“Students, since you all have done an excellent job on your presentations and gotten above 85% on average, I would like to introduce a friend of mine. As I can clearly see, your presentations are well-done and well-researched. However, the final project will take more than just mere research. As your teacher, I always would recommend a primary source over secondary sources, and my friend does Calamity research on behalf of the government. Now there are a few rules: No asking about anything relating to the government, no asking about her life outside work, and be on your best behaviour.” Gāo Jìngyí switched on the computer. “Huá Yǔfēi, you’re on camera.”

A woman with an upright posture popped up on screen, wearing a tucked in shirt under a business suit and smiling slightly. “Hello class. As your teacher explained, I do work for the government. I am a meteorologist specialising in Calamity detection, and I lead a team of individuals dedicated to understanding Calamities. At what point did the Calamities start appearing? Who can tell me that?” These are children, they are not her co-workers, so don’t be so harsh, she thought.

Ten hands started waving high, each student wanting to be picked. Yǔfēi picked the one in the back. She always felt partial to those in the back. “Tell me your name.”

“Wáng Huànmíng. The Calamities started appearing thirty-three years ago.”

“Can you tell me where?” No answer. “Does anyone have an answer?”

A girl at the front raised her hand. “Dǒng Wénzhēn, and the first Calamity happened in the Pacific Ocean.”

“That is correct. While my team does specialise in detecting Calamities before they officially become a threat, we also research into the origin of Calamities. Scientists at the time of the first Calamity had believed that it was the result of rapid climate change, which was projected to come with increasingly strong natural phenomena, such as wildfires burning out of control and razing the land to the ground or hurricanes which broke the Saffir-Simpson scale.” The students were nodding along, while a select few in the back row were nodding off. She made note of that.

“Now, it has been determined that natural disasters of that scale would only arrive sometime in our present day, not in the 2020s. What is known is that Calamities do not conform to the older models and categories. Rather, they exceed that. The first Calamity was an earthquake close to the Ring of Fire, which triggered a tsunami that flooded the city of Shanghai, where your school stands today in fact. Many of the victims of the first Calamity were caught off guard due to lack of attention to warning signs, something your fellow students in the back row may want to keep in mind.” Everyone turned around to the students in the back, who all started becoming alert.

Another student raised their hand.

“Yes, you may speak.”

“Zhū Mínshuāng. During my research, there were mentions of multiple types of Calamities, and a lot of unsupported theories that there could be a supernatural cause behind them. Can you tell me more?” She seemed curious. A lot like Yǔfēi when she was much younger.

“Ah hahaha!” She was told she laughed weirdly. That can’t be true. “Yes, I have heard about those theories. In regards to the theories saying that there are monsters inside, we have recorded unexplained solid masses inside the Calamities. However, this was found to be the result of faulty sensors, and we replaced those accordingly.”

A few students were astonished at this revelation. Some had started nodding off again, and shook themselves awake after realising.

“As for the multiple types of Calamities, there are two main types,” she continued. “The first is geological, a category defined by Calamities with origins in natural geological processes, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and floods. The second is atmospheric. Tornadoes, hurricanes, micro bursts, water spouts, acid rain, the ones that are the most famous due to their high frequency in comparison to the geological category. This is also my focus in terms of research. We have been debating on adding a cosmic category, but that is up to the United Nations, not us.” Zhū Mínshuāng started writing all of this down in a small journal. Another student in the front row was eagerly taking notes. She smiled. Ah, young people, always quick to write stuff down.

Another hand shot up. “So what have you and your team done so far?”

“We have developed new technologies in order to better detect Calamities, especially in radar technology and satellite imaging technology, like the Áo Guāng satellite system, so we don’t strictly work within the bounds of our purview. That said, most of our time is spent reading the data sent by our weather balloons and satellites and sending our interpretations to our government liaison. Most of the meteorologists on the team, including me, are looking into cloud seeding as a form of preemptive measures against future Calamities.”

“Why can’t you let us ask about your work with the government?”

“In regards to my work with the government, I prefer not discussing it outside of work, because what I do for the government and what I do outside of government collaborations are two separate things. I would like for them to remain separate spheres.”

“Hey!” One of the students was using his phone in class, much to Jìngyí’s grumbling. “This says that a teenager built the Áo Guāng satellite system, but that can’t be right.” He stared at the article on his phone. “I’ve been around my classmates, and they can’t build anything. What kind of teenager can do that?” Several of them shot the student with dirty looks, and Jìngyí was sighing audibly. “What, I was speaking the truth!”

“All of us, no matter what our age is, have the potential to make their mark on the world. You can be a highschool student or someone my age, but as long as you have the conviction to see their vision through, I think that they can achieve anything. In the near future, I would suggest that you start thinking about your own future. What do you want to accomplish in this lifetime? Think about that.”

The calm atmosphere was broken by this statement, and the students all started clamouring over their teacher and threatening the student with the phone until she finally managed to calm the high schoolers down into something resembling order.

“Do you have any more questions for Huá Yǔfēi?” Twenty hands went up in an instant. “Other than her government work she specifically stated not to ask her about?” All of the hands went down. “Alright, class is dismissed. Remember, your final project is due in one week! If you wish to further contact Huá Yǔfēi, you must ask for permission from me first, as she has a busy schedule and can’t always be around to answer questions.”

