Journey to Wudang

  ‘I will care for you, ma’am,’ I said. ‘Tell me what to do.’

  ‘Go with Leo and Monica and eat some noodles,’ Simone said. ‘I want you to stay strong, so make sure you eat, okay?’

  I bowed to her. ‘I will. I will be strong for you.’

  ‘This is awful,’ Monica whispered. ‘It’s like she’s gone.’

  ‘I just hope Daddy comes back soon,’ Simone said as I let them lead me to the dining room.

  A group of people entered the dining room while I was eating: the old one from before, a European woman, and a large white cat. I moved to take my bowl out so they could have the table, but the black one, Leo, stopped me.

  ‘You stay; this is about you,’ he said.

  I nodded and sat.

  The big white cat came to me and put his paw on my head, then shook his own. ‘Shit.’

  ‘And Er Lang did this?’ the European woman said as they sat around the table.

  ‘He converted her. Daddy was there, so she chose to be tamed,’ Simone said.

  ‘I’m going to damn well write to the Jade Emperor and complain about that,’ the cat said. ‘Not good enough. Who does Er Lang think he is?’

  ‘The Jade Emperor summoned him right after it had been done,’ Simone said.

  ‘Good,’ the cat said. ‘I hope he’s demoted, useless piece of shit.’

  ‘Mind your language in front of the Princess,’ Leo said.

  The cat stared at Leo for a moment, then grinned broadly. ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘I mean it,’ Leo said.

  ‘Does anyone have any ideas on how we can fix this?’ Simone said.

  ‘Just keep her here until the Dark Lord has enough strength to come back,’ the old one said.

  I sat straighter at the mention of the Dark Lord. Now they had my attention.

  ‘He can’t fix this,’ the cat said. ‘Only the Demon King can fix this.’

  ‘Daddy said he might be able to,’ Simone said.

  ‘He’s a damn fool,’ the cat said. ‘Just keep her safe, and keep her close to you. When Ah Wu shows up again, he’ll go straight to find either her or you, and if you’re together he’ll go for both of you.’

  ‘No,’ Simone said. ‘I can’t take her with me to school; she’ll act like a servant in front of everybody. I can’t humiliate her like that.’

  ‘She has a point,’ the old one said. ‘Leave her here, and have someone stay close by her and contact you if he shows.’

  Simone ran her hands through her hair. ‘It could be months. He just visited her in human form …’

  ‘We know,’ the European woman said. ‘You don’t need to tell us.’

  ‘Perfect timing, as usual,’ the cat said. ‘Damn turtle.’

  ‘You can talk,’ Simone said.

  The cat grinned and shrugged.

  ‘There’s this thing called privacy …’ Leo said.

  ‘Interesting theoretical concept; ask Ming Gui for further exposition,’ the old one said. ‘We have to keep doing our jobs until we find a solution for this.’

  ‘Can you guys run the Academy?’ Simone said.

  ‘I guess we have to,’ the European woman said, sharing a look with the old one. ‘It’ll mean slowing down the training as we concentrate on the administration side that Emma was handling, but hopefully it’ll just be temporary.’

  ‘Temporary?’ Simone said, her face full of hope. ‘You can see what lies ahead?’

  The Immortals at the table all shared a look.

  ‘The future is never fixed, Simone,’ the old one said.

  ‘Weirdest damn thing you ever saw,’ Leo said. ‘You would not believe how it moves, how fluid it is. It’s like watching a fast-running stream with rocks being constantly thrown into it. Big rocks.’

  ‘You can see it, Leo?’ Simone said, wide-eyed.

  ‘Imagine trying to see a painting three metres down at the bottom of a stream,’ Leo said. ‘In the dark. And the painting’s changing all the time, and it’s some sort of abstract nonsense. That’s what it’s like.’

  ‘That is a very apt way of describing it,’ the old one said.

  ‘You just see the rough shapes, and they constantly change,’ the woman said. ‘The clarity of your vision depends upon your alignment to the Tao.’

  ‘I was Raised by the Elixir, I never got the Tao, so I don’t see much,’ Leo said ruefully.

  ‘So what shape do you see here?’ Simone asked the old one.

  ‘Darkness,’ he said.

  ‘But that’s Daddy.’

