The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  “So did I! I didn’t do anything spectacular there but be clawed to shreds by a freaking giant cat!” The audience watches with amusement as we argue.

  “…But most of all with the mermaids,” he continues, as though I hadn’t said anything. “You were always in control, you never panicked. You were the one that sweet-talked the King while I just sat there. You were the one who led us through the maze… need I continue?”

  I won’t just stand here and be complimented when he deserves recognition too! “But you helped too! I kept getting knocked out, and you helped me since I was basically a useless sack of flour. You were the one with the shapeshifting skills. I just barely got my first Gift!”

  Nehru cuts us off there. “Alright, that’s enough. You were both very impressive. You were obviously a great team- you won every single Challenge! And now for your reward!” She has us sit in the two seats in the middle of the stage. Once we’re seated, Nehru hands Thaddeus two small boxes about one square inch on each side. He then walks over and hands us the boxes, then moves off to the side of the stage.

  We open the boxes to find a silver and gold ring in each. The silver band is sandwiched between two gold bands. Nathan’s is the opposite- gold on silver. I look at Nehru, confused. She smiles. “Those are Matter Rings. They enable the wearer to walk straight through solid objects! And anything you’re touching when you put it on will become intangible as well. As soon as you’re no longer in contact with that object, however, it will become solid again and you will pass through it.

  “Those rings do not make you invincible,” she cautions. “If you’re fighting someone or something that’s smart enough to realize why they cannot touch you, then you had better protect that ring, or else they can just pull it off, and you will become solid again. Therefore, the only thing you can touch while you are wearing this ring is either another person wearing one since they’ll cancel each other out, or the ring itself. Once it is off of your finger, you will return to normal. So while you’re not using it, I would recommend that you keep it in a safe pocket.”

  I immediately take this advice, slipping it into the jacket pocket. Nathan puts his in a pocket as well. After that, Nehru spotlights Thaddeus. When asked how he got us so far, he responds, “They’re just talented kids. I could tell that from the beginning- that’s why I chose them to advise despite the rumors. What I did didn’t matter much- they never really paid much attention anyway,” he says, winking at me. I blush, embarrassed because I know it’s true.

  After that, we go to a huge banquet where we don’t get to eat much because of everyone questioning us. After a while, we decide to take turns with the questions, so we’re able to eat something. Thaddeus doesn’t have anyone to cover for him so he can eat, but we take the bulk of the attention from him in the first place.

  We’re finally able to slip away after midnight as some of the people begin to leave. We quickly head back to our house, change, and crash into bed, falling asleep immediately.

  *****

  There’s a knock on our door before the sun comes up. I groan, looking over at Nathan. He’s still sound asleep. There’s another knock. I sigh and haul myself out of bed to answer the door. When I open it, I’m surprised to see Dallas. He looks at me, worry evident in his eyes.

  “Dallas? What are you…”

  “No time. Hurry, get dressed. I need your help.”

  I nod, suddenly alert. I shut the door and quickly get dressed, putting my Lightning Shoes on and making sure my Matter Ring is in my pocket. I quickly put in my hair in a ponytail and head out the door. Dallas doesn’t say anything, just starts hurrying towards the woods. I have to jog to keep up. After a while, he stops and I catch my breath.

  “What’s the problem?” I ask him. He’s looking into the distance, ignoring me. “Why are we here?” I demand. He finally turns and looks at me. An unexpectedly evil grin crosses his face. I back up. “Dallas…” Next thing I know, he’s dressed in black- a hood, gloves… everything is covered. I feel a rush of fear and turn to run. I have only taken a few steps before another hooded figure runs in front of me. I spin around. I’m surrounded.

  “What more do you guys want?” I plead, my voice cracking with fear. “You already took my ability to be a dragon.”

  ‘Dallas’ steps forward. “We want you.” He simply states. My eyes widen with fear and for a moment I’m too afraid to do anything. Then I subconsciously switch into my dragon eyes and my fear seems to burn and become power and rage. I feel like a dragon, even though I’m not in the body of one. Gale was right, I do have the power of a dragon all the time, I conclude, feeling a fierce joy.

