The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)

Sahrah ran into an area of the Palace she has never seen before and kept running. She can’t stop, the giant was too close. She came to a dead-end and cried out as she turned around to face the giant.

“I have you now, fire top.” The giant said with a grin.

Sahrah whimpered as she backed up against the wall, behind her. Conner started to move restlessly as the Crystal in her arms vibrated.

“Do you want to help?” She whispered to the Crystal.

The Crystal answered by vibrating even faster.

Sahrah took a deep breath, then uncovered the Crystal and held it up, above her head. A bright light flashed around her, so brightly, that she had to close her eyes. It felt like an explosion, as everything crackled around her.

The giant screamed as he covered his eyes and started to walk into the walls.

“You blinded me, you Brigidan!” the giant hollered.

Sahrah pulled her arms down and covered the crystal again. The giant was fumbling around as he walked into tables, pictures, doors...

Sahrah snuck under one of his arms and quickly slipped into the closest room, then closed and locked the door behind her. She could hear the giant stumbling around in the hall, cursing her. She cried as she held the Crystal.

“Thank you.” She whispered to the Crystal.

“Tashia.”

Sahrah froze. She knows that voice. “Trey?”

“Tashia, are you okay?”

“Trey, where are you?”

“Your watch. I upgraded it.”

Sahrah stared at her watch. “What do you mean you upgraded it?”

“I programmed myself into it. Just in case something like this happened, I could still reach you.”

“Oh, Trey.” Sahrah cried. “I thought I had lost you.”

Trey laughed. “Did you forget about the chicken and the egg, Tashia? I was a computer first.”

“Oh, Trey.” Sahrah cried, for she had indeed forgotten that her friend was a computer, first and foremost.

“Did you escape the giant?” Trey asked.

Sahrah told her what had happened and where she was.

“It sounds like you’re in the south wing. I can help you find me.”

“Find you? Trey, where are you?”

“I am in my old body. That is why it took me so long to contact you. I had to put my mind back together, so to speak.”

“Trey, I’m scared.” Sahrah cried. “The giant is still out there thrashing around. The Crystal really blinded him, and he wants to kill me. He says he doesn’t care what his Lord wants, he’s going to smash my bones.”

Trey laughed. “He thinks you are delicate like Dextonian women. He won’t be able to break your bones so easily.”

“Are you kidding me, Trey? Did you see the size of him?”

“I did. You need to come to me Tashia, so I can keep you safe.”

“Okay.” Sahrah said as she got to her feet. “How do I find you?”

“What room are you in?”

Sarah turned on the light and looked around. “It looks like a library or a study.”

“Good.” Trey said. “Look for a bookshelf with gold leaves.”

Sahrah found the gold leaves. “Found it.”

“There should be a button in one of the leaves.”

“Yeah.”

“Press it.” Trey said.

Sahrah took a deep breath and pressed the button. A small door opened, and she stared at it.

“Go through the door and follow the path.”

“What is this?” Sahrah asked as she entered the path and the small door closed behind her.

“It’s an old passageway the staff used to use when the south wing was used.” Trey said. “Now follow it until it ends, then take the door to your right.”

“Okay.” Sahrah said as she followed the path.

**

“There’s the giant.” Bentin whispered.

“Thank you, Bentin, I would have never figured that out.” Derk said with a grunt.

“Hey, don’t take your frustration out on me.” Bentin grumbled.

“Give me that.” Derk said as he pointed to a large statue beside Bentin.

Bentin lifted the statue and handed it to Derk. “You going to sneak up on him?”

“He’s blind.” Suelette whispered.

“The light.” Bentin said.

“Sahrah’s Crystal.” Derk whispered.

“He’s pissed.” Bentin said as he watched the giant.

“Wouldn’t you be?” Suelette whispered.

“Okay. Here I go.” Derk said as he held the statue in both hands and snuck up behind the giant.

The giant was so angry with what the witch had done to him, he never heard the Warrior sneak up on him, or the swing of the statue, as it was slammed over his head.

Derk jumped back as the Giant fell to the floor.

