curious and fearful, fearful for the dragon, even as it slid beneath the Pride of Celestia and rocked it severely.
Fu Ran rested his hand on Xu Liang’s shoulder as Xu Liang took hold of the railing. “It might be safer for you below decks. These beasts can make for some pretty rough seas when they pass...and when they don’t.”
Xu Liang shook his head. “Thank you for your concern, but I might be of some assistance up here.”
“Dragons are resilient against magic,” Fu ran informed urgently.
Xu Liang shelved the new information at the back of his mind, and then said, “Perhaps, Fu Ran, but ships generally are not.” The big man looked confused until Xu Liang added, “Please inform your captain that I intend to conjure a southeastern wind. We will evade both the dragon and the ship in pursuit at the same time.”
Fu Ran looked down into the water, then out to sea, and back at Xu Liang. He gave a crooked smile before jogging across the deck toward Yvain. He passed eight familiar men, who had clearly felt the assault on the ship and responded in the only way ingrained upon them. Without acknowledging his guards, Xu Liang positioned himself for prayer.
FROM THE HIGH deck of the Jade Carp, Xiadao Lu glowered at the clouded sea ahead of them. Surprisingly, it was not as easy to track a man on water as it was on land. Nothing but open space with nowhere to hide…and yet it had taken several days to finally catch sight of the barbarian ship that had swept Xu Liang away from Sheng Fan. The mystic’s destination was a mystery, but Xiadao Lu had sworn to his lord that he would not reach it. His fist tightened unconsciously as his thoughts darkened.
I shall not fail.
A whiff of foulness suddenly assailed the warrior’s nostrils. His expression lightened with amusement. He’d only come across the odor once before, along the Chang River near his boyhood home. He watched a magnificent beast rise from the water then, as mighty and splendorous to behold as the legends told. It was as looking upon a god and to this day, Xiadao Lu wondered what had inspired the creature to show itself. His grandmother had told him that it was the spirit of one of their ancestors speaking to him and, out of respect, Xiadao Lu immediately began wearing colors to match the beast’s scales. He believed that the gesture brought the dragon’s luck upon him and gave him an advantage over his enemies. He welcomed a second encounter with such a creature, and that reflected in his tone when he said, “I smell a dragon!”
In his voice that was either incessantly bored or incessantly mocking, Ma Shou said, “And all this time I’ve been crediting that stink to the ‘captain’ of this vessel. It’s a pity that pirates are the only men willing to take to sea upon a moment’s notice.”
“Better pirates than barbarians,” Xiadao Lu answered. Then he glanced over his shoulder at the sorcerer sitting cross-legged on the deck floor. “Tell me what you see through this mist of yours.”
“The barbarian ship remains on a western course. They don’t seem suspicious. Of course, that’s too good to be true.”
Xiadao Lu agreed. “Xu Liang knows. He can be fooled, but he is no fool. We were able to surprise him at the Tunghui River and at Ti Lao, but as you have seen, he does not live on his guard because he does not have to. Luck is with him.”
“A greater luck than your dragon ancestor?” Ma Shou wondered aloud, and if Xiadao Lu had known for certain that he was mocking, he’d have struck the sorcerer down in the very instant. Forgiving the man his strangeness and recalling that he was also useful, Xiadao Lu let him be.
“He has charm perhaps,” Ma Shou added. “And a great deal of it, but charm and luck do not always go hand-in-hand. Take away the charm of the Empress and the charm of Sheng Fan and you are left with what the barbarians will see.”
“What do you mean?” Xiadao Lu wanted to know. He disliked the sorcerer’s
Fu Ran rested his hand on Xu Liang’s shoulder as Xu Liang took hold of the railing. “It might be safer for you below decks. These beasts can make for some pretty rough seas when they pass...and when they don’t.”
Xu Liang shook his head. “Thank you for your concern, but I might be of some assistance up here.”
“Dragons are resilient against magic,” Fu ran informed urgently.
Xu Liang shelved the new information at the back of his mind, and then said, “Perhaps, Fu Ran, but ships generally are not.” The big man looked confused until Xu Liang added, “Please inform your captain that I intend to conjure a southeastern wind. We will evade both the dragon and the ship in pursuit at the same time.”
Fu Ran looked down into the water, then out to sea, and back at Xu Liang. He gave a crooked smile before jogging across the deck toward Yvain. He passed eight familiar men, who had clearly felt the assault on the ship and responded in the only way ingrained upon them. Without acknowledging his guards, Xu Liang positioned himself for prayer.
FROM THE HIGH deck of the Jade Carp, Xiadao Lu glowered at the clouded sea ahead of them. Surprisingly, it was not as easy to track a man on water as it was on land. Nothing but open space with nowhere to hide…and yet it had taken several days to finally catch sight of the barbarian ship that had swept Xu Liang away from Sheng Fan. The mystic’s destination was a mystery, but Xiadao Lu had sworn to his lord that he would not reach it. His fist tightened unconsciously as his thoughts darkened.
I shall not fail.
A whiff of foulness suddenly assailed the warrior’s nostrils. His expression lightened with amusement. He’d only come across the odor once before, along the Chang River near his boyhood home. He watched a magnificent beast rise from the water then, as mighty and splendorous to behold as the legends told. It was as looking upon a god and to this day, Xiadao Lu wondered what had inspired the creature to show itself. His grandmother had told him that it was the spirit of one of their ancestors speaking to him and, out of respect, Xiadao Lu immediately began wearing colors to match the beast’s scales. He believed that the gesture brought the dragon’s luck upon him and gave him an advantage over his enemies. He welcomed a second encounter with such a creature, and that reflected in his tone when he said, “I smell a dragon!”
In his voice that was either incessantly bored or incessantly mocking, Ma Shou said, “And all this time I’ve been crediting that stink to the ‘captain’ of this vessel. It’s a pity that pirates are the only men willing to take to sea upon a moment’s notice.”
“Better pirates than barbarians,” Xiadao Lu answered. Then he glanced over his shoulder at the sorcerer sitting cross-legged on the deck floor. “Tell me what you see through this mist of yours.”
“The barbarian ship remains on a western course. They don’t seem suspicious. Of course, that’s too good to be true.”
Xiadao Lu agreed. “Xu Liang knows. He can be fooled, but he is no fool. We were able to surprise him at the Tunghui River and at Ti Lao, but as you have seen, he does not live on his guard because he does not have to. Luck is with him.”
“A greater luck than your dragon ancestor?” Ma Shou wondered aloud, and if Xiadao Lu had known for certain that he was mocking, he’d have struck the sorcerer down in the very instant. Forgiving the man his strangeness and recalling that he was also useful, Xiadao Lu let him be.
“He has charm perhaps,” Ma Shou added. “And a great deal of it, but charm and luck do not always go hand-in-hand. Take away the charm of the Empress and the charm of Sheng Fan and you are left with what the barbarians will see.”
“What do you mean?” Xiadao Lu wanted to know. He disliked the sorcerer’s
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