9. STORIES

STORIES

E arlier...

Caden stood by the windows of Wally’s shop watching the crowds mill about the square after the Red Dragon Queen Mei’s procession had passed. He hadn’t been able to see her and had only glimpsed the mechanical soldiers. The Claw had arranged for there to be a clear area through the square’s center while the crowd had pressed all around it, including against the shop’s windows. Yet Caden had felt her.

He’d been folding t-shirts with Valerius’ precious face upon them as there were no customers in the store during the parade–a calm before the storm in a way–and manfully resisting rubbing his cheek against the face when the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He dropped the t-shirt and turned towards the shop windows as if in a trance. All he could see were the butts and backs of the viewers. But he slowly stepped towards the glass until his nose was practically pressed against it.

“Caden?” Rose was suddenly beside him. “What are you doing? Don’t attract those people here. I’m just catching my breath.”

“It’s Mei,” Caden said softly.

Rose looked outside, clearly saw only the press of butts, and turned back to him with a frown. “How do you know?”

“The television will give you a better view!” Wally called.

Their boss was sitting in Landry’s usual stool. He had the television above the cash register on. It usually showed specials but now aired on one of the cable news networks. It showed the parade. It actually showed the outside of the shop. And right now, Mei was standing in the middle of the square.

A dozen of the Faithful were approaching her in their white robes. Each of them were carrying peonies. His mother was out there. His mother had explained that peonies in Chinese culture represented nobility, wealth, honor, feminine beauty, innocence and charm. On the television, the head of the Faith was bowing as he offered the armful of delicate flowers to Mei, who was all smiles and graciousness. She accepted the flowers and held them to her breast for a moment, drawing in their deep scent, before she handed them to one of her soldiers. The soldier tossed each of the blooms into the air so that when they came down, they were easily caught by children in the crowd. There were cries of joy and claps of amazement.

“She certainly knows how to work a crowd,” Wally admitted reluctantly.

Caden turned back towards the window. Iolaire’s ears were flickering. The Spirit wasn’t afraid of Mei, but Iolaire wasn’t as excited as it had been meeting Tez or Esme. Iolaire’s reaction to Illarion had been less intense .

“What’s wrong, Caden?” Rose put her hand on his right forearm.

“Iolaire is reacting to Mei,” Caden admitted.

“How?” Rose frowned. “Freaked out?”

“No, just wary. Iolaire is sitting sort of back, tail curled around its feet and--” He saw Rose staring at him like he was insane. “What?”

“You see your Spirit. That’s still so weird to me,” Rose said with a shake of her head.

“That’s weird?” He was a little hurt.

She thumped his back. “Yes, but cool. I guess it’s just another Dragon Shifter thing.”

“Mei does not seem to be aware of you, Caden. Thankfully,” Wally said as he gestured to Mei’s procession moving on. Though, at the last moment, she turned her head and seemed to look directly into the camera and at him, but then she was smiling and continuing on.

“What do you know about Mei, Wally?” Caden asked as he turned away from the milling crowd. The people would be in the shop any second and then talking about anything–let alone Mei–would be off the table.

They were short-handed with Landry behind bars so it was sure to be a scrum. His parents hadn’t agreed to let Tilly come and work in the shop because of her punishment even when both he and his sister had pleaded. They couldn’t ask Marban to continue to work at the shop. He was a little more important than that. Plus with the Dragons coming to the city–not to mention Iolaire’s reveal–business was brisker than ever.

Despite all of these hardships, Caden rather thought that his pleas for Tilly to work had actually made his parents less agreeable. Neither of his parents were really speaking to him at the moment. His father was shut up in his study, and his mother had answered him with one word responses as she made breakfast for everyone except him.

They can’t stay mad forever. He grimaced. But they are likely expecting an apology from me, which I can give as to how I spoke to them, but not about what I said. So things are going to be a little frosty for a while.

“You think I know secrets about the great Red Dragon Queen Mei?” Wally chuckled, turning around on the stool, and pulling Caden from his gloomy thoughts.

