by Lyn Worthen
Ideas began to rumble and click in my head. Perhaps that was the path Heaven had placed me upon. Not to live the rest of my life in inactivity alongside my master, both of us condemned to waste the next thousand years in a small pavilion in a remote undersea location, but to help him regain his throne. Heaven had given him the best my generation had to offer; what could I do? If I could get him his position back, it would connect me with a more magically powerful lineage than I ever dreamed I would have access to.
But how to go about it?
It was about that time when I was running my normal patrols around our small scrap of territory. There wasn’t actually anything to defend, because there was no reason any dragon would come near us; we were too far away from land for humans to be an issue; and just as a snail would never dream of challenging the eagle’s right to do as he pleases, none of the ocean creatures would ever dream of challenging our presence. Still, just because we were in isolation was no excuse to be sloppy, because, after all, I’m a member of the Honorable and Prosperous Claws of Change, and we have our standards, even if no one’s watching, or if the only person to impress is a former king who has lost his lands, his name, and his rank, and all he has left is suffering in silent dignity.
But on this particular day, there actually was a dragon skulking around, which set off every alarm in my body, because if there is one thing dragons don’t do, it’s skulk.
“Declare yourself, trespasser!” I challenged him boldly, sending off half-a-dozen aggression signals which would have made a whale faint and a shark flee in terror.
But the trespasser didn’t respond with the correct submissive posture to appease my wrath; he mirrored my aggressive stance. “I am known as Sword’s Edge Great Brilliance!” he bellowed. “I am the Fourth General in the service of the Great Martial King of the Luminous Heavenly Jewel Lake! Of the Golden Solstice Clan, of the Jade Scepter constellation, and of the Bright Moon!”
“Servant of the usurper!” I roared, using this time of formality to gauge his size, his likely strength, and to run a few scenarios through my head. “What business have you here?”
“My master, the Great Martial King of the Luminous Heavenly Jewel Lake, no longer desires to coexist within the same world as his lamentable predecessor, known as Muddled Puddle. Therefore I have been sent to send him on to the next! Stand aside!”
I kept up my aggressive stance, but I pulled in my voice a bit. They had taught us how to project while we were in training, just for this kind of battlefield banter. You have to really get the air down deep, push it up from your stomach, not from your vocal cords, or else you’ll wreck your voice, and no one is going to be intimidated by a hoarse, raspy opponent with a wrecked voice. “I am Dark Enigma Mystery Arising, in the service of the true Great King of the Luminous Heavenly Jewel Lake! Under what authority does your master send you on your criminal task?”
“What more authority does he need other than his own will?” demanded Sword’s Edge Great Brilliance.
I kept my smile to myself. Crimes Against Order! Didn’t that sound familiar! Yes, it was certain that the current Great Martial King did not have a mandate from the Jade Emperor, and was tired of waiting for one. So he figured he’d scratch out the opposition when no one was looking, and then there would be no one to challenge him, and he could be secure on his throne. But Heaven was looking – because Heaven had put me here to stop him.
“Your master is a false king! He has been allowed to sit upon a lofty seat while my Master serves his penance. But he is mistaken if he believes that seat to be his true position. He merely serves to make the rains fall and care for the lake’s wellbeing in the absence of its true Master, but he will retake his throne soon enough.”
Sword’s Edge Great Brilliance either didn’t know his own master’s history, or had bought into whatever story the current king was circulating, because it was obvious his chagrin was genuine, not the posturing of a servant who has to dish out an unappetizing story. “Those who speak ill of my master, the Great Martial King, deserve only death!” he roared, and rushed at me in a flurry of teeth and claws and furious magic.
