The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  The nearest booth was loaded with grains that looked similar to what they had had for breakfast. Ignoring the man shouting at them to “boost your body’s abilities with this nutrient-rich grain,” they walk toward the next booth. Thanks to the street being so packed with people, it’s difficult for them to progress very quickly past the obnoxious merchants. Stuck by a booth selling tattoos, they pretend to listen and nod as the merchant describes a few of his wares to them. As an opening appears, they dart into it, leaving the strange looking man behind.

  “This is already exhausting,” Crystal murmurs to Nathan, her voice barely coming over the dull roar of the crowd. “We might need to take this street a couple of days at a time rather than all at once.”

  “Sounds good to me. It’s already pretty late in the day anyway,” Nathan notes. “Once we get further into the street, I say we buy some dinner and wrap it up for today.”

  “Perfect,” she smiles, appreciation in her eyes. Nathan smiles in return, feeling lighter. He knew her like no one else. Because she was like him, only much better at pretty much everything. It took no effort for him to discern her needs, even before she knew what she needed. He was such a good… friend. Regardless, he was determined to be the best friend he could be for her.

  After walking past a few more booths, they find one that catches their eye. “Does that guy have… live animals?” Crystal murmurs.

  “I think so,” Nathan replies, cutting through the crowd to reach the booth on the other side of the street.

  “You there!” the merchant calls, noticing their curiosity. “What’s your name, sir?”

  “Nathan.”

  “Nathan! You look to be a man who likes to travel. Tell me, have you seen any of these grand creatures before?” the man asks, waving behind him grandly. All sorts of different cages were stacked around the booth, some in boxes with water, but most appeared to not be from Quagon.

  “No,” Nathan honestly replies, peering around at the chittering creatures. “But most certainly don’t seem to be from here.”

  “You’re a smart boy,” the man replies, his dark grey eyes gleaming from beneath his messy black hair. “The name’s Pierre, and I have a rare assortment of creatures. I can give them to you for a deal, of course, but they are naturally very expensive.”

  “I bet,” Crystal murmurs, leaning forward beside Nathan to look at the creatures. “Nathan, look at that one,” she says, pointing at a lone box with a tiny monkey inside it.

  “Good eye!” Pierre chuckles, lifting the box and placing it on the counter between them. “This is a Rabazi monkey. This glass box is the only thing he can be contained in. If those holes were any bigger, he would be able to slip through them and escape,” he informs them, pointing out holes about the width of the tip of a pen scattered around the box. “Which obviously makes him a difficult one to catch.”

  “That’s amazing,” Crystal murmurs, squatting to look the tiny monkey in the face. It chitters, looking at her curiously. As Nathan’s face appears next to hers, the monkey turns to him. It stares at him for a long time, its small golden eyes taking him in. Nathan feels as though it could see to his very soul. A tingle suddenly races over his body. Blinking, he stands, unable to take his eyes off of the tiny black and white monkey.

  “How much is he?” Nathan asks.

  “Oh, I’m afraid he’s already been claimed,” Pierre winces apologetically, turning and placing the box on the ground again. “Unless you can top his bid of two hundred limnah?” Recognizing that the limnah was the highest form of currency they had, Nathan sadly shakes his head. They definitely didn’t have two hundred of those white disks. “As I thought… Sorry, dear boy. Could I interest you in a bird, perhaps? They are almost as rare, us being here on Quagon,” he begins, turning to select a small, light green bird.

  Nathan shakes his head, turning his body away from the booth. “I’m afraid I don’t require a bird. Thank you, though.”

  “Alright. Have a good day, I hope to see you both back here tomorrow!” Pierre calls, noticing Nathan’s glance back at the tiny monkey. It watches him go sadly, its wide eyes watching every step that takes Nathan away from the booth.

