A Dragon's Clutch

by Alica Mckenna Johnson

  “Why would I do that?”

  “The dragons are willing to help, so I’ll open the portal. I was hoping you would also be interested in returning to Akasha.”

  “I have everything I need right here.” The king spread out his arms. “Why would I ever want to leave?”

  I reached out with my empathy tapping into the world the tengu had created. “Because your kingdom is small. It has nowhere to grow. And the power which holds your kingdom in this bubble out of space and time is weakening. You can’t keep your people safe in this world for much longer.”

  Opening my eyes, I held onto the table as my vision came back to the here and now. The bead on my unicorn hair bracelet glowed steel gray and blood red from the tengu kings’ rage.

  “How dare you imply I cannot protect my people.”

  Fear and anger swirled around and inside of me. Yes, I was pissing off another powerful being. “Your world is in peril. As the dragons’ eggs are. I need help with the Gaki. I am hoping you will lend me some of your warriors, while the rest of your people get everything ready to leave and meet us at the portal.”

  “Maybe we’ll show up at the portal,” the tengu king said. “It is your duty to open it, you cannot deny me and my people.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

  “I’m sure we can work something out,” Philip said in a rush.

  Sōjōbō clicked his beak at me and turned to Philip, where they began some overly polite exchange of words without really saying anything. I tuned them out and got some more fruit.

  “Philip is going to have a tough time smoothing this over,” Taliesin whispered, his breath warm on my ear. A shiver ran along my spine.

  “Either way it’ll be okay. If they won’t help, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

  “Can we please get to the point?” I asked after twenty minutes of Philip and the king going back and forth but getting nowhere. Taliesin squeezed my hand and I fought to keep my voice calm. I was so sick of these arrogant mythical beings messing with me. “You already know what you want. Tell me and we’ll go from there.”

  “No games? How refreshing,” he said his tone icy with disdain. I guess he likes playing games.

  “I see no point in wasting time. We both have things we need to do.” Also I’m not good at this kind of bullshit.

  Sōjōbō nodded. “Yes, true. If we are to leave for Akasha, there is much for my people to do. You ask a lot of us, Jewel. To use our strength to contain such a powerful creature. To work with dragons, our enemy.”

  I didn’t say anything, there was no point in talking during his monologue. Philip cleared his throat, his blue eyes meeting mine encouraging me to stay calm. Yeah, I didn't think this was going to go well either.

  “Our legends have faded. Few remember us anymore. I cannot let that happen,” Sōjōbō said. “We have lived for too long. We have stories, philosophies, art, and skills that need to be remembered.”

  I bit my tongue. Don’t talk, don’t talk it’s a trap.

  The king pointed to Hiroshi. “He will stay here and write down our history.”

  “No…” I began.

  Hiroshi sat up. “Why me?”

  “Tell us exactly what that will look like,” Philip asked.

  “It is a great honor to be the first to learn all that we are,” Sōjōbō said. My bullshit meter began to screech danger danger. “He will get to write and draw all that we are and share it with the world.”

  “It would be a great honor,” Hiroshi said. “But it will take years.”

  “No,” Miu gasped.

  “It will take a lifetime,” the king said.

  “And when he is done?” Philip asked. “Will he be okay or will the process kill him?”

  “In order to channel our history he will have to sacrifice a lot. But the honor …”

  “Is not worth his life,” I said interrupting the tengu king and began opening my connection to Akasha. Warm power filled my fire pendant and then my body. “This isn’t happening.”

  “You don’t have much choice if you want our help,” Sōjōbō said.

  “Then I don’t want your help. The dragons are strong. My family is strong. We will deal with the Gaki on our own.” I let go of Taliesin’s hand and stood. “Let’s go.”

  “When will you open the portal to Akasha?” the king demanded. “We have the right …”

  “You have no rights!” I yelled my voice infused with Phoenix power. The king froze. “You dare ask for the life of one of my people! I am the princess to the Phoenix King and Queen.”

