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Chapter Sixteen
“I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was.”
—Bottom, Act 4,A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Celestial Palace of the Jade Emperor.
“I’ve uncovered and retrieved the Myth of the Pale Prince, as instructed,” Ben said.
He had to think fast. The happiness of his loved ones and new friends depended on it.
“You have indeed,” the mysterious Master murmured.
(Sidebar: he needed to call the ageless being something else, even if only in his mind. “Master” had such a negative connotation to it after what Ere had been through and now Sai.)
Ben decided to think of the white-haired old man asShifufrom now on. And honestly, he did sort of look like Dustin Hoffman’s red panda character inKung Fu Panda. Even kind of sounded like him. At least, the illusion did.
“Perhaps you ought to take up these quests on your sire’s behalf more often, young dragon spawn,” Shifu continued thoughtfully, stroking his long white beard.
Ben didn’t blink or shrug, focused on the delicate negotiation at hand. He had an agenda, and he was not leaving until he achieved it.
“Whatever you say,” he agreed readily.
“But now that I have fulfilled the quest, checked the box as it were, Annie, Sai and I are leaving.”
“We are?” Annie started beside him, blinking rapidly.
Shifu narrowed his eyes with subtle displeasure.
“The sea dragon belongs here. In the Jade Emperor’s domain. You and the human girl may go, if you please.”
Ben cocked his head slightly, holding the celestial being’s unnerving, glittering stare.
“Not necessarily,” he refuted.
“Sai belongs wherever he wants to belong. Specifically, the quest you gave me was to uncover the myth of the Pale Prince, which I have. I found Sai. You also said to retrieve him. Which I have—”
“We,” Annie reminded him in a whisper, leaning over.
“Wehave brought him back here,” Ben amended.
Shifu was inclining his head in a nod and opening his mouth to speak, but Ben spoke over him.
“But that doesn’t mean he has tostayhere.”
Shifu looked perplexed for a moment before his bushy brows slammed down as he scowled wordlessly back at Ben.
Ben turned to Sai, who’d been silent all this while, his face a frozen mask of shock and loss.
“So, where do you want to go from here? I’m not exactly sure how to get out of the realm, but I figure we can look around for White Dragon, who always takes my dragon trainer Cloud here. Sometimes he also takes the form of an opalescent dragonfly. I’m sure if we wander around, we’ll find someone who can help us.”
Sai merely looked back at him silently, as if his mind hadn’t quite caught up with their situation.
So, Ben turned to Annie, who was usually on the same wavelength as him.
“What do you think, Annie Mae?” he inquired casually. “Ready for a stroll through the Celestial Realm?”
As always, Annie was in lock-step.
