Love and War: Short Story Collection

A Fire Dragon - Karmen Kramer

Welcome readers to the second Love and War event. Authors chose a mystery story board from an advent calendar. If an author chose an odd number they had to write a naughty story, but for even numbers, stories had to be nice. All stories needed to be Christmas themed, include all five items from their story board and be between 2-6k words. Once an author competed their first nice or naughty story, they could then write one that was the opposite.

As usual, you can find all the author's details at the end of each short.

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A Fire Dragon - Karmen Kramer

“Shi Lang! What are you doing?” A high pitched voice rings over the spacious cave.

“Decorating,” Shi Lang answers calmly while hanging red glass ornaments on a tree.

“Why did you drag a tree inside? Are you making a playground for me? How can I enjoy it with all that glass?” The voice is still high pitched, but much closer. Shi Lang looks down at his feet, and there she is. His tiny companion. The dark red fur glistens with snow, her golden eyes are accusing him silently for things he has no idea about.

“Still unable to hold your human form? Dayin, it’s been five hundred years. If you’d take cultivating half as seriously as you do playing, you would have no problems staying human for more than half an hour,” Shi Lang shakes his head. The little squirrel at his feet huffs and puffs in anger every time he brings up cultivating.

He ignores her little tantrum and dedicates himself to making the tree look nicer. Should he add a different colour? But, red is his favourite. He even dresses in red all the time. His outer robe is burgundy red flowing to black today. All the gold embroidering stands out in stark contrast. Soft burgundy coloured pants and a bright red shirt complement his exquisite taste. Of course, the long sleeves are a bit of a nuisance with decorating, but he can’t be all savage and only half dressed. Not even in the comfort of his own home. That’s another thing Dayin doesn’t understand. One would think that being over five hundred years old she would understand the concept of clothes. There are several steps to proper garments, but she only uses a semi transparent outer robe.

The little tease is driving him crazy with her behaviour. He has to give her the kudos of accomplishing what no one else ever has. In ten thousand years no one ever got under his skin like she does. He loves her dearly, but at the rate of her cultivation, he’s going to wait forever for her to catch up. What can a dragon and a squirrel do besides talk if she can’t hold her human form? He’s too old to play games, but she can bring the child in him out from time to time. She is good at distracting him from what’s really important. Like nabbing one of his ornaments. Did she think he wouldn’t notice?

“Dayin! Give that back!” He shouts. Chasing a squirrel around the cave that serves as their living quarters, is less than dignified. Luckily, there is no one here to see it. He would just die of embarrassment if anyone found out about it. Not that he has friends, acquaintances mostly, if best. But, if she drags the ornament inside her private space, he will never see it again. Sometimes he regrets building the miniature pagoda for her. She spends all her time there. With seven levels of playground and an elaborate bed just big enough for her squirrel body. “I’m burning down this damn thing! You can live in a bedroom from now on!”

“Noooo!” Dayin squeaks. “I’ll give it back. Just tell me what it's for?”

“It’s for the Christmas tree,” he answers.

“What’s Christmas?” Dayin seems confused, but she returns the ornament.

“It’s a western holiday. I just like the decorations,” Shi Lang smiles. He’s back to his tree with the last of the glass ornaments.

“Huh? A what?” Dayin follows him closely. She climbs up his robe to sit on his shoulder. It’s something that irritates him to no end, but she does it all the time.

“A holiday. You know what holidays are?” He gives her a side eye that he knows she will ignore, and just pretend it’s perfectly normal for her to be on his shoulder.

“Like Shangyuan, Dongzhi, Duanwu?” Dayin lists a few of her favourites. The light festival, Shagyuan, is high on the list, but he prefers the dragon boat festival, Duanwu.

“Christmas corresponds to Dongzhi in terms of time, but I can’t really explain it…” he trails off. He said before that he just likes the decorations.

“I still don’t get it. West is Junmeng, but…” Dayin sighs. It’s just too much for her to understand what he means.

“West as in Europe,” Shi Lang chuckles.

“Oh! You were spying on the humans!” The screech she gave off so close to his ear makes him cringe.

“Do not yell into my ear!” He roars. Going from feeling playful to irritated is just a thing of the moment when Dayin is involved. Shi Lang puffs smoke from his nostrils just to remind her that he’s not human. Then he drops her outside in the deep snow at the side of the cave entrance. He needs to get away from her before he hurts her by mistake.

