Red Dragon

Episode I The Corsair

Chapter 7 Vayasha

Melissa remained impassive as the sharp edge of the razor cut into her. It hurt a great deal, but she had learned to endure all manner of pain in the three years she had been under the guidance of Chang Jao. The application of a tattoo, even one as large as that which had been cut into her torso over the last few weeks, was but a minor pain compared to some of the other things that had been done to her. A few feet away other members of the Dragon Warriors watched her. She was naked, but few of them noticed her still obvious female charms, instead their minds were fixed on the final stage in her initiation into the Society of the Dragon Warriors.

The tattoo artist made the final cut. After rubbing in the red dye, he swabbed her skin with a damp cloth, sweeping away the blood. Melissa got to her feet and bowed to the artist. He returned the bow more deeply, and then retired. Now came the final part of the ceremony. Melissa turned to the assembled members of the Dragon Warriors. She did not bow. It was not yet proper that she do so. A figure strode toward her. It was Chang Jao, a man Melissa had truly come to respect. He handed her a black costume, identical to the one he wore. In front of the watching members of the society, Melissa donned the garment. As she finished the last tie, Chang Jao handed her the black belt that signified her entry into the society. Then for the first time since she had known him he bowed to her first. It was not a deep bow, but it signaled that he recognized her as a Dragon Warrior. As she returned the bow and then turned to bow to the other assembled warriors, Melissa felt a deep sense of pride. The Dragon Warriors were the elite of the Shang armies. Many of the men and women facing her had trained their entire lives. Somehow, she had managed to acquire the skill and toughness necessary to join their ranks in only three years. It was an advance unprecedented in the history of the society. But there was one more part to the ceremony.

Chang Jao handed her the long black scarf worn by other members of the society. Carefully, Melissa wrapped it over her face. From now on her features would be concealed as was her past. She was no longer Melissa Noble. She was Sha zhu, the Red Dragon.

Vayasha moved stealthily through the forest. The enemy was so close now she could almost smell them. She was in her element, sliding silently from tree to tree and bush to bush, taking advantage of every bit of cover. She would have to be very very careful. She had never seen so many Shang. They were all around her, moving clumsily through the woodlands on every side.

She knew that as long as she kept to the brush, she was almost invisible to the enemy. The Shang would have to stumble directly into her in order discover that she was there. Her clothing helped her blend into the forest. She wore a leaf-green cloak that hung down to her knees and knee high brown boots. On her head she wore a small green cap decorated with three eagle feathers: white, symbolizing purity of mind and body; gold, attesting to her skill with the bow; and gray proclaiming her talents as a forester.

Beneath her cloak she wore the white blouse and trousers of an unmarried woman. Over her blouse she wore a light blue vest trimmed with white. The outfit was cinched at the waist by a wide brown leather belt from which hung several pouches, and a long bladed hunting knife. In her right hand she carried a bow almost as tall as she was. A quiver of goose feathered arrows was slung over her shoulder.

She was tall and of slender build, with slim hips and small, firm breasts. A head of white-gold hair cascaded down her shoulders framing an oval face set with brilliant blue eyes a straight nose, a wide, sensuous mouth, and a strong chin. When she moved it was with fluid deer-like grace.

She held her breath as a heavily armored Shang warrior passed within a bow length of her. It was time to leave and report what she had found. She waited until the Shang had moved off a safe distance and then shifted her position. Swiftly, she moved deeper into the trees to a hidden trail the Shang had overlooked and then ran to where she had tethered her horse.

Her horse, a gray mare, waited obediently, but stamped nervously as she approached. She sent out a calming signal. “I am here,” she sent. “Be calm.”

The horse whinnied in greeting. “Shush,” she cautioned, “you’ll give us away.” The mare quieted and she mounted, vaulting lightly into the saddle.

She did not urge the horse into a gallop. She was still too close to the advancing Shang. It was important that they did not know they had been discovered, and so she kept the mare to a walk for the first ten minutes, before pushing it to a canter.