  <<>>

  The tiny monkey watches the boy go, feeling an urge to follow him. The urge builds and builds until he can see one of the breathing holes widen. Just a little, but it would soon be enough. Shifting his eyes from the boy to the hole, he focuses his renewed magic on the hole, urging it to grow bigger. It takes a while, but it finally grows big enough for him to escape through. Glancing up at the man who kept him in the dark until he was brought out into the day, forced to endure so much noise and commotion, he watches him carefully. He knows he could be recaptured if he were to escape while the man was ready for him. Waiting until he was showing something else to another human, the monkey turns back to the hole. Focusing, he collapses his body and shoves his way through the hole, feeling it scrape at his spine. It was a tight fit, this was the smallest hole he could fit through, but it was enough. Escaping from the box with a hollow thurmp of the air rushing into the space his body had just occupied, he puffs his body back out to its normal size.

  Gazing around in triumph, he turns to scan the hoard of feet stomping past him. Taking a steadying breath, he scurries forward, darting between the strange shoes, each landing with a loud clack as he slides past them.

  The thread between him and the boy was thin, but he could feel it. He would find the boy again. It was only a matter of time.

  <<>>

  The juicy flesh of the apple crunches between my teeth as I bite into it. “Ahhh,” I sigh. “I’ve always loved fruit, but I hadn’t realized how long it’s been since I’ve had any. This apple tastes amazing!”

  “Agreed,” Nathan smiles, biting into his own apple. We had gotten some simple fish for dinner, but the apple was more of their dessert, a treat to celebrate a day of progress. I notice him staring out solemnly across the street of people hurrying their way through the merchants.

  “Hey.” I reach out and lay a hand on his arm. His eyes move to mine, but I notice a wall going up behind them. I can’t help but frown. He never blocks me out. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he murmurs, turning away to crunch down on his apple once more. Taking another bite of my own, I wait patiently for him to tell me. Finally, he sighs, lowering the fruit from his lips. “Just… that monkey. I swear I felt a connection to it. Not like… not like a familiar, but there was still… something there, you know? And it’s not like… I’m not searching for a replacement for…” His lip quivers and his eyes glance away from me again, tears pooling in them.

  “Nobody can replace Greg,” I gently say, moving my hand to his back. “But it’s okay to hope to still find another… friend, someone to bond with. He can’t be replaced, of course, but you can still hope for something similar to what you two had.”

  He nods slowly, sniffling. He wipes at his eyes and smiles at me, pulling me into an embrace. He trembles slightly against me. I pull myself closer, basking in the comforting warmth of his body. Tucking my face in towards his neck, I run one hand slowly and comfortingly through his hair. “You won’t be alone forever,” I murmur, unsure of what to say. I was honestly hoping that being here without my own Familiar would help him, but he was still more empty than I with his gone forever and mine just a portal away. “That monkey was super cute and would be potentially helpful, but I’m sure he won’t be the only potential creature for you to bond with.” He nods, still sniffling a little. It’s a little loud so close to my ear, but I don’t mind. I simply continue to gently run my fingers through his soft hair, enjoying the feel of his new haircut.

  Finally, he pulls back once my back starts to hurt from leaning over. Smiling at him, I take another bite of my apple. He follows suit, and we soon finish the treats, tossing the cores in the nearest trash bin that sits on every corner. There were specific ones for food waste, which eventually got turned into compost and d
umped onto the island for the Farmers to use to boost the crops they were growing. Thinking about said Farmers, I suddenly realize that we need to check them out, or we might just glance over Rex because he worked on the island. We’re going to have to ask Hannah and Chester about them for sure, I realize. And how exactly to get permission to get onto the island. It sounds like it’s pretty hard to do unless you’re a Farmer. Which I guess makes sense, they can’t risk their crops dying and cutting down on the city’s food supply. But still… that makes it much more difficult for us. Maybe they have connections and can pull some more strings for us.

  Telling Nathan of my thoughts, he nods, a small frown on his face as he thinks. “Maybe. If not, we might just need to find a way to sneak over there. But we’ll try all the legal ways first while we search Davenport first just to be safe, alright? I don’t really want to risk getting killed by the King,” he chuckles sarcastically. I smile in response.