Shi Lang transforms into his natural form. A huge red dragon with a long black mane that trails behind his head. His snake-like body shivers at the contact with the cold snow. Then he takes to the air. Flying helps to clear his head. He looks back and chuckles deeply. The whole area in front of his cave looks like a snow plough ran a few rounds around the mountain. He better not mention this to Dayin, she has no idea what a snow plough is. It’s his hobby to spy on humans. This time he just went a bit further and looked beyond The Great Wall. Junmeng is fun, but the cultivators don’t do anything new. With all the magic at their disposal, they have no need for human technology. Neither does he.

With his anger back in check, he returns to the cave. Dayin is actually sitting on the cushions in front of the fireplace. Her slender figure and long black hair are highlighted by the orange glow of the fire. She is beautiful like this. Now he feels sorry that he dropped her into the snow. He drapes a cloak over her shoulders to keep her warm. It looks homey inside, but it’s still just a cave. His bedroom is a bit more insulated because it’s further inside the mountain, but she refuses to use the one next to his. That damn pagoda he built for her was meant to be a plaything, not living quarters.

She doesn’t say anything when he sits next to her. Is she still angry? The burning incense and tea kettle on the low table are a dead giveaway that she is trying hard to be human. By the remains of the incense stick, he can judge how long she has been keeping this form. It’s a way of practice they have developed. Every time she transforms, she lights an incense stick. It’s great to track time, and progress. This one is almost burned out. Does it mean she transformed shortly after he dropped her off?

“If you can hold on for an hour, I’ll take you to Junmeng for Osmanthus wine and those flower cakes you love so much,” Shi Lang offers.

“For the winter solstice festival?” She beams at him. Her smile is contagious. Not to mention those huge golden eyes. He loves her features, but those eyes mesmerise him every time.

“Yeah. I know you love it,” he chuckles. Making it about her will appease her better.

-//-

Flying down the mountain is a spur of the moment for Shi Lang. Dayin is safely hidden inside his magical sleeves. He can hear her giggling in excitement. She loves the hustle and bustle of these festivals, and he indulges her. Shi Lang would much prefer to spend them in the peace and quiet of his mountain cave. This time he remains in human form. A flying sword trick is really easy. No need to alert the cultivators to his presence. Some call him deity, but most treat him like he’s the worst kind of a demon. In reality, he’s neither. Dragons are a species of magical creatures. They can decide whether to be good or bad, but mostly, they are just indifferent.

He lands well outside of the city. The main roads are filled with travellers these days. He better hurry and book them a room at one of the inns for the two days of the festivities. Mixing in with the crowd is not easy. He stands a good head taller than the rest. And his clothes tend to stand out even more. The cultivators in Junmeng wear light blue or purple, depending on what family they’re from. His penchant for red will not go unnoticed around here. Deciding on an inn, he steals himself for the attention he’ll get, and strolls inside like he’s got no care in the world.

“Here, here, my fine sir!” The server greets him loudly. Naturally, all heads turn in his direction. What the hell happened to discretion?

“I want to book your best room. My lady will be joining me later,” Shi Lang states calmly.

“Of course, of course!” The server exclaims. He leads him up the wide stairs to the second floor. The best rooms are always at the back to give the guests more privacy.

“Bring some food up, it’s too noisy downstairs,” Shi Lang orders. He slips a few coins into the man’s hand: “would you stop with the shouting? I hate loud noises.”

Shi Lang doesn’t wait for a response. He closes the door in the server’s face to make a point. It’s all more for Dayin than himself. He can ignore everything around him with ease, but his little squirrel can’t sleep with all the racket. He lays her on the bed and makes a small nest for her out of the blanket. There is still time before the server comes back with their food. Just watching her sleep, he gets lost in his own thoughts for a while. Footsteps on the stairs and light clinking of the plates on a tray bring him out of reflection. He sends a small amount of his own energy to Dayin.

“Dayin! Wake up. I need you to be human for a while,” he whispers close to her ear. Then he goes over to open the door for the server. He is confident that she will do what he asked.

“I brought the food,” the server whispers. The man’s eyes suddenly turn wide, as his gaze falls on Dayin. Shi Lang catches the tray before everything lands on the floor.

