The tigers poured over the wall and jumped onto the mounted Vandals below. On seeing the tigers the horses panicked, rearing into the air and dumping their riders before racing away. The dismounted riders could not defend themselves against the power of the tigers and joined the retreat.
Dragar the Dreadful watched from his horse as the assault on the wall was crushed beneath the strength of these mighty animals. It was all over in a matter of minutes. Never before had he seen his warriors so humbled. Finally he wheeled his horse and raced back towards the safety of the mountains.
A cheer broke out from everybody on the wall. Choy Ziang stood up to watch Dragar speed away, followed by his warriors on horse and on foot. Victory was his, thanks to Li Peng. The tigers stood beside Da Hu, watching the enemy's retreat, then turned and loped over the wall to return home. The people applauded them as they passed.
Several soldiers struggled with a Vandal warrior as they dragged him towards Choy Ziang.
“Sire, we captured this general before he could escape on foot,” reported one of the soldiers. “He has agreed to tell you why this attack took place, in exchange for his freedom.”
“Well done,” said Choy Ziang and, addressing the prisoner, continued,“Why did Dragar choose this time to attack the Dragon Province after so many years of peace?”
The general went on to explain how the Vandal nation was suffering because their cotton trade was being destroyed in its competition with Dragon Province silk. He said that is why they burnt the silk factory to the ground. Dragar wanted to take over the province to stop silk production forever.
“But how silly is that?” queried the Emperor. “If he wished to conquer us, surely he would benefit by keeping the silk factory operating.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I don't know,” he sighed, “these Vandals are big on bravery but short on brains.”
Turning to the captured general he said, “What I really want to know is how your warriors managed to pass the Dragon Defenders in the mountains?”
The general explained how the dragons had been drugged so that they would sleep for days.
“How terrible,” exclaimed Jia and, turning to her grandfather, asked, “Father, isn't there anything we can do to help them? The Vandals could slay them as they return north.”
The general interrupted and told them why they had not slain the dragons on their way through the mountains but left them peacefully asleep, uninjured, in their mountain glade. He assured them that Dragar would not risk ignoring the Shaman's counsel and upsetting the gods of war even more.
“But we still have to do something,” Jia pleaded with her father.
Chapter 30
Peri's Mission
Peri whispered in Matilda's ear.
“A great idea,” Matilda agreed, and spoke to the Emperor, “Sire, Peri, who protected you so bravely, has suggested that she could travel to this mountain glade and use her magic to revive the sleeping dragons.”
“But how will she get there?” asked Choy Ziang, still amazed that this little fairy had appeared out of nowhere to help save the day. “It is a long journey and she will meet with the Vandal warriors as they flee.”
“I could fly there myself,” interrupted Peri, “but I don't think I have the strength for such a lengthy flight,” she winked at Jia,“ or . . . I could ride on the back of the Pearl Dragon,”
“Impossible,” declared the Emperor. “What if something should happen to the Pearl Dragon? All would be lost.”
“Grandfather, they can fly high above the Vandals,” said Jia. “We have to do something for the Dragon Defenders after all they've done for us. And I know the Pearl Dragon would want to help his brothers and sisters.”
The Emperor thought for several seconds. At last he looked at Jia.
“There is much truth in what you say, my daughter. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Dragon Defenders. If I allow this brave fairy to go with the Pearl Dragon, she must assure me that she will avoid any danger.”
“Of course,” replied Peri.
“Very well,” agreed the Emperor. “Be on your way and remain safe.”
Jia walked over to the cage, unlocked the door and beckoned the Pearl Dragon out. She put her arm around the dragon's neck and spoke gently into its ear.
“You have an important task. Your brothers and sisters are in danger and you need to travel to their mountain glade with Peri, the magic fairy.”
The Pearl Dragon nodded its head.
“You must fly around the Vandals so that you are both safe,” continued Jia.
Once again the dragon nodded, and then waddled across to Matilda. Peri flew down and landed on her back, grasping a spine at the top of her head. With two beats of her wings the Pearl Dragon lifted into the air and flew towards the mountains.