“Something tells me from that chuckle that you do,” Rose pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

He reached for the Black Dragon balloon hat, and both Caden and Rose exchanged a look. Wally plonked it on his head with much squeaking.

“What’s with the hat, Wally?” Rose’s eyebrow rose higher.

“It is the wisdom hat,” Wally harrumphed, clearly aware that she was about to attack his dignity in some way.

“It’s a balloon--”

“Wisdom hat!” Wally interrupted with a monumental clearing of his throat. “In any case, do you want to hear what I know or don’t you?”

“We want to know, Wally. And quickly, as the crowd is getting restless out there. There aren’t many more mechanical soldiers to watch pass by.” Caden pointed over his shoulder at the door.

“Fair enough! Well, I know what makes Mei tick,” Wally told them.

“Really?” Rose’s arms crossed over her chest. She looked as much amused as dubious. “Do you know her personally?”

“No, but I know how she got her Spirit,” Wally said, a superior smile on his face as he tipped his head back. The balloon hat fell off and he nearly toppled from the stool trying to catch it.

Both Caden and Rose grinned at each other. But they quickly hid those grins when Wally scowled at them as he put the hat on again.

“Go on, Wally,” Caden urged.

“Now, how a person gets their Spirit says a lot about them,” Wally explained.

“Really?” Rose sounded wry. “Because it seems the type of Shifter you are means more to most people.”

Wally waved a hand through the air. “That’s prejudice, pure and simple. I’m betting how you got your Spirit was heroic.”

Rose’s eyes widened. She blushed and ducked her head. Caden smiled knowingly.

“It was,” Caden said.

Wally nodded. “Not surprised.”

“But… okay, so it was a little heroic, but I’m a Swarm Shifter!” she cried as if betrayed by the act.

“Being a Swarm Shifter doesn’t make you bad, Rose. It is how you use your gift,” Wally said gently. “You know this.”

“Yeah, but…” She shook herself. “Go on with Mei’s story.”

“She was the daughter of the equivalent of a mayor in her village. Her father was wise and kind. He took care of his people, and was known as someone who would give second chances,” Wally explained.

“Sounds like a great guy,” Caden said.

“Yes, and Mei loved him more than life.” Wally looked as if he were seeing this past.

“So he died? Terribly? Someone betrayed him?” Rose guessed.

“Rose!” Caden waved at her.

But Wally smiled sadly. “Yes, of course, they did.”

“Bandits? A rival for the leader of the village?” Rose guessed some more.

“Can you let him tell the story, Rose?” Caden asked.

She sniffed. “Fine, but I bet I can guess--”

“It was Mei’s fiancee,” Wally interrupted.

Rose’s mouth opened and shut a few times. “That’s… that’s awful! Was she as trusting as her father then?”

Wally shook his head. “In fact, she was suspicious and constantly looking out for her father, not wanting his kindness to be taken advantage of. But, in this case, she was the one to trust while her father was not so sure.”

Rose’s eyes narrowed. “Why does this sound like the typical story of a woman who falls for a bad man and ignores all common sense and--”

“He saved Mei’s life in the woods that surrounded their village. She was a skilled warrior in her own right. Her ability with the bow and sword was nearly unparalleled,” Wally said. “But she was only human and a dozen bandits are formidable. Just as she was about to fall, her future-fiance killed her final attackers.”

“Sounds useful.” Rose shrugged.

“I’m going to make a guess here,” Caden said. “Those were the fiancee’s men, weren’t they?”

Wally touched the side of his nose. “Right you are, kid. He saw her and maybe it was love or lust at first sight, but he recognized in Mei someone far more worthy to align himself with than the bandits.”

“Why would she trust someone who kills his own men?” Rose scoffed.

“He hadn’t been with his men when they attacked. He came in after, and pretended, I suppose, to be a wandering traveler,” Wally explained, mirroring her earlier shrug. “Whatever his story, she believed him. And I imagine he was convincing and earned her love and respect, which could not have been an easy thing to do. She brought him back to the village and convinced her father to put him in charge of security with her.”

