The Crystal Dragon Series Collection

by Katie Cherry

  Tandoc lifts her from the boat, carrying her over past the water. She lands on grass- real grass- softer than she ever imagined it could feel. Immediately stripping her shoes off, she burrows her toes into the soil. It was moist and rich and dark and felt so nice crumbling around her feet she almost starts crying. “This is amazing. Thank you, Tandoc,” she sniffles, smiling up at him.

  His kind blue eyes smile back at her as he reaches down and pulls her to her feet. “I’m not done yet,” is all he says as he begins leading her deeper into the forest. Gazing up at all the trees, Beryl feels overwhelmed with awe. The shade they cast is so cool she feels bumps begin on her arms, but she plunges forward, ignoring them.

  Finally, they reach the top of the island, where a small clearing emerges, with a large, strange looking rock in the center. Beryl freezes as she notices movement just beyond the rock. Watching for a few moments, she notices an animal roaming the hillside, its head to the ground as it munches on grass. Beryl watches with wide eyes, taking in the short hair it seemed to have all over its body- except for its feet. Where instead of feet or fins, the creature had a hard, black… shoe, almost, at the end of each of its four long, thin legs. A small tail points straight up at the end of its long body.

  “Oh…” It’s a small whimper that escapes from her lips, but the creature’s head snaps up, and it stares straight at them, its hairy, pointed ears raised as it fixates its large eyes on them. A large black nose is at the end of its long face and appears to be wet. After a moment, it jumps off into the trees with its long, strong legs.

  “What… was that?” Beryl gasps, finally freed from her frozen state of awe.

  “That’s called a deer,” Tandoc smiles. “I actually brought it here.”

  “Where is it from?”

  “A realm called Second Earth,” he replies, a warm glow on his face as he takes in her reaction. “Did you like it?”

  “It was amazing,” she murmurs, a hand on her heart. “I don’t know how many more of these surprises I can handle, Tandoc,” she teases, turning back to him at last.

  “Just one more, I promise,” he replies, walking toward the rock and picking something up.

  “What…”

  “Beryl, will you marry me?” he asks, one knee pressed into the dirt as he holds out the thing he had recovered from the rock. It was a ring- unlike any she’d ever seen before. A big, shiny white rock held to the band, its sharp edges casting rainbows around as the light hits it.

  Tears immediately flow from her eyes as she sobs, throwing herself at him. “Yes! Oh, yes! I thought you’d never ask!”

  “I may be a bit of a nomad, but I would love for you to accompany me as I explore the realms. Everything that I’ve seen before has grown dull, but seeing it all through your eyes seems to give it- and me- new life.”

  “I would love to,” she cries, clinging to his neck and crying into his shirt. She pulls back at his request, and he’s finally able to slide the ring onto her finger. It’s a perfect fit.

  Suddenly, the bright light of the mid-day sun begins to darken, and Tandoc’s expression goes along with it. “We have to get out of here,” he says urgently, grabbing her hand and pulling her into a run back toward the boat.

  “But… there’s not a cloud in the sky,” Beryl murmurs as they run, looking up at the sky curiously. “Tandoc… what’s happening? The sun- it’s getting darker!”

  “I know, and it’ll be okay. We just need to get out of here.”

  “You… you don’t mean leave Quagon, do you? Already?” she gasps, panic clutching at her heart. “I… I still need to say goodbye to my sister, and even my uncle, my friends… I need to get my notebook back!”

  “We can come back for that. Hurry, we need to get to a spot where I can make a portal,” he urges, stress tightening his broad shoulders. Before they can move any further, a bolt of lightning strikes the ground in front of them, causing an explosion of light and sound that throws Beryl back, her eyes shut tight and her hands over her ears. She lands hard, knocking herself out.

  “Oh, it’s a little too late for that.” A man stands from the scarred patch of land, a blood-red cloak billowing behind him as the wind screams past them.

  “Dravyn,” Tandoc growls, his teeth clenched together in anger. “What do you think you’re doing here?”

