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Qiyan Agula gently patted Flowing Fire. “Let’s go for a ride.”
Can we go to the stream across the valley? The water is so fresh there.
Agula chuckled fondly at her favorite horse. “Show me how fast you can get there.”
Flowing Fire kicked its legs and raced down the narrow pathway into a clearing. The blue sky hugged the green valley across the horizon. Agula smiled, her eyes crinkling at the light breeze flowing through her hair. She felt unrestrained.
Qiyan Agula, the prince of the grass plains, wasn’t bound by duties and chained down by her identity out here.
Closing her eyes, she soaked in the brief moment of solitude.
They galloped across the valley until Flowing Fire came to an abrupt stop.
“Flowing Fire?” Qi Yan asked worriedly.
The horse started to prance around in agitation, tugging at the reins to head back.
“Do you sense danger?”
There is something out here. We have to go back!
“What do you sense? Is there a predator?” She could handle a wolf or two, but they would have to go back if there was a pack.
No! I don’t know what it is, but it’s scarier than wolves. Master, run!
Just as Agula pulled on the reins, a booming sound in the sky crackled in the air. She looked up and gasped at the fiery form descending to earth. Her eyes widened at the massive wings and the tail covered in flames.
“A phoenix?” She couldn’t hide the shock in her voice. Those were just myths and bedtime stories to tell children, weren’t they? They aren’t real. They couldn’t be.
The phoenix let out a screeching roar as it continued to fall. The blood-orange color of the bird, infused with the fiery flames, illuminated the sky. It was beautiful. Agula had never seen such a sight before.
“Why isn’t it stopping? It will get hurt.”
A second later, Agula realized it wasn’t descending, it was plummeting.
“No! We have to help it!” She squeezed Flowing Fire’s belly, then they sped towards the phoenix.
The celestial bird turned its head in Agula’s direction as if it heard her shouting. The sharp, onyx eyes watched her helplessly.
Agula sucked in a large breath, feeling those intense eyes penetrating into her soul. “Flowing Fire, faster!”
The phoenix let out a final cry before it extended its wings outward as if to slow itself down.
It was too late.
A blaze of fire streaked down, tearing into trees.
“No!” Agula entered the forest, following the direction of smoke. She knew it was too late, but what if it was still alive? There had to be something she could do. She gasped at the trees surrounding her; some were split in half while others were missing branches.
She looked ahead and spotted a crater near the base of a large tree trunk. It had to be where the phoenix landed! She jumped off Flowing Fire and rushed to help the majestic bird.
Once she neared it, she froze. In the center of the pit was a woman. Where was the phoenix? Agula’s eyes darted around looking for it. Could it be? Her eyes locked on the woman who laid peacefully asleep. Her hair was long and black, whereas her cherry-red lips matched the red robe wrapped around her. Was she the legendary phoenix? Agula wouldn’t normally believe in such things but she had the ability to talk to horses. In this world, anything was possible.
Stepping towards the woman hesitantly, she called out, “Miss?”
The woman didn’t move.
Agula bent her knees and carefully stepped into the pit. She looked so serene, Agula didn’t want to disturb her. She kneeled to get a closer look at the woman. She didn’t see any visible wounds, but that didn’t mean the woman wasn’t hurt inside. “Miss? Are you alright?” She gently shook the woman.
She hoped no one else saw the phoenix falling down from the sky. The tribe was protective of their people and their land. She had to get this woman to safety.
“Miss, you have to wake up.” Agula nudged her again.
“Khagan! Over here!”
Qiyan Agula froze at the distant shouts. Her father was here? They must have seen something falling from the sky. She had to get this woman out of there. She gently wrapped her arms around the woman, then she scooped her up and ran to Flowing Fire, placing her on top of the horse. “Go as fast as you can!” She yelled, then she jumped up from behind.
Trying to avoid being caught, they rode through a row of tall trees. Agula still heard her people’s panicked shouting.
“There was something here, Khagan! Look!”
“We have to find it.”
That was her father, Agula thought. She pulled the woman closer to her chest. “This might not end well, but I promise I’ll get you far away from them.” She pulled on the reins. “Get us to the old cave by the waterfall,” she said to her horse. It should be safe there. No one knew of that location besides Nomin.
Flowing Fire galloped along the stream. They were close.
Agula looked down at the stranger in her arms who was still sleeping peacefully. The woman was truly beautiful. A goddess that fell from the heavens!
Once they arrived in front of the cave, Agula held onto the woman with one hand as she jumped off. Then she wrapped both arms around her and pulled her down.
“Stay here and stand guard,” she directed Flowing Fire.
She walked into the cave and gently put the woman down by the entrance. The pair of siblings spent their leisure time drawing and playing instruments in there, so there would be a stack of branches nearby. She lit a small fire, then she pulled out the blankets and laid them out.