“And her father sensed something off about him?” Rose asked, clearly getting involved in the story more than she wanted to let on.

Wally nodded. “He did not believe in coincidences. But he might have believed in treating people well will, more often than not, make them respond in kind.”

Rose glanced at Caden then. When he smiled at her, not sure what she was thinking, she quickly turned away.

“But that this young man would appear at just the right moment to save his daughter? That made him suspicious.” Wally looked grim. “But he offered his hospitality, and kept his suspicions to himself, because he saw that Mei already was smitten.”

“ Smitten ?” Rose squawked. When Wally looked at her curiously, she explained, “If Mei was a man would you say ‘smitten’? That woman.” She pointed to the television screen where Mei glided up to High Reach. “Has never been smitten a day in her life! She would have to be a totally different person, and if there’s one thing that you and I know, Wally, is that Shifters don’t really change. Their personalities don’t alter!”

Wally actually smiled and nodded. “Just let me finish my story and then… Well, let me finish.”

She let out a breath that had her bangs flying up. “Go on then. Dumb girl is smitten with charming sly bandit who is eyeing her village for his own.”

“The bandit thought that the moment he and Mei married that the father would cede control of the village over to him, but the old man guessed this and called the bandit to his rooms one night,” Wally continued. “At this meeting, he told the bandit in no uncertain terms that he was not giving control of the village to him. Not now. Not ever.”

“Yeah, but if control of it was going to go to Mei, I’m betting this bandit guy thought he would have control through her.” Caden frowned deeply.

“Oh, yes, if the father had said only that then I’m sure the bandit would have assumed just that.” Wally adjusted the “wisdom hat”. It squeaked loudly.

“So he wasn’t going to pass the leadership onto Mei? Because she was a girl? He must not have intended to give it to her at all!” Rose was scowling.

“Maybe so, maybe not, but he told the bandit that his daughter would not take his place either. So if he was there for anything other than love of a wonderful, skilled woman then he should leave .”

The skin between Caden’s shoulder blades bunched. He could almost feel the blade that was undoubtedly going to be thrust into Mei’s father either figuratively or metaphorically.

“So what did he do?” Caden asked, sounding a little breathless with anticipation and dread.

“The bandit assured Mei’s father that love was all that motivated him. He bowed and left. Everything seemed quite normal and happy. He was more attentive to Mei than ever, and treated the father with respect.” Wally chewed his inner cheek. “The wedding took place with great splendor. People from all over came with gifts for the young couple. It was during the wedding feast when the tragedy occurred.”

“What happened?” Caden asked.

“Bandits,” Rose hissed, eyes narrowing.

Wally gave one sharp nod. “Husband and wife fought valiantly. They saved so many people. But one.”

“Mei’s father? Oh, no, she must have been beside herself with grief!” Caden’s heart ached. He tried to imagine his parents being killed and it was enough to make his heart clench. To find out that it was the person he had loved and trusted behind it… well, it would be too much!

“When did she figure out it was her husband’s bandits and her husband’s order that took her father’s life?” Rose asked, looking a little pale herself.

“Right away. She saw him speaking to one of the bandits just before they managed to get away. You see, this time he wasn’t going to kill all of his men, just enough,” Wally said the words as if they tasted bitter. “But Mei had started to get suspicious, and she went after that bandit, and made him tell her the truth about the man she had thought she loved.”

“Again, I just don’t see Mei valuing goodness and wisdom!” Rose’s hands flew up into the air like startled birds.

Wally patted the air with one pudgy hand and the “wisdom hat” with the other. “Regardless of what she valued, she returned to the village to find her father dead and with the knowledge that her husband was the one responsible for it,” Wally’s voice deepened. “They say that she let out a scream that cracked open the sky. Red lightning that rained down and destroyed the roof of the wedding hall where she cradled her dead father’s head in her hands.”

“The joining?” Caden’s eyes grew wide.