  “What, I couldn’t pop in and say congratulations? After how many millenia, and you’ve finally found someone you can stand to be with! Since, you know, you decided that you hated me since I first came to be,” he sneers, lightning flashing behind his dark grey eyes. “I, however, am forever. Just like you. She’ll be gone in the blink of an eye, but of course, you know that. So why even bother with her at all?”

  “I don’t need to explain myself to you,” Tandoc seethes, glancing back at Beryl to make sure she’s okay.

  “Right, right, she makes you see things like you did back at the beginning of your life, before things got all boring and the same, blah blah blah,” Dravyn chuckles, striding in lazy circles around him.

  “Get out of here,” Tandoc growls.

  “What if I feel like staying?” Dravyn smirks back, his hands tucked neatly behind his back.

  Tandoc suddenly lunges and punches Dravyn, sending him cartwheeling backwards. Striking a tree that instantly blackens, Dravyn straightens, chuckling and brushing himself off. “Please. After all this time, you can’t do better than that?” He growls before punching Tandoc in the jaw, lightning arcing up his arm as he does so, sending Tandoc flying straight up into the air. Pushing off the ground, Dravyn meets him in midair, where they exchange a flurry of punches.

  “Leave here, Dravyn,” Tandoc growls, avoiding another punch.

  “Or what?” he screams in reply before following his gaze. A great wave of white fog was forming on the surface of the water. “The Watchers!” Dravyn cries in realization, his face paling.

  “Exactly. I don’t think they’ll be too happy to see you after you trapped them here,” Tandoc growls, pushing Dravyn away from him. Lowering himself to the ground, he watches as the deep red of Dravyn’s clothes streak across the sky before vanishing in a portal. The instant he’s gone, the sun seems to blink back to full power, light drenching the realm once more.

  Pacing at the rocky edge of the island, Tandoc waits as the Watchers approach, their form dissolving and reforming, gradually changing from resembling ferocious creatures, to gentle ones, until a herd of deer is what comes face-to-face with Tandoc. The largest one in the center steps forward, gliding above the surface of the water and speaks, its voice rumbling through the ground. “Tandoc.”

  “Watchers. As you can see, Dravyn is gone.”

  “Yes, but he wasn’t supposed to be here at all. Why have you returned to Quagon, Tandoc? …Never mind,” it interrupts before he can reply. “It doesn’t matter. Where you go, Dravyn will eventually follow. …Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Watchers. Apologies- I hadn’t meant to be here long enough for him to find me.”

  “Do not return,” it threatens before turning and leading the herd back across the water, where their forms eventually dissipate, eventually vanishing from sight. Sighing, Tandoc turns and heads back toward Beryl, pondering how he’s going to tell her that she can never come back to Quagon, her home, ever again.

  Because of him.

  THANK YOU

  The Crystal Dragon Series will continue in book four:

  Ponorama

  Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving me your thoughts on the book by reviewing it on Amazon!

  -Katie Cherry

  Pronunciation Guide

  Quagon: Coo-A-gone

  Dravyn: Drah-vyn

  Savitri: Sah-vee-tree

  Krasnigor: Crass-nig-or

  Kronogrix: Crow (the bird)-no-gree

  Rabazi: Rah-bah-zee

  Acknowledgments

  I have a lot of people to thank to help get the Crystal Dragon series going. The first person being, of course, my mother.
Thanks to her patience with me not only as a child but through the years until this point, I was able to learn patience as well. I learned not to give up, even though it was exhausting. When I was younger, she taught me my letters even before kindergarten, staring me early on the path that eventually led me here.

  My kindergarten teacher, delighted at my desire to move ahead at my own pace, allowed me to leap ahead of the others in reading. The head start helped me to gain a passion for books early in my life.

  Thanks to the Young Writers and Artist Fest in my area, my eyes were opened in eighth grade to the possibility of writing a book rather than just reading them. This resulted in my first attempt at a novel- the Gryphon, which I completed my freshman year of High School. Thanks to my mediocre writing, the Gryphon will not be published unless I rewrite the entire thing. However, during my freshman year, I got the brilliant idea to write Zilferia from a dream where people had Gifts. From this simple idea sprung Zilferia, which quickly blossomed into a plan for the creation of the entire Crystal Dragon series.