I countered him a bit more defensively than I normally would have handled such a belligerent trespasser, getting a feel for his capacity. He was a general, after all, and that meant he knew a thing or two about combat, because dragons don’t hand out martial titles just for show. He was actually pretty competent. He was several levels above Admirable Sea Cicada, for sure. His attacks, both physical and magical, were fierce and precise, and I found myself admiring a few of his moves. Block, block, dodge, block, dodge. I let him keep the tempo, the initiative, for a few clashes. He was already arrogant enough, and it went to his head; he got a bit sloppy, thinking I was intimidated by him, and he pressed an advantage that didn’t actually exist. That was his mistake, because he wasn’t prepared for me to counterattack. One of the first things they teach you in training is to punish anyone who gets in your space without your permission, and believe me, I learned that lesson well a long time ago, and I punished him.
Perhaps he would have respected my capabilities a bit more, had I announced my lineage properly, and fought a bit more cautiously, but the way I saw it, I had a master now, and it was dishonorable to point out I’d had no spirit lineage through him, and announcing my personal lineage would have been like saying “I like lotus buns”. But the blood of the Honorable and Prosperous Claws of Change still flowed through me, and we don’t get shoved around, even by generals.
So, like I said, I punished him. He tried to turn tail and flee once he saw what was what, but I didn’t permit that, either. I used my Binding Stellar Eclipse Seal move to capture him and imprison him into a little seashell, and none of his magic was strong enough to counter it, let alone break it.
I took the seashell to my master, feeling more self-satisfied than I had in the last several decades.
Muddled Puddle listened gravely, then indicated that I should release Sword’s Edge Great Brilliance so he could converse with him. I did so, keeping a cautious eye on him in case he decided to do something foolish, but our prisoner was a general, and he had honor, so he behaved himself.
“Fourth General,” said Muddled Puddle. “I address you by your title, for although I do not agree that he who bestowed it upon you has a permanent claim upon the throne, you have rightfully earned it with your deeds. I ask your intentions.”
“I serve my Master, the Great Martial King of the Luminous Heavenly Jewel Lake,” said Sword’s Edge Great Brilliance. “I was sent to perform a task to solidify his claim to the throne. I have failed. I dare not return to him in this state. My title is nothing but sand and pebbles, for it only has meaning in connection to my Master’s service, and I am nothing, now that I have failed him. I see that Heaven has taken pains to protect you, and no one can stand against the will of the Jade Emperor. I shall be doomed to break my Pledge of Perpetual Harmony, and wander the seas, masterless, until the end of my days.”
“A great warrior like yourself is not one to be thrown away like a useless pebble,” said Muddled Puddle. “And it takes much humility and wisdom to discern when one’s way is in opposition to the Will of Heaven, and make efforts to align oneself to the correct path. I invite you, if you are doomed to break your Pledge, to bind yourself to me and my fortunes.”
That’s the simplified form of the conversation. The real thing took several hours, and was way more flowery and nuanced and diplomatic. But it would bore you if I repeated it verbatim, let alone tried to describe all the complicated body language in words, so that’s how it would have gone if they had both gotten to the point in under five minutes. And long story short, Sword’s Edge Great Brilliance Pledged himself to Muddled Puddle, even though he couldn’t do it formally on the Pearl, and we had another ally, although we still didn’t have a plan for how to retake the Luminous Heavenly Jewel Lake. But Muddled Puddle was in no hurry, because dragons aren’t.
# # #
We spent a
few more years in exile before the Martial King made his next move. I bet the Martial King felt it when Sword’s Edge broke his Pledge, because that’s some pretty strong magic, letting someone into your lineage. I was a little worried about Sword’s Edge’s magic, now that he was cut off from the moon, but he had his own magic from his own lineage’s Jade Scepter constellation, and he kept up some pretty high standards of power. But getting back to the point, the Martial King must have known when Sword’s Edge failed, and when Sword’s Edge decided not to come back, and again when Sword’s Edge threw in his fortunes with his predecessor-in-exile. So it wasn’t that year, and it wasn’t the next year, but it wasn’t long before he sent his Third and Second Generals to (a) kill Muddled Puddle, (b) kill me, and (c) kill Sword’s Edge Great Brilliance while they were at it.