She wondered at the number of Shang she had seen. She had not been involved in previous battles with the warriors of the Shang Empire, but she knew that most expeditions against her people had consisted of only a few hundred men. She had counted thousands of warriors. It was imperative that she give her people adequate warning. She urged her horse into a gallop.

The Red Dragon circled the Silvani village. Close behind her were four more of her comrades. It was a small enough force to take on adversaries as clever as the Silvani but she counted on the large force of Shang warriors a few miles away to hold the attention of the Silvani and enable her and her companions to carry out their mission. And in any case, moving a larger force past a people who were masters of the forest would probably be impossible. Five would have to do.

The Red Dragon held up her hand signaling a halt. She and her companions were just below the forest wall that protected the village and a few feet from the gate. Climbing the wall was out of the question. The Silvani maintained some sort of mystic relationship with the forest, that gave them command over plants and animals. Instead of a normal stockade as would be expected, the village wall was a tangle of thorn-covered tree trunks and branches. It presented an impassable obstacle forcing any intruder to enter by way of the main gate. If any defenders remained inside, the narrow entrance could be a deathtrap.

Cautiously, she signaled an advance. She would enter first and then signal her companions to follow. With liquid grace she moved through the entrance and into the village. Her senses tingled with anticipation. Surely the village would not have been completely abandoned. And then a very slight movement caught her eye. With a speed far beyond normal she whirled in the direction of the motion.

Vayasha breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the children and old men and women left the village. Only she and a few other foresters remained. The more experienced warriors had moved out to take on the advancing Shang army. She and her companions would hold the village against any intruders who might slip through. It was an important job, but Vayasha was disappointed. It had been she who had first encountered the Shang invaders and it was she who had carried word of their presence to the clan elders. But she had been left behind with several of the less experienced foresters to protect the empty village. It seemed a useless task, even if the sacred stone had to be protected at all times.

The sacred stone, the Green Heart, was the centre of Silvani culture. From it Vayasha’s people drew the mystic powers that enabled them to be one with the forest. Its loss would be devastating, robbing the Silvani of their supernatural powers over nature. The stone was located in the most secure part of the village; in the center of the tree of life. The enormous tree loomed over the village, its immense branches spreading out fifty feet in all directions from a soaring trunk that towered 400 feet over the village. At the base of the tree, immense buttress roots formed a natural cavity the height of two men. This natural shelter was illuminated by the eerie glow of the sacred stone. Inside the cavity, a massive boulder served as an altar. Placed squarely in the centre of a leopard skin was an enormous emerald that emitted a light of its own. Normally it was surrounded by a ceremonial guard, but the size of the Shang army had forced the Silvani to send every available warrior against them, leaving only Vayasha and a dozen other of the less experienced foresters to protect the stone. Nevertheless, Vayasha did not expect much excitement. It was inconceivable that any of the Shang invaders would make it past the screen of Silvani blocking the way to the village. She sighed. She had been so looking forward to her first battle. To be assigned this dull guard duty left her depressed. And then she saw the black-clad Shang standing in the middle of the open gateway.

Vayasha acted instinctively, drawing her bow, fitting an arrow, and letting loose all in one smooth motion. She was not alone. Several of the other foresters had seen the intruder at the same time. A half dozen arrows were on their way in an instant. But not a shaft reached its mark. With a fluid grace that Vayasha would not have believed if she had not seen it, the Shang took a single step forward. That simple movement sent three of the arrows whizzing behind the black-clad figure, and then incredibly the intruder’s hands snatched the remaining arrows from the air.

Vayasha was so amazed that she forgot to loose another arrow, and then the figure moved toward her with such speed she had no chance for a second shot. At that instant four other black figures darted through the gate and headed for each of the remaining foresters. Unprepared for the attack and stunned by the ease with which the first invader had avoided the volley of arrows, the Silvani foresters fell back before the attackers, drawing their knives for close in fighting.

The Shang Vayasha had loosed arrow at closed with her with amazing speed, barely giving her time to draw her knife. In the split second before the warrior attacked, Vayasha realized that her opponent was a woman, and then she had no time to think of anything else. Suddenly her knife flew from her hand, and her feet went out from under her. She did not remember seeing the woman strike, but suddenly found herself lying dazed on the ground. Then, just a quickly, the woman was gone.

