Dark_Serpent

10




Zhenwu

John stormed into the Gold Spirit Audience Chamber and roughly fell to one knee, glaring at the floor. ‘Ten thousand years.’

‘Ah Wu,’ the Jade Emperor said.

‘Majesty.’

‘I suggest you take a deep breath, reach into the Tao and control your temper before we take this further. Your conduct is unbecoming of a Celestial Immortal.’

John didn’t look up from the floor.

The Jade Emperor’s voice was mildly exasperated. ‘Very well. Rise and sit with me, Number One, and we will see what we can do.’

John stood, flicked his black robe into place, and sat on a chair side-on to the Jade Emperor. One of the fairies poured tea and he nodded to her.

‘I understand that Miss Donahoe travelled to Hell under her own power and without being coerced,’ the Jade Emperor said.

‘Just give me permission to go down and get her out.’

‘Do you have any idea where she is?’

John studied the Jade Emperor. Nobody was really sure exactly how omniscient he was, but the consensus was that he knew everything that happened.

‘I know exactly where she is. I just need your permission to go.’

The Jade Emperor waved one of the fairies over. She placed a scroll on the tea table next to him. Another fairy placed the Great Imperial Seal, a block ten centimetres each side and twenty high, on its own small tray next to the seal. John tried not to fidget with impatience as the Jade Emperor carefully inked the seal and stamped it onto the scroll. The Emperor picked up the scroll, waved it around a few times to dry the ink, then rolled it up.

‘It is the nature of the Tao to act without acting, and to act only when there is no other choice,’ the Jade Emperor said. ‘You have been too impatient to act in this case.’

‘I have no other choice. I must find her; she is in danger. I do not need a lecture in the nature of the Tao.’

‘Your impatience and frustration indicates that you do. Your impudence suggests other actions may be appropriate, Number One.’

John deliberately calmed himself, touching the spinning yin-yang deep inside him. A feeling of serenity filled him.

‘Good,’ the Jade Emperor said. He gave the scroll to the fairy standing next to him. ‘You do not need to ask permission from the Demon King because he has already given it. Proceed to Hell and find your lady. Then please, if you would, Raise and marry her and stop letting this emotional nonsense interfere with your duties as First Heavenly General. You are acting with selfish intention, seeking pleasure in the company of this woman when you should be focused only on protecting our realm. Like it or not, Ah Wu, many people rely on you to keep them safe. You are too necessary to the security of the realm to waste your time pursuing romantic liaisons with human liabilities.’

‘Once she is Raised and we are wed, she will not be a liability,’ John said, ‘she will be an asset.’

‘We shall see.’ The Jade Emperor picked up his cup and sipped the tea. ‘Go and find your lady, Ah Wu. She is safe and waiting for you.’

John rose from his chair and knelt to the Jade Emperor. He stood, accepted the scroll from the fairy and did his best to leave the audience chamber without breaking into a run.


Emma

A few hours later the demon guards were sitting cross-legged on the other side of the bars, telling me stories about their lives.

‘And so when we hatched, we were all big humanoids, so they put us in the army,’ the leader, Three Four One, said. She gestured towards the other two. ‘These two are from a different clutch, same father, different Mother. Our father’s a minor horse-head duke. They’re slightly smaller than me.’

‘And we’re both male,’ one of the other guards said.

‘Can you take human form?’ I said.

They all shook their heads.

‘Stuck like this,’ Three Four One said.

‘How old are you?’

‘I’m four years old,’ Three Four One said with obvious pride. ‘My little brothers here are about six months old. Same clutch.’

‘I hope you all go on to live long happy lives,’ I said.

‘You’re so caring,’ the smaller demon said with awe.

‘Listen,’ I said, lowering my voice, ‘after you’re done here, and the King can’t see you any more, try to find me. I’ll look after you.’

The air temperature plummeted to nearly freezing and the guards all jumped to their feet.

‘He’s here,’ Three Four One said.

The slime demon on the ceiling made a series of hissing, gargling sounds.

