Imari began to protest, but before she could say anything, Kyuubi darted off down the mountain, disappearing into a crevice between two large boulders.
"Well, that was strange," she said, turning to Kaede. "What do you think?"
Kaede searched the sky. "I don't know, but I don't see any sign of dragons." She frowned. "And I don't sense anything out of the ordinary either. If there is a dragon here, they're hiding well."
"Good riddance, I say," Rin huffed. Her lips were peeled back slightly, showing the points of her fangs. "Foxes are too clever for their own good. You can't trust them."
Slightly offended, Imari put her hand on her hip. "Is that necessary, Rin? Kyuubi was nothing but nice and polite."
"She ran off," Rin pointed out. "That isn't nice or polite."
"So did Bo," Imari said. "I don't hear you complaining about them."
However, she was prevented from arguing further by the faint sound of footsteps approaching. They seemed to be coming from a little further up the mountain, and Imari squinted ahead, trying to see in the low light. "Do you hear something?" she whispered.
"Yes," Kaede whispered back. "Someone's coming, but it sounds like a person to me." She hesitated, and a visible shudder ran through her. "I'm not sure though. Something feels off."
Rin's ears flattened against her head, and she pointed her muzzle at a boulder a few meters ahead. "There.”
Imari drew her sword. She wasn't sure what good it would do if there was a dragon nearby, but she didn't want to be caught defenseless. However, the creature that emerged wasn't a dragon at all. It was a thin human figure in a familiar brown robe, one that shielded their face except for a slight, mysterious smile.
"Thanks for the refund, Bo," Imari said, recognizing them at once. They were dressed in the same clothes they had worn to cross the Jade Sea. She lowered her katana, although she didn't sheathe it quite yet.
Kenta stared at Bo. "Why did you leave us stranded in the middle of the sea?"
Bo smiled. "I do owe the five of you an explanation, and perhaps an apology."
"Perhaps?" Kaede repeated with raised eyebrows.
Rin growled, her nose wrinkling in anger. "Make it a fast one. And show us what you really are while you're at it. I knew you didn't smell human from the beginning."
Suddenly, the pieces clicked in Imari's head. She stared at Bo in newfound awe, more certain than ever that she was right. Their cryptic statements, their mysterious disappearance, their stories about dragons, and Kyuubi's comments—it all made sense. "That's because they aren't.”
"True enough, although I never claimed I was." Bo stepped back, unfurling the sides of their cloak. A surge of light washed through the evening dusk, and Imari lifted a hand to shield her eyes. Bo was transforming, shining almost as bright as the sun. They grew larger and larger, billowing toward the top of the mountain like a column of smoke winding up from a bonfire, until they filled the lower half of the sky.
The flash faded and Imari found herself staring at a creature the size of a small hill. Its glittering, blue-scaled body coiled like a snake's, winding in on itself over and over. Stars of silver scattered across its back, leading up in ribbons to its giant lion's head. Flowing whiskers hung down past its enormous jaws, and brilliant azure fur ringed its pointed ears. Its breath washed warm across the hillside, and Imari lost hers. This creature was the most amazing thing she had ever seen, and she couldn't find the words.
Kenta stepped back in surprise, Takeshi sucked in a sharp gasp, and Rin's hackles rose. Only Kaede seemed relatively calm. While Imari struggled to decide what to do, Kaede stepped forward and gave the creature a deep bow.
"It's an honor," she said, without rising. "Please, what is your name?"
The dragon bowed their head in return. Raising, they blinked slowly, regarding them with vivid lilac eyes. "My true name is Suanni of the Endless Sky." Their low, rumbling voice trembled through Imari's bones, but she didn't feel the desire to run or hide. "Forgive me for my deception, but I will make it up to you now. If you allow me, I will take you up the mountain to see Kurogane."
At last, Imari managed to speak. "Why did you leave us before?" she asked, craning her neck to stare up into the dragon's violet irises. "Why are you helping us now?"
