Dragon Kings of the Orient (The Myth Hunter Book 2) Read online

  The monkey cocked his head to the side and made a questioning noise. The boy sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes. He clasped his palms together and began muttering in ancient Mandarin. For the first time, the tourists finally noticed the strange child. But more than that, they noticed the swirling bands of golden energy that flowed around his body. Some of the tourists could have sworn that within that coruscating nimbus of light that the boy had grown two extra heads and four extra arms.

  The boy held his hands outward and the energy flowed down his arms and out from his palms. The macaque’s body suddenly stiffened and rose into the air. He screeched in pain and agony but the boy did nothing. The monkey stared at the boy with pleading, golden eyes. The boy opened his mouth and what looked like fire erupted, engulfing the old monkey.

  The tourists moved back in shock at the scene before them. The monkey twisted, his body stretching out. Some of the hairs retreated into his flesh and he became less like the Tibetan macaque and more like something resembling a man.

  The monkey’s gold eyes burned brightly like molten metal and the energy from the boy retreated. The light show ended and where the old macaque had once been was now some sort of creature that looked like a cross between man and monkey, complete with a tail.

  The monkey-man stood upright. The glow of his eyes softened now to a dull gold and he had a mischievous smirk upon his face. The other macaques in the viewing area stood watching him with interest and he connected his eyes with each of them. One by one, the monkeys bowed down before their king.

  He extended his arms to the side and his eyes began to shimmer with the incredible magicks in his possession. Bands of energy encircled his body, weaving clothes for him out of nothingness. They were a dark red and loose fitting garments that resembled that of Chinese warriors from centuries prior. The pants extended just to his calves and his feet were bare.

  He jumped from the viewing area, flipping in the air much to the continued shock of the tourists gathered, and landed before the young boy. He looked up at the child, carefully studying the boy’s features and after a few moments of this, the monkey-man began to giggle.

  “Nezha?” he asked, in the same dialect the boy had spoken earlier. “Are you really in there?”

  The boy smiled back. “It’s me, old friend. I’ve spent a long time searching for you. Welcome back, Sun Wukong.”

  The Monkey King gathered the boy in his arms, who then climbed onto his old friend’s back. Sun Wukong glanced over his shoulder at Nezha as the boy spoke. “We should go somewhere a bit more private. There’s a lot about this new world you don’t understand.”

  Sun Wukong nodded and jumped to incredible heights. He latched onto a tree branch, swung around it and propelled himself even higher. Nezha clung to the Monkey King’s neck and the pair traveled ever higher until they were completely out of sight of the tourists.

  A trek which, for most, would have taken hours to reach some of the peaks of Huangshan took Sun Wukong minutes. Once there, Nezha climbed down and the Monkey King knelt before him, their faces now on the same level.

  “The old ways are gone. The mortals have taken hold of this world,” said Nezha.

  “But what about the immortals? The Jade Emperor? How did they let this happen?” asked Sun Wukong.

  “They’re content with hiding in the shadows. Some have even begun to mingle among the humans,” said Nezha.

  “And the Dragon Kings?”

  “They’ve done the same.”

  Sun Wukong frowned. “And what happened to me? After helping Xuanzang, I was made a Buddha.”

  “You don’t remember what happened?” asked Nezha.

  Sun Wukong shook his head. “All I know is that I woke up in that monkey’s body and I couldn’t change back to my true form.”

  “Then the time’s right for revenge, my friend,” said Nezha.

  “First, I need what’s mine,” said Sun Wukong. “My powers are great, don’t misunderstand. But without the Ruyi Jingu Bang, I’m nowhere near as powerful as I once was.”

  “The last I heard, the Dragon Kings had possession of it,” said Nezha. “They still control the oceans and they’ve assimilated into the mortal world.”

  “Oh really?” asked the Monkey King with a wide grin. “I guess that means I should pay a visit to my old friends.”

  “They won’t be happy you’re running around free again.”

