The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  “He grovels far too much, don’t you think?” Dexter whispers to Hunter, his eyes glinting with humor. Hunter snickers, quickly warming up to the ‘Fearsome’ Dexter.

  “He certainly tries too hard, I can tell you that,” he quietly confides. “Which is usually the reason everything always blows up in his face.”

  Dexter nods solemnly, his lips quirking as he swallows a smile. “Good to know,” he whispers back.

  Patrick continues opening the portal, heedless to their words. When he finishes, they all wait expectantly, staring in the direction of the invisible portal. Finally, the shape of a man appears and solidifies into Bryce’s strong form. His blue eyes take in Dexter’s presence and before anyone can utter a word, he dips into a perfect bow.

  “Dexter. How good to see you again. I will admit, your presence here is a surprise to me. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  “Ah, Bryce, always with the gilded tongue,” Dexter chuckles. “I’m just here to check up on Patrick’s progress- or lack thereof- on Zilferia.”

  Patrick fidgets uncomfortably. “Yes. Well. …Bryce, you are to deliver your report to both Dexter and I.”

  Something flashes across Bryce’s face, so fast Hunter almost misses it. Fear, he realizes after a moment. That’s what it was. Interesting. I wonder why he’s afraid. Does he have something to hide, perhaps?...

  “Very well,” Bryce accepts, bowing slightly once more before taking a deep breath and beginning his recap of what had occurred on First Earth.

  <<>>

  The welts on Nathan’s wrists split and begin to bleed before he finally stops trying to yank his hands out of his restraints. Relaxing onto the stone table, he pants from his escape efforts. His wrists burn in protest from their agonizing and pointless ventures, causing his eyes to water. He refuses to cry, however, and instead turns his mind to other things.

  Greg! He suddenly realizes. Extending his mind, he searches for his lost Familiar, but he’s nowhere nearby. Oh, Greg. Where are you? He moans, even as his inactive muscles begin to grow stiff as they cool, his warmth being bled away by the stone.

  <<>>

  Greg stops, cowering, in the cool grass as something, possibly a wildcat, passes over him once again. He continues to quiver even after the figure has gone. He hates being away from his Companion. Without the Bond between them, he felt lost and utterly alone. Standing on his hind legs, he stretches and peers back at Patrick’s looming castle. After I find help, I’ll come back for you, Nathan, he vows, dropping back to all fours and resuming his run through the irritating grass. I’ll never leave you behind.

  <<>>

  An aching silence fills the air in the room after both Bryce and Patrick finish their confessions. The stillness is stifling as everyone waits with bated breath for Dexter’s reaction. When he does finally break out of his statuesque stance, he surprises everyone by turning to Hunter. “Are you holding back secrets that I should know?” Patrick winces at the insinuation that he’d purposely done something to sabotage their mission.

  “Um…” he hesitates, then decides to tell him. “Well, I lost the mermaids’ Trident,” he admits.

  Dexter’s response is surprise. “Trident?” He turns to face Patrick, exasperation in his voice. “Another rash, power-hungry decision of yours, I assume?” Before he can reply, Dexter just sighs and turns back to Hunter. “My boy, you’re perfectly fine. No harm done. In fact, for a boy your age, you’ve performed admirably. Better than your immediate superiors, even.” Bryce looks disgruntled at the remark but doesn’t say anything. Dexter pauses, seeming to deliberate over something. Hunter’s eyes feel as though they’ll pop out of his head. He was pretty sure nothing would surprise him more.

  “With Patrick leading these Hunters on Zilferia, almost nothing has gone right. You, however, have excelled at every challenge set before you. I hear you can even twist Gifts to serve you differently than they normally would?”

  Growing increasingly confused and anxious, Hunter nods. “Yes, sir,” he confirms, voice soft.

  “Extraordinary! You are an exemplary servant of Dravyn,” Dexter announces proudly.

  “…Thank you, sir,” Hunter replies, unsure of how to respond.

  “And such an extraordinary boy should be allowed to do more than an ordinary soldier would, don’t you think?”