Chapter 31
The Mountain Glade
Peri held on tightly as the Pearl Dragon winged her way through the sky. They were high in the air and could see the defeated Vandal warriors strung out along the roads leading back to their camp in the valley, some riding and others walking. They looked a sorry lot. As they passed over the camp Peri saw other Vandals gathering their possessions and dismantling their tents. Some had already set off for the mountain pass with many of the horses carrying two warriors. The Pearl Dragon was too high in the air to attract their attention.
At last they reached the mountains and the dragon headed for the glade where her brothers and sisters always went for their special treat. When Peri looked down she could see the bodies of the Dragon Defenders lying peacefully within the glade. The Pearl Dragon glided down and landed near them.
Peri said, “This will only take a few seconds,” and, flying across to the sleeping dragons, waved her wand over each one. First, the Red Dragon, Hong Long, raised her head and looked groggily at Peri. In turn, her sister the Blue Dragon, Lan Long, awoke followed by her two brothers, the Green Dragon, Lu Long, and finally the Yellow Dragon, Huang Long. The Pearl Dragon flapped her wings and hopped across to them. There was a great deal of squealing and puffing of flames as the excited group recognised each other. The Pearl Dragon was obviously explaining to the others what had happened.
Peri noticed that everything went quiet and the dragons seemed to be whispering to each other. They kept glancing at Peri as if to check whether she was eavesdropping. Not that it mattered; there was no way the fairy could understand the snorts, whistles, squeals and puffs of smoke that seemed to make up the dragon language. After a couple of minutes the Pearl Dragon approached Peri and tilted her head to indicate that she should get aboard. After Peri was settled, the Pearl Dragon lifted off into the air and, with a final puff of smoke and flames, began the journey back to the wall.
Chapter 32
Sweet Revenge
As soon as the Pearl Dragon was out of sight, the Dragon Defenders took to the sky themselves. The quiet discussion with their little sister had been about the need to pay the Vandals back for what they had done – particularly Dragar the Dreadful. He may think he was heading back to the safety of the mountains, but little did he know what awaited him.
The dragons flew high so that their presence wasn't obvious to the warriors below. They circled like vultures until they spotted a large party of Vandals about to cross the bridge over Jin He, the River of Gold. As the eldest, Hong Long led the attack, diving swiftly down onto the heads of the Vandals who didn't know what was happening until their horses reared into the air and dumped them onto the road. As the horses bolted, the Vandals stood up only, one by one, to be grasped in the talons of a dragon and unceremoniously dumped into the river. By the time the Dragon Defenders had finished, the River of Gold was filled with Vandal warriors flailing the water as they tried to stay afloat in their heavy uniforms.
The dragons attacked any and every Vandal warrior they saw but, as yet, they hadn't met up with Dragar. That was soon to change.
They had just finished dealing with another group of Vandal warriors when Lan Long, the B
lue Dragon, noticed that a horseman had just rounded the corner down the track, seen what was happening, and quickly turned his horse back the way he had come.
She fluttered her wings to lift her higher for a better view and saw over the hill where the rider was racing back towards the city. His general's hat gave him away; it was Dragar. Lan Long blew a tongue of flame and squealed to signal the others and the chase began. Dragar had no chance. In a matter of seconds the dragons had run the villain down. Lan Long was the first to reach him. She grabbed him in her clawed feet and lifted him into the air.
Chapter 33
The Pearls Of Wisdom
Meanwhile Peri and the Pearl Dragon had returned to the wall. They landed beside the Emperor and Peri smiled as she flew down from the dragon's back.
“We did it,” she exclaimed.
Matilda ran over to grab her in her arms and give her a hug.
“You're marvellous,” she said to the fairy. “So the Dragon Defenders are safe?”
“Yes,” said Peri.
A cheer broke out from the people around her. Jia went over to the Pearl Dragon and gave her a hug as well.
