Blue Dragon after witnessing such treatment? Usagi felt the old ache for her sister resurface, sharper than ever. She had to take Uma away from that place, along with the Tigress and the Treasures. But with the Treasures either under constant guard or worn by the Blue Dragon himself, recovering them would be their biggest challenge yet, not to mention locating and freeing the Tigress. The task ahead seemed impossible.
Chapter 19
Endangered Tigress
THE WINDS GREW SHARP AND chilly on Mount Jade as the Heirs and Rana prepared for their mission to the capital. It would be a tricky one. In Dragon City, there were five Treasures to recover—one of which was in pieces, with a crucial part hidden somewhere by the Tigress. Several of the precious artifacts were carried daily by the Blue Dragon. On top of which, his palace compound was heavily guarded.
Most importantly, they would be rescuing the Tigress herself. Everyone was needed for this mission.
Tora had had a vision that showed them bringing along the seven Treasures that were in the chest. “We each had one—I couldn’t quite see who was carrying what—but a golden light surrounded us, almost like a shield,” she recounted. “I don’t always understand my visions right away, but the meaning of this one seems clear.”
“We must have the power of all, to get all,” said Saru. “It makes sense.”
Nodding with the others, Usagi vowed to herself that they would bring every last Treasure back to the shrine. She’d never lose another one again.
Everyone agreed that each of them would assume responsibility for a single Treasure, and use its powers if needed. As they clustered around the chest in the Great Hall, Inu chose the Flute of Dancing Dreams, since he knew how to play and usually carried a flute around anyway. Nezu cheerfully volunteered to wear the belt again. Rana took charge of the pillbox. “I’ve been working on my venom talents, so I’d better carry the antidotes in case we need them.”
“May I wear the tiger-soul ring?” asked Tora. The Ring of Obscurity glowed with golden light as she slipped it on her finger. Goru selected the Conjurer. It hung from the other end of his power chain, which he wore as a belt, the heavy iron ball tucked in a pocket. Dangling from the thick metal links, the wooden mallet looked like a little ornamental charm on him.
Saru turned to Usagi. “That leaves the Fire Cloak and the Mirror of Elsewhere. What would you like to be in charge of?”
“The cloak,” she decided. She didn’t want to say it out loud, but thinking about her last encounter with her sister made her realize it’d be better to have some fire protection.
Pocketing the mirror, Saru handed her the cloak with a smile. “As you wish.” She helped Usagi into the Fire Cloak. It was light as a feather and whisper thin. Usagi noticed that she was instantly warmer against the wintry chill. “I don’t think I want to take this off!” she exclaimed.
“If you come up against someone with a fire gift, you definitely won’t want to,” agreed Saru.
It was as if she’d read her mind. Usagi’s stomach clenched. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“It will,” said Inu grimly. “Tupa’s still captain of the Strikers, after all. If we make one mistake at the palace, I’m sure ol’ Fire Ram will try to stop us.” He pushed his shaggy hair off his furrowed brow.
An excited whistling in the doorway of the Great Hall caught Usagi’s attention. Kwa hee kwa hoo. Kwa hee kwa hoo. “A forest angel!” Sitting there was a bird of many colors that she’d often seen around Sun Moon Lake, happily grubbing for worms and snails in the damp of the cloud forest. “What’s one doing all the way up here?”
The bird flew into the hall and landed on the chest of Treasures. Its chestnut crown was the same color as Saru’s hair, and it had a crimson belly, white chest, and wings in shades of brilliant blue and green. Its bright eyes peeked from a striped mask of black feathers like a little thief. Tied to its leg was a paper scroll.
“I think Ji’s made friends with a few new birds,” said Nezu. He removed the scroll and unrolled it. Scanning it, he flashed a grin. “Yunja’s wondering when we’re coming—he’s more excited than ever about the project that they want to show us. Says he thinks it could help overthrow the Blue Dragon.”
Inu barked a laugh. “That’s a bold statement. I suppose we should find out what they’ve been up to—it’s not a small thing to get a forest angel up here. Those birds don’t usually get to these altitudes.”
Smiling, Saru took the slip of paper from Nezu. “Then we’ll stop and see them on the way to the capital. If they truly have something useful against the Dragonlord, it’s worth checking out.”
They wrote out a message for Yunja and attached it to the rainbow-hued bird. Fluttering its vivid wings, it whistled goodbye and flew out the massive doorway, back into the wintry blue sky.
As they left the Great Hall themselves, Usagi spotted the Summoning Bell across the courtyard and remembered the frail form of the Tigress. “I’m worried about Teacher. I know she warned us not to contact her, but it would be good to know how she is.”
“She should know that we’ve recovered all the missing Treasures and are coming for the rest,” Nezu said, stroking his whiskers.
“And that we’re coming for her too,” agreed Saru. “Teacher has been in captivity for so long. She needs hope.”
So they gathered around the great bronze bell, and the Monkey Heir struck it with its hammer. A single note pealed, deep and rich, growing in strength till the vibrations shook the leaves of the nearby Singing Bamboo. As the bamboo sang in concert with the bell, they stood in a circle and waited, anxious. Would the Tigress appear? Was she in good health? Was she even still alive? Usagi fervently prayed that the Tigress would show.