  “That’s okay, I’m not happy they’re still ruling the oceans. Something will have to be done about that.”

  “So what’s your plan?” asked Nezha.

  “Pretty simple, really,” said Sun Wukong. “I’ll take back my toys, get rid of the Dragon Kings, and then the Jade Emperor and I are going to have a discussion about why I went from Buddha to prisoner. But first, I’ve been gone for such a long time and there’s a whole new world out there.”

  Sun Wukong smiled brightly as he gazed down at the mountain range and caught sight of the city of Huangshan in the distance. “First, I think I need to learn a little about this new world, have some fun. And once I’m done with that, it’s time to take revenge upon everyone who has wronged me over the past few centuries.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Jackson King descended the circular staircase of the massive library in his home. He held a large book in his hands, carefully turning the aged and cracking pages. In the center of the library was a table where Maxwell Finch sat between a pile of texts.

  King was once a child prodigy who became a master linguist, building his fortune from translation, interpretation, and diplomacy. In this age of globalization, a man like King could command the highest price for his skills. One of his hobbies was assisting myth hunters in their work, as his linguistic knowledge extended to ancient languages as well as modern.

  His guest, Max was a former myth hunter himself and served as mentor to Elisa. He was also close to Robert and Tanya Hill, Elisa’s parents. The trio worked on quite a few jobs in their time.

  “Take a look at this,” said King. Max pushed the book he was reading to the side and carefully took the one King held. “I’ve noticed some similarities between some of these ancient legends.”

  “That’s no surprise, there’s always been similarities,” said Max.

  “I’m thinking about the statue Elisa saw in Lemuria,” said Jackson. “She described it as some sort of cross between human and reptile. Think of the legends of reptilian creatures in all manner of legend. Even some modern New Age theories speculate that we evolved from reptiles, but I found this especially interesting.”

  Max scanned the pages. “In some traditions, dragons are said to have taught humans to speak.”

  “They’ve long been associated with wisdom and supernatural power,” said King. “Perhaps legends of dragons are actually the result of Naa’cal influence?”

  Max leaned back in his chair. “It’s definitely an interesting theory. But how can we be sure that the statue Elisa showed was a depiction of Naa’cal and not a depiction of one of their own legends?”

  “Either way, the similarities are clear. Even if it’s just a matter of Naa’cal legends being assimilated into different cultures, that’s still something worth looking into. It means their influence was felt and they did migrate from Lemuria.”

  “I’ll say...”

  “Care for a drink?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Cognac okay?” asked King, moving into the next room to the liquor cabinet.

  “That’ll be fine,” said Max, continuing to scan through the books. Several months prior, Elisa had uncovered the lost continent of Lemuria. Unfortunately, that discovery raised more questions than it answered. Since then, King and Max had tirelessly aided Elisa in uncovering more information about the mysterious Lost Tribe of the Naa’cal.

  King came back into the room with two glasses of cognac and gave one to Max. They both turned to the sound of footsteps and saw Elisa descending the spiral staircase. She still wore the clothes from her exp
edition at Rushmore. Her eyes carried heavy bags from lack of sleep, as if she had come directly there. Max looked up and removed his glasses.

  “Back so soon?” he asked. “I thought we wouldn’t see you for at least another week.”

  “My lead on the Seven Cities of Cibola was a bust,” said Elisa. “Turned out to be a set-up.”

  “What kind of set-up? The Order?” Max’s voice seemed to flitter a bit when he said that name. He had been a captive of the Order during the Lemuria job and he didn’t have very pleasant memories of them.

  “Not so far as I can tell.” Elisa took Max’s glass from his hand and gulped down his cognac. She set the empty glass back in front of him and he frowned.

  “Jackson, would you mind?” asked Max.

  “Not at all,” said King, picking up the glass.

  “Mind getting one for me as well?” asked Elisa.

  King rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

  “If it wasn’t the Order then who?” asked Max.

  Elisa leaned against the table and exchanged glances with Max and then King as he came back with two more glasses. “Either of you ever heard of a myth hunter named Jason Shroud?”

