Blue Dragon

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

About ten days later I was practising with the Murasame in the training room when there was a tap on the door.

‘Come in,’ I said.

Yi Hao opened the door carefully and poked her head around. ‘The Master wishes to see you, my Lady.’

I put the sword away and put it onto its black rack, wondering. I followed Yi Hao into the living room. Wong waited there for me, alone, standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed over his chest, glowering.

I stopped and waited for him.

He didn’t say anything, he just glowered.

I waited patiently. I could play this game all day if he wanted, but normally he was very impatient with me. This was entirely unlike him.

Suddenly he grinned, uncrossed his arms and put his hands on his hips. ‘Want to go out for a spin? I’ve got something I want to show you.’

I felt a jolt of horror. ‘What have you done?’

He held out one arm in a gesture of welcome. ‘Come and see.’

I didn’t move. ‘Have you hurt Simone?’

He grinned more broadly. ‘Nope. Come and look what I did.’ He sounded like a schoolboy who’d just caught a frog.

‘If you’ve hurt any member of my family, I’ll take your head,’ I said, trying to stay calm.

He shrugged, still grinning. ‘I haven’t hurt any of them. Come and look. You’ll like this. It’s really good.’

‘What have you done?’ I shouted.

He moved closer to me. I didn’t shift away. His grin turned vicious. ‘I’m taking over.’ He held his hand out and the blood oath scroll appeared in it.

I ran back to the training room to get the blade, but I was too slow. He bound me before I was out of the living room. I struggled, but he was immensely powerful. He had me.

He walked up to me, very relaxed. He stopped in front of me and touched my cheek gently. He still held the scroll in his other hand. He moved his face right into mine. ‘Don’t worry, I can’t start on you yet,’ he whispered. ‘There are some others who are a slightly higher priority.’ He stepped back. ‘But don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ll get your turn.’

The room around us disappeared. We were on the dais in the Demon King’s throne room.

Wong sat on the throne and gestured for me to sit next to him. I could move now; he had unbound me.

I sized him up. He was more powerful than anything I had ever seen. Even if I hit him with chi and blew myself up, I wouldn’t be able to destroy him.

Okay. Wait and see. I turned and sat on the throne next to him.

The doors to the hall flew open. Two very senior demons, both with the heads of bulls, dragged in the King. He was in his usual human form, wearing his maroon jeans and T-shirt. When they were halfway into the hall every single demon in Hell materialised around them.

The King righted himself and shook the demons off. He walked with slow dignity to the bottom of the stairs leading to the dais. When he saw me he gave me a huge friendly smile, his whole face lighting up.

‘Stay there,’ Wong said, and went down the steps to his father.

The two of them faced off, silent and unmoving.

Wong took True Form. He was a huge humanoid with black scales and three eyes. He towered over the King. He had grown since I had last seen his True Form at the charity night; he was nearly five metres tall.

The King also took True Form: blood-red, like a Snake Mother, and three metres tall. Wong towered over him.

Wong growled, a deep sound within his throat. The sound became louder and louder. He raised his taloned arms, the black scales glittering. Dark energy sprang from his hands.

The King silently raised his skinless hands and blood-red energy sprang from them to meet it.

The energy clashed in a ball of black and red.

It didn’t take long. The energy ball hit the King and both of them changed. Wong into a blood-red Snake Mother-type demon; the King into a red humanoid, about three metres tall, without scales and with tusks.

Wong was King.

‘Hold him!’ Wong said.

The bull-headed demons grabbed the King’s arms, and he changed back into human form.

Wong took human form as well. The scroll reappeared in his hands. He tore it in half, right down the middle. ‘You’re next, sweetheart,’ he called to me, and some of the Snake Mothers in the hall hissed.

The King didn’t attempt to escape. He smiled slightly. Wong led them up the stairs, the King walking calmly between his captors. When they were in front of the throne Wong turned and pushed his face right into his father’s.

‘You thought I couldn’t do it,’ he hissed. ‘You thought you were stronger than anything. Well, you know what, Dad? You’re stupid.’