As the class filed out, all of them whispering about Yǔfēi, Gāo Jìngyí sighed.

“Thank you for taking time off to talk to the class, and I apologise for their bad behaviour.”

“Don’t worry about it! They have time to grow up, they can make mistakes. And I’m glad I had a chance to talk to your class! I’m a little surprised you decided to make this class on Saturdays though,” Yǔfēi stated. Children are so fun, she thought.

“I want them prepared. I’ve seen your weather broadcasts, and I’m worried about the future.” Jìngyí looked out the window. “They’re getting worse, worse than when we were in school.”

Her friend was right. The predictive models for the next three decades foretold a grim future. The changes in atmospheric conditions indicated that the atmospheric Calamities become more intense over time. One had indicated that there will be a hurricane that will move more than one thousand kilometres inland. The loss of life in almost all of those scenarios were at minimum in the hundreds of thousands. Even the models where cloud seeding was perfected still predicted a huge loss of life.

“They are, but there’s a solution somewhere. We just haven’t found it yet.”

Jìngyí nodded “Thank you for the words of confidence. Let’s talk again if you have time!” With that, the call ended.

Yǔfēi sighed. That was a lot of talking for today. She loved other people, but sometimes she preferred the company of tea, weather data, and Ménmén instead. Besides, her pants were itchy. She logged off her laptop, walked past Ménmén’s home, and changed to more comfortable wear. Despite what her coworkers thought, she knew how to relax. Outside of her house and Ménmén, she acted as a professional. If her co-workers and subordinates saw her in her home…the loss of face would have ruined her. After boiling water, she poured tea into another cup, then into her own teacup, dumped that out, and smelled the tea.

“Mhmmmm, red tea.” Yǔfēi murmured.

Once the boiling water was finished, she poured the tea into the teacup. Setting it down on a low table, she sat on her knees and prepared to drink a sip. Unfortunately, her phone started ringing. Answering it, she waited for her co-worker.

“Chief, how do I fix the satellite protocols? They don’t seem to be working.”

“What exactly is the issue?” Over its eighteen years of operation, Áo Guāng never had any major issues, apart from nine years ago.

“One of the satellites seems to be down, A2?”

“Hmmm, are any of the stations receiving a signal?”

“No.”

“Try rebooting some of them, and send up Test Protocol #09. It was specially created by me in the event of something of this nature occurring. That should help troubleshoot some of the more obvious issues. If that doesn’t work, I can find the satellite remotely using its linked partners. If anything else happens, call me back.” The benefits of building a satellite system as a teenager: being called in for anything ranging from the interface between computer and satellite not working to someone accidentally spilling tea. The latter has happened more than once.

He called back. After a fifteen minute phone call, she hung up after trying to fix the issue and scolding the man after he accidentally turned off the satellite dish. Hopefully the tea isn’t cold by now. She drank it, savouring what was left of its warmth and flavour. Ahhh, such a good taste. She could feel herself melting into its pleasant aroma. A minute later, her māmā called her.

“Māmā hi! How have you been?” She made a mental note to go see her mother sometime after the weekend.

“Hello Yǔfēi, I’m doing well! Retirement suits me and your bàba. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Busy schedule, but I can come and see you on…” She checked her calendar. “...Thursday!” Thankfully, she was able to take time off that day.

“Wonderful! Now-” Yǔfēi heard a scuffle in the background. That must be her lǎolao.

“Yǔfēi!” It was her lǎolao. “Have you found someone yet?”

“Ummm, no. I’m really busy with work, and I’m not interested at the moment.” Not again…

“That’s great. Now, when you come here on Thursday, I want you to meet this nice young man. He’s about your age, he has a good job as a physician…”

Yǔfēi’s face became increasingly worried and flushed. “Oh no! I think the connection’s failing, and I probably have to hang up now. See you!” She hung up the phone. Ah, the perks of being a leftover woman.

She poured one cup for Ménmén, and placed it on the table. In the water, Yǔfēi spotted Ménmén swimming over to the table, his scales glinting underneath the various lights she had set up around the house.

“Aw, are you joining me today?” She smiled.

Ménmén stopped and stared at her with his left eye. A few bubbles escaped his mouth.

“Haha, you know that I can’t actually give you tea. I can drink it for you if you want.”

The carp just stared unblinking. Yǔfēi wasn’t surprised. Carp don’t have eyelids.

“Hmm, since you can’t answer me, I suppose I’ll drink this for you-huh?!”

Ménmén was bumping the side of the see-through pond. Yǔfēi leapt into the pond, splashing water behind her. Checking Ménmén, his gills flaring widely and his mouth completely open, she determined that he was choking. There wasn’t anything for Ménmén to choke on though, so what is it? Regardless, he was choking and she needed a cloth. Yǔfēi grabbed a sterile set of tweezers and a towel. Wrapping the silver carp in it, she inserted the tweezers into his mouth. Metal made contact with…what sounded like a solid object, and too large to use tweezers. She tried to pull it out to no avail. All the while, Ménmén was thrashing around, and slapping her with his tail.

“Hold still!” She shouted, grabbing a larger set of tweezers. “Try and spit it out!”

