One week later (Thursday, May 19, 2022) Charlie’s apartment, TriBeCa, Manhattan, New York, United States

Jade got off the phone with Charlie. Ella was up and moving. That was good news, but Charlie also said she was worried about her. That she was too much a soldier now after such a short period.

Jade had tried to help by investigating magic in the city, and that had resulted in a complete disaster. She still struggled to understand what she could do to help. But she also thought about her promise to Ella to try and preserve her morality and ideals, Ella being lauded as a deity by fanatic legions of ancient warriors was a lot for anyone to stay grounded with. And if Jade understood the path Ella was taking, this was just the beginning.

So when Ella arrived from the medical facility, she looked different. Jade looked at her and realized what it was, she had not bothered with her contacts and her crystalline irises gleamed with prismatic light. The dark limbus around them making her look somewhat spooky.

She walked in with two bags slung over her shoulder as if they were nothing. Jade came up to help and struggled to pick up one.

She was accompanied by Bahu and a squad of soldiers who were setting up in another flat in the building.

And worst of all, she just looked dispassionate.

“Ella?” Jade assayed.

Ella turned around to face her roommate and friend and saw the concern in her eyes. “What’s up Jade. Hey! I’m up and feeling pretty great actually.”

“I know. And I’m glad. But… can we talk?”

Ella looked at her closely, she looked nervous, “Sure. but maybe not right now? I have to go to meet with Charlie’s boss. This evening?”

“OK.” It would work better if Charlie was also here, and Jade could think about what to say.

Ixus Capital, Midtown, Manhattan, New York, United States

When Ella came into Xu’s office she was dressed conservatively in a pantsuit. Maybe people might have noticed the slight bulge of a handgun under the flowing pants, certainly Xu did as he could smell the gunpowder.

He wrinkled his nose at the smell of the synthetics in her suit, she had not borrowed clothes from Charlie.

Something was off about her, something that made him uneasy.

Without ceremony Ella sat down and then motioned for him to do so. As if granting him permission to sit.

This girl was now playing games with him.

He paused and pointedly did not sit down but went to the bar cart and poured two drinks. He and Charlie had finished off the Lay Mou weeks ago. Instead he poured some Italian grappa. Another liquor he couldn’t stand, but often it was a game of who could endure discomfort better with humans.

Ella looked at the glass, took a sniff, and then drank a sip without any expression.

Xu sat down.

“So, Charlie has told me you requested to meet. I agreed. Here we are.” She was the supplicant, and he needed to establish his superior role in this relationship.

She smiled gently, her eyes glowing slightly. Xu looked again and saw her eyes were glowing crystals, like the Emperor’s. When had that happened?

“I feel you have not been entirely honest with me.” Ella sat there calmly and took another sip. “I have magic. And you sent me off the last time with half-truths about it despite my candor. I’ll have the truth.”

How did she know? He felt an urge to tell her but quashed it. Something about her was compelling him to answer.

“I am a dragon. Do not accuse me of lying. I have no idea what you mean…” He took a sip as well. Vile stuff.

She took another sip and almost seemed to savor it.

“You told me our own perceptions shape magic, and you could not share or teach. I do not think you were entirely truthful.”

“Even if I wasn’t. What does it matter?” The girl was being infuriatingly high-handed in this discussion. Arrogant child.

“It matters.” Her eyes began to glow. Xu almost recoiled in alarm. It had a familiar flavor, it was the same as what had happened north four weeks ago. He, and every dragon in this terrestrial realm, had felt a torrent of magic. Chaotic and unfiltered, it had been indiscriminate and terrifyingly powerful.

“You! That was you! You should be dead. That magic you cast, it was…” And he found himself at a loss for words. He was panicked. This girl was a walking catastrophe just waiting to go off.

“It was me using a nuclear weapon to swat a few flies,” Ella finished his sentence. “I have too much magic. I believe that makes it hard for me to do many things. I do not to be the limiting factor for what I can do.”

