The Crystal Dragon Series Collection Page 4

  “I come from another universe… another realm, if you will. An alternate realm. Now, before you interrupt, I must insist that you only listen. If, while you are listening, you are closed to what I am saying and trying to disprove everything, you will gain nothing from this. Just listen and believe. Fight against it later, if you must.

  “There are seven parallel realms, including this one, the one we call Second Earth. Each is similar, though none the same. We believe they all originated as a singular world, then split into the seven we know today. They are named: First Earth, which is just like this one, but more technologically advanced; Quagon, which is made up of ninety-eight percent water. They use the other two percent of land for farming and have built floating cities to live on. Ponorama is mainly a desert with many huge and violent creatures living there. Lii is beautiful, and so are the people that live there. The grass is blue and the sky is orange, and the colors are more vibrant and beautiful than anywhere else. Zelon is much like your Earth, but the sun is larger and red, and they have more oxygen, resulting in bugs closer to the size of Second Earth’s dogs.

  “And, finally, there is Zilferia. Zilferia is the central realm that all others are connected to. This is where I am from and where the good King and Queen live. Unique creatures are there and the days are much longer than they are here. We have thirty-two hours a day rather than your twenty-four. Temperatures are more moderate as well. And most recently, it is where the Games take place!”

  “The Games?” I ask, recalling what he said earlier. “That’s what you seem to expect me to participate in, right?”

  “You are smart!” he chuckles mockingly. “They told me to expect such, but…”

  “What? Who’s they? Why were you spying on me? And if you just wanted to talk to me, why did you kidnap my sister and I to do it?” I demand, earning a glare from him.

  “Didn’t I say to save all questions to the end?” he sighs. “I suppose I will answer these, but please, learn to contain yourself!

  “I had some people- it doesn’t matter who- spy on you so I could see if you could be the one. I had you and your sister kidnapped so I can see what you’re capable of in certain circumstances. I don’t intend to harm either of you.”

  As I start to ask what he meant by me being ‘the one,’ he stops me. “No more questions! If they aren’t saved until the end, I’m not answering them. I’m too tired for this to drag on all night,” he sighs. When I don’t say anything in response, he continues. “The Games are designed to find each person’s magical ability- ‘Gifts,’ as we call them- in each of the contestants. There are fourteen contestants, two from each realm, put into seven teams of one boy and one girl each. This is chosen randomly, so the pairing has nothing to do with bribery or threats. This year, there are three from both Ponorama and Lii because there are none from Zilferia.”

  “What are the Gifts?” I ask, curious despite myself.

  “I was just getting to that,” he responds, glaring at me. Despite this, I catch an amused and pleased twinkle in his eye, revealing that he’s glad I am beginning to take an interest in his story. “Each person has a Gift or two, except for the very rare few who happen to have none. Although it’s been said that the ones destined to be King or Queen can have up to four Gifts.

  “There are quite a few Gifts that one could possess, such as flying, reading minds, extraordinary fighting skills, the ability to disappear and reappear at will, shapeshifting, the ability to befriend and communicate with all creatures, controlling the weather, super speed, super intelligence, being able to remember every detail of everything you see and hear, charm- which is generally used for manipulation, super strength, and telepathy. Gifts are received thanks to the amount of magic woven into the realm- which is why there aren’t really any Gifts here on Second Earth. Second Earth doesn’t have much magic at all left in it. Very few have a diluted version of a Gift here, but that’s all.”

  Caught up in it all, I can’t resist asking, “What Gifts do you think I would have?”

  He frowns and studies me, looking me up and down, and, finally, staring deep into my eyes. After a few minutes, he shakes his head. “You’re a tough one. I can see you having almost any of the Gifts. However, my best guess would be extraordinary fighting and logic, just from what I’ve seen of you so far. Although, you seem to be very special and I’m betting you have another one or two… especially because of your eyes. But I can’t even begin to guess what they might be.”

  “Whoa, wait a minute. You mentioned my eyes again. What does that have to do with anything?” He hesitates to answer. “If you don’t tell me, then I am not attending these Games you apparently are wanting me to win. I doubt I would anyway, but you have a much greater chance if you tell me everything. Including and especially your strange obsession with my eyes.”