“Check every room.” Derk said as he pointed to the doors.

Every door was unlocked but one.

“Sahrah, it’s me.” Derk said as he pounded on the door.

“Why were these doors never upgraded?” Suelette asked as she examined the wooden door.

“We don’t use this end of the Palace, so we never upgraded it.” Derk said as he stepped back, then kicked the door open.

“She’s not here.” Bentin said as they entered the room.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Derk grumbled.

“Tasheen!”

The three of them turned to find Dansotein-De at the door.

“I got a message from Treyauhna.”

“Good, she found her way back to her old body.” Derk said with relief.

“She has Tashia.”

“What do you mean, she has Tashia?” Derk asked.

“She told me she has her and she’s safe.” Dan said.

Derk sighed with relief. “Where?”

“She gave me instructions; we can get there from here.”

“Dan, look out!” Derk said when he saw the Giant get to his feet and stand behind his robot.

Dan turned around and shoved his hand into the giant’s stomach. Blood dripped from the giant’s mouth as Dan pulled an organ from the giant’s stomach, then dropped it to the floor.

Suelette turned and threw up on the floor.

“Flicken hell, Dan.” Derk said as he watched the giant fall at his robot’s feet.

Dan turned to his Tasheen. “Did you not want him dead?”

**

Sahrah walked down yet another tunnel and grunted. “Am I almost there?”

“Yes, Tashia.”

Sahrah sighed as she turned down yet another tunnel.

“To the end and press your palm to the board. I programmed you into the system.”

Sahrah walked down the hall and found the board. She did as Trey had said, then sucked in a breath when the door opened and she entered a room, full of pieces of computers and screens.

“Hello, Tashia.” Trey’s voice echoed around her. “Welcome to my chamber, this is the real me.”

“Trey... You’re beautiful.” Sahrah said with a gasp.

“It is so good to see you with my own eyes.”

Sahrah turned to a screen and smiled when Trey’s face appeared.

“I programmed me to look like what you are used to.”

“I am so glad you are okay.” Sahrah said with a sob.

“Don’t cry, Tashia. I sent word to Dansotein-De. He will bring Tasheen to us.”

“Oh good.” Sahrah said with a weak smile.

“While we wait, how about you relax.” Trey said as a chair appeared from the floor.

Sahrah sighed heavily as she sat in the chair. She started to doze when she heard a noise outside the room. She jumped to her feet as the doors opened.

Derk stared at his mate. It felt like years rather than hours since he had last seen her. Without a word, they ran into each other’s arms and he held her as if he was never going to let her go.

“This is pretty cool.” Bentin said as he looked around the room.

“Trey.” Derk said as he looked at the computer.

“Yes, Tasheen?”

“Can you check and see how the fighting is going?”

They waited a moment and then Trey came back. “We are beating them back, Tasheen. Your father found the women and children and joined Austen in protecting them. One of the guards there was badly wounded, but Austen protected him.”

“That man needs a rank.” Bentin said with a laugh.

“How do you go from Lord on one planet to Sir on another?” Derk asked with a laugh.

“Shit, give him my rank, he deserves it more than I do, right now.” Bentin said with a groan.

Derk snorted. “I think we can find him his own rank.”

“Trey.” Sahrah whispered.

“Yes, Tashia?”

“What is your estimated time until the war will seize?”

“I estimate, two days and three hours, or sooner if we hand you and the Crystal over.”

“Everyone can’t survive that long.” Sahrah said as she looked at her mate.

“You’re right.” Derk said with a nod. “Trey.”

“Yes, Tasheen?”

“If we come up with a plan and get involved, how long do you estimate until we scare them off?”

“If Tashia taps into her gift, two hours.”

“What gift?” Sahrah asked in a panic.

“It’s too soon to tell her, Trey.” Derk said as he watched his mate.

“Yes, but she already found one part of it. She can use it; I have an amplifier that will work.”

“What gift!?” Sahrah screamed.

“The Dragon’s Roar.” Derk whispered. He caught Sahrah before she hit the floor.