‘No,’ one of the smaller demons said.

‘You heard him,’ Three Four One said. ‘If you can’t do it yourself, kneel down and I’ll do it for you. I promise it’ll be quick.’

‘We did what you told us to!’ the smaller demons wailed at the slime demon’s many eyes. ‘We obeyed your orders! Why?’

‘You know damn well why, stupid,’ Three Four One said. ‘He knows that the minute he can’t see us we’ll all make a run for it, try to find her and turn.’

The slime demon’s gurgles rose in pitch. It sounded like it was drowning. The two smaller guards exploded, dissipating into streamers of black demon essence that sank slowly through the air.

‘I have a favour to ask you,’ Three Four One said.

‘Anything.’

‘Oh, don’t say that,’ she said with humour. ‘Do you know what I’d gain if I gave Grandad your human form?’

‘So what do you want?’ I said.

The temperature was still dropping and terrified screams resounded through the hallways. The ground shook beneath us, then shook again with a low rumble that I felt more than heard.

‘If for some reason the Dark Lord spares me, the King will throw me to the Mothers,’ Three Four One said. ‘I make this request of you: please ensure that I am not spared, and that when he does it, it is quick.’

‘I wish there could be another way, but if that is the only way then I will do my best to make it quick for you.’

She bowed her head slightly. ‘Thank you.’

A flurry of stinging snowflakes blew down the corridor and a low strumming bass sound made the floor reverberate. Screams resounded off the black stone walls. Three Four One took a couple of steps back until she was against the wall, staring grimly in front of her. The slime demon on the ceiling made slurping sounds and dripped globules of ooze with each shock of vibration.

John strode down the corridor in Celestial Form, a dark aura of blue-black energy floating around him. He held Seven Stars, its blade loaded with his glowing chakras. Martin was at his right hand and Leo was on his left, both of them in Celestial Form.

John stopped in front of my cell, ignoring Three Four One completely. ‘Found you,’ he said in his normal voice.

‘She was right about level six,’ Leo said. He raised his sword to destroy Three Four One.

‘Don’t hurt the demon!’ I said. ‘It’s guarding me.’

Leo lowered the sword and stared at her. ‘Still a demon, Emma, and it hasn’t been tamed. It could go for us any time.’

Three Four One raised her axe and saluted Leo. ‘That’s right.’

She swung the axe and he blocked it with his sword.

‘Don’t hurt her!’ I said.

Leo put one massive hand around her throat and lifted her, taking the axe from her and dropping it on the floor with his other hand. ‘You sure? It seems pretty nasty to me.’

‘I’m sure.’

‘Back up, Emma,’ John said.

He raised one hand towards the bars and they froze with an audible crack, then instantly covered with frost. He leaned forward and tapped one and it shattered. He tapped each of the bars in turn, destroying them and sending shards of metal glittering to the floor.

He strode into the cage, ducking to fit under the low ceiling. ‘Touch my hand and I’ll take you home.’

‘Before you do, destroy that slime demon on the ceiling,’ I said.

John didn’t turn away from me. ‘Ming Gui.’

Martin generated a ball of shen energy and blew up the demon.

‘You can turn now, Three Four One,’ I said. ‘Come with us.’

‘If it’s all the same to you,’ the demon said, her voice muffled by Leo’s hold, ‘I’d prefer to go by the Dark Lord’s own hand. My nest mates will honour my number for a long time if I do.’

‘You could come live in Heaven with us and try to attain humanity,’ I said.

‘I have no human form,’ the demon said. ‘I cannot exist in Heaven or the Earthly. I can only live here, and my life here is over. I have no hope, no chance, no future. The King has ordered me dead.’ She tapped Leo’s hand around her throat. ‘I beg this kindness, that it be the Dark Lord himself.’

John turned. ‘Put her down, Leo.’

‘I thank you, Lord,’ Three Four One said with obvious emotion.

John gestured a come-on. ‘Pick up your axe, little one. Let’s see how much you have learned.’

