The Dragon Princess (Crystalosias - Saga - Book One)
Chapter Twenty-Two: Ratroot

“Even if my mate loses, he’s not giving us to him, is he?” Sahrah asked as she watched Redstone favor his left leg.

“Of course not.” Trey said with a laugh. “But the man challenged him...”

“And Derk can’t deny a challenge.” Sahrah said with a sigh.

“You of all people should know that.” Trey said.

Sahrah nodded. “Wait, I need to get to Derk.” She said with wide eyes.

“We won’t make it to him in time.” Trey said as she watched her Tashia. “Tell me and I will tell Dansotein.”

Sahrah shook her head. “I am the Tashia, am I not?”

“Yes, Tashia.” The three women said at the same time.

“Suelette, get me a Ratroot.”

Suelette’s eyes opened wide. “Yes, Tashia.” She said, then disappeared.

“Temmy, get me one of those vitamin juices, for Warriors.”

“Yes, Tashia.” Temmy said with a bow, then forced her way through the crowd.

“What are you planning, Tashia?” Trey asked as she watched Sahrah.

“I’m planning to give my mate a fighting chance.” Sahrah said.

Trey didn’t question her Tashia.

Five minutes later, Temmy returned with the vitamin juice, and shortly after, Suelette returned with the Ratroot.

“How are you going to get that into the drink?” Suelette asked as she looked from the root to the vitamin drink.

“Here.” Trey said as she pulled something out of her pocket, that looked like a hammer.

Sahrah chuckled. “You have everything.”

They helped their Tashia smash up the root and stir it into the vitamin juice.

“He must drink it all.” Suelette said as she watched Sahrah.

Sahrah nodded. “I know.”

The announcer came over the wide speakers and announced the fight of their Tasheen, and the Lord of Sliverstone.

“Why is he doing this?” Sahrah whispered as she looked at Trey.

“Because it is this, or war again, Tashia.” Trey said.

Sahrah grumbled. “The men on this planet, like to war too much.”

“Mostly for things they covet, but yes.” Temmy said with a laugh.

“Does this contraption fly?” Sahrah asked as she watched the two men, prepare for battle.

“Why yes, it does.” Trey said with a grin as she stepped onto the back of the buggy, and it lifted into the air.

They flew down into the middle of the arena, to gasps from the crowd.

“What do you think you are doing, woman!” The announcer hollered as he ran up to Sahrah, as she stood up from the buggy.

“I am your Tashia, you will not speak to me in such a manner!” Sahrah hollered.

The man skidded to a stop and dropped to his knee with a bow, when he saw her sash.

“Sahrah, what is the meaning of this?” Derk asked as he walked up to his mate.

“Me?!” She shrieked as she turned to him. “You’re the nut here.” She said as she walked up to him.

Trey stayed back and kept an eye on Lord Redstone, to be sure he didn’t go near her Tasheen and Tashia.

“Drink this.” Sahrah said as she handed him the Warrior vitamin juice.

Derk stared at the drink. “I do not need vitamin juice, woman.”

She growled and her eyes flamed red. Derk swallowed as he took the juice from her.

“Now, I have some pointers for you.” She said as her eyes turned back to their ocean green.

Derk sipped the juice as he watched his mate. He was so turned on, he couldn’t wait to get her back to their chamber.

“He favors his left leg.” She whispered.

“You found his weakness.” He said with a smile.

“I found more than that, but I will tell you later, now drink that.” She said as she tipped it up to his mouth.

He gulped it down as he kept his eyes on her.

“What is she giving him?!” Redstone bellowed.

“Just some Warrior juice.” Trey said with a smile.

Redstone laughed. “He needs juice, to juice up, does he?”

Derk growled and Sahrah placed a calming hand on his arm. “Let him think that love; if he knew what I just did, he would replace some other way to win.”

Derk shook his head as he looked at his mate. She had seen something, no one else had.

“Finish that.” She said as she nodded to the juice.

He nodded, then did as she ordered.

“Now.” She said with a smile as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. “His right hand is weak but watch out for his left.”

Derk nodded. She really was a marvel.

“Left leg bad, right hand weak, left hand strong. I think I’ve got it.”

She smiled. “And don’t let him get you in a headlock. That stuff may help, but I don’t know what will happen if you get within direct contact.”

“Uh...”

“Just please trust me, love.” She said as she stepped back and took the empty cup from him.

He smiled. “I always do.” He said, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

The crowd went wild, for they have never seen their Tasheen so happy.

“Good luck.” Sahrah said with a smile as she walked back to the buggy. “Back to the stands.” She told Trey.

They lifted into the air and returned to their place in the stands.

“Everything okay?” Suelette asked as they landed back on the ground.

“You tell me.” Sahrah said with a smile.

Suelette closed her eyes then smiled. “Everything is just fine.”

**

Derk looked across the arena at his opponent. He had almost killed Redstone; when he had challenged him for the ownership of the Dragon and Sether. He is no different from his Uncle. Wanting what is not his.

