Ashes. A promise beyond death

Chapter 11: The Night the Dragon Came

The moon hung high above the Water Palace, casting a silver glow over the tiled rooftops and lush gardens below. Yu Bin made her way down the narrow stone path that led from the training pavilion to her wing of the palace. Her limbs were tired from the day’s drills, but her mind refused to rest.

She had spent hours that day under Master Bao Fang’s ever-watchful eyes, each moment both frustrating and illuminating. Yet, even the master’s stern wisdom hadn’t succeeded in dulling the flicker of restlessness in her chest.

The night air was cool, carrying the scent of plum blossoms and damp earth. Yu Bin passed her chambers but didn’t go inside. Instead, she turned toward the garden.

The garden behind the palace was vast and ancient, filled with willow trees, marble bridges, and stone lanterns. It had always been her favorite place to walk when sleep evaded her. The stars twinkled above, bright and clear, and a hush lay over the grounds as if the world were holding its breath.

As she walked deeper into the garden, she noticed something odd. A faint red glow shimmered through the trees. Curious, she followed it.

It led her past the koi pond, past the weeping cherry tree, until she reached a small, hidden clearing she had never seen before. There, standing still in the middle of the space, was Xian Chen.

He held an open book in his hands—its cover a deep crimson that shimmered unnaturally in the moonlight. His lips moved silently, his gaze fixed intently on the glowing pages.

Yu Bin blinked, stepping cautiously behind a nearby bush. She wasn’t sure why she was hiding, only that something about the air felt charged. Then, as Xian Chen spoke the final word of whatever chant he was reciting, the world shifted.

A sudden gust of wind swept the garden. The red glow from the book shot upward, spiraling like a storm into the night sky. The wind howled and the trees bent, and then—

With a thunderous crackle of magic, a massive shape exploded into existence above the clearing.

Yu Bin gasped.

A dragon.

Its scales shimmered like molten silver under the moon, and its great wings stirred the trees as it hovered above the ground. Its eyes glowed a deep, intelligent blue, and when it opened its mouth, a deep voice rumbled through the air.

"You summoned me, Master."

Yu Bin’s hands flew to her mouth. She stumbled into the clearing, her eyes wide.

"Xian Chen! Xian Chen, that’s a dragon! A dragon!"

Xian Chen, calm as a still lake, closed the red book gently. "Yes. He is a dragon."

She turned to him, pointing frantically. "And he can talk! Did you hear him?! He talks!"

The dragon huffed, a plume of smoke curling from his nostrils. "Of course I can talk. Do you think I flap my wings and grunt like a beast?"

Yu Bin stared at the dragon, then at Xian Chen, and back again. "Why are you not more surprised?!"

Xian Chen tilted his head slightly. "Because I’ve met him before."

The dragon arched his neck proudly. "My name is Longwei. I serve the House of Heaven. And this—" he motioned toward Xian Chen "—is my bonded master."

Yu Bin blinked. Her heart pounded. Part of her wanted to scream, another part wanted to bow, and yet another part just wanted to reach out and touch the dragon’s glowing scales.

"I’ve never seen anything like you," she said breathlessly.

Longwei turned his gleaming blue eyes toward her. "And yet, you once did."

Yu Bin furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

The dragon said nothing, only smiled—or what passed for a smile on his enormous face. There was something strange in the way he looked at her, a familiarity she could not place.

Xian Chen cleared his throat. "Longwei, she’s never flown before."

The dragon’s eyes widened. "Never?"

Yu Bin stepped back. "Wait, what are you—"

"Climb on," Longwei said, lowering one massive foreleg.

Yu Bin glanced at Xian Chen, who was already walking forward and placing a hand on Longwei’s scaled shoulder.

"You’re serious?" she asked.

"You said you couldn’t sleep," Xian Chen replied. "Might as well do something memorable."

Despite her shock, Yu Bin couldn’t resist. She approached, heart pounding, and climbed up with Xian Chen’s help. The dragon’s back was warm beneath her fingers, the texture of his scales rough and ancient.

Longwei let out a mighty roar, then spread his wings wide.

Moments later, the ground fell away beneath them.

Yu Bin gasped as they soared above the Water Palace. The garden shrank to a dot, the koi ponds shimmered like spilled ink under the moonlight. The air was cool and sharp, rushing past her cheeks and tugging at her hair. She gripped Longwei’s spine tightly.

Xian Chen sat behind her, calm and composed. "Breathe."

"I am breathing!" she shouted over the wind. "Just not calmly!"

The dragon climbed higher, circling the palace towers before turning toward the lake beyond. Stars surrounded them, and the moon was suddenly closer than she’d ever seen.

Yu Bin's eyes sparkled. "This is incredible!"

"It is only the beginning," Longwei rumbled.

They flew in silence for a while, the only sound the beat of wings and the whisper of the sky. Far below, the mountains rose like slumbering giants, and the rivers coiled like silver snakes.

Yu Bin leaned forward. "Why do I feel like... this isn’t the first time I’ve done this?"

Longwei didn’t answer directly.

"Some things,” he said, “are remembered by the heart before the mind."

She turned to glance back at him. "What do you mean?"

But Longwei did not elaborate.

Eventually, they returned to the garden clearing, and Longwei landed with barely a thud. Yu Bin slid off his back, breathless and exhilarated.

She turned to the dragon. "Thank you. That was... unbelievable."

Longwei bowed his head. "We will fly again, Princess."

Xian Chen helped her down fully, then looked at Longwei. "You should go before someone else sees."

The dragon gave a huff of approval, then with a shimmer of light, vanished into the night, leaving only the rustle of trees behind.

Yu Bin stared at the empty sky.

"I’ll never sleep tonight," she said softly.

"Then tomorrow’s training will be interesting," Xian Chen replied.

She glanced at him, her expression still stunned. "You’re really full of surprises."

"You have no idea," he murmured.

And with that, they walked side by side back toward the palace.

The garden was silent again—but the night had changed something. The sky had opened. The world had grown bigger.

And Yu Bin was no longer just a princess.

She had touched the wind.

She had met a dragon.