Chapter 2 - The Dragon And The Tiger
A dream to some, to others a nightmare
Welcome to the second part of this epic exclusive YA urban fantasy saga. To celebrate the release I’m posting an episode a day for the the first three days. As with my other serialised novella I’ve setup an index page that will be linked at the top of each post. There you’ll be able to catchup with any posts you’ve missed. Feel free to reach out or comment if you like this story. Your feedback is what keeps the magic flowing.
Outside the window, dark foreboding clouds slid ominously across the moon. The creeping darkness encompassed the room, extinguishing the small nightlight that provided the only comfort and succour in the dark.
Tossing and turning, Ewan’s eyes fluttered as he relived the same dream, night after night. Relentless in its pursuit.
The warrior known as Dragon stood alone on a cliff top, surveying the heavens. The slow march of the clouds as they covered the moon echoed the slow march of the massed armies as they covered the fields below.
The morning would herald the start of the battle. Dragon sighed at the thought of how much blood would be needlessly shed.
The sound of approaching footsteps triggered his senses and he steeled himself for action.
A voice rang out from the darkness, “Hail Dragon, it’s me Tiger.” Dragon’s brother stepped out of the shadows after announcing his presence. “I came as soon as I heard the call, have none of the others arrived yet?”
“No, you are the first and I fear the only one who will stand beside me tonight.”
“There must be something amiss. The others wouldn’t let us down like this.”
Shaking his head, Dragon allowed his gaze to take in the sweeping horizon laid out like a patchwork quilt below. “Can you see the gathering storm, our enemies have grown stronger whilst we’ve sat back and done nothing. I fear waiting too long has betrayed us.”
Tiger nodded his agreement, “Yes, we have waited, but we all agreed to stay our hand and hope that the constant warring between the gods and demons would reduce their strengths whilst we conserved ours.”
Spitting on the floor Dragon straightened the chain mail vest that covered his padded jacket, “brother, were you not the one that counselled for direct action, what has changed?”
Tiger placed his calloused hand on his brother’s shoulder, “easy Dragon, we are family remember. I am not your enemy.”
Dragon sighed and gestured toward the night sky and the fields below, “no our enemies are out there and they are waiting for us.”
“Are you sure this is the best course of action? We have watched this war for centuries. We have stood by and watched them tear each other apart countless times. Only ever intervening if one side gained the upper hand, or when their conflicts threatened innocent lives...”
“Innocent lives, hah. The words are an anathema to me. Are we innocent, Tiger? Are we not guilty of sitting back and doing nothing to end this war? We’ve had the power within our grasp since the very beginning. Having finally mastered the Orbs. We should combine their power, vanquish our enemies and ensure the safety of mankind for all time.”
Dragon pulled away and turned to face the ensuing storm, “I’m tired brother. Tired of centuries of war. Tired of this constant struggle between good and evil, heaven and hell, gods and demons. I don’t even know which side is which anymore.”
“We’ve never picked sides before, why start now? You know what our mission is, our families duty…”
“Our families curse, you mean.”
“That’s as may be,” Tiger said, “but regardless we swore an oath. Protect the balance and guard the Spirit Orbs, only using their power when necessary and keeping them out of the hands of those who would abuse them to usurp all lives, and gain dominion over all the realms.”
“And we have done our duty, many times over. We have continued to play both sides off, one against the other, as the Immortals wished since they first discovered the truth. How long must we continue?”
A sudden crash of thunder split the night. The two brothers stopped and turned as one, hands reaching instinctively for their weapons.
A crash of thunder rattled the windows. Ewan woke with a start. It took him a second to realise he was no longer dreaming and untangle himself from the sweat-soaked sheets.
Outside the storm raged on, buoyed by the increase in air pressure that preceded the hottest summer days. Reaching out to turn on the bedside light, he watched the shadows recede back in to the corners.
Realising he was thirsty, Ewan headed off to the bathroom to get a glass of water.
For as long as he could remember, he’d had these dreams. To begin with it was just a vague recollection but over time he remembered more and more.
He used to share the stories with his mum and she would tell him how lucky he was to have these fantastic adventures night after night. After she’d gone, he would yearn for sleep as if the dreams were the last remaining link between them.
When he’d had a bad day at school Ewan found himself going to bed earlier and earlier so he could rush to find solace in his nightly escapes.
This particular dream started a couple of months ago and it felt different to the others, more intense, more vivid.
Ewan was the first to admit that having epic kung fu movies play out in your head every night could be amazing. He once confided in Dylan that the thought they might stop scared him. Truth be told, Ewan was scared this one wouldn’t.
It had been Dylan who first encouraged Ewan to record his dreams in his notebooks, not only for posterity but also so could reread them if he was ever feeling low.
As the pile of notebooks had grown, Dylan had the idea to turn them into a series of proper stories, The Adventures of Dragon Wu.
