Chapter 4: Angelina and the Bai Ze
ANGELINA was visiting the North Star Sanctuary’s library with Ryuho in his feline form. They were researching a possible method of returning Feilong to normal. Kyril had been investigating Yulan texts, but unfortunately, few such documents remained in Jinlong. That said, Yule must have possessed some unique forms of magic, as sorcery had once flourished there.
“Do you know anything about all this, Mishter Dragon?” Angelina asked.
“Much of Jinlong’s magic was passed down from Yule in the distant past,” the Golden Dragon replied. “A great deal of that magic was probably lost while being transmitted. Moreover, if there were secret arts passed down solely through the Yulan royal family, I know nothing of them.”
When the dragon glanced at Angelina’s right hand, she looked down at her palm. At the beginning of each time loop, another mark resembling a flower petal appeared on her skin.
Speaking of which, I’ve heard the Tianshi’s Protective Seal is a Yulan charm, she thought. Is there a reason why the marks on my palm resemble that seal? Angelina closed and opened her hand. Nevertheless, she was unable to discern the reason behind its shape.
“You may have to ask the Bai Ze,” the Golden Dragon suggested.
“The Bai Ze…?” Angelina repeated.
“Yes. He’s a knowledgeable holy beast who lives on Mt. Jinlong.”
“Can you take me to meet him, Mishter Dragon?”
“I can take you as far as Mt. Jinlong, but I’m not certain you’ll be able to meet him.”
“How come?” Angelina asked.
“The Bai Ze only appears before highly virtuous leaders. No one has seen him for a very long time.”
“That doesn’t sound good…”
“And though it vexes me to admit this, I am Feilong’s… or rather, the royal family’s guardian deity,” the dragon said. “The last two emperors committed patricide on my watch, which the Bai Ze will not think well of. He probably won’t appear if I’m with you.”
Angelina slumped her shoulders in disappointment. If the Bai Ze only appears before virtuous heads of state, there’s no guarantee we’ll meet him even if we visit Mt. Jinlong, she thought. It could be a waste of time when we’re already fighting the clock. Kyril might be able to meet him, but he can’t leave the Purple Forbidden Palace while Father’s still a child. I can’t think of any other solutions, though. What should I do…?
Frustrated, Angelina balled her hand into a fist.
“Hey, what’s a virtuous leader of state?” Ryuho asked.
“A king who does nothing evil, I suppose,” the dragon replied.
Ryuho’s face lit up. “Then let’s go together, Lina!” he cried, grabbing her fist with a smile as radiant as the sun.
“Even though he might not appear to us…?” Angelina asked.
“Believe me—I’m gonna become a king who doesn’t do anything evil. Neither of us has killed our parents either! And if there’s no other solution, why overthink it?”
“Ryuho…”
“Don’t worry about it, Lina!” Ryuho shouted. “You’re a good kid, and so am I! If the Bai Ze doesn’t know that, then he’s probably not very smart in the first place.”
The Golden Dragon burst out laughing. “Ha, well said! You make a fair point, Ryuho. I’ll take both of you to Mt. Jinlong, and you can brave the rest of the journey on your own.”
Afterward, the Golden Dragon explained the plan to Kyril and the others. Of course, Kyril opposed the idea at first, but he couldn’t think of any other solution. More and more people were requesting an audience with Feilong daily. Even worse, small conflicts had started breaking out on the empire’s borders. They couldn’t put off these problems. In the end, Kyril had no choice but to reluctantly accept the plan. Thus, it was decided that Angelina and Ryuho would visit Mt. Jinlong.
Angelina wore gloves, a hat, a scarf, and a fluffy coat with a hood. She looked as round as a Daruma doll. Not only were her clothes of the highest quality, but they also had protective magic cast on them.
A sturdy basket woven from wisteria vines was on the Golden Dragon’s side. It resembled a hot air balloon basket and was large enough for Angelina and Ryuho to ride in. Plenty of blankets with protective magic cast on them had been spread out in the basket as well. Kyril had prepared them, as he was worried about Angelina traveling a long distance on the Golden Dragon.
Normally, Kyril would have wanted to make the journey in Angelina’s stead. However, he couldn’t leave the palace unattended when former nobles and enemy nations were seeking to usurp the emperor’s throne. Still worried to death, he’d provided Angelina with the most complete, nigh overprotective defenses.
“I’m leaving Lina in your hands, Ryuho,” Kyril said.
Ryuho wagged his tail in his feline form. “You can count on me!”
“We’ll be back soon, Big Brudder!” Angelina cried.
And so, Kyril watched them leave with a worried expression.
The Golden Dragon took to the skies while carrying the basket. He flew slower and at a much lower elevation than when he’d taken Feilong to Mt. Jinlong. Temperatures dropped, and the air grew thinner as elevation increased. As such, the dragon was showing consideration for Angelina’s frail body.
Angelina buried herself in Ryuho’s fur while wrapped in her snug clothes. The wind roared as they soared across the sky. Though the buoyant feeling of riding in a basket caused Angelina a small spike of anxiety, being with Ryuho helped relieve her worries. She pressed her face into the Flame Tiger, whose warm coat smelled like the sun.
