Dragon's Quest (Dragon Princes Book 1)

by Cyci Cade

  I don´t know when I will come back; don´t worry about me, I am fine. I can´t tell more because I don´t have all the answers yet. We have worked hard. This is it for now.

  I love and miss you.

  Kate.

  Hannah folded the paper and wiped away the tears. “She´s alive, Robert; our little daughter is alive,” she sobbed.

  “Read more.” Robert moved anxiously from one foot to another.

  “This is it.” Hannah unfolded the paper and checked it again.

  Robert hugged his wife and stroked her back. They enjoyed the moment in silence. The letter had caused a reversal in her life, brought faith to a hopeless heart. They´d be capable of restarting their lives in a place distant from Dragon´s Valley. When Kate came back, they´d move out as soon as possible; she had decided and she´d not back out. But a new, menacing thought loomed in her mind and put an end to her plans. How did the letter arrive?

  She pushed Robert away. “How did this letter appear here?” She increased her tone. “Who delivered it if Kate is far away?” She shook the paper in the air. “It never happened before. There is no record of anything like that.”

  Robert scratched his head and stared at her with a thoughtful expression. “I don´t know. Why is it significant? Kate survived, is safe and will return; this is important.” He stressed the last three words.

  Hannah rushed back and forth. “What if she was kidnapped and forced to write this letter.” She waved the paper again.

  “It is absurd, nonsense. Who would kidnap her?” Robert shook his head in denial.

  “Kate is a beautiful girl…”

  Robert interrupted her reasoning, “Let´s hear Phillip´s opinion.” He went to the door, Hannah tried to stop him, but he yelled, “Phillip!” He beckoned at Phillip before she stopped him.

  In seconds, Phillip came running into the house. “Good evening.” He smiled.

  How many times had Hannah thought that he´d marry Kate? Every time he knocked on the door and his eyes shone looking at Kate, Hannah recognized that he loved her daughter; however, Kate didn´t mention his name in the letter. What if she didn´t want him to know about it?

  “We got a letter from Kate.” Robert folded his arms in front of his chest in a defensive position and waited for Phillip’s reaction.

  Phillip´s face brightened. “Where is she? How is she? When will she come back? When did the letter arrive?” He spat out all the questions at the same time.

  Hannah´s head spun, her fingers held the letter tightly; she decided not to give it to Phillip, though, seeing his features transformed and his happiness, she thought that it was unfair to hide it from him; after all, he searched for her, organized groups and spent weeks looking for her daughter.

  She stepped toward him. “We just found it; did you see anyone near the house?”

  Phillip narrowed his eyes. “No. I stayed outside with the guys and no one approached.” He stretched his arm. “Can I see it?”

  Relutanctly, Hannah handed him the letter, uncertain if they were doing the right thing because Kate had asked them to not say to anyone. Did it include Phillip?

  He read once, stared at them, reread the letter, examined the paper, the envelope, and returned the letter to Hannah. “I am speechless. I cannot understand how Kate did it.”

  Phillip´s expression changed, of course he noticed that she didn´t mention his name; those weren´t the words he´d like to read the most.

  “Do you think this is true? I mean…” Hannah hesitated. “Is there any chance that Kate had been kidnapped?”

  “I don´t believe, I´m almost sure that she followed those people,” he answered with conviction. “Can you remember that day when I went to the mountain?”

  Hannah and Robert nodded in silence. How could they forget, Phillip´s father was furious and the village was preparing search groups to find him. Mr. Hart grounded Phillip for a month.

  “The dragon assured me that she wasn´t there, and we searched for her in the whole Dragon´s Valley; she wasn´t there either.” Phillip´s explanation was a little subjective; he seemed to choose what to say; he never told them what really occurred that day.

  “I told her.” Robert laid his arm on Hannah´s shoulders, pulling her closer.

  Robert was right. Kate was alive, end of question. She had found a way to send news, and if Kate was able to leave, they would too. As soon as Kate stepped in Dragon´s Valley and they rescued Sam, they´d leave, forever, to never again return to that place.