  “Of course. …Thank you for being here with me, Nathan,” I say after a moment of us walking silently down the road back to the house. He looks at me in confusion.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You just… you didn’t have to come to Quagon with me. You don’t have to come with me to search for my brother at all. You have no reason to. So I’m just… grateful that you’re helping me out regardless. I’m glad I’m not alone in this.”

  “You never even had to ask,” he responds with a warm smile. “Crystal, you’re my best friend. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, leaving you alone to wander the realms with the Dragon Hunters searching after you. I just… I need to keep you safe. I’ve always tried to do all I can to do that, and I will continue to do so for as long as you’ll allow me to.”

  “Why would I ever push away the best friend I’ve ever had?” I respond, beaming. He said he’s my best friend! I guess that’s the most I can hope for with Angela still in the picture. I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever I can have with him. He’s… well, he’s pretty much the most important person in my life. He may not know it, but I need to keep him safe as well. I don’t know what I would do if I lost him… and I don’t ever want to find out.

  He shrugs nonchalantly and looks away from me, but I catch the small smile on his lips. “Just don’t want to get annoying,” he finally says, looking back at me.

  I push at him gently, feeling playful. “Now you’re just being silly. I doubt you could ever get annoying enough for me to want to ditch you.”

  “Well that’s a relief,” he responds, smiling. His eyes twinkle and I realize that we’ve stopped walking and our faces are rather close together. Don’t react, don’t react, don’t react… His glimmering eyes stare into mine for a few more moments, and something that can’t be put to words passes between us. I feel like our bond strengthens in that moment. Like we’ve made a silent pact to be together. As friends, obviously, since that’s all we can do. But still… it feels almost as though we’ve subconsciously tied ourselves together.

  Nothing would ever separate us.

  <<>>

  Nathan turns his face away from Crystal at last, his heart thudding in his chest. How did she have such an effect on him? Just looking into her blue-gold eyes was enough to send his stomach rolling, heart pumping, and lungs seize up. Even Angela didn’t have quite that effect on him. Letting out a huge breath that he had been holding in his lungs, he looks up at the sky, tucks his hands into his pockets, and resumes walking. Crystal follows a step behind him. He’s acutely aware of her every movement, every sense attuned to her and only her. Her subconscious flip of hair to get it out of her face, her fingers picking at her fingernails as she thinks, the slight bounce in her step… her eyes on him. He doesn’t turn, but his heart picks up again as he feels the weight of her gaze on him. Goodness, this woman. I never want to leave her side, but I also wish I could get away and be free from this strange effect she has on me and just get back to normal.

  Pushing his hands deeper into his pockets, he picks up the pace a little. Crystal keeps up and finally pipes up again. “It’s getting cold… and is that a storm coming in?” she adds, pointing past him. Turning, he looks up and notices some black clouds rolling towards them over the horizon. Over the next couple of minutes, they notice the clouds getting closer.

  “That can’t be good,” he murmurs, picking up the pace once more, nearly jogging with Crystal right beside him. Those around them suddenly burst into life as they all begin to hurry to their homes as well, which just makes Nathan more concerned. Something is definitely happening. Who knows what kind of storms Quagon has? We need to get back- and quick. I’m not risking anything with those black clouds. Not with Crystal here with me. He glances over at her. Catching his gaze, she nods back and leads him into a jog. They reach the house within a few minutes, the clouds now reaching the edge of the city. Something falls from them, but it doesn’t quite look like rain. It looks heavier.

  Panting, Crystal rushes to pull out the card to open the door. Once it beeps in confirmation, they yank it open and dive inside. No one’s inside. Fumbling for the light, Nathan turns it on and looks around. “Where are Hannah and Chester?” Crystal pants, joining him as he looks around.

  “Wherever they are, hopefully they’re indoors,” Nathan replies, peeking his head back out of the door, watching the sheets of ‘rain’ fall from the clouds. The edge of the storm was almost upon them. Everything behind the clouds appeared to be coated in a thin layer of glass that thickened every second.

