A plan came to Tzen almost immediately. “My father is a god of mischief and trouble. His power to do evil is nearly endless. Dragons are impervious to blades, spears, and poisons. Only by his thirst for trouble can he be manipulated.”
Tzen undid his belt a bit freeing the narrow portion of the dragon whisker. He sat at the writing desk in his chamber. The whisker was looped over the shoulder of his writing hand and the tip was placed into the bottle of ink. With perfect calligraphy he began to write.
The next morning a guard knocked on Tzen’s door. “Bring your work poet. The Emperor wants to be entertained while he eats his grapefruit.”
Tzen had not slept at all. He had worked all night preparing a story that would save his land and people from being the dragon’s toy. It was finished just as the sun rose. Tzen gathered the rice paper and began following the guard to the Emperor’s quarters.
Ioda was sitting in a gold studded chair lined with silk. He was fully dressed even at this early hour. “Welcome poet, stand near the door. You have a strong reputation amongst your own people. This is also true among the royal storytellers. Now you get to amuse me. Begin.”
Tzen covered his soul with fear. It was what Ioda would be looking for and the best disguise. “Lord, I passed through a small village of ignorant people on the road here. Their silly behavior has inspired my story. I have titled it after the village’s name Shan-do.”
The story centered on an evil goblin that could change his body to gold. To cause turmoil, the goblin crept into the cottage of the village elder and made himself into a gold statue of the local god. The elder was thrilled to have been so blessed and word spread through the village of his good fortune.
The next night the goblin relaxed his form and crept to the neighbor’s house. He sat under the villager’s bed and recast his body in gold.
The next morning the elder found his golden stature missing and had his men search every home. When the stature was found under the neighbor’s bed, the elder had the man thrown into prison.
Two nights later, the goblin entered another man’s house and hid in his pantry. The elder again had the village searched and another man was thrown into prison.
Over and over the goblin played his game and over and over the elder had his good but simple villagers thrown into the prison. Soon, over half of the village was either in prison or had felt the harsh lash.
Ioda laughed and laughed at the clever goblin’s evil tricks and the way it manipulated the foolish elder. “Very good! Your story had pleased me indeed! Where did you say this village was?”
Tzen bowed again. His soul dressed with excitement over the emperor’s compliment. “It is a township only a day’s journey up the river. It is called Shan-do.”
Another laughed escaped the emperor. He turned to his nearest attendant. “I have decided to relax for the next week. I will be in my inner chamber and I do not wish to be disturbed for any reason. Minister Chan will see to the palace’s affairs.”
Then Ioda looked back to Tzen. “You are now a full member of my court. You may leave and go as you will but when I return I want a poem on the magnificence of my court. You are dismissed.”
Tzen captured another brief glimpse of Ioda before turning toward the doorway. He could see mischief welling up in Ioda’s mind. The dragon had taken the bait.
Tzen slept the remainder of the day and arranged for a horse to ride that night. But he had no intention of returning. Tzen knew that Ioda was flying somewhere in the darkened skies above him.
When Tzen arrived at the village of Shan-do, the people where in a squall about the discovery of a solid gold stature. A sudden and severe storm had caused a mudslide and the statue was found with its golden brow showing from the mud.
The villagers paraded the golden statue about inviting all to see then placed it in the elder’s home.
Tzen did not go to observe the golden god. He knew that if Ioda was able to see he would recognize him and become suspicious.
A full moon illuminated the village that night. Tzen sat outside the inn waiting for Ioda to move. He sat around a corner so the dragon would not see him for Tzen’s soul would glow bright in the surrounding darkness. Several hours after midnight, Tzen saw the golden stature climb from the elder’s window and run over to another’s home.
Tzen followed keeping to the shadows and avoiding being seen by any of the villagers.
Tzen slid into the window and crept through the kitchen. He peeked into the bedroom and saw Ioda resting just behind a pot. The dragon’s spirit had entered into a sleep but still glowed against the room’s darkness. Ioda’s soul would not stir again until it was touched by another soul.
Carefully, Tzen crept into the bedchambers. There were other souls in the room but they were covered in the deep blue of slumber. Tzen wrapped his hands in the hem of his robe before picking up Ioda’s still body. He then turned and escaped the same way he came.
In the woods near Shang-do, Tzen unwrapped the dragon whisker from around his waist and bound the golden statue tight. He was sure not to touch Ioda with his hand for fear of waking the dragon before he was finished.
When all six-arm lengths of the whisker were tightly bound, Tzen went ahead and touched the top of Ioda’s body with his finger. The powerful spirit inside the stature stirred.
His gold body shook before discovering it was tied. “What is this? Where am I? Who are…” At that instant, Ioda’s soul sight recognized his son. “The poet of Xiolin? Tzen! What are you doing? How did I not recognize you?”
“I am part dragon Ioda. You gave me the dragon’s sight. I recognized you the instant I saw your soul illegally perched on China’s throne. My emotions were hidden from you although you could have seen though my disguise if you had been wary. I do not know what you have done with the real emperor but your days of playing with China are ended.”
Ioda laughed. “Son, again you disappoint me. I will simply shape change back to my dragon body. Your leather bindings will snap like a silk thread. A dragon kind cannot be leached by any human bond or idea! I told your mother that when I left. Did she teach you nothing about me?”
Tzen ran his fingers across the whisker. “She taught me that you are mischievous and not worthy of trust. And she taught me that a dragon whisker cannot be broken only plucked. You are held tight by your own magic.”
A new color enveloped the anger in Ioda’s soul, it was a bright streak of fear. Tzen felt the gold statue vibrate as it tried to change shape. The whisker quivered then tightened under the unbelievable strain of Ioda’s magic. But it would not give.
Tzen took the captive dragon to the river. Using a small fishing boat, he navigated to the deepest part. Ioda sat on the other side. Streaks of brilliant emotions tore across his soul.
“You cannot do this! I am a dragon! Tzen, stop! You have proven yourself to be clever! I’ll give you anything you desire!”
Tzen reached over, picked up the golden statue, and dropped it into the water.
The master poet and scribe took the knowledge of Ioda’s tomb to the grave. Since then, no dragon has meddled on such a scale with the affairs of men.
