Tiger's Voyage

by Colleen Houck

  I retrieved the Golden Fruit as Mr. Kadam carefully gathered his notes and locked them away again in the desk drawer. Then the three of us went up to the wheelhouse. He brought the kimono with him so he could compare maps. When we arrived, he pulled out a large laminated map of the Bay of Bengal. The Fruit made sandwiches and a tray of sliced melon, which I offered to Mr. Kadam but he waved it away, so intent was he in his studies of the map. Kishan and I ate without him.

  When I was finished, I picked up the kimono and traced the red dragon before laying it out, dragon-side down, on the shelf above the row of monitors. I put my finger on the Shore Temple and followed the line of stitching over to the red dot, the first of the seven pagodas. The red dot grew, and my hand began to glow. Its threads came undone and started restitching themselves with an invisible needle. They disappeared around the side of the kimono.

  I nervously called for Kishan and Mr. Kadam, who were both leaning over the map, as I flipped over the kimono. The red stitches were still moving until they reached the red dragon. The dragon blinked and roared before settling into the fabric again.

  Panicked, I exclaimed, “What did I do? What’s happened?”

  Mr. Kadam hurried over and put his hand on my arm but then froze. “Can you feel that, Kishan?”

  “Yes.”

  “What? What is it?” I asked. They both turned to the window and looked out at the ocean.

  “Somebody tell me. What’s going on?”

  Kishan put his hands on my shoulders. “It’s the ship, Kells. We’re moving.”

  15

  The Red Dragon’s Star

  “We’re moving? How is that possible?”

  “I’m not certain.” Mr. Kadam quickly checked the ship’s instruments. “Everything’s off. We should still be at anchor.”

  I picked up the kimono and flipped it around again. “Mr. Kadam. Look at this.”

  A tiny stitched boat had appeared on the front of the kimono and, as we watched, it crept forward one stitch. It was aimed for the red dot.

  Mr. Kadam quickly turned around. “Kishan? Would you mind climbing to the top of the wheelhouse and taking a look around? Take note of our direction and the location of the city.”

  Kishan returned a moment later, his face incredulous. “Based on the sun, we’re heading east but there is no city. There’s no coastline. Nothing but water surrounds us for miles.”

  Mr. Kadam nodded as if he expected this. “Please locate Ren and Nilima for me and ask them to come to the wheelhouse.”

  Kishan made eye contact with me and smiled briefly, then turned and left.

  Mr. Kadam played with the instruments a moment longer, and then frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing’s turning on. We shouldn’t be moving. The engines aren’t on. The anchor is still down according to this. Nothing is working— satellite, radio, everything’s off.”

  When Kishan returned with the others, Nilima and Mr. Kadam began charting our progress on a large map as best they could. Mr. Kadam sent Ren and Kishan to check on the anchor. He asked me to keep my eye on the compass and shout out directions but the compass just spun in circles. It would point east for a few seconds then swing south, then west, then back to the east again. Eventually, Mr. Kadam had me watch the horizon instead. We couldn’t steer the ship, but I was to watch for possible obstacles while he and Nilima tried to figure out what to do.

  Ren and Kishan returned and reported that the anchor had actually been trailing in our wake, like a raft floating along behind the ship. They’d had to reel it in manually. We tried our cell phones but found no signal. The five of us spent a quiet afternoon in the wheelhouse, talking only when necessary. Without saying it, we all knew we’d entered another world—a world without the rules and boundaries we were used to. A world where dragons ruled the seas, and all we had to protect ourselves were our weapons and Mr. Kadam’s research.

  I could feel the change in the air. The warmth and heat of the India summer was gone, and the air felt heavy and wet and cold, more like the air near the sea in Oregon. Kishan readied our scuba gear just in case. The temperature had dropped from the nineties to the sixties. Ren retrieved our weapons and a sweater and Fanindra for me. I didn’t put on the sweater but thanked him and slid Fanindra onto my arm.

  It was time for all of us to suit up. Ren helped me strap the bow and quiver of golden arrows over my back with a fabric strap from the Divine Scarf. He helped me practice taking the bow out a few times. He asked the Divine Scarf to shrink down to a hair ribbon and, after a pointed look at my sheared hair, knotted it securely around my wrist. The Golden Fruit was placed in a bag and slid into the quiver with the arrows.