  Turning, I sprint towards an unsuspecting Dragon Hunter and knock him down. I try to continue onward toward the Village, but the guy grabs my ankle and I fall forward. I kick him in the face and stand up, but they’re all standing between the Village and me now. I grin, looking forward to fighting my way through them. I bare my teeth at them as my tongue probes the ends of my teeth. I’m surprised to find them sharp, like the mermaids’ teeth, but the men don’t flinch.

  I run up to one of them and punch him so hard he flies a few yards and lands with a thump. To my surprise, he starts to pick himself up and dust himself off. Growling, I punch another and another of the cloaked figures. Then ‘Dallas’ comes up from behind and grabs my arm, twisting it behind my back. Undeterred, I swing backwards with my other arm and nail him in the gut with my elbow. It’s like hitting a rock. He isn’t even affected. Fear starts to settle on my heart once more, making it difficult to breathe.

  “Alright, that’s enough,” he growls, waving a thin man over. He inserts a needle into my neck, and I fall to the ground as Dallas releases me, no longer able to control my muscles. My brain becomes heavy with fog, and I can barely think. My eyes revert to normal. Dallas then picks me up and carries me further into the woods- in the direction the other two Dragon Hunters had tried to take me. I then fall asleep, utterly devoid of energy. Apparently using the power of a dragon while not actually being one uses an enormous amount of energy.

  *****

  I wake up on a simple, clean white bed that is not mine. I sit up and look around. I’m in a small room with clean stone walls and no window. There are small torches on the walls with holes for the smoke to escape. I swing my legs out of bed and find a rug on the floor. I stagger to the door and try to open it, my socks protecting me from the cold stone floor. Unsurprisingly, it’s locked. Sighing, I shuffle over to the rocking chair I saw by the wall opposite the bed and plop down. I just sit there and stare at the wall without a single specific thought rumbling through my brain.

  I don’t know how long I stay like that before I pull myself out of it and think. The first thing I do is take stock of what I have. I’m wearing different clothes- a basic, black T-shirt and some worn jeans- so they must have taken my other clothes, which means they have my watch, the Matter Ring, the shoes, and any hope I have of ever escaping from here. I sigh and put my head in my hands.

  A few minutes later, the door opens and then shuts again. I don’t bother to look up. “I don’t suppose you’re going to let me go,” I say.

  There’s a slight laugh. “No. Not yet, at least.” I slowly look up and see yet another man in a black cloak.

  “Not yet?” I repeat. “I have a hard time buying that you are ever going to let me go.”

  Another chuckle. “Yes, you may be right… although I am actually thinking about it. A few things provided, of course.”

  “Of course,” I sigh. “I figured you would want to use me in your little war. I’m not much of an aid now that I no longer have the power of a dragon at my command, though. I guess that one backfired on you.”

  He smiles. “You’re very smart,” he notes. “And calm, I see.”

  “Yeah, well. I don’t see much point in wasting my energy fighting when I have no chance of winning.”

  “Oh? And how do you know that you have no chance? You fought my people with very impressive str
ength and stamina. It occurred to me that they might actually fail in capturing you, but I shouldn’t have worried. Not with Hunter there.” The name rings a bell in my memory.

  “Hunter?” I repeat, confused. “Isn’t that…”

  “Your brother’s name? Yes, it is. The one whom you met as Dallas- and Brandon back on Second Earth, actually- is your brother, Hunter.” At my confused look, he continues. “Hunter was sent in to retrieve you from Second Earth before Vladimir could, but we were just a little late on that one… which is too bad, really. I could have taught you everything you needed to know- more than those fools did. And yes, we also snuck him into your little Village- shortly before my sub-commander failed to bring you here. I, of course, had him… fired… for his mistake.”

  “Killed,” I state, no emotion in my voice.