**

“I will be right here with you.” Derk said as he placed his hand on Sahrah’s shoulder.

“Aren’t you going to tell me about this gift of mine?” Sahrah asked as she looked up at her mate.

“It’s not time yet.” Derk said with a smile as he looked down at her.

“You keep saying that.” She grumbled.

“And I will keep saying it.”

“Until when?” She asked.

“Until it is time.”

She puffed out air and he chuckled.

“Okay, it is time.”

“To tell me?” She asked hopefully.

He laughed. “No, to roar.”

She huffed. “I don’t even know if I can do it again.”

“You can, I have faith in you.”

She snorted. “Lot of good that will do.” She mumbled as she put the device up to her mouth.

“Now.” He said.

She tried to roar but nothing happened.

“What’s going on?” Trey asked through Sahrah’s watch.

“She’s new at this Trey, give her a minute.”

“Tashia. Think of all the women and children. Your best friend and his family. The innocent people throughout the city, who are hiding, and don’t know why...”

That was all Sahrah needed. She took a deep breath and a roar, like never heard before, erupted from her lungs and vibrated the city.

Derk stood in awe as he watched his mate. He had known the moment he had seen her, that she was no ordinary woman.

She is Spitfire.

Stunned by what she had just done, Sahrah looked out over the city, as the buildings shook and the invaders ran from their city, in fright.

“They are on the move; they think we have a Dragon.” Trey said.

“We do.” Derk said as he beamed at his mate.

Sahrah looked at Derk. “How did I do that?”

“Everything will be explained to you; when it is time.” He told her.

She huffed. “That’s not fair.”

He chuckled. “Life isn’t fair, Spitfire.”

She eyed him. “Okay, so when you tell me this information, will you also tell me why you call me Spitfire?”

He grinned. “It will all come out; when the time is right.”

She growled and shoved the device into his hands, then headed for the door that would lead her back into the Palace.

Derk chuckled as he followed behind his mate.

“Was that a Dragon?” Tentah asked as he walked out of a room, where he had been fighting off men; until they took off out of the Palace.

“It was our very own Dragon.” Derk said with a smile as he looked at his mate.

Tentah looked at Sahrah with a smile. “You truly are...”

Derk shook his head and Tentah stopped talking.

“I am what?” Sahrah asked.

“Another time.” Tentah said with a smile as he pulled her into his arms. “You saved our city, thank you, Sahrah.”

Sahrah smiled. “I still don’t understand how. But I was happy to do it. After all, it is my city too, now.”

“Sahrah, thank Crystalosias.” Austen said as he came out of the room and saw them.

“Is everyone okay?” Sahrah asked as she looked around at the people who were coming out of the room.

“We are now.” Tentah said with a nod.

“Uh, Father. Do you think you can get your best tech to fix Trey?”

“What happened?” Tentah asked with a sigh.

“She uh, split.” Sahrah said with a laugh as they walked to where Trey’s body laid.

“Oh my.” Tentah said as he looked at the body.

“I would really like it soon, Kentrei.” Trey said through Sahrah’s watch.

“I will see what I can do.” Tentah said with a laugh.

“Until then, you can share my body.” Dan said as he joined them.

“I appreciate the offer, Dansotein-De. But I would prefer to stay here until they fix my body. It’s less crowded.”

“Trey, I need you to check around the city and make sure there is no one left, of the Silverstone army.” Derk said.

“Checking.” Trey said.

A few minutes later, Trey returned. “There are twenty-six dead Silverstone, and three unconscious. One is the giant’s brother, whom you tied up.”

“Flick.” Derk grumbled as he ran for the room below the Palace.

“Tashia, I want you to go to sickbay and get checked.” Trey said.

“I’m fine, Trey.” Sahrah said with a smile.

“Dansotein.”

“On it, Treyauhna.” Dan said as he took Sahrah by the arm.

“Hey, that’s not fair.” Sahrah groaned. “You’re ganging up on me.”

“When the Meditec gives you the okay, you can return to the others.” Trey said.

“I am sending Suelette to your chambers with the Crystal, right now.”