  The tengu stepped from the shadows and lifted their swords ready to fight. Kiyohime and Zennyo Ryūō changed into their dragon forms.

  “Sapphire,” Hiroshi said reaching out and grasping my arm. “I don’t want anyone hurt because of me. And it would be an honor to know all the secrets of the tengu.”

  “I will not trade your life for this,” I said looking at him. His soft round face was tight with worry.

  “Perhaps there is a compromise we can reach,” Philip suggested.

  “The boy would need to be here, in our library in order to transcribe our history and teachings,” Sōjōbō said.

  “Why can’t he come back?” Philip asked. “Hiroshi has a family, school, and a future of his own. What you ask is too much.”

  “Only our blood can open the doorway.” The king crossed his arms and stood straighter as if he’d won. Stupid bird.

  “So bleed in a jar he can seal, or on a cloth he can carry,” I said.

  “So someone could steal it? And enter our world? No.”

  “Well, figure something out or we’re leaving. Because if Hiroshi is willing to record your history it needs to be on his terms, and not cost him his life,” I said.

  The tengu who had opened the curtain for us stepped to his king and whispered into his ear.

  The king nodded. “Yes, very good. The boy, Hiroshi, will need to get a tattoo. Our blood will be mixed with the ink. This will allow him to come here and work as he wishes.”

  Hiroshi had gone pale. “A tattoo?”

  “If that’s not going to work, we’ll find another way,” Philip said.

  “What kind of tattoo? And where?” Miu asked.

  The king shrugged. “Across his back. As to the image, he will have the great and unique honor of having my image tattooed on him. In fact, the drawing Hiroshi did of me will be perfect.”

  Sōjōbō’s satisfaction clung to my empathic shield in sticky clumps. “Excuse us a moment, we will need to discuss this,” I said. The others stood.

  The king bowed his head.

  I walked to the far end of the room and turned to Hiroshi. “It’s your call.”

  “I … I don’t know what to do. I want to help. I want to write and draw the history of the tengu. I mean how amazing is that?” Hiroshi ran a hand through his hair. “But a tattoo. Only criminals get tattoos. People would think I’m Yakuza. Would Mom and Dad even let me live in the house if I got a tattoo? If they found out at school, I’d be kicked out. And jobs in the future. A wife.”

  “He still wants you to give up your life,” Philip said. “Just in a different way.”

  “Would your parents actually kick you out for this?” Taliesin asked.

  Hiroshi nodded. “They might.”

  “Your grandparents would take you in though,” I said trying to find some good in this. They were fully committed to their Phoenix ancestry, and filled with joy at the Phoenix power their grandchildren showed.

  “They would,” Miu said hugging her brother. “You know they will be ecstatic to find out what you are doing.”

  “It’s your choice. We will find another way if we need to,” Philip said.

  “Wearing his ugly face on your skin it too high a price,” Kiyohime growled.

  Hiroshi took a deep breath and stood up as straight and tall as possible. “I’ll do it. To help the family. To get the Gaki to Akasha and free all those trapped souls. Plus, knowi
ng the history of the tengu would be amazing.”

  “We’ll help as much as we can,” Shin said.

  “Da,” agreed Sasha. “You won’t have to go through this alone.”

  “I’ll heal you,” offered Miu. “I doubt they have a tattoo gun; it’ll be done traditionally.”

  Hiroshi paled and swayed a little bit.

  “I can hum,” I said. I didn’t know what the traditional way was, but it couldn’t be a good thing. “I can help you relax, and maybe if I can figure out how, I can ease the pain too.”

  Philip placed his hand on Hiroshi’s shoulder. “You will always have a place with us. If you do find yourself without a home or job.”

  Hiroshi smiled at all of us. He was still pale and his hands shook, but he turned to the tengu king. “I accept. I shall be the scribe of your people and get a tattoo with your blood in exchange for you containing the Gaki and ensuring it gets through the portal to Akasha.”