  “Wait, is that them?” Crystal gasps, pointing past him towards a street that joined the one they’re on. Two figures were sprinting toward them, only just staying ahead of the edge of the storm. As they get closer, their features begin to get more distinguishable. “Oh my gosh, it is! I hope they make it…” she whispers, instinctively leaning toward them.

  They’re almost to the house when the edge of the storm reaches them. “Get inside!” comes the scream from Chester, half a step behind Hannah. Crystal and Nathan both pull back inside the doorway just as the rain reaches them. Hannah and Chester fly into the room, nearly crashing into the wall from their momentum. Breathing heavily, Chester spins and slams the door shut. A little of the storm had blown in through the doorway, and the glass-like drops on the floor reflected the light back at them. Crouching, Nathan reaches a finger out towards one of the drops, curiosity burning in his blood.

  “Don’t touch it!” Hannah screams, lurching forward to pull him back from it. Turning to face her, he notices that she had a few drops on her shoulders, and the back of Chester’s arms were coated with it.

  “What is it?” Crystal asks, looking at them curiously. Pain seemed to be written across both of their faces.

  “Ice rain,” Chester pants, falling into a chair with a heavy groan. “It instantly freezes on contact. It takes hours to melt- despite our body heat. While it’s on you, it burns like dry ice.” Tears run, unbidden, from their eyes. Nathan winces. That would be excruciating.

  “Are you guys going to be okay?” Crystal asks, her concern ringing through the air.

  “We’ll live. We’ll just have some ice burns,” Hannah assures her, also collapsing into a chair and burying her face in her hands. “I’m just so glad you two weren’t out during the storm. The concoction the Quagonians invented to free a person from the ice rain is rare and expensive. We don’t have any, and the storm cleanup people who do would be unlikely to find you in time. You would be encased in ice and eventually suffocate.”

  “…We could have died?” Nathan repeats in disbelief.

  Chester nods gravely. “But fortunately for everyone, you were smart enough to get back here before the storm hit, and observant enough to see it approaching- unlike us,” he winces. “Luckily these kinds of storms are relatively rare, so there’s unlikely to be another one while you’re here. One at the most.”

  Hannah finally stands, smiling bravely at us. “Don’t worry about us, dears. Just go ahead and head to your rooms. We’ll be fine in
the morning to take you to your appointment. Just get your rest, alright?”

  “…If you’re sure,” Crystal hesitantly accepts, slinking into her room with Nathan just behind her. The storm is heavy on their minds, however, and it takes them both a couple of hours to fall asleep.

  <<>>

  I’m surprised at how refreshed I feel the next morning. Our appointment was early, so I set an alarm on my watch to wake me up early, and I happened to wake up just a few minutes before it was supposed to go off. Sitting up, I turn off the alarm. Nathan stirs as I do so. Sitting up in his bed, he rubs his eyes and yawns, peering at me with red eyes. “Wow, looks like you slept great,” he grumbles, sliding his feet out of bed. “I have to say, I’m a little jealous,” he chuckles with a wink.

  I smile in response. “I’m just as surprised as you are. If my brain had its way, I’m sure it would have kept me up and I wouldn’t have gotten really any sleep at all. I keep thinking of all the kids that have probably gotten caught in a storm like that…” I shudder and stop, changing the topic. “Anyways, are you excited for the upgrade to our devices?”

  “Sure, I guess,” he mumbles, pulling a shirt over his head, covering his abs just as I notice their existence. “I’m too tired to really have an opinion though,” he explains with a sigh, pulling on his pants. I guess I never noticed before that he just sleeps in his underwear. Of course, I usually get up and get dressed in a different room, so I guess I’ve probably never seen him dress in the morning before.

  “Well… it should be… ah… useful, at least,” I lamely state, my mind stuck on processing him getting dressed right in front of me.

  “Hopefully,” he accepts before stumbling sleepily into the bathroom. The door closes behind him and I blink, returning my mind to the present. Scrambling into my own clothes, I manage to get fully dressed before he comes back out, looking a little more alert. “I’ll go check on breakfast,” he yawns as he slips on socks. He slips out of the door and I can’t help but smile. He was a different kind of cute when he was exhausted.