The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)

Sahrah looked at the two large pieces of the Crystal on the table, then at the pile of shards. She’s not sure how she’s going to do this, but there has to be something she can do.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

Sahrah looked up and smiled at Austen. “Not one bit.”

Austen laughed. “Me either. Do you think it can be fixed?”

She nodded. “I feel that it can, I just haven’t figure out how, yet.”

“What about using Spitfire?” He suggested.

She nodded. “I’ve thought of that. But I don’t have control of it yet, what if I melt it?”

He chuckled. “You know that our Crystals can’t melt.”

She sighed, then a thought came to her. “I know what to do!” She ran from the chamber in search of her mate.

Austen looked at the shards and found one glowing brighter than the others. He picked it up and a gust of wind blew his hair back. “Okay.” He said with a grin. “I guess that tells me that.”

Sahrah found Derk in the throne room, as usual. Everyone looked at her when she entered the room.

“Sorry to intrude.” She said as she looked around the room. “But I need to borrow Tasheen for a few hours. If that is alright with Kentrei.”

Derk stood, he knew when she called him by his title, that she spoke business, and so did his father.

“Go.” Tentah said. He knows his Daughter has been trying to fix the Crystal.

Derk nodded and followed his mate from the room. “What is it, Sahrah?” He asked as he followed her down the hall.

“It is not Sahrah who needs you right now.” She said with a determined look on her face. “It is Spitfire.”

Derk nodded as he followed her to their chamber.

Austen looked up when Sahrah entered the room with Derk.

“This one called to me.” Austen said as he held up a shard of the Crystal.

Sahrah looked at the glowing shard, then smiled at her friend. “It is yours.”

He grinned as he closed his hand around the shard. He will make it into a necklace and wear it always.

Sahrah moved to the table and looked at the Crystal shards. “Derksin.” She said.

Derk looked at her as she used his full name.

“The ring.” She said as she looked up at him.

He looked at the ring on his finger then tried to pry it off, but it wouldn’t budge.

Sahrah laughed. “No, only you can use it. We will combine its powers with Spitfire’s and mold the Crystal back together.”

Derk nodded, though he had no clue what she planned to do.

“Come here.” She said as she pointed for him to stand next to her.

Austen got out of their way as Derk moved to stand beside her.

“What’s going on?” Bentin asked as he stood next to Austen.

“They’re preparing to fix the Crystal.” Austen said without looking away from Sahrah and Derk.

“Fix it how?” Bentin asked as he squinted his eyes.

“I have no clue.” Austen said with a shrug of his shoulder.

“Sahrah felt through the pieces of Crystal, how to put them back together.” Trey said from against the wall.

“How do you know that?” Austen asked as he looked at the robot.

“Because I watched her face and felt the elevation of her heart rate.” Trey said.

“Did I miss it?” Dan asked as he moved to stand next to Trey.

“Not yet.” Trey said.

“What’s going on? I got the oddest feeling that something magical was about to happen.” Suelette said as she moved to stand next to Bentin.

Temmy, who had been sitting on the couch the whole time, didn’t say a word, as she watched the Tasheen and Tashia.

“Okay.” Sahrah said as she took hold of Derk’s hand. “This is what’s going to happen.”

Derk looked down at his mate as she spoke. She had such confidence in her eyes, she knows this will work, and if she knows, so does he.

“You will control the ring while I...”

“I’ll do what?” He asked with wide eyes. Okay, so he’d lost a little confidence at that.

She sighed. “You are a strong Warrior, Derksin, you will be able to handle it. Remember when it burned you?”

How could he forget? “Yeah.”

“You can control the Crystal; all you have to do it believe it in.”

He looked at the ring. Okay, Crystal, I believe in you. He thought as he concentrated on the Crystal in his ring.

This is stupid. He thought with a heavy sigh. But then the Crystal reacted to him.

“Ouch!” He said when it felt like something stung him. “Okay, I’m sorry, it’s not stupid.” He grumbled.

Sahrah laughed. “Do you trust the Crystal?” She asked.

Derk looked at the ring, then nodded.

“Good. We will need that trust. Because I have no clue what I’m doing.”

He laughed a hollow laugh.

“I need you to do whatever you feel the Crystal is asking you to do.” She said as she let him go.

Derk waited for a moment and nothing happened. “Okay Crystal, I trust that you will do the right thing. Now, what do we do...”

He stopped talking when his hand was laid out flat on the table.

“Derk?” Sahrah asked.

“That wasn’t me.” He said as he watched the ring.

They watched as the Chrystal became a bright red, but Derk felt no heat from it. Then the Crystal became a purple hue and the Crystal shards began to vibrate on the table.

