The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)

Derk looked at his companion. “How are you doing there, Dan?”

Dansotein-De looked at his Tasheen. “I am happy to be of service again, Tasheen.”

Derk smiled. “Do you understand what is going on?”

“You have a Tashia, and someone wants to take her from you, and we are going to fight them.”

Derk laughed. “That about sums it up.”

“She is carrying your Banshon?”

Derk nodded. “She is.”

“She has your heart?”

Derk grinned. “That she does.”

“Then I will fight for her, Tasheen.”

“I knew you would.” Derk said with a nod.

“Tasheen.” Bentin said as he walked up to Derk.

Derk looked at his friend. “Why aren’t you protecting your Tashia?”

“I am.” Bentin said with a grin.

“How, if you’re up here?”

“I am here to protect you, Tasheen.”

“You switched services.” Derk grunted.

Bentin laughed. “Yes. And by protecting you, I am protecting my Tashia.”

“How is that?” Derk asked as he turned to look back over the city.

“Because if something happened to you, Sahrah would die.” Bentin said.

Derk smiled. “Then I accept your protection.”

Bentin laughed. “Thank you, Tasheen. But you and I both know, I would do it anyway.”

Derk chuckled. “Any word from the other side?”

Bentin shook his head. “We still have another hour before they were seen to attack us.”

“Did you see to Sahrah’s friends?”

Bentin nodded. “I helped them to the underground myself.”

Derk nodded. “Sahrah would never forgive us if something happened to them.”

They stood in silence for the next hour as they waited for the attack. When it came, they were ready, but they were still surprised, for they have never listened to a Sether before.

**

Sahrah looked at the people surrounding them, in the underground room. Austen and his family had joined her little group, hours ago, and now they all sat together as they waited.

“They should be attacking from the south side, by now.” Suelette said as she looked at her watch.

“What are they after?” Austen asked in a whisper as he looked at Sahrah.

Sahrah motioned for him to come closer. When he was close enough, she whispered into his ear.

“Me and the Crystal.”

He moved back from her; his eyes open wide. He moved back to the floor and leaned over to whisper into his husband’s ear. Lesteren grunted as he looked up at Sahrah, then at the covered Crystal, and shook his head.

A loud explosion above them had everyone quite as they looked up. The guards stood at attention beside the door.

“What if they get in here?” Austen whispered.

“Then we will have to fight them.” Sahrah said as she looked down at her best friend.

Austen nodded. He hasn’t had a good fight in more than two years.

“You’re not fighting.” Trey said.

“I will do what I can, Trey. You and Austen will be doing most of the fighting.” Sahrah said.

Trey nodded.

Another loud noise came from close to the door.

“Everyone, get back against the wall.” Sahrah said as she and her friends got to their feet.

Everyone moved back to the furthest wall. Austen kissed his husband and sent him and their daughter to the wall. Sahrah sent Suelette to the wall with Lesteren, then she, Trey and Austen moved to stand behind the guards.

Sahrah looked at the five of them. They were the only thing between whoever was out there, and the people behind them. The two guards stood closest to the door, then Austen and Trey stood behind them, and Sahrah stood back from them, enough that she could catch stragglers, but not close enough the battle between the others would harm her.

“Why don’t we just give them what they want?” One of the women said as she looked around the room at the others.

“Because what they want, is your Tashia.” Trey said as she watched the door.

“Then give her to them. She’s not my Tashia. She’s not even Dextonian.” The woman said.

Before anyone could respond, the door exploded and men came crashing through.

**

“They’ve headed to the underground!” Bentin hollered. “I’m going down there!”

“Dan! Keep anyone from following us!” Derk hollered as his sword slid through a man’s chest. He kicked the man off his sword, then followed Bentin to the underground.

“They’re breaking down the door.” Bentin said as they approached the door.

“Sahrah.” Derk mumbled.

The explosion of the door had them both hitting the floor.

**

Sahrah hit one of the men over the head as he attacked Austen from behind. The Dextonian’s liked doing that, apparently.

“Trey! Give me my sword!” Sahrah hollered.

Trey produced the sword from her back and handed it to Sahrah. It had been the only way for Sahrah to get her sword down there, without Derk seeing it.

Sahrah used her sword to stop a man from coming too close to her and the others behind her. She heard a scream and turned to find a man trying to take one of the women her family protected. It was the one who had said to give her to the enemy. But that doesn’t matter, the woman is under her mate’s protection. She moved as fast as she could with her stomach but was still faster than the man, who was tugging the woman away from the others.

