Blue Dragon

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The New Zealand woman Gold had recruited was called Amy. She was half-Chinese and exceptionally talented. She and I became good friends very quickly; not surprisingly, we had a lot in common. She knew about Chinese culture from her Chinese father, and the Australian and New Zealand cultures were very similar. She was friendly and happy and the difficulties she’d had in her marriage didn’t seem to have affected her much at all.

I began to suspect there was something special about her when she generated chi the first time she tried. I sat her in my office to speak to her.

‘Amy, you remember you swore allegiance?’ I said.

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Okay then, keep that in mind. I want some answers.’

Amy straightened.

‘First: have you really been studying the Arts for only a year?’

‘Yes. I wanted something to get me out, something different. Something that would make me feel…’ She hesitated, searching for the words. ‘Strong again. I was surprised that I turned out to be so good at it.’

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Second: are you completely human?’

Her face went strange and I interrupted her before she could say anything. ‘Wait.’ I tapped the stone.

‘I was sleeping, Emma.’

‘You will be sleeping in the water if you talk back to me again,’ I said. I saw Amy’s face. ‘The stone in this ring is sentient, abusive, noisy, arrogant and lazy.’

‘You forgot bad-tempered,’ the stone said.

‘Yeah.’ I asked it silently to check whether Amy was telling the truth. It agreed just as silently. Both of us turned back to Amy.

‘Amy,’ I said, ‘are you human? Tell me the truth.’

Amy hesitated, then sighed. ‘I hope so.’

True.

‘Do you suspect you may not be human?’ I said.

Amy shrugged. ‘I’m really talented. Everybody else reacted so badly when I generated the chi; I didn’t even know I wasn’t supposed to be able to do it yet.’

I had a sudden feeling of déjà vu.

True.

‘I would like to look inside you,’ I said. ‘Do you give your permission?’

Amy’s eyes went wide.

‘It won’t hurt,’ I said. ‘In fact, I won’t do it myself at all; only a Shen can do it. It is a completely painless process, the only discomfort being the fact that the Shen will be able to see everything inside you. Everything. But I would like to confirm that you are completely human.’

‘Are you worried about me?’ she asked quietly. ‘I know I am.’

True.

I smiled and patted her hand. ‘I’m sure we won’t find anything.’

She smiled slightly in response. ‘Which Shen?’

‘Probably Gold,’ I said. ‘He’s the best one available right now. All the other Academy Shen are flat out with the new recruits, and Jade’s off doing some sort of dragon thing. Besides, as a new student, you know Gold already.’

She shrugged, the smile widening a little. ‘Okay.’ She shook her head. ‘Who would believe it? That I’m in a martial arts school run by a turtle, taught by a snake, side by side with a dragon and a stone?’

‘Freaked my parents out completely,’ I said. ‘Don’t tell your family.’

‘They think I’m a NET teacher, getting away from my husband while the divorce papers go through,’ she said. ‘Native English-speaker Teaching scheme.’

‘Most of our older students’ parents think that,’ I said. ‘If they’re underage of course we tell the parents they’re coming to learn the Arts, but if the student is an adult, like you, it’s up to you to choose what to tell them.’ I paused, then decided. I took the ring off my finger and handed it to her. ‘Put this on for a moment.’

She studied it, turning it over in her fingers, then slipped it onto the smallest finger of her left hand.

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Give it back.’

She shrugged and returned it to me.

‘Good,’ I said. ‘I’ll arrange a time for you to be examined by Gold. Don’t worry, you know him already. He’s okay.’

‘Is that the ring?’ she said.

‘Yep. I just had the stone look at you as well.’

‘Did it find anything?’

‘No,’ the stone said. ‘Amy, you are a perfectly normal human being. Just extremely talented.’

She sagged with relief.

I didn’t tell her it was exactly the same thing the stone had said about me.

She smiled. ‘Why does it sound English?’

‘To annoy me,’ I said. ‘Go back to the Folly. I’ll contact you later and we’ll have you checked out.’

‘Why do you call it the Folly?’ she said. ‘Both the student residences are called the Folly—the Old Folly and the New Folly.’

I laughed. ‘Full name is Turtle’s Folly. Mr Chen bought the Old Folly at the top of the market, paid double the current market value for it. He lost a serious amount of money on it.’

She smiled wryly. ‘I thought gods didn’t make mistakes.’

