The Dragon Awakens

Chapter Five

Mulan made her way slowly back to the house, stopping inside the gazebos and " ancestral shrine" her parents paid someone to keep up with. It was filled with headstones and candles no one ever lit, but she lit the one in front of the smaller dragon statue safe inside from the rain. When she made it back inside all the lights were off and she heard the white noise maker from her parent's room so she knew they were both sound asleep.

Mulan pushed open the door to her room and found a military uniform folded neatly on top of her bed, along with a small knapsack. Mulan locked the door behind her and undressed, pulling on the thick but breathable tan and green fabric. She tied on her belt and was very pleased to see you couldn't see her rather tiny breasts at all through the shirt. It was like it was made specifically for this reason. Mulan peered into her knapsack and found two more identical uniforms along with some first aid supplies. She'd dig around in the secret compartments later but right now she needed to do something more important.

Grabbing the scissors from her desk and flicking on the light in her bathroom, Mulan padded across the marble floor and stood in front of her wall-to-floor mirror. She ran her hand through her long, silky black hair and felt the tears rising in her eyes again. Her hair was her one pride in life, the one thing she knew without a doubt was the most beautiful thing she possessed. She cared for her hair more than anything else in the world, perhaps besides Khan.

And now she had to cut it all off.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a thick lock in her hands and sheered it off to right above her shoulder. She kept going, not even thinking as the locks fell to the ground around her. She wouldn't bother cleaning it up, the maid would get to it in the morning before her parents were even awake. 

Sighing and setting the scissors down, she pulled her bob up into a bun and grabbed her knapsack from the bed. She hesitated next to her bedside and pulled open the top drawer of her nightstand and removed the false bottom and pulled out a tiny, palm-sized shotgun and a small box of ammunition. She knew she'd be getting her own defenses in camp, but she felt safer having one of her own with her within easy reach. You never knew what could happen. 

Walking through the house she paused in front of the door to her father's office. It was open, and from here she could see the ceremonial samurai sword hanging on the wall above his desk. She didn't know why, but she stepped into the office and grabbed the sword, strapping it to her belt. The DA had taught her to use a wide array of weapons including swords, not to mention the fencing classes she'd taken at school. Strapping it to her belt, she finally felt ready.

She flicked the master lights so everything shut off at once and Mulan hurried outside to the stables where Khan would be waiting. It was still pouring out as Mulan heaved open the stable doors and Khan looked up from his stall and gave her an impassive look.

"Hello darling, it's been too long hasn't it?" she cooed, slipping him an apple.

He snorted as if to say "no shit" and Mulan chuckled as she grabbed his saddle and riding gear and started loading him up while feeding him a combination of apples, carrots, and oats.

"Okay, I think I have everything... Are you ready for this adventure Khan? We're going into the military with the big boys," she explained, opening the doors and leading him out into the rain. He shook his head and pranced a little in the mud and Lanie had the sense he was thinking about all the medals he'd earn. He was just like her, eager to please and be the best at everything. She rolled her eyes and swung herself up onto his leather saddle and snapped his reins and he took off through the front gates right as a massive bolt of lightning struck the fence.

Mulan prayed it wasn't a bad omen as she pushed Khan into a hard gallop away from the city and towards the rolling countryside where her training was to take place. It would take all night of hard riding and all morning to get there but she wasn't worried. She was only worried about her family members -mainly her grandmother- hunting her down and bringing her back home. Hopefully, if that did happen she'd be done with her task by then. 

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Just before sunrise, miles away from home, Mulan pulled Khan to a halt in front of a large stone sign advertising a national forest- equip with a camping ground. Technically it was closed but that wasn't stopping her from leading Khan around the posts and into the quiet campground. She looked around the cabins, amused at their different floral and fauna names when she spied one on the far side, tucked back into the trees labeled "orchid." Even from a few yards away she could see the key in the lock. Oh, how the DA thought of everything.

She led Khan over and brought him around the back of the cabin under the cover where a car would normally go and unloaded him and gave him some veggies before pushing open the door to the small cabin. More clothes sat on the bed and there was wood already in the fireplace with a box of matches next to it. It only took her seconds to make the fire and seconds longer to strip off her wet clothes and hang them up. Changing into her new clothes she collapsed into the bed and passed out into a dreamless sleep.