Eventually, he did, and a large round object flew out of his mouth and clattered onto the floor. Ménmén wriggled himself out of her grip and splashed into the water. He milled about for ten seconds before swimming away.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re safe, but how did you manage to eat that?”

Picking up the amulet, the first thing she noticed was that it was pearlescent, with multiple words written on the teal sections. The word for earth was on top, the traditional way of writing Yang on the right, and the character denoting Yang Earth years was on the left. The central and bottom sections were empty. Whoever carved this had perfect calligraphy, she thought. Even she couldn’t have written those perfect strokes. Turning it over, there was an ancient character for the earthly branch for the year of the Dragon. It seemed oddly appropriate, seeing as how she was born in the year of the Dragon. It still hadn’t explained why and how Ménmén managed to eat it, considering that he was a filter feeder. She felt an ominous feeling flowing through her.

The inside was a surprise. Yǔfēi glimpsed a miniature barometer, a thermometer, an electronic anemometer, a hygrometer, what seemed to be a rain gauge, and a lightning detector. If someone gave this to her as a gift, she would have gladly accepted it. Again, she praised the person who designed this and somehow managed to fit many weather instruments into one small amulet. This would have been very useful when she was younger.

You have it now, don’t you?

Yǔfēi whirled around. “Who are you?”

An ally. That amulet is helpful for a meteorologist, but it could be used for so much more. You need the words first.

“The words for what?”

The words to unlock your true potential. You named him after the Gate, you should know what I’m talking about: how to find the Key to the Door to the Fifth Gate.

“The Dragon Gate? Yes, I named Ménmén that, but how much more can I ascend? Do I have to become part of the government? The General Secretary?”

A bit less worldly, and more transcendent. You are on the right track though. The voice paused. Can you hear it?

Yǔfēi listened closely. Was that water? At first, it was a trickle, but then…a rush. In a minute, she sprinted to her balcony. She had originally chosen her apartment due to its proximity to two great bodies of water: the East China Sea and the Yangtze River. Now, the Yangtze River was striving to meet the sea, its banks overflowing. Below, she saw coursing currents rushing past houses, unstoppable in its wake. Some slammed into walls and concrete, while others washed away the trees and cars into a muddled and undefined mess. Certain houses ended up being small islands, but the worst was the people screaming. A family was trying to get to higher ground, only for a man to be swept away by the currents. Yǔfēi quickly redialed and called her co-workers.

“Chief! I was just about to call you-”

“Call the emergency Calamity task force for Shanghai and tell them to head to all areas that are close to the Yangtze River. There’s a geological Calamity there, and tell them that the Yangtze River has completely flooded.” She ended the call.

Running over to the stairs, Yǔfēi unlocked it, and rushed down as quickly as possible. As she descended, the sound of rushing water started echoing. By the time she was on the ground floor, the water was a roaring echo and she heard voices on the other side of the metal door. Opening it, Yǔfēi was greeted by about forty or fifty people banging on the entrance doors. She scrambled for the key, and found it. Unlocking it, she watched as they poured into the lobby along with the floodwaters. It hit her in the face and sloshed against the walls until it settled to roughly waist deep levels. Everyone was soaking wet and bedraggled. Her clothes clung jealously to her body.

“Thank you. Do you live in this building?” An elderly woman asked.

“Yes.” Yǔfēi pointed at the stairs. “I can show you the way to the top of the roof. My apartment can fit everyone while we wait for evacuation. Follow me!”

After some grumbling and realising that the water is slowly rising, everyone decided to follow her. The stairwell echoed with the sounds of people young and old. There were some babies and children crying, and occasionally one of the elders fell, to be supported by any of the adults nearby. Once Yǔfēi unlocked the door, they all flooded in. Some of the adults were gaping at the myriad ink wash paintings and terracotta pottery. There was a group of children trying to pet Ménmén, who decided on slapping the children’s faces with his tail.

“Ménmén, don’t slap people’s faces!”

“You talk to your fish?” A young woman asked Yǔfēi. “Isn’t that a little weird? From my experience, only crazy people talk to animals.” She stared at both Yǔfēi and Ménmén with more than a hint of disdain.

“Yes I do talk to my carp, and he makes for a great listener. Now excuse me while I call for a helicopter to evacuate us all, including you, to a safer location.”

She dialled the task force’s phone number. “Hello, this is Huá Yǔfēi.”

“Ah Huá Yǔfēi! You’re the one who called about the Calamity.”

“Yes. I need a helicopter or a small airplane. Anything that can fit on the roof of my apartment building and can seat forty to fifty people.” She counted everyone. “Make that forty seven people. Currently, they are in my apartment after fleeing the rising floodwaters. I’m in Gaoqiao, in the building spray painted blue.” That needed to be cleaned after this.

“Alright, I’ll send over a small airplane. It should be there within the hour.”

“Thank you.”

The sound of a wail broke through, with everyone staring at the source of the commotion. Yǔfēi pushed through the crowd. There was a man and woman comforting each other.

“Is everything alright?” She asked.

“I can’t find my son! Where is he?” The woman yelled for her child. “Báizhú! Báizhú!”

Soon, more people were shouting for their children, begging anyone nearby if they had seen their children. Overall, there were two boys and two girls missing. Yǔfēi tried to look as well, but the only children she spotted were already with their parents. Suddenly, there was shouting at the window.

