The Phoenix Empress' elegant face flushed with the rosy glow of the ancient orb, which shimmered with a vision of Long Fei meditating. A comforting heat flowed into the room. "Long Yan, I know you're there."
A flicker of flame appeared behind the orb, swirled, and then Long Yan stepped out in his human guise, holding a familiar cloak she hadn't seen in a while. She snatched it from him at once, tracing the embroidery. It was the cloak he had tailor-made for Long Fei, one he often wore like a prized possession. "Where did you find this?"
Flames flickered around his body, his feet rooted to the ground. She raised a hand, closed it to a fist, and the fire hissed out. "Don't even think about disappearing."
His eyes avoided hers, fixed to the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It was wrapped around a siren."
Her eye twitched, and her nostrils flared. Her sleek ebony hair ignited. A siren?! Long Fei wouldn't even step close to her, nor give her a second glance. Yet he gave his favorite cloak to a sea witch?!
She dashed to her collection of artifacts, seized a scrying crystal, and enchanted it. Stardust shimmered over the cloak as it levitated, and she caught it midair before it could fly off.
"Wait, Zhen Hua. Don't be rash!"
She stormed past Long Yan. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she shot him a deadly glare, her nails sinking into his skin as she flicked his hand aside. She could not fathom that he found the cloak on a siren, a creature so beneath her. The thought of it made her blood boil.
She wandered out of her palace, ignoring the servants who bowed to her. The cloak tugged in the direction of Long Fei. She rose, her crimson fiery wings blazing wide.
She let go of the cloak, allowing it to fly to its owner as she followed it in hot pursuit, past mountains shrouded in clouds, across the vast expanse of sky, and toward a hidden stretch of ocean she'd long been forbidden to cross. She plucked it from the wind before it could veer away, and it yanked downwards in her grasp.
The Phoenix Empress hovered above the entrance to the Ocean Realm, her fiery crimson wings flapping. In one hand, she held the charmed cloak. Her other hand furiously shot flames downward. Sea creatures below floated belly up, their scales curled as they cooked under the intense heat.
A whirlpool of water suddenly surged beneath her, and her eyes widened as the vortex drenched her. To her surprise, ancient magic laced the water, extinguishing her fiery wings. She hissed as she plummeted, her robe snapping like a banner in the wind. Only the power of the trident could rival her own.
Before she could make her next move, Long Yan, the Dragon of Fire, appeared, flying upside down. He gently cradled her in one claw, the cloak tucked in the other, then spun upright, his ruby-hued wings spread wide.
"Zhen Hua, I told you not to go alone. Why couldn't you wait for me?"
Her fury steamed off her robes as they instantly dried. She was still fuming, her teeth clenched as she spoke.
"I didn't need your help. I could have done this on my own. Let go of me."
"No. We need to plan this properly. At least we found the entrance to the Ocean Realm. You can't beat the King of Merfolk alone."
Another burst of water shot at them, and he easily dodged it. Then he briefly paused and summoned a flame to hide her. There was only one reason he would do that, so she clamped her mouth shut, resisting the urge to scold him.
The King of Merfolk surfaced on a rising column of water. His trident glowed in his grip, and his voice boomed.
"The Celestial Realm and the Ocean Realm are in armistice. You've breached our agreement with your unsanctioned attack."
The Dragon of Fire roared back as he breathed out flames.
"Your Majesty, I didn't attack you and I'm not here representing the Celestial Realm. I was just flying by and sneezed aimlessly."
The King eyed him suspiciously, jaw clenched, and the ocean surged around him.
"Leave now. And I'll pretend that nothing's happened."
The dragon swiftly retreated with the Phoenix Empress well hidden in his claw. Once they were a fair distance away, she overpowered his flame with hers, searing his claws.
"Long Yan, that was humiliating. Let go of me now."
He eased his grip around her enough for her crimson wings to burst free and scorch him. He winced, let go, and kept his distance from her.
"The King wouldn't have seen you. And we can't let the Celestial Emperor find out about what we're doing here."
She knew he was right but refused to admit it; she rubbed her temples, giving him the silent treatment. He lowered his head, shoulders slumped, wings dragging low, silently distancing behind her. She shot forward with a flare of heat, not sparing a second glance at the chastened dragon behind her.
***
The King shook his head, grief gripped his chest as he gazed upon the lifeless bodies of the sea creatures strewn around him.
He solemnly waved his trident, and the waves carried them away, granting them a burial in the deep blue. He only let it slide because Elder Long Fei had warned him that two fire-aligned immortals were searching for him.
He suspected the Phoenix Empress was hidden behind the flame in the dragon's claw, for only she could cause such devastation in such a short time. Since she had not revealed herself, there was no need to escalate it further.
He saw the crimson flames rain down in the transitional realm, a place where their power disrupted the balance of the realm. He kept a watchful eye on his daughter and saw her narrowly escape the downpour of those intense flames, which prompted him to appear above and fend them off. This was a personal matter, and he didn't want to start a war with the Celestial Realm. The Elder will resolve it once he recovers.
He did notice the Elder's cloak in the dragon's claw. He had wrapped that cloak around Shui Yi during her banishment. His heart clenched at the thought of his daughter on the pirate ship.
He dragged a hand down his face, hitting his chest. "What have I done? I've led them straight to us."
The King hurried to the throne room in his palace. With a flick of his wrist, a rippling portal tore through the water, revealing a fleeting vision of the guardian Ling Yue, Elder Long Fei, and Shui Yi, as they raced through the rugged mountain paths. His hand hovered over her image, a silent hope that it might somehow hasten her growth.
"Please hurry, Shui Yi, I don't know how long I can fend them off."