Tae: Talonian Warriors (A Sci-fi Alien Weredragon Romance) Read online

  Copyright ©2017 by Celeste Raye - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

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  Tae

  Talonian Warriors

  (A Sci Fi Alien Weredragon Romance)

  By Celeste Raye

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Bonus Book-Ohber

  Bonus Book-Urim

  Bonus Book-Marik

  Bonus Book-Jeval

  About the Author

  Your Exclusive Prequel Bonus

  Chapter 1

  Kelan

  Far beneath Talonia, out of sight from enemy eyes, Kelan was in control of all operations. He was overseeing the building of new weapons. The lasers he had designed during his time on Earth were being replicated using metals mined from the dragon planet. He was in a bit of a hurry to make them operational, as well as plentiful. The threat to Talonia was becoming more imminent by the day.

  The dragons were now aware of who their enemies were. The Savra were humanoid aliens, lizard warriors. They had become adept in military weaponry. Most of their weapons had been stolen or copied from Earth's cache of old weaponry. The most lethal being nuclear arms. Their young roamed Earth as large lizards, unnoticed by the humans who saw only familiar reptiles instead of intelligent life. Only when the Savra reached a mature age did they become humanoid. At that point, they began to walk upright on two legs and evolve into human-sized, muscular warriors, who remained covered in reptilian scales. They were fierce warriors and found great amusement in taunting the Talonians. The taunting had begun years ago, with ships passing overhead just to let the dragons know that others were aware of their existence. Later, the Savra began to threaten the planet and its inhabitants with the idea of war. They warned of their ownership of nuclear arms that could destroy the atmosphere of Talonia.

  The bastards were constantly bombarding the planet to remind the weredragons they could destroy them whenever they chose. Kelan was angrier than ever. He spent long hours beneath Talonia, missing his family and breaking his back to dig for the necessary minerals. As their designer, he had only himself to rely on. He wanted help, someone to train: an apprentice perhaps.

  Michelle never complained about his absences. She was always there to make sure he was fed and cared for. He spent the time at home sleeping, eating and showering. Michelle insisted he give their son a few moments of playtime each day before Kelan was consumed once more by weapons and war. Those moments were the brightest in his life. What he missed the most was soaring through the sky with Michelle on his back. The glorious sense of oneness they shared during the flights could not be replicated.

  Today, Kelan could feel the ground shake as the Savra sent blasts into the structures on the surface. Their threats had escalated into random attacks on the buildings. So far, no one had been injured, but the homes of some were damaged beyond repair. It was unthinkable that war would come to Talonia, possibly killing his family and friends. The weapons must be ready as quickly as possible, for the king wished to send the war to the Savra's planet.

  Hesher, the commander of Talonia's military, stepped off the elevator platform and strode purposefully toward Kelan. He stated, "The blast has damaged the king's domain. The floors are cracked on the bottom of the structure. It has taken the last of his patience. He wants to gather a contingent of soldiers to send to Savra. They should feel the impact of war on their world the same as us. Do you have enough of the weapons for such a task?"

  "We will within a week. The mining is a slow and tedious effort. The explosions above have caused spots to cave in and made it necessary to dig through the collapses to regain access to the metals. Such setbacks put me behind schedule," Kelan replied.

  "I will send soldiers to help. We are running out of time. If we do not make the war on their planet, then ours will suffer. Our families will die, and that cannot be allowed. Think of your son, Keshel. He is the rarest of our species, one of a kind. Do you dare risk his life? Choose one of my men to work at your side, perhaps one that has first-hand knowledge of the mines. Soldiers often work in them for extra pay during times of peace," Hesher declared.

  "Thank you for the offer of aid. However, you need not remind me of all I could lose if the Savra ever set foot on our world. My son would be precious to me even if he weren't so rare. I love him simply because he is my son. Michelle would hate me if anything happened to him, so I would lose her as well. Send me your men and I promise to speed up the manufacturing of the weapons," Kelan replied.

  The commander saluted his fellow soldier and went to the surface where his men were trying desperately to protect Talonia. The sudden quiet he discovered there was disconcerting. The bombing had ceased, and the dragons were sorting through the rubble for their belongings. There were no cries for medical aid, meaning no one had been harmed during this round of attack. They had been lucky. The school had not been touched, and the children were being dismissed to see their families.

  Hesher raised his voice and forced it to echo between the mountains. "We need volunteers to aid Kelan. The weapons we require to attack the Savra are behind schedule. These explosions caused cave-ins and the mines had to be reopened. Any of my soldiers who have previously worked in the mines should come forward. It is an honorable job, despite the repulsion a soldier might feel for hard labor. It is a passive way to fight our enemy, yet it is crucial for our planet's survival. Who among you has the courage to volunteer?"

