SKY OF PAPER: AN ASIAN STEAMPUNK FANTASY

CHAPTER 36

The dragon visited my dreams again that night.

He was lying in the fields.

A low, fierce rumbling vibrated in his throat.

I found myself standing next to him as he lifted his mighty head and gazed menacingly at me, like a hawk watching a mouse. Though I was a bit nervous, I was no longer scared of him.

At that moment, I realized a feature about him that I had not noticed before. His eyes were the same brilliant silver as mine.

"When my world ends," he bellowed, "you will become just like me, a solitary creature, alone amongst the wheat."

I wanted to ask him what he meant by his words, but his enormous tail swung into my chest, striking the air from my lungs. My body flew backwards and tumbled to the ground, but I quickly propped myself back up, determined to present my question. The creature struck me again before I could ask.

I woke up, to see Kassashimei, who had earlier been sleeping in the futon next to me, rasping her fist against my chest.

"Wake up," she demanded.

"Stop it." I sat up and grabbed her hand. "That's really rude you know. And it's still night. What could you possibly want?"

"There's something happening on this ship, I can feel it."

"What's happening? What are you talking about."

She gave me a certain triumphant gaze, as if she were proud of realizing some hidden secret. In the time that I’d spent with her, I’d come to fear that look.

"The spirits are restless tonight," she said. "Something is going to happen. You must follow me."

"No, I won't," I said, lying back down and pulling the covers over my head. "You can go and explore as much as you want for all I care, but I'm not going to risk getting into trouble again."

I heard her grumble, then felt her hand reach underneath the covers and yank at my collar. I squirmed in protest, but she managed to drag me out of the futon. Sprawled across the bare floor, I groaned in frustration. She kneeled down next to me and hovered her face over mine.

"You must trust me."

There was a smugness about her, the kind that pretended to boast that she knew more about the world than anyone else. She then got up and slid the door open, waving me to follow her.

I knew that no matter what I did or said, I could not convince her to stay in the room. Though I imagined it would’ve probably served her right if she got caught, I felt the reluctant need to keep her safe. So, with a dreary groan, I proceeded to follow her.

We slipped past the quarters caretaker who slept in a small room at the dorm entrance. All was silent except for the subtle creaks that whispered from the hull and the small snores that emanated through the thin walls of some of the rooms.

"Why do you keep doing this?" I whispered. "You never make any sense. This is the emperor's ship, we must behave ourselves."

I took Kassashimei by the wrist in hopes of taking her back. When she faced me, I suspected that she was finally starting to listen, but instead, she reached up and flicked her finger on my forehead. She then pursed her lips and watched me with inspecting eyes, humming curiously to herself. No doubt she was a strange girl, but tonight she seemed even stranger still.

"Are you, or are you not the little dragon boy?" she asked.

I squeezed my grip and savagely shook her.