The thrum of the bell had nearly dissipated when at last a tiny pinpoint of light appeared, winking like a firefly. After agonizingly long moments, it grew and twisted into shape, until it was a giant translucent tiger. To Usagi’s alarm, the tiger barely gave off any light, and flickered like a candle guttering in the breeze. It wasn’t standing, either—it was lying down, and looked asleep.
“Teacher?” she ventured. “Are you okay?”
The tiger’s great head lifted, and its glimmering green eyes blinked open. “Young Rabbit,” it said wearily. “My Heirs. It is dangerous to Summon me while I am kept prisoner by Druk. I thought I made that clear.”
“Forgive us, Teacher,” said Saru. “But we thought you should know that we’ve succeeded in securing the remaining Treasures.”
The tiger seemed to glow a little brighter, and its large ears swiveled forward. “That is good news indeed.”
Inu stepped forward with the flute in his hands. “We have seven of the Twelve Treasures in our possession.” He motioned to everyone to show the Tigress the items in their charge. Usagi shrugged off the Fire Cloak and held it toward the ghostly tiger so it could stretch out its neck and sniff it, along with the other Treasures. It gave a chuff of satisfaction.
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sp; “We know where the Blue Dragon’s keeping the rest at the Palace of the Clouds,” said Nezu.
“We’re coming to get them—and we’re coming to get you, Teacher,” blurted Usagi. “Please keep your strength up.”
The tiger’s green eyes flared, and for a brief moment it struggled to push itself up on its forepaws. “Say no more. Druk has the Pen of Truth and could force me to reveal what I know. If he should learn that you have the rest of the Treasures and are coming, then he will be looking for you. He has always been skilled in the use of the Four Poisons: surprise, fear, doubt, and confusion. You must be on your guard.”
“Well then,” said Saru slowly. “I hate to tell you that Usagi spoke too soon. She desperately wants to come save you, as do we all, but we cannot go to the Palace of the Clouds in search of the remaining Treasures, because er . . . we’re very busy training. And as for the Treasures that we do have—they will be kept safely here at the shrine. Isn’t that right?” Saru glanced around with a hard stare, and after a brief moment of confusion, they quickly nodded and agreed.
“We’ll be staying right here and guarding the Treasures!” Goru bellowed, as if saying something louder would make it so.
The tiger flopped back down and coughed a chuckle. “That is a pity. The only thing that might help free me would be the power of the Treasures, as wielded by those with zodiac powers. But I forbid you to come. I know you always follow what I say without question.” It coughed again.
“We shall obey,” said Tora. “Mistress Horangi, we never met in person, but I’m . . .”
“And it is better for me not to know of any new developments or additions to your ranks,” interrupted the Tigress. “Though I trust that all are trained with care, and practice with diligence, as always.”
Usagi reached out and squeezed Tora’s hand. “Of course. Anyone who joins us must have the heart of a warrior.”
“Good,” grunted the tiger. “One thing to remember. Though Druk has been expelled from Mount Jade, I do not think it will stop him from trying to attack once more—not when he has five of the Treasures and a growing number of troops with zodiac powers.”
The Heirs exchanged alarmed glances. “But . . . if he was ejected before, how could he succeed now?” asked Inu.
“The mountain repelled his forces, which were made up of foreign invaders,” said the Tigress. “Since then, he has been conscripting Midagian younglings with powers. There is no telling what the mountain will do with them.”
It hadn’t occurred to Usagi that Mount Jade could ever be vulnerable to the Dragonlord. “Have you heard anything, Teacher, that would make you think that he’s planning an attack sometime soon?”
The Tigress sighed. “Not yet, but as soon as he finds out that you have the rest of the Treasures at the shrine, he may try.” She paused. “Mount Jade is not the only sacred spot to the Twelve.”
“We understand,” said Saru meaningfully. “We shall hold on to hope that we will be together again.”
The tiger grunted. “Never let go of it. Hope feeds the strength we need to endure.” Her head swiveled and her green eyes narrowed. The tiger’s ears flattened. “I must go,” she hissed. “They are coming!” Her ghostly form quickly melted away.
“Teacher? Teacher?” Usagi called, alarmed. But there was no answer, save for the mournful melodies of the Singing Bamboo.
They had no time to waste. The Tigress might soon be interrogated. They needed to rescue her as soon as possible and take back the Treasures in the Blue Dragon’s possession.
Hurriedly, they packed up their tools, provisions, and weapons, securing everything at the shrine for their absence. In the midst of all the activity, Kumo paced about the courtyard, occasionally going off into a corner and turning his back on everyone, sulking.
“I’m sorry,” Tora told him, rubbing his ears. “I promise we’ll be back again soon. We need you to guard the shrine while we’re gone.” With a grunt, the cloud leopard stalked off, tail lashing from side to side. Tora shrugged, her snaggleteeth glinting. “Grumpy cat. He’ll be fine.”
The seven of them, each carrying one of the Treasures, set off from Mount Jade. Snow had begun to fall at the highest elevations, and the chill air swept down on them as they descended the slopes. But Usagi barely felt it with the warmth of the Fire Cloak protecting her.