Sahrah had surprised him when she and Trey had landed in the middle of the arena; and had been proud of how she had handled herself, with the announcer. And when she had flashed her eyes at him, his loins had ached for her.

Keep your mind on the match. He told himself as he shook his body.

What had she given him in that juice? He knows it wasn’t just Warrior juice. He will ask her when the match is over. She had also given him some important tips. When the announcer left the arena, he looked at Redstone.

The man is big, but not big enough to take Derk down, hell, he’d taken down a giant, he can take down this man.

“Needed a pep talk from the little woman?” Redstone said with a laugh. “Guess those talks will be mine soon.” He said with a grin.

Derk growled. Stay calm, he is trying to rile you.

Derk moved out of the way when Redstone charged at him. He will have to stay on his toes, with this man. They fought for a while and Derk soon got bored as he dodged the man’s left fist and took a couple blows from the man’s right. Of course, Sahrah was right, his right hand was very weak.

Derk caught the man unconsciously limping on his left leg, once. This fight isn’t going to be as fun as he had thought, knowing your opponent’s weakness, changes things.

But it’s for his mate and her companion.

He will take whatever he can get, to win this fight. It’s not cheating when you observe your opponent.

Redstone charged and Derk swept the man’s left leg out from under him.

The man fell to the ground, hard. With a groan, he turned to get to his knees and glared at Derk.

Derk smiled. Yeah, my mate told me all about you.

Redstone got to his feet with an obvious limp.

When the man came for him again, he kept his left leg away from Derk and caught him by the neck.

‘And don’t let him get you in a headlock.’

Sahrah’s words came back to him and he maneuvered his way out of the man’s arms. His mate had caught onto something, no one else had.

Derk decided to end the fight and looked for an opening. When the man came at him again, he spun out of the way, then brought his hand down, to chop the back of the man’s neck. The man fell forward and Derk took his chance and pounced. He wrapped his arm around the man’s neck and tightened.

**

Sahrah whooped when her mate used the move, she had taught him, over two years ago. She had been worried when Redstone had gotten his arm around Derk’s neck, but Derk had easily maneuvered out of it.

And now Redstone will be down for the count!

“Ten!” Sahrah hollered.

“Tashia?” Temmy asked shocked.

“Nine!” Sahrah hollered again.

When her companions caught onto what she was doing, they joined in.

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

Derk stood and let Redstone fall to the ground, out cold. He looked up in the stands at his mate and ran to the wire fence, under the stands. He jumped onto the fence and climbed up to the bars, then used the bars to flip himself in front of his mate.

“Mine.” He said as he lifted her into his arms and kissed her.

Sahrah giggled as she wrapped her arms around her mate’s neck. The crowd around them was still cheering for their Tasheen.

With a wide grin, Derk lifted his head from his mate. “I love you, Spitfire.”

“I love you too.” She said with a warm smile.

“Shall we go, Tasheen?” Trey asked as she stepped onto the back of the buggy.

Derk nodded, then sat on the buggy with his mate still in his arms. The buggy turned and the crowd parted and bowed to their Tasheen and Tashia, as they floated down the path, with two smiling women close behind them.

Bentin laughed as he and Austen ran out the back of the arena, to catch up with Derk and Sahrah, Dan close behind them.

“You need to tell me why I drank that horrible juice.” Derk said as he looked at his mate.

Sahrah laughed. “It will come out in time, love. For now, let’s just get to our chamber.”

Derk grinned. “I think you can read my mind, dear heart.”

She sighed. “We have similar thoughts, heart of mine.”

**

“Tasheen!” Bentin hollered as he entered their chamber.

“Bentin, you have horrible timing!” Derk hollered from the bed-chamber.

Bentin laughed. “I will wait out here!”

Derk kissed his mate on the stomach. “Redstone must be awake.” He said as he kissed over her rounded belly.

Sahrah smiled. “I want to go with you, to talk with him.”

“I don’t think...”

“Don’t make me wake Spitfire.” She said as she watched him.

He chuckled. “So, you know, that show of anger, Spitfire pulls out of you, turns me on.”

She smiled. “Imagine what it would do, if I let her out to play.”

He growled playfully as he positioned himself between her thighs. “Want to go again?”

She sighed. “Yes, please.”

He smiled as he entered her, and she cried out. He gently moved inside her as he rubbed her stomach.

“I can’t wait to hold our son.” He said as he leaned down and kissed her belly.

She moaned. “Me too.”

“What stories we will have, to tell him.” He said with a laugh.

She smiled. “Just leave out the gory parts.”

He chuckled. “But those are the best parts for a little boy.”

She grunted and he slid his hand between them to play with her clit, to turn her grunt to a moan of pleasure.

“Please, Derk.” She moaned.

“Please Derk, what?” He asked as he rubbed her clit with his thumb.

“Oh, God!” She cried out as she orgasmed.

When she tightened around him, he grunted and released his own pleasure, deep inside her.

“I think we need to go have a talk with our visitor.” Derk said as he gently patted her stomach, then moved off the bed.

Sahrah groaned. “Do we have to?”