  A young soldier with royal blue eyes, short dark hair, and the tattoo of a dragon showing through the torn shoulder of his uniform stepped up. “I am called Tae. I will go below. I have worked the mines many times. I do whatever it takes to protect our families and our world. Those who do not wish to help us must keep the mines safe from more explosions. Continuous digging gets us nowhere. I challenge others to follow my example."

  Reluctantly, more soldiers slowly came forward. The mines were viewed as a job for those unworthy of being soldiers, sometimes used as a punishment for crimes. To lower themselves and go beneath the ground was difficult for the proud dragons who craved open spaces. In the dark tunnels, there was no room to transform, and it took away their strongest weapon: dragon fire.

  Tae led the ten men to the mine's opening. The grim faces stared into the passage, then up toward the sky. They said a silent goodbye and a prayer for their safe return to the surface and entered the dark depths.

  Kelan greeted them with a bow. "I know it is difficult to submit yourselves to digging tunnels and building weapons, but I praise you for it. I need three of you in the center tunnel to help move fallen debris, three more in the sorting room to extract the minerals, and three of the remaining to the chemical lab where we mix the metal. The last one should remain with me. I require an apprentice. I cannot work all shifts, so I need someone to split them with. We must not remain idle at night. The work has to continue around the clock."

  An old
er man spoke up, "The boy, Tae, was the first to volunteer. I say he should work with you. He is also young and thus may learn the more complicated technology more easily than someone like myself, a career soldier."

  "Are you willing to sacrifice that many hours below the light?" Kelan asked.

  "Yes, sir. I've often been in the mines for long hours, and it would be a privilege to learn from you. Maybe, you could tell me about Earth while we are working. The archives give only generalizations, and I want to learn more. You have first-hand knowledge," Tae replied.

  "It's settled then. The youngest among the rest should seek out the tunnel for digging, while the oldest can aid the lab. Those in between may extract the minerals. Each man will do his best and not allow their prejudice against the less fortunate to cause dissension. Thank you for your service," Kelan dismissed the group.

  "Welcome to my domain, Tae. Do you have any scientific or mechanical abilities? I'm asking so that I know where to begin in teaching you."

  Tae hung his head, "No, I am a poor man and had little schooling. I left school at a very young age to earn money for food. I was always a quick learner, and I'm good with my hands. A profession of any kind would prove of value to me."

  "You do have a profession. You're a soldier. Not many young men who didn't finish school make it into the ranks. You have reason to be proud," Kelan stated.

  "I hate war but find it a necessary evil. I do not wish to make it a lifetime career. It serves me well for the moment. However, my goals are far greater," Tae explained.

  "You're ambitious," Kelan said. "I admire that. My wife is a lot like you. When she applied for a job with me on Earth, her credentials didn't fit the criteria. I took a chance on her because she too was ambitious and honest about it. I made a good choice for an apprentice. Do not let me down."

  "I will not. I will spend extra time here, if necessary," Tae swore.

  Eveline

  Eveline's chestnut hair was tangled and dirty. The metal collar dug into her neck, causing the skin to break and bleed. Though her neck was slim, the collar was still too tight. She had been wearing the same one for many years. Dirt and sweat burned the open wounds, but there was no one to care. Eveline could no longer remember what it felt like to have someone who loved her. She had been a slave since she was ten. From the markings on her cell wall, she knew that to be ten years ago. She dug a new line into the wall each night when she was finally allowed to rest, using the chain attached to her collar.

  Eveline went unnoticed, as usual, sitting in the dank corner of the dining hall. She sat among the growling creatures the Savra thought of as pets, much like the dogs of Earth. She fought for scraps that were tossed from the crude wooden tables as the Savra ripped into their food. There were scars on her hands and wrists from the vicious bites of the creatures she competed with for food. She had learned to growl and lash out with the worst of them, obtaining bits and pieces to stay alive. She would rather remain in the corner, unnoticed, than be called to serve the reptilian Savra. Too many times their attention had meant beatings or horrifying experiments.

  After a decade of enslavement, Eveline was proficient in understanding the Savra's guttural language, though her skill was not always necessary. The Savra could speak several of Earth's languages, including English. Their young went unnoticed all over Earth. They appeared as lizards and escaped detection while listening and gathering information.

  That was how Eveline had been captured. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong moment. A group of the Savra spies had begun to grow too large and humanoid to remain undetected. They were being secretly extracted and replaced by a new set of young. Eveline had wandered into the desert to play with the tiny lizards, and she was witness to the Savra warrior's landing. When the Savra left Earth, they took the human child with them. They couldn't risk her repeating what she had seen and someone believing her wild tales.