“Unhand her!” Sahrah ordered the Warrior, then pushed herself between the brute and the woman and held her sword up between herself and the brute.

“You’re what we’re here for.” The man said with a grin when he saw her hair.

“You will leave here at once.” Sahrah said with a growl.

The man laughed.

Sahrah felt a fire light up in her stomach as a roar came to her throat. The roar was so loud it shook the walls.

The man fell to his knees as he covered his ears.

Sahrah turned to look at the shocked face of the woman she had just saved. “Are you okay?”

The woman stared at her wide-eyed, then nodded. “Yes, my Tashia, thank you.”

Sahrah smiled as she kicked the man who was on his knees, in the face and sent him across the room.

“Was that you?” Austen asked as he moved over to Sahrah.

“I think it was.” She said with a nod.

“What in Crystalosias was that?”

She chuckled. “Not sure.” She moved her sword to block a sword as it came at her friend. “We’re not done here Austen, concentrate.”

Austen nodded as he kicked the man in the stomach and sent him backward, away from them.

“Sahrah!”

“Derk, what are you doing down here?” Sahrah asked as she watched her mate, make his way through the men fighting, then took her into his arms.

“We saw them come down here.” He said as he kissed her lips. He backed up and stared at her sword. “How did you get your sword here? Never mind.” He said with a grunt.

“It’s a good thing I did, too. I was needed. And don’t worry, I haven’t done anything to hurt Conner.”

He smiled as he kissed her lips again. Sahrah swung her sword up to block an attack on her mate’s back.

Derk turned with a growl and slid his sword into the man’s stomach.

“Really, Derk? There are children here.” Sahrah complained.

“It’s war, love. They will see it sooner or later.” Derk said with a smile as he pulled the sword from the dead man’s gut.

“Hey, Tashia!” Bentin called from the door with a wave as he sliced through the men to get to them.

Sahrah shook her head. “You two like war too much.”

Derk laughed. “It’s the adrenaline rush, love. If you weren’t with child, you would be feeling it too.”

She looked at the man she had kicked across the room and grinned. “You’re right.”

“What was that sound that came from down here?” Bentin asked as he joined them.

“That was Sahrah.” Austen said as he stopped at them for a moment, then jumped on a man who was trying to grab one of their women.

“Why do they keep going for the women?” Sahrah asked as she looked at her mate.

“Spoils of war.” Derk said with a laugh.

“Your people are horrible.” She said with a shake of her head.

Derk kissed her again. “But you love me, anyway.”

She smiled. “I do.”

“Tashia!” Trey hollered.

Sahrah looked up just in time to see a large man come after her and her mate. Derk spun around with his sword up just as the giant came down with his large sword. Sahrah backed away as her mate fought the large man.

“We must get you out of here.” Trey said as she came up to Sahrah.

“No, not without Derk and the others.” Sahrah said.

“Tashia, please.” Trey begged.

“Go, Spitfire!” Derk hollered.

“Austen!” Sahrah hollered. “Get the women and children out of here!”

Austen nodded and started gathering the women and children. The guards helped him, and they got past the men as they ran up the stairs and out of the underground room.

“Now you.” Trey said.

Sahrah went to the Crystal and lifted it out of the planter and held it to her chest as she ran from the room, Trey close behind her.

**

Sahrah ran through the Palace with the Crystal clutched to her chest. Where are they going to go, that is safe? And why had she left her mate down there with that giant? At least Bentin is with him. And she hoped Austen and the guards got the women and children to a safe place.

“Where do you think you’re going, fire top?”

Sahrah and Trey turned to find a large Warrior grinning at them.

Sahrah clutched the covered Crystal closer to her chest. What are they going to do now?

“Tashia, run.” Trey said as she moved to stand in front of the Warrior.

“No.” Sarah said with a shake of her head.

“Go, Tashia.” Trey said. “I can handle myself.”

Sahrah looked at the large Warrior, then at Trey and nodded. She turned and started to run, then screamed when a large man captured her against his chest.

Trey turned to see why her Tashia had screamed and the Warrior behind her slid his sword through her stomach. Trey looked down and shook her head.

“Coward.” She said as she turned around with the sword still inside her.

“What the hell?” The Warrior asked with his eyes open wide.

