Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Knights. (Do own Sa'an and Fringe and Avinir and Quiien-- althought that's not much of an accomplishment.) I've been planning a take-over attack with Thatz and Rath to steal it, but so far Thatz keeps sleeping and Rath keeps running off to fight demons. So I'm stuck here pining.... *Sigh*

Ruwalk (aka..my muse - - he's suuuuch a cutie): Poor Rave. *pat*
Rave: Yes, poor me. *sniffle* Nobody cares....
Ruwalk: Aww.... *huggles* I care.
Rave: At least someone does. *Smile, hugglesX2*

Thanks to DK-Adeena for 1st review! And yes, there's definetely more! ^_^
And to Wolfy. You're a psycho....but I still luv ya! *huggles* (PS. Get your story up. *pokes him in the side*)
Lol, and Rune is a bishonen isn't he. (RuneofWater)
And I have continued.... (Kurai-Hoshi)
I appreciate your opinions and support. A writer is nothing without her readers!
Next two chapters dedicated to you guys! I hope it's good!

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The Crystal Prison

Book One

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chapter two

"Missing!? How could it be missing!?" Rune wailed. How could they have botched this one up so badly. It was only a simple mission to collect an item. Now they had lost it and he had the most awful feeling that something terrible had happened. Not just whoops-they-failed-a-mission terrible but undescribable terrible.

"We have to get it back!" Rath cried, tugging on his shoes and standing up. He slung on his sword and began to hurry off. There was no time to waste. Those dirty no-good demons had the Crystal and who knows what they planned on doing with it. He had to find it and quick. He prayed they didn't know the true story behind it or there would be no crystal for him to rescue.

"Rath, wait!" Rune reached out and grasped his arm frantically.

"No waiting, Rune. We don't have time. We have to catch those guys!" He lowered his head and said softly, "it may already be too late." He raised his face again, eyes desperate. "But we have to TRY!"

Rune was startled by Rath's reaction. It was apparent that this was no ordinary crsytal. Even magic crystals weren't treated any more special with Rath. He had to understand what was going on. This Orb was something very important and Rath knew why. "Rath! Tell me, you must tell me what importance this crystal orb has! Why do I feel like this is a tragedy!?"

"Because it is, Rune. This is an awful tragedy." Rath's voice softened even more. The tone was scaring the faerie fighter furthur and furthur. Rath didn't sound like Rath anymore. Rune's heart began to twist. Something was wrong, extremely wrong. "Don't you see, Rune, we can't let this happen! We have to get that crystal back at ALL costs!" He gripped the blond's shoulders, face tilted downward to hide the tears he felt coming to his eyes.

He hated the feeling of falling apart, but he couldn't help it, yet he couldn't cry. Rune wouldn't understand and he didn't want to have to explain why he was that upset. This had already gone too far. It was all his fault. He should have listened!

"Well then.... I guess you'll need a thief." Both looked to see Thatz up and ready. While they were talking he had apparently woken up. He slipped his arm around Rath's shoulders and smiled at Rune reassuringly. "Don't worry you two! We're Dragon Knights! We're Invincible!"

Rath glanced over his shoulder at him and shook his head sadly. If only they knew how fragile Dragon Knights really were. His mind turned back to the crystal and how easily everything could be shattered if just the right, or should it be wrong, thing happened. Twists of fate played mallicious games. "I hope.... I sincerely hope." Rath whispered.

*~*

"Man...that was close, Sa'an." Fringe said, glancing back towards the camp they had just ran from. They had been going so fast that he would have bet that they were miles away by now... he hoped. He didn't know what exactly happened but one minute they were talking and the next thing they were waking up-- tied to a tree! What kind of freaks were those people anyway!

"Yes, I know." Sa'an replied, holding up the coveted spherical gem in his hand. He wasn't thinking about being caught anymore. They were free and now it was the crystal to worry about. He had told his partner that curses weren't real but he knew that they were. Fringe was so clueless, but that was to be expected from a human. Sa'an, being a demon, didn't have the slightest inkling why he even hung around the loser. Of course, he kept his identity secret to Fringe. Leverage, he supposed.

"Freaks, freaks I tell you!" Fringe cried. "I bet they were gonna eat us!"

Sa'an smirked as he replaced the crystal in his pocket, glancing back at Fringe. Perhaps that's why. Entertainment was needed every once in a while. And Fringe was an accidental genius when it came like acting like an idiot. Well, he wasn't really acting and that made it the funny part. "Maybe," Sa'an said to that for effect, "you'd make a nice stew and I could be deseset. I've been told I'm real sweet." He grinned evilly, although he knew Fringe would never catch on to the true malliciousness by the comment.

He didn't. Fringe just laughed then went sober. "Dude! That's not funny! Talkin' bout gettin ate!"

"It's eaten, Fringe. Eaten." Though Demon he did have good language skills. Geez, that bothered him to no end when Fringe got excited and started talking like a complete moron. Some things didn't bother him but when it was so blatant it took everything he had not to take out his sword and take a quick swipe, becoming Sa'an the Loner once again. He grinned another mallicious grin at the thought of crimson blood splattering about.

"Whatever, man. You're the smart one in this party. Let's leave i' at that, kay?" Fringe stalked ahead. He hated to be corrected. Sa'an shrugged. Fringe could be that way. He didn't really need that stupid human. Besides he'd come back when he got through being pissy.

*~*

"Here." Rune said, pointing down at the ground. Rath dropped his head to look. Bootprints. Fresh ones. There were two pairs. Each going in a different direction. "Looks like they split up. There's no way to know which one had it, so I guess we have to split up, too."

Rath and Thatz nodded in agreement. Rath was anxious. He wanted to go ahead and get the crystal back in his possession. He didn't care anymore whether he looked it as long as they didn't ask why he was being the way he was. Rune went one way while Rath and Thatz took the other path.