“I feel like I can go anywhere with you by my side!” Angelina exclaimed.
Ryuho laughed. “I feel the same way!”
The pair squeezed each other in their arms.
Before long, they reached the peak of Mt. Jinlong. The Golden Dragon gently placed the basket in front of the Starlight Mausoleum.
The daoshi of the Heavenly Sovereign Temple fell into a panic. Not too long ago, the Golden Dragon had shot lightning at them. Angelina couldn’t blame them for worrying about what might happen this time.
Ryuho popped his face out of the basket, followed by Angelina. When the daoshi saw the princess in her fluffy coat, the tension drained from their bodies at the heartwarming sight.
“Polaris Princess!” one of the women cried while racing over to the basket. “What in the world is going on?!”
Ryuho jumped out of the basket with Angelina on his back.
“I want to meet Mishter Bai Ze,” she explained.
The daoshi exchanged glances. “You mean the legendary holy beast?” one of them asked.
“Yep. Do you know where he is?”
The daoshi shook their heads. “I’ve never heard of anyone going to meet the Bai Ze,” one of them replied. “To my knowledge, he only appears before rulers that he’s deemed worthy.”
“But I really need Mishter Bai Ze’s wisdom.”
“Unfortunately, not even the old texts in our library contain information on his whereabouts…”
Both Angelina and the daoshi were utterly perplexed. At that moment, a young girl appeared, along with the sound of a chirping bird. The High Priestess Kalavinka had appeared with the Garuda resting on her shoulder. She wore her hair in a tight bun, and the Tianshi’s Protective Seal had been painted on her forehead in blue ink.
“Purity and fortune,” the Kalavinka said.
“Nara!” Angelina squealed in delight.
A faint blush crept up the Kalavinka’s cheeks. Nara was her real name. Though she’d abandoned it to live as the high priestess, Angelina addressed her as a friend, not a living goddess.
“Hello, Angelina,” the Kalavinka said. She also addressed the princess by name to show mutual friendship. Suddenly, the Garuda let forth a trilling chirp from atop the Kalavinka’s shoulder. “Oh, my companion is saying something,” the high priestess noted.
Angelina looked at Garuda. Only she could understand the holy avian’s words.
“Polaris Princess Angelina,” the Garuda said. “I will guide you from here.”
“You know Mishter Bai Ze, Mish Garuda?” Angelina asked.
“Yes. I can let you down near his dwelling place. Alas, I cannot guarantee that you will be able to meet him.”
Angelina bowed her head deeply. “Please do!”
“In that case, ask Nara to sing a celebratory song and share a portion of your divine power with me.”
“My divine power?”
“That’s right,” the Garuda answered. “Pat me with your right hand, which is infused with divine power. Usually, a powerful wish from the Kalavinka causes me to grow larger. Sadly, she has no such wish right now, and thus, we must use the divine power of the Polaris Princess.”
“Do I really have divine power?” Angelina asked while looking at her right hand. Apart from the Tianshi’s Protective Seal, it was a normal—albeit very small—hand.
“You do,” Ryuho answered decisively.
Angelina nodded. “And even if I don’t have divine power, this is to save Fodder! I have to try!” She balled her hand into a fist in a show of resolve. At that moment, wisps of light drifted out from between her fingers.
The Garuda had to squint while examining the effulgent light. “That is your divine power.”
“Nara,” Angelina said. “No, Mish Kalavinka. Please sing a celebratory song to the Garuda. She’s going to take me to Mishter Bai Ze.”
The Kalavinka nodded and took a deep breath. Before long, her song resounded throughout the frigid air of Mt. Jinlong. The lyrics, composed in ancient Jinlongian, celebrated the joy of life. The high priestess’s singing voice shook the trees, and the light filtering through the leaves illuminated the earth. As butterflies fluttered in the air, birds started to sing along with her.
“Amazing!” Angelina cried. “This is a celebratory song.”
The high priestess’s strength overwhelmed her. As such, the princess hardened her resolve as well.
“Please take me to meet Mishter Bai Ze, Mish Garuda!” Angelina cried, stroking the divine avian with her shining right hand.
The Garuda leaned into her touch, seeming to enjoy it. The light of divine power enveloped the divine avian, and she rapidly grew larger. After reaching her full size, the Garuda spread her wings to their full span.
“Incredible!” multiple daoshi cheered in unison.
The Garuda presented her back to Angelina. After placing Angelina on his own back, Ryuho hopped aboard the Garuda. With a shrill chirp, the divine avian soared upwards. All the while, the Kalavinka’s voice resounded across the frigid, blue sky. While responding with her own song, the Garuda circled the permanently snowy mountain and pierced the clouds.
As the divine avian grew increasingly distant, the Kalavinka squinted while looking at the sky. Please take Angelina to see the Bai Ze, Holy Garuda, she thought. Infused with that prayer, her celebratory song turned into light and rained down upon the earth.