บท 21: Lend me your strength, I need to kill an Immortal.
Li Feng Lan was unusually worried. At first, she had just be annoyed. The mages didn't even respect the Imperial palace and used attacking spell to fight. When she heard this breach of decorum, even her perfectly controlled face showed traces of anger. Soon-Yi and the other mages wrecking havoc in front of the Imperial Academy of magic was so irresponsible. They all deserved a good scolding and some kind of punishment.
The Empress had been the one to order their arrest at all cost. All the mages, whether on duty or off, were called to stop the raging battle between the most powerful mages of the Selnan Empire. It had been no small feat that the three of them had been arrested and confined in the underground restraining chambers.
However, right now, their punishment was the least of Li Feng Lan's worries. She had been so awestruck when she heard of the arrival of a huge dragon that she couldn't help but go on her balcony to have a look. Then she saw the magnificent and terrifying beast hovering over the Palace compound, breathing fire and setting the whole area ablaze.
Such a frightening but marvelous sight took the Empress' breath away. This danger, clearly a catastrophe for the Empire, gave her a thrill she had never felt before. She could barely keep a thread of sanity, just enough to refrain from laughing in delight and to order her servants and maids to prepare any necessities for the people in need. The Inner palace was not in the heat of the battle, nor anywhere near the burning buildings. The Imperial Palace compound was like a city within the city, where all the main governmental front offices as well as many palaces were located. The Imperial Palace itself – the Emperor's and Empress' residence – was still safe enough to welcome the refugees, mostly elders, women and children as every capable hand was used mercilessly by Zhou Xi and his guards to put the fire out.
Thankfully, the mages that were in the underground of the Academy were unscathed and quickly gave a helping and very-welcomed hand to the soldiers fighting the dragon. At the front of this unfair battle was the Emperor Guo Ning himself, her husband. He was still recovering from his last bout of fever and was very weak. Nevertheless, his mind was brimming with confidence, fearlessness and determination.
Li Feng Lan knew him all to well. He wanted to die while protecting his people and a fight against such a monstrous dragon was a godsend for him. He had the making of a true hero worthy of many legends. It was a pity that his ailing aging body couldn't keep up with his ambitions. Truth be told, she would have preferred another hero, an expendable one, but of course she had been unwilling to dampen his fiery spirit. She didn't want to disappoint him. She felt he wouldn't have listened to her in any case and her role was, and had always been, to support him till the end.
Therefore, she had been a little relieved when the mages had come to fight the dragon in the Emperor's stead. What could a simple mortal without magic powers do against a powerful and enraged dragon ?
The battle between the mages and the dragon had escalated out of proportion. The Emperor and his brave soldiers could only watch from afar now so he decisively ordered them to retreat and support Zhou Xi's efforts to save the city. This was also a very noble feat and a memorable sight. Everyone in the Imperial capital was hand in hand, from the beggars to the Emperor and First Prince. Even the hard-hearted Li Feng Lan was moved to tears. In her eyes, Guo Ning was a true hero, no matter what Histories and Legends would say and even if he were to die peacefully in his bed surrounded by his beloved family. At least, she could spend a little more time by his side.
Then, as the mages were giving their all and were almost at their limit, the dragon just left. Nobody, not even the mages battling against it, knew why it had come to destroy the capital, where it came from, what it was pursuing when it decided to leave. Somehow, the mysterious dragon seemed a little placated, at least that was what the Empress hoped, seeing how it simply departed and didn't cause anymore damage in the capital.
If everyone felt relieved, they still refrained from heaving an obvious sigh and smiling broadly. A lot of buildings were in ruin, even still burning. In addition to the material damages, who knew at this very moment how many lives had been lost ? And as the fighters didn't kill nor capture the dragon, people were still worried. What if the dragon destroyed another part of the Empire, where no mage could intervene ? What if it came back to finish the capital off ? Such a threat was unbearable. And indeed, Soon-Yi quickly organized a party, comprising mages and soldiers, to chase the beast. The soldiers would protect the mages along the way to spare them from any dangerous encounters, let them rest and keep their powers to fight the dragon when needed. The remaining forces still in the Imperial capital were busy sorting out the mayhem left in the wake of this fierce and shocking battle. Selnan's pride wouldn't let them cower in fear.
Li Feng Lan's next thought, after the battle ended in a somewhat anti-climatic and unfinished way, was to question the ambassador of the Lysanian Kingdom. He probably knew far more about this dragon – and dragons in general. However, the man was not at the embassy and currently no other emissary from the Lysanian king was in Selnan. Of course, that didn't mean that there were no Lysanian at all. Some spies and some merchants might be close by but they probably went in hiding as soon as they heard about the battle. Moreover, she needed to order the knights, the Information Ministry, the Department of Defense or the spies serving the Empire and its Foreign Office and she usually left these tasks to her husband and son.
Even though she had been the one to separate the powers and to choose to focus on internal matters, she was quite upset to be limited in her actions. Therefore she just rushed in the miraculously undamaged Foreign Office, not even following the protocol which needed her to call upon them and grant them an audience. She was the one who wanted to use their services as fast as possible. It was an emergency, she had no time for finesse and diplomacy.