Sahrah felt a burning in the pit of her stomach and knew what was coming. Oh no, she hoped she didn’t burn everyone to a crisp.

The others in the room sucked in their breath as they watched the Crystal shards lift off the table and float in the air.

“Okay.” Derk said as he watched the floating Crystals.

The two larger pieces of the Crystal; lifted into the air and moved to the center of the Crystal Shards.

“Spitfire.” Derk whispered. When he got no response, he looked at his mate and his eyes widened as he watched her eyes turn a dark red. “Yeah, you’re Spitfire alright.”

“Sahrah?” Austen asked from his position.

“Don’t disturb them.” Suelette whispered.

Derk looked back at the Crystal shards and watched as they began to spin in a circle around the two large pieces.

“Meld.” Sahrah said as she watched the Crystal.

The two pieces stacked on top of each other, then the shards began imbedding themselves into the Crystal. Once they were one piece again, a small flame flashed past Derk and hit his ring. He looked at his mate, then turned and stared at the flame, as the Crystal absorbed it. Spitfire had just literally, spit fire at his ring, a small flame, that it absorbed.

The Crystal floated over to hover above the ring, still spinning in a circle, and the flame shot up from the Crystal in the ring and engulfed the spinning Crystal. When the flame dissipated, the ring stopped glowing and Derk had use of his hand again. He felt a bit weaker than before, but other than that, he felt fine.

Derk looked at Sahrah, she looked normal again and he sighed.

“Grab it, Austen, it’s your turn.” Sahrah said as she looked at her friend.

Austen moved to the table, still in shock from what he had just witnessed. He took hold of the Crystal, which was still floating in the air. The Crystal glowed brightly as he held it.

“Replant it.” Sahrah said.

With a nod, he went to the planter and set the Crystal back on the dirt. “Grow well, my friend.” Austen said as he took his hands off the Crystal.

A bright light flashed through the room and Sahrah screamed.

“Sahrah!” Derk hollered as he took hold of his mate, who was still leaning over, holding her stomach.

Sahrah took a deep breath as the pain subsided. “It’s alright.” She said with a soft laugh. “It was just the children re-connecting.”

“At least you didn’t pass out this time.” Trey said as she watched her Tashia.

“I think everything will be okay now.” Sahrah said with a smile as she stood up straight.

“The Crystal looks good.” Austen said with a smile. “Oh look, here’s where my shard came from.” He said when he noticed the small hole in the Crystal. “Will this hole harm the Crystal?”

Sahrah shook her head. “I don’t think so. If it would, I don’t think the Crystal would have given it to you. I think the shard is your gift, for helping me plant it.” She said with a smile.

Austen smiled as he nodded.

“So, is everything okay now?” Temmy asked.

Everyone looked at her. She had been so quiet, they had forgotten she was there.

“I think it is.” Sahrah said with a nod.

“Well, except for the fact that Lord Rynstone still wants my mate.” Derk grumbled.

“He will never get our Tashia.” Bentin said. “There are more who believe in you two, then who are scared, and we are finding those who wish her ill, or want to give her to Rynstone, for peace and banishing them.”

“Speaking of banishing.” Derk said as he looked at his mate. “There are two women, waiting for you to choose their punishment.”

Sahrah looked at him. “Me?”

He nodded.

“Why me?”

“They are the two women who broke the Crystal.” He informed her.

Anger built up in her as she looked at her beloved Crystal. “I want to meet them.”

**

Sahrah stood on the other side of the cell as she looked at the two women, who were glaring at her. Well, one was glaring, the other looked frightened out of her wits.

“Your Tashia wants to speak with you.” Bentin said as he opened the door to the cell.

Sahrah leaned up to whisper into her mate’s ear. Derk stared down at her in shock, then nodded.

Sahrah moved into the cell with Trey at her side.

“What did she ask you?” Bentin whispered to his Tasheen.

“If she could dull out their punishment now.” Derk whispered back to his friend.

Bentin almost laughed but controlled himself as he stood up straight, to watch and wait.

Sahrah whispered into Trey’s ear, then looked at the two women.

“You broke something, very important to me and my planet.” She said as she watched their faces.

“Please, Tashia...” The shorter one started then stopped when the taller woman elbowed her in the ribs.

“She is not our Tashia. She is a filthy alien, who has no control over us.” The taller one said.

Sahrah snorted as she leaned in closer to the woman. “Actually, my ancestors were on this planet before yours were.” She said, then leaned back into place with a heavy sigh. “I can see that you feel no remorse for what you have done.”

“I...I didn’t do it Tashia. I didn’t touch the Crystal. I was coerced into this, by the other women. I still don’t understand what’s going on.” The shorter woman cried.