  He frowns for a second, then laughs. “You don’t have a choice, my dear. But I will tell you, I suppose… if you promise not to tell anyone else- especially not your little sister. It would only put her in danger.”

  “Okay, I promise,” I reply. I probably wouldn’t tell anyone any of this anyway. No one would believe anything this guy’s said already. I don’t even believe it, and I’m pretty gullible.

  He looks relieved. “Alright then. The King and Queen I told you about earlier had triplets about sixteen Second Earth years ago. Two were boys, and one was a girl. These Games are actually to find those who can aid the King and Queen in finding their lost children. The winners from last year took their prizes and went home, no interest in helping the King and Queen; thus necessitating another year of Games. Although…I have reason to believe that you are the Princess Crystal Dragon.” He observes me, waiting for my reaction to the news.

  I laugh. I laugh hard, for a minute or two. Then, wiping my eyes, I say, “Ha! That’s a good one. Me? A princess of some non-existent universe? Wow! If you were trying to convince me that your story is true, you just blew it with that one. Some people eat that kind of stuff up, but not me. I believe in what’s real, what’s right in front of me. Besides, why would you think I’m the Princess just because of my eyes? My name may be Crystal, but that doesn’t mean I’m this lost Princess of yours.”

  His voice deadly serious, he replies, “Because your eyes are exactly how the King described them to me.” He leans forward and lowers his voice. “Your eyes can turn into dragon eyes, can’t they?”

  I stare at him in disbelief. How… how on earth does he know?! I haven’t told a soul, and I’ve been careful not to do it in front of others. I haven’t even done it in… nearly a decade! In fact, I’m not even sure that I still can… What I actually say to him, however, to hide how much he unnerved me, is, “Are you insane? Dragons don’t even exist! Let alone someone with dragon eyes as well as normal eyes!” The words slide easily off my tongue. I’ve been repeating them to myself for years. “Look at them, if you want. They’re normal. In fact,” I add, standing and pushing my chair back, “I think it’s time for me to go. I don’t want to be spending the night with a lunatic.”

  The instant I stand and say this, two guys come in through the doors on both sides of the room, blocking me off. Looking back at the table, I see Vlad standing next to Kiki, yet he smiles calmly at me like nothing was happening. “First of all, I am not a lunatic. Secondly, if you fight your way out, which I have no doubt that you can, then I will have to keep your little sister here with me until you come back. Lastly, and I’m sorry to say this, but I am under strict orders to get you to Zilferia so you can participate in the Games. That does not mean I have to be nice to you. I would rather not be harsh, but I can and I will. If I have to, I will force you to come back with us to Zilferia. Your parents came up with the idea of the Games before they… well, slipped into their coma. They may not be around right now to enforce the games, but they left me, Thaddeus, Zelda, and Y’vette in charge, and I will not let them down. Especially not when I’m fairly certain you are the daughter they’ve been searching for.”


  Thinking hard, I can’t see a way out of this. Sighing in defeat, I ask, “How long will I be gone? I may go along with this, but my parents would freak out, and you would be arrested. Luckily for you, they just might put you in the mental hospital rather than jail,” I say, subtly mocking him.

  He smiles knowingly. “Oh, don’t you worry about that. When we go to Zilferia, your realm will be frozen in time. It will remain just like this until you get back. But this may take over a month, depending on if you win or not. Your little sister may come with us if you wish, but if we leave her here, she will be exactly the same when we return. You may not want her to travel with us. It is dangerous in Zilferia, especially for contestants and those with them. Plus, you would be put into separate buildings anyway. We have special lodging for you and the other contestants set aside. So, decide. Do you want her taken into danger, or suspended in time where no one can harm her? It is your decision.”

  He’s backed me into a corner. I don’t want Kiki to get hurt, of course, but I can’t just believe Vlad that no one will be able to get near her until I get back. I can only guarantee that she will be safe by taking her with me, but according to Vlad, that is dangerous- and not just for me, but for Kiki as well. Ugh! I don’t know what to do! But then I realize that I have a backup. I can leave Kiki my phone, so she can call the police when she wakes up if I don’t come back! Turning to Vlad, I say, “Prove to me that she will be safe… and I’ll leave her here. ….I don’t want her to get hurt.”

