Dragon Kings of the Orient (The Myth Hunter Book 2)

by Percival Constantine

  “We have to move,” said Sun. He and Nezha left the temple and Elisa, Max and Shroud followed them out. Descending from the skies was a colorful, gigantic bird of prey, with massive talons and nine distinct heads.

  “It's as I feared. They summoned the Jiufeng,” said Nezha.

  Elisa reached for her belt, releasing the snap that held the sheng bao in place. The sheng bao was also known as a meteor hammer, a length of rope with a weight at either end. As the Jiufeng descended, Elisa swung the hammer in a wide, overhead arc. The free end of the sheng bao slammed against one of the Jiufeng’s heads, causing it to screech and veer aside. Talons scrabbled for Elisa and she dove out of the way, great wings beating over her head, and two of Jiufeng's struck out at her with sharp beaks. They misjudged their attacks and ended up striking their heads together, leaving them momentarily stunned as the Jiufeng swept away, leaving a trail of swirling rainbow-hued feathers in its wake.

  The Jiufeng wheeled in the sky and came for a second pass. This time, Elisa ran toward the Jiufeng in an erratic pattern that made it difficult to judge where she would be from moment to moment. This caused some confusion for Jiufeng, who could not easily adjust his path of flight to pluck her up in his claws.

  Elisa threw her sheng bao forward again. This time, the sheng bao wrapped around one of the Jiufeng’s long necks. As the Jiufeng curved up into the sky again, Elisa held onto the rope, and was pulled into the air with the mythical beast.

  “Elisa!” Shroud called after her, drawing his Berettas and firing at the retreating Jiufeng. “Is she out of her mind?”

  “In a word, yes,” said Max.

  “My kind of woman,” said Sun with a grin. “She seems to possess a certain element of simian agility, that I find most admirable and attractive. Do you suppose—”

  “Oh shut up,” said Shroud. He turned to Nezha. “You! How can we get her back? Stop that thing?”

  “I think you should be more concerned about it catching you,” said Nezha. He motioned to the sky. “It’s coming back for another pass.”

  Shroud turned and saw Elisa riding on the Jiufeng’s back as it careened towards the ground once more. She was trying to steer the creature, but her sheng bao was wrapped around just one of its nine necks, and it fought against her, talons bared and beaks gaping. The talons reached out toward the ground, raking the earth in the hopes of snaring or crushing one of Elisa's friends. They all managed to jump to safety, but the tip of a talon caught Max across the back of his jacket and sent him rolling across the turf. Elisa pulled hard on the makeshift rein to bring the Jiufeng up again and away from her allies.

  Nearby, Ao Ming watched this all transpire. His eyes were deep pools of darkness and his body began to shift. He changed from his human disguise into his natural form as a massive, black dragon, the same size that his brother, Ao Qin, had been.

  Ao Ming’s emergent wings raised his serpentine body into the air. He wouldn’t let some uppity mortal foil his plans or turn his pet against him. He flew towards Elisa and the Jiufeng, blowing fire at them.

  The Jiufeng screeched out and Elisa pulled hard on the rein, forcing the creature to turn. Now seeing that her interests and its aligned, the Jiufeng seemed far more responsive to her commands.

  The Jiufeng flew in a circle, coming for another pass. As Ao Ming blew off another burst of flames, Elisa snapped the reins and the Jiufeng nimbly dodged the strike. It came back quickly and screeched victoriously as its talons tore into Ming’s side, loosening a half dozen dark scales so that they fluttered and plummeted to the earth.

  Ming wasn’t thrown from his task for more than a moment. He caught up with them, swinging his massive tail so that it collided with the Jiufeng. The impact caused Elisa to lose her footing and she fell from the feathered back of the Jiufeng, holding on by only the sheng bao. The Jiufeng seemed to have no interest in having Elisa climb back on, it just moved for another attack at his former master. Elisa gripped the weight at the end of the sheng bao, which had literally become her lifeline. She tried to pull herself up, but fighting against the air current seemed extremely futile.