‘This one has made some absolutely spectacular ones.’ I spread my hands. ‘I’m one of the biggest, according to him.’

‘Isn’t calling someone a “turtle” here in Hong Kong an insult?’

‘Damn straight. Don’t call it Turtle’s Folly when the Chinese kids are around; some of them are sensitive about it.’

‘And if someone mentions it in front of the Dark Lord, does he get very mad?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘He’s thoroughly delighted with the name. I wish I’d never thought of it, because he had it translated, and has a piece of calligraphy hidden away somewhere that he wants to put in brass above the door.’

Her mouth dropped open.

‘Go home, and don’t worry. The worst we’ll probably find is that you’re a lost Shen, or half Shen, or something like that, and you’ll have extra talents we can bring on.’

‘I just want to be completely human,’ Amy said. She saluted me and left, closing the door softly behind her.

‘Well?’ I said.

‘There’s something there,’ it said, ‘but I’m not sure what it is. Wait until Gold has a look at her. We’ll both see inside.’

‘Is it possible that she’s a demon?’

The stone hesitated. I heard it hesitate.

‘Well?’

The stone’s voice was completely emotionless. ‘Yes, Emma, it is quite possible.’

‘But she doesn’t know if she is?’

‘Correct,’ the stone said.

‘Has this happened before? Somebody was a demon but didn’t know about it?’

The stone hesitated, then obviously decided to answer before I could shout at it. ‘Yes, of course. It was a favourite trick of the previous King. Create a half demon, half human. Plant a trigger in it, similar to a program. The demon itself is unaware of its true nature. When the time is right, the trigger is activated and the demon usually self-destructs, taking all around with it.’

‘Holy shit,’ I said softly. ‘Why didn’t John tell me about this?’

‘Two reasons,’ the stone said. ‘The first is obvious. The second is that the current King is slightly more honourable than its predecessor and does not engage in this sort of underhand activity.’

‘He can be pretty underhand when he wants to,’ I said grimly.

‘He is a Demon King.’

‘Will Gold be able to tell if Amy is a demon?’ I said.

‘Yes.’

‘You sure?’

If the stone could sigh it would have. ‘Of course. He is my son.’

‘You mean child.’

The stone didn’t speak to me for a long time after that.

I arranged the examination for two days later so that John and Meredith could be present as well as Gold and me: John for his demon-spotting skills, and Meredith as the best demon-binder on the Mountain. JC Poon, the Demon Master, was on call, but didn’t need to be present unless Amy was a demon and was either bound or tamed. If she turned and attacked us we would destroy her and he wouldn’t be needed at all.

We used a training room on the twenty-second floor by silent mutual agreement. It would be the best place if she turned; the seniors and Celestials would be close by.

Amy walked in and stopped dead when she saw all of us. Her face went ashen, then she remembered and fell to one knee, saluting us all.

‘Come in, Amy,’ I said, as gently as I could. ‘I think you know everybody. Do you know Meredith?’

Amy shook her head, her eyes wide. She was panicking. She knew something was up.

I gestured towards Meredith. ‘Master Liu, Energy Master, Tai Chi Master.’

Amy saluted Meredith and Meredith nodded back, her angular, intelligent face serious. She was already examining Amy.

‘Okay, Amy,’ I said, trying to be brisk and businesslike. She broadcast raw terror. ‘Sit cross-legged on the floor in the centre of the room and Gold will have a look inside you.’

She did as she was told.

Gold knelt behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. ‘Relax, dear. I won’t hurt you. Everything will be just fine.’

Amy was shaking.

Gold didn’t move, but I saw him contact Meredith. Meredith silently moved forward and put her hand on top of Amy’s head.

Amy went rigid at the touch and then her face went slack. Gold nodded and Meredith moved away.

Human at the top level, Gold said. My Lady, could you bring my parent here, please? I would like it to provide a second opinion.

I moved quietly to Gold and put the stone in front of him. I released it, and it hovered in front of Gold’s face, between his nose and the back of Amy’s head. Gold nodded, his face still full of concentration.

Going deeper. Dad?

Human. No apparent demonic attributes at any of the top levels, the stone said.

Gold stiffened. What a bastard.

With you there, the stone said. No wonder she wanted to learn to defend herself.

Gold sighed, his shoulders moving. Going deeper.

What was that? the stone said.

What? Gold said.

