Dragon Dreams, Part II
Matthew was starting to consider packing it in and heading back home when he saw her. It was eerie - he was irrationally compelled to turn around, from his vantage at the top of the hill, and when he did, he found himself staring into the eyes of the most attractive woman he'd ever seen.
"You are looking for me." The words flow from her mouth like honey, and she does not ask it, but rather states an obvious fact. She seems…amused with Matthew, with his appearance. With growing inward horror, Matthew realizes that the tiny squiggle on her outfit is a VIPER symbol. Matthew stares at the stylized snake for a few silent moments. "Shuk-Wah," he then says in a neutral voice. Matthew watches her warily, slowly easing forward onto the balls of his feet.
VIPER! he thinks. Oh Lord, she's with VIPER, and she knows who I am! Matthew is filled with sudden fear for his family and friends. There's a chance that she hasn't told them about me, but how can I trust that?
"There are many things of which we should speak," he says somewhat formally in Chinese. "Yes," Matthew continues softly, thinking of the VIPER symbol, "Many things..."
The beautiful woman tosses the mane of white hair back and laughs quietly. "I am sure you have questions," she says, gesturing to a stairway that leads to a walk-up apartment. Without a word, she turns and gracefully glides up the steps, and through a doorway.
Inside the apartment, it is as if Matthew has stepped into old China. Shuk-Wah slips off silk slippers at the door - her feet are tiny, and perfectly formed - before sitting on a cushion. She gestures for Matthew to follow, and moments later, tea is brought by a servant. Shuk-Wah merely waits, a small, amused smile playing on her lips.
"You have been watching me," Matthew says his voice neither friendly nor hostile. "Why?"
She shrugs. "I watch the one who tries to suppress he whom I love." Her voice bubbles with amusement. She continues, "I wait, for the changing, for the end to the curse that has plagued us for hundreds of your generations."
Curse? Matthew thinks. What curse? Oh..... I never thought of it like that.
"Who exactly are you, Shuk-Wah?" Matthew paused briefly. "That is the name I was given, is that what you wish to be called?"
"I have existed for millennia," she says. "I am the purest form of life on the planet. Your life is short, a ghostly whisper in the course of time. This curse - this binding of a human body to my beloved's soul - this will end with you." She sits placidly, regarding Matthew.
That sounds rather ominous. "So after centuries it all comes to and end now. But why now? And how exactly is this end to come about?" Matthew's eyes narrow. I have a feeling I'm NOT going to like the answer.
"It is the time of the next joining," she answers, her accent timeless. "The term of the curse was to be the duration of one cycle. The cycle is at an end."
Matthew nods his understanding, yet Shuk-Wah has not answered one question that is prominent in his mind. "If this comes to an end," he asks, "You imply that the Dragon will be free of me, but how will that affect me?"
She shrugs again. "I am not sure," she says. "Nor is it of any importance to me. You have enslaved Him long enough."
Is this true? thinks Matthew. Could we have been keeping him against his will? He never said anything about that. I always thought that he was part of me... well, perhaps what I thought was wrong. Certainly, other things about our relationship have proved to be different that what I was told.
I can't keep him against his will, not if he is truly an independent being. What am I going to do? Shuk-Wah seems content to watch and wait for the Dragon. At least she isn't trying some spell to force the issue. I wouldn't put that past anyone who works for VIPER. VIPER...
"I must talk about this matter with him," Matthew says quietly. "In the meantime, you might want to reevaluate some of your current associations." He looks pointedly at the VIPER symbol on her outfit. "Your impending reunion may be disrupted - He bears no love for VIPER, and will doubtless be displeased with the situation."
She raises an eyebrow at him. "You will return." Again, there is no question here, and with a wave of her hand, Matthew is dismissed.
Matthew rises, thanks her for the tea, and politely bows. Shortly, he finds himself back on the street.
Wow, I've got to tell someone about this, at the very least, someone else needs to know about the VIPER connection. Grandfather seems to be still somewhat in awe of Shuk-Wah, otherwise I'd confide in him. I need someone who won't be intimidated by everything that's been happening...
Matthew sets off at a quick pace for Mark Burton's apartment.
"...and so I left."