“You can go now,” he chuckles. He doesn’t have to turn around to know that Dayin is sitting on the bed with only that blanket around her. Probably with some of her white skin on display. Her power is not great enough to transform with clothes. The poor human must be mesmerised by her beauty. Shi Lang snaps his fingers to take the attention off of Dayin.

“You could have warned me,” Dayin accuses him with her gaze. She picks up the clothes he brought with them. This time he chose a white and silver combination with fur trimmings. Winter down here in Junmeng is not nearly as harsh as on the mountain, but she likes to be warm.

“He was too fast,” Shi Lang shrugs. Modesty is not something she knows, but the human might be shocked to death. “Come eat something. We can go to the market later.”

At the word market, she forgot everything else. The sparks in her eyes make him smile. At five hundred years old, she is still just a child in many ways. Shi Lang shakes his head before he corrects her clothes. The sash is only half tied, the lapels of her shirt are out of order, and the outer robe is only draped over her shoulders. But, she did remember to pick up the chopsticks before she started eating. Is this a small victory on his part? Maybe in another five hundred years, she will turn into a decent lady?

On the way to the market, they pass an open courtyard full of kids. They seem to be involved in an intricate game. Shi Lang stops an elderly woman to ask about it:

“What are they doing?”

“Building snowmen,” the woman answers. There is affection in her voice.

“That doesn’t look like snowmen at all?” He is looking at the figures that are taking shape, but none look human in any way. There are dragons, horses, snakes even.

“That is the charm of it. The kids let their imagination out and create all kinds of creatures. They compete in building the most intricate designs out of snow,” the woman explains.

“So? An ordinary snowman is boring?” Dayin asks.

“Not for most. But these are the children of cultivator clans. They are naturally more competitive, so they turn every kind of fun into a competition,” the woman chuckles.

“I see,” Shi Lang smiles. “Dayin? We might do something like that if you want?”

“Aren’t we going to the market?” She inquires while half dragging him away from the kids.

“Sure,” he nods. But the snowmen have awakened something in him. He will definitely build one later. With his thoughts jumping from plans of snowmen to the market, he doesn’t notice that there is someone following them in the shadows.

The market is bustling with activity. Dayin drags him from stall to stall to try out every kind of candy and food. If he’s not careful with her, she will end up in a food coma for a few days. But, telling her no, is like speaking a different language altogether. Giving her some of his energy is paying off. It’s been well over an hour and she can still hold her human form. They stop at a hairpin vendor. Some of them are actually very well made. He might even select one for himself. The one that has gotten his attention is made of dark wood, with an intricately carved dragon.

“I’ll take this one,” Shi Lang shows it to the vendor. “And whatever she took.”

“She? Who are you talking about?” The vendor asks, confused.

“Dayin?” Shi Lang looks around. “Where did she go? She was just here with me? Petite, dressed in white?”

“Oh? Her,” the vendor nods. “I didn’t know she was with you. She left with the Young master Gong.”

“s**t!” Shi Lang is not prone to cursing, but losing Dayin in the crowd was not planned. What if she transforms back? That will only invite trouble. He throws a few gold coins to the vendor before he runs off.

Would the young master take her home, or somewhere else? It’s a guessing game with several possible outcomes. Shi Lang knows where the Gong mansion is. He’s been there before. How many years have passed? Is the Young master his friend's grandson or great grandson? Gambling with her fate, he takes a shortcut through some side streets and back alleys. Careful where he steps, he thinks that Dayin would find the patches of yellow snow interesting. She has never seen it before. It would be hilarious to explain that it’s nothing special and she should stay away from it.

Why is his brain always stuck on something trivial when there is imminent danger? Explaining what yellow snow means to Dayin who is not even here at the moment is only a distraction. But when his brain is busy, all his senses are on high alert. Shi Lang, you are really messed up! He reprimands himself. The Gong mansion is just around the next corner. The guards at the door won’t know him anymore. He will have to ask politely about the master, and display some patience. Why the hell didn’t he put a tracking spell on her? He should have been prepared for anything.

Shi Lang approaches the main gate. As predicted, the guards lowered their spears and prevented him from entering. He smiles slightly: “Tell Master Gong that Shi Lang wants to see him.” Then he pulls one of his rings from his left hand and gives it to the closest guard.