Their celebration was interrupted by a commotion farther up the wall. They all looked towards it and saw Li Peng appear at the top of the steps from the Tiger Province side. The two Emperors stood metres apart and stared at each other. Choy Ziang broke the stand-off by walking across to the Tiger Emperor and extending his hand in friendship.
“I cannot thank you enough,” he said as Li Peng finally shook his hand. “You have saved the lives of thousands of my people.”
“I have to confess that I sent Da Hu and the tigers not so much to rescue you but because I feared that the Vandals would attack the Tiger Province next,” replied Li Peng with a smirk.
“Is this the same person who lied about stealing the Golden Phoenix?” thought Matilda.
The Tiger Emperor's words were a surprise to her. Nevertheless, she still sensed some tension between the two men.
Then Li Peng sprang the real surprise.
“However, since then I have given our relationship much thought,” he continued, “particularly after your offer to lend me the Pearl Dragon to resolve our problem of the drought. And so I have another offering for you.”
He walked over to the steps and signalled to a soldier waiting below. The soldier appeared with a cage containing the Golden Phoenix. Taking the cage from the soldier, Li Peng handed it to Choy Ziang.
“I am sorry for the grief I have caused your people but your actions gave me no other choice,” he explained.
“And I regret my pig-headedness in return,” confessed the Dragon Emperor. “The Pearl Dragon will go to your palace with the Golden Phoenix until the state of your land is restored to its former glory. May the Yin and Yang of both our provinces be restored as well.”
Nobody had noticed what was happening to the Pearl Dragon until Jia turned towards her. On seeing her friend, the Golden Phoenix, huge tears of joy had formed in the dragon's eyes. As Jia watched, the tears trickled down the dragon's face and dropped to the ground where they formed two lustrous pearls about the size of marbles.
“The Pearls of Wisdom!” Jia shouted as she scooped them up. The crowd watched in amazement as Jia took the pearls and handed them to the two Emperors.
A sense of peace came over the crowd as Li Peng and Choy Ziang each held his Pearl of Wisdom in an open hand. As they did, their faces changed. The hard lines of past anger vanished and a glow appeared around them.
Chapter 34
Dragar's Punishment
The flapping of their wings alerted everybody on the wall. The Dragon Defenders appeared in the sky above, Lan Long holding a terrified Dragar in her talons. The four dragons landed in front of the crowd and Lan Long dropped the prisoner in front of the Emperors. He was a miserable sight, fear etched into his face, a faint echo of the mighty warrior he had been. The two Emperors looked down on him, not with hatred but with pity. When Choy Ziang spoke, the change was remarkable; no more ranting and raving, no more temper tantrums, just a clear and strong speech. The Pearls of Wisdom were weaving their magic.
“You have been the father of fear for our people and the creator of evil,” he declared. “For this there should be no forgiveness. However, I have been informed of the terrible hardship that your nation has been facing and for that I can have some understanding of your actions. But your love of war instead of seeking a peaceful solution stands against you. You will remain our prisoner and your freedom will only be secured when your Vandal warriors repair the damage they have caused.
We will send a message with these terms to your Shaman immediately. It will be interesting to see if your people value you enough to give you your freedom.”
Li Peng leaned towards Choy Ziang and whispered in his ear. After several minutes the Dragon Emperor nodded and spoke again to the prisoner.
“If your people see fit to deliver your freedom, both the Dragon and Tiger Provinces give their
solemn promise to help the Vandal nation establish its own silk production and trade so that they can share in our prosperity.”
Dragar the Dreadful, who had feared for his life, was stunned by what he heard, as was anybody else who had experienced Choy Ziang's temper.
He looked up at the two Emperors and said, “Thank you both. Your mercy is more than I deserve and, in return, I swear that, if I am freed by my people, I will work with you for the benefit of all our citizens. You need never fear the Vandals again.”
“Before this moment I didn't believe that you knew the meaning of mercy,” stated Li Peng, “so it pleases us that you recognise it in what you are being offered. We will take you at your word and trust that your people will work for your freedom.”