“Báizhú!” The woman in a drenched shawl shouted. “He’s over there!”

Everyone gathered around the open window. Near a small balcony a few blocks away, the four children were stuck on a small sheet of metal, which was slowly dislodging from the balcony. Around them, the floodwaters were at full power, pushing against anything in their way—be it cars, people, or trees. Most of the parents had entered a fit of despair, and some were thinking of how to get their kids back. Yǔfēi was taking her jacket off. She kept the amulet though. It seemed…right to have it. She walked to the edge of the pond, where Ménmén swam up to the glass. He stared worryingly at her.

“Hey, I’ll come back.” She smiled.

Ménmén was satisfied at that answer and flicked his tail.

She cleared her throat. It’s generally impolite to be yelling at a group of strangers, but this was necessary. This needed to be fast.

“Everyone get away from the window!”

All those clustered at the window made way.

“What are you doing? Why is your jacket off?” The young woman from earlier asked.

“It’s only going to increase drag, and I’m going to save those kids.”

She took off running, her feet pounding against the hardwood floor. Running past the astonished onlookers, she reached the window and leapt into the waters below.

The landing was rough, with Yǔfēi narrowly avoiding a trash bin and a bench. After resurfacing and reorienting herself, she spit out water and tried to find the children again. They were due north of her, but the current was pushing her to the west. She recalled her breaststrokes, one arm forward, then the next, then the next, then the next…soon she was pushing against the current, using any available buildings to propel herself forward. Dodging someone’s smart car, she weaved in between the various cars in the water, diving when the surface became too crowded with debris. The sky overhead was a cloudy grey. Was it just her, or were the waters still rising? She wasn’t an expert in geological Calamities, but she knew the water level shouldn’t be increasing. At this rate, it would be at the same level as her apartment.

Eventually, she reached the children. Most of them were shivering and wet. Pushing herself onto the balcony, her feet landed on solid ground. She thought about possible solutions. Leading the children in swimming is out of the question. The amount of debris and hazards in the water made it unsafe, and there’s the possibility that one of them would be swept away or that they succumbed to hypothermia. If she directed the little raft instead…

“Hello!” She waved. “My name is Huá Yǔfēi, and I know where to find your parents. All I need you to do is to stay on this no matter what, alright? I can pull any of you back on if needed.”

They all nodded, although one of them started shaking.

“Where’s my mother?”

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“I’m scared.”

One of them started crying.

Oh, these poor children. She scanned the water, watching a tree dipping below the surface, a streetlight bobbing along, and to her dismay, several human bodies floating. She covered the kids’ eyes, despite one of them squirming underneath. They shouldn’t be exposed to this, she thought.

“What are your names?” She asked. If she knew their names, then they would be more comfortable around her. At least that was what she was told by her psychologist cousin.

“Liáng Báizhú.”

“Huáng Shānqí.”

“Jīn Zhìmíng.”

“Mèng Xiàměi.”

Yǔfēi nodded. “Xiǎo Liáng, I want you to grab onto this corner.” She pointed out a small part of the sheet that wasn’t sharp. “Xiǎo Huáng, grab this corner.” She pointed to another corner of the sheet. “Xiǎo Jīn, hold onto this. Xiǎo Mèng, this is your corner. I don’t want any of you to hold onto each other, alright?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” She scanned the water. “Hold on tight. On five, we’ll be in the water, alright?”

“Alright.” Liáng Báizhú replied. “Māmā is safe?”

“Yes she is. I’m sure she’ll be very happy to see you.” Now’s the time. “Get ready! One, two, three, four, five!”

She pushed the lightweight sheet of metal into the floodwaters. All five of them hit the water in a splash, with Mèng Xiàměi spitting out water off the side of the makeshift raft. The return journey was quicker and Yǔfēi’s movements swifter. The current was rapid, and more than once she had manoeuvred the raft away from large debris such as a piece of someone’s roof or a particularly large streetlight. Thankfully, the children remained calm throughout the whole ordeal. She kept a close eye on them. If they huddled together for warmth…no! If they tried to get too close, if one of them fell overboard, that meant the whole group would be overboard. There seemed to be no hazards in the water, so she relaxed a little.

When they reached the apartment, Yǔfēi noticed that the water had reached the second highest floor. There was no sign of the airplane. She grumbled under her breath. If her apartment flooded, the only escape is the top of the roof, and if the water is increasing this much, the entire building would be underwater. She hoped they arrived here quickly.

“Everyone above me!” Yǔfēi yelled at the anxious crowd. “I need help getting the kids into the apartment!”

A sudden clamour rippled through the crowd as the parents pushed their way forward. Jīn Zhìmíng yelled and waved at his bàba. Once Yǔfēi enlisted the crowd to help with pulling the children up, she relaxed more. Her legs were tired, maybe brewing some tea would be nice. Most of the kids were reunited with their parents, all of them chatting amongst themselves. The only one left was Liáng Báizhú. His māmā was eagerly waiting, arms outstretched.

“Almost there!” Yǔfēi lifted the boy to his mother. Her legs seemed to be made of lead, given the way they buckled after she was done.

“Are you alright?” Lǎo Liáng asked.

