Chinese Touch

Chapter 24-Battle Wounds

I smirked at the soldiers and put my hands on the statues beside me. As I did, the soldiers seemed to realise what was going on. They charged into the room and, as if on command, the other Changers put their hands down too. There were flashes of light all through the Lair. I looked, calculating numbers. Moments ago, we had been one-hundred men strong, the Emperor with five times more men. Now, we had tripled the number of dragons, but some were confused without riders. A nearby roar snapped me from my daze and I screamed as I saw an imperial dragon running straight at me. A horse ran beside me and breathed fire at the dragon-wait, what? The horse changed into a dragon and I realised it was one of the ones I'd summoned: a shifter. The dragon on the other side of me roared; a three-element.

I heard a familiar roar from behind me and spun around to see Ai fighting a death dragon. The same one that had nearly killed him on the mountain. He roared again and blew the death dragon back with a gust of air before it could let out its deadly poison. I saw Tao right up the back of the room, huddled with a group of healer dragons and accompanied by about five children. Pearl was fighting off anyone who came too close, ushering injured Changers or their Summoned to the healers. I ran over to the group and they cried out in joy when they saw me.

"You guys okay?"

"Yes Ming, we're fine. Have you seen my sister?"

"Yeah, I think I saw Yuan Summoning more dragons over there! Speaking of, I'd better go and Summon some more dragons. There are still lots of statues, and I know the Emperor has at least one Changer."

"Who, me?" Asked a sour voice from behind me. I whirled around to see Huang sitting on his dark dragon.

"So you did summon a dark one!" I cried, waving for Ai. He ran over to me and swooped me up, tossing me onto his back.

"Yes, I did. And I hear you have a dark dragon too!" He raised his voice so nearly everyone could hear. Many of the Changers turned their heads when they heard this.

"So!?" I cried, standing up for Yuan. "It doesn't matter the type of dragon. It matters who and how they use their power!"

"That's true, Ming. I should have told them sooner. I don't know what I was so afraid of!" Yuan charged Li into Huang's dragon's side. It roared in protest and turned on Li but Huang pulled it back, turning it on me.

"Ai, attack!" I cried. Ai roared and fired a four-element shot at Huang. His dragon dodged and fired pure darkness at me. I screamed as it came close, but it never hit. A figure leapt into the line of fire and screamed in pain as she was hit.

"Sister!"

"Bao!" I cried, leaping from Ai. He looked at me and I waved for him to continue fighting. He nodded and turned around, then I pulled Bao to the healer dragons.

"Can you help her?"

"Bao..." Chang whispered, nudging her Summoner. "I can heal her, but not here. There's not enough power here. I have to take her somewhere else."

"Anything. Just heal her. Heal her." Chang was about to lifted Bao when the injured woman opened her eyes.

"Ming... Ming, I have to... To tell you something. Why you're the... Why you're the Empress. Ai... The light dragons aren't... Aren't the strongest. Ai is." Her breathing was ragged and sharp, her words slurring just the tiniest bit.

"No, that's not possible."

"There's only one... One four-element every... Thousand years."

"But Yuan said there were four-elements in the stables."

"I lied. The woman speaks the truth." Yuan said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "That's why we all agreed that you would take over. That's how you knew the way back here. That's why I want to give you this." She handed me the light dragon egg.

"Wha-"

"I have to take Bao before it's too late!"

"I'm sorry Chang, go ahead. I'll see you some day. Bye, Bao." She didn't respond.

"Only the strongest Changer can summon a four-element. You. So you can summon a light dragon with ease!"

"I don't know if I can."

"Look around. Look at what you've achieved. You can do this."

There was a yowl from behind me and I turned to see Ai standing over Huang and his dragon. I smiled, but the smile was soon wiped from my face when I saw Hua grinning at me.

"Come fight me, little girl. I have a surprise for you." He ran out the entrance and I followed, instructing Yuan to keep the battle going. Ai and I ran outside, the egg in my grasp, and waited for the Emperor. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Hua!? Where are you!?"

There was a massive roar from behind me and Ai whirled around. I gasped as I saw Hua standing on the head of a massive dark dragon, easily three times bigger than Ai.

"I'm right here!"