Signalling to his soldiers, Choy Ziang said, “Take him away.”
Jia walked over to the four Dragon Defenders.
“We are all so sorry that you had to suffer because of this unfortunate incident,” she said, “but once again you have shown your bravery and friendship. We could not survive without you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The dragons puffed out flames in reply and Hong Long waddled across to rub her cheek against Jia as her sign of affection. Having done that, she and her sister and brothers flapped their wings and returned to the mountains.
The final act was carried out by Choy Ziang. He ordered his soldiers to carry the cages containing the Pearl Dragon and the Golden Phoenix down the steps to Li Peng's carriage.
“Let this be a sign of our future friendship,” he said to the Tiger Emperor, “and may the harmony and balance of the Yin and Yang transform the sadness that hangs over our people.”
Li Peng moved forward and shook Choy Ziang's hand.
“May we join you in celebration of this day?” he asked.
“Of course,” replied Choy Ziang. “Tomorrow will be declared a festival holiday for everybody to rejoice this remarkable victory and you shall be our guest of honour.”
Matilda could not help smiling as she watched this extraordinary exchange. Out of disaster had come the getting of wisdom and peace for the two provinces.
Chapter 35
A Different Dinner
As the Emperor's party returned to the palace with Dragar the Dreadful under guard, the people of the Dragon Province lined the streets and clapped and shouted happily as the carriages passed. They could hardly believe that the Vandals had been repulsed and their day of terror was over.
Matilda and Jia rode in their own carriage and Peri, out in the open at last, flew above the horse all the way to the palace. Once everybody had returned, the Emperor sent out soldiers with notices to inform the population of the next day's festivities. He also sent a messenger to the Vandals to tell them of what was required for the release of Dragar.
Dinner in the palace that night was a complete change from the previous experience. Choy Ziang was no longer the crabby crank but the direct opposite. He laughed and joked and showed re
al affection for Matilda and Jia, and especially for Peri. He even asked the little fairy to sit on his shoulder during the meal and fed her morsels with chopsticks. And he carried his Pearl of Wisdom with him.
When the meal was finished he rose from his seat, with the help of Choy Bo, and addressed his guests.
“Matilda,” he began, using her name for the first time, “I cannot apologise enough for my disgraceful behaviour in the past. However, I hope you will recognise my sincerity when I say I could not have been more wrong about your words and actions. I admire you. I must also ask you to apologise to Maximilian as well on your return home. As for Peri,” and he turned to look at the cheeky fairy on his shoulder, “I wish that I had known about you and your talents a lot earlier. You saved my life. Thank you my little one. Now to my Number One Grand Daughter, Jia. My love for you has no bounds. You stood up to my foolishness and showed your bravery and wisdom. I hope to reward your strengths tomorrow. In the meantime I think we all deserve a good night's rest in preparation for tomorrow's celebrations.”
Choy Bo had tears in her eyes and she blew kisses to Jia and Matilda as she followed the Emperor out of the room. Peri had flown back to Matilda.
“What an amazing day,” declared Matilda.
“Yes,” agreed Jia, “and all due to you and your little friend here.”
“We couldn't have done anything without your help,” stated Matilda.
“The change in those two old cranks is unbelievable,” said Jia.
“Who would have thought?” commented Peri, and they all burst out laughing.
Chapter 36
A Final Solution
Matilda and Peri slept soundly that night. They awoke to the sound of fireworks outside. After a quick breakfast they went out to the front of the palace and joined the Emperor and his family as they watched the people celebrating with crackers, sky rockets and a variety of other exploding, fizzling and sparkling objects. Hundreds of children were flying colourful kites in the clear blue sky and men and women were parading life-size dragon puppets in front of the palace to the tune of brass instruments and drums. Braziers had been lit and the smell of barbecued meat filled the air. Drink and food stalls had been set up around the perimeter of the square. Everybody was having a wonderful time and this celebration was being repeated right throughout the cities and surrounding villages of both provinces.