  Patrick, sensing what’s coming, rushes forward. “Of course… but he’s so young and inexperienced, of course, and this must be taken into account…”

  “Inexperienced?” Dexter mocks. “He’s already practically actively leading this people while you passively just sit comfortably in your castle, muttering to yourself about a couple of teenagers! I daresay he has more experience as well as a more realistic outlook than you. So, I feel perfectly justified doing this.”

  Hunter glances at Patrick’s horrified face as Dexter pulls off his black gloves, confused about what’s going on. His attention jumps back to Dexter as he takes Hunter’s unmarked hand in both of his. “Reda elfo eltitu oyevig dnau oyn opur ewop fo eyer ehtonaw otsebi nyvard fo rewop ehtyb.” At the end of the incantation, a white-hot burning sensation begins to scald the back of Hunter’s hand. Yelping, he yanks his hand from Dexter’s grasp. His eyes widen as burning orange lines form an eye identical to the one on his other hand.

  “…Ytilibis nopser sihtt pecca I,” Hunter murmurs. The eye blinks, then cools to a silvery blue. Both he and Dexter seem to be worn out from their ordeal.

  “Congratulations, Hunter,” Dexter says, clasping a hand on his shoulder. Turning to Bryce, who had been watching passively, he commands, “Bryce! Come swear fealty to your new commander.”

  Bryce walks forward with stiff legs before lowering himself into a bow before Hunter’s feet. “My lord, I offer up my service and my fealty.” Hunter doesn’t move a muscle as he stares down at the top of the man’s head, unable to wrap his mind around the new developments of the day. What… what just happened? Did Dexter really just move me up a rank? …Just like that? …Wait, am I on the same level as Patrick now?!

  “Patrick, you too,” Dexter adds.

  “What?!” Patrick gasps, astonished. “I will not bow to an underling! I raised the boy! I…”

  “Yes, and it appears that was the only decent thing you’ve ever accomplished,” Dexter retorts. “However, he is no longer your underling. Rather, you are his. Hunter is now the commander of Zilferia, with you two,” he points to Patrick and the still-kneeling Bryce, “as his main officers.” When Patrick retains his dissatisfied glare, Dexter presses him. “Will there be a problem?”

  Patrick hesitates, then growls, “No.”

  “Good,” Dexter smirks triumphantly. “Now swear fealty to the boy.”

  With a face that looks like he bit into a lemon, Patrick finally joins Bryce with his knees on the dirty floor and his head bowed submissively. A number of tense moments pass before Patrick finally utters the required words. “My… lord… I offer up my service and my… fealty.”

  The two men remain motionless as Hunter stares at them, at a loss for what to do. “Bid them rise,” Dexter gently directs him.

  “Oh, right. Um, rise,” Hunter nervously says. Bryce’s face is emotionless as he stands, but Patrick’s is full of humiliation and frustration. Dexter, however, is beaming with pride.

  “Great!” He crows, clapping his hands together with finality. “Now maybe things will finally get moving around here! No offense,” he adds to Patrick, his face revealing that he meant what he said and offense was indeed meant to be given. “Now then,” he adds, turning back to Hunter. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do as the leader of the Dragon Hunters?”

  Hunter snaps out of his stupor at the question. This was something he was used to- being asked to do things. “Well, I had an idea for what to do with Nathan Anderson,” he proudly informs him.

  “Fantastic! Now what is this plan of yours?”

  <<>>

  Nathan’s tears are nearly bey
ond the point of his capability to hold back at this point. Having thrown himself at his restraints with ever more vigor, he got past the point of simple chafing and had managed to wrench his back. Lightning-like pain lances up and down his spine, mostly originating from the base of his neck. His breaths come in short, fast, measured pants as he tries to diminish or at least regulate the pain and his hands are clenched into fists.

  When the door to the room opens once more, he stiffens his resolve. He would not cry in front of his captors. He just needed to separate himself from his body. He notices that four people enter the room this time. Hunter leads them, with a tall man with dark grey hair just behind him. Trailing behind those two are Bryce and a devastated looking Patrick.

  “This is the boy causing all this trouble?” the grey-haired man asks curiously, peering down at Nathan.

  “In part,” Hunter confirms, walking up to the table to stand beside him. “Crystal’s been doing the most damage. The Village Council hasn’t helped anything either, of course.”

  “Council? That’s new. Who’s on this council of theirs?”