  Sōjōbō bowed his head slightly. “It shall be done. Come, let us discuss how to best deal with the Gaki, while my young scribe is honored with my image in his skin.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “This is the last color for the image of our king. Tomorrow I’ll do the background,” said the tengu as he soaked the needles attached to the end of a smooth piece of bamboo into the dark green ink.

  I drank some water then began to hum. At first I was only able to help Hiroshi relax, but with focus and practice I figured out how to ease his pain too. We had stayed the night in the castle. And this morning the work had begun on Hiroshi’s tattoo.

  Every few hours they would take a break. Miu would come in and heal Hiroshi and he would get something to eat. Then the tattooing would start all over again. Hiroshi’s young, smooth back was covered with a picture of King Sōjōbō. His wings were fully extended, a long sword or tantō in one hand and short sword or wakizashi in the other. His hawk beak opened in a battle cry and his yellow eyes were wide and bulging in their fury. The last piece to tattoo, the green hakama pants which flowed around his legs created a sense of movement.

  “Ready?” asked the tengu.

  “Hai,” Hiroshi said, resting his head on his folded arms as he lay on a tatami mat. Hiroshi’s fear, pain, and determination swirled around me as he bore, with the strength of a warrior, the intensity of ink-covered needles being jabbed into his skin

  “My turn,” said Philip. He slid the shoji screen door shut then sat next to Hiroshi taking his hand. “Well, you two will be glad to know that you avoided the planning meetings. If things go well, capturing the Gaki and transporting it to the gateway stone should go smoothly.”

  “How often do things go smoothly?” Hiroshi asked between clenched teeth.

  Philip chuckled. “Not often, but one should never give up hope.”

  So where was it most likely to go wrong? And how wrong? And what could we do to prepare? I would have to ask Philip later. I kept my focus and hummed.

  “So what’s the most delicate part?” Hiroshi asked.

  I would have thanked him, but I didn’t want to stop humming. I had to support Hiroshi as he sacrificed himself to help us.

  “Well, there are two parts where there are too many variables.” Philip’s voice sounded calm, but I felt the prickles of his worry. “Obviously when we are flying there is a possibility of things going wrong. And when we first capture the Gaki. We are planning on using someone as bait, so that’s a bit nerve wracking.”

  Someone? He means me. The Gaki will come to me. Oh joy.

  “You’re going to use Sapphire as bait.” Hiroshi pushed up on his arms to glare at Philip then yelped as the bamboo pierced his skin.

  “I’m going to tell Sapphire our plan and ask if she is willing to be bait,” Philip said. “There are two others that have volunteered to be bait if she doesn’t feel comfortable doing it.”

  I rolled my eyes. Like I would let anyone else put themselves in danger for me.

  “Yeah, right, like she would let anyone else put themselves in danger,” Hiroshi said.

  He’s so smart. This is why I like him. Maybe I can adopt him as my little brother?

  “Yes, I know. But trust me, I will make sure Sapphire understands all the possibilities and makes a choice based off what she can handle and not on her self-sacrificing tendencies.” Philip looked at me even though he was talking to Hiroshi.

  I grinned and kept on humming. Oh, I would be the Gaki bait, and the others would be in charge of saving my ass.

  * * *

  Something felt wrong. A smug happiness emanated from the tengu king. The feeling filled the room all through the barely palatable dinner and the king’s stories of his own greatness. At first I thought it was Sōjōbō’s ego leaking all over the place, but every time Hiroshi shifted his back or flinched when he moved, the feeling would flare. It came from the king and the other tengu around us.

  I wanted to demand they tell us what was going on, but I knew the king would never tell me the truth and would probably act insulted. That might mean we would owe them something else to appease their honor, or some such crap. Instead, I bit my tongue and managed to keep my mouth shut.

  After dinner we learned that kabuki, a traditional Japanese style of dramatic theater, was created by the tengu. I flinched as two tengu actors fought with real swords.

  “Humans stopped using live swords a long time ago,” Sōjōbō whispered to me.

  The king had insisted I sit next to him during the performance. His queen sat on his right side and looked like she’d prefer to run me through with her sword instead of watch the performance.