  I only got to chapter three in my first go of writing Zilferia before growing tired of it. Luckily, I had great friends that encouraged me to keep going. After I finished the book and had to go through endless revisions, these friends and more kept me going through the arduous process.

  A special thank you goes out to my number one fans- my little brother, Tyson, and my good friend Clarity. Their excitement for the story reinvigorated me and inspired me to press on, creating more and more plot twists just to see their reactions. The second book, First Earth, had a chance at being finished only because of strength I gained from Clarity. Thank you as well to authors like Brandon Mull, J.K. Rowling, and Christopher Paolini. Every author builds on others, and there are some giants in literature that definitely inspired me. Including J. Douglas, Eileen Mueller, and Avril Sabine, who are the most current authors inspiring me, encouraging me, and helping me in my actual writing and publishing.

  To those supporting me on Patreon: Jon and Ann Cherry. Thank you for your support!!

  Lastly, my gratitude must be shown for my now partner in crime- my husband. Thank you, Bridger, for bearing with my book-driven insanity at times! Thank you for not letting me be a quitter; and thank you for helping to catch dumb mistakes in my writing. I love you!

  And, you!

  THANK YOU!

  About the Author

  Katie Cherry is an avid reader who has been devouring books since before most kids could read, leading her to her first attempt at writing in eighth grade. So far, she has written Zilferia, First Earth, and Quagon, the first three installments of the seven-book series the Crystal Dragon series; and Dragon Blood, a Young Adult Urban Fantasy standalone novella. Her dream is to be a full-time mother while also providing for them through her writing.

  -Find her current progress on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KatieCherryFantasy/

  -Her Patreon page is https://www.patreon.com/KatieCherry. Become a Patron for early releases, sneak peeks, sweet merchandise (eventually), and more!

  -Follow her on Amazon to get an email ONLY when there’s a new release: https://www.amazon.com/Katie-Cherry/e/B07Q11GZD7

  *Join her newsletter to hear about free fantasy books Katie finds, sales, updates, and exclusive freebies: https://mailchi.mp/4fd16172bb81/newslettersignup

  -She’s also on Instagram! @katiecherryfantasy

  Sneak Peek for Book Four: Ponorama

  “Hunter?” A soft knock sounds at the door following the voice. The voice he never thought he’d hear again.

  “Alyssa, come in,” he invites, though his chest is tight with worry as he pushes the egg back beneath his bed, burying it once more in the bundle of clothes. The egg was getting more fragile every day, and today, he swore he felt it move.

  “Hey,” she murmurs as she shuffles into the room. It had been a couple of weeks since he’d rescued her from the werewolves, but it appeared she still wasn’t sleeping well.

  “Hey,” he returns, standing and pulling her into his arms. One hand strokes her hair comfortingly as he continues. “What’s up?”

  “I just… I guess I’m just struggling to… adjust to being… home,” she whispers in reply.

  “Well, you’ve been through a lot,” he says comfortingly. “It’s understandable that you’re having a hard time bouncing back.”

  “That’s… not all,” she murmurs, pulling away from him, her gaze fixated on the floor.

  “Alyssa, what’s wrong?” Hunter presses, taking her hands in his.

  Blowing out a shuddering breath, she looks up into his eyes. She pauses, her lower lip pinched between her teeth as she considers him. “I… I’m afraid.”

  “Don’t worry. Those dragons will never get to you again,” he growls firmly.

  “That’s… not exactly what I’m worried about,” she sighs, slowly lowering herself to his bed. He sits beside her, looking at her earnestly, though confusion is beginning to spike through him.

  “What are you talking about, Alyssa?”

  Her mouth tightens into a firm line, making it clear she’s made up her mind. “…I want to go back to the dragons.”

  “…I’m sorry… what?”

  Spinning, she looks at him with eyes ablaze with passion. “Hunter, the dragons… we’ve been lied to all our lives. They aren’t the horrible beasts we’ve been made to see. They’re beautiful, brilliant, peaceful, and caring… their first instincts are to protect, not hurt.”