  Ren had made himself a belt with the Divine Scarf also, creating fabric hip holsters for the gada and the trident. When Kishan returned, Ren handed him a similar belt with a loop for the chakram. Kishan hung the kamandal shell around his neck, and we stood quietly facing the window for a time—me between my two warriors. We were ready for battle.

  Mr. Kadam and Nilima called us over to the kimono to tell us that they had given up trying to figure out where we were. Ren, Kishan, and I nodded in understanding. The three of us knew that once we began the hunt, there were no maps; there was no rational path to take. We depended on fortune and destiny to lead us to the place we needed to go.

  Afternoon quickly turned into evening. We were more than halfway to the red dot now. Based on the speed we were moving across the kimono, Mr. Kadam figured we would arrive around midnight. We didn’t feel like going below deck so the three of us—Kishan, Ren, and I— climbed to the top of the wheelhouse. I used the Scarf to make cushions. Despite my nerves, the discomfort of Fanindra on my arm, and the bow and arrows on my back, I fell asleep leaning against Kishan’s chest.

  Several hours later, Kishan gently shook me awake. I blinked open sleepy eyes to stare at his long jean-clad leg stretched out in front of me. In my sleep, I’d moved to using his thigh as a pillow.

  I groaned and rubbed my aching neck. “What is it?”

  Kishan’s warm hands began kneading my sore muscles. “It’s nothing. My leg was just falling asleep.”

  I laughed then winced as he hit a tender spot. “Well, it’s probably safe to say I hurt me more than I hurt you.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  I looked up and saw the silent form of Ren standing as far away as possible. He watched the horizon, ever vigilant. “Ren? Why don’t you take a break and let me or Kishan take watch for a while?”

  Ren turned his head so I could see his profile. “I’m fine. You sleep, Kells.”

  Once he turned back, I stared at him in confusion. “Hey. Have you two gone more than twelve hours as men now?”

  Ren nodded briefly and Kishan said, “For me, it’s been fourteen. We’re in the no-need-to-be-a-tiger zone, it seems.”

  I sat up further. “I’m hungry. What time is it?”

  Ren answered, “About 11:45. I could use something to eat too.”

  Kishan stood and stretched. “I’ll stand watch. You eat something with Kelsey.”

  Ren hesitated but stepped aside and sat down a good five feet away from me.

  “What would you like?” I asked him kindly.

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. You choose.”

  I wished up some kettle corn and root beer in frosty bottles. I gave a giant bowl to Ren and took one to Kishan, who kissed my forehead and turned to watch the dark horizon again.

  After I settled myself and started munching on the warm, buttery snack in my own bowl, I looked at Ren who was staring hard at the popcorn. “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  “No. It’s good. It just … tastes different.”

  “What do you mean? You’ve had popcorn before.”

  “This is sweet.”

  “Oh. It’s kettle corn. You used to eat it all the time in Oregon.”

  He picked up a popped kernel and studied it. He mumbled quietly to himself, “A
blue dress. I dropped the bowl.”

  “What did you say?” I asked.

  “Hmm?” He looked up suddenly. “Oh. Nothing. It’s good.”

  We ate quietly. I tipped back my bottle of root beer and looked up at the sky. “Look at that.” I pointed. “The stars are so bright!”

  Ren pushed his empty bowl and root beer away and lay back on the cushions with his hands behind his head. “You’re right. They’re very bright. More than usual. Do you see that constellation up there?”

  “The one to the right?”

  “No.”

  He slid closer so his head was resting against mine and gently took my wrist. He moved my arm until my finger was pointing at a very bright star. My heart started beating harder, and my face flushed. A light scent of sandalwood mixed with the sea was coming from his hair that was tickling my cheek. He moved my arm to point out a path from star to star. “Can you see it now?”

  I sucked in a breath. “Yes. It’s like a serpent.”