Matthew sits amid the friendly chaos of a bachelor pad. Piles of dirty and clean laundry adorn most available surfaces, and the dirty dishes in the sink are piles high. Something is growing on them, but Matthew doesn't want to investigate it too closely. The ugly green sofa on which he sits clashes horribly with the virulent orange carpet. Matthew's eyes are saved from this horror however, since the sheer mass of junk lying about conceals most of the floor.
Mark Burton, grad student, resident, and newfound sidekick, shoves aside a pile of old newspapers and sits in a dingy recliner across from Matthew. He whistles long and low.
"Ouch. And to top it all, she works for VIPER..."
Matthew frowns at this. "That puzzles me," he comments. "Given how she spoke about humans, why would she ally herself with any, let alone VIPER? I have a feeling she's using them rather than the opposite."
He sighs. "I guess it doesn't matter too much," he continues. "For whatever reason, Shuk-Wah is likely to be one their side if we ever come to a confrontation."
And she's got the Dragon's power with millenia of experience behind it, he thinks. That would be as abd as running into that Mech again.
"She didn't tell you how this coming change would affect you did she?"
"No. I got the feeling that she considered the matter below her notice. She probably never even considered it."
"Mark's mouth twisted in concentration. "Would your grandfather know?" he asked.
"I doubt it," replies Matthew. "Even with his previous experience, I think I'm different somehow. Things have always been different with me."
Now that I think about it, there must have been a lot of things he didn't know or expect with me. He hides things so well, sometimes its difficult to tell. Certainly, this entire Shuk-Wah thing has caught him by surprise.
"I don't suppose we can fight this at all...?"
Matthew shakes his head. "Grandfather says his tea will become less effective with time. Other than that, I wouldn't know where to start. However, I still don't know whether it would be right to fight this. If the Dragon really wants to be free of me, how could I possibly prevent it? I won't be a willing party to keeping it captive against its will."
"What we need," Mark begins, springing to his feet and pacing about the room. "Is one of those Chinese wizards you always see in martial arts movies." The nimble grad student weaves his way around the obstacles on the floor without even noticing them. Evidently a sixth-sense for such things is a requirement in this apartment.
"I mean," he continues, "There's always this really old guy who practices magic and knows everything. He always seems to need something done, and is willing to exchange information or a spell for a service." Mark cocks an eye at his friend. "I don't suppose you know of any?"
Matthew grins at his Mark's imagination. "Nope, not me. People like that would be WAY to interested in the Dragon, so even if I knew of one, I would have avoided him before now."
Yeah, he thinks, all I need is some wizard wanting a bit of Dragon tail to complete that potion...
"Hmmm..." Mark paces a bit more. "What does the Dragon think of all this?"
"I don't know," answers Matthew. "I've been hesitant to ask. I'm afraid he might take over if I release my control enough to talk. While I don't want to keep him a prisoner, neither do I wish to become one. What I need is a middle or neutral ground of some type. Somewhere in between where we can simply talk to one another."
"Therefore, the usefulness of a wizard..." Mark continues his pondering. "In China, Dragons were considered to be deities, members of the Celestial Court. Now, even the gods had to obey rules - calling it the Court certainly implies some semblance of structure and protocol. Why not engage the Dragon on sacred ground?"
"Ummm..." Matthew thinks this over quickly. "I don't know if I'd care for him manifesting in a church, especially given how Westerners and Christians typically view Dragons..."
"No, no," Mark shakes his head. "You'd want something more neutral, since you're Christian. It'd have to be Eastern to be familiar to you both, but not either one's home territory."
"Now, there are several Buddhist temples in the area. I'm certain there's a monastery within a couple hours driving distance - this IS California after all. Something out of the city would be best. We could even enlist the aid of the monks, since holy men are supposed to have some influence..."
Mark and Matthew continue talking into the evening. Finally, Matthew gets up to leave.
"You're sure you're going to be OK?" Mark asks, slightly worried about Matthew's downcast expression.
"Yes," Matthew nods. "Its just that I can feel him moving again. The tea doesn't work for as long as it used to... I'd better go, I might not have much time left."
He leaves.
Matthew did not drive his car to Mark's, so he breaks into a fast trot and jogs home. Although the pace is only moderate for him, he would probably have outran most track stars. Matthew finds some solace in the steady pounding of his feet and the passage of San Francisco about him.
He take a shortcut through several little used alleys, turning into Chinatown by a route calculated to have few observers. Still, as he lopes his way towards home, Matthew can't shake the feeling of something waiting for him...