  He smiles. “Good choice. Trust me, your sister will be safe here, and you will be back before she knows it. To Kiki, it will seem like nothing happened. Now then, would you rather sleep here tonight, or in Zilferia? If you go to Zilferia, you will get more sleep, for like I said, our days are longer, and so are our nights. Either way, you will sleep alone. We are not introducing the contestants to each other until tomorrow morning. So? Which do you prefer? You and Kiki will be safe no matter what. I’ll make sure of that.”

  One choice seems more logical to me, regardless of if what he’s saying is true or not. “I guess I’ll go with you to… Zilferia. I’ll need my sleep, right?” The sooner we leave, the sooner Kiki can call for help…

  He smiles. “Correct. In fact, that reminds me.” He fishes around in his pocket and emerges with a pill between his fingers. “If you find that you cannot sleep tonight, take this and you will be able to sleep better.” I inspect it, although I have no real way of telling if it will do what he says it will. Half is a light blue, and the other half a dark purple. “The blue half puts you to sleep, while the purple ensures that you do not have nightmares,” Vlad explains. “Now then,” he continues, spinning on his heel and heading out of the door on the right, two of the men following him. The other two move behind me, intending to accompany me to make sure I don’t try and escape. I guess it’s just for insurance, for I know that I can’t get away and leave Kiki here. I’ll have to do whatever this lunatic asks me to until I can get Kiki and myself away from him. I follow Vlad into the hallway, slipping my phone and car keys into Kiki’s pocket as I pass her.

  As we walk, I start out trying to remember the route, so if an opportunity arose, I could race back to Kiki and escape. After a few minutes, I give up on this plan. Our path is too long and winding, and the sandwich I ate is wearing off, so I am no longer alert and clear-headed. As we’re walking, I begin feeling very tired. Curious, I glance at my watch to see what time it is. To my surprise, I find it’s almost four in the morning. No wonder I’m so tired! The only thing keeping me awake right now is the fact that I am with an insane man who can somehow change how he looks as well as the fact that I’m obviously still in danger, along with some other ‘contestants.’ Sure, Vladimir’s story is ‘life-changing,’ but only because he believes it so much himself that he kidnaps people and takes them away somewhere no one will be able to find them! I growl to myself, my anxiety rising as I picture myself on a news station, a girl vanished into thin air, never to be seen again.

  My unease grows with each step as we exit the building at last and walk onto the lawn behind it. The velvety black sky, not lit up much by the crescent moon, looks peaceful and eternal. It makes me feel small and insignificant in comparison. The quiet night does nothing to settle my nerves, however. All it manages to do is make me feel more stressed as well as cause my mind to linger on all that I may be leaving behind to follow this weirdo in an attempt to protect my little sister. And it may be fruitless, but what else can I do? This Vlad guy has me backed entirely into a corner!

  The thugs now surround me as I follow Vlad into the night. My fear skyrockets as ahead of me I see Vlad turn and wait. Was his ‘portal’ to another ‘realm’ actually just death? Was this where I die? Gulping, I force my feet to step up to Vlad, trying to appear strong and unconcerned. My stomach writhes and my throat constricts. When I swallow, it feels like sandpaper. What on earth have I gotten myself into? He smiles at me. “Are you ready?”

  “I don’t know,” I reply, falling back on sarcasm to hide my fear. “I’ve never traveled to another universe before. How would I know what to expect?”

  “Well, I can’t tell you exactly what to expect, for it is a little different to everyone who travels through these portals. All I can say is… well, brace yourself.” He smiles, then says, “See you in Zilferia.” With a sharp turn, he strides toward what looks to me to be a simple wall. Just before he hits the bricks, however, his body shimmers and he disappears.

  “Whoa!” I shout, scrambling backward a step or two. “He- he just disappeared!” But before I can ask any questions, someone shoves me from behind.

