The Adventures of the Jade Dragon

Episode 8

The Jade Dragon and the Mountain of Heaven

Chapter 1 New Beginnings

Hong Kong 1929

Jiang Sun Lin, also known as the Jade Dragon, stood on the promenade deck of the Empress of Hong Kong. It was strange to be looking at the city of her ancestors. In spite of her Chinese heritage she knew little about her country of origin. She had been but an infant when her parents had crossed the Pacific to the United States. Her friends Melissa Gallant and Natassia Green actually knew more about China than she did and she was considered a full-blooded American in spite of being born in China to missionary parents.

She did, however, feel a close connection to her native land, having been raised in the segregated society of pre-1920s America. In that society Chinese were not welcomed as full citizens of the United States and did not even have the right to vote, a fact that excluded most Chinese from playing any major role in American society. Sun Lin, through her exploits as a superheroine had managed to change that somewhat, but only for herself. And even that recognition was shrouded in the mystery that superheroines maintained in their lives. No one other than her companions and a few trusted servants knew who she really was. She lived in a shadowland of disguise and deceit, hiding away from the glare of publicity, but emerging to challenge the villains that threatened American society.

And that was why she was on the deck of a luxury passenger liner watching the Hong Kong waterfront draw ever closer. Her last adventure had cost her and two of her companions dearly. They had been captured and brutally raped and tortured. Even worse, they had been impregnated after being injected with a bizarre fertility drug that resulted in rapid growth of the fetus. Forced to give birth, they now found themselves unwilling mothers, a role nevertheless, that Sun Lin had decided she would accept. However, fearing for the safety of her child she had decided to return to China and seek to reestablish the connection between her and her people.

She moved closer to Natassia Green and Melissa Gallant who were also watching the approach of the city. “Memories?” she asked.

Melissa Gallant, also known as the superheroine Scorpion, nodded. Her feelings about China were not pleasant. She had been trained in the ancient country as a member of the Assassin’s Guild and she had suffered horribly as a result of defying the Guild’s standards.

Natassia was a little different. Her feelings were mixed. She had been kidnapped and sent to China by a Metro City crimelord in an act of vengeance against her father. But she had escaped and been adopted by Chinese monks. They had become her life until the monastery was attacked and destroyed by Chinese bandits. Returning to Metro City she had become the crimefighting superheroine, Nova and had joined forces with the Sun Lin, the Jade Dragon in the fight against crime.

“It is going to be interesting,” Natassia said. “Do you really think we can find the Mountain of Heaven?”

“Master Zhou has told us where to look,” Sun Lin replied. “I think we can find it.” She spoke confidently, but she knew the search would not be an easy one. Master Zhou, the mystical martial arts master who had trained her in the skills of a superheroine had given her a mission with a dual purpose. One was to first find the ancient and secretive order of the Mountain of Heaven. The other was to leave her daughter and daughters of Melissa and Natassia with the honoured society in order that they might be trained in the same way that she and her companions had been. It was a difficult mission. In spite of the brutal manner in which the children had been conceived, all three women had bonded with their female offspring and giving them up would be the most difficult thing they had ever done.

But they had little choice. They were superheroines and society depended on them to defend it against the criminals that preyed upon it. Children were simply not an option. The choice was simple - adopt a career of motherhood and let society look after itself, or find some way of having the children cared for by someone else. In the year since giving birth they had devoted themselves fully to caring for their children. But that had been at the expense of their chosen vocation. Fortunately, in spite of the suffering they had endured at the hands of their enemies, they had dealt them a serious enough blow that the crime rate in Metro city had dropped precipitously. However, they could not be sure that things would remain that way. It was Master Zhou who had suggested the children be taken to the Mountain of Heaven. His argument was simple. “You have suffered a great trial, but one which is also a blessing. You must not allow what has happened to you to defeat you. Your adversaries still exists and must be brought to justice. Yet your daughters have the same potential that you possess. They must be trained as you were, but I am too old to train pupils who are so young. They must be taken to the Mountain of Heaven and trained in the ancient ways.”

The decision to take Master Zhou’s advice had not been taken lightly. Sun Lin and her companions had discussed it for days before deciding to accept his advice, but in the end, they had accepted his counsel. Now they were only hours from the true beginning of their search.

“Excuse me, Miss.” A male voice interrupted. “But no Chinese servants are allowed on the promenade deck.”

The three women turned. Facing then was a rather young but officious looking ship’s officer. “Your maid, Miss,” he repeated pointing to Sun Lin and speaking to Natassia. She is not allowed here. She will have to stay in your cabin.”

Sun Lin’s face remained expressionless. She was used to this sort of thing in the society of the 1920s. This close to port the officer was going out of his way to enforce the colour bar that existed everywhere in American and British society. She would not make an issue of it. She turned to leave.

“You fool,” Melissa interjected. “You’ve just insulted a member of the Imperial Family. I shall report you to the captain.”

“Imperial Family?” gulped the officer. “I had no idea. I mean I apologize to her highness,” he stammered.

“Imperial Princess Sun Lin,” corrected Melissa. “And what did you say your name was?”

“Petty Officer, Donaldson, Miss. I am terribly sorry. I meant no offense.”

“Petty indeed,” Melissa returned. “And a complete idiot to boot.”

Apologizing profusely the young officer scuttled out of sight. Sun Lin smiled slightly as he disappeared. “Imperial Princess am I? The man is too stupid to even know the royal family has been overthrown.”

“I really hate jerks like him,” Melissa said. “He’s lucky he didn’t get his ass kicked.”

“Melissa! Such language,” Natassia protested.

“Yes mother,” Melissa smiled sweetly. Technically she was Natassia’s ward, but there was only a difference of three years between twenty-three-year-old Natassia and twenty-year-old Melissa. At twenty five, Sun Lin was the old lady of the three.

“Sometimes,” she thought as he mind went back to the ordeal that had resulted in her and her two companions becoming impregnated, “I feel even older.” She sighed. Being a crimefighter had more perils than she had ever imagined.

“Let’s go below,” she said. “The ship will dock in about thirty minutes. We may as well get ready.” The other two women nodded in agreement and together they left the promenade deck.

Miklos Roshac followed the women with his eyes as they left the deck. He had been watching them for the entire voyage. Three women with four children and seemingly unattached. He knew from careful inquiry that no one was meeting them in Hong Kong. That in itself was unusual. But even stranger was the fact that his Hong Kong informants had told him that they had made arrangements to travel on from Hong Kong into the interior of China, and they planned to do it with a minimal escort.

The information had resulted in a complete change of plans. He had originally planed to rob them, but now he was after something bigger. What if he could not only deprive them of their possessions, but take them prisoner as well? He had discovered that the two white women were related, one being the other’s guardian. But more importantly, the guardian, Natassia Green, was a wealthy heiress. If he could kidnap them he would make more money than he usually did in a year.

The third woman was a mystery. At first he had thought she was a servant, but it soon became obvious that she was more than that. The other two treated her with respect, almost as if she was the leader of the three. He didn’t believe for a second that she was a Chinese princess, but she was certainly more than what she pretended to be. If nothing else, her astonishing beauty would make her an interesting prisoner. It would be most interesting to see what her body looked like under the well-tailored suits she wore. For that matter it would be interesting to look at all of them. After all, there was no reason why he shouldn’t enjoy himself until the ransom was paid.

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