  ‘So we wait until he shows.’

  By day I worked, when they let me. I cleaned and tidied. By night I stood silent, listening to them sleep, and listening for the Dark Lord. He would come. Shadows of his echoes reverberated through the apartment, rippling through time. Snatches of laughter and music and screams of terror and pain. I ate when they reminded me to. Simone and Leo talked to me, and tried to make me more than I was. I wanted to be more for them, but it wasn’t there. I was incapable of being more and it hurt me as much as it hurt them.

  I dreamed of free will.

  Leo appeared in front of me one day while I was parked against the wall doing nothing. He put his hand out to me. ‘Come with me.’

  I took his hand and followed him.

  We landed in the Academy, a place I wasn’t permitted to visit any more. I couldn’t control the smile.

  ‘Happy?’ Leo said, smiling as well.

  ‘I love this place so much,’ I said. ‘It’s full of all my favourite things and people.’

  ‘What are your favourite things?’ he said.

  ‘The arts,’ I said. ‘The arts, and the students, and the Masters, and my family.’

  ‘Who are your family?’ he said, becoming excited.

  I stopped. ‘I have family? Demons don’t have family.’

  He sighed. ‘Lost you. I really thought we were bringing you back.’ He straightened. ‘Whatever. Lord Xuan is here and wants to see you.’

  ‘Lord Xuan?’ I cast around, searching for him, and found him on the top floor of the building. ‘He’s here!’ I transported myself directly to him and fell to one knee in front of him. ‘My Lord. I am here to do your bidding.’

  Lord Xuan rubbed one hand over his face. ‘This is very hard.’

  ‘Try living with it,’ Simone said. ‘She doesn’t even sleep, she just stands there. And when I ask her what she’s doing, she says she’s listening for you.’

  Leo and the green and brown one appeared.

  ‘What are you doing here, Martin?’ Simone said.

  ‘I want to give myself to the King again,’ Martin said. ‘He may take me as a trade.’ His face went grim. ‘The Mothers loved me.’

  ‘That will not be an option,’ the Dark Lord said.

  ‘I think you should explore every option, my Lord,’ Leo said. ‘Is he coming?’

  ‘We’ll have to take down the seals to let him in,’ the Dark Lord said.

  ‘I’ve already arranged for Ronnie Wong to come in and fix them once we’re done,’ Simone said.

  ‘Good,’ the Dark Lord said. He glanced down at Simone. ‘I’m not sure I want you around when I talk to him. This could get ugly.’

  She met his gaze. ‘One day, we’ll be working together, Dad. One day, I’ll be close to your equal and Princess of the Northern Heavens in more than just name. I’ll be fighting demons beside you and facing the forces of Hell.’

  ‘You have a point,’ he said, his voice full of affection. ‘Trying to protect you from ugly is a complete waste of time. It’s what we do.’

  ‘Damn straight,’ she said, looking back at me. ‘Let’s do this.’

  The Dark Lord called the Demon King. I heard it but I did not fear. My master would protect me.

  The Demon King appeared, and smiled at the Dark Lord. ‘About time. Let’s talk business.’ He crossed his arms over his chest. ‘Damn, she’s fine. Just look at her. Such a waste to change her back.’ He pulled out a sheet of paper. ‘I gave
Emma a list of options, but you probably haven’t seen it, so let’s go through them.’

  ‘Take me,’ Martin said.

  ‘I don’t want you,’ the Demon King said. ‘You are entirely too much trouble, regardless of how the girls feel about you. And don’t even think it,’ he added, pointing at Leo. ‘I don’t want you either.’ He looked at the sheet of paper. ‘Let’s start with you, Ah Wu. How about you in a jade cage for … oh …’ He made a show of thinking about it. ‘About a thousand years?’

  ‘No,’ the Dark Lord said.

  ‘Five hundred?’

  ‘Try something else. You’re not having me.’

  The Demon King grinned at the Dark Lord. ‘But I’ve wanted you for so long! Every kid I’ve spawned has gone after your head. All this time, every single one of them, out there after you. Do you realise exactly how much of a royal pain in the ass you are?’

  ‘That’s why the answer is no.’

  The King spun and pointed. ‘Him.’