To her great satisfaction, the Ministry staff helped her to the best of their abilities, far beyond what she expected. Unlike her, they were all used to emergency situations and she could only praise their efficient work. In a matter of minutes, the representative of the Lysanian kingdom was kneeling before her. He had been arrested as soon as the dragon had been glimpsed but no obvious ill-treatment could be seen. He seemed willing to cooperate and it was in everybody's interest to proceed with care to avoid an unfortunate diplomatic incident.
For now, he had been stripped of all weapons and his wrists were securely bound. It was unusual for a foreign emissary to kneel before her. A simple bow was required by the protocol, especially since the kingdom of Lysania was a powerful country. Li Feng Lan only stared at him, feeling slightly ashamed to witness the disgrace of such a fine diplomat. However, even with his bound wrists, he didn't stop at kneeling and proceeded to prostrate himself before her.
The Empress almost cried out in horror and it was no small feat to manage to crack her perfect and well-trained expressionless facade.
– Please rise ! She said hurriedly.
When their eyes met, Li Feng Lan felt both relieved and upset. His eyes were smiling as usual. He was still his strong and confident self as if he was used to such events. Even through his meek demeanor, he was exuding an arrogance befitting a royal. Of course, he was human and could not belong to the dragon royal bloodline in any way.
Li Feng Lan couldn't help but want to chastise him and had a hard time suppressing the urge. Now was not the time to let herself be teased or manipulated. This diplomat was such a pain to deal with. The Empress felt that she could never win in a battle of wits against him. This was so frustrating !
He bowed and waited for her to speak first. Nothing seemed to faze him. For years, they had met in social gatherings, and except for his hair turning white, he never changed, his sharp mind, dazzling smile and perfect manners still unmatched in the Imperial court. In their youth, Li Feng Lan had assumed that he had been harboring special feelings towards her but he never acted upon them. In the end, she had gotten bored of his prim and proper diplomatic behavior. Guo Ning was far more passionate and interesting.
– I didn't know you were back to Our Empire. I hope you will help us in these times of turmoil.
– Greetings to Her Imperial Majesty. My King agreed to send me back in Selnan. It is my dearest wish to be of use to both our countries.
– Yes, of course. As it is, we are in dire need of information regarding the dragon that attacked the city. I am truly relieved to see that Lysania is willing to cooperate. I had my personal mage call the Emperor and First Prince. I am afraid we will need to wait a little before talking about the matter at hand. Will you keep me company in the meantime ?
With an elegant wave of her hand, Li Feng Lan ordered a guard to release the ambassador's wrists. For better or for worse, she couldn't bring herself to fear nor doubt the man. Even though she was reputedly shrewd, because of her excessive and irrational trust, she had to wait for her husband's and son's unbiased minds. On the other hand, while they would be waiting, it was possible for her to have a more casual, carefree and thus off-the-record conversation. Li Feng Lan definitely knew how to make the better of an uneasy situation.
– Please be seated.
The servants in the Foreign Office were as efficient as in the Imperial Palace itself. They were all carefully selected and trained. The functional and stark office now had the finest tableware on an elegant tablecloth and even fresh flowers in a vase. A fragrant tea and appetizing pastries were served to the Empress and her guest as if nothing had happened, no battle, no burning city, no barely avoided doom.
– Thank you, your Imperial Majesty.
– Did you see the huge dragon earlier ? She started in a light tone.
– I could only catch a glimpse, I'm afraid. I apologize to your Imperial Majesty. He answered with a small smile.
– What a pity, I had hoped that maybe you could tell me more about such a formidable dragon. It was truly impressive.
Li Feng Lan knew that he wouldn't be fooled by her fake coquettish tone. Usually, she even thought that it was slightly disgraceful at her age and with her status. However, his clever mind would probably immediately take the hint that she wished for their chat to stay between themselves.
– I would very much like to say that such a powerful dragon is our pride and joy, however that would be lying. In my humble opinion, these legendary dragons are a calamity. They lay dormant for centuries and reappear one day to wreck havoc until they go back to sleep when their supplies in magic elements dries out. I don't know what awakes them nor what incites them to attack but I'm sure no one in Lysania can control them.
– You mean there are others ?
Li Feng Lan couldn't help but gasp in horror. What would happen if several monsters like the dragon they saw were to attack together ?
– Unfortunately yes. You know that dragons are immortals. The only way to "kill" one is to steal its core, which cannot be destroyed, and suppress it in a specific magic artifact from Ancient Aliker. Otherwise, the core will regenerate another dragon as powerful as its forebear.
– I didn't know. So, while they are regenerating, they are said to be dormant ?
– I'm sorry, your Imperial Majesty, that is not quite true.
Dragons are hibernating when they cannot receive their fill of magic elements. We keep them under careful watch and magic restraint. The most powerful ones need a lot magic users to gather magic elements for them, otherwise it takes a long time for them to have enough energy even to move. When they are regenerating from their core, they create a shell around the core and it's as if they are born again except that the youngling is very powerful as soon as it hatches.
- I see. So these legendary dragons must wake up when they have gathered enough magic elements, right ?
– I suppose so but I am not so sure. I would need to search for more details in our royal library. I think that the legendary dragons consume a different and rare kind of magic elements. They are legendary because of their powers and also because several generations can go by without a single stir from these formidable dragons. Knowledge about them is mostly lost...
– Here come my husband and son. I hope we can all put our minds together to find a solution. We also need you to tell us how you dealt with a legendary dragon in the past.
– Yes, your Imperial Majesty.
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