“I think so-ah!” The little raft immediately capsized, sending Yǔfēi tumbling into the water. She coughed out water, grabbed onto a small ledge underwater, and set a mental note for mouth rinsing afterwards. Her ears must be plugged, as she understood none of what the crowd was saying. Wiping the water off her face, she squinted. Someone was reaching for her and yelling, though all she heard was muffled voices.

“What?” She shouted, though the sound was quiet to her ears.

Yǔfēi turned to her left…and was immediately greeted with a piece of concrete slightly larger than a dresser coming downstream. It slammed into her head, knocking her out.

She was no longer aware of her surroundings, but she felt bruises on her upper body. Her clothes were torn and her hair pooled around her head. Despite her efforts, she was sinking, far beneath the surface. Yǔfēi tried to swim, yet her arms seemed to be made of lead. Her eyes were slowly closing, yet she tried to keep them open.

Calamities are tough to deal with.

Was she hallucinating? She felt a burning feeling in her chest. Water, she’s drinking water.

You saved them though. Helping people…that’s not something I have experienced in a long time. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but you are what I was hoping for.

Yǔfēi wasn’t sure what was happening. Was this what dying people experienced? Her body was sinking, and the surface seemed so distant…

Yǔfēi, think about your life. Check your amulet.

The amulet? She checked her left hand, still gripped tightly around the pearly amulet. The amulet seemed to have a fiery quality to it now. What she wanted out of life? She wanted to answer with spending time with those she loved, drinking tea, and working; but that wasn’t the right answer.

Prickles of sunlight danced through the watery depths, illuminating the various people trapped underneath the surface. Surprisingly for most people, Yǔfēi wasn’t afraid of Calamities nor had she ever felt a burning hatred or extreme numbness towards them. They were a puzzle, a mysterious phenomena to which the solution is ever fleeting. Their origin was a mystery, and no real answer was ever found for their appearance. It always fascinated her, these skysent events that left devastation in their wake. She was tied to them in a way no one understood. A part of her had always thought they were unnatural, as their formation rarely indicated by the predicted forecasts. Her only issue is the loss of life. If she learned how they came to be…could the world be saved?

She gripped her amulet. Something bubbled up inside of her.

“I want to know the Calamities, how they came into existence, why they appeared thirty-three years ago, and how to stop them. I want to be more, more than a meteorologist, a friend, a daughter. I want the world to be saved, to rise above, and for everyone else to do so as well.”

With that finished, she closed her eyes. The last thing she saw was the amulet emitting azure light…

The first thing she heard was the soft sound of rain falling. Being underwater felt strange, and the open sky seemed more beckoning, more welcoming. Yǔfēi followed the sound of rain. She was ascending faster than usual, and the surface seemed much closer than it should have been. Almost there…finally! The raindrops were soothing, even though it would have made the flooding worse. She looked downwards—and was astonished at the sight of a tail. A scaled tail of deep azure, a very long tail at that. Somewhere down there, there were two paws like a tiger with five claws like an eagle. The entire body from the tail was snakelike and equally blue in colour. She felt long trailing whiskers like a catfish on her face and she noted that she now possessed a camel-like head. Was Yǔfēi a dragon?

She probably was, but that was not important right now. That rain cloud needed to be moved elsewhere and there were people depending on her. With a thought she pushed it out to sea. That worked as the rain cloud drifted away. She tried to move the water away from the streets, but it refused.

No you can’t do that. Water is not under your domain.

Under her domain? There are others then? Yǔfēi found her amulet hanging off of one of her claws. The centre and bottom sections were filled in with the traditional character for dragon and five respectively, as in the zodiac. She still needed to go back to her apartment. Moving forward was a breeze, one accomplished by sheer force. Occasionally, she watched the flooded streets for any survivors, but there were none. The only people she found were floating face down. Gently lifting them on her back, she carried onwards.

Her apartment was almost flooded judging from the water level. All of the people that were in her apartment earlier were now boarding a small aircraft parked on her roof. Lǎo Liáng was holding one of Yǔfēi’s emergency fish tanks where Ménmén was swimming around and talking with the soldier in front of the aircraft. As Yǔfēi neared the rooftop, the people down below started gaping and pointing at the large dragon above them. The soldiers around the aircraft took notice and warned their leader, gesturing wildly and shouting.

“Is that a dragon? I thought they weren’t real!”

“Am I hallucinating?”

“Dragons are peaceful, right?”

“Wait, are those bodies on its back?”

The leader of the group of soldiers looked up at the sky. “What is your purpose here?” The same person she was calling earlier, and why were they so late?

Yǔfēi slowly landed. “The people on my back, I want them returned to their families.”

She lay down, with the soldiers unloading the corpses onto the small aircraft. Some of the parents were covering their children’s eyes. Her initial thought was carrying everyone to safety, but unless she washed herself thoroughly, no one would want to be on her back.

“Lǎo Nǎinai, have you seen the woman who lived in this apartment? Her name is Huá Yǔfēi. She was swept away by the current when she was rescuing my son and three other children. Did you see her body?” Lǎo Liáng asked. “I have her fish.”

“Huá Yǔfēi is safe and sound, she’s on the outskirts of the city. Don’t worry about her.” It felt odd referring to herself in the third person, but would anyone have believed that she turned into a dragon?