A whole lotta Crimes Against Order there, I thought, the moment I was aware of their approach. We were still doing nothing in the middle of nowhere, but I knew there was no way this kinsman was going to be allowed to keep the throne. I was grateful for Sword’s Edge’s presence, because even if you’re as good as me, you don’t ignore the benefits of even numbers in a fight, even if Heaven’s got your back. Sometimes, Heaven has your back by sending you competent assistance.
The Third General was Majestic Honor of the Dharma, and the Second General was Tranquil Longevity Radiant Truth. They shouted out their challenges like good vassals, and Sword’s Edge and I barked out our responses like good vassals, and it was on.
We hadn’t just been playing weiqi during our years together in exile, although there had been plenty of that. I had been training Sword’s Edge, and we had been training together to work as a team, and he had given me some valuable intelligence about the fighting methods of Majestic Honor and Tranquil Longevity, among others, as well as what to expect with their magic. So it was that I didn’t fall for Majestic Honor’s Bottle of Infinite Emptiness (which would have sucked me into a black hole forever, goodbye me). I used my Seal on that the moment he started fumbling with the cork, so goodbye, magic doohickey. I also didn’t fall for Tranquil Longevity’s Ancestral Manifestation Net, which is hard to explain physically, but basically it binds your lineage-based magic, which is a big deal if you’re a dragon, and not used to working without it.
With the Net and the Bottle sealed up (because you don’t want to destroy such valuable artifacts; you just don’t want them used against yourself), we were able to have a really wholesome fight. Teeth and claws and brute magic flashed, and the adrenaline flowed, along with a bit of blood (which was sparkly-silver in the water, and very pretty, but there wasn’t time to really admire the effect), and it was awesome after so many years of forced inactivity. Rather than a two-on-two free-for-all (as much as a two-on-two can be a free-for-all), we ended up pairing up and concentrating, me on Tranquil Longevity, and Sword’s Edge on Majestic Honor. And even though they were fighting for the one they believed to be their true Master, Sword’s Edge and I were fighting on behalf of Heaven’s Will, and we could feel the extra power surging through us because we had the right alignment, and ultimately, when we do what we’re supposed to do, magical creatures like us are connected to an entity that’s greater than the ocean and more expansive than the night sky. We stop really being ourselves, and we turn into tools in the Jade Emperor’s hand to do the Jade Emperor’s will. And it was the Jade Emperor’s will that neither Tranquil Longevity nor Majestic Honor were to be killed, but to be captured, and they were similarly brought into the fold, and pledged their support of Muddled Puddle as the true King, because they’re not fools, and they’re able to see Heaven’s Will when it’s right in front of their noses, too, and they’re valiant enough to admit it.
I won’t give you all the dialogue that goes into this part, because it took three times as long as when it was just Muddled Puddle and Sword’s Edge having their conversation, because this time, there were two of them, and they each had to outshine the other just a little bit when it came time to acknowledge defeat and declare their new-sworn allegiance.
At this point, it was pretty clear that the Martial King had run out of resources to spare. He’d keep his First General close by his side, because while the Martial King was no shabby fighter, he wasn’t fool enough to send away everyone who had his back, especially when everyone who had his back kept defecting to the other side once they got away from him and discovered it was a losing proposition.
Muddled Puddle made elaborate sacrifices to the Jade Emperor, and did other things to show his humility and his willingness to not commit any more Crimes Against Order in the future. The auguries came back positively that it wouldn’t be contrary to Heaven’s Will if he decided to march back to the Luminous Heavenly Jewel Lake and try his claws at retaking it.
We marched. We left the quadrant where Muddled Puddle had been exiled, and we crossed the border into his home territory in the north, which had its own powerful families and spirit lineages and patron constellations. We were glowing threads of silver gliding through the sea, and when we reached the land, we rippled through the stars of the night sky. Sword’s Edge led the way, and Majestic Honor served as our rear guard, and Tranquil Longevity and I kept close to Muddled Puddle’s side as a personal honor guard. All the creatures of the sea and the land lifted their heads as we gracefully wound our way towards the great mountains, where the Luminous Heavenly Jewel Lake sat nestled like a sacred sapphire.
