Page 157 of Tiger's Voyage
“Do you doubt the truth of our words now, dragon?”
Jnsèlóng’s neck had turned purple as if the very idea was choking him. I couldn’t help but giggle. The dragon turned toward me and held out the Scarf. “Take it back! I won’t lose my treasure to you, you … you succubus!”
Ren raised a hand. “Now, now, Jnsèlóng. Do you think us novices? We will not take it back. You won it, and her, fair and square.”
“Take it! Please! I’ll give you other jewels, more gold.”
Ren rubbed his jaw and considered it. “No. That’s not good enough. It’s quite a burden to be bound to her. You are only feeling the beginnings. Believe me … to take the Scarf back would cost a mighty sum.”
“Anything. You can have anything.” He leaned forward and whispered loudly, “She would make me give away all my treasure to … to humans. She’d have me,” he flapped his hands in the air, “fairyabout leaving coins under pillows. That’s no life for adragon! No! I won’t do it! You must take it back. Ibegyou!” the dragon pleaded.
I played along with their game and kept the dragon distracted by sending him meaningful glances. He set the Scarf gingerly on the arm of his chair and sat as far away from it as possible. I whispered for the Scarf to change shape from time to time, making heart-shaped pillows, cross-stitched handkerchiefs that said “I heart dragons” on them, and a pillowcase embroidered with Kelsey + Jnsèlóng stitched all along the edges. The dragon squealed and twisted away uncomfortably each time.
After that the negotiations progressed quickly. Ren was able to get back everything we brought with us, plus safe passageway to the white dragon’s castle, some interesting information about the Seventh Pagoda and its gatekeeper, a commitment from the dragon for five centuries of safely escorting all manner of ships and aircraft, and ended with a variety of treasures, including the life-sized jade tiger. The dragon even ensured delivery. He clapped his hands and told us that all of our treasures would be found on our ship when we returned.
With the bartering complete, Jnsèlóng abruptly stood and announced it was time for us to go. He would actually take us to the white dragon’s castle, which was also underwater, give us a warm introduction, and then leave. As Kishan and I began to head out of the room, Ren asked us to go on ahead without him. Kishan automatically reached out his hand for mine. I relished the warmth of it and stepped closer.
When Ren reappeared, he had a big smile on his face, and I noticed that he slipped something into his pocket as the dragon spoke.
The dragon walked with him and whispered conspiratorially, “Of course, of course,” patted Ren on the back as if greatly relieved, and said, “And I wish youeveryhappiness too.” Then he hurried us to the door.
Ren’s smile only stayed until he noticed I was holding Kishan’s hand. He growled quietly, but I turned my head, avoiding eye contact. As Jnsèlóng passed us, I couldn’t help but flutter my fingers at him in a flirty wave.
He squeaked and, giving me a wide berth, said, “Now when I change into my true form and leave the castle, you will only have a moment before you begin to feel the effects of the ocean’s pressure. Take a deep breath and swim out to me, grab onto one of my spikes and then you will be able to breathe comfortably, and the pressure will lessen. And try not to slip off, that would be … unfortunate.”
The dragon ran a few steps and dove through the invisible barrier of his front door. He swam a bit as a man, and then the castle rocked slightly as his dragon form burst from his human skin like a tidal wave. His long tail ended in a fin and, though he had claws, there was webbing in the spaces between. His sinuous golden body sparkled in the dark water lighting the area around him with a saffron glow. He turned and appeared to be waiting impatiently for us.
Kishan squeezed my hand, dove through the barrier, and found a seat between two spikes of the dragon’s back. Ren put his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off and dove through the barrier. He followed right behind me and soon passed me, swimming with powerful strokes. I sensed the pressure immediately. I felt as if I were being crushed like trash in a compactor.
Ren paused, noticed my distress, and turned around and swam back to me. Kishan started to swim back too but I waved him off. Ren took my hand and pulled me along quickly. I was running out of air. As a last resort, I mentally asked the Scarf to stretch around a spike and drag me closer.
The minute the Scarf touched the dragon, he bucked and turned to stare fearfully at the threads. Kishan patted his sides, shrugged his shoulders, and grinned. Ren and I finally made it to the dragon’s back. I sat behind Kishan while Ren mounted behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tightly. The pressure lessened and a bubble rose up and covered my face again so I could breathe.
The Scarf secured my body to Jnsèlóng’s spike, and after peering at the three of us, and the Scarf in particular, the golden dragon shot through the black ocean, moving like a sidewinder. Every once in a while, Jnsèlóng would look back at us and surge ahead quickly as if it were a wriggling worm being chased by a hungry fish.
23
The Ice Dragon
The journey to the white dragon’s underwater lair was both wondrous and frightening. The golden dragon descended lower, swimming through a sea so black I started to panic and feel claustrophobic. I saw a flash of lights from time to time and stared in fascination as we passed tiny fish that glowed in the dark. An octopus shot out from an outcropping. Its mantle pulsed with red dots, like a Las Vegas marquee, before it disappeared.
I’d expected the depths of the ocean to be silent, but it wasn’t. Large animals hummed and called to one another, shocking my body with wave after wave of heavy vibrations. The water became colder. Ren wrapped his arms more tightly around me and pressed my back into his chest. A light penetrated the darkness. At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me but the longer I stared at it, the brighter it became.
We rushed toward the light. The dragon put on a burst of speed like a sprinter at the end of a race. It moved so fast, I almost missed the source of the light as we rose briefly above outcroppings and then descended again. I wondered if perhaps I had imagined it, but soon my brief glimpse became a reality as Jnsèlóng sped to an underwater ice palace.
It jutted from the ocean floor like a crystal stalagmite. We rose over an incline and swam down onto an icy path. On each side of the path, frozen sculpted water plants and flowers sat in frosty beds. A crystal forest of trees rose up on either side, each tree lit from within with a different color, creating what appeared to be a neon city on the ocean floor. The dragon slowed, and I was able to glaze my finger over the leaf of a pink tree that burned with fiery orange in the middle.
I stared in wonder at the glittering masterpieces and wondered if the dragon had created them. The details—the branches and sparkling leaves, the sea-grass spikes jutting in straight points as they grew from the ice plants, the feathered fronds of underwater foliage—were so exact, they mimicked real plants and trees as if transported from another world.
The icy path the dragon followed angled up, and I saw thick steps carved into the ice. When we neared the palace, Jnsèlóng veered to the right and entered a cave behind the castle. It slowly twisted through the tunnel, using just its tail for propulsion. All around us was a slick passageway of bright blue ice, lit from somewhere above. My curiosity about the white dragon was growing.
We headed toward a brightly lit hole in the ice, and Jnsèlóng shot through it as if it could glide on the air as easily as it swam. It landed on a slick floor and dug its claws into the ice to keep from sliding. Ren, Kishan, and I hopped off the golden dragon’s back. This time we remained wet and we were freezing. I asked the Scarf to gather itself, and the dragon slumped in relief, shaking itself like a dog.
Jnsèlóng morphed back into his human form and said, “Well, don’t just stand there. One of you strapping lads help me over to the sofa. A dragon falling on his behind is not very dignified,” he huffed.
I giggled while Jnsèlóng murmured under his breath.
Kishan slid over to him on bare feet, and together the four of us made our way deeper into the castle. By the time we entered what I would call a sitting room, I was really cold, and my feet were sticking to the icy floor.