*~*

Sa'an had been walking for a while when a feeling of being watched suddenly struck him between the shoulder blades like a knife. He spun around. He sensed a strong demonic prescence -- and he didn't too much like it. He was one of those hiding from Nadil's army. He rooted for them, yeah, but to actually fight, that was someone else's job. He'd take meaningless torture anyday. Danger wasn't in his job description.

Suddenly a blurr startled him from the side and he felt something smash into his back. Sa'an spun onto his back and grabbed his sword. He jabbed upward but nothing was there. He quickly scanned the area with his eyes. He found what he was looking for in a tree.

Another demon stared down at him, smiling. Long white hair billowed around his face in a breeze. "Why hello there Sa'an. Long time no bite."

Sa'an growled and climbed to his feet. "Avinir."

Avinir hopped down to stand in front of him. "So how's it been goin' for you since you left? Fine, I hope. You were one of our best, Sa'an. One of THE best. But you had to leave."

"To be frank, I hate you bastards." Sa'an said nonchalantly. The bastards were a small group of yokai thieves he had once been part of. Then everything got complicated. To be precise Sa'an started losing control of things. The thing he hated most in the world was to not be in control. So he left for better territory. Territory away from the other thieves. That's when he had met Fringe, who could be easily controlled. What a myrmidon!

"Too bad, Sa'any." Avinir said, sighing softly. He placed his hands on Sa'an's shoulders, squeezing ever-so-slightly. Sa'an tried to pull away, but Avinir snapped his red-orange eyes up to Sa'an's black ones. They paralyzed him. "Really too bad. I was hoping you would rejoin us, share in the profit. That way we wouldn't have to take the Soul Crystal by force. "

"Soul Crystal?" Sa'an said, more to himself than to Avinir. He only knew that it was supposed to be worth money. That's what it was called. Then the rest of the statement hit him. He shoved Avinir away. "TAKE IT FROM ME!"

Avinir smiled. "Why yes. Unless you are planning to hand it over. In that case I would be very appreciative. I don't feel like much of a fight today." He slipped his arms around Sa'an's neck, causing the violet-haired demon to winch. He knew Avinir probably loved the reaction, he always had. "My client doesn't like to be kept waiting and I would like to get this back to him."

"Client?" Sa'an spat. "So you're working for other people now?" How deplorable. When he had been with the group they did work only for themselves. Take care of number one.

"Actually, no. We don't make it a habit, but when something so good, like this assignment, comes up we just can't pass it by. You see, Quiien is a very very rich man. He's willing to give us a great sum of money and treasures just for this crystal."

"Why? Why is it so important?" Sa'an demanded. He was starting to wonder what this thing really was. What was so special about it? "How much money?"

"I can't tell you anything about the crystal. It's nothing really. And about the money, let's just say it's worth more than your life." He looked almost sad, dare Sa'an say, when he said it. "So, please don't make me kill you. I rather enjoy your company. Maybe one day you'll see it my way."

Sa'an started to tell him to "Go to hell," because frankly after all Avinir had put him through he didn't deserve cordiality, but the words were never spoken. Warm, moist lips descended on his in passionate - fake or real - urgency. He was pushed to the ground, felt the foreign weight as Avinir straddled his slim hips. Once again the assault of lips. Memories once extinguished began to stir and flame. Dammit, Avinir! Not again. You are NOT going to do this to me.

One hand pinned his wrists to the ground while the other moved to caress his neck then his side. It's a surprise Avinir even cared to remember these things. Sa'an thought bitterly as he felt gentle nipping at his earlobe. Bastard... Despite his hatred he found a steady purring groan emminating from his throat.

No, no, no. I can't do this.... Sa'an cried desperately at himself. He placed his hands on Avinir's chest to knock him off, but only curled his fingers fisting the material of his jacket and pulling him closer. Everything in his mind screamed at him to stop. He needed to get away from Avinir -- and quick. Bad things happened everytime he was present. There was no doubt about that. Still.... hadn't he missed it all? What about all the good times....

"Sa'an..." Avinir mumbled tracing his lips down Sa'an's throat. "about everything ... so...sorry...." He began unbuttoning Sa'an's shirt. "After all this time...." His hand slipped into Sa'an's pocket. "You're still too trusting for a demon." He snatched the Crystal from the pocket and jumped up. Sa'an cried out and tried to grab him but Avinir was too fast.

"Poor Sa'an," He called down from back up in a tree. "It's really better this way. I didn't want to have to hurt you." He vanished quickly through the trees. Sa'an didn't even bother to follow. He had always been too slow and not as strong as Avinir. Nothing would have changed now. There was no point.

He placed his head in his hands, tears pouring down his cheeks. "You already have, Avi, you already have."

*~*

Well. That was chapter two. I didn't mean to develop Sa'an and Avinir as much as I ended up doing. They were only meant to have a small role. Avinir comes in, grabs crystal, leaves. None of what I wrote added in. But it just came to me and I had to write it. I feel like I kinda jipped you on the Dragon Knights so I wrote Chapter Three, too. It took me a long time to update because I was trying to decide to make this chapter longer or make chapter three. Sorry.... I'm indecisive.

Fire: :: And she didn't have me in here at all!
Rave: Oh be quiet!
Thatz: *rolls eyes* Next chapter.... me and Rath find Fringe - - and some demons (Rath: Demons!). Rune meets Sa'an. Hey, we might even get somewhere, that is, if the author gets off her lazy butt.
Rave: Lazy! Look who's talkin'.... hey.... you're awake. You sick?
Thatz: -_-*
Rave: I love you, Thatzy *starts backing up* Chapter three - - -