The dragon’s proclamation rendered Suzume’s speechless. She lowered her hand which she was pointing at him. He must be tricking me. There is no possible way her child was his.

“Are you saying...?” Chiyoko prompted once she found her voice once more.

The dragon snarled at her, “Yes, your beloved founder was pregnant with my child when she sealed me away for eternity! Though, I suspect she was not aware of it at the time. I had only just realized myself.”

Suzume shook her head in confusion. “You must be joking! How could you know before she did?”

He turned towards Suzume and his face had transformed from the handsome young man and it was much more monstrous, like a terrify hybrid between his dragon and human form. His was pale and slick and his eyes were completely black and his cheeks were sunken and his cheek bones too angular.

“Do you question my knowledge, mere mortal? I could squish you like a bug beneath my foot. Do you understand what a dragon is? I can see each beat of your heart within you. I can see the river of energy of life that flows in your veins. I watched humans climb their way from being ignorant animals to the pestilence you are now upon the land. I know more about you than you even realize.”

Suzume should have been cowed by this display of might, but he had been throwing his weight around for long enough. She squared her shoulders and looked at him dead in the eye.

“But you were defeated by a human.”

“I have changed my mind; you are no longer of any use to me!” He thundered.

His spiritual energy wound around her but did not touch her, like a blue river surrounding her. Suzume’s energy, a bright red, encased her in a protective bubble. She could sense belatedly the tiny sparks where their energies collided. When I unleashed him, I could feel it going towards him. As a test she tried to branch out and probe towards the dragon. She could feel the energy flowing from her bubble and towards him.

Before he had been able to bat it away, but now he did not fight it. It wrapped around The Dragon and mixed with his energy swirling together, blue and red before it shone a shimmering blue. The combined energy faded and his eyes changed back to their normal color.  His features returned to a more human characteristic.

“How?” He raised a brow and looked at Suzume as if seeing her for the first time. He shook his head. “Prepare yourself for the journey, we leave as soon as possible.”

He turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the sliding door on his way out. Suzume considered shouting a parting insult, but decided to let things be. For once common sense overrode her sense of pride.  Zakuro, who it seemed had been sitting just outside the door the entire time, came in after the dragon left.

“What shall we do about this?” Zakuro looked to Chiyoko before scowling at Suzume as if accusing her for the dragon’s actions with her eyes.

The Head Priestess bowed her head and pressed her fingertips together as she thought. The other two women watched her with anticipation.

“If what the dragon says it true, it changes much of what we believe. It could mean our temple, possibly our order, was started on a lie. I will write to the head of our order for advice, but in the meantime I think it is best if the dragon were to leave the shrine.”

“Chiyoko, this is not a simple matter. He will not leave unless he wills it.” Zakuro said and Suzume could see the fear in her eyes. Zakuro was terrified of the dragon, and rightly so –he had threatened not only Suzume’s life but that of the entire royal family. That was no idle threat. Suzume had seen the hatred in his gaze and knew he would follow through.

The Emperor, however, was closely guarded not only by guards but by the foremost spiritual leaders whose control of their spiritual powers was much greater than Suzume’s. It would not be an easy task to kill the emperor, even for the dragon. As outlandish as the threat may have seemed, Suzume was sure he would see it through.

“Oh, he wills it,” Chiyoko said with a grim nod. “I can sense in him a great unrest. He has been trapped for a long time and I fear it may have driven him mad.”

“Then why do we not seal him once more?” Zakuro suggested. “Surely it will be a small feat for the Princess.” She nodded towards Suzume who had, up until this point, been uncharacteristically quiet. She was scheming ways to trick the dragon to the palace where she could have the priestess there do the sealing for her.

She glowered at the second before replying to Chiyoko instead, “You do not think he could be sealed again?” What if I unleashed him and there’s no way to put him back! What will I do then, I cannot return to the palace if there is no palace!

Chiyoko shook her head. “Perhaps not. He has slept for many years and his power remains undiminished. It appears from that display just now. If he is pressed too hard then he will snap.” She gave Suzume a pointed look.

“What are you going to do about it then?” Suzume asked.

The head priestess stood and walked over to Suzume. She put her hands on the younger woman’s shoulders. “It is not what I am going to do but what you must do, Suzume.”

“Why me?” She ripped herself from the Head Priestess’ grip. “Have you lost your sense in your old age? That thing is insane! He would rip me to pieces if I so much put a toe out of line. He is threatening to kill my entire family!” Suzume threw her arms up to exaggerate her point.

“You unleashed him, so you should be the one to stop him,” Zakuro said with a malicious gleam in her eye.

“I am sure you would be pleased if he ripped me to pieces,” Suzume spat at Zakuro.

Zakuro shrugged and did not deny the accusation. Suzume shook her head. This isn’t happening. She could not stop the dragon! This is what your lies have gotten you, a small voice at the back of her head warned her but as usual she did not heed it.

“I cannot seal him once again, not without a holy object in which to trap him,” she lied.

Zakuro scoffed and Chiyoko frowned as she said, “There is no holy object left here any longer. And as you can imagine they are not easy to come by.”

Suzume thought quickly devising a plan that would be beneficial to her goals and solve her dragon problem. “The White Palace is host to many holy artifacts, the first emperor’s remains and others...” she said.

Chiyoko was pensive for a moment as if considering. Suzume hoped the Head Priestess would not see through her ruse.  “Then you shall accompany the dragon to The White Palace, and obtain the holy object needed to seal him and the White Palace shrine will take over the care of the dragon seal. It should not be difficult given that the dragon wishes to go to the White Palace.” Chiyoko instructed.

Suzume spun around and shouted, “No, I will not!”

Chiyoko stared at her, mouth slightly agape.

“That beast has been nothing but a thorn in my side since awakening. If you were to set us on this path together it would mean the destruction of me!”

“I still do not see a problem,” Zakuro commented.

Suzume balled her hand into a fist to keep herself from lashing out at the impudent shrine maiden. How dare they treat her this way, even exiled as she was, she was still their superior!

“Suzume,” Chiyoko said softly and Suzume looked at her with an imperious tilt of her head. “It has to be you. Just now the dragon had unleashed his inner evil and you stopped him. I do not know why but there is something different about you. The dragon responds to you. You released him, without realizing you had the power to do so. I cannot explain it, but your lives are linked together.”

Though Suzume basked in the Head Priestess’ praise, she was also determined to be rid of the Dragon for once and for all. “I will help you, if you can get my father to pardon me and allow me back to White Palace. Recommend me for the Palace Shrine if you must.” She replied. She hid her smirk, thinking herself clever for deceiving the head priestess and getting exactly what she wanted.

Chiyoko’s frown deepened. “I hold little sway over matters at the White Palace. However, I will recommend you to the Head Priestess there. It will be up to her to accept you once you arrive.”

Suzume turned away as if considering her options. But in truth, she had already made a decision. If I return to the palace I can appeal to General Tsubaki to marry me despite my father’s decree and then I can return to my proper place. I just need to get the dragon there, convince the Head Priestess to trap the dragon, and I will be free at last.

“Very well. I know you do not have much power, given your position, but I will accept these terms. I will take him to the palace, retrieve the first emperor’s artifact, and seal him within it.”

“You cannot be serious!” Zakuro interjected. “You would deface such a relic, to seal the Dragon?”

“Nothing else will hold him.” Suzume said with a superior air.

Zakuro scowled but made no further comment.

“It is decided then,” Chiyoko said, “You will take the dragon to the White Palace and there in seal him away for good.”