  Ming struck again, swatting the Jiufeng with a massive clawed talon. The Jiufeng went into free fall briefly, and Elisa used this as her chance. She tried to maneuver herself in the air so that as the Jiufeng pulled up once more, she’d be positioned over its back. It would be a risk, but she knew she couldn’t continue to be dragged or she was sure to either fall or strike some obstacle.

  Elisa released her grip on the sheng bao and fell through the air quickly. She tried to slow her momentum as much as she could, position herself in the right spot. As the Jiufeng ascended, she came even with his back and reached out gripping tightly to the feathers. She struggled, pulling herself handhold of feathers by handhold of feathers, until she reached the loose end of the sheng bao and took hold of it once again.

  Another combatant entered the fray and before Ao Ming could turn for another pass, he was struck by a blow from Sun Wukong. The Monkey King stood on a cloud as he came at the Dragon King once more. He spun the staff in a circle and brought it in an arc. As it reached the apex of the swing, the staff extended in length and slammed against Ao Ming with so much force that his wings folded and the dragon plummeted from the sky and crashed to the ground in a flurry of uprooted sod and earth.

  The Jiufeng saw its opportunity to strike and dove once more, Elisa clinging to its back, her hair streaming wildly behind. Ao Ming managed to shake off some of the effects of the previous attack and rose upon his clawed feet. He heard the whistle of displaced air and looked up just as the Jiufeng descended.

  Sensing what was about to happen, Elisa took her chances and jumped from the Jiufeng, even as it opened its feathered wings to slow its descent at the last second. It screeched, talons bared and collided with Ao Ming. But Ming himself unleashed a burst of flames from his jaw in a massive explosion that disrupted the earth and disintegrated the Jiufeng.

  Elisa was tossed by the force of the concussion, tumbling across the ground for a hundred yards before she came to a halt, bruised and aching but still in possession of all her limbs and faculties. She struggled to get up and Shroud and Max came to her side, granting her aid. Shroud rubbed her face, looking into her eyes. “You okay, girl?”

  “I just…I just fought a dragon with a nine-headed creature,” said Elisa and started to chuckle. “I shouldn’t be allowed to do stuff like that.”

  Shroud and Max began to chuckle at her comment.

  “You always were a bit peculiar as a child,” said Max.

  Nezha and Sun Wukong approached Ao Ming, whose black scales were a stark contrast to the flames that raged over his body. The Dragon King was stunned, his scales cracked and broken from the claws of the Jiufeng, his flesh rent and bleeding from the nine jaws of the beast that had once been his servant. Most of all, he was stunned from the impact of the explosion that he had expelled from the fiery furnaces of his own body.

  Nezha held out his fist. Flames extended from the sides of the fist, taking the form of a fiery spear. The deity raised the spear up and drove it into Ao Ming’s head, ending the life of the third Dragon King.

  “We don’t have any time to waste. Now’s the chance we have to go after Ao Kuang,” said Nezha. He looked to Max. “And you and I have to report to the Jade Emperor.”

  “What about Fusang?” asked Shroud. “How can we get there?”

  “I can send you there. But I can only send you to the outskirts. From there, it will all be up to you and you’ll have to go up against Kuang’s army,” said Nezha. “Also be warned—Kuang has lost all three of his brothers. He won’t be in good spirits.”

  “Neither will we,” said Elisa. “Time to end this thing once and for all.”

  CHAPTER 15

  The gates of heaven bore a striking resemblance to the Great Wall of China. Whether or not this were a true heaven as Nezha referred to it or simply another plane of existence, Max couldn’t be sure. Despite everything he had learn
ed in his lifetime, separating myth from fact was still extremely difficult.

  Guards dressed in ancient Chinese armor stood at the gate. Their hands instinctively went to the hilts of their swords once Max appeared, but Nezha stepped forward and they noticed the sash he wore, as well as the golden bands around his wrists.

  “I’m here for an audience with the Jade Emperor,” said Nezha.

  “The Emperor is resting,” said one of the guards.

  “It’s of dire consequence,” said Nezha. “The Dragon Kings have gone rogue.”