“Oh,” the guard mouths almost silently. The ring must mean something to him, because he motions to the other guard to step back. “Right this way, Master Shi.”

“Of course,” he nods politely. Will he be lucky? There is no way to guess what will happen next. He follows the guard across the courtyard and into a grand reception hall.

“Do my old eyes see right?” An elderly man with grey hair and a long beard exclaims. He’s sitting on a throne-like chair, decked with fur and several blankets. “Shi Lang! My old friend. Forgive me for not greeting you properly. My old legs can’t carry me anymore.”

“It’s fine. As long as you can still wine and dine, life is worth living,” Shi Lang chuckles. It was their old adage, so to say.

“Someone!” Master Gong calls. “Bring food and wine! And you come sit up here with me.”

“Thank you. But, I’m really here to bother you with something else,” Shi Lang half bows to his friend before he sits on the stairs at his side.

“Now, I’m curious,” Master Gong smiles at him.

“I came to town with my companion. A very young cultivator. She is inexperienced in life,” Shi Lang sighs. “She slipped away at the market, and the vendor told me he saw her leave with Young master Gong.”

“Your companion? A girl?” Master Gong leans over to him.

“Yes,” he nods.

“Guards!” Master Gong shouts. “Bring that ungrateful, spoiled, good for nothing grandson of mine here! At once! If there is a girl with him, treat her with utmost care and respect.”

The first to show up are three young boys with trays of food and wine. They serve them while they wait for the guards. If a few dancers show up, it would be just like old times. Shi Lang wonders where this house has gone astray, or if it’s just the grandson who messes around. His old friend might seem slightly incapacitated, but he knows the guy is a badass when he wants to be. The ability to walk is in no way related to magic. And Gong Jun used to be one of the best in the cultivator world.

-//-

A commotion diverts his attention to the entrance. Several guards come running. There is a young boy fighting to get loose, but to no avail. He is dragged along with no care for his body. Dayin follows behind him. Nobody needs to drag or carry her. She seems to be fine, albeit a bit perplexed. Her bright golden eyes express nothing. Is she in shock? Shi Lang scans her clothes, and nothing seems out of place. The Young master hasn’t done anything to her, yet. Was he interrupted at the right time? Or was there another reason why he took her from the market?

“Grandfather! Tell them to stop!” The Young master protests loudly when he is thrown to his knees in front of them.

“When you start behaving like a responsible adult,” Master Gong shakes his head. “I’m getting tired of cleaning up after you. This time you crossed a line.”

“Dayin!” Shi Lang calls her. A huge stone rolls from his heart when she comes running.

“A-Lang!” She exclaims. “You came.”

“Are you unharmed?” He asks her.

“Yes,” she nods. Then she lifts one of her sleeves to thrust her arm into his face: “Except this bracelet that doesn't want to come off. I don’t like it.”

“It’s not a simple bracelet. It’s designed to trap you. You can’t transform while wearing it,” he growls. “Gong Jun! Undo this, now!”

“Uh, huh,” Master Gong abides right away. He snaps his fingers and a bright glow engulfs the bracelet before it drops from Dayin’s wrist to the floor. The bracelet is a family heirloom. Which means that breaking it by force might harm Dayin. “A-Jin, this time even I can’t protect you. I can only implore Master Shi that he lets you live for old time’s sake.”

“What? Grandfather! You can’t side with a stranger over me!” Gong Jin shouts. The kid really is spoiled to the marrow.

“Gong Jin? Do you understand that it’s just wrong to snatch young girls from the street? Not to mention the restraining cuffs? You can’t just take away some innocent girl’s magic like that,” Shi Lang addresses the boy. He can’t be much more than twenty years old. And he’s very afraid. The stench of fear wafts from him so strongly that Shi Lang can smell it even a good distance away. Afraid of him even before he showed the insolent kid what real power looks like. Now, this should be fun.

“Err? Yes?” Gong Jin mumbles.

“No, you don’t. You can’t answer in such a questioning manner,” Shi Lang scoffs. He gets up, and sits Dayin in his spot. Then he descends the stairs very slowly. His face is cold, his eyes shine red to match the shirt's lapels. His smile is sinister. He is happy that Dayin can’t see it.