Agula carried the woman and lightly set her down onto the soft blanket. With her right hand, she held the woman’s head in place so she could untuck her left hand from underneath the woman’s neck. As she pulled her hand out, the woman’s eyes opened.
Agula gasped. She didn’t have time to ask when the woman roughly grabbed both of her arms and bent them back, pinning her firmly to the ground.
“Who are you?” she asked sharply, staring Agula down.
“Ah!” This small woman seemed so delicate. How was she so strong? Agula felt the pain running up to her head. “Please-”
“I asked you who you were!” She emphasized by squeezing her arms.
“Qiyan Agula! I saved you!”
“Saved me?” The woman thought for a moment, then realization dawned on her face. “You were the person on the horse.” She sucked in a harsh breath. “You’re not supposed to see me in my other form! I have no choice but to kill you!”
Kill her? Agula stared up in fright. “I saved you! You can’t kill me!” Her time wasn’t up yet. It couldn’t be.
The woman curled her lip and raised her arm. “Your words mean nothing to me.”
“Wait! If you kill me, they’ll find you and take your life,” she said desperately. She was telling the truth. Her father would never let her death go.
“Tell me, Qiyan Agula, who are you?” She didn’t fear anyone or anything but she was curious.
Agula gazed at the woman on top of her and breathed in the air of danger surrounding her. With a burst of strength, she grabbed the woman’s arms and pushed her back. She stood up and patted the dirt off her clothes, then she looked at the defiant eyes staring back up at her. She had to think about her words or death would surely come.
“I am Qiyan Agula, prince of the grass plains.” It wasn’t the exact truth, but it was the truth nonetheless. She was a woman. She wasn’t a prince, but she would never be a princess either.
“So you’re a prince,” the woman said, standing up.
Agula nodded reluctantly and turned her back to her. “My father is khagan of the Chengli Tribe. I saved you before they could find you.” She turned back around. “I saw your face when you held me down. You’re injured,” she said pointedly. “I could keep you safe here.”
The woman narrowed her eyes. “Nangong Jingnu does not accept help from anybody.”
“You won’t accept my help, but I’ll still let you stay here until you recover.”
Jingnu’s nostrils flared.
Agula held in her tremble and watched Jingnu stomp her way out of the cave. Her brows furrowed at the fierce concentration on Jingnu’s face. What was she doing?
“Turn. Turn already,” Jingnu grumbled under her breath.
Turn? Was she trying to turn back into the phoenix? Agula backed away. “What are you doing?”
She turned to Agula and glared at her. “Know your place, prince.”
Crossing her hands over her chest, Jingnu squeezed her eyes, urging herself to turn. She blew an exasperated sigh and cursed at the sky. “Let me come back! Father, please!”
Agula looked at her with wide eyes. “Where did you come from?”
“I’m not from here.” She looked upwards. “I belong to a realm in the sky.”
“A sky realm?” Dizziness took over Agula. This day was overwhelming her.
Jingnu didn’t see the point in keeping it to herself. No one would believe this prince anyway. “Emperor father cast me down to this realm for conspiring against my brothers. They lied and set me up!” she shouted in anger. “They’re plotting to overthrow the kingdom and kill emperor father. I should’ve been dead, but he couldn’t bear to kill me.” Sorrow replaced the rage.
She looked up at the sky again. “Emperor father! Please listen to me! You’re in danger!”
“You have to be quiet. My tribe might hear you,” Agula warned. She pitied the woman in front of her who was a princess too.
Jingnu looked down in defeat.
“You can’t turn into a phoenix and fly back?”
She shook her head. “No. Something is wrong. When they pushed me down here, I could only shift into my form. I couldn’t fly or use any of my abilities. I’m stuck here forever until I figure out what’s wrong with me.”
“Abilities? What can you do?” Agula couldn’t help the excitement in her voice.
“You don’t want to know,” replied Jingnu, forebodingly. “Thank you for saving me and giving me a place to hide. I owe you.” She turned and walked back into the cave. “I’ll leave as soon as I recover. Now, please leave me. I need some time alone.”
The nerve of this woman! Agula couldn’t believe it. No one dismissed her this way. She was a prince after all. “A princess should be nice and delicate, not impolite.”
Scowling at her, Jingnu said, “Watch your mouth around me, prince. Go find another princess if that’s what you want.”
Agula could have sworn she saw actual fire lighting up in her eyes. She was scared of this woman. It was best if she left. “Rest well. I will bring you food and water.”
After no response, Agula turned around to see Jingnu underneath the blanket with her back to her. She sighed. She walked out and jumped on Flowing Fire. “Take us home.”
As they rode across the fields, Agula smiled. She hadn’t felt this alive in so long.