“It is worse than that,” Xu said. “You have at least two sources of magic, whatever the emperor has granted you and this other, more powerful but wilder magic. The… dissonance, it causes a turbulence in you that means most of what you cast is wasted.”

“Exactly. I can barely control it, and the efficiency is terrible. The power that is wasted must go somewhere and I believe it is doing something to me. This cannot continue. I need mastery.”

“And you want me to give that to you?”

“Yes.”

“Why should I? You promised I would fly free. You have not delivered your end of the deal.”

“Our deal was off the moment you lied to me. Here’s the new deal. The only deal. You will submit to me and help me control my magic and otherwise be of service. I will fulfill my part of the bargain and let you fly free.”

He felt a buzzing in his ears. How dare this child question him, make demands of him. He was angry in a way she would regret.

“I will propose another deal. I will refrain from eating you and you will leave.” He was snarling. He could feel himself wanting to transform and eat the girl. His eyes took on the appearance of vertical slits. His suit felt tight now.

She sat there calmly. But he felt it, her magic was building as well. It felt like what had happened before.

“You will kill yourself!” he said.

“Maybe. But I will certainly kill you as well. Control yourself lizard and let’s discuss our new deal.”

She dropped her magic entirely. Her eyes ceased glowing.

What made her so confident?

She answered his unspoken thought, “You should forego ego and not sit with your back to the window by the way.”

He spun around in his chair. Outside, hovering in front of his window, was an Apache attack helicopter. The buzzing muted by his specially installed windows.

There was a knock at the door and he turned back around to see two figured enter the room.

“I’d like to introduce you to Arcsa, My Prophet, and the Aqrabuamelu’s new High Priestess, confirmed two days ago, who has no name but we used to call Bahu.”

The two of them moved with assurance. Xu could not help but notice their wonderfully tailored clothing. He focused and could see the scorpion bottom halves, shifted slightly askew from this plane of existence.

They then both knelt to the ground and kowtowed towards the girl’s back in full obeisance. And waited kneeling.

The buzz of the helicopter behind him continued abated. An attack helicopter bearing US Army markings flying over the middle of Central Park openly. It was as naked a display of power imaginable.

Xu rose and moved to the side of the table and knelt, his forehead to the ground, to his sovereign.

“Please rise.” she said with equanimity, “This is just what must happen. But I am not interested in slaves. And the bowing is… uncomfortable.”

Xu stood back up and saw the two bugs do the same.

Arcsa smiled, “We met, once long ago. I wonder if you remember. It was when Ekerri had departed for the ascendant realm to wage war. We were freshly made, to keep the peace here. The tianlong attacked this plane, hoping to cut off Ekerri’s support lines.”

Xu thought back those days until a vision came to him, a scorpion warrior with a black spear, thrusting into and gutting the tianlong Wu Yi.

“You slew Five Wings of Heavens Gate.”

“I did. He fought fairly. I fought to win.”

“Will this be a problem?” Ella asked.

“As long as we kill Ekerri, not at all.” snarled Xu.

“Good. Because you are now the exchequer of my rule, such as it is.”

The three of them looked at Ella sharply.

“Did you think this was all take and no give? Your skills are in finance. So I will use them. Ekerri has suborned humans. He has money, find it. Your acumen is needed and so I will have it.”

“Besides,” she said slyly, as if letting them be on her side of the joke, “according to Charlie, you enjoy being the best at the accumulation of money more than the money itself, so now you get to truly prove it.”

As if his loyalty was a done deal, she turned and started issuing orders.

She turned to Arcsa, “Have your quartermasters sent here along with Charlie. Have Xu advise on the budgeting items, cash burn rates, and the rest. My impression is that the Aqrabuamelu are rich in the mortal sense, but in thirty thousand years, should be rich in the immortal sense as well. Have a report and revised investment strategy to build and maintain military readiness that is not reliant on borrowed national assets.”

“Xu, six a.m. I will be here everyday for magic lessons for 90 minutes. Clear that time.”

“Bahu…” she paused, “Sorry, High Priestess, go do whatever a High Priestess does.”