“Dragon, you were helpful today, so I’ll ask you. They say that you have power over the weather and can control floods. I’m not a believer in my nǎinai’s stories, but seeing you…it seems like there is some worth. Can you stop the flooding?” The leader asked.

“No, it is not within my power.” She needed to ask the voice more about this later. “You were late coming here. Tell me why.”

“The flooding is not only in Shanghai. The entire Yangtze River flooded over. From Qinghai to the East China Sea, we’ve had to evacuate many civilians before reaching here. Thankfully, it seems that all of the civilians are accounted for and alive.”

A reasonable explanation, and fortunate. She would have verbally eviscerated the man otherwise, dragon or no dragon. “Make sure everyone is evacuated far from the city limits, especially near areas close to the Yangtze River or the East China Sea. Have you checked the headwaters of the Yangtze?”

“No, as we have been focused on civilian evacuations.”

Yǔfēi nodded her head to the west. "If we investigate the headwaters, we may be able to prevent any further damage or flooding. Who else is in the vicinity?”

“Five helicopters, and about five brigades of ten people each. Four are assisting in evacuation efforts, while the fifth is in charge of keeping order among the evacuees.”

Considering the damage that the city has taken and the multiple people that were displaced, leaving at least two brigades is necessary. Only two brigades should be necessary, and three helicopters.

“We take your brigade, two brigades if they aren’t busy with their duties, and three helicopters to the headwaters.” She’s a dragon, so she should be faster than the helicopters. “I’ll go ahead and scout ahead. If there is any potential danger, I will circle back and warn you and anyone else in the chain of command. First, we should evacuate everyone.”

The leader of the soldiers nodded and shouted for his men.

After two round trips and the safe evacuation of all civilians, Yǔfēi watched the three helicopters in formation. Thankfully, the leader secured a larger plane for transportation. Below her, she felt each individual blade of grass waving in the breeze. The trees rustled, leaving her alone to her thoughts. The worst flood type Calamities as measured by her colleagues had the Yangtze River flooding partially or at least until a certain level had been reached. The water level wouldn’t have risen as high as it did, and certainly not to the height of her apartment building. Were they getting stronger, like some models predicted? What was the true cause of Calamities? Something moved in front of her: a white crystal directly in her face. She turned to her right, facing a black crystal. On her left was a red crystal, while behind her was a bluish green crystal. Looking up, she spotted a yellow crystal floating above her head. She waved her head, and the crystals moved slightly, but stayed in relatively the same position. They seemed harmless, so she paid no further attention to them. Besides, she had the unfolding Calamity on her mind.

Travelling across green plains and winding blue streams, Yǔfēi tested the extent of her abilities. After two hours of confusing the soldiers and touching the crystals, she concluded that the crystals are connected to the natural elements. Based on her observations, the five crystals corresponded to the five phases in ancient philosophy, including the colours. Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. It explained their positioning as well. Yǔfēi controlled the weather, summoning rain clouds and the wind with ease. Holding onto a crystal made summoning certain phenomena better, such as the black crystal assisting in rain summoning and the white crystal in calling down lightning. Of course, she tried to project an aura of supreme majesty to the soldiers, hiding her relative inexperience.

They passed by the city of Chongqing, equally overrun with flooding. The task force present assured them that they were handling the situation and were not in need of further assistance. Survivors were few though, and they left the city with a heavy heart. Yǔfēi thought about the five elements. Water can be contained by either earth or wood. Verdant grass gave way to pale yellow plains, and she summoned small rain clouds to hydrate the soldiers.

At last, they arrived at the geological origin of the Yangtze River. The Dangpu River was equally flooded, as the water seeped into the marsh-like banks. Strewn across the floodplain were the carcasses of helicopters and fighter planes. The lack of any movement disheartened her—until she caught sight of something that shouldn’t have existed.

There was a snake in the waters, looking as if it had arisen from the rivers itself. Its great coils lapped around six times as it bared its fangs against a bird also made of water. The bird let out a cry, and Yǔfēi noticed that where the bird’s feet were supposed to be was attached to the snake’s tail. They were still fighting though— and spurting water into the river. To her relief, neither the bird or the snake spotted the three helicopters, the planes, or Yǔfēi herself. The leader of the soldiers motioned for everyone to hold their positions.

“What is that? Why did no one relay that there was a massive monster that was contributing to the Calamity?” He stared at the debris left on the floodplain. “Something’s wrong.”

She remembered the unexplained reports of solid masses inside Calamities, how she easily dismissed it as the result of faulty equipment or incorrect interpretations of the data. Now though, those reports were becoming more credible. The leader was right: why was no one informed of this being at the centre of the Calamity?

“Whatever this is, it’s either causing or significantly contributing to the flooding. We need to contain and capture the beast, dead or alive. I can soar above the clouds and sap its strength. You can surround the area and prevent it from escaping. I know there is a large tank on one of your planes, so we can use that as a form of temporary containment until we reach Shanghai.” She was surprised he listened to her, but she felt as if there was more than an authoritative voice at work.

He nodded. “Your plan is sensible. Brigade on the right flank, your task is to recover any bodies from the downed aircraft. Brigade on the left flank, your task is to lay down a temporary dam. My brigade, we’re supporting the dragon when she’s in the skies. Anything she commands, do it.”