  The cat had appeared on the other side of the room and he took a step back. ‘How long for?’

  ‘Five thousand years.’

  ‘No,’ the Dark Lord said.

  ‘A thousand? Or how about one of the others? How about that ugly blue dragon, the bastard? He’s such a selfish piece of shit it would do him good to sit in a cage for a while.’

  ‘Now that’s a tempting offer,’ the cat said.

  ‘You are not having any of the Four Winds,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘We are too important to the safety of too many. Each of our dominions is spread too thin when one of us is gone. The hundred years I could be gone is already far too long. The answer is no. Not me, not them. Try again.’

  ‘Another day out of Hell,’ the King said.

  The Dark Lord went still, his expression full of restraint.

  ‘The humans are accustomed to it now, Ah Wu,’ the King said. ‘They leave offerings everywhere on Hungry Ghosts Day; the spirits are well fed. Another day added to that, they won’t even notice.’

  ‘Is that doable?’ the cat said.

  ‘If I give them another day every year, their power will grow while they are out,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘As it is, they grow stronger every year and we must constantly work to reduce their power. If they had two days, they would be four times stronger — then eight — they would begin to have physical effects on the population of the Earthly.’

  ‘The Hungry Ghosts could actually hurt people directly?’ Simone said.

  ‘Yes,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘As it is, they influence people with dark ambition. With two days, they would be able to act on those ambitions themselves.’

  ‘I guess that’s a no then,’ the King said. ‘Shame.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m out of ideas.’

  ‘Take my wives,’ the cat said. ‘You can have them.’

  ‘Oh, now that’s a tempting offer,’ the King said.

  ‘No,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘That is not an option.’

  ‘They’re my wives!’ the cat shouted.

  ‘And I’m your Lord and I say no!’ the Dark Lord said.

  ‘Pulling rank?’

  The Dark Lord nodded once sharply.

  ‘Twice in a hundred years,’ the cat said. ‘What is it with you and women? They’re always getting you into trouble.’

  The Demon King grinned broadly. ‘The Tiger has a point.’

  The Tiger turned away. ‘Always falling for the wrong damn females. That snake concubine bitch, then that Michelle bitch, now this Emma bitch. Always the wrong chick.’

  ‘The Death Mother plotted against you,’ I said. ‘The Geek, the Death Mother, Prince Six and his consort — they all plotted against you. Only the Death Mother is left. We can bring her to you in exchange. In exchange for my free will.’

  They all stared at me.

  ‘Oh, Emma,’ Simone said softly. ‘It’s about time.’

  The Dark Lord glanced sharply at the Demon King. ‘That we can do.’

  The Demon King raised one hand and grinned. ‘Oh, I don’t think so. You’ll destroy her anyway. But how about this?’ His grin widened. ‘Kitty Kwok. She’s the one behind it all. She’s the one who financed Simon, and who gathered those other four together to go after me. I want her, and she’s human. I can’t touch her, by the terms of an agreement that I have with you.’ He leaned towards the Dark Lord. ‘But you can. You can bring her to me and put her in a cage of Celestial Jade for me.’

  ‘Why Celestial Jade?’ the Tiger said. ‘This stinks of a trap for the Dark Lord.’

  ‘She’s been using some sort of twisted energy manipulation, draining children to give her Immortality,’ the Demon King said. ‘If I’m to hold her, I need something that’ll hold an Immortal.’

  ‘We can give you Kitty Kwok,’ I said. ‘But don’t torture or kill her. Just hold her.’

  ‘This is a trap!’ the Tiger shouted.

  ‘No, no, no,’ the Demon King said. ‘I promise. I give my word.’ He paused, and chose his words carefully, and the air grew silent around us as power gathered. ‘Xuan Wu, promise to bring me Kitty Kwok and put her in a cage of Celestial Jade for me. I vow I will not torture or kill her. I will not hold you, Turtle, that I swear. Promise you will do this thing for me, and I will free your Lady from the demon essence.’ He waved one hand at me. ‘Make me this promise and I will free her right now. She will be free from the demon essence, she will walk the Celestial whole, and she can be yours again when you return, which, from the looks of you, won’t take much longer. This I swear by all the forces of Hell.’

  ‘Emma, do you agree to giving him Kitty Kwok?’ the Dark Lord said.