Ewan had wanted to keep them for himself. It was his special thing. Dylan thought differently. He thought they should share them, believing that if the other kids at school read them, then they might see Ewan differently and stop bullying him.
The summer storm was getting worse as Ewan got back into bed, his thirst slated for now.
He always checked to make sure his asthma inhaler was close by. Ewan was not sure if his difficulty in breathing was because of the increase in air pressure or the wave of apprehension he felt about what he’d see when he closed his eyes.
Recently, he’d gone back to leaving the bedside light on. Things always seemed scarier in the dark.
He couldn’t help but feel there was a reason behind all of this. He just hoped that his dreams didn’t turn in to nightmares.
Dragon’s weapons of choice were a pair of perfectly matched jian straight swords, which sat together in a scabbard slung across his back. After many years of arduous training and combat experience, he found he’d gravitated towards these blades as he found they suited his personal style perfectly.
His brother had a greater preference for the large and heavy, single-edged dao sabre which hung from a tiger skin belt buckled tightly around his large muscular frame.
As members of the Wu clan they had both seen enough fighting to last several lifetimes and they both carried the scars of those given over to the warrior’s life. Scars worn with an equal mix of pride and shame, each one a reminder of past victories and defeats.
Dragon focused his attention towards the mountains in the north, “It begins… I can see the forces of heaven amassing behind the northern peaks, what is happening in the south?”
Tiger instinctively moved to the side to enable him to cover his brother's back. “The demon hoard has grown larger, it looks like Kai Shen has called for reinforcements this time.”
“That old fool will need all the help he can get.”
“So what is the plan then mighty Dragon?”
Ignoring his brothers friendly jibe Dragon replied, “it depends on how the battle progresses. We need to hold the eastern edge and hope they contain the fight on the plains. The gods still have the demons outmatched, and they both know it. Kai Shen might be a stubborn old fool but he’s no idiot. He knows when to retreat if things take a turn for the worse.”
Tiger nodded his agreement, “that seems like a fair assessment.”
“With luck come morning the balance will be restored and we’ll have had ringside seats to a sight no mortal man could ever wish to see.”
Dragon was sure Tiger could pick up on his his tension as he echoed the niggling doubt that was waiting unspoken at the edge of their conversation, “and without luck?”
“Well, that’s why we’re here… The mighty Dragon and the fearsome Tiger, once more holding back the forces of heaven and hell.”
Before Tiger could respond they both heard the snap of a broken twig coming from the nearby woods. Before either of them could react a sudden bolt of lightning snaked out of the darkness and broke the ground at their feet, sending them both flying.
“Hold this, Spirit scum!”
Another sustained blast that charged the air and charred the ground accompanied the bolt, igniting the brothers in a shower of electric blue sparks. A group of demon warriors burst out from the tree line and begin their charge.
Behind them, an older and more cautious demon mage took up a stance and began the complex gestures required to craft more lightning blasts, intending to blast them once more as his minions closed their trap.
“The stubborn old fool bids farewell to the little lizard and his mewling kitten.”
All they could hear was the mix of demon laughter and primal screams as the magic lightning found it’s target again and again.
Dragon was the first to rise and took a second to look across at Tiger who was brushing the leaves and mud from his smoking and slightly singed jacket, “I told you this new metal armour would protect us from demon lightning bolts, are you ok?”
“A little toasted, but nothing permanent. Is that the best they can do?”
The warrior's unfazed demeanour caused a momentary halt in the demon's charge and a variety of surprised expressions on their twisted faces.
Drawing his swords, Dragon readied himself for combat.
Beside him Tiger let out a great roar and the nearest demon visibly quaked as the large warrior yanked out his sabre and rushed forward, cleaving to the left and right.
Dragon followed his brother's lead. With an effortless grace, his matched blades sliced and stabbed, sinking deep in to demon after demon in a ballet of blood that was played out to the tune of ringing steel.
Between them, the group didn’t stand a chance. As they slew each beast their physical bodies exploded in a shower of sparks. Fountains of ash and smoke erupted as their screaming souls were dragged back to hell.
In less than a minute the sounds of battle have faded. All that remained of the ambush was several dark smoking patches of grass and the demon mage who was now desperately trying to melt back in to the tree line.
Tiger was the first to speak, “not bad for Spirit scum, eh, brother?” But even behind his bravado, Dragon could hear the exhaustion in his voice.
“Speak for yourself, we’re not as young as we used to be. Now where did that mage go, I’ve got some questions for him.”
Scanning the tree line, Tiger pointed in to the darkness. “There he is, he’s trying to get away.”
“Hurry, be quick, run him down, I want some answers from that foul spawn before he escapes.”
Tiger leapt forward and gave chase, before Dragon could catch up to him it was all over. Tiger had the demon pinned to the ground and secured by his massive bulk.
“Speak wretch, who are you to lay an ambush against us? We have yet to join this fight and yet you treat us as enemies.”