“Since none of your conventional weapons are able to pierce, immobilise, or disable the creature, I propose that we build a wall consisting of earth and possibly any non salvageable wreckage. That being said, any possible other equipment and gear you are carrying may be useful later. As soon as you are done, retreat immediately.” She wanted no loss of life, she had already seen enough today.

“Yes ma’am!”

Everyone set out to do their assigned tasks. Yǔfēi soared upwards into the clouds, which covered most of her long body. Far above the world, she observed the two heads embroiled in conflict—oblivious to the makeshift dam forming around them. The helicopters were doing as instructed, carrying the downed aircraft to the wall—and as she noted sadly, pulling more and more dead bodies from the wreckage.

She clutched the bluish green crystal and felt the energy coursing through her body.

Flexible and supple, able to expand further and generous in its gifts.

Wood was strengthened by water, and it could be either trees or wind, she thought. She summoned wind, exhaling it onto the two heads. As the wind blew by the bird’s head, some of the water was carried away by the breeze. The miniature earthen and aircraft wall was fully erected around the creature, encircling them completely. Yǔfēi descended slightly, watching everything from above.

Flicking a claw in the direction from which they came, Yǔfēi gripped the yellow crystal. As she held it, she noticed that there was some loose soil near the snake’s tail. The bird still hadn’t noticed itself being picked apart by the wind. Yǔfēi asked the soldiers for some assistance in digging a large hole.

“Alright, those on the left of me, grab any shovels and start digging. Be careful, and if the creature makes any sudden move, retreat immediately. Those on the right, support your fellow soldiers and anyone else who needs assistance.”

Afterwards, the resulting hole engulfed most of the floodplain, and she commanded them to retreat and leave the creature to herself for now. With one swipe of her tail, the earth on which the snake was resting crumbled to the bottom of the large hole. The bird finally noticed that the wind was draining it—and dove onto Yǔfēi’s head.

The weight of the water threatened to drown Yǔfēi, but her body reformed into a gust of wind. She tore through the bird’s throat in an instant. Water gushed from the bird’s neck as it let out a vicious cry. The snake head was not assisting the bird head, distracted by the soldiers retreating. At the sight of one quickly backing away, the snake head tried attacking them, only to be stopped by Yǔfēi. Solidifying herself, she stared at the snake's cold and unemotional eyes.

"Your fighting with your other head is flooding the rivers that the water is feeding into and causing mass casualties. Come with me, and tell me where you came from. This can be either peaceful or by force. Choose wisely,” she stated.

The snake head stared back before lunging, initially aiming for her tail—then darted for her head.

Yǔfēi ducked underneath the massive fangs and shot upwards, avoiding the sharp beak of the bird and diving straight into another cloud. Making sure that none of the soldiers were in the vicinity, she held the white crystal and called down lightning upon the two heads, turning the creature into a small lake. Yǔfēi waited a few minutes, in case of something happening. Sure enough, the creature reformed and she sent a lightning bolt downwards.

The original plan couldn't be used—the electrified water was too dangerous and that she couldn’t disable the creature long enough for transportation, she thought. The hole wouldn’t be enough to seal the creature. Her only options were to guard the hole or—wait, she realised, didn’t dragons have the ability to transform into humans? A human form may have more options than her current form. Although she would be significantly more fragile as a human being…

She floated downwards and motioned to the nearby soldiers.

“In five minutes, I want you to shoot out flares, so as to distract the creature. Make sure they are watching. Either that, or feed it more electricity.” She shot upwards again.

She imagined herself as a human being and a soothing feeling overtook her. She relaxed instinctively–until she realised she couldn’t float anymore. The sudden plummet surprised her, and the flowy hanfu she was wearing did not slow her descent. The ground was getting closer and closer before her eyes—she waited for certain death before looking at her hand. There was a paper-like umbrella in her right hand. After some manoeuvring, she managed to open it, sighing in relief as her descent slowed down significantly. Drifting through the air, she observed the two heads. They were distracted, watching the bright red flares flying high into the sky. She looked closely at the umbrella, and thought, if it was magical, would it be able to trap those two?

Thrusting it forward, she floated right above the creature’s heads. The water that comprised their body started rising upwards as little droplets. The last thing both heads saw before they were completely sealed within the umbrella was the slight smile of a woman in blue hanfu.

Soon after, with the umbrella sealed, she started to fall towards the ground again. She was about to transform, but a net quickly scooped her up. Looking up, she found the friendly face of one of the pilots waving at her. She waved back.

After collecting herself, Yǔfēi presented herself in front of the commander. He was about her height, and seemed confused. She met his gaze, and held out her wet umbrella.

“Take this to the Calamity research facility in Shanghai. I want the creature inside studied and tested. If anything similar appears in a Calamity, capture it and bring it there as well. Do not let this out of your sight until you reach Shanghai.”

“Yes.” The leader seemed to want to ask another question. “You are a dragon, right?”

“It’s complicated.”

Neither of them said anything.

“Thank you for your help today,” she said.

“It’s not a problem.” He returned a wiry smile. “Thanks for stopping the Calamity, and capturing this creature. Do you want to come with us?”

