Searching For Dragons
By Emily M. Hanson
Note: Although this is an original fic, I have used the dragon characters, Xing Long and Xiao Xing, in my Forever Knight fanfiction. They are also my own original characters. This story does not take place in the FK universe.
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Diana Price glanced around as she walked down the blacked-out streets of London, passing through Piccadilly Circus. A gas-mask carrying case hung over her shoulder like a purse. Everyone had to keep their windows completely covered up, lest the faintest flicker of a candle provide enough light for a German bomber to see his target. The result was an eerily dark abyss of a city. Just a few days ago, some poor soul had wandered into the river and drowned because he hadn’t been able to see where he was going. Excellent vision was required to walk outside at night without bumping into anything.
The faint strains of swing music floated into the night from a dance club that Diana passed on her left. But that wasn’t her destination. Instead, the petite brunette entered a bookstore painted on the outside in bright red with gold trim. The sign on the front door read “Xing Long’s Books.” The Mandarin Chinese character symbol used for Long was the same as the one used for dragon. The symbol for Xing meant star. Diana’s knowledge of Mandarin consisted of a smattering of phrases and symbols, but it was enough for her purposes.
Various watercolor and oil paintings featuring scenes from Chinese mythology hung on the walls inside the bookstore. Dragons appeared frequently in the art. Behind the counter was a middle-aged Chinese man who appeared relatively harmless in a light blue cotton shirt and khaki pants. He also wore silver wire-framed eyeglasses.
“Hello,” Xing said as she approached. “How may I help you?”
The British woman smiled. “I’m looking for information on dragons. Perhaps you could help me.”
The Asian man raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I do have various accounts of dragons appearing in ancient mythology. What specifically are you looking for, madam?”
“I’m not looking for mythical dragons. I am searching for information on real ones.”
Xing gave a quiet laugh. As he did, a black cat with sparkling peridot-green eyes suddenly made her presence known. Meowing loudly, she leapt from the cozy, dark corner onto the counter and regarded the customer with a suspicious gaze. *I don’t trust her. This human is too curious,* the fairy dragon in feline form telepathically stated.
*Relax, Xiao Xing. I will take care of this,* Xing Long replied. Aloud, he said, “I am afraid that dragons do not exist, except in fairy tales.”
Reaching into her purse, Diana brought out several photographs. The stark black-and-white images clearly depicted a man transforming into a dragon. In one photograph, scales covered half of his body. In another, wings protruded from his back.
In the final photograph, there was quite clearly a dragon complete with scales, wings, and a tail. A bombed-out apartment building in the background with one wall remaining showed that the dragon was larger than the building. She’d followed him to this bookstore a night ago. He’d walked out with several rare occult books. Diana had stayed hidden in the shadows, biding her time.
“I took these pictures myself. You cannot deny what they show.”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot answer your questions.”
As Xing crossed his arms defiantly, the black cat hissed, stretching out a paw with sharp claws towards the photographs. The reporter quickly snatched them up.
“I have undeniable proof. The world will know about your kind one day,” she declared.
He nodded. “That is why I cannot allow you to leave with the evidence.”
He began to chant in an unintelligible language. A bluish haze slowly surrounded Diana. She grabbed her gas mask and strapped it on, but the spell permeated the material. In less than a minute she was asleep, though still standing up. Then he reached for the photographs. Nearby, a candle burst into flame, sending the earthy scent of sandalwood and pine wafting through the air. He held the photographs over the flame, letting them burn into ashes. With another spell, the air was cleansed of the scent.
“What shall I do with her, now?” he mused.
*Allow her to think it was all a dream,* Xiao Xing replied. *But she must not believe that we are real.*
He nodded and wove the threads of the spell. The blue haze surrounding the reporter rippled like water in the dim light. “Awaken,” he finished.
Diana blinked. Realizing that she was wearing her mask, she asked, “What happened? Was there an air raid?”
“The sirens sounded a while ago,” he lied, “but we are fine. I think you fell asleep.”
She removed the mask, blushing. “Oh. I feel dumb. I can’t remember why I came in here now. Are you sure there wasn’t any gas?”
“Yes,” Xing replied. “Can I interest you in a book?”
“No thank you,” the reporter said. “I should be going.”
The Asian nodded, watching her leave into the night. “That was close,” he sighed after the door had closed.
Diana walked out onto the dark street as jazz music floated into the black sky. For one fleeting moment, she could pretend that everything was normal. Night eclipsed a city ravaged by the dragons of war and battle, dragons that were far scarier than the ones in fairy tales. Life in wartime London went on.
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The End
