Tiger's Voyage

by Colleen Houck

  Kishan squeezed my hand, dove through the barrier, and found a seat between two spikes of the dragon’s back. Ren put his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off and dove through the barrier. He followed right behind me and soon passed me, swimming with powerful strokes. I sensed the pressure immediately. I felt as if I were being crushed like trash in a compactor.

  Ren paused, noticed my distress, and turned around and swam back to me. Kishan started to swim back too but I waved him off. Ren took my hand and pulled me along quickly. I was running out of air. As a last resort, I mentally asked the Scarf to stretch around a spike and drag me closer.

  The minute the Scarf touched the dragon, he bucked and turned to stare fearfully at the threads. Kishan patted his sides, shrugged his shoulders, and grinned. Ren and I finally made it to the dragon’s back. I sat behind Kishan while Ren mounted behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly. The pressure lessened and a bubble rose up and covered my face again so I could breathe.

  The Scarf secured my body to Jnsèlóng’s spike, and after peering at the three of us, and the Scarf in particular, the golden dragon shot through the black ocean, moving like a sidewinder. Every once in a while, Jnsèlóng would look back at us and surge ahead quickly as if it were a wriggling worm being chased by a hungry fish.

  23

  The Ice Dragon

  The journey to the white dragon’s underwater lair was both wondrous and frightening. The golden dragon descended lower, swimming through a sea so black I started to panic and feel claustrophobic. I saw a flash of lights from time to time and stared in fascination as we passed tiny fish that glowed in the dark. An octopus shot out from an outcropping. Its mantle pulsed with red dots, like a Las Vegas marquee, before it disappeared.

  I’d expected the depths of the ocean to be silent, but it wasn’t. Large animals hummed and called to one another, shocking my body with wave after wave of heavy vibrations. The water became colder. Ren wrapped his arms more tightly around me and pressed my back into his chest. A light penetrated the darkness. At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me but the longer I stared at it, the brighter it became.

  We rushed toward the light. The dragon put on a burst of speed like a sprinter at the end of a race. It moved so fast, I almost missed the source of the light as we rose briefly above outcroppings and then descended again. I wondered if perhaps I had imagined it, but soon my brief glimpse became a reality as Jnsèlóng sped to an underwater ice palace.

  It jutted from the ocean floor like a crystal stalagmite. We rose over an incline and swam down onto an icy path. On each side of the path, frozen sculpted water plants and flowers sat in frosty beds. A crystal forest of trees rose up on either side, each tree lit from within with a different color, creating what appeared to be a neon city on the ocean floor. The dragon slowed, and I was able to glaze my finger over the leaf of a pink tree that burned with fiery orange in the middle.

  I stared in wonder at the glittering masterpieces and wondered if the dragon had created them. The details—the branches and sparkling leaves, the sea-grass spikes jutting in straight points as they grew from the ice plants, the feathered fronds of underwater foliage—were so exact, they mimicked real plants and trees as if transported from another world.

  The icy path the dragon followed angled up, and I saw thick steps carved into the ice. When we neared the palace, Jnsèlóng veered to the right and entered a cave behind the castle. It slowly twisted through the tunnel, using just its tail for propulsion. All around us was a slick passageway of bright blue ice, lit from somewhere above. My curiosity about the white dragon was growing.

  We headed toward a brightly lit hole in the ice, and Jnsèlóng shot through it as if it could glide on the air as easily as it swam. It landed on a slick floor and dug its claws into the ice to keep from sliding. Ren, Kishan, and I hopped off the golden dragon’s back. This time we remained wet and we were freezing. I asked the Scarf to gather itself, and the dragon slumped in relief, shaking itself like a dog.

  Jnsèlóng morphed back into his human form and said, “Well, don’t just stand there. One of you strapping lads help me over to the sofa. A dragon falling on his behind is not very dignified,” he huffed.

  I giggled while Jnsèlóng murmured under his breath.