  “Why, yes,” he says, surprised. “How did you… never mind. It doesn’t matter. Just a guess, I’m sure. You assume that an evil guy who had you kidnapped would also have anyone inadequate in my ranks killed. …And perhaps you’re right.”

  “You… you are killing more than just Dragons,” I growl, my emotions finally starting to push through my numb indifference. “The mermaids, the Sohos… my family!”

  “Yes, well, there is more to our organization than you will ever know,” he says cockily.

  “Who are you?” I finally ask, although I have a feeling I already know the answer.

  “My name is Patrick. I’m the leader of the Dragon Hunters,” he says, voice full of pride. This doesn’t surprise me at all.

  “I see. Why did you kidnap me? To anger and hurt my parents even more? …Because they don’t even have any idea that I’m here. They went into a coma shortly before I came to Zilferia. What you do to me won’t affect them.”

  “Oh, I know,” he replies with a smirk. He doesn’t continue on the subject of my parents. “I took you so I could… show you a better way.”

  “More like twist my mind until you can use me as a weapon to destroy countless others,” I bite back.

  “Perhaps,” he says, amusement in his voice. “If I can find a way to control you as a dragon, then I would give you your power back and then we would see. Although you may not even be worth the trouble. It’s far more likely that I would grant the power of a dragon to your brother, for I know that he will obey me, without question.”

  “Does he know who he is?” I demand. “Does he know that he’s a prince, loved by his suffering parents? Does he know that I am his sister! Tell me that!”

  “Yes,” he replies, staring at me coldly. “He does know that you are his sister and that he is a child of those two traitors. But he is under no delusion that they love him. Oh, no. I raised him to be smarter than that.”

  “They’re traitors? It seems more like you are the traitor to me,” I state. His face gets red and I can tell he’s getting angry, but I don’t care. “You’ve been lying to him; deceiving him. …I’m going to tell him the truth,” I threaten.

  “Alright, I’ve heard enough out of you,” he says and shoots something into my neck. Darkness immediately closes in.

  *****

  I wake up with an awful headache. I groan and hold my head in my hands until the pain diminishes. Once again, the door opens and shuts behind someone. I assume it’s Patrick. “Go away,” I grunt.

  “Why?” he responds. “Don’t you want company?”

  “No.”

  “Well, you need to hear the truth.” I look up and glare at him.

  “I already know all I need to know,” I bite back.

  “Oh? Do you now? …Because I thought you’d want to see what happened the day you were born for yourself.”

  “That… that’s impossible,” I say. “You can’t go back in time.”

  “No, but I did record the encounter so I could show Hunter the truth. It seems I now need to show you as well.” He steps forward and hands me what seems to be a pair of sunglasses. “I had a man turn invisible to observe and record what happened that day you were born. Look at it, if you wish. If you do not, then there is the option nonetheless.” With that, he turns and leaves, locking the door behind him.

  I put the glasses on the floor and climb back into bed, refusing to look at them. Thaddeus already told me all I need to know. Seeing it for myself would change nothing. I wait for a few hours, expecting food to come at any time. I haven’t eaten since I got here, and I figure he doesn’t want me to starve to death.

  After a while, I realize what he means to do. He wants me to watch his little movie, so he’s not going to feed me until I do. He’s trying to train me to do as he wants, like I’m a dog! Well, I’ll show him. I can outlast him. He has to feed me eventually.

  So, still ignoring the glasses, I wiggle under the covers and fall asleep.

  *****

  When I wake, everything is exactly the same, although my hunger increased from a dull ache to a pain so sharp it’s all I can think about. After all, he hasn’t fed me even once since I’ve been here, and I’ve probably been here for at least two days.

  After a few hours, I’m more bored than I think I have ever been in my entire life. I sigh and continue my wait for food. After another hour, I finally give up. What’s the point? I’ll just watch the video. It doesn’t mean I have to believe it- I’ll just get food for doing so.