“No thank you, but thank you for the offer. I live somewhere else.” Being honest in this situation was going to be difficult. She wanted to tell him, but something told her to be quiet.

He took her umbrella, leaving her alone with the five crystals zooming around her. Looking over the side of the helicopter, she leaped from it and gripped the bluish green crystal. In a minute, she started flying, overtaking everyone else.

After depositing herself in Shanghai and covering her blue antlers with a towel, Yǔfēi explained her disappearance by being swept away by the currents, where she happened to catch the eye of a mysterious azure dragon who thankfully dropped her off in the outskirts of the city. She was using the towel so that her hair didn’t become soaking wet and there was nothing underneath them. The tail was much easier to hide underneath the hanfu. The hanfu was stolen from a specialty shop after her clothes were soaked. It was definitely free and was not the result of magic.

Everyone somehow believed her. Even Ménmén.

The quick but thorough shower cleared her mind. Were these creatures the origin of Calamities she was looking for? There have been teams sent into the hearts of storms, but none have reported anything close to what she witnessed today. Did they come from Calamities? Not entirely implausible, though when she sealed it, the Calamity stopped. Maybe it was a feedback loop, the creatures generating the Calamity and the Calamity generating the creature. Do all Calamities have hidden monsters inside? She still needed to file her report on this latest Calamity. The government must be informed of this. The more the world knows, the better prepared they will be and the less casualties too.

There is another way.

Yǔfēi looked up.

What you now possess is incredible. The power over weather, and to transform into the elements, and more besides. I’m sure you have seen the crystals.

Oh yes. They are currently crowded around her and lodging themselves in her dark blue hair.

They are…clingy. There is an artefact more powerful than them though. When you look at your ink paintings, what else is depicted alongside dragons?

“A pearl?” Usually, it was on fire. This beggared her disbelief when she was younger.

That is the Key. Unfortunately, its whereabouts are unknown. The only known fact is that it’s in one of the oceans of the world in the lands born of words and order.

“You mentioned keys alongside doors and the Fifth Gate. What is the Fifth Gate?”

The Fifth Gate is a wondrous city, full of colour and magnificence. It is a seat of power and connected with the First House. All Gates are connected to Houses.

“And a Door? First House?”

A Door is what the Keys unlock. Something about not wanting intruders entering without permission. The First House is ruled by Aries. I have never been there myself, since it’s too hot for my liking.

“That makes sense. There’s the Western zodiac too? Do you know where everyone is then?” Aries, Aries…she’s drawing a blank there.

Unfortunately no.

“Who are you? Are you the amulet?”

No! I would never want to be an inanimate object! I’m afraid I can’t tell you.

“Well, as my bàba always said, never underestimate a Huá when they want to know something.”

If you want to save the world, find the Fifth Gate. You’ll find your answers there.

The next day, Yǔfēi was sipping tea with Ménmén watching from his pond. He jumped up and splashed her as she retold her story to him.

“Now I have blue eyes and hair! I look like the Azure Dragon when I’m a dragon. Hmm, I wonder if you can become a dragon as well.”

Ménmén stared blankly.

“You know, they say that carp can become dragons through perseverance. If I can–huh?”

Someone was knocking…on her balcony door? The only stairwell from her apartment was through the lobby. If it was those graffiters who spray painted her roof, Yǔfēi would not mind giving them an earful about how they needed to stop vandalising people’s properties or their parents would be dutifully notified about their children’s illegal activities. She liked helping people…unless they abused her hospitality. Nevertheless, it might be someone from yesterday looking for something they left behind, but the balcony wasn’t connected to the ground…

“I’m coming!” She walked briskly, hastily wrapping her blue antlers in a towel. “I’m opening the door!” Taking out her keys, she unlocked it and opened it.

She was not what Yǔfēi was expecting. Standing on the balcony was a child about fifteen or sixteen years old with oversized glasses and a white dress with a metal belt. The hair was in two colours, but what grabbed her attention were the massive wings that nearly dwarfed the young girl in size.

“Doko desu ka?” The girl asked.

Yǔfēi only knew a few phrases in Japanese. Thankfully, ‘doko desu ka’ was one of them. “I don’t speak Japanese, and I’m Chinese. You’re in Shanghai, and this is my balcony. Do you want to come in and have some tea?” Her towel slowly fell off onto the floor.

The girl kept staring. “You’re pretty.”

She spoke Chinese? That’s new. “Thanks? My name is Huá Yǔfēi.”

“Oh! Nice to meet you Hua-san, I’m Tenhou Mihira. I flew here!” For the first time, Mihira took note of Yǔfēi’s antlers. “Those are nice! Did you make those yourself? My friend likes to cosplay as animals a lot.”

“Those are real. The wings you have, how do you have them?”

Mihira dug into her dress, pulling out a copper amulet. “I got it from this amulet, or the magic that empowers it. It’s the same reason I understand what you are saying! Do you know any lands where it fights the sea?”

Yǔfēi thought about it. “No, not really. I have an amulet just like yours.” She pulled out her own pearlescent amulet.

Mihira studied it. “You’re the Dragon? That explains the antlers. I’m Libra.” She pointed to her wings. “That’s why I have wings, and I would like some tea, thank you very much for offering.”

Yǔfēi nodded, gesturing inside. “Why don’t we talk this over? Tell me everything.”