Suanni chuckled, streams of silver mist trailing up from their large nostrils. "I left to see whether you would lose your nerve and turn back, or whether you would gather your courage and continue on. Kurogane possesses powerful magic, magic given by my clan only to those who have earned it. You have proven yourselves worthy."
Imari's heart swelled with hope, and a smile spread across her face. "You'll really take us to him?"
"Yes, Imari.” Suanni lowered themself to the ground, unfurling their great body. Lying flat on their stomach, they were still taller than Imari, or even Takeshi. "Climb onto my back. I will fly you to the blacksmith's forge."
Imari stepped forward, grinning from ear-to-ear, only to feel a soft hand on her arm. "Imari, wait. Are you sure about this?" Takeshi asked, holding her elbow. "This is a dragon. You're seriously going to ride it?"
Under normal circumstances, Imari would have been annoyed at his interference, but she was far too excited to care. "Yes, I am," she told him, practically laughing. "Takeshi, this is the whole reason I came this far! Are you telling me you don't want to ride a dragon?"
"I—"
"She has a point, Takeshi." Kaede touched Imari's arm, gently brushing his hand aside. "It has the makings of an amazing story."
"I'm in," Kenta said. He hurried over to join them, slinging a friendly arm over Takeshi's shoulder. "Come on, big brother. All the ladies back in Mirai will be all over you when you tell them you rode a dragon up a forbidden mountain."
Takeshi looked at Rin, obviously hoping for some support, but he found none. Now that Suanni was no longer concealing their true form, the wolf seemed much more relaxed and trusting. "I sense no danger," she told him. "I'm inclined to believe our friend."
"So, they're our friend now," Takeshi muttered, but after a while, he sighed and turned back to Imari. "I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I?"
Imari shook her head, still grinning. "Not a chance."
Chapter Sixteen
"HOW ARE YOU DOING, Takeshi?" Kaede called over her shoulder, shouting above the whistling wind. Cold blasts of air whipped her cheeks, making them tingle, and another lock of hair slipped free of her topknot.
Takeshi didn't respond. He had his eyes tightly closed and he clutched at Suanni's spines for dear life.
Just behind him, Kenta seemed to be having the opposite reaction. "We're great, Kaede!" he whooped, stretching his arms above his head and punching the sky. "This is amazing. You can see the whole world from up here. Look!"
He gestured right, and Kaede gasped. In the last light of the fading sunset, she could make out the forest canopy, and beyond, the glittering Jade Sea. It was one smooth surface from their current height, without a single ripple or flaw. It was also enormous, and she couldn't quite believe she had crossed it in only three days—or at all.
"It's beautiful," she said, drinking in the sight. It was the third wonder she had seen today, and she beamed until her chapped lips stung.
"Look the other way," Imari said from in front of her, reaching back to touch her arm. Kaede allowed Imari to point her in the other direction, to where the top of the sun gleamed like the edge of a golden coin against the horizon. A wide river, larger than any she had ever seen, flowed off into the distance. From Imari's maps, she knew what it was: the mighty river Go, the lifeblood of Tsun'i. The stream they had found in the forest probably fed into it.
"It's even better than your maps," she shouted.
Imari tilted her head into the wind, laughing. "I know!" They gazed out at the wide world beyond, and then their eyes met again. The two of them shared a smile, and Kaede didn't feel the chill of the wind anymore.
She continued gazing into Imari's eyes until she felt a peculiar drop
in her stomach. Suanni was circling down, diving toward the side of the mountain. Kaede gripped the nearest spine for a little more security, and behind her, she caught Kenta doing the same. For her part, Rin didn't seem worried. Tucked safely between two of Suanni’s spines, she kept her muzzle pointed up into the nighttime breeze, jowls flapping and tongue lolling cheerfully from the side of her mouth.
Kaede was so entertained by the sight of her friend's joy she didn't have time to worry about their landing. She didn't flinch until Suanni touched down, and she was fast to recover her sense of balance.
"That was wonderful," Rin barked, still smiling in her wolfish way. "There was so much to see. So much to smell! Is that what tengu feel like when they fly?"
