A Little Dragon Up The Hill

Suzhen arrived at the foot of the hill and immediately sensed that something was off. A dense layer of fog enveloped the hill, unusual for this time of day.

After a moment of careful observation, she took a step into the mist.

I see, so this is what it is.

The elves had called it a charm, but Suzhen instantly recognized it. The path was lined with wooden boards and stones, deliberately placed to obscure and confuse the mind and lure intruders back to their starting point. The arrangement was no enchantment; it was a tactical labyrinth, designed to mislead and trap any who dared approach.

It reminded her of the puzzles her master had once set before her during her training in battle strategy. Once, a great strategist created a rock formation so cunning it halted the advance of an entire army, saving his lord from certain death.

What a predicament.

Suzhen knew this particular formation would be no simple puzzle. If an ancient being had indeed constructed it, its solution could be steeped in layers of history and complexity that might take her hours, even days, to unravel.

But she had no time for elegance.

This might not be graceful, but I don’t have time to waste.

Without hesitation, Suzhen unsheathed her sword. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the wooden boards before her. With a swift, precise strike, her blade sliced through the wood effortlessly. The planks, solid as they were, crumbled beneath the sharpness of her sword, splitting in two.

Fortunately, the formation isn’t made entirely of stone, she thought. Otherwise, this wouldn’t work.

Even the finest swordsman, capable of slicing through bone with ease, wouldn’t be able to cut through rock without shattering their blade.

Suzhen knew that simply breaking the wooden boards wouldn’t instantly dissolve the formation. It was far more intricate than that. She needed to find and destroy the key pieces holding the structure together. If she could sever the right connections, the maze would collapse, allowing her to reach the other side in a matter of hours.

Piece by piece, she struck with deliberate precision. As the fog began to thin, a clearer path up the hill slowly emerged.

Kleeeek

Suzhen glanced up, spotting an eagle circling overhead, its piercing cry echoing through the thinning mist. She frowned, aware that these birds of prey weren’t the only dangers that would roam now that the barrier had been breached. Villages usually took great care to shield their livestock from such predators. She wondered for a moment if her disruption had allowed something more dangerous access to the mansion.

Did I just invite trouble to the mansion?

If the owners ever returned, she might owe them an apology—and perhaps a contingency plan to prevent any beasts from invading.

But for now, she continued her walk up the hill.

***

"Food, food, where are you?"

A child's voice echoed as Suzhen carefully pushed aside the shrubs, stepping closer to the front of the mansion. In the open grassy field ahead, a little girl knelt in a garden, a toy shovel in hand and a bucket by her side. She wore a straw hat, digging eagerly into the soil.

"We’ll have food soon, Lion! Look! Food!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

Suzhen could faintly hear a soft "meow" and finally noticed the fluffy creature perched on the girl's shoulder. A small cat, gazing curiously at the girl’s enthusiastic digging.

As Suzhen approached the edge of the garden, she hesitated. Should she step forward and make her presence known, or wait? But before she could decide, the girl suddenly turned around.

For a moment, the child looked startled, her eyes wide with curiosity. But her expression quickly bloomed into a huge smile. She jumped to her feet—almost knocking the small cat off her shoulder—and began running over to Suzhen, excitement radiating from her.

“Hello, Ms. Serpent! Welcome to my home! What’s your name?” The little girl with dragon horns jumped up and down, waving both hands as she ran toward Suzhen. That’s when Suzhen noticed the girl's disheveled appearance—her clothes stained with soil on the sleeves and collar. Her boots were caked in a thick layer of mud.

"Hello, I’m Suzhen." Suzhen replied curtly, immediately regretting it. Should I have been more enthusiastic? Kinder? Gentler? She recalled how her master would often kneel and smile when speaking to children, but the very thought of doing that made Suzhen shiver. It didn’t feel natural to her.

Thankfully, the little girl wasn’t fazed. "I’m Saya!" she said with a bright smile. "Sorry I don’t have any more butter candies to treat you—I had my last one yesterday. But I’m preparing food now, and it’ll be ready soon."

Food? Suzhen glanced at the bucket beside the girl and noticed something wiggling inside. An uneasy feeling crept over her as she moved closer, her curiosity getting the better of her. The sight nearly made her gag.

Worms—fat, wriggling worms crawled at the bottom of the bucket. She’s been digging all morning to feed herself these... Disgust mixed with pity as Suzhen looked at the little girl.

"That... is what you plan to eat today?"

"No! Silly!" Saya crossed her arms and gave an angry pout. "They’re bait! The food is up there!" She pointed to the sky.

Sure enough, perched in the tree above them, a large bird with black and white feathers was watching intently. Or perhaps it was eyeing the fluffy creature still nestled on Saya’s shoulder.