  “The King and Queen, their advisors, some of the elders that…”

  “Advisors?” The man looks thoughtful. “Who are they?”

  Hunter looks a little on-edge thanks to all the unexpected questioning, but he obliges him. “Um, Vladimir, Zelda and Y’vette- although we are holding those two here- and Thaddeus.”

  “Ah. Thaddeus. That figures,” the taller man sighs.

  “…Dexter, do you know him personally?” Hunter asks curiously.

  He chuckles darkly. “You could say that. We have quite the history together. …Who were you meaning this boy to target when you send him in as your secret weapon? Obviously he can only get to one person before he’s restrained, so who would you choose for him to attack?”

  Hunter hesitates as if it’s a test. “Well, the Queen seems to be a pretty minor threat, so we were going to send him to kill the King…”

  “Of course not,” Dexter scoffs, immediately discarding the proposal. “This Giftless boy? Taking on someone with four Gifts and who will undoubtedly be on his guard thanks to Patrick’s most recent kidnapping of his daughter? We’d be wasting this opportunity! No, you need to target someone more vulnerable.”

  “Who would you suggest?” Hunter asks timidly.

  “Thaddeus,” comes the prompt reply.

  “Thaddeus?” Hunter repeats, a little surprised. It’s clear to Nathan that Hunter had never thought about him. He continues to bite his tongue, knowing that if he speaks up, he’d lose his fragile self-control.

  “Yes, of course,” Dexter states, as if that was obvious. “He won’t be suspecting it, plus the girl, Crystal, looks to him, does she not?”

  “You wouldn’t dare!” Nathan spits out, anger and fear for Crystal overriding his own concerns and restraint.

  The man just chuckles. “I’ll take that as a yes. Why, I’m surprised you’ve only just spoken up, boy!” His eyes fall on his bleeding wrists. “Ah, I see. You didn’t want to show weakness. Admirable.”

  “You won’t be able to get me to hurt anyone!” Nathan declares, figuring it was high time for him to fight back, regardless of the pain.

  Dexter chuckles. “Oh, my boy, for you to resist Hunter’s Gifts… well, that would make you quite extraordinary, to be sure. And from what I hear, while you are a bother to us, you are not that special. Now then,” he continues, turning back to Hunter. “Shall we begin?”

  He nods, then faces Nathan, narrowing his eyes as he concentrates. A calming voice sounds in his mind, and he finds that he’s powerless to resist its call to sleep.

  <<>>

  The Sohos are closer to Patrick’s castle than the Villagers, Greg thinks, but I swear they were closer than this! He sighs, cursing his small, slow body. Nathan needs help now! He then stops suddenly, ears twitching. Were those voices ahead? He stands on his hind legs, peering through the still night air.

  The sound of wingbeats overhead causes him to immediately fall back onto all fours, but he realizes it’s too late as talons wrap around his torso. With an abrupt yank, Greg finds himself hanging in the empty air. His tail reflexively curls into an anxious knot. Panicking, he sends his thoughts to the bird. My name is Greg, and I’m a Familiar! Please, there must be some mistake! Let me go!

  His pleadings go unheard, and he realizes that he just so happened to have been kidnapped by the only bird too dumb to communicate with its mind. No! No way can this be happening right now! Nathan needs me! …Help! Somebody, anybody, please help me! He calls, sending out his cry as far as he can with magic.

  After a few more seconds of breathless terror, one of the Soho’s river birds flies up and begins pummeling the Magpie. The bird’s deadly talons spring open, and suddenly Greg finds himself in free-fall, hurtling at terrifying speed toward the hard ground. He squeaks in terror as he falls. The river bird dives to catch him, but its talons snap shut just above his back. One talon scrapes across his skin, but all it does is cut him and spin him around so he’s facing the sky as he plummets. Above him, he can see the blue-green bird diving for him once more, although they both know it’s too late.

  When Greg’s small body hits the ground, he feels a brief flash of intense pain, then a merciful numbness. His vision flickers and goes dark.

  <<>>

  When the river bird returns, Zeke steps away from the group of marching Sohos. “I’ll be right back,” he murmurs to Kate before slipping away. Ty, he addresses the bird, What happened? With the Familiar that was in trouble?