  He nodded and let go of my wrist. Sliding away, he put his arms under his head again. “It’s called Draco. As in the dragon.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “He guards the golden apples of Hera, the Greeks say. Others say he is the serpent who tempted Eve.”

  “Huh. That’s interesting. What do you think about the … Ren! Did you see that?”

  “See what?”

  “There! Look at the Draco constellation. Something’s moving.”

  He peered up into the night sky but nothing happened for a moment. I was just about suggest it must have been a figment of my imagination when I saw several stars winking on and off. They started shifting and writhing, becoming bigger and distorted.

  Ren stood up. “I see it. Kishan? Protect Kelsey. I’ll be right back.”

  Ren disappeared over the side of the wheelhouse while I instructed the Divine Scarf to clear away the cushions and the Golden Fruit to take away the bowls and bottles. Kishan and I stood in the battle stance he’d taught me. I was ready to use my lightning power if I needed to. Kishan pulled free the chakram.

  A black undulating shape made its way toward us. It distorted the night as if the sky was the underside of a blanket and something big was rolling across the top of it. The stars bulged and trembled as it moved.

  I felt a hand touch my arm. Ren had taken a ready stance with the trident on my other side. We turned as the shape circled above us, keeping it in our line of sight. Suddenly the sky seemed to balloon out and rip, and a dark shape slipped through the tear.

  A head emerged, followed by a sinuous long body. It dipped and twisted in the air like a twirling stunt kite. It circled the boat at a slow, leisurely pace, moving lower and lower until we could clearly see what it was—a dragon. But this was not a type of dragon I’d ever seen in the movies. It looked more like a snake. There were no wings; instead it slithered through the air like a sidewinder on the sand. This was definitely not the dragon of St. George; it looked more like the drawings of Chinese dragons Mr. Kadam had shown us.

  Moist pockets of air whipped against us, and a thick silence spread around us as if our ears were stopped up. The sea had stilled; its blackness reflected the starlight so it looked as if we were standing in the middle of space. The dragon came closer. Its underbelly was black, but the top was streaked with vermillion, and it seemed to glow with a red light that reflected dimly on the black water below.

  Its head was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. Long black-and-red tendrils trailed from its black-bearded cheeks. As it moved through the sky, its four short, taloned legs pawed the air. The body moved toward us, and the air pockets left in its wake crashed against the ship like waves. The dragon flew around the boat again. This time it was near enough that its entire body circled the ship. Shiny scales about the size of dinner plates ran down the length of its body and gleamed in the starlight. Its head came closer and stopped near us. We faced the red dragon as its head rose up and down in the air, as if bobbing on a current.

  Huge nostrils puffed cold air on us as one great, long-lashed eye blinked and stared. One red iris with a black pupil considered us thoughtfully. I took a step closer and peered into that bright eye. It shone in the middle as if a star were captured inside.

  “Step back, Kelsey,” Kishan warned softly.

  I moved back as both he and Ren took a step forward and angled their bodies slightly toward me, ready to defend me from attack. The dragon shook its head, and its mighty black beard swayed and settled. Its great jaw opened, and a long red tongue rolled out as if tasting the air and then retreated back, curling into its gaping, toothy mouth.

  The boat suddenly listed to one side and then the other. Kishan and Ren stood their ground and steadied me as the boat settled. I turned briefly and saw that the dragon had draped its long body on the outside of the yacht. Ren and Kishan never took their eyes off the dragon. The creature shuddered delicately, and its pointed, black-tufted ears turned toward the stars as if listening to a message only he could hear.

  Its jaws opened slightly almost as if smiling at me, and I heard a voice in my head echo like tinkling bells, “ Mngh, w jiào Lóngjn.”

  I blinked and looked up at Ren, who whispered, “It said, ‘Fierce tigers, my name is Lóngjn, the Dragon of the West.’”

  Kishan took a step forward and spoke several words in Mandarin. Ren softly translated, “He asked if the great dragon could also speak English.”

  I heard the tinkling voice in my head again, and the dragon opened its mouth and bobbed its head up and down as if it was laughing.

  Yes. I can speak in this tongue as well, though it’s not as pretty as my own.

  The eye blinked, and I watched the fluttering lashes in fascination.