Three Four One grabbed her axe from the floor and with one fluid movement swung it at John. He blocked with Seven Stars, twisted the sword down and sliced her from shoulder to hip. She dissipated with a wide-tusked grin on her face.

‘Very underskilled,’ he said with interest.

‘You could have at least given it a couple of strikes at you,’ Leo said.

‘That would be unfair to it. It would not appreciate me using anything less than my full abilities.’ He turned back to me and held his hand out. ‘Touch your nose to my hand.’

I touched his hand and the cells around me disappeared.

We arrived outside the infirmary next to the Japanese maple tree. The sun was rising through a fine, cold, misting rain that covered the Mountain with grey clouds. I tried to change back but couldn’t find the human form. John watched me, his face full of concern.

‘I can’t find it,’ I said. ‘I’m stuck as snake.’

‘Touch the earth. Touch the sky,’ he said.

I cycled my energy through my serpent form, touched the earth and sky and relaxed into it.

‘Now find where your arms and legs have gone.’

I found them and they returned to me.

‘Good,’ he said, and caught me as I fell into his arms. ‘What did they do to you? Did they hurt you?’

‘They didn’t do anything to her,’ the stone said.

‘Thank the Heavens.’ John lifted me and carried me into the infirmary. ‘Emma, do you know where my Serpent is?’

‘Yes, it’s …’ My voice trailed off. ‘It’s just …’

He gently placed me onto one of the beds and put his index finger on my forehead. ‘Think where it is.’

I tried to capture the memory. ‘Dammit, my serpent knew exactly where it was …’

I tried to change back to snake and felt a moment of dizziness.

‘Don’t try to change,’ the stone said. ‘You’ll head straight back down there looking for it.’

‘What about you, stone?’

‘I don’t know, my Lord. One part of the demonic side of Hell looks much like another.’

‘But my snake knows where it is!’ I said. I struggled to sit up and failed. ‘Let me change and I’ll lead you down there.’

The stone broke in. ‘The Demon King knows about your oath, my Lord. He said that he would wait until you’d found her, then he plans to take and use her.’

‘But he doesn’t know the other parts of the oath,’ I said.

‘I hope —’ John began.

Edwin pushed him out of the way and put a stethoscope on my chest. ‘Stop talking. Cough.’

I coughed for him and he moved the stethoscope. ‘Again.’

‘You can move me out of her back now and return me to my ring,’ the stone said. ‘You’ve found her. One out of three. The rest will happen.’

Edwin shone a light in my eyes, checking my pupils. ‘You seem to be completely uninjured,’ he said. ‘Slightly dehydrated, but otherwise fine.’

‘We have to go get your Serpent out, I know where it is,’ I said to John.

‘When you’ve recovered, we will. We’ll set up a diversion, and at the same time you can lead me down to the Serpent’s cage. For now, rest.’ He turned to Edwin. ‘Can I take her home?’

‘Put her to bed and make her sleep.’

‘Come on, Emma,’ John said, taking my hand and helping me up. ‘Let’s go home.’

‘Sometimes, my Lord, you say the greatest things ever in the history of the world.’

‘I thank you, my Lady.’

‘You two are extremely cute sometimes,’ Edwin said, grinning.

‘I am not cute,’ John said, glowering, and led me out.

I woke to grey light shining through gaps in the window screens. I appeared to have slept most of the day away. John was lying next to me, holding me close and waiting for me to wake up.

‘Welcome back,’ he said.

I sighed. ‘I am so glad to be home.’

‘So am I.’

‘Do you think that was it? You actually found me?’ I said.

‘I travelled down to where you were held and searched until I found you.’

‘But you knew where I was.’

He was silent for a long moment, then said, ‘I know.’

‘Stone, do you think he fulfilled his oath?’

‘I’d very much like to believe so, so I can be freed from this fleshy —’

‘Stone!’ I said, shocked.

‘— prison,’ the stone finished. ‘Fleshy prison! It is very uncomfortable being stuck in here and only seeing things secondhand. I need air on my surface, I am losing my lustre.’