‘Not as stupid as you are, Number One,’ the King said. ‘If you didn’t have your little pussy, you wouldn’t be anything.’

Wong viciously backhanded the King, but the King ignored it.

‘All of this was my idea,’ Wong said. ‘Kitty might have had people with the knowledge and the science, but I’m the one who got us here.’ He stepped back and his voice calmed. ‘And here we are. I’ve taken the Dark Lord’s head. Which should I take next? Yours, or the Lady’s?’

‘Do me first,’ the King said. ‘The Lady has a job to do.’

I glanced at the King, wondering, but he didn’t look at me.

‘Okay, if you like. Push him down,’ Wong said. ‘On his knees.’

The King fell to his knees before the demons could push him. He glanced at me and smiled slightly. Wong didn’t miss it.

‘As soon as I’ve taken his head, I think I’ll take my time with you,’ he said to me.

‘You really are an incredibly stupid fucking prick, Simon,’ the King said softly. ‘I cannot believe you are walking into this with all three of your eyes open.’

Wong hesitated, then he grinned. ‘Too late, Dad.’ He gestured to the demons. ‘Hold him.’

He concentrated, and a sword appeared in his hand. It was very plain, with no decoration on either the hilt or the blade. It was Dark Heavens. He held it up in front of him.

‘Fitting, eh? You get to go by the Dark Lord’s earthly weapon, the one that’s already taken the Xuan Wu’s head.’ He stopped and mused. ‘I wonder if I can get that stone thing to pull out the other one. The Star one. That would be lovely.’ He turned to me. ‘Can you get it?’

‘No.’

‘No matter.’

Wong quickly stepped forward and sliced through the King’s neck. The blade went straight through without harming the King at all.

I tried to stop him, but I was bound again. I couldn’t move.

‘Stupid,’ the King said.

Wong glared blankly at the King. Then he grinned. ‘I remember. You told me yourself, you stupid bastard. Only the Murasame can destroy you. What a fucking stroke of luck. You gave it to my house guest. It’s at my flat underneath Kowloon City. It’s mine.’

The King’s expression changed. He didn’t seem as confident. I didn’t struggle, much as I wanted to. Wong had worked it out.

Wong threw Dark Heavens onto the dais with a clatter. He held out his hand again and the Murasame appeared in it.

Wong screamed and dropped the blade, then grasped his hand and held it in front of his face, agonised.

‘The Murasame will only serve its master,’ the King said. ‘No other, unless its master wills it. Right now, only the Lady may wield the blade. Any other who attempts to use it without her permission will be destroyed. Even its touch is agony for any but its owner.’ He grinned at me. ‘Pretty neat, eh?’

Wong glowered at me. ‘If you take his head with the Murasame, I’ll give you your freedom and Simone’s safety.’

‘Give me your word,’ I said.

‘What?’

‘Give me your word.’ I went to the Murasame, picked it up, hefted it and took it to the King. I turned back to Wong. ‘Do you promise to free me and keep Simone safe?’

Wong grinned. ‘Sure. I promise.’

‘Liar.’ I raised the sword, swung it and ran it right through Wong’s neck.

He didn’t stop grinning. It hadn’t harmed him at all. I ran the sword through his chest and pulled it out again. I slashed him across, attempting to cut him in half.

‘No good, Emma,’ Wong said. ‘I’ve been working out.’ He leaned closer to me. ‘Nothing can destroy me.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ I said, and put the sword away.

‘I must say, Emma,’ the King said from his knees, ‘you really are incredibly attractive. Such honour and dignity. How about a Mother form for me? Before I go?’

I ignored him.

‘Bind him well and throw him into the cell block at the far end of level nine,’ Wong said. ‘Make sure he can’t escape.’ He tilted his head and smiled. ‘Aren’t there a couple of previous Kings in there, rotting away? Our predecessors?’

‘Three altogether, all of them insane,’ the King said. ‘I will be number four.’

‘Until I find a way to wield the Destroyer or bring down the Seven Stars,’ Wong said. ‘Then I’ll destroy all four of you. Clean-up time.’

The King smiled at me, still held by the senior demons. ‘Remember.’ They all disappeared.