  “Well, humans are weaker than you,” I said hoping to appease him. Also smarter. I thought as one tengu cried out, his blood splashing across the stage from a cut across his arm.

  “It is true. As this story will show you.” Sōjōbō sat back and smiled at his queen before returning his focus to the play.

  A monk seeking solitude and enlightenment wandered into the tengu’s forest. The tengu laughed at his stupidity. Like a dog howling at the moon, man’s desire for greater spiritual awareness was futile in their eyes. A young woman collecting mushrooms provided the perfect weapon.

  I watched as the tengu proudly showed how they possessed the young woman and made her seduce the monk. I looked away as the two actors acted out the seduction behind a backlit screen. The shadows showed much more than I wanted to see, and their cries of passion made me uncomfortable. I did my best not to show it, and tried to hide behind my chin length curls. I forced myself to believe that the sex was pretend like the bright costumes and white painted faces.

  By the time the play ended the young woman and the monk had both killed themselves, and the tengu celebrated their superiority over humans. Anger simmered in me and my family, but we kept it in check. Thank goodness it hadn’t been a play about dragons. I doubted Kiyohime would show such control.

  After the curtain closed, Kayin turned to me, silently asking if it was over. I shrugged and looked to Sōjōbō for an answer.

  Puffing his chest out he nodded his head, happy I had deferred to him. Standing he addressed us and his people. “I hope you have enjoyed our hospitality this evening. Tomorrow the tattoo work will be completed. Hiroshi will be shown our archives and his duties will be explained. Then as dusk sets we shall leave our kingdom to return to Akasha.” The tengu cheered. Sōjōbō held out his hands to quiet his people. “Yes, I have secured our return to Akasha. We shall join our brothers and sisters and create a new kingdom.”

  It’s not worth it, stay silent. Don’t speak, don’t speak. I clenched my teeth, unwilling to bite my injured tongue again.

  “Now, we all have a busy day tomorrow, so sleep well.” No one moved until the tengu king and queen had left the theater. We waited as the tengu flew to the castle, landing on the balconies and entering their rooms.

  “Something is up. I don’t trust them,” I said as we walked back to the castle.

  “As wise as you are beautiful,”
Zennyo Ryūō said. “Never trust a tengu.”

  “Any idea what they are up to?” Philip asked.

  “No, but their egotistical delight is sticking to my empathic shields.”

  “I bet it has something to do with Hiroshi,” Miu said taking her younger brother’s hand in hers.

  Kiyohime snarled. “There is no way they would work with us without trying something.”

  “Taliesin, do you sense anything from them?” I asked.

  He ran his fingers through his loose white hair, the moonlight making the strands glow silver. “I hate being around them. They are all corrupted by their egos and deeds. They are constantly plotting.”

  I wrapped my arms around myself as we walked up the stairs to the castle. “What are we going to do?”

  “Keep careful watch,” Shin said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and someone will slip up letting us know their plan.”

  “And stick together,” Kayin said lacing his fingers through his boyfriend’s.

  “I’m not sure there's safety in numbers against the tengu,” Sasha said. “But I don’t want to be alone with them.”

  “We’re almost done here,” Philip said as we climbed the narrow, creaking staircase. “We go to the forest and get the Gaki, and then we’ll open the portal.”

  “No offence but I will be glad to leave Japan. There far too many vicious magical beings,” I said.

  Kayin chuckled. “We usually do get a warmer welcome than this.”

  “All right, let’s get to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow.” Philip started taking futons and blankets out of the cupboard. We set them on the floor in two rows with barely enough space to step in between them.

  “I shall try to dream tonight,” Sasha said as he slid under his covers.

  “Thank you.” I adjusted the sleeping kimono the tengu had given us to wear and lay down. The fabric seemed to wrap around my legs without my even moving. Taking some deep breaths, I pulled energy from Akasha into my fire pendent. Sending the energy out, I wrapped it around all of us. “Please,” I whispered. “Protect us.”

  * * *