  Hunter feels like he’s trapped in a bad dream. Heart thudding heavily in his chest, he shakes his head sadly. “I should have known they’d brainwash you…”

  “No!” she growls, jumping back to her feet. “They didn’t. They simply encouraged me to dump out the Dragon Hunters’ brainwashing.”

  “Why else would you see good in such terrible creatures of destruction?” Hunter bites back, rising to his feet as well, his fists clenched.

  “Because of the babies,” she softly replies, her entire demeanor softening. “Straight from the egg, Z- uh, a hatchling, made conscious decisions daily to make sure she never accidentally hurt me.”

  Hunter scoffs, forcing his fists to unclench. “It probably thought you were its mother or something stupid like that. Listen, just because you happened to be nearby and the creature imprinted on you, doesn’t mean anything.”

  A slow rage seems to build behind her eyes, making Hunter feel more lost and confused. How could she actually believe this? She seemed to be filled with a stronger resolution than she ever had been before. But… it couldn’t be true. Crystal saying such things was to be expected, but Alyssa? Who had grown up with him, both of them growing under Patrick’s guiding hand?

  “Think about it,” she demands, taking another step toward him. “Patrick. Think about what he’s like. He’s impulsive, desperate, and filled with more hatred than anyone we’ve ever seen. He lashes out. I know he’s lashed out at you multiple times.” Hunter scowls, blinking away the memories brought forth by her words. “Think about the Sohos. They were all Dragon Hunters before. You know how many people willingly switch from the side of the dragons to the Dragon Hunters’? No one ever has. Yet, dozens, maybe hundreds have left the Dragon Hunters’ ranks. Once you see the truth, you recognize it as such.”

  “Stop it,” Hunter growls, stumbling backwards and away from her. “You… you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You know I do. I can see it- the truth is starting to pierce through the lies you’ve been fed your whole life,” she returns, following him until he finally backs into the wall, his hands up in a defensive position. She stops with a heavy sigh. “I just wish I could show you… the way it’s been shown to me… and to the Sohos. You need to see the purity of a dragon hatchling.”

  Hunter doesn’t reply, hiding his face in his hands and breathing hard, scrambling to come up with some defense. But they all fall short before they even reach his lips. Her points were solid. Nothing the Dragon Hunters nor the Higher Power h
ad told him was standing up to her few simple, strong points.

  He’s saved from having to reply as a quiet cracking sound pierces the air. Alyssa freezes, spinning to face him with wide eyes. “What was that?” she demands, looking slightly panicked.

  Gulping, Hunter points a trembling finger toward the egg hidden beneath his bed. She quickly scrambles toward it, pulling it out and holding it gently in her arms. A long crack had appeared near the top of the egg.

  “Hunter! You have a dragon egg?” Her voice is mixed with excitement and dread, knowing Hunter wouldn’t have kept it for pure intentions. After a moment, though, her eyes brighten. “Hunter! This is it! This is the perfect opportunity! There’s a dragon hatching right here!”

  “No, get rid of it,” he growls, turning away from it and sitting on the edge of his bed. He nearly jumps in surprise as he feels the cool, smoothness of the egg as she slips it into his hands.

  “Watch,” she whispers reverently, nodding toward the egg. More cracks had appeared, and now a section of the shell rises slightly, wobbling, before the baby dragon inside pushes it away. Hunter allows it to smash on the floor, now unable to pull his eyes away from the hatchling clawing its way out of the egg. More pieces of shell fall to the floor, but Hunter stays stock-still.

  Finally, the last of the egg falls away, and a slightly sticky dragon remained in his hands. Blinking, the little green dragon’s eyes slowly turn and fix on Hunter’s face. He suddenly feels a warmth and happiness radiating from its mind as it happily curls up in his lap. Shocked, he finally turns to Alyssa and struggles to speak, though his mouth has gone dry. “W… what…?”

  “Name her,” Alyssa whispers, smiling at him with happy tears in her eyes. “Give her a name, Hunter.”

  “I… uh…” Turning back to the dragon hatchling, he meets her gaze. As he does, his mind goes to his favorite tree as a child, where he would go and relax in its shade. It was a beautiful holly tree. “H-Holly,” he chokes out. “Holly… Wing?”