Page 5 of Two Thousand Blades

“But you at least get to see the dragon? Talk to it? You could ask him, right? I’m sure he’d be able to find the little gathering of vampires. A quick peek is all I’m asking. There should be seven vampires and one elf there. Maybe a huli jing?2 lurking about, but I don’t care about him. Just the others.”

The stranger refused to meet his eyes, but he released a soft sigh. “I make no promises, but I can make the request for you. If the dragon agrees to your request, will you agree to stop your pouting and escape attempts?”

“I promise to stop pouting,” Xiang replied with a broad grin.

Mr. No-Name glared at him. “And the escape attempts?”

“Come on, would either you or the dragon believe me if I agree to that bit of nonsense? Of course I won’t stop trying! I appreciate the fact that the dragon hasn’t tried to kill me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go home to my clan. And when I escape, I’m taking you with me!” He jabbed one index finger at Mr. No-Name, causing his eyes to flash wide.

“W-w-why would you do that? I didn’t ask you to do that.” Mr. No-Name was out of his chair in a flash, heading deeper into the cavern as if he were trying to escape Xiang. As he moved, his hands would jump out here and there to turn and resettle random things he passed as if it were nothing more than a nervous tic to settle the growing panic within him.

“Why in the world would you think that I’d leave you here? You’re trapped with a fucking dragon. It isn’t right for me to escape and leave you behind to live out the rest of your days in a freaking cave under a river.” Xiang paused and rolled his eyes at himself. “That’s where I assume we are. But that’s not the point. You deserve a normal life with your people. Have you forgotten there’s more to the world than these cave walls?”

Mr. No-Name lifted his arms out in front of him. “And have you not noticed that all the beauty of the world can be found within these walls?”

“Not all the beauty,” Xiang countered as he continued to chase after him. “There are beautiful things that even a dragon cannot steal and bring in here.”

Mr. No-Name suddenly whirled to face him, his soft features pulled tight. “And I think you have conveniently forgotten that the outside world also has a great deal of ugliness to it. Or would you rather not think of the fighting and dead that surrounded you before the dragon stole you away?”

“I haven’t forgotten. That’s just how the world works. There can’t be beauty without some ugliness. There’s no pleasure without the risk of pain. You need to get out there and remember how good life can be without these walls holding you back.”

“No,” Mr. No-Name snarled as he resumed his winding trek through the overfilled cavern.

“Don’t care what you say. I’m taking you with me. We’ll escape together and we’ll find your people.”

The man’s steps slowed, and he paused in front of a rosewood bureau with an assortment of jeweled boxes covering the top. His fingers traced along the gold filigree and the facets of the gems. “There are no people for you to find. No reason for me to leave.”

That was what Xiang had been afraid of. How many years had the dragon left him tucked away in this cave? Had the dragon’s magic extended his life? Everything about him seemed human, other than that he was incredibly strong and could move without a sound. Sort of like a vampire. And yet, he radiated none of the magical energy that came with being a vampire.

“Fine. Then you can stay with my clan until you figure out what you want to do. But the reason you have for leaving is you. You deserve to have a life. A real life.”

The man huffed and shook his head. “You offer me asylum with your clan, and you don’t know if they still exist. I don’t want to discuss this any longer. I’m not going anywhere, and you’re not going anywhere so long as it’s the dragon’s will that you remain here.” Mr. No-Name paused and heaved a sigh. “But I will inquire as to whether the dragon can check on the well-being of your clan.”

Xiang remained undaunted. “Fine. What’s your name?”

“What?” Mr. No-Name’s head snapped around to glare at him. “I told you I don’t remember my name.”

“If you’ve forgotten your name, doesn’t that mean you could have also forgotten your people?”

“No.” He resumed walking, and Xiang remained on his heels.

“I’m Li Xiang, son of Li Guangli, and a member of the Sword of the Heavenly Garden Sect. I grew up in Chang’An prior to my father sending me to train at the sect. He wanted me to be better trained than the average minister’s son, so I could more easily rise to the position of general in the emperor’s army.”

His companion said nothing as he walked, but his head was cocked slightly toward Xiang as if he were trying to listen secretly despite his overall posture of indifference.

“As you’ve likely guessed, things didn’t go as my father had planned for me. Though I did serve the emperor in a way.”

Just not in a way any of us imagined…

Xiang shoved those old thoughts aside and pressed on. “If you won’t tell me your name, I guess I have no choice but to make one up for you.”

That forced Mr. No-Name’s feet to stop and turn to face Xiang. “Why must you call me anything?”

“You have to have a name!”

“No, I don’t. Not knowing my name has not ceased your endless chatter since I entered the cavern.”

“But I need something to call you. How else can I properly greet you when you come to see me?”

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