"No," Suanni said. "That is what dragons feel like, noble wolf. It was my pleasure to share it."
"It wasn't my pleasure,” Takeshi mumbled. His skin had taken on a distinctly green tinge, and he seemed to be swaying back and forth.
Kenta gave him a friendly slug on the shoulder, one that made Takeshi groan. "Come on, big brother. Let's get you down on solid ground."
"Please." Takeshi allowed Kenta to help him down the slope of Suanni's tail, and Rin offered her assistance as well, nudging cheerfully at his palm.
Meanwhile, Kaede turned to Imari. "Shall we?" she asked, offering her arm.
Imari batted her lashes, accepting her elbow. "Of course." The two of them slid down together, laughing as they came to a stop at the tip of Suanni's tail.
The great dragon turned and peered down at them, whiskers fluttering in what remained of the breeze as the sunset slipped away. "Follow me, friends. Kurogane's forge is in the heart of the mountain. The entrance is not far."
"It better not be," Takeshi mumbled. He had regained some of his footing, although he wove a little as he walked. "We're awfully close to the top."
"Come on, Takeshi," Imari said in a teasing tone. "You shouldn't be afraid of heights. You live near the mountains."
"Yes, near. Not on." Nevertheless, Takeshi was able to keep up as they followed Suanni.
After only a few meters, Kaede caught sight of a shift in the mountain's surface—a dark dip that held a blacker, more prominent shadow than the surrounding purple-blue rocks. She crept toward it, curiosity getting the better of her, with Imari not too far behind. Upon closer inspection, it was the entrance to a tunnel, large enough for a tall man to walk through, and it was smooth and worn as if it had been there for some time. The walls held a strange, flawless glaze that seemed to shine even without light, and Kaede couldn't help wondering where it had come from.
"Suanni," Imari asked, turning back to the dragon, "did you make this?"
"Not me," Suanni said, "but another of my kind. Now, if you don't mind." Once more Suanni transformed, and the tunnel filled with light as they shrank back down to human-size. After a few seconds, Bo stood before them again, wearing the same drab brown robes. "Come with me.” They headed down the tunnel, and Kaede followed with Imari on one side, Rin on the other, and the Hibana brothers behind.
Just when Kaede thought the darkness was about to swallow her up, a subtle glow appeared. Veins of metal ore ran along the passage's walls, glowing warm and yellow like burning embers of a young fire. Still, there were enough shadows for Kaede to be surprised when Imari reached out to take her hand. It was an unusually tight grip, and Kaede squeezed back.
Deeper into the heart of the mountain they went, until there was no sign of the entrance they had come through. Gradually, the air grew warmer. Sweat broke out along Kaede's brow, and the scent of burning charcoal tingled in her nose. She looked over at Rin, and realized she wasn't the only one who could smell it. The wolf's muzzle was wrinkled, as though she could taste something bad in the air.
At last, the tunnel came to an end, opening into a wide cave. No, not a cave, Kaede realized as she followed Suanni inside. A forge. The walls were rough in places, but the overall shape remained smooth and circular, at least a hundred paces wide from one end to the other. Sturdy racks lined the space, each filled with more blacksmithing tools than Kaede had ever seen before—hammers, tongs, hooks, cutters and chisels, and many more she couldn’t guess a use for. She also counted at least three anvils of different sizes and shapes.
The centerpiece of the room, however, was the massive forge itself, made of dark stone and metal. A wave of heat from its open mouth washed over them the moment they stepped into the room. A pillar of smoke twisted its way from the top of the forge, floating up toward a hole in the ceiling. Standing in the thick of it was a large, shadowy figure, tinkering with something while their back was turned.
"Ancestors," Imari murmured.
Kaede was similarly stunned. The person before her was large, a good head taller than her, with broad shoulders and heavy muscles. When they turned, Kaede's first instinct was to take a step back. Then the light caught the side of the smith's face, and Kaede gasped in surprise. They had no beard, and their jaw was smooth and round. Kurogane was a woman.
***
"That's Kurogane?" Kenta asked in surprise. His question rose to the ceiling along with the smoke from the forge and out through a blue hole into the night.