  King shook his head instantly and gave his guests their drinks. Max took a few more moments to scan his memory but finally answered in the negative.

  “Well, he’s the one who set me up,” said Elisa. “And the people he works for? He says they’re Freemasons.”

  “I suppose it’s not outside the realm of possibility,” said King. “After all, the Masons are extremely secretive and exceedingly wealthy.”

  “He wanted to see if I was as good as my reputation and then he asked me about Lemuria,” said Elisa. “Offered me access to their resources if I played ball.”

  “What’d you tell him?”

  “Told him where he could stick it,” she said.

  King grunted and moved from the table. “Stupid, childish brat.”

  “As I recall, this stupid, childish brat pulled your hide out of the fire a few months back,” said Elisa.

  “Does your arrogance make you completely incapable of seeing the larger picture?” asked King. “The Masons, one of the most powerful organizations in the world, offers you access to their resources and you say no?”

  “I had my reasons.”

  “Oh then please. Enlighten me.” King stuffed one hand in his pocket as he sipped the cognac.

  “I don’t like being played and that’s what Shroud did with his little game,” said Elisa.

  King just gave an exasperated sigh. “You see what I mean, Max? Because her ego she can’t take being made a fool of, she throws away the best lead we’ve had in months!”

  “Excuse me?” asked Elisa, strolling up to Jackson and staring up at him. She placed her hands on her hips. “What’s all this ‘we’ stuff? You’ve made your opinion of me quite clear, King. So why are you involved in this at all?”

  King stared right back at her. “I’m involved because without me, you wouldn’t know Naga-Mayan from Klingon.”

  “Okay, I think we’ve had enough of this,” said Max. He walked over to the pair and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Elisa, Jackson’s right, he’s the best linguist we know. For something like this, we need the best of the best.”

  King flashed an arrogant smirk before Max addressed him next. “And Jackson, as much as I respect you, Elisa is the one in the field risking her life. So she’s the one who makes the decisions around here. It’s her job, we’re just along for the ride. If she didn’t trust the Masons enough to tell them what she knows, then I respect her decision.”

  Now it was Elisa’s turn to smirk, partly as a mockery of King. He just turned his back to her and went to fix another drink. Max sighed and returned to the books with Elisa accompanying him.

  “Be straight with me, Max—did I do the right thing?”

  Max sipped the cognac. “I honestly couldn’t tell you. I was a myth hunter for almost forty years. And in all that time, I never once encountered anyone who worked for the Masons.”

  “Actually you did,” said Elisa. “My parents.”

  “What?”

  “Shroud said they didn’t know it, but the Masons contracted them out for jobs a few times. Said they’ve done it with other myth hunters as well. May have even done it with you.”

  “Certainly adds a new dimension to things,” said Max. “But if that’s the case, why would they come right out and tell you all this? If it’s their policy not to reveal themselves to outsiders...”

  Elisa shrugged. “Wish I could tell you. Shroud seemed to like the whole half-truths thing. He could have been spinning a whole lot of crap for all I know. But after my experience with the Order, I’m not willing to trust any secret society.”

  “Honestly, neither am I,” said Max. “So if it’s any consolation, regardless of what Jackson thinks, I would have made the same decision.”

  “Thanks,” said Elisa.

  “Speaking of the Order...”

  Elisa grinned. “I really hope this isn’t how you teach your students to transition in a paper.”

  Max grinned. “Sorry. But have you heard anything?”

  “No, still no word. Wherever Davalos ran off to, he’s done a good job of staying hidden,” said Elisa.

  Lucas Davalos was another myth hunter and once an occasional partner of Elisa’s during her less scrupulous days. He had been working for the Order during the search for Lemuria but went against their directives when he had Elisa dead to rights and allowed her to go free. Since then, he dropped off the map. Elisa hoped he managed to get away. For his own good, she kept trying to tell herself.

  “I’m sorry,” said Max.