Vayasha tried to scramble to her feet, but found that her knife arm had gone completely numb. Grimacing, she pushed herself up with her left arm. The black-clad woman who had attacked her was sweeping among her comrades along with the remainder of the other invaders. Ðragon Warriors!” she thought. She shuddered involuntarily. They were the stuff of legends – or nightmares. And then a sudden realization swept over her. The massive Shang attack on Silvani lands was no more than a feint to draw the defenders away from the sacred stone. The loss of the Green Heart would destroy Silvani culture, bringing to an end centuries of resistance to Shang expansion. Fear of what was about to happen gave her the strength of desperation. Scooping up the knife with her good arm she charged after the Dragon Warriors, who by now had defeated most of the remaining foresters in the village.

As she closed in on the woman who had taken her down she saw to her surprise that a long red braid trailed down her back. Red hair was unknown among the Shang. She found herself wondering who this strange assassin was; then she raised the knife to strike. But she was too late. Even as she closed the distance the redheaded assassin turned toward her. Vayasha saw her eyes widen slightly. The warrior seemed surprised that Vayasha was still standing, then she moved so fast, that she was a blur. This time Vayasha went down and stayed down.

A moan escaped Vayasha’s lips as she awoke. She tried to move, but something seemed to be holding her arms. Opening her eyes, she found to her chagrin that her arms were tightly bound. Ropes circled her torso, crisscrossing her breasts and pinning her arms tightly to her sides. As she struggled to escape a pair of hands gripped her arms and pulled her to her feet. Her head spun and pounded with pain at the sudden motion. A wave of nausea swept over her, and she swayed uncertainly. A steadying hand held her upright. She was being assisted by the redheaded Shang warrior. Strangely, the woman who had defeated her held her quite gently, guiding rather than forcing her to move. She saw that her fellow foresters were all bound as well and on their feet. The other Dragon Warriors were close by keeping an eye on them. One of the black-clad warriors held a leather sack. Vayasha guessed that it probably held the Green Heart, and her spirits sank.

A rope was placed around her neck and she was moved into line with the other prisoners. Then one of the Dragon Warriors took the lead and led the column of twelve Silvani out of the village. Several of the foresters stumbled as they moved out, and Vayasha had to step carefully to avoid falling. Their captors led them at a leisurely pace through the forest, moving in a wide circle to avoid the concentration of Silvani warriors who had gone to fight off the Shang invaders. Vayasha considered screaming for help, but decided against it. If her kinsmen had gone in the right direction they would be miles away, and if there were any of the women, children or old men still nearby, she did not want to lure them anywhere near the Dragon Warriors. Besides, she had no doubt that any noise on her part would lead to her immediate death at the hands of her captors. As long as she was alive there might be a way to escape. Her comrades must have thought the same thing, because except for their breathing and the occasional mild exclamation when one of them stumbled and fell, they also made no sound.

Vayasha found it very awkward to walk with her hands tied behind her back. It made breathing very difficult and she was soon out of breath, but her captors pressed on, forcing their prisoners to keep up the pace. In only a short time, she was panting heavily, sweat drenching her blouse. Each time she stumbled she was jerked back to her feet, and although her captors did not beat her, they made sure that she and the others kept up a steady pace. An hour of such progress, pushing through dense bush and tripping over roots and branches, had her in an exhausted daze. She was still feeling the effects of being knocked unconscious and her head ached. Her vision blurred as sweat dripped into her eyes, and she fell more and more often, but her captors did not see fit to call a halt. She was reduced to the status of an automaton, placing one foot in front of the other, hardly aware of her surroundings. And then suddenly they came to a halt. Vayasha was aware of the sound of many voices. A pair of hands seized her by each arm and she was propelled rapidly forward. Then without warning, the hands released her, causing her to fall on her face. More gentle hands pulled her to her feet. She felt her hands being untied. Through a haze of sweat and exhaustion she saw that she was in the midst of many of her own people. But she also saw that they were inside a large bamboo stockade. Grim recognition swept over her. She and the others were in a prison compound. And then she fainted.

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