🐅 🐅 🐅
THE Garuda flew through a crimson cloud with Angelina and Ryuho on her back. The strange scenery seemed nothing like the upper air of Mt. Jinlong, for it was warm and soundless. A little while later, two Vermillion Birds circled the Garuda. Based on their different sizes, they appeared to be mother and child.
“Are you Mish Vermillion Bird from the Naming Trial?” Angelina asked.
The mother responded with a squawk, and something dropped from her beak. The object fit snugly onto Angelina’s head like a hat. Flustered, Angelina reached up to touch the object. It was as smooth as porcelain and had a solid yet gently curved surface.
“What’s this?” she asked.
Though she tried to look up at the Vermillion Birds again, they’d already disappeared into the clouds. In their place, a Phoenix appeared.
“That is the shell of the Vermillion Bird’s egg,” the Phoenix said. “You’ve been recognized as a godmother, Lina.”
“Your voice!” Angelina cried, tears spilling from her eyes. “Are you Mish Wicker Cabinet Princess?”
According to legend, a former princess had once been imprisoned in the storage shed. In the end, she’d suffered an untimely death. Angelina had freed the princess, and she now freely soared around the heavens as a Phoenix.
“Please wear that eggshell to your destination,” the Phoenix said. “It will surely be of help to you.”
When the Phoenix beat her wings, a rift formed in the crimson clouds. A dense, black forest spread out below them, and the Garuda descended towards it.
“Thank you so much, Mish Vermillion Bird!” Angelina called out, waving at the crimson clouds enthusiastically. “And you too, Mish Princess!”
The Phoenix waved back with her tail feathers. As she did so, rainbow light particles similar to iridescent scales rained down upon the forest, glittering all the while. The forest began turning green where the light particles fell as if the season was changing from winter to spring. Angelina’s eyes widened at the beautiful sight.
“That’s crazy awesome,” Ryuho said.
“Yeah!” Angelina agreed. “So pretty!”
The Garuda continued descending towards the forest. After alighting before a briar hedge, she said to Angelina, “This is the entrance.”
Both Angelina and Ryuho dismounted the Garuda. The dense briar cut off their path forward like a barricade. Angelina couldn’t even spot an animal trail. She could practically hear the unyielding will of the briar hedge telling her, “You shall not pass.”
“This is as far as I can take you,” the Garuda said. “Only those recognized by the Bai Ze can advance further.”
Angelina gulped back her anxiety and nodded. “Thank you so much. I’ll do my best, Mish Garuda!”
When Angelina pumped her fist, the Garuda let out a cheerful laugh. “I’m sure you’ll be able to meet him.”
That said, the divine avian took to the skies again. Angelina and Ryuho watched her beautiful form fade into the distance. Once she was out of sight, they turned to face the briar hedge. Thick, glossy leaves grew luxuriously from the thorny branches. Those branches overflowed with a vibrant lifeforce, appearing too hard to break.
“Is there someplace we can enter from?” Angelina asked, grazing a finger against one of the green leaves. “I want to meet Mishter Bai Ze.”
“I’ll burn all this briar to the ground!” Ryuho shouted.
When the briar quivered in response, Angelina threw her arms around Ryuho to stop him. “Don’t do it, Ryuho! It would make me sad if you hurt the briar.”
Ryuho cocked his head, not seeming to understand. “It would make you sad?”
“Yeah, it would.”
“Okay, I won’t burn it down then!”
After breathing a sigh of relief, Angelina turned to face the briar. “But we still need to pass through here. Could you bend just enough to let us through, Mishter Briar?”
Angelina folded her hands together and bowed to the briar. At that moment, a dim light radiated from her hands. In response, the barricade of briar parted just enough to let her pass, revealing a narrow animal trail.
“You’re letting me through?” Angelina asked.
A small green bud popped up on one of the nearby branches to provide confirmation.
“Hop on,” Ryuho said, presenting his back to Angelina.
“Okay!”
Once Angelina had seated herself on Ryuho’s back, he forced his way down the road, which had briar patches on either side. The path was too narrow for him, as it had only opened up wide enough for Angelina. Thus, the thorny branches tormented him from either side, attempting to push him away.
“Doesn’t that hurt, Ryuho?” Angelina asked, trying to scramble off his back. “I’ll go by myself.”
“It’s fine—I’m going with you!” Ryuho shot back, doing his best to act aloof. “This isn’t nearly enough to hurt a Flame Tiger!”
“But you’re bleeding…”
The briar that barred the path to the Bai Ze was sharp enough to wound even a Flame Tiger.
“I won’t leave your side over something this small!” Ryuho shouted, his tail flicking back and forth angrily. “I don’t back down to bullies!”
Angelina clung to Ryuho with all her might and ruffled his fur. His coat began radiating light, and the wounds inflicted by the briar disappeared within a moment.
“See?” Ryuho said with a triumphant laugh. “I’ll be fine as long as you heal me!”
That didn’t alleviate the ache in Angelina’s chest. Ryuho would still have to experience the initial pain, regardless of whether she could heal him.
“I hate seeing you get even a little hurt…” she mumbled.
As tears spilled from her azure eyes and sank into the ground, the briar rustled and parted even wider. The path was now broad enough for a Flame Tiger to pass through safely.
“Thank you so much, Mishter Briar!” Angelina cried, her face lighting up.
While the briar leaves waved back to her in a fluttering motion, Ryuho began marching down the road. They couldn’t see far ahead since the road was full of twists and turns. Furthermore, the briar closed behind them as they advanced. Angelina quivered when she saw that. There was no turning back from here on out.
“Black bear walking down the road!” Ryuho began singing loudly, hoping to encourage her.
“Clap, clap, clap!” Angelina sang along.
Relief washed over Ryuho when he heard her lively voice. He didn’t want her to be afraid.
I’m not afraid of anything when I’m with Lina! Ryuho thought. That’s why I have to protect her!
As Ryuho wagged his tail and continued walking, a small bronze door appeared in front of them. A depiction of the Blue Dragon was engraved on its surface. Ryuho tried shoving his head against the door, but even a Flame Tiger’s strength couldn’t open it despite its small appearance.
“Must be locked,” Ryuho said, his face scrunching up in irritation.
“How do you think it opens?” Angelina asked.
The pair stared at the bronze door intently, and after a while, Ryuho tried ramming his body into it. At that moment, hail rained from the sky, clattering here and there as it struck the earth.
“Whoa!” Ryuho shouted.
“Eep!” Angelina squealed.
As Angelina scrambled to shield Ryuho, he also threw his forepaws around her. Just then, a piece of hail whacked her eggshell helmet.
Bristling, Ryuho unleashed a jet of fire up at the sky. “Cut the crap!” he shouted. “If you hurt Lina, it’s over for you! I’ll burn the sky to a crisp, and it’ll never be able to rain again!”
The hail stopped falling at once. Perhaps Ryuho’s yelling had startled it. In any case, Angelina looked up at the sky timidly. As she did so, her eggshell helmet split open with a crack.
“Oh no!” Angelina yelped.
The eggshell fragments transformed into three long-tailed lizards, which scurried away and disappeared into the briar thicket.