Tiger’s weight forced the breath out of the demon. Coughing out the words he managed to speak, “you are no friends to my kin or even those pathetic gods, Kai Shen has learnt the truth of you from the Great Yama himself.”
The mage continued to choke from the effort of talking, “kill me if you wish, it is no matter, for I will soon be reborn in hell as you well know.”
Tiger applied more weight to the demon’s chest until the first of his ribs begun to crack and he screamed out in agony.
Dragon repeated his earlier question, “Why did you ambush us? You must have known how badly you will fail.”
The demon coughed and spluttered, the spluttering turned to laughter, and the laughter grew and grew.
It was Tiger’s turn to struggle as he felt the demon’s strength build up beneath him. The demon mage began to change, his form swelled and filled out. Soon the illusion of a withered old mage was gone, only to be replaced by the strong and vibrant body of a full demon warrior of the highest order.
“ARROGANT FOOLS!”
Tiger was thrown back and landed heavily against a nearby tree. Dragon took a step back and once more drew his swords.
Where before him a withered old creature once lay, there now stood a seven foot tall warrior, clad from head to tail in blood red lacquered armour, covered in vicious looking spikes a the skin of a recently slain hell hound draped around his massive shoulders.
“HA, HA, HA,”
The demon’s laughter shook the trees and leaves scattered all around.
Dragon took a moment to focus on his breathing. The most important thing he’d learned from his years on the battlefield was that it’s vitally important to remain calm and be ready to react, especially when faced by a monster of this size and stature.
“Brother, be careful, I recognise this thing.”
Keeping his eyes on the beast, Dragon noticed Tiger once more picking himself up off the ground.
“It is the demon beast master himself. Dong Shen, Kai Shen’s first offspring and his top General. This was no simple ambush, we’ve been set up,” said Tiger.
“LISTEN TO YOUR PET, LOWLY LIZARD. HE SPEAKS THE TRUTH. MY FATHER SENT ME HERE TO LURE YOU AWAY AND HIS PLAN WORKED. TONIGHT THE BALANCE WILL SHIFT TOWARDS HELL AND SOON WE WILL RULE ALL THE REALMS.”
Dragon cursed his own hubris as he realised they’d been duped. He decided that it was time to show this beast what the full power of the Spirit Orb’s could do. Thrusting his swords down in to the soft earth he silently prayed that Tiger could buy him enough time to channel his chi in to a fatal strike.
Dong Shen’s mocking laugh continued. “HA, HA, HA, IS THAT THE EXTENT OF YOUR MAGIC LOWLY LIZARD, YOUR PATHETIC ATTEMPT WILL BE YOUR UNDOING.”, he unsheathed his own sword, an evil looking two-handed broadsword. The steel black as the night sky, the hilt fixed with a bright ruby gem and a glowing edge that seemed to suck in the surrounding darkness.
Seizing his chance, Tiger sprinted forward and leapt. The attack was sudden and took Dong Shen off guard. The strike was clean and landed perfectly.
Tiger’s flying side-kick caught Dong Shen smack on the side of the head and staggered the enormous beast. But even a strike that would have snapped the neck of a lesser creature could not stop the demon lord of hell. Tiger had known his first strike wouldn’t be enough and was preparing to strike again. As soon as he contacted the ground he spun and his battle roar echoed once more through the trees as his dao struck at Dong Shen’s sword arm. The freshly severed hand dropped to the ground, still holding the beast’s massive sword.
The look of shock on Dong Shen’s face turned to pain as his scream shook the night. He turned to face his new adversary. But at that same moment Dragon felt the power of his spirit rise within him.
With a shout, Dragon focused on the power word that would unleash the full fury of the Dragon Fire that had been building up inside. A scorching ball of fire sprang forth from his hands and struck Dong Shen full in the chest.
The blast knocked the demon to the ground and set his armour ablaze. Before Dong Shen could try to rise again, Dragon grabbed his swords, sprang forward and leapt over the massive body. Thrusting the blades deep between the plates of his armour, silencing the demon for good.
Tiger rushed to his side, an impressed look evident on his face, “so the Dragon really can breathe fire? I didn’t know you’d mastered your power to that level. How did it feel?”
Dragon nodded wearily and pulled his swords from the smoking pile of Dong Shen’s remains shortly before they erupted in to a pile of ash and sparks.
A moment later there was only a dark charred stain on the ground where one of hell’s mightiest demon’s had once stood. His severed hand still grasping the evil blade, the only sign that he’d ever existed.
“I’m fine brother, we can talk later but for now we have to get back. This ambush was a ruse to keep us away from the battle. Something is about to happen, I can feel it. We no longer have a choice. We must fight to ensure the balance is restored.”
“Then we fight for the honour and glory of our ancestors.”
Dragon sheathed his swords and covered his right fist with his left hand - the traditional Wu salute, “for honour.”
Tiger returned the salute, “for glory.”
“For gods’ sake Ewan, get OUT of bed, youse gonna be late for school AGAIN!”