  Kishan slid over to him on bare feet, and together the four of us made our way deeper into the castle. By the time we entered what I would call a sitting room, I was really cold, and my feet were sticking to the icy floor.

  “We need some new clothes and shoes,” I whispered.

  Ren nodded. “You first.”

  I had the Scarf drape a curtain across the corner of the room and asked it to replace my clothes with winter gear, put two pairs of socks on my frozen feet, and a thick pair of slippers over those. While I was changing, I had it make clothing for the boys too so they wouldn’t have to wait as long. Using my inner heat, I carefully ran my palms over my hair to dry. When done, I felt much better but was still shivering.

  After Ren and Kishan emerged in new clothes, and the three of us were snuggled close together on a couch to keep warm, I removed a glove and tried to warm Ren’s hand. His hand gently squeezed mine.

  “Don’t,” he said. “Save your heat for yourself. We’ll be alright.”

  I nodded and stuck my nose deeper into my wool scarf.

  My teeth chattered, “Tttoo bad the Sscarff can’t mmakke heating blanketsss.”

  I seriously pondered the possibility of warming a blanket with my hands for a minute and then discarded it. “Wwwell?” I asked Jnsèlóng. “Where issss he? You pppromised to introduce usss.”

  “He’ll be here in a minute,” the dragon replied snootily. “It’s not like he was expecting visitors.” Despite his arrogant attitude, Jnsèlóng drummed his fingers nervously against the side table made from ice.

  My backside was freezing on the ice couch. I shifted back and forth uncomfortably. Quickly realizing my problem, Ren lifted me onto his lap. He moved my legs on top of Kishan and wrapped his arms and coat around me.

  “Is that better?”

  I sighed. “Yes.” I pressed my nose into his chest.

  Kishan frowned, but I held out my hand to him, and he pressed my gloved fingers to his lips with a grin.

  Jnsèlóng was very uncomfortable watching this. He squeaked impatiently, “Where can he be?” Then looked at Ren slyly and said, “I really should be getting back to my treasure. Aphrodite gets lonely without me, you see.” He smacked his palm against his head. “What was I thinking? It’s almost dusting time. You know what can happen to certain metals if they’re not dusted every twelve hours.”

  Ren looked up at him; his lips had been pressed against my hair a moment before. “Relax,” he said. “You made a deal, and you’re not going anywhere until we get our introduction.”

  The golden dragon threw an angry hand in the air. “Bah! Remind me never to barter again with tigers.”

  I snorted, and he narrowed his eyes.

  “Or females.” He slumped in his seat, took out a bag of jingling coins and began counting them carefully while cleaning them with his sleeve.

  We didn’t have to wait much longer before a tall, white-haired man entered the room.

  “Jnsèlóng!” The white dragon’s voice pummeled us like sleet against a windowpane. “You know you should never bring anyone here unannounced! It is forbidden!”

  The golden dragon whimpered, “I had no choice. They tricked the information out of me. It’s all the girl’s fault, you see. She—”

  “Stop. I don’t want to hear one more word. I’ve told you time and again to give up your obsession with hoarding and bartering, and centuries later you still never listen. You never learn. Go away, and I will clean up your mess. As usual.”

  The golden dragon rose up quickly.

  “And I don’t want to see your metal hide for at least two hundred years!”

  “Yes, Yínbáilóng. You won’t hear a peep out of me. Than
k you.”

  Jnsèlóng glanced at us on his way out. I winked at him, and he squealed and ran the rest of the way. We heard the dragon’s heavy body enter the water with a splash, and it was gone.

  The white dragon turned to us and smiled warmly. “He is so fun to frighten, isn’t he?”

  I flushed and nodded.

  “That was quite a clever trick you three played on him. It was very well executed. He’ll think twice before he barters again. Oh, he’ll still do it, mind you, but at least he will think twice, which is more progress than I’ve made with him in centuries.”