The minor deities through whose lands we passed sat up and took notice, attaching themselves to our group, along with their own followers: warriors, courtiers, and bureaucrats alike. We were a festive parade by the time we reached our destination, and my heart swelled with joy to see Muddled Puddle at the center of such a glorious assembly.
The Martial King wasn’t about to roll over without a fight. He was there, as arrogant and defiant as you can imagine a dragon being. The gist of his argument was, “I defeated you and your followers once, and I can defeat you again—!” which was just a load of hot air, but you have to indulge the posturing from someone who sees their own imminent defeat.
Our battle was as violent as the worst thunderstorm you can imagine. Bolts of magic streaked through the sky. Our lithe bodies undulated through the air, all gnashing teeth and slashing claws. Sparkle-silver blood fell like rain upon the mountaintops. The Martial King’s followers battled Muddled Puddle’s followers for three days and three nights, and the Martial King had a number of tricks in his bag, having access to the Bright Moon’s power and all. But I had taken care to time our attack during a waning moon, and his powers were hampered as the moon dwindled down to a sliver.
“Let Muddled Puddle fight me himself!” challenged the Martial King, when it became obvious that he was about to be overwhelmed.
“I am the teeth and claws of His Majesty!” I roared, not about to be taken in by that trick. “I am his strong right arm, and I am the Jade Emperor’s Stern Ancestral Axe! His Majesty has no need to defile himself with your blood!”
And, leaving his side, I whipped through the air, a bundle of crackling magic. The Martial King leaped at me, willing to give back as good as he got, with every fiber of his being. The mountains quaked at their very roots, and avalanches of snow and rock scudded down from high peaks towards the valleys below.
# # #
Muddled Puddle retook a proper king name that day (Venerable Benevolence Glorious Meridian), but he saved his formal coronation ceremony for the next year, when he could rebuild the temple that had gotten destroyed during the lake’s civil war, and the sages of his own quadrant were able to come and help us properly swear our Pledge of Perpetual Harmony on the local sacred treasure. (Not a Pearl; it was the Golden Tortoiseshell of Eternal Spring.)
The moment I touched the Tortoiseshell and recited the words, I felt a glow spread through my body. It was warm, like a summer night, but at the same time, it had the coolness of a reflecting pond. And I knew that the Bright Moon had accepted me, and would be my new patron, alongside the Constellation
I had been born to. I grew even more warm and content at the thought of the nigh-limitless magical avenues that had now been opened up to me.
But, as I broke protocol and raised my head just a fraction of an inch to look upon the gaze of His Majesty, it wasn’t quite as satisfying as I had expected. Not in comparison with the knowledge that I was the good and faithful servant of my master, whether he went by an ugly name with no lineage or a name crammed full of honor.
And for a dragon, that’s sufficient.
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Douglas Smith is a multi-award-winning author, described by Library Journal as “one of Canada’s most original writers of speculative fiction.” His fiction has been published in twenty-six languages and includes the urban fantasy novel, The Wolf at the End of the World, the collections Chimerascope and Impossibilia, and the translated collection La Danse des Esprits. His writing guide, Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction, is a must-read for any short story writer. A three-time winner of Canada’s Aurora Award, Doug has also been a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award, CBC’s Bookies Award, Canada’s juried Sunburst Award, and France’s juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane. His website is www.smithwriter.com and he tweets at twitter.com/smithwritr.
About this story, Douglas says: “This was my first high fantasy story, and I purposely wanted to play with the tired old cliches of sword & sorcery tales – the valiant (male) knight, the wizened wizard, the sturdy dwarf, the delicate feminine elf, and of course, the dragon as the villain, the embodiment of evil – and turn them on their head. The story is also intended as an environmental destruction tale. Like most of the characters in the story, we modern humans don’t know what we are losing as we continue to destroy wildlife habitat and push more and more creatures into extinction. The last of a thing is something to be treasured, even if it seems as dangerous as a dragon.”