  The warriors exchanged glances then stepped to the side. The gates opened and Nezha stepped into the courtyard with Max following. Once Max was past the gates, he gaped in amazement.

  The palace of the Jade Emperor lived up to its name—it seemed to be constructed exclusively of jade, lined with gold trim and a golden roof. It gave new meaning to the word opulence. Max found it difficult to take even another step forward in the presence of such magnificence.

  “Keep walking,” said Nezha. “And close your mouth. You’re embarrassing me.”

  Max shut his mouth but his jaw almost instantly dropped once more. “Never in all my years as a myth hunter did I ever lay eyes on something like this.”

  “Few mortals ever have,” said Nezha. “Consider yourself lucky.”

  “More than you can even imagine,” said Max.

  Nezha led the way past the courtyard and up to the palace doors. Once they entered the palace, Max could scarcely take a single step without stopping to look around at the decorations.

  “There must be something from every period of Chinese history in this place,” he said. “Artifacts never identified. And some which look like they’re from no known Dynasty.”

  “They’re known, just not by you,” said Nezha with a grin. “Come.”

  Nezha continued to walk with Max trying his best to follow without stopping to examine the multitude of artworks and treasures. He wished he brought a camera. There was no way he could possibly describe the wonders contained in the Jade Palace in a fashion that would do them justice.

  The throne room was large but almost completely empty. Besides the tapestries and wall hangings the only thing within the chamber was a throne in the rear of the room, facing the entrance. Seated on the throne was a jade statue of an elderly man in robes.

  “Go on,” said Nezha.

  Max slowly approached the statue, examining it carefully. Nezha watched him explore the statue’s craftsmanship.

  “This is unbelievable,” said Max. “The skill of the craftsman who fashioned this…it’s incredible. I’ve never seen something with such detail.”

  “That’s not a statue,” said Nezha. “That’s the Jade Emperor. He’s been slumbering ever since the last attempt on the throne. He’s tried to forget everything that’s happened.”

  “Why? His people need him,” said Max.

  “My people?”

  Max jumped back in shock as the statue’s lips moved and generated sound. “What the hell?”

  The Jade Emperor coughed, and leaned back in the chair. He was essentially a talking jade statue, a fact which left Max feeling extremely unsettled.

  “My people,” continued the Emperor, “abandoned me. They let their belief in me fade. Why should I care that they need me? It was all too convenient for them to cast me off centuries ago.”

  “Times have changed,” said Max. “Your people are in danger. They’re being terrorized by the Dragon Kings.”

  The Jade Emperor huffed. “Let them destroy the ungrateful mortals. After everything I did for them, the threats I protected them from, they cast me aside—put their faith in themselves. If they want the Dragon Kings ended, they can do it themselves.”

  “We have,” said Max. “Already three of them are dead. But Ao Kuang is still alive, and he poses a greater threat than the others combined.”

  “What possible need would I have to intervene?” asked the Jade Emperor.

  “Because we’re just the beginning,” said Max. “Ao Kuang is instilling fear in the mortals, provoking them to believe once more in those forces. And then he’s going to destroy you and take your throne for himself, just as the people believe in this power again.”

  The Jade Emperor shifted in his seat. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand and studied this strange mortal who dared enter his presence. “And who are you?”

  “My name is Maxwell Finch,” he said. “I devoted my life to the search for the truth behind legendary beings such as yourself. There are many of us who still believe in you, sir. I proudly count myself amongst those ranks.”

  “You…believe?” asked the Emperor.

  Max nodded.

  The Jade Emperor waved his hand dismissively. “Please leave me. I have much to think on.”

  “But you need to act—!”

  The Jade Emperor snapped at that comment, his eyes glowing a bright gold. “Do not presume to tell me what I need to do, Maxwell Finch. You have been granted an audience, you have made your case. I am letting you depart with your life. Now I will decide what to do next.”

  “But—”

  Nezha grabbed Max’s arm. “Let it go. If you say anything else, it’ll only work against you.”

  Max reluctantly nodded, then followed Nezha out of the palace. Once they passed through the gates, Max sighed. He removed his glasses to rub his eyes.