“Stabbing a woman from behind? That makes you the worst of cowards.” She said as she reached behind her and pulled the sword out of her back, then spun around with the sword, and smiled when the man’s head fell from his shoulders, and his body fell backward.

“What are you?” The man who held Sahrah asked as he stared at Trey.

Trey turned to the man. “You will find out; if you don’t let go of my Tashia.”

The man let Sahrah go and Sarah ran to Trey.

“This isn’t worth it.” The man said as he ran from the Palace.

Trey laughed and Sahrah tried to get her breathing back to normal.

“Let’s go.” Trey said as she held the sword at her side.

“Oh Trey, I thought they got us.” Sahrah said with a sigh.

“Not while I’m here, they won’t.” Trey said with a smile.

“Is that all it takes to take the fire top?” A deep voice asked from behind them.

They slowly turned around and Sahrah screamed when a large sword came down on top of Trey’s head and split her open, down to her waist.

“That’s what I figured.” The man said with a laugh.

“Trey!” Sahrah screamed.

“Run, Tashia.” Trey said with a quiver as sparks twitched from her split body. “Run!” Then she fell to the ground in sparks and a horrible sound, like a computer being forced off.

“NO!” Sahrah screamed. Then she looked at the giant and ran.

****

Derk jerked when he heard his mate’s scream.

“Ah. It looks like my brother has caught up to the fire top.” The giant Derk and Bentin were fighting, said with a grin.

“There’s two of you?” Bentin asked as he swung his sword at the giant.

“You puny men, think you are Warriors.” The giant said as he picked Bentin up by the face and tossed him across the room.

“Bentin!” Derk shouted.

“I would worry more about yourself, then your friend.” The giant said as he swung his large sword at Derk’s head.

Derk ducked out of the way of the sword. He wondered if he could pull off the move Sahrah had taught him, two years ago.

He leaped out of the way of the man’s sword again, then measured up his chances and took it. He leaped onto the man’s shoulders and spun himself until he had his legs wrapped around the man’s waist, and his arms around his neck.

The giant ran backward and slammed Derk’s back into the wall. Derk grunted but held on. The giant slammed him into the wall again, Derk didn’t lose his grip. Soon the giant was on his knees, and in moments, the large man was out.

Derk let him go and the giant’s face hit the floor hard and he chuckled. Sahrah had told him that she had gently laid him down, when she had knocked him out, too, as she had said, prevent hurting his pretty face. Now he sees what she had meant.

He wasn’t into attacking people when they’re down, so he tied the giant up with some heavy-duty chains, then went to his friend.

“Bentin.” He said as he kicked his friend’s feet.

“What happened?” Bentin asked as he sat up and held his head.

“You were thrown across the room, like a rag doll.” Derk said with a laugh.

Bentin snorted as Derk helped him to his feet.

“Let’s find Sahrah.” Derk said as he headed for the stairs.

Derk ran down the hall and skidded to a stop when he saw Trey’s body.

“Ah, man.” He said as he approached Trey.

“Damn.” Bentin said as he looked at the robot, who had been split in two. “That’s going to be expensive to fix.”

“Now Sahrah has no protection.” Derk said with a growl.

“Yeah, much good I did, giving her my pledge.” Bentin snorted.

“I hope they haven’t captured her.” Derk said as he looked around for any clue, to where his mate had gone.

“I don’t think so. If she had been, there wouldn’t still be fighting going on outside. They’d shake their tales and run for home, with their prize.”

Derk nodded. “You’re right.”

“Tasheen, thank God I found you.”

Derk and Bentin turned to find Suelette behind them.

“I thought you were with Austen and the others.” Derk said.

“I was.” Suelette said with a nod. “But then I got a vision.”

“Tell me.” Derk said as he moved towards her.

Suelette took a step back. She wasn’t used to people believing her, so easily. The Tashia really has changed her life.

Derk stopped as he watched the Sether. “Please, Suelette, tell me what you saw.”

“I saw this.” She said as she pointed at Trey’s body. “Then Tashia ran, and the giant chasing after her. She comes to a hall she has never seen before; the giant has her trapped. Then something happens that I don’t understand.”

“What?” Derk and Bentin asked at the same time.

“The brightest light, I have ever seen, explodes and the vision ends with it.”

“I know where she will be.” Bentin said.

“So do I.” Derk grunted.

“The south wing.” They said at the same time.