The boy scoots back on his knees, but he is flanked by the guards and can’t go far. Shi Lang flicks out his claws and beckons the boy to come to him. An invisible force lifts him from the floor. He flies limply to Shi Lang’s grip. Raising the boy higher to be able to look him straight in the eyes, Shi Lang lets him feel the weight of his full power.

“I’m in no way a stranger in this household. You would know that if you’d be worthy. You picked up my companion, I can’t forgive that,” Shi Lang growls. “Lucky for you, you didn’t harm her in any way, or I would burn you to ashes right here.”

“I…I…” Gong Jin stammers.

“I don’t want to hear it. Go to the library and reflect on it. While you’re there, you can start on your family’s values and doctrines. Transcribe the manual five times,” Shi Lang orders.

“Five times?” Gong Jin gulps audibly.

“No slacking off. I’ll know,” Shi Lang puffs smoke through his nostrils. It’s not an easy feat to do it while in human form, but his anger is boiling over and he needs an outlet.

Watching the boy tremble and trip over his own feet as he tries to get away is satisfying. Shi Lang could do so much worse, but for his old friend’s sake, he let the boy off easy. One look at the petrified guards makes him chuckle. He waves them off before he turns back to Dayin.

“Come sweetness, you must be tired,” he smiles at her.

“Sleep does sound good,” Dayin coos. She lets the human form go, and a small dark red squirrel hops at his arms. She burrows inside the folds of his robe to get comfortable. It’s her favourite place to sleep. Close to his heart.

“I thought there was something strange about her. I understand the bracelet now. My grandson is very perceptive when it comes to spirits, but he doesn’t understand that not all of them are bad,” Master Gong sighs deeply. “Thank you for letting him live. He’s the only family I have left.”

“What happened?” Shi Lang wonders. He clearly remembers that Gong Jun had four brothers. They were a formidable team the last time he was here.

“My brothers all died before they had any children. I swear my family is cursed. Even my own son died so young. His wife never leaves her room, so I’ve been raising A-Jin.”

“You spoil him too much,” Shi Lang shakes his head.

“I know,” Master Gong nods.

“I expect you to send me a report on him. No cheating!” Shi Lang glares at his old friend.

“Why don’t you stay and help me train him? It’s time for him to grow up,” Master Gong suggested.

“I don’t know. The city is too crowded for my taste,” Shi Lang is grasping for excuses. He did miss his friend, but watching him grow old and die is terrifying.

“Give me three months of your time. If you can’t make him a decent fighter, I’ll give up…” Master Gong sighs. “I guess, I will see the ruin of our family before I die.”

“No talking about death while I’m here,” Shi Lang growls. “And I need privacy.”

“The guest house is remote. Surrounded by a bamboo forest. No one will bother you there,” Master Gong smiles.

“That old cottage still stands?” Shi Lang looks over in wonder.

“It’s not a cottage anymore. I had it extended into a proper house,” Master Gong smiles.

The guest house has two spacious bedrooms and a lavishly decked reception room. A desk and a small library shelf behind it round out the reading nook. The recliner looks comfortable enough to spend a few hours reading there. It’s so far remote that even he can’t hear any city bustle. Dayin will be comfortable here. The coal burners give enough heat to warm the place up, but he misses his fireplace.

“I miss the snow,” Dayin says as she stands on the threshold looking out.

“That’s easy,” Shi Lang chuckles. A little magic goes a long way. He makes it snow. The irony doesn’t escape him. A fire dragon creating snow just because a little squirrel asked him to. But, Dayin is happy and that’s all that matters.

“Let’s play outside!” She exclaims. Her childish laugh is music to his ears. He loves her.

“Sure,” Shi Lang nods. He wonders what she’ll come up with next. Following her at his own pace, he gets stunned for a second when a snowball hits his face. “Ah! That’s mean!”

“Got ya,” Dayin laughs. She hits him with another snowball before he realises she means it for real. He joins her in the snow covered courtyard. The game is on. He might even let her win.

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Find out more about Karmen Kramer here!

Author Pen name: Karmen Kramer

Author Works: Gods of Old, Wolves of Milano, Sacrificed to the Dragon, Survival Island (reality show)- Dreame

The story of the Fallen - Dreame, I.nk.itt.

The Moon Goddess sorority and Alpha’s Quest - A.ma.zon.