  The blue-green bird rustles his feathers anxiously from its perch on a tree branch about the level of Zeke’s head. The Familiar had been snatched by a large Magpie. He fell… I wasn’t fast enough to catch him. He’s… he’s gone.

  Zeke frowns. “Where is he?” Ty wings away in response, and Zeke races after him. They slide to a stop beside the crumpled body of a rat. Stooping, Zeke carefully draws the familiar into his hands. “Crystal may know who this Familiar’s companion is. It’s only right that we let them know what happened,” he sighs before quickly walking back to join his people as they travel through the forest.

  <<>>

  When Nathan wakes up, he half expects to have thoughts in his head that weren’t there before- thoughts or desires to kill Thaddeus, primarily. To his pleasant surprise, he finds no thoughts in his head beside his own. Breathing a sigh of relief, he also notices that his wrists and back feel a little better. Are they healing me? Why bother when Hunter obviously wasn’t able to brainwash me?

  His musings are interrupted when Hunter comes into his room once more. “Ah, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

  Nathan chuckles a little. “Well, it doesn’t seem like your mind tricks worked on me- so sorry you won’t be using me to further your twisted agenda,” he mocks.

  “We shall see,” Hunter replies with a small smile. “Now then. Would you like some food?” he asks, holding up the plate in his hand.

  “You’re offering me food?” Nathan scoffs. “As if I even have a choice.”

  “Oh, you certainly have a choice. You can choose to do everything I say or become a simple lab rat for my scientists and sorcerers to study- or should I say dissect? …It’s entirely up to you.”

  Nathan hesitates. “…How do I know you aren’t trying to poison me?”

  He just smiles in response, leaning forward to unbuckle the restraints on his arms. “If I were going to kill you, I would have already done so.” When Nathan’s arms are released, he slowly sits up, wincing at the sharp pain scraping at his spine.

  Hunter hands him a plate with a drumstick, a roll, and some strange, colorful glop. “It’s called pluva,” Hunter explains at his questioning glance. “It’s a jelly from Zelon. Don’t ask how it’s made- you don’t want to know,” he chuckles. “But it tastes surprisingly good plus is highly nutritious. Eat it or not, I don’t particularly care,” he declares before reclining into the chair bes
ide the table.

  Feeling Hunter’s observant eyes on him, Nathan picks apart the roll, eating the chunks slowly. His self-control wears thin as he bites into the meat, however, and he soon devours it, digging with his teeth at the last bits as they cling to the bone. Having no utensils, he scoops a little of the pluva into his mouth with his fingers. It’s about the consistency of Jell-O and is a mix of shades of purple. It tastes like strawberries, grapes, and cucumbers, as well as something else with a bit of kick that he’d never tasted before. Although the pluva was odd, Nathan quickly finishes it off as well, licking his fingers clean.

  Hunter leans forward, curiosity on his face as he watches him. “When did you last eat?” he asks.

  Nathan pauses as he tries to remember. “Lunch, before I broke in here and busted Crystal out. …Why?”

  “Ah, then you’ve only missed one meal,” Hunter surmises.

  “Really?” Nathan says, surprised. He felt as though he hadn’t eaten for at least an entire day. He turns to look out a window to determine what time it was and discovers that in his earlier examinations of the room he had neglected to notice the lack of sunlight- and windows.

  “Yes, it’s only about six in the morning,” Hunter informs him. “The sun’s not quite up yet.”

  Nathan wordlessly hands him the plate as he mulls this over in his mind. “…So, what now?”

  “Now you rest up a little. When you’re recovered from both your cut and your self-inflicted wounds, we’ll study you to see how that sorcerer blocked your Gifts and see what other things we can try to turn you into our secret weapon,” Hunter evenly informs him as he straps him onto the table once again before standing and walking away, leaving Nathan with only his thoughts.

  ******

  Nathan doses off and on throughout the day, and by the time Hunter visits him with his dinner, he feels much better. Whatever they gave him to help him heal sure did a good job. After he eats, Hunter releases the restraints from his ankles as well, allowing him to wander around the room and stretch his stiff muscles. He almost laughs with relief when the movement causes him only dull pain- in contrast to the sharp, electrifying pain that he had endured earlier.