‘I’ll have you removed tomorrow,’ I said.

‘Emma,’ John said, ‘it might be better —’

‘The stone has suffered enough. We’ve all suffered enough,’ I said. ‘You found me and that’s that. Now all you have to do is Raise and marry me.’

‘The Jade Emperor said something while I was talking to him today — he said I am selfishly enjoying having a relationship with you and not considering the needs of others. Is he right? Are you sure you still want to be with me? It’s been a long time since I asked you, and so many things have happened … Is this still what you want?’

I was silent for a moment, then chose my words carefully. ‘This is what I want more than anything. I have no hesitation about marrying you and joining you here on the Mountain. It’s what I want most in the world.’

He squeezed me and pulled me into him, and his unbound hair fell over both of us.

‘I hesitate to ask you to show me where my Serpent is,’ he said. ‘It will lead you into danger.’

‘We have to go as soon as possible before they move it.’

‘Can you show me where it is and then head back here immediately?’

‘Yes. But if there’s any chance you’ll be trapped, you get the hell out of there.’

‘I’ll be in and out so quickly the King won’t know what happened. Europe, on the other hand, is an unknown quantity. I should tell the Jade Emperor to wait until this situation is settled and you are safely Raised before we start the search for Western Shen. This is too dangerous.’

‘Has the Jade Emperor ever rescinded a command, Turtle?’ the stone said.

‘You know he hasn’t. But I am beginning to doubt his intentions when it comes to Emma.’

‘You have your oath. You will Raise and marry her. He cannot interfere with that.’

‘I should leave you here on the Mountain where you are guarded while I go to Britain,’ John said.

‘Are you sure about that?’ I said.

He was silent for a moment, then, ‘No. You’re safer with me. Both of you are always safer with me. I wish that the Elixir was ready now.’

‘I can wait.’

‘I can’t,’ he said. ‘I hate seeing you in the black and white of a servant. I want you to be my Empress, in silk of black and gold on a throne beside me.’

I pretended to pull away. ‘I changed my mind. I’d rather lounge around in the servant’s uniform doing mundane stuff than sit on any sort of throne.’

He buried his face in my hair. ‘That’s what makes you so ideal for the job.’

I couldn’t keep the exasperation from my voice. ‘All that responsibility!’

‘We can share it.’ He pulled back to look at me, his face a silhouette in the light shining through the closed screens. ‘When we marry, you must be the Empress with all that it entails; there is no avoiding it. If you really do not want to rule beside me, you can do what your family has done and seek anonymity and seclusion on the Earthly, living a normal life.’

‘A normal life, without you and Simone and my sword and the Mountain? I could never be happy living like that.’

‘Are you sure?’

The uncertainty in his voice saddened me. I ran one hand down the side of his face.

‘Know this, Xuan Wu: I love you, and I always will. Not because of some demonic intervention, or some silly romantic ideal, but because you are who you are. You’re a kind, generous, noble and sometimes ridiculously idiotic man who I love with all my heart. And I will be proud and honoured to help you rule your domain.’

‘The King doesn’t know what a favour he did me when he drew us together. You were already something that I would love — you are something that I love — without his intervention. You brought me back from my grief, brought me closer to my daughter, and managed things,’ his voice filled with humour, ‘almost acceptably well in my absence. I owe you — and, in a way, him — a great debt.’

‘And? ’

‘And what?’

‘Oh, you guy,’ I said, poking him in the ribs, making him jump and grunt.

He changed against me, becoming a woman.

‘You’re still a guy,’ I said, gently brushing my hand over one of her breasts, making her gasp.

‘And I love you,’ she said, and kissed me. She pulled back. ‘I’ll stay female now, just so I can say it again.’

I pushed myself closer into her and spoke into her neck. ‘Nope, I want you male, and I want to hear you say it.’

He changed back to male. ‘Do I have to?’

‘Sometimes I think you and the Tiger are brothers.’

‘I love you,’ he whispered, and we both sighed with bliss.