  The white dragon moved fluidly across the room and bent his tall frame to fit the chair recently vacated by his brother. Crossing one leg over the other, he crooked his elbow on the arm of the chair and rested his head against his finger as he studied us. White hair was smoothed back from a prominent brow. His lips were thin and pressed tightly closed as he appraised us, but his wizened face was full of expression. His eyes were icy blue, almost translucent, and were full of curiosity. His demeanor and accent reminded me of a British professor.

  “So,” he began. “You’re here for a key and not just any key. You want the key.”

  “We need to find Durga’s Necklace. I don’t know about a key,” I ventured.

  “Ah, yes. You seek the way to the Seventh Pagoda.” He stared into my eyes and froze for a minute.

  “Are you reading my thoughts?” I asked.

  “No. I wouldn’t do that without permission. Just … studying you. I haven’t conversed with a human in a long time, let alone one so lovely.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’ve had a long journey, then, haven’t you? To make it this far must have been a tremendous effort.” He stood as if startled. “Now what kind of a host am I? Here you sit, frozen, hungry, thirsty, and tired while I go on about things that can wait until later.”

  He whirled his hands and a blue fire lit in the grate near us. It crackled like ice breaking, but it was amazingly warm.

  “But won’t it melt your castle?” I asked.

  Yínbáilóng laughed, a warm sound in a frozen room. “Of course not. My home is protected from melting. Perhaps you have more questions about dragons. I would be happy to answer them over dinner. May I have the pleasure?”

  He strode over to our couch and offered his arm. Ren’s arms tightened around me, and I heard a little growl from Kishan.

  The white dragon chided, “Now, now, gentlemen. There’s no need for jealousy. I merely meant to escort the young lady through the halls. You two may follow, of course. If you would, miss?”

  “Alright. Thank you.”

  I took his hand, and Ren reluctantly let me go. He and Kishan immediately trailed along behind us.

  We passed what appeared to be a game room with a billiard table, and the dragon asked, “Do either of you young men enjoy billiards? I haven’t played a game in quite some time, but it would be a nice way to pass the hours.”

  “How do you differentiate the snowballs?” Kishan asked with a chuckle.

  “They are colored much as my trees outside.”

  “How do you get them to glow those different colors?” I inquired.

  “Bioluminescence.”

  “You mean phosphorescent animals?”

  “Not exactly. Ancient men once stared at the night ocean and saw a glow. They mistakenly associated it with the burning of the chemical phosphor. What is typically called phosphorescence in the ocean has nothing to do with burning at all. It involves no heat. Living creatures called dinoflagellates create my light. Similar to your fireflies on the land, these animals glow with an inner light. Most of them are microscopic and actually create light when reacting to oxygen above the water. I have duplicated the environment necessary to make them glow here. Feeding and caring for them gives me great happiness.”

  “So your plants and trees are like tiny aquariums? They’re your pets?”

  “Precisely. Each tree hosts a different animal that creates different colors. Jellyfish, shrimp, squid, various types of worms, some plants, and also Cypridina, which create the most beautiful blue color.”

  “What are Cypridina?”

  “They are similar to clams, but their shells are tiny and transparent. Normally they’re found in the waters of Japan.”

  “But don’t they freeze inside your ice trees?”

  “I can modify the temperature and the environment to meet their needs. In fact, you might have noticed you no longer need your winter gear.”

  Now that he mentioned it, I was slightly warm. I slipped off my outerwear and tucked it over my arm. We entered a large dining room made of ice. Each chair had a greenish hue, and the large table was red. I moved closer to inspect the surface and saw thousands of tiny creatures wriggling around under the ice.

  “They’re beautiful!”

  “They are. You may all be seated. The chairs won’t freeze you any longer. It will feel like you’re sitting on chairs made of oak.”

  After we took our places around the table, the white dragon whirled his hands, and a feast appeared before us. I was starving. We hadn’t dared use the Golden Fruit in front of Jnsèlóng, and the seaweed crackers hadn’t been that appealing after I found out what they were. I took a moment to study the banquet in front of me. Ice bowls held king crab legs with clarified butter and cold peeled shrimp with cocktail sauce.