For a moment there…nothing.

My Lord Xuan, please take a quick look, Gold said. Through me, so that you cannot harm her.

John approached them and bent to place his hand on Gold’s shoulder. His face went rigid with concentration, then he released Gold and moved back.

Definitely not a demon, John said. Could be something else there, but it’s so well hidden it’s hard to say. Probably just exceptional talent. I have seen humans this talented before. If a talented human suffers such as she has, it can also bring forward the energy control. He smiled. Suffering brings wisdom and control.

The ring rose above Gold and returned to me, and I picked it out of the air. Gold took his hands away from Amy’s shoulders and rose.

Meredith crouched beside Amy and put her hand on Amy’s shoulder. ‘We’re finished now, dear.’

Amy shook herself out, then heaved a huge sigh and pulled herself to her feet, swaying slightly. Meredith held her elbow to help her.

‘That was weird,’ Amy said. ‘You knocked me out or sedated me or something, didn’t you?’

Meredith smiled but didn’t say anything.

‘I thought I could hear people talking but there wasn’t a sound,’ Amy said.

‘You are quite correct, Amy,’ John said.

I went to Amy and took her arm. I looked her right in the eyes. ‘You are a completely normal, talented human who has had her talents boosted by a prolonged period of suffering.’

Amy’s eyes widened. ‘You know about that? You know?’

‘Nothing to be ashamed of, Amy,’ Gold said. May I see her back to the Folly?

‘Go,’ I said. ‘Amy, Gold will escort you back.’

‘The long way,’ Meredith said. ‘Not directly; she wouldn’t be able to handle it right now.’

‘Oh, I’m taking the long way,’ Gold said, smiling into Amy’s eyes. He gently took her elbow to lead her out. ‘Are you free Friday night? A group of us grown-ups are going to Lan Kwai Fong to try out the new Italian restaurant there. And to get away from the little ones for a while. You’re welcome to come; you spend a lot of time with the younger students as well.’

‘Little ones?’ Amy said. ‘You look the same age as most of the students.’

‘Appearances can be deceiving. I’m slightly older than I look,’ Gold said, amused. ‘You are a very interesting person, you know that? A lot of depth to you. I’d love to see more of it.’

‘Tell Gold I heard that and he’s seeing somebody already,’ I said quickly, and the stone relayed the message.

Broke up with him a month ago, Gold said.

‘He’s to tell her all about himself up front. And if she’s too traumatised by what she’s been through then it’s strictly hands off.’

Of course.

Another bolt hit me. They would be great together. Totally made for each other. And she was something special, but it wasn’t ready to come out yet.

I shook myself out of it. Meredith and John stared at me. ‘What?’

‘We saw that,’ John said. He pointed at the floor. ‘Your turn.’

I hesitated, then moved to sit cross-legged in the middle of the room. Meredith took up position behind me and put her hands on my shoulders.

I relaxed and let her in.

It didn’t take long. She flipped through me like a magazine, then put me back and released me.

‘Well on the way there,’ she said, rising. She reached down and helped me up. ‘Impressive.’

‘Have you had any flashes about us? You and me?’ John said.

‘No. Only the students.’ I gestured towards the door. ‘Amy and Gold are made for each other. They’ll be great together.’ It hit me again. ‘In fifteen or twenty years, their kids will be some of the best students you and I have ever seen, and we’ll teach them together.’

I heard what I’d just said and dropped my head as my throat thickened. John looked away, but Meredith grinned broadly.

‘See?’ she said, and linked her arm in mine. ‘It will be. Let’s go and buy the young Immortal-to-be some lunch.’

The next afternoon I paired up my energy students and they worked with chi together, one manipulating the energy and the other supervising. It was incredibly satisfying to have half a dozen students all taking their first steps together.

I paired Amy with Brad, a hefty young black man from Argentina. We didn’t recruit many young people from South America; there wasn’t much interest there in the Asian Arts. But the movie industry was helping us immensely. Young people saw Hollywood wire-fu and wanted to learn some for themselves. Many were disappointed when they realised that the stuff they saw on movies was pure fantasy, but others were intrigued by the real Arts and continued. And some eventually came to the Mountain and discovered that the stuff depicted by wire-fu was the least of what they could do.

John said that he had never seen so many talented students in a single year. He pondered out loud that the Mountain didn’t just need to be rebuilt, it needed to be extended. And then he grinned at my moans of dismay.