After several days speeding through the wilderness, they arrived at Sun Moon Lake. Usagi was eager to check in with Yunja and see how Ji and the other younglings were doing in his care. She was wildly curious about the project he wanted to show the Heirs. They found the hermit and his charges busy at work building contraptions like she’d never seen.
Inu poked at the frame of a giant kite on the ground. It was nearly as big as Goru, made of oiled barkcloth stretched across a thin wooden frame. “What in the name of the Twelve is all this?”
“Strap yourself onto that and you’ll sail into the sky like you’ve got Rooster flight!” said the hermit. He puffed out his sunken chest. “Remember how you were wishing that all Midagians could join in fighting against the Blue Dragon?” He tapped his head. “It got me to thinking.”
Yunja was putting his old carpentry skills to use in creating items that would give ordinary people something close to zodiac powers. There was a wooden horse without a head, but it had a seat and stirrups connected to four jointed legs. A rider could make the wooden horse walk by moving their own feet in the stirrups, which six-year-old Buta, the little boy born in the year of the Boar, was doing with ease.
“Would you look at that!” marveled Nezu, tugging on his whiskers. “Even without a horse or spirit speed, you can still cover more ground than you could on your own.”
The hermit gave a gap-toothed grin. “That’s the idea! I’m still working on free-flying, instead of being tethered to a kite. Rooster Girl doesn’t have the powers of flight, but I’m trying to change that.”
He pointed to Ji. Their young friend was wearing unwieldy wings made of a framework of reeds and woven matting. She ran back and forth, hopping like a sparrow trying to get off the ground, a look of intense concentration in her eyes. Yunja’s three dogs were barking and racing in frenzied excitement over the visitors, but it wasn’t until one nearly knocked Ji over that she noticed Usagi and the other Heirs.
“You’re back!” she cried. Casting off the wings, she ran over to Usagi and threw her arms around her. Ji’s face had filled out and she no longer looked like the timid, frightened girl hiding in the shadows of Port Wingbow.
Usagi hugged her. “How have you been? Where are your birds?”
“Which ones? I’ve made so many bird friends here.” Ji beamed.
“We noticed,” laughed Usagi. “Your last messenger was such a colorful eye-catcher! But I meant the seagulls.”
“Nabi and Neko? They’re off somewhere, but they’ll come when I call. When we get these wings to work, I’ll get to fly along with them. Yunja’s been building so many things, and we’re the first to try everything out. And guess what? I’ve been learning to control my flame!” The little girl’s words tumbled out in a rush. She excitedly showed them some of the other contraptions the hermit had been working on—a boat that could dive beneath the water’s surface, allowing its occupants to breathe with bamboo tubing. A cart on wheels that needed no horse to pull it. And wooden birds the size of actual crows, with cavities inside their bodies to hold anything from pitch and gunpowder to messages.
“They don’t fly very far—they travel farther if they’re catapulted with a sling,” said Yunja. “But if you ever wanted to send the Blue Dragon a message, one of these wooden crows would do the trick. Especially if it were stuffed with flaming manure.” He cackled.
Saru smiled briefly, then turned serious. “We do want to send the message that he’s not all-powerful. But he may lash out with even more force then.” She explained how the Tigress had warned them of a possible attack on Mount Jade by the Blue Dragon. “He’s after the Treasures, and the more younglings with power
s that he adds to his troops, the greater the chance that he’ll try to come to the shrine.”
“Little does he know that we’re coming for his Treasures,” said Goru, pounding a great fist into his palm with a giant smack.
The hermit shook his head. “Once you get all the Treasures back, of course he’ll attack the shrine,” he growled.
“That’s what we’re afraid of,” said Inu. He explained how in recovering Treasures all over the kingdom, they’d come across other groups of gifted and talented younglings in hiding. “There must be a way for us all to help each other.”
Yunja stroked his beard. “If everyone worked to make things miserable for the Blue Dragon, we’d surely get our kingdom back. Gods’ guts, what I would give to see all Midagians rise up.”
“But even if it were just those with zodiac powers banding together, it would make a difference. We may need assistance in defending Mount Jade,” said Saru.
“What about my birds?” Ji piped up. “They can carry messages to the other younglings.”
They turned. “To all of them?” asked Usagi.
“Just tell me where they need to go,” said Ji confidently.
Tora raised an eyebrow and nodded. “It’s worth trying.”
The Rooster youngling let out a shrill cry. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Usagi heard a thin answering call, and looked up to see the twin gulls flying toward them. “Here come Neko and Nabi!”
Once the birds arrived in the clearing, Saru quickly wrote up messages for both the Miners and the Ghosts of Butterfly Kingdom on long strips of paper. Inu drew a map of Midaga in the dirt, showing Ji the location of the Marble Gorge and Butterfly Kingdom and describing what to look for.
Ji attached a message to each bird and murmured to them, stroking their feathers. “I hope they won’t be mistaken for the Dragonlord’s messenger birds. What if your friends try to shoot them down?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that—they look nothing like pigeons,” said Goru. “My only fear is that someone will think a seagull will make a good meal.”