Kylie Chan - Blue Dragon

I tapped gently on the door. Mum? Dad?

Come in, sweetheart.

I opened the door and sidled in. My father was rummaging through his suitcase on the desk. My mother was further inside, folding clothes on the bed.

You okay, guys? I said.

Both of them smiled weakly at me.

You dont need to worry now, I said. That attacks been coming for a while. I think he threw everything he had at us. Its finished. Itll be quiet for a long time.

My mother came into the little sitting room and gestured for me to sit next to her on the couch. Her bright blue eyes were serious under her short greying brown hair, and her long, kind face seemed more lined than usual. Does that sort of thing happen often?

Small attacks, all the time. Big ones like that, no. Thats only the second or third time weve had so many demons thrown at us at once. I paused and thought about it. No, actually more than that. I smiled an apology. We had about five demons come into the apartment when the Mountain was attacked last January. Then a couple of dozen came at us in China last April. The King of the Demons himself threw about fifty small ones and a dozen big ones at us in London, August of this year, and then straight after that the little bastard who came after us last night had a go at us with a big group at Jennifers house. I counted them up. Four, not counting last night.

Jennifers house? You mean your sister Jennifer? my mother said. Oh, thats right, Leonard works for Mr Chen. Jennifer was attacked? So she knows all about this?

Yes. But Jennifer wasnt attacked. They attacked us, at her house. Her family werent threatened at all, from what I could see.

She never mentioned it, my father said.

I dont think she wants to dwell on it, I said. It was a very frightening experience for all of them. Weve posted guards at their house, but no more demons have gone anywhere near them. The demons are after us. Wong wants to take Johns head to the King.

They have a King? my father said, coming to sit next to me. Close up, the deep lines around his blue eyes made his tanned, leathery face look older. He studied me with concern.

Yeah. Big red-headed bastard. The little creep who came after us last night is his son. The Kings said that anyone who can bring him Johns head will be promoted to Number One son.

They want his head? my mother said.

JohnXuan Wuis the mightiest demon killer ever to exist. He ran them all off the face of the Earth a long time ago and they hate him. While hes weak like this, theyll keep attacking him. If they get his head, hell be gone for a very long time.

What do you mean gone? my father said. Dead?

No. If they take his head, hell revert to True Form. Hell change into a turtle, combined with a snake, and have to go away for a long time to recover from the exertion of maintaining his human form to stay with Simone and me.

Hed change into a what? my mother said.

I sighed. Yeah, I know its weird. Even the other Shen say hes strange, and theyre all completely unbelievable themselves. I explained before she could ask. Theyre called Shen . Spirits. Not really gods, but thats the closest word in English we have for it.

So this guy youre engaged to isnt a human being at all, my father said. Hes some sort of animal spirit.

Got it in one. Hes the Spirit of the North, Emperor of the Dark Northern Heavens, a combination of a serpent and a turtle. They both opened their mouths and I answered before they could ask. Yep. Thats right. Hes two animals. And it gets weirder. The Serpent is missing. Gone. Right now hes just the Turtle. I spoke more softly. Its killing him to be divided like this. The Serpent is out there somewhere, looking for him, and he misses it terribly.

Christ. Then that Tiger guy my father began.

Yep. Hes really a white tiger.

My mothers mouth flopped open. We had dinner the other night with a tiger?

Remember what Leo told youthat hes about the only normal human member of the household? Hes right, I said. John is a turtle. The Tiger, Bai Hu, is a white tiger. Gold is a rock, Jade is a dragonyou saw her. Simone is half Shen; she may take some sort of animal form when she grows up but shes the first human child Johns ever had so itll be interesting to see what she grows into. Michael is half Shen too, half tiger, being the Tigers son. He may be able to transform too.

All right. So why were you a snake, love? Youre one of us, my father said.

I ran my hands through my hair. I honestly dont know. The whole thing has me really worried.

The lady last night, my father said. What was her name?

Kwan Yin. Goddess of Mercy.

She said that being with him has changed you, my father said.

Has it?

Frankly? my mother said. Yes.

In what way?

My parents shared a look. My father shrugged. They both smiled slightly at me.

You have no idea at all, I said.

Neither of them said anything.

Would you say that Im more cold-blooded?

My mother shifted. I wouldnt say that youre cold-blooded, dear

Yes, my father said. You always were a bit of a heartless bitch, but now you seem even more heartless.

My mother was horrified. Brendan!

Last night, when we were threatened by those things. She was only worried about Simone; she didnt even seem to notice us. When that black guy, Leo, said he wanted to die for them, what did she say? Fight well. He turned to me. You were quite happy to let him go in front of you and die, Emma.

So was John.

Yeah. Hes unbelievably cold-blooded too.

You dont know everything about Leo, Dad. Hes terminally ill, he has AIDS. For him, to die on the battlefield protecting us would be the greatest thing in the world. I sincerely hope he doesnt die in a hospital bed. He deserves much better.

Oh my God, my mother said softly, her eyes wide.

Are you worried about catching it? I said. I thought I knew you better than that.

My mother snapped out of it and focused on me. You just said that you hope he doesnt live as long as he can, that you hope he can die sooner, in a fight. You really are cold-blooded.

She is learning our ways and attaining the Tao, the stone in my ring said. She is becoming detached and part of the One.

My parents cast around, bewildered.

Who spoke? my father said. Sounded like an Englishman.

I showed them the ring. The stone talks. And I wish it would shut up sometimes.

My Lady, your mother has a headache and needs her morning caffeine hit, and your father is starving, the stone said. Stop talking their ears off and take them to have some breakfast.

Hes right, my father said ruefully.

Do not refer to me as he! the stone snapped. Gender is reserved for you animals. We stones are above that sort of weakness. I dont know why I give you the benefit of my wisdom when you insult me so casually.

Come on, guys, I said, rising from the couch and opening the door to lead them out.

Why do you put up with that, Emma? my father said. Id be throwing that bloody thing down the toilet.

I sat my parents down at the kitchen table. Wheres Simone? I asked Ah Yat.

Ah Yat concentrated a moment. Miss Simone and Master Leo are in the training room together.