  At first, Eveline had sobbed day and night, pleading for them to return her to her family. She soon discovered that the Savra despised such weakness and punished her for it. She toughened up and fought them, causing them to put her in shackles. She remained in chains all these years, suffering the disgusting treatment they dealt out. Her saving grace was the dreams they couldn't take away. Her memories of Earth came alive in her dreams, and she treasured the few hours she was allowed to sleep. Someday, she would be saved by a knight in shining armor, just like the stories from her childhood.

  Heavy footsteps took her from her reverie. A voice growled, "Get up, human. I have need of your services." A heavy, scale-covered hand wrapped around her chain and Eveline was dragged across the room. The metal collar dug deeper, and blood ran down her neck onto her shoulder. She kicked, as the Savra's pets came to lap at the blood. Her captor laughed, making her shudder. He and others had threatened many times to make her a snack for the creatures. Eveline didn't doubt that it would happen. Someday, her usefulness would end, and the Savra would delight in watching her die.

  The Savra warrior twisted the chain around his arm, pulling her closer. His hot breath made her gag as he said, "Clean the table and the floor. Make them shine, but do not try to eat any of the food or I will cut out your tongue. You have no need to speak, and I have no desire to hear you. I may do it anyway, as an experiment. We could test your ability to communicate without a voice. It is a good thought, is it not?"

  His compatriots cheered. Evidently, they considered it to be a great idea. Tears ran unheeded down Eveline's cheeks, but she made no sound. Begging or showing any kind of fear would only goad them to follow through with the threat instantly. If she made it through until nightfall, they would forget. Tomorrow would bring a new set of hideous threats that she would need to survive.

  As she cleaned, the Savra began discussing their animosity for another species. They laughed and joked over their taunting of the enemy planet. It seemed they had been bombarding the world with bombs and gunfire to harass the inhabitants. They spoke of using nuclear weapons to destroy the entire planet. The weapons they spoke of were familiar to Eveline. They were Earth's weapons of the past. Humans had almost been eliminated as a species because of these weapons. The planet had barely survived destruction. The Savra didn't understand that the use of these weapons could damage their own atmosphere along with their enemies. Everyone on both planets would die, including Eveline. She prayed for intervention of some kind.

  Chapter 2

  Tae

  Tae was determined to make a good impression on Kelan. This job was his best opportunity to become something other than a soldier. He was willing to fight if necessary, but he would rather save his planet in a different way. He resolved to spend as many hours beneath the planet as were necessary to learn from Kelan, despite how much he hated not seeing the sky.

  Kelan was teaching him to melt the metals together in the exact ratios to form the lightweight weapon's outer shell. If the ratios were not exact, the result was either a weapon that was too heavy or one that would crack when the laser was used. If it cracked, the user and all around him would perish. The lives of his people depended on Tae's calculations in more ways than one. He was careful, but it was taking far too long.

  "Can I trust you to work late into the night and not make a mistake?" Kelan asked.

  Tae was surprised that Kelan would even contemplate leaving him on his own so soon. He replied, "I promise that you can trust me. If I feel that I am becoming too tired to be careful, I will stop and sleep for a while. It is an honor to know you have such faith in me. I will not let you down."

  "We are far behind schedule and cannot afford to waste time. I have not slept or seen my family in days. I will be gone for as few hours as possible. Do not make me regret it."

  Tae was excited and nervous when Kelan left the tunnels. He was now in charge of their planet's only hope of salvation. It was a heavy weight on the young man's shoulders, but Tae would bear the burden without complaint.

  The shifts were changing. Tae could hear the men
coming and going in the tunnels. Still, he continued measuring and melting the various metals. He ignored the grumbles and arguments among the exhausted Talonians. He concentrated on perfecting his measurements.

  Four hours passed, and Tae began to feel his mind wandering. He had a difficult time concentrating and his hands were shaking. He needed rest, food, and water. He caught himself just as he was about to add a second measurement of one metal that would have destroyed the whole batch he was making. It was time to take a break.

  In a corner, he found a pitcher of water, a bowl of nuts, and a blanket. This must have been Kelan's stash that kept him going for days. Tae ate a handful of the nuts and guzzled the stale water. Then he curled up in the blanket and fell asleep.

  The explosion woke him. Rocks and dirt were falling from the tunnel’s ceiling. Kelan rushed in and together they tried to save the metal casings for the weapons. Their efforts were futile. A part of the ceiling collapsed. If Tae had not been attentive enough to see it coming, Kelan would have been buried alive, along with the metal casings. Instead, he had grabbed Kelan around the waist just in time to pull him out into the exit tunnel. A large rock hit Kelan anyway, ripping a gash in his muscular arm. Cursing, they made their way up to the surface.

  Men began spilling out of the tunnels, coughing and choking on the dust and dirt. The sky was dark, so it was still night. Yet, the Savra had dropped a bomb and caused havoc on the mines. Their attacks were becoming more aggressive.