  “Don’t be. He made his choices, he’s the one who has to live with them. Not me,” she said. “Right now, let’s focus on the Masons. Shroud told me the legend that they were founded by Solomon’s followers is true.”

  “It makes sense, I suppose,” said Max. “Legends state that Solomon sought knowledge and fought demons. In some ways, he could very well be considered the first myth hunter.”

  “So the Masons are on the level?”

  “Wouldn’t go that far,” said Max. “Most of what we know of Solomon is rooted in legend and separating fact from fiction is difficult. More than that, we have no idea if they live up to the same ideals as he supposedly did. Belief systems can easily become twisted and corrupted over time.”

  Elisa savored the flavor of the cognac that still lingered on her palate, almost forgetting the mostly full glass still rested on the table. She looked to the closed doors leading to the study. “King’s been gone for a while now.”

  “He still needs to blow off some steam. Best to just let him be,” said Max. “Don’t even start with me, Elisa. King’s skills are invaluable in finding out more about the Naa’cal and we need his help.”

  Elisa shrugged with a playful look of innocence on her face. “I didn’t say anything!”

  “You were thinking it,” said Max.

  She chuckled. “So what have you been working on?”

  “Pull up a chair and I’ll tell you.”

  Elisa was about to do just that when her phone began playing ‘Da Funk’ by Daft Punk. She took it from her pocket, but the caller ID didn’t recognize the number. “Hold that thought, Max.” She stepped away as she answered the phone. “Yes?”

  “Elisa?” The voice on the other end was feminine with a bit of a sultry tone to it.

  “Who’s this?”

  “Asami.”

  “How’d you get my number?” Elisa waited for an answer and instead she got a mischievous giggle. She rolled her eyes in response. “What’s this about, Asami?”

  Max heard the name and glanced over his shoulder. Elisa had her back to him as she spoke.

  “I’m in Hong Kong. A job that you might find interesting,” said Asami.

  “This have anything to do with the Naa’cal?”

  “No, but I think it’s right up your al
ley. And to be honest, I could use an extra hand.”

  “I’m listening,” said Elisa.

  “What do you know about the Monkey King?” asked Asami.

  CHAPTER 4

  The Peak, also known as Victoria Peak or Mount Austin, is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island. A major tourist attraction, it provided an incredible view of central Hong Kong, Victoria Harbor and the surrounding islands.

  Although catering to millions of tourists every year, The Peak had never seen a tourist quite like Sun Wukong. He wore a baseball cap with “I♥HK” inscribed on it, khaki shorts and a white t-shirt that read “I’M WITH STUPID” and an arrow pointing to the left. The Monkey King’s ever-present grin expanded even more as he stared out at the massive urban development. He stood perched on the railing of the Sky Terrace, his tail wagging in pleasure the entire time.

  The other tourists kept their distance. Most simply ignored the Monkey King, but a few stared at him. Not often one would perch himself on the railing of one of Hong Kong’s tallest attractions. And even rarer was the tail he sported.

  “I see you’re enjoying yourself,” said Nezha, appearing behind Sun Wukong. The demigod laughed in response and hopped off the railing to land beside his friend.

  “You bet!” said Sun Wukong, but not in his native tongue. This caused Nezha to pause for a moment with interest.

  “You learned English?”

  Sun Wukong nodded. “And Cantonese. And Japanese. And I brushed up on the modern Mandarin.”

  “I’m impressed,” said Nezha.

  Sun Wukong shrugged. “Wasn’t that hard, actually. I’ve been listening to all those damn tourists speak it at Huangshan all these years.”

  “Don’t you think you should get started?” asked Nezha.

  Sun Wukong dismissively waved his hand. “In time, in time. Hey, check this out!” He pulled on the bottom of the shirt so Nezha could read the phrase on it. “Now, watch this!”

  Sun Wukong stood to Nezha’s right so the arrow pointed at the trickster god. “See?” asked the Monkey King. “‘I’m With Stupid!’ You get it?”