It was Den – no, Densissimus Imber, the Dragon King of Caltrop Pond – who stepped forward to meet Baron Claymouth.

Even though I’d never seen them interact before, I doubted that in any previous situation, the baron would have fallen to his knees and genuflected before the neighbor whose partying caused so many noise complaints.

But it was different now. Den was different now. For one thing, he was much bigger. For another, he stood at the head of an army. And above all else, there was something more confident about him now. More purposeful. Regal, even.

Gone was that happy-go-lucky air, the sense that he cared about nothing beyond the next flask of ale that a fellow partyer would pass him, or the next rollicking tune that the musicians would play, or the next overly intricate step in the choreography of the Dawn Dance. There was pride in the way he carried himself, with his shoulders flung back, his head held high, and his neck arched so his pearl gleamed in the sun – not because he was displaying it like an insecure dragon who fretted over his own insignificance, but because letting it show was simply a consequence of his posture. And whatever you thought of its size was your problem, not his.

Here was a dragon who knew his worth.

I approved. I also congratulated myself on his transformation.

King Densissimus Imber gazed down at the ruler of the fief that surrounded his. “Baron Claymouth, please rise. There is no need for such formality between good neighbors.”

The baron was too intimidated to react to the “good neighbors” bit. He got back to his feet and bowed low, almost as low as he had to Flicker and me. “You do me too much honor, Your Majesty.”

Den accepted that as his due. “We have much to discuss, you and I, but first I must pay my respects to the Emissary from Heaven.”

“Yes, of course.” The baron stepped back to let him pass, bowing again like a seneschal in his own castle.

The taskforce must have decided on an order of procession beforehand, because without a word, Floridiana fell in behind Den, followed by the Jeks (with Mistress Jek holding Taila’s hand to keep her from running off). Next came Bobo, slithering forward as gracefully as a bamboo viper could. The others had honored her seniority on the taskforce instead of relegating her to the back, I was glad to see. At some point while Flicker and I were addressing the crowd, Stripey had flown off and doubled around to join the taskforce. Now he was waddling along just behind Bobo. (Recognizing the leader of the bandits who plagued his people, Baron Claymouth frowned. Seneschal Anasius’ mouth turned upside down. But neither dared comment.) Behind Bobo and Stripey came Masters Gravitas and Rattus, side by side in their human forms. The rat spirit was still half a head shorter than the cat spirit, who padded along with an inscrutable smile. I honestly thought that Master Rattus cut a more impressive figure as an oversized rat. Finally, Lord Magnissimus and Captain Rock brought up the rear.

When Den arrived at a spot below us that was close enough that he wouldn’t need to shout, but far enough that he wouldn’t need to crane his head upward at an undignified angle, he stopped and bowed deeply. Taking a cue from him, the others followed suit.

I’d wondered if they would genuflect, but perhaps a dragon couldn’t stomach getting on his knees for a mere clerk. Or perhaps Den was canny enough, or had been advised by someone canny enough (probably Floridiana), to use this method to establish that he ranked above the baron. Either way, after a moment of consideration, I approved.

Glow more brightly, I whispered to Flicker, who whispered back, “I can’t. I’m at full brightness.”

Then pulse or something. Do something flashy.

I had no idea what star sprites were capable of, but Flicker obeyed, letting waves of his golden light sweep outward across the courtyard. Then he seemed to remember something else he could do, and he began to ripple his light from head to toe like a waterfall, over and over. Judging by all the oohs and aahs, it was an glorious sight.

Excellent.

Now welcome them. Say, “Densissimus Imber, Dragon King of Caltrop Pond, Heaven is pleased!”

Flicker gulped at invoking Heaven’s name for this decidedly extra-official enterprise, but he repeated it.

An echo of his trepidation flashed across Den’s face before he replied, “O Messenger from Heaven, O Emissary, we beg your leave to present Lord Magnissimus of the Jade Mountains and the representative of King Haplor of the Jade Mountains, Captain Rock.”

Murmurs and whispers swept through the courtyard. “Jade Mountains – ” “Wilds – ” “Demons?!” “No, can’t be – they report to Heaven – ”

The two demons lumbered forward, sullenly. Neither bowed until Floridiana shot them a glare. Then the rock macaque lowered his head about an inch. If that mountain of a wild boar did too, the motion was so slight that it got lost in all his bristles.

I looked at the two over the edge of Flicker’s palm. I knew my role here, ironic though it was. Be welcome, Lord Magnissimus, Captain Rock. We thank you for your piety and your obedience to the will of the gods.

Lord Magnissimus snorted. Captain Rock muttered something that I couldn’t make out, but that was fine. From the taskforce’s expressions, it was unworthy of the ears of an Emissary from Heaven anyway.

Flicker was so shocked that he stopped pulsing.

Keep going, I hissed. Now tell them: “You and the army you have brought will play a crucial role in the battle to come! For too long have the good people of the Claymouth Barony – nay, all the fiefs that border Black Sand Creek! – endured the depredations of this demon! You shall purge the river of this evil that calls itself “Lord Silurus”! And in return, you shall earn the gratitude of Heaven!”