  You come to ask a favor of me. Do you not?

  “We do,” I voiced tremulously.

  Name your favor, and I will name my price.

  We shifted uncomfortably. Ren asked, “If the price is too high, can we negotiate?”

  Yes. The long forked tongue rolled out to taste the air near Ren. Ren stood his ground, and the tongue retreated.

  “Fine,” Kishan said. “We seek Durga’s Black Pearl Necklace.”

  Ah, then you must visit my brothers. I can show you how to find them, in exchange— “In exchange for what?” I asked hesitantly.

  The dragon shifted its body while thinking, and the ship lurched to one side. I fell heavily against Ren, but he easily caught and righted me.

  The item you need to find my brothers is in my sky palace. One of you would have to accompany me there to retrieve it.

  Kishan responded, “That’s fine. I’ll go.”

  But wait, the dragon said. If you wish to take it with you, you must give me something in exchange. A moment while I consider. Ah, yes. One of my stars has dimmed. You may repair it.

  “You want us to repair a star? How do we do that?” I asked.

  How is something you must decide.

  “Okay, then how do we get up there?”

  This time, when the head turned, its long tongue curled out to taste the air near me.

  Are you brave, young lady?

  Ren murmured quietly, “She’s the bravest woman I know.”

  I turned to stare at him, but he was still looking at the dragon. The great beast made a sound in our minds, the equivalent of a dragon grunt, I suppose.

  If the three of you have the courage, you may ride the stars on my back.

  I nodded and had taken several steps forward before both Ren and Kishan put an arm out to stop me. Kishan said, “We’ll go, Kelsey. You stay here.”

  “You know you’ll need me. I’ll have both of you with me. It will be okay.”

  I approached the dragon’s eye and bowed my head respectfully. “Lóngjn, may I climb onto your back?”

  The dragon opened its mouth and tinkling laughter sounded in my head. So polite. Yes, my dear. You and your tigers may climb upon my back. But I warn you now. If you fall, I will not catch you. Make sure you
are secure. You may hold onto the spikes on the back of my head if you wish.

  When the red dragon lowered its head, I stepped forward and touched a reddish-black spike that had been hiding in the coarse hairy tendrils trailing from the dragon’s cheeks and head. The spike was actually more like a horn. There were two—both protruding from the back of the head. They were soft and rounded at the tips and covered in a black velvety coat that reminded me of new antlers growing on a young deer.

  Ren stepped forward and climbed onto the dragon’s back. Kishan sat behind him but left enough space to pull me up between them.

  Ren examined the horns until he found a good place to hold. With a sudden jolt, the dragon lifted its head and body from the ship. We rose several hundred feet into the air in just a few seconds and then plummeted toward the ocean just as quickly. I locked my arms as tightly as I could around Ren’s waist and pressed my cheek against his back, but I still felt my weight lift into the air as we dropped.

  I had an epiphany during our downfall and mentally asked the Divine Scarf to tie our bodies to the dragon. I couldn’t hear the whispering of the threads over the shrieking of the wind, but I felt the fabric circle my waist and press down on my thighs as it strapped me to the dragon. It was just in time too, because after the dragon had freed its body from the ship, it dipped and swirled in the air at frightening speeds.

  My stomach lurched as we soared up into the sky then flipped upside down and hung there several moments before turning in spiral freefall. It was like riding the scariest roller coaster in the world, and the only thing keeping me from sure death was the strong grip of the men holding me and the threads of the Divine Scarf.

  The air became colder the higher we went, and soon I could no longer tell where we were. My breath frosted and hung in the air. I pressed myself closer against Ren’s back, grateful for the warmth of both my tigers. The ocean was so black and clear that it looked like the sky. We were riding the winds of the universe, dragonback, surrounded by winking stars.

  As we went higher, the stomach-wrenching maneuvers of the dragon slowed, and it stayed right-side up as it wound back and forth through space. I thought it must look like a giant anaconda weaving its lazy way through a black river. I began to shiver, and my breathing became shallower. Kishan scooted closer and pressed his warm cheek against mine. Because we were moving slowly now, he let go and ran his hands up and down my bare arms.