  Chapter 35

  Liu

  The sound of birds´ song roused Liu the next morning. He blinked several times and opened his eyes. Kate was laid on top of him. She sobbed and confessed all her love for him. He thought it was a dream, but no, Kate really said those beautiful words and he wondered why.

  Liu kept quiet and enjoyed the moment; they had had some problems in the last days. Kate knew how to express her feelings; she was really good with words. That confession renewed his strength and brought him confidence, all his doubts vanished. She loved him, not Wei, for now it was enough.

  He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her body pulling Kate closer. He was ready to kiss his beloved, but Kate reacted badly to his strokes and tried to move away. Liu held her tightly restraining her movements and smiled at her. It made her furious.

  “I thought you had died. How long have you been awake and pretending?” She tapped him.

  Why did she always do that?

  Liu squirmed. “I didn´t pretend. Why are you so angry? After such lovely words you should be glad that I am alive.” He tried to kiss her again; his lips barely touched hers.

  Kate turned her face. “You were awake long enough to hear me, you saw my desperation and let me cry over your body. You are hateful!” she said fierily and attempted to escape from his arms.

  His lips grazed on her face, ended on her mouth and moved fast against her. He waited for her response, but Kate remained paralyzed.

  “Why can you not please me a little? I saved your life.” His lips brushed hers when he spoke. “Why have you been avoiding me? It hurts.” He rubbed his nose on her soft skin and smelled her scent, his hands raced up and down on her back, and he crushed her body against his. He got no reaction, so he stared at her.

  She looked at him with smoldering, sparkling eyes. She could destroy him with one gesture if it was her desire. Liu removed his hands from her and waited. They held eye contact for a while and then he broke the tense atmosphere.

  “I need to get up.” He lifted his hands, showing that she wasn´t restrained.

  Kate rolled aside, ashamed. She sat up and tied her hair back, avoiding looking at him.

  Liu pressed his left ribs and got up moaning. He stretched his body carefully; a series of cracks became audible when his bones returned to their rightful position.

  He turned around enraptured by the stunning scenery. The colors were so vivid. There were flowers that he had never seen, trees that could reach the sky and bridges that linked the edges of the rivers. Birds whistled, having fun in their flight; a herd of deer grazed near him, he licked his lips and before his mind suggested a hunt or something like that his eyes moved to the apes; they played and jumped from branches to branches; a pride of rare blue lions rested in a shadow; white elephants… an entire ecosystem lived there.

  He could live there too. He considered it for a short time. He felt stillness, harmony, and reinvigoration, a strong and strange desire to stay in the bottom of the abyss that possessed him. He could experiment a life without war, sadness, rivalries, and bad feelings. Only quiet and peace would surround him.

  Kate shook his arm and broke the trance. “Are you ignoring me?” She scowled at him. It had become so frequent that every time Liu thought about her, Kate appeared with a serious expression.

  Liu blinked and turned around. “This place is enchanted. We need to leave now or we´ll be stuck here forever.” He walked along the slope and looked for the best place to climb it.


  Kate followed him with a puzzled look on her face. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don´t you feel an intense desire to stay here? This place is so inviting.” He sighed and admired the nature again.

  “No.” Kate examined him and the landscape.

  “Probably you are immune to its enchantment.” He focused on the slope.

  Kate shrugged. “What do you have in mind?”

  He didn´t answer immediately. First, he drew the plan in his mind. “The only solution is to climb it.”

  She laughed sarcastically. “Have you hit your head?” She pointed upward. “We cannot see the top.” She sat down on a rock revealing her disappointment.

  “Can you do me a favor while I prepare our climb?” He didn´t wait for her agreement and went on. “I saw our weapons scattered some feet ahead; get them, please.”

  Kate nodded and got up; for the first time, she obeyed him. He enjoyed the rare moment and observed her searching for his sword and her bow and arrows.

  As time ran out, Liu tested some branches to choose the safest place to ascend. He grabbed the branches and forced them down; they should be strong enough to support his weight plus hers and the weapons. He climbed a few feet, after that point he´d count on his wisdom and luck to choose the right way to the top. He climbed back down.