"You… want to catch that bird with worms?" 

"Yes! It’s all in the book!" Saya said confidently. "Birds with black and white feathers eat fat worms in the morning. So if I use them as bait, I can catch the bird, and then Lion and I will cook it to eat!"

Suzhen blinked, momentarily relieved. So the girl isn’t as desperate as I thought. At least she has a plan. But still...

"And how exactly do you plan to catch the bird once it comes down for the worms?"

"I’ve got it sorted!" Saya declared, placing the small animal on the ground before dashing toward the house. "Wait for me!"

As Saya dashed into the house, Suzhen couldn’t help but reflect on the little girl’s enthusiasm. She’s smart for a girl her age, Suzhen thought, but—birds that big don’t hunt worms.

Her gaze shifted to the large bird perched in the tree. With Saya gone, it was now intently focused on Lion, the fluffy creature aimlessly sniffing the ground with its short legs.Sensing an opportunity, the bird suddenly sprang into action, diving down with talons extended, ready to snatch its unsuspecting prey.

But before it could reach Lion, the bird was stopped mid-flight. Its sharp instincts had picked up on something—a deathly, paralyzing glare. Suzhen hadn’t moved, but her cold eyes were locked on the bird, and the intensity of her gaze alone was enough to freeze it in mid-air.Her glare carried a silent but unmistakable message.

The bird faltered, instinctively retreating to the safety of the tree. It hesitated for a brief moment, casting a nervous glance at Suzhen, then flapped its wings and took off into the sky, not realizing how close it had come to its demise.

“What was that?” Saya called out, running back toward Suzhen with visible concern after hearing the commotion in the garden.

"You should keep an eye on your pet and not let it wander outside for now. Dangerous animals are lurking around this place," Suzhen advised.

Saya, unfazed by the warning, held up a small wooden sword and declared, "Don’t worry! If they dare hurt Lion or me, I’ll use this sword to protect us!"

Suzhen glanced at the short wooden sword in Saya’s hands. It barely had an edge to it and looked far too heavy and slow for a girl of her size to do any real damage. With a quiet sigh, Suzhen thought for a moment before offering, "You know what, I have a better idea. How about I take you down to the village for a meal at the inn?"

Saya’s eyes lit up as if Suzhen had just promised her the world. "I would love to! I’ve never been there!" She started jumping up and down with excitement, swirling around in circles while holding Lion in both hands.

"So, shall we go?" Suzhen asked.

"Wait! I can’t go like this!" Saya pouted, her expression serious. "We’re going out! I need to change out of my work clothes and into my lady clothes!"

“Lady clothes?” Suzhen echoed, but before she could ask further, Saya was already running toward the house with Lion in her arms. "Wait for me! I’ll be back soon!" she called over her shoulder.

Suzhen shook her head with a faint smile. Well, I suppose that’s for the best. We wouldn’t want the elves—especially that woman, Salix—to pity her even more if they saw her like this.

With Saya gone, Suzhen took the opportunity to examine the mansion from a distance. It made her cautious. The mansion belonged to a loong, and entering it without an invitation from its master felt like tempting fate, so she remained at the edge of the property.

The mansion’s architecture stood out starkly against the village-style down the hill. It didn’t match anything Suzhen had seen during her travels in the Eastern Capital, either. However, she recalled ancient paintings from long-forgotten dynasties that depicted buildings with similar structures.

This mansion could very well be a relic, preserved and untouched by time, surviving for hundreds of years, Suzhen mused, her curiosity growing. It felt like she was gazing at a piece of history lost to time.

“I’m back, Ms. Suzhen!”

Suzhen turned to see that Saya had changed out of her work clothes. Gone were the muddy boots and rough flannel-like top; instead, she now wore an elegant eastern-style silk dress in white, with red trim along the edges.

“That does look more lady-like,” Suzhen remarked, though she couldn’t help but notice traces of dirt still clinging to Saya’s arms and legs. Without a word, she knelt down and gently began rubbing the dirt off the girl’s skin.

"Thank you," Saya said softly. "I thought about taking a bath, but..." Her expression shifted ever so slightly, her smile still present, but tinged with something faintly sad. "I was afraid you might leave without me if I took too long..."

Suzhen’s eyes widened. She hadn’t given much thought to her journey up here, simply responding to the insistence of the elf woman, Salix. But now, she felt something stir inside her—a subtle warmth tugging at her heart. This child...

With unexpected tenderness, Suzhen patted Saya gently on the head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Saya’s eyes brightened, her earlier worry fading. Suzhen then took her hand, and together, they started down the hill.