His voice hardened. “The most powerful warriors are proficient in both combat and magic. You wouldn’t survive long on fighting skills alone, nor can you rely on just magic. If you did, you would soon find your energy exhausted. A most dangerous circumstance. No matter what is happening, keep a clear mind to judge when to use your power for greatest impact. But don’t hesitate to use it when necessary.”
His words struck me. Eager to prove myself, I had returned to this chamber on my own. Each time the traps had been a little harder; sometimes spikes shot through the ground or fire erupted from the walls. I ended the sessions sore and bruised, blood dripping from my wounds. It was only later that I learned the Chamber of Lions was reserved for the army’s most skilled warriors. While most had taken months, a year even to master every trap, it took me a matter of weeks.
And I was stronger, faster, more powerful than I had ever been.
But was I ready for what now lay ahead? I stared at the dark mountain, trying to quell the queasiness that rose in me, wondering if I had made the right choice in coming here—my first battle against a monster so fearsome, its very name cowed immortals into silence.
Someone approached, footsteps treading over the earth. I was glad for the distraction from my bleak thoughts.
“Archer Xingyin, I’ve been searching for you.” Captain Wenzhi sank down beside me. “There are things you should know of Xiangliu.”
I started to rise to greet him, but he gestured for me to remain seated. When we were alone, he often lapsed into such informality—rare in the Celestial Army, governed by rank and hierarchy. Was it because we had bonded at the banquet, when he lent me his strength at the moment I most needed it? Or was he at ease with me because I held no official position here, seeking neither his favor nor approval?
“Of Xiangliu’s nine heads, you can only strike one,” he said abruptly.
I stilled, my fingers curling around the arrow. “What do you mean?”
“The core of its power lies within its fifth skull, the middle one.” He stared into the flames. “If we were anywhere else, we could attack it with magic. However, on this mountain, our powers are bound.”
I had been warned about this. When I tried to reach for my energy here, it darted away just like it had when I was untrained. “Is this some enchantment?”
He shifted, the leaping flames throwing shadows across his face. “No one knows. We only discovered this place when we hunted Xiangliu here. The serpent is both ancient and cunning; maybe it knew it would be safe here.”
“Can’t I shoot all its heads until I get the right one?” My flippancy disguised my unease. The thought of nine jaws gnashing their fangs at me sent a chill through my bones.
“If that were so, we could just get a dozen archers and blanket it with arrows. Xiangliu would be long dead and we wouldn’t need you.”
“Why don’t you then?” I retorted, irked by his words.
“Its other heads are invulnerable. Striking the wrong one only antagonizes Xiangliu, raising its suspicions and making our task harder. The last time, we were forced to retreat once our archer was incapacitated. But with every battle we learn more about our enemy.”
I stared at him in surprise. I had not realized they had tried before. Perhaps only victories were flaunted, defeats swiftly buried.
“Is its fifth head any different from the others?” I asked.
“It’s not covered in scales as the rest, and its skin is almost like ours. To destroy Xiangliu, you must hit its eyes, clean through the skull.” He paused. “Unfortunately, its eyelids can’t be pierced by any weapon. At least none which we know of.”
“I can only shoot its eyes when they’re open?” I repeated numbly.
A terse nod. “Xiangliu protects itself well. From what we gathered the last time, these eyes only opened when it struck with acid, its most powerful attack. And even then, for the briefest of moments.”
He picked up a stick and tossed it into the fire. It crackled, sparks flying high—mirroring my mounting tension.
My arrow fell to the ground. “Is that all?” How I prayed it was.
He nodded, as though this were a simple matter of hitting a target from ten paces away.
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” I cursed myself inwardly for not seeking more information before. I had not cared enough then. However, tonight . . . I found I was not so indifferent to my own survival.
“Don’t doubt yourself. Xiangliu won’t escape this time. We have all we need,” he said with calm assurance.