Wally nodded. “She is said to have transformed into the Red Dragon right there and then. She roasted her deceitful husband alive, and then she is said to have flown up and gone after the rest of his men, burning them to ashes in her magma-like breath. When she returned to the village, after scouring the area of all evil doers, she took over running the village. She was their protector and savior for many, many centuries.”

The moment that Wally finished his story, silence fell as both Caden and Rose absorbed it. The story, in Caden’s mind, made Mei seem… likable. She had been betrayed by the person she loved most, so maybe that explained her need to build mechanical armies to protect her and her people. She likely didn’t trust any people after that. Caden felt sympathy for her and he looked curiously at Iolaire.

Why don’t you like her? Caden asked his Spirit.

But Iolaire didn’t get a chance to answer as Rose shouted, “Bullshit! I call bullshit, Wally!”

Instead of acting offended, Wally’s round face split with a huge grin. His mustache was quivering with affection and pride. Caden frowned. What had he missed here?

“Wally, that story… it’s true, right? I mean it sounds true,” Caden said almost meekly as Rose was shaking her head.

“It sounds like a story , Caden. Too neat and clean, and I’m betting your little heart was thumping in sympathy for her.” Rose lifted her eyebrows at him.

He actually blushed and lowered his head. “Well, yeah.” His head shot up again. “But who wouldn’t?! You’d have to be cold-hearted not to understand what something like that could do to a person and--”

“Do you really think that woman that freaks Iolaire out is this feel-good village daughter who avenged her father and was a wise and just ruler ever after?” She shook her head as if he was simply too naive.

“I--I don’t know. She could be!” Caden looked back at Wally for support. “Wally, you told us this to explain Mei and--”

“The story I told you is the one that Mei wishes to be known,” Wally interrupted.

“Mei wants…”

“She doesn’t speak of it herself, obviously, but the story just slipped out to the press,” Wally explained.

Caden scowled. “You said you had secret knowledge. Something in the paper--”

“Considering it was made of dead trees at the time and now is likely on microfiche, that is the equivalent of secret knowledge to you youngsters,” Wally corrected him, waving a chubby sausage finger through the air.

“So is that whole story a--a story? A lie?” Caden cried, feeling betrayed somehow. Iolaire was licking its claws and cleaning its head with them cat-like.

Don’t you be acting like I’m naive too, Iolaire! Caden cried.

All he got was slow blinks of love before Iolaire went back to cleaning itself.

But Wally shook his head. “Oh, yes, but there are some definite changes to it.”

“Like what?” Caden’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure he trusted Wally not to lead him astray again.

“The village mayor had only one child,” Wally said.

“Yes, it was Mei. We know--”

But Wally shook his head, cutting Caden off. “No, he had a son .”

“Oh, my God.” Rose put a hand up to her lips. “Mei was the bandit !”

Wally grinned and pointed at her. “You win a prize of knowledge, Rose. Perhaps you would like to wear the wisdom hat?”

Rose was immediately backing away and was waving a hand as if to ward the balloon Dragon hat off.

“So did her husband find out who she was and what she had done?” Caden was stunned.

“I do not know that she ever actually married him, but he did supposedly love her. I just know that she slaughtered everyone that stood in her way,” Wally remarked dryly.

Caden put a shaky hand up to his forehead. “Does Valerius know the true story?”

The Black Dragon King had told him that Dragon Shifters did not get their Spirits by doing good and noble acts. So he, undoubtedly, knew that Mei wasn’t some orphaned girl who had taken her revenge. But still.

“I imagine he is not blind to her nature,” Wally said. “He’s a wise, if gruff, person, our King Valerius.”

“But those soldiers.” Caden shook his head in dissatisfaction. “Mei gets her way through subterfuge! Those soldiers are like that wooden horse story.”

“Valerius isn’t foolish. If he’s let her bring them in, he’s done it for a purpose, Caden,” Rose assured him.

“Indeed, Caden, do not worry,” Wally told him.

But Caden couldn’t help but worry. He pulled out the phone to call Valerius, but people flooded into the store. He had only a moment to text a “CALL ME” to Valerius before the store was overwhelmed with people clamoring for Red Dragon plushies.