Sahrah turned to her mate. “Are her words true?”

Derk nodded and she turned back to the two women.

“It has been handed to me to decide your punishments.” Sahrah informed the two women.

The taller woman looked at Derk. “But she cannot, Tasheen...”

“You destroyed her Crystal, a life force that is not easy to replace.” Derk said.

“No, but...”

Sahrah cut the woman off. “Enough. You are guilty of this offense, and I sentence you...”

“You and your unholy child, have no powers here, you filthy unholy Dragon loving piece of...”

It happened so fast, no one saw it coming, least of all the woman whose words were cut off. Sahrah had quickly and quietly, reached behind Trey’s back, and pulled out her sword, then spun in a circle, with the sword at an angle, above her head, and the woman’s head flew across the cell.

The shorter woman screamed as blood sprayed her and the taller woman’s body hit the floor of the cell. Sahrah replaced her sword behind Trey and stood perfectly still as she watched the shorter women have an anxiety attack.

“As I was saying. She was sentenced to death, but you, you seem to feel something, over what has happened. Do you not?”

The woman had stopped screaming but was still shaking as she stood there, blood covering her face and arms.

“Your Tashia asked you a question!” Bentin hollered as he hit the bars of the cell.

“Y...yes.” The woman stuttered.

“Then your sentence is banishment from this City. If you are ever seen, here again, you will be beheaded.” Sahrah said, the turned and left the dungeon, Trey close behind her.

The woman looked at her Tasheen.

“You are lucky.” Derk said.

The woman nodded as she stepped out of the cell. Two guards took her by each arm and led her out of the Palace and to the borders of the City, where they released her, to find her way on foot, still covered in blood.

“Your mate is scary.” Bentin said as he walked beside his Tasheen.

“She is a Warrior.” Derk said with a grin.

Bentin laughed. “That she is. It took a moment for the shock to wear off, but damn, she moves fast.”

“She is a mystery, even I was shocked.”

“I think I’m going to look at her ornament again. See what I missed.” Bentin said.

Derk chuckled. “I think she surpasses all of that, now that Spitfire has awakened.”

Bentin nodded.

“Tasheen!”

Derk and Bentin turned to the man who had run up to them.

“This is for you.” He said as he held a paper out to Derk with a bow, then turned and ran back down the hall.

“What is it?” Bentin asked as he tried to look at the paper.

“Lord Rynstone has invited the Royal family to a dinner at his castle.” Derk said as he stared at the paper.

“This is a trap.” Bentin said as he looked at the paper.

“Well, it doesn’t say anything about no guards, so you’re coming.” Derk said as he folded the paper.

“You do know it’s a trap.” Bentin said as he stared at Derk.

“I do.” Derk said with a nod. “But I also know if we do not go, our city will be attacked again.”

Bentin grumbled. “We’re taking Suelette with us.”

Derk grinned. “She will be your date.”

Bentin laughed. “Are we that obvious?”

“Yes.” Derk said, then headed for the throne room.

“I hear the sentences were carried out.” Tentah said as he watched his son enter the room.

“Yes, Father.” Derk said with a nod.

“You have something else weighing on you, Son?”

Derk moved across the room and handed his father the note.

Tentah read the note then grunted. “This is a trap.”

“Yes, Father. But if we do not go, he will attack the city again.”

Tentah nodded. “We will leave your siblings out of this. And my mate will stay here.”

Derk nodded. “Too bad I must take mine.”

“Bring as many companions for your mate, as she wants, I want her well looked after; if we’re going into enemy territory.” Tentah said.

Derk nodded. “It is what I planned.”

****

Sahrah looked out the window of the flying car with excitement.

Derk smiled. For everything they are about to go through, at least his mate got one thing to enjoy out of this trip.

“So much of your world is so old fashioned, I forgot how futuristic your transportation and buildings are.” Sahrah said with a bright smile.

“Wait until you see the Capital, Tashia.” Suelette said with a smile. “We will have to tie you down.”

Sahrah giggled.

“Do you understand what is going on Tashia?” Trey asked.

“Of course, I do.” Sahrah said as she looked at her companion. “Lord Rynstone invited us to dinner, to talk peace, but we all know he has a different agenda in mind.”

“Namely, you.” Derk grumbled.

“What about the Crystal?” Bentin asked as he looked out the window.

Derk grinned. “I left Dan to guard it.”

Bentin laughed. “That will do it.”

“Will he really send someone to steal it?” Sahrah asked.

“Don’t put it past him, Spitfire.” Derk said as he looked at his mate. “Do you hear me in there, Spitfire? You are in danger here; you must keep your eyes and ears open.”

Spitfire smiled at her mate. “I hear you lover, and I will be, ever watchful.”