(Well, some parts of Heaven, anyway. Aurelia’s, at the very least.)

With a grimace he couldn’t quite conceal, Flicker repeated that. He didn’t put as much drama and conviction into it as I’d have liked.

Tell them: “Go forth, soldiers of Heaven! The will of the Jade Emperor goes with you!” Oh wait – don’t say that yet!

Here was where Flicker needed to raise his arms with a beatific smile and explode into golden motes for maximal impact – except that his disappearance would leave me tumbling through the air to fall splat on the flagstones and demonstrate to all present that the Emissary from Heaven was not invincible.

Hmmm.

Stripey solved the problem by flying up to us and hovering so his back was level with Flicker’s palms. “Allow me, Emissary.”

Gratefully, I stepped onto his back, and he glided back down to earth. Any sense of hilarity among our audience at seeing a turtle ride a duck was overwhelmed an instant later, when Flicker raised his arms and repeated (with less rousing spirit than I’d have used), “Go forth, soldiers of Heaven! The will of the Jade Emperor goes with you!”

Then he dissolved into motes and fled back to his office. Probably to a waiting room full of souls to process for reincarnation.

There were more oohs and aahs, and the crowd broke up into chattering groups, torn between returning to their abandoned tasks or hanging around in hopes of another lightshow.

“Mr. Turtle! That was amazing!”

As soon as Stripey touched down, Taila sprang forward. She would have scooped me up in the most undignified way imaginable if her mother hadn’t seized the back of her tunic.

“Jek Taila! Remember where you are!”

“Oops.” Catching herself, Taila bobbed a bow at me.

Bobo slithered up, grinning. “That was ssso ex-sssiting! That was ssso awesssome! Now they’ll all help us!”

Floridiana cleared her throat. Not quite looking me in the eye, she said, “Emissary, if it so please you, our new allies, Lord Magnissimus and Captain Rock, would be honored to greet you.”

It did please me – if not the two demons from the Jade Mountains. I inclined my head. You may speak.

The wild boar pawed once at the ground, then stopped when his hoof gouged a deep line through a flagstone. “I wasn’t toooold anything about serving Heeeeaven.” He cast an accusing glare at Den. “I was promiiiised the largest catfish I’ve ever seeeen. To eeeeat,” he specified, just in case I hadn’t guessed.

The rock macaque grumbled, “I wasn’t told nothin’ about helping Heaven either. I’m here because my king ordered it.”

There must have been quite a story behind that order, because unless a dramatic shift had occurred in past centuries, demon kings didn’t split off part of their armies to fight in a fief halfway across Serica. There were too many other demons to fight closer to home. Often at home.

“We’ll explain later,” Den mouthed, spoiling his dignified dragon king image somewhat.

As long as you take down Lord Silurus, your motivations are unimportant, I informed the two demons.

Actually, what I really wanted to do was grill them about the Jade Mountains: who the rulers were, how the borders were drawn, what the ever-shifting alliances looked like for now, whether the cataracts still crashed down from the peaks in the summer and the rivers blazed with scarlet leaves in the autumn…. But that would have to wait.

Summon the baron, I commanded, not addressing anyone in particular.

Baron Claymouth and Anasius had been hovering on the fringes of our group, waiting for just this audience. They hurried up and prostrated themselves before me – and, by extension, Stripey. Anasius looked as if he were sipping bitter medicinal tea.

Baron Claymouth, you may rise. We are pleased by your loyalty. (I was also pleased to leave that spiteful seneschal on his knees.) Heaven will not forget your courage and your devotion in joining our army against that most foul demon.

“Of course, Emissary! It is an honor that Heaven has called upon us, of all the fiefs that border Black Sand Creek, to join in this glorious cause. Whatever assistance we may provide, ask and it shall be yours.”

Good. Then the first thing we require is a secure conference room where we may discuss our plans. All of a sudden, I remembered the demon horde waiting just outside the castle gates. I couldn’t let it get bored or hungry, or it would wander off to eat humans. In addition, we require a place to quarter our army.

The baron must have had the same thought. “Anasius, see to it. Lord Magnissimus, Captain Rock, my seneschal will guide you to a location where your army can stay.”

Looking as if he hoped he would only be a guide, and not dinner, the whistling duck spirit bustled off alongside the demons. As they left, I heard the wild boar ask, “So, whaaaat is a piiiig?”

I would have loved to watch Anasius deal with a whole demon army, but alas, I didn’t have time to spectate.

One of the baron’s retainers led Taila away to play with the baron’s own children, and the baron himself showed the taskforce to his Great Hall. Taking my place in the center of the head table, I dismissed him and ordered, Master Rattus, please see to it that we are not disturbed.

Rat spirits were quite useful in that regard. Master Rattus walked straight to the wall behind the table, pushed aside a tapestry, and chittered into a crack between two stones.

Now, I said to Den and Floridiana, tell me what happened in the Jade Mountains. How powerful are you, and what abilities have you gained?

At that, the dragon perked up. “Whoo boy, have we got a story for you!”