‘Time for me to take over,’ Wong said with satisfaction. ‘You’ll sit right here next to me as I accept their oaths of allegiance. And then I’ll cut your arms off with your own Lord’s weapon.’

‘I really don’t give a shit,’ I said softly.

‘Let’s see how far we can take that,’ Wong said. ‘Maybe arms and legs both, and I’ll keep you under my desk and use you as a footstool. The nigger is here too, isn’t he.’ He rubbed his hands together. ‘This will be a lot of fun.’

Wong turned and sat on the throne. ‘As soon as I’m finished here, I’ll collect a little girl I’ve been wanting to play with for ages. And a huge black faggot who I might just make play with her before I have his balls cut off. Oh, I know.’ He leaned his elbow on the edge of the throne and smiled. ‘He can play with both of you, then you can do the honours.’

I didn’t try to escape. I knew it would come for me. It had to come for me. I sat on the throne next to Wong and placed the sword across my knees. It would come.

I sat through oaths of allegiance from three hundred and forty-five senior demons. I counted them. Most of them grinned viciously at me without looking at Wong. The Snake Mothers especially made a point of glowering at me as they swore the oath.

‘The ladies want you, Emma,’ Wong said. ‘Should I give you to them?’

‘Oh, yes, please, Simon,’ I said. ‘I’d love to go and play with them.’

‘No, I don’t think so,’ Wong said kindly. ‘I think I’ll keep you all to myself.’

Something huge and black materialised in the centre of the hall. It was like an enormous black cloud, but darker and more menacing. The cold seeped from it; the air around it glittered with condensation. The demons raced away from it, a flowing wave of panic.

‘Oh good,’ Wong said with satisfaction. ‘I was wondering when it would turn up. This just gets better and better.’

The darkness coalesced into an enormous black turtle, its shell glistening with moisture. It was about five metres long. Its head was pointed and vicious. Its shell was curved and black. Its enormous feet were clawed.

The demons rushed away in panic. Most of the demons disappeared. It was faster than those that were left; it turned and raced right into the middle of them, grabbing them and snapping them in half with its enormous razor-sharp beak, one after the other. They didn’t have a chance.

The demons began to scream and there was a crush at the door as they tried to get away.

The Turtle generated a blinding beam of chi and sent it through them, destroying every demon it touched.

Wong rose and sauntered down the stairs to face the creature.

It moved towards him, its mouth open, its huge beak razor-sharp. It wasn’t slow; but it wasn’t as fast as John was in human form. The remaining demons cowered against the walls.

Wong stopped in front of the creature, totally unconcerned. He concentrated and raised his arms.

The Turtle opened its mouth wider and a blast of pure white shining energy shot out, straight at Wong. Wong disappeared in the brilliance.

The Turtle closed its mouth and the beam of light stopped.

Wong was still there, smiling.

The Turtle moved closer. Wong didn’t attempt to move out of the way. A light blue aura grew around his head. He smiled beatifically and the light surrounded him. It was full of crackling bolts of energy. He lowered his head and concentrated, and the energy quickly rushed to his hands, forming a huge ball of something that resembled chi, but a delicate shade of pale blue.

He smiled and raised his head to study the Turtle. He lifted his arms, still holding the huge ball of energy in his hands, closed his eyes and threw his head back. The energy went black. It streamed from him straight at the Turtle’s head.

The Turtle raised its head and opened its mouth, a black shadow within the darkness of the energy. Its edges turned blue, then it shredded in the blast.

It dissipated. It was gone.

‘No,’ I moaned. ‘No.’ I took a deep, gasping breath. ‘Oh God, no.’

‘I am the most powerful thing that Hell has ever produced,’ Wong said. ‘Even the Xuan Wu is no match for me.’

He proceeded up the stairs to me.

‘He was weak,’ I said loudly. ‘When he’s back to full strength, he’ll come after you and tear you into very small pieces.’

‘I really hope so, because his cage is nearly ready,’ Wong said as he seated himself on the throne. ‘Now. Let’s get to work.’

I bided my time. As soon as he brought in Simone and Leo, I would use the Destroyer to free us all.