  “Do you think it worked?”

  “I don’t know,” said Nezha. “It’s all up to the Jade Emperor, now. And your companions.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Nezha transported Elisa, Shroud and Sun to the island of Fusang in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They found themselves on the shoreline, the seawater lapping at their heels.

  Fusang was constructed completely from crystal, not a single grain of sand or soil in sight. Not far off was the palace of Ao Kuang, gleaming in the light of the overhanging sun.

  Elisa carried the twin jian swords she took from the temple at Tian Shan. Both were sheathed against her back. Sun walked as if taking a Sunday stroll, his staff resting on his shoulder, and Shroud carried his twin Berettas with plenty of back-up ammo concealed in the various pockets that lined his leather jacket.

  As they wound their way through the crystalline hills, Sun stopped suddenly in his tracks and readied his staff into a fighting position. Elisa and Shroud took notice and each drew their own weapons. Elisa glanced over at Shroud held his thoroughly modern Berettas at the ready.

  “The Masons don’t give you any sort of magic weapons in this line of work?”

  “Don’t get cute,” said Shroud, although he couldn’t suppress his smile.

  Elisa’s eyes scanned the coast but she couldn’t see anything. “What’s wrong?”

  “Just wait,” said Sun.

  Various large rocks sat in the path between them and the palace. The rocks began to quiver and then cracked open as legs and claws appeared. The rocks rose up, revealing themselves to be giant crabs wielding staves constructed from coral. Noise came from behind them and Elisa turned to see giant shrimp leaping from the water, also armed with the same coral staves as the crabs.

  The shrimp and crab soldiers circled the trio, closing in around them. Shroud kept his eyes on alert and muttered to Elisa, “have I thanked you yet for getting me involved in this craziness?”

  “No, you might want to rectify that,” said Elisa.

  “Less talky, more fighty!” Sun let out a monkey wail and jumped towards one of the crab soldiers, driving the staff into its chest with so much force that it broke through the crab’s shell.

  Elisa crossed the swords over her head to prevent a blow from a coral staff. She drew the blades apart and swung with one blade. The shrimp blocked her first blow, but her second sword slice his head off.

  Shroud jumped back as he fired several rounds, pumping lead into a few of the shrimp. When one tried to ambush him from behind, he ducked the attempted swipe with the staff. While bent over, he fired into the shrimp’s m
idsection. The bullets pounded through its carapace and it collapsed, legs writhing.

  “Best stay away from those legs!” called Elisa, who figured any one of those sharp appendages might be able to pierce flesh.

  Sun quickly found himself surrounded and he willed the staff to separate into two smaller sections. He fought off at least a dozen of the shelled warriors at once, flipping and jumping to avoid the gnashing claws and jabbing legs that thrust at him like a forest of spears. His batons were a flash of gold as he swung them around, cutting through his enemies like a scythe through wheat.

  Elisa slashed through one of the shrimp. The flurry of steel kept the shelled soldiers wary, but she had trouble avoiding their own strikes. She was still weakened from the battle with Ming and the Jiufeng, and more and more wounds from the coral staves were inflicted on her person.

  She was so engrossed in concentrating on the soldiers in her sights, she failed to pay attention to her surroundings. A crab came at her from behind, knocking her on the back of her skull with one of his claws. It used its staff to keep her pinned to the ground and opened the claw wide enough to go around her neck.

  Shroud noticed this happening. He was too far to do anything and he knew though his bullets could harm the shrimp warriors, that they wouldn’t penetrate the crab’s shell. Instead, he picked up a coral staff from a fallen soldier and charged through. He drove the staff into the crab, impaling it on the coral.

  Knocking the soldier away, Shroud bent down at Elisa’s side. She was already getting back to her feet, stunned but intact.

  “You’ve got to be more careful,” he said.

  “You sound like Max,” said Elisa. As she stood up, she saw the soldiers had surrounded them. There were too many of them to fight off. Sun jumped into the circle with them, turning around and around.

  “I think we’re outnumbered,” said the Monkey King.