Imari let go of Kaede's hand to nudge his side with her elbow. "I don't see any other magical blacksmiths around."
"But—"
She shushed him just in time. The smith headed their way, and Imari was sure she could hear them despite the rush of air and the crackle of flames. Up close, the woman was even more striking. Although she wasn't a person most would call pretty—the smudge of grease across one cheek and the sweaty, tangled state of her hair didn’t help—she was impressive. Large and strong, she had a healthy glow and straight white teeth.
She dressed in accordance with Westlands fashion, more practicality than anything else. She wore a simple, sturdy shirt with Tsun’i style knots running up the front and matching plain pants. Both were black without any pattern, and even though Kurogane rolled up her sleeves, her hands and forearms were covered with gloves made of thick hide.
"Welcome to my forge, strangers," the woman said. "If you are friends of Suanni's, you are welcome here."
Imari bowed back, abruptly remembering her manners. "Good day to you, Kurogane-sama. My name is Homura Imari. Thank you for seeing us. The journey here hasn't been easy."
"I expect not." The woman grinned, grabbing a rag draped across her shoulder and using it to clear her gleaming face. "Now, who are your friends?"
"Iori Kaede."
"Hibana Takeshi."
"Hibana Kenta."
They all took turns bowing, until it was Rin's turn. The wolf didn't incline her head after speaking her name, but her tail swished back and forth at a pace that indicated calm interest. A few seconds ticked by as they all regarded each other.
"So,” Kenta said with barely contained curiosity and pointedly ignoring the wide-eyed look Imari threw his way, “Blacksteel. A dramatic name, isn't it? How did your parents choose it?"
Kurogane laughed. "They didn't and neither did I. My birth name is Wen Ling, but now I have many names. When you're a hermit who lives up in the mountains, the locals start to call you something. In Tsun’i they call me Tiejiang, the Smith. The people of Xiangsai named me Yuhwa. In the Empire, where I take it you’re from, they named me Kurogane. The people who lived around the Jade Sea used to call me that. At least, they did before they all moved away."
Imari's brow furrowed. "But that was a century ago, if not before. Surely you can't be that old? You look…"
"Human?" Wen Ling finished for her. "I am, in a sense. I'm certainly not yokai. But I have become something more than that." She pulled off her gloves, throwing them on the nearest rack.
Imari looked on in surprise. A strange golden light peeked out through Wen Ling's fingers, pulsing into the room. Her right hand and forearm seemed to be made of something other than skin. Light danced over her flesh like the flame against metal, catching the glint of the forge's fire and reflecting it
back.
While Imari gaped, Wen Ling explained. "A few centuries back, I was a sailor on the river Go. My ferry took damage during an avalanche from one of the nearby eastern mountains, and my crew and I were trapped beneath the wreckage as it sank."
Imari stared at Wen Ling. She wasn't sure what kind of explanation she had been expecting, but it wasn't a story so similar to her own.
"I was the only survivor. The dragons saved me, but they had to repair the right side of my body." She lifted the hem of her shirt, showing that the same glowing, metallic skin ran all the way along her right side in addition to the scars covering her muscular stomach. "Their magic extends my life, although for how long, I have yet to find out."
Imari wasn't sure what to say. At last, she simply held up her left arm. The sleeve of her kimono slid down, revealing her missing hand. "Put your left half with my right, and we'd have a whole person."
Wen Ling offered a smile of understanding. "You seem fairly whole to me already, Imari. I assume that's why you came to me, though? You want a new hand."
Imari braced herself. This was it: the moment she had spent years planning for, the reason she had come all this way. "After what you've been through, I’m sure you understand. My life hasn't been the same since I lost it. I can't do the same things I used to."
"And yet, you made it all the way here," Wen Ling said. "You crossed the Jade Sea and flew on a dragon. Those are not things a person without courage does." The smith studied her more closely, and Imari felt her skin prickle. "You wear a katana and carry yourself like a samurai. Do you still know how to use that blade of yours one-handed?"
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