The Tiger and The Bird

Chapter 23

Wind and snow whipped around Nong and Ru Feng who huddled close together. The world seemed so small atop the great dragon soaring with the wind. They were up so high surrounded by nothing but the night, and it seemed that no curse...not even destiny itself could reach them. With Ru Feng's warm arms around her – Nong allowed herself a moment's rest.

"Do you remember when we were at the ruins...and you asked me if I could conjure a light?" Nong asked.

"That was a lousy excuse to hold my hand," Ru Feng teased.

Nong laughed but she raised her palm. A white, shimmering orb appeared over her hand. And then another one and another until it was as if they were gliding through a sea of stars. Ru Feng gazed at her in amazement. But Nong wasn't done yet. Her eyes twinkled. She took his hand in hers and lightly traced a rune in the shape of an X onto the back of his hand. It glowed blue briefly and then faded.

"What's this?" Ru Feng asked.

"The rune for protection," Nong smiled. She demonstrated again – this time on one of the dragon's scales.

He pulled her into his chest and softly kissed the top of her head. "Thank you," He whispered. He wrapped his fur lined coat around them both.

Soaring through witch made stars in Ru Feng's arms, Nong soon fell asleep. She dreamed about her mother's village. Walking hand in hand with Ru Feng. Tending to the fields. Playing with the children. It was an absolutely pleasant dream. So much that it tore at her heart and forced her to awake with a tear. She quickly wiped it from her cheek squinting at the rising sun.

Her thoughts drifted to their destination reminding her of the vision she'd had back in the ball room. She desperately hoped that Prince Edan, governess Gao, and everyone else was safe. She knew that she was to face the mystery woman at some point but she was determined to see a different ending. How – she wasn't certain of yet...but she had one part of the relic with her. Once they landed – she would destroy it.

"Why were you struck with lightning, brother?" Ru Feng asked stirring her from her thoughts.

The dragon grunted.

"That lightning stops me from going home...to heaven. To regain my full powers. All because I fell in love with a human hundreds of years ago. He has been reborn time and time again...but that relic has always hindered us from reaching each other. In time, his family wove tales of me seeking to drown their sons – and honestly sometimes I wanted to. I was drunk in sorrow. Until I met King Houavin. He has been the only one to ever reciprocate my feelings. Alas, it seems I must wait a few more years yet,"

"That's horrible..." Nong said. "You were alone for all that time. You must miss your home so much,"

"I will never forget it..."

Ru Feng didn't comment. Nong wondered if he was thinking about home. Could he return to the heavens once this was all over? Or did he consider the ruins his home? Or perhaps home was somewhere with her? Whichever he wanted, he deserved to be free. And she would fight for it. Her hands lingered to her stomach. She laced her trembling fingers with Ru Feng's and he in turn curled his fingers over hers.

"Little bird?" The dragon's voice came in.

"Sorry?" Nong asked.

"What exactly is your plan to save Ru Feng as you so nobly declared you'd do back at the castle?"

Nong pulled out the relic hanging around her neck. "I need to destroy this soul lock first," She showed it to Ru Feng. "I'm going to use Witch Fire to do that. It's a spell I found in my mother's journal. It can burn anything,"

He nodded as the dragon grumbled, "Good riddance,"

"I have yet to figure out how to lift the curse on the beast though with two triggers now passed...I need more time to research," She hung her head in shame.

Ru Feng gave her a warm squeeze, "I'll be fine. Let's meet up with Prince Edan and deal with that woman first. Then we can head back to the temple and see if we can find anything we didn't the first time,"

Nong gave him a small smile. "Ru Feng, I-"

Ru Feng suddenly lurched forward – knocking Nong over. She braced herself and turned to see him grasping his chest in distress.

"Ru Feng!" Nong cried. "Dragon! Stop! Something's happening!" She held Ru Feng in her arms as they descended quickly onto a clearing below.

They settled onto a field. They were long past the coldness of the northern regions. The Lotus kingdom was only hours away.

"What's happening? Are you hurt?" Nong asked.

Her eyes widened in shock as the stripes on his skin started to crackle. Ru Feng was fading into ash slowly before her. His golden eyes flared in pain.

"It seems he cannot pass the border," the dragon said regretfully. "He's not strong enough to wander this far...and is being forced back to his true body,"

"I'm sorry," Ru Feng said between clenched teeth. He fell to his knees struggling to contain himself. "I'm sorry..." He squeezed his eyes shut causing tears to slide down his cheeks.

Nong kneeled before him pulling him into her arms. "It's ok," She said. "It's ok," Embers drifted before her eyes. "I –" She struggled to find the right words to say to him. There was so much in her heart...so much she wanted to tell him but time as always was not on their side. She braced herself.

"Ru Feng..." She whispered pressing her forehead to his. "I will find you again. I will. No matter what happens...,"

He looked at her with desperate eyes. "Nong," He cried.

"I love you," She whispered softly.

His hand held on to hers – the protection rune softly glowing until the wind pulled him away from her and back towards the ruins.