  ‘She doesn’t have enough free will to decide,’ Simone said.

  ‘Yes, I do,’ I said. ‘I would do anything to be by his side and to be human. I will give Kitty Kwok to the Demon King under these terms.’

  ‘This absolutely fucking reeks of a trap,’ the Tiger said.

  ‘I know,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘But it is the only way we can free Emma.’

  ‘I vow I will not hold the Turtle in the Celestial Jade,’ the Demon King said. ‘I will release him immediately.’

  ‘And Emma,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘You will release Emma.’

  ‘I will release Emma. I do not want Emma, this I promise. I don’t want either of you. What I want is for you to put Kitty Kwok in a cage of jade for me.’

  The Tiger turned away. ‘I really don’t like this.’

  ‘Neither do I,’ the Dark Lord said. ‘But right now I cannot fault it.’ He stood straighter and looked the Demon King in the eye. ‘I will do it.’

  ‘We have an agreement?’

  The Dark Lord nodded, his eyes fierce. ‘We have an agreement.’

  ‘Make the vow. I have already made mine. I give you my word by the Ten Levels of Hell.’

  The air grew thicker and more silent around us. It was as if the whole world held its breath.

  ‘I vow that I will capture Kitty Kwok, take her to Hell and place her in a cage of Celestial Jade for you. This I swear as Xuan Wu, Xuan Tian Shang Di.’

  A blast of wind blew through the room, and was gone.

  ‘Kneel, Emma,’ the Demon King said kindly. ‘Everybody move back. This might get messy.’

  ‘Don’t hurt her!’ Simone said.

  Xuan Wu took Simone by the shoulders and pulled her back slightly. ‘Stay back, Simone.’

  ‘When you did this the last time, it was easy,’ I said to the Demon King. ‘Why do you need them to move back now?’

  ‘Because last time you weren’t fully demon,’ the King said. ‘Down, Emma, this is going to hurt.’

  I kneeled, and focused on Xuan Wu’s dark eyes. They were full of pain. ‘Everybody back,’ he said. ‘The King is right. This may get messy.’

  The Demon King kneeled behind me, so close I could feel his body against my back. He put his hands on my shoulders and I felt his breath on the back of my neck as he spoke. ‘Whatever happens, don’t touch her until I’m done. Nobody move unti
l I say I’m done. I’m not going to hurt her — well, okay, I am going to hurt her, but this is what you want. I’m not going to do any permanent damage to her. Just stay away, because if you interfere through any of this, you’ll kill her.’

  ‘Do as he says,’ the Dark Lord said.

  ‘Are you ready, Emma?’ the Demon King said to the back of my neck.

  I nodded. ‘I’m ready.’

  It started as a prickle on the back of my neck and spread through my shoulders, gaining heat quickly. The heat grew inside me, becoming unbearable, and I pulled away.

  ‘Stay,’ he said into my ear. ‘Don’t fight it. You have to keep still and let me burn this out of you.’

  I held myself still, trembling, with his hands on my shoulders and molten fire running through me. The burning flared within me and I couldn’t bear it. I had to let something out.

  I heard screaming, and then realised it was me.

  Focus on me.

  I concentrated on his dark eyes that reflected the pain I felt within me. I couldn’t breathe; my lungs were full of fire. I gasped in air and every breath filled me with more burning. My skin peeled from me and my raw, bleeding flesh screamed as it touched the air.

  I burned, and I looked into his eyes, and the floor spiralled up to meet me.

  I coughed, and moaned at the pain. Every single centimetre of me felt as if it had been scorched raw. I tried to move to make myself more comfortable, and moaned again.

  Strong hands grabbed me and lifted me to sit and I screamed at the roughness of the movement. Someone put their hands on my face and I took deep, heaving, grunting breaths. I couldn’t hold it any more; I let it out as another scream, but it didn’t make me feel better.

  ‘What do we do … what do we do?’ Simone was saying.

  I tried to tell her that I was all right but I couldn’t speak. Every breath felt like sharp metal piercing through me. The hands touched me on my raw skin and caused me even more searing pain. Every place I was touched was another lance into me. My eyes were open but I was blind. My tongue was gone, my skin was gone, everything was gone.