  Feeling almost… guilty, I pick up the glasses and put them on. I am immediately immersed in the past. I’m standing in a smallish room next to a woman on a bed. I start as I realize how much she looks like me. I guess that’s my mom, the Queen.

  The door opens and a tall man with an aura of authority walks into the room. His face softens as he sees the mother and her three babies on the bed. He sits down next to her and I can see that his eyes are just like mine. The two talk for a while, naming us.

  I watch as my mom hands me over to my dad. I blink and open my little eyes. When I blink again, they’re my dragon eyes. I’m astounded, just as they are. I can’t believe it. I was just born, and I was already using my dragon eyes. My mother says about the same thing, calling me a prodigy and… a useful tool. They then talk about Hunter, calling him worthless and how he will never have a Gift- but if he did, he would likely only have one, and he wouldn’t be very good at it, either. Something feels wrong about this conversation, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Could it be just that they are different than the parents I had imagined- loving and accepting of everyone? Kind and gentle and understanding?

  I shake off the feeling and watch as the man who wore the glasses takes me after the King as he leaves the Queen so she can sleep. ‘We’ slip through the door as he says goodnight to her. I see the man in black- Patrick- before the King does. He shuts the door silently and turns. He gasps as if Patrick came out of nowhere- but, of course, he didn’t.

  I then learn why he acted like that when he says he hadn’t seen Patrick in a long time- so long, he was assumed dead. Patrick then asked him if he mourned, and he said no. Again, this does not sound like the parents I have been imagining, or the ‘good King and Queen’ everyone’s been saying they were.

  Patrick then tells him a long story about a dragon and meeting the Dragon Hunters. I listen carefully, hoping to learn all I can of this man- my kidnapper. When he finishes, Alexander jumps on him and pins him down. I gasp as his face is revealed. I understand now why he has that baggy hood- he’s trying to hide his ugly scar! Alexander is surprised as well, but he just jumps on him again. Patrick makes a dragon-like growl and a swarm of Dragon Hunters come into the hallway and drag the King off of him. They plunge a syringe into his neck, and he loses control of his body, just as I had.

  Angry, Patrick sends two guys back into the room. They pull out Kate, the doctor I met in the forest, and three babies- my brothers and I. They hand Hunter to Patrick, and he talks about how great he can be, even though Alexander and Pearl don’t believe in him. He says that they can do whatever they want with Rex and me, though. It’s only once Patrick says this that the King gets
angry. It really does appear that he doesn’t care for Hunter at all.

  He is suddenly filled with power, and his dragon eyes come around- again, looking just like mine. He stares hard at Rex and me, and we suddenly disappear. The Dragon Hunters quickly recover from the surprise and flee into the night, back to their hideout- where I am now.

  Then it’s over. I pull off the glasses and find a tray of food waiting by the door. It seems I was correct in assuming that this was what he wanted. The food is actually very good quality, and I’m surprised. He gave me cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon, muffins, orange juice, and even a doughnut. I haven’t had a doughnut since before I got to Zilferia. I long to dig into that first, but I force myself to save it for last so I can properly savor it. I take the food to my bed so I can eat somewhere other than the floor.

  I’m somehow full by the time I get to the doughnut, so I’m actually able to slow down and enjoy it. It’s my favorite kind- a maple bar. When I finish it, licking the sweet glaze off my fingers, the door opens and Patrick comes in.

  I laugh. “You are so predictable.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. I don’t know why you were so desperate for me to watch that, but I did. I knew you would only feed me once I did. I’m not a dog, you know?”

  “Oh, I know. That does not, however, mean that you do not need training to obey me.”

  I laugh. “Obey you? What a joke! I already told you, I’m not going to be a weapon for you. There’s no way I will help you hurt my friends. I was actually going to come here and stop you from doing just that. …You just beat me to it.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ha! And how were you planning on doing that when I have hundreds of men at my command?”

  My voice diminishes as I respond. “…I was going to sneak in and kill the leader and his second in command.”