  Kate handled his sword doing the movements he had taught her. Her movements were mild, but firm. She was so elegant, graceful, and adorable; she had a natural gift for managing that kind of weapon.

  She noticed her audience and glimpsed at him, embarrassed. “I was curious about this sword. Now I know why it is your favorite one. It is amazing. I´ve never handled so perfect a weapon. It is accurate.”

  Liu approached. “Fighting with swords is an art. There is a saying about it, ‘Who wants to pull the sword is a beginner, who can pull the sword is a specialist, and who is the sword is a master’.”

  She grinned. “You are a master because you are the sword. It synchronizes with you, completes you, as if it was part of your arm.” She handed him Jiu Huan Do.

  Liu slid the blade between his fingers thinking of her words. She was right; it matched with him. He sheathed the sword and stared at her. “Time to go. Hold around my neck and cross your legs around my waist.” He walked to the place he had chosen to climb.

  “I won´t mount your back,” Kate objected.

  “The same point again? This is the only way. Come on. Pretend I am a dragon,” he teased her.

  Kate grimaced and put her hands on her hips. “You cannot carry me upward. I´d just distract you and cause an accident. You go, I wait here.” Her foot tapped the ground.

  Liu held her elbow. “I won´t leave without you; both of us go up or both of us stay.”

  Kate bit her lips and considered it a little. “Fine, we cannot stay here forever.”

  She approached him from behind and held around his neck. Liu slid his hands under her legs lifting them and she crossed her ankles in front of him.

  He grasped the first branch and positioned his feet on the rocks; his muscles tensed. He took advantage of the first movement and climbed fast to the point he had tested and was sure about their security. His hands changed from branches to branches pulling them upward while his feet gave balance and support.

  After that point he moved slowly. He tested each branch and rock before he put his hands and feet on them; a fall would be lethal to Kate. He glanced up and down, he had done one third of the way. His arms shivered, his muscles were fatigued, but he needed to focus on his job to take Kate out of the abyss. Hours had passed. Liu´s progress became slow, and Kate started to weight too much.

  Her hands slipped a little. “I cannot hold on anymore. I´m very tired indeed.”

  Liu put a hand under her leg and hauled her upward. “Hold on, and don´t let go, Kate.”

  “I cannot.” She cried; her hands slipped again and escaped form Liu´s neck. “I am falling!” Kate yelled.

  Liu grasped her arm, but she was slipping from his grip; his dirty hand didn´t adhere on her coat. Kate kicked in the air; her hand was sweaty against his bare arm. “Kate! Hold on!”

  “Don´t drop me, please,” she bawled.

  His glance met her distressed eyes for a fleeting moment. “Never!” he exclaimed.

  Liu used all his strength to hold and pull her upward; his entire body shook. He clenched his teeth; his other arm couldn´t support all that weight, but he was of one mind, both would arrive at the top or fall. Little by little he brought Kate closer.

  “Put your foot on my knee and go to that ledge.” He pointed with his chin to the ledge above them.”

  Kate obeyed without protesting for the second time in one day. He saw horror in her wet face.

  As soon as Kate reached the ledge he followed her. Liu leaned against the rock, and they kept silent for minutes taking mouthfuls of air to regain their breath. He had to admit that Kate was right, he couldn´t carry her upward using only his human force.

  “Are you okay?”

  Kate didn´t answer. She was numb; her eyes fixed on somewhere distant. Liu nestled Kate in his arms; he stroked her back, and rocked her back and forth. He wanted to say that everything would be okay, but he knew that nothing would be fine while they were there.

  “Stay with me, Kate. Come on, I need you focused on our mission. I need your help. I cannot do this without you.” He gave her some more minutes; she remained in shock. “You are the bravest woman I have ever known, this is nothing for you. You can do this easily, and we´ll laugh when we come back home and tell Fu Chow about our adventure.” No response. Liu grabbed Kate´s shoulders and shook her violently. “Kate, come back, now!” he commanded.

