PART ONE - DANCE OF THE DRAGONS

"The humans need to be dealt with, Bìxià. See how they repay you for providing them refuge in our land? They curse your name and spread falsehoods about our people. To make matters worse, they're in cahoots with those damn mages. They ought to be punished for these acts of insubordination," Councilman Liu Luoyang argued.

Anyone that took notice would think the Councilman an unattractive, belligerent, and arrogant man. His pointed nose couldn't be raised any higher in the air, even his long gray mustache was filled with haughtiness as he stroked his beard. He was dressed in a gold and black xuanduan with a gold belt and a black headdress tied around his head with a thin, black string. His outfit signified his high rank as a member of the Wuzhean Council, droplets of sweat speckled his forehead. It was a common reaction whenever he spoke of the humans.

His outward appearance was just as unappealing as the hollow organ that beat inside his chest. A darkness lingered in the depths of his hazel eyes; they spoke immeasurable volumes of war and masked fury. It was as though he was staring at a human at this very moment and prepared to burn them down with a torrent of flames.

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought yaoguai blood coursed through his veins and not that of a Celestial dragon. I believed it was his impartiality and indignant nature towards the humans that managed to persuade his predecessor into passing the position along to him. I couldn't make claims as to whether it was a horrible decision because he still managed to be meticulous with every task assigned to him and he displayed an incredible amount of loyalty. And that was good enough for me.

He began to pace around the room, his face turning redder with every step. Images of a volcano, with Luoyang's face plastered in the center, filled my mind as I thought how he looked like he was ready to erupt. I tried to distract myself by reviewing the new set of scrolls placed to the right of my wooden desk for my review, but soon enough, the words on the scroll began mixing around to read 'Luoyang, the volcano.' A chuckle escaped me, my body shaking from my attempts to contain most of my laughter.

"Bìxià, are you listening to me?" his shrill voice asked in a raised octave. My laughter interrupted his rant and now annoyance was etched into his features. "This isn't something that should be taken lightly."

I nodded and let out a single grunt of acknowledgement and said, "Yes, I know that well enough. What do you propose we do then?"

He adjusted his robes proudly and replied, "I'm glad you asked. The humans are nothing but insects who are following what they believe to be the winning side out of fear of being squashed. We simply need to remind them whose territory they reside in. And should the need to squash them arises...well, we handle them like we've handled the mages."

Luoyang was always itching to go to war. He had been one of the many dragons who were captured by the mages and forced to endure the painful procedure known as scale harvesting. Dragon scales were a great source of magic, it granted the mages the ability to go beyond their limitations, control over all the elements as opposed to the one they were assigned at birth. Unfortunately, removing a powerful object of that magnitude was just as painful as receiving it because a dragon could not live without its magic.

Prior to the war, Luoyang was an abrasive man, but that notably heightened along with his hatred for the mages and humans as the war raged on. I could understand why he wanted the mages to suffer for their actions, along with their sympathizers, but bloodshed was the last thing Wuzhen needed.

I shook my head and said, "No more death, Luoyang. I am tired of this war as many other individuals are. We've all lost something, be it a person, valued object, memory, or pride. Regardless of what it is, I will not destroy the happiness of others. I refuse to be that kind of ruler."

"Bìxià is too kind," Luoyang commented pointedly, almost as though he were accusing me of something.

I raised a brow in suspicion and asked in a grated tone, "And what do you mean by that? Are you questioning my methods?"

His eyes bulged out of his head in shock and began sputtering apologies. "Of course not, Bìxià. So you have said it, so it shall be done. I live to serve you and Wuzhen."

"You are dismissed." He bowed his head to me and backed out of the room, making sure to prevent his back from facing me out of respect. The doors closed suddenly and I was left to the peaceful silence of my study.

Around me were silk tapestries that told the stories of Wuzhen's glory. Dragons flew over Wuzhen's canals and mountains freely; a freedom most dragons had not been able to experience in so long. Wyrmlings may never learn how to fly because of the threat the mages presented. While they took a deep breath of fresh air, it would quickly become restricted by the looming pressure of elemental magic. 'Am I really doing what's best for Wuzhen?' I couldn't help but think.

"Bìxià, Bìxià!" A sentry came rushing into my study with an injured warrior at his side. His armor was missing from his body, the tips of his fingers blackening with frostbite. Although I didn't know who this person was, he was still a valued member of the Wuzhean Guard. The smell of magic, cinnamon, lingered on his clothes, he'd barely escaped a blast of elemental magic.