As I passed Amy, I gently placed my hand on top of her head. I felt her working under Brad’s supervision and suddenly realisation hit me like a thunderbolt. Amy was a dragon. And Brad was a demon. I had to think quickly; now that I knew the truth I didn’t have much time.

‘Call the energy back, guys,’ I said casually. At the same time, I tapped the stone and silently ordered it to get Gold in right away.

‘Everybody up,’ I said, and they all rose. ‘Remain in your pairs and move so that you are an equal distance apart in the room. Spread out and make space.’

Gold appeared beside me.

‘Brad, grab Amy right now!’ I shouted fiercely. ‘Standard arm lock! Amy, if you can understand me, let him do it.’

Brad jumped to obey me. He held Amy from behind, towering over her. Amy didn’t fight him.

‘Everybody out!’ I ordered loudly.

Amy’s face went ashen. Brad’s face tightened into a grimace of effort. The other four students went out, closing the door behind them.

‘What did I do?’ Amy said. She didn’t attempt to struggle.

‘Gold, get Jade here,’ I said. ‘I don’t care if she’s in the middle of laying eggs, I want her here right now.’

A long minute of agony passed before Jade appeared. She looked around, then saw Brad holding Amy and stiffened. ‘Get the next of kin,’ I said. ‘Tell them to hurry.’

I told the stone to explain the situation to Gold, who passed it along to Jade, and both of them nodded without saying a word.

Amy’s face twisted into anger. ‘Don’t move, Amy,’ I said. ‘Brad, hold her.’

‘I didn’t do anything!’ Amy shouted, struggling.

‘Hold still, Amy, trust me,’ I said. Amy subsided. ‘Hold her, Brad, a tight grip.’ Brad nodded, his face rigid.

‘What did I do, Emma?’ Amy said. ‘Why are you doing this?’ Her face filled with horror. ‘Oh my God, am I a demon and I don’t know?’

‘Just trust me and stay still,’ I said. ‘If I’m right, we won’t hurt you at all. Trust me. How long, Jade?’

‘Five minutes,’ Jade said. ‘It was a long way.’

‘Amy,’ I said gently, ‘give us five minutes, and it will all become clear. I won’t let Brad release you, because you may get hurt. Trust me, stay still. Brad, concentrate. Hold her.’

‘Ma’am,’ Brad said.

Tears ran down Amy’s face; she was terrified, but she remained motionless in Brad’s grip. Brad didn’t move at all.

‘Two minutes,’ Jade said.

‘Jade, Gold, on the count of three: as much chi as you can generate, right at her head,’ I said. ‘One.’

‘NO!’ Amy shrieked. ‘I didn’t do anything!’

‘Two.’

Jade and Gold moved into position. We generated three balls of chi, each at least a metre across.

Amy struggled harder. Brad held her tight.

‘Three!’ I shouted, and all three of us let loose with the chi right at Amy’s head.

Amy transformed into a small black dragon, about two metres long. The chi missed her completely and hit Brad at neck height. He was completely destroyed and dissipated quickly.

Amy, still in the form of a black dragon, threw her mouth open and roared, then hurled herself at me.

Jade transformed, leapt onto Amy’s back and held her down. Amy’s black dragon form struggled against Jade, writhing and roaring with fury, but Jade was bigger and held her.

Gold and I waited patiently.

A magnificent dark blue dragon appeared in front of me, facing Jade and Amy. Its scales were so dark they were almost black, and its fins and tail were gold. It was about twice the size of Jade and had to bend its long tail to fit in front of me.

Amy froze completely when she saw the dark blue dragon. The dragon transformed into a short, round Chinese man in his late fifties. He stood still and silent, studying Amy.

Amy’s dragon form sagged, then she changed back to her human form. She collapsed onto the floor. Jade also transformed, and put her arms around Amy.

The Chinese man went to Amy and stood silently over her for some time. Eventually, Amy pulled herself to her feet, Jade helping her. Then Amy fell into the man’s arms, weeping. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘What would be the point?’ he said. ‘Either you are one of us or you aren’t. If you are, it will happen. If you aren’t, it is better that you never know what you could be.’ He turned to me with Amy still in his arms. ‘Hello.’

‘Hi,’ I said. ‘Have you heard of the Academy?’