  Other dishes were kept warm. There was lobster pot pie, toasted flatbread with a warm cheesy dip made with artichokes, spinach, and crab. He had platters and bowls full of stuffed sole, seafood gumbo, a julienned salad in a vinaigrette sauce, clam chowder, garlic shrimp linguini, and the biggest maple-and-cherry-glazed salmon I’d ever seen— even in Oregon. He poured us fruity drinks called electric ices that looked like snow cones.

  I picked strawberry, and the dragon went to work. He poured a few drops of red syrup into the top of an amazing detailed dragon ice sculpture centerpiece and spoke a few words. The red liquid began to travel through the curvy dragon. Then, Yínbáilóng scooped up a frosty mug and held it under the mouth of the ice sculpture. The drink looked like a slushy but with more liquid and less ice. He repeated the process, making a grapefruit drink for Kishan, lemon for Ren, and cherry for himself.

  Indicating the smorgasbord set in front of us, he said, “Please enjoy.”

  Still slightly cold, I started with the hot clam chowder. It was the most creamy, most flavorful clam chowder I’d ever tasted. I ate half the bowl before I remembered I wanted to ask the dragon some questions.

  “Yínbáilóng? Your brother told me that you were all born in different oceans and that he was the Earth Dragon. What does that mean, and who were your parents?”

  The Ice Dragon set down his fork and leaned forward, clasping his hands under his chin. “My parents,” he said, “are whom you would call Mother Earth and Father Time.”

  I set down my spoon, hunger forgotten. “You mean they’re real people?”

  “I don’t know that I would call them people, but they are real beings.”

  “Where do they live? Do you ever see them? What are they like?”

  “I do see them though it’s doubtful you could because they reside mostly in another dimension. They live … well … everywhere. If you could train yourself to see, you could find them. Mother is a part of every living thing on Earth. Plants, animals, people, and even dragons are all her children, and she and Father Time will never cease to exist. He is the past, present, and future. He is omniscient. He knows everything that will happen but is endlessly curious to see the course of the world unfold, regardless. He told me you would be coming. My brothers would have known that too if they would ever listen. They’re so young. Like teenagers, really. They think they know everything, so they never listen to our parents. But a wise child always regards parents with respect.”

  He sipped his drink and went on. “They’re … retired now. At least as much as immortals can be. They’ve turned over the duties of guarding Earth and i
ts occupants to us. Jnsèlóng watches over the treasures of the Earth. He makes sure mineral deposits are created and found, and despite his faults, he inspired the industrial revolution, though his chief purpose was not entirely altruistic. He wished to manufacture goods more quickly, so he could increase the size of his collection. He does have his quirks, but by and large, he’s been good for mankind.

  “L sèlóng is the Earth Dragon, as you know. He is responsible for keeping the balance between the land and sea. He watches over growing things. Trees, flowers, mountains, deserts, and forests are all under his purveyorship. He makes crops grow. He taught the Egyptians how to create papyrus and keep records. If it weren’t for him, humankind wouldn’t have any books.”

  “What about Qnglóng?” Ren asked.

  “Qnglóng is the laziest of my brothers. Disasters have happened because he refuses to pay attention. He is supposed to be keeping Jnsèlóng has so many treasures piled up is because Qnglóng hasn’t been caring for the ocean properly. His job is to provide the world with water.

  “He governs the rain clouds, the rivers, lakes, and most of the oceans, though every so often we help out our own territories. There are creatures becoming extinct in the oceans every day due to his negligence. Overfishing, pollution, and drought are largely his fault. The entire whaling industry happened during one of his naps. But, to be fair, he did inspire your early explorers to find other lands. He was young and eager to please back then.”

  The white dragon snickered. “Imagine! Columbus discovering land in those tiny ships on his own? Without a dragon, he would have been lost at sea in the first two weeks.”

  “Kelsey.”

  I looked over at Ren, who was pointing at my plate with his fork.