  She cried and babbled, “We will die here.”

  “No!” He pulled her against him and stroked her back. “Trust me, I can do this. I promised I´d protect you, and I´ll do this.”

  “It is too dangerous.” She sniffed.

  “It is, but we are stronger, smarter, and we have a mission, so nothing will stop us, believe me, this isn´t our destiny,” he comforted her.

  They stayed hugging while Liu recovered his strength. Kate napped, propped against his chest. When he felt better; he brushed back the strand of hair fallen on her face. She blinked and yawned.

  Liu got up and helped her. “We are almost there; I want to reach the top before dusk.”

  “Are you sure?” She bit her lips and looked at the top.

  His eyes followed hers. He lied. They weren´t almost there, but she didn´t need to know. “Yes.” He reafirmed his lie.

  Kate nodded. She crossed her arms and legs around him and he scrambled up the slope. To his surprise that part was easier and faster, as if some power facilitated his task. Kate´s muscles stayed tense around him. Liu coughed every time she tightened his throat almost suffocating him, but he didn´t complain. He preferred to feel her tight grip around his neck instead of the unpleasant sensation of her sliding and falling like minutes ago.

  It was sunset when they reached the top. Liu lay on the grass and thanked God for his achievement. An avalanche of questions bubbled in his mind while his body rested. Where was Wei? It was the first one. How would he find his brother and the eye? How would he defeat the immortal army? There were so many problems for solving; however, he decided to think about them as they arrived, for now he wished only rest and peace.

  The full moon lit the night. Liu woke up and found Kate sleeping beside him. She moved her arms, mumbled, and turned to the other side. She was dreaming, he assumed. He got up and strolled around.

  Nearby, Liu found a stream; he knelt on the edge, looked for possible animals and scooped water up with both hands. Satiated, he washed his face and wet the nape of his neck to refresh his body. Even being winter that place was extremely hot. As he spun his head he saw nearby what seemed like an orchard filled of fruits ripe for picking; that scenery was an invitation.

  He hurried; the place was like a big self-service with a
plate ‘Eat all you can.’ There were so many types of fruits that he was in doubt which to pick. He took his shirt off, gathered six different kinds of fruits, put them in his shirt making a bag, and returned to Kate.

  She still slept. He put the fruits on the grass, kissed her forehead and whispered, “Kate, I found food.”

  She yawned, rolled to the other side, and mumbled, “Five minutes more, please.”

  He giggled. “Not today. Wake up lazy woman,” he prodded her.

  Liu took a banana, peeled it and ate the fruit in two bites; the figs he ate in one bite without peeling them. He examined the kiwifruit and decided to peel them. After some pears and a piece of watermelon, Kate joined him.

  She used a little knife to peel all the fruits and sliced them in small pieces. “They are delicious.” She licked her lips and smiled.

  Liu used the sword to cut the top of the coconut. “Drink; the water will rehydrate you.”

  Kate held the fruit with both hands, turned it to her mouth, and took a mouthful of it. “Now I am ready to sleep again.”

  “No sleepyhead! Now we are ready to search for the eye and Wei.” He offered a hand and pulled her to her feet.

  They marched an hour to find the Palace. As they approached, they crept among the bushes while Liu studied the gates. He didn´t like what he saw.

  “No guards,” he deduced.

  “Great.” Oppositely to Liu, Kate seemed relieved.

  “Trap,” he concluded somberly.

  “What will we do?” she whispered in a conspirator voice.

  “Go ahead.” Liu unsheathed his sword. “Stay close.”

  He moved toward the side entrance, leaned against the wall and peeped at the hall. “Clear.”

  He entered into the Palace followed by Kate, who had an arrow prepared to shoot at any creature that crossed her way. The Palace appeared a labyrinth full of rooms, halls, and dead ends. What concerned him was the guards´ absence.

  “We are being expected.”

  “This is a bad idea. We should return; this place smells like death.” She cautioned him; her eyes raced to all sides as if they looked for something.