‘Of course I have,’ he said. ‘But I didn’t connect it with what Amy was doing in Hong Kong.’ He pulled away slightly to smile down at her and stroke her hair. ‘I should have realised. She isn’t here to teach English and avoid her husband at all. Like most dragons, she is unusually talented in the Arts and was recruited by the Dark Lord.’

‘You never knew?’ I said.

‘She never showed any inclination before,’ he said. ‘Before she started learning kung fu, she never displayed any signs whatsoever.’ He pulled her tight. ‘I am so proud, Amy. My own beloved daughter, a black dragon.’

Amy was gasping. ‘A black dragon?’

‘Black as night,’ I said.

‘Is that why you tried to destroy me?’ she said. Her face filled with horror. ‘Oh my God, Brad! You killed Brad! How could you do that? No…no. You missed me, and killed him—he was helping you!’ She breathed in ragged gasps. ‘He died for me!’

‘He was a demon, Amy,’ I said. ‘I was counting on you changing so that I could destroy him without him knowing we were on to him.’

‘He was a demon?’

‘The stories are true, my Lady,’ Amy’s father said.

‘I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know your name,’ I said. ‘You’ll have to forgive me, I don’t remember Amy’s last name.’

‘Amy Wu,’ Amy said.

Amy’s father released one hand and held it out to me.

I shook it. ‘Mr Wu.’

‘You can call me Richard, it’s easier,’ Amy’s father said. He turned and smiled at Amy. ‘A black dragon. Wonderful.’

‘Am I a bad dragon?’ Amy whispered. ‘If I’m black?’

Both her father and I laughed. ‘Colour has nothing to do with it,’ I said.

‘By your leave, Lady Emma, I would like to take my daughter to try out her new abilities,’ Amy’s father said. ‘And then, of course, I must present her to the King.’

‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Say hello to the Dragon King for me. You were something special, Amy, it was just very well hidden. Happens all the time with you dragons. You’re the third one this year. I should be getting used to it.’

Amy released her father and embraced me. ‘Thank you so much, Emma.’ She turned to Gold and saddened. ‘Does this mean I won’t see you again?’

Gold smiled gently. ‘Once you’ve been presented to the King you’ll probably be back here joining the advanced classes with the other dragons. I’m thinking of setting up a special school for you guys, so many of you keep turning up.’

‘The world is shrinking and we are finding more mates among the wider human population,’ Amy’s father said. He turned back to Amy. ‘Now, we will transform, and I will show you how to fly and how to swim, and then you will see the most magnificent palace in existence.’

‘Bye, Amy,’ I whispered as her father took True Form. ‘Have fun.’

‘How do I change?’ Amy said, but before she’d finished she was already in her dragon form. Her frill, fins and tail fin were all gold; the rest of her was shining jet black. She was magnificent. Her golden eyes flashed.

‘Whoa,’ Gold said softly.

‘Bye, Gold,’ Amy said.

‘Au revoir,’ Gold said. ‘Come back soon.’

‘Thanks, Emma,’ Amy said.

I bowed slightly. ‘You are most welcome, Dragon Lady.’

‘Follow me. Watch closely,’ Amy’s father said and disappeared.

Amy glanced at me with her golden eyes, then disappeared as well.

Gold sighed with bliss.

‘She’ll be back soon,’ I said softly.

‘I know,’ Gold said.

‘Now we will sort out my students, and then the three of us will have a contingency meeting on how Brad the demon made it halfway through second year without any of us knowing,’ I said.

Jade and Gold both looked sheepish.

‘Not good enough from any of us, guys,’ I said. ‘Stone, did you see all of that?’

‘Yep,’ the stone said.

‘Good,’ I said. ‘I’ll want you to replay the part where Brad was destroyed. I want a good look at that demon; obviously he was something very special. We’ll do a post-mortem on that thing and find out how we were duped.’

‘Good idea,’ Gold said.

‘I think it would also be a good idea if I kept you busy for the next week or so,’ I said to Gold.

‘Forgive me, my Lady, but I was sitting on a clutch,’ Jade said, miserable.

‘Oh, for God’s sake, why didn’t you tell me?’ I said. ‘Go! Before they get cold. Why don’t you dragons ever tell anybody anything?’

Jade disappeared.

‘Because they are truly wonderful,’ Gold said.

‘I wonder who the father is?’ I said.

‘No idea,’ Gold said.