"Send for Imperial Physician Ruogang," I instructed the sentry. "How many were there?" I asked the wounded man.

"Too many to count, Bìxià. I fear Zhenyuan will be wiped from the map of Naestrirea in a matter of minutes." He let out a choked cough, blood seeping through his handkerchief. "The fire mages..." he tried to continue but his breathing was too labored to allow him to get the words out.

"Don't talk. You were hit with ice magic. You need to conserve your energy to fight off the effects. You did well. I will take over from here."

A set of guards entered the room and prepared to take him, but before he exited, he whispered, "They had water dragon scales."

We arrived in the northern earth dragon territory, Zhenyuan, within forty-five minutes. Every day I wonder if we had teleportation abilities if we could reduce the amount of bloodshed and destruction. The trees around us were burnt to a crisp, leaving blackened soot in their wake. And the grass on the ground looked as though their roots had been torn from the earth. Anguished cries filled the air, the sound of stomping feet and flapping wings reverberated through the clearing. Everyone was doing their best to escape as quickly as they could.

It was not going to be an easy battle. Ice was one of a dragon's few weaknesses. Dragons naturally had warm temperaments, so being subjected to low temperatures was detrimental to our health. Depending on the nature of the attack, it was up to Meihui, our goddess, on whether we would ever be able to recover and reappear on the battlefield.

The mages shot at us from the air as we prepared to land, but I swerved out of the way just in time to avoid a barreling ice rock. Transitioning into my half-shifted form, I let myself fall to the ground, allowing my hard scales to serve as protection from the impact. The closest mages were dressed in red robes covered in ancient Celtic designs. Fire mages.

They raised their hands, their palms glowing a menacing blue as they began their chant:

"From Pluvio's hand, we call upon water,

Bind thy enemy and make us stronger.

With Caeli's breath, water will become ice..."

Without hesitating a moment longer, I lunged at them, with the intent to slash their throats in one go. They would not finish the spell before my claws reached their jugulars, I would make sure of it.

Their bodies crumpled to the ground and the ominous glow disappeared with their fading lifeforce. I took notice of two children, huddled around their disintegrated home, gazing up at me in fear. Tears streamed down their dirt-caked faces, the shock had finally hit. "Don't worry, you're safe," I murmured to them, trying to calm their rapidly beating hearts.

Before I could hoist them up into my arms, my back was struck with blasts of ice magic. The guards must have caught up to me because all I felt were two blows of frozen shards. They weren't sharp enough to penetrate my dragon's scales, but it was enough to make me winded. Falling to one knee, I let out a huff of exhaustion. It wasn't enough to render me unconscious, but it was painful nonetheless.

Xiaosheng appeared at my side in a hurry to check on my condition. "Defend the Emperor!" he shouted to the members of the Imperial Guard. Each held a contract with the Wands, a Minor Arcana, so they would be harder to strike down than any other ordinary warrior.

The Tarot existed in two different forms: the Minor Arcana and the Major Arcana. The Minor Arcana were divided into four different sets, The Wands of Fire, The Chalices of Water, The Swords of Air, and The Rings of Earth. Within those four sets, each had fourteen cards, which meant there are fourteen available contracts within each element. Although the Major Arcana was known to have powerful side effects following its use, there was no concern over the Minor Arcana. A contract with a Minor Arcana allowed them to control natural fire around them, but it could only be used for one hour. However, they could be utilized for longer periods, it required the contractor to siphon some of their lifeforce to the Tarot card.

We needed to end the battle quickly, for the benefit of my soldiers.

"Will you be alright?" Xiaosheng asked, his gaze peering past the trees, searching for someone. He had to be looking for his mate and his mate's family, she was an earth dragon who lived in this region.

I nodded and responded, "Go to her. I pray to Meihui you will return safely to the Mainlands."

Relief washed over him as he quickly bowed before barreling through the forest to search for his mate. "Two of you," I called a couple members of the Imperial Guard. "Go with Xiaosheng and protect him and his mate." They followed Xiaosheng through the brush, their shadows disappearing through the thick foliage.

Glancing at the children, I firmly said, "Find a place to hide, far away from here. We will protect you." They didn't budge, terror had taken hold of their hearts completely. With a deep breath, I roared out my command, "GO!" It seemed to have worked, as they ran away as fast as their feet would carry them.

The mages turned their attention to the fleeing children, but I blocked their path with my Imperial Guard standing fearlessly beside me. "Your battle is with me, the Emperor of Wuzhen and the Dragon King of the Realm. You will pay dearly for the suffering you've caused today. We will not accept surrender."