  “Your turn,” he grunts. Staggering forward, I fall toward the wall. I instinctively cry out as it rushes toward me. Just before I hit it, there’s a flash of light and a subtle tickling sensation. This is followed by an unexpected pain in my gut as though I had been punched. I’m doubled over for about a minute until the sensation fades. Standing, I look around, wide-eyed. A shimmering whiteness surrounds me as I float in nothingness. Then I realize that I hear music. It’s very faint, but growing stronger every second. Then I feel as though I’ve been punched again, so, eyes clenched shut, I don’t see what happens when the light fades away. Once the pain fades, I look up and see Vlad standing before me.

  “Welcome…” he adds with a grand sweep of his arm, “…to Zilferia!” Staggering to my feet, I am immediately wrapped up in the beauty of the place. Even though it’s night, I can see many things by the light of the huge moon overhead, as well as the smaller one that’s partially behind the large one. Crouching down, I touch the grass beneath me and feel its soft caress as it seems to slowly reach back, gently twirling around my finger like a greeting. Looking around in wonder, I see big, beautiful trees. And… is it just my imagination, or is that where the music was coming from? In fact, the music sounds oddly… familiar. Looking closer, I see that only when the wind blows through the trees do they sing. That is the best I can describe it, that they are singing a soft, peaceful tune. I feel… at home. Standing and looking past Vlad, who’s carefully studying my reactions, I see buildings not too far away. The place is wonderful- impossible, but incredible. Vlad doesn’t let me bask in it long. A couple of men we left behind arrive behind me. As soon as they do, Vlad turns and begins walking toward the buildings, suddenly ignoring me. Afraid of being left behind in this strange yet magical place, I hasten after him.

  As we walk into the night, I look up to find the moons. The main one is larger than Earth’s, but it is the closest thing I have to home, so I hold it in my sight as I walk into this new world, my mind in complete awe and utter confusion, yet filled with a familiar wonder at the same time. So, I walk after the man who I thought was a lunatic just moments ago, pondering my future and how I will ever make sense of the present; let alone the past.

  Chapter Four

  The Sietta

  I wake slowly, pulling myself from the security that the pill I took last night wrapped me in. I decided that t
o survive in this insane new reality, I needed to forget everything I knew; which also meant I needed to trust Vlad, and probably others as well, more than I would like. Luckily the pill did precisely what he assured me it would. I blink open my eyes, feeling strangely contented. It almost feels as though I’m where I should be, as inexplicable as the feeling is, for I know I do not belong here. Yet… I cannot deny that it feels like I do. I remember the song of the trees. It was almost as though I’d been here before; heard the trees.

  Shaking off these feelings, I turn my thoughts back to my new reality and off of the past. Vladimir told me I would meet the other contestants, making friends as well as potential new enemies. I will meet the other three ‘advisors’- Thaddeus, Zelda, and Y’vette. Although they may have something to do with my ‘education,’ my advisor is really Vlad. Glancing at my watch, I’m surprised to see that it’s adjusted to tell the time in Zilferia rather than Earth. I shake my head in disbelief before shrugging, figuring it’s not the craziest thing that’s happened to me lately.

  It’s almost nine, and Vlad wanted to meet me outside the building at nine thirty. Swinging my legs out of bed, I quickly dress in the clothes that have been left for me on the bedside table. I’m immediately impressed by the elegant, silky feeling to the threads that caress my body. There are a shirt, jacket, and pants all the same shade of rich, dark green. I smile as I pull on the soft black boots. These clothes are great! They’re light and easy to move around in… they’re probably what I’m going to have to wear for the Games, I realize.

  As I exit the clean little wooden hut, I leave behind both my old clothes as well as my past life, stepping into my new insanity that is, supposedly, Zilferia. Looking around, I don’t see Vlad, so I sit on the ground and quickly redo my braided hair, brushing through it with my fingers. He still hasn’t arrived by the time I finish, so I lean back against the hut and enjoy the perfect weather and the song of the trees. After a few minutes, I get an uneasy feeling that something may be wrong, so I stand and begin searching, although I’m not sure what I should be looking for.