“How have you been feeling?” he asked.
She laughed and shook her head. “You ask me that every time you see me. I’m fine, Tamblin. My heart is beating normally. If it wasn’t for running after my little Arielle, I would be the size of a Tasier with the way I eat,” she retorted, referring to the furry rodents crucial to their small moon.
Tamblin chuckled and released her. “I think you are perfect.” He turned and looked down over the kingdom again. “I can’t believe how fast Arielle is growing. Though, I think she takes after your husband more than you,” he said.
Tia put her hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow, and gave him a pouty look. “Why do you say that? I think she has a lot of my qualities,” she replied.
He waved a hand over the railing. “You haven’t been watching them, have you?” he asked with a laugh.
Tia followed the direction he was pointing. She uttered a very unladylike curse under her breath, hiked up her skirt, and left at a run. Tamblin laughed and shook his head. He gripped the railing and watched with amusement as Tia burst out of the palace below and hurried down the steps. His brother-in-law, Jett, was going to be in big trouble this time—not that he wasn’t in it most of the time.
Jett appeared to have decided it was time to teach his petite daughter how to sword fight—albeit with a diminutive wooden sword. From the way Jett was yelping, hopping around, and rubbing at his shins, Tamblin was sure the man was already regretting the decision to give his little Arielle this lesson.
His niece also appeared to have inherited a bit of her personality from the woman she was named after. It had surprised him when Tia and Jett named their daughter after the alien female—but it was also fitting. Tia had foretold that a woman from a distant world would bring life back to the barren moon they called home. Once again, his sister had been right.
Lady Ariel of Valdier had discovered the Tasiers—gentle, furry beasts that ate the sandworms and fertilized their planet—at an off-world market. Unbeknownst to her, the creatures were essential to the ecological survival of the small moon and its inhabitants. The few she had brought with her had reproduced quickly—especially on a diet of sandworms. A chemical reaction between the spores buried deep in the sand and the excrement from the Tasiers caused forests of giant mushrooms to grow. The mushrooms rose from the vast deserts, cooling their world and bringing the much-needed cleaner air and rain.
Tamblin chuckled when he watched Jett laughingly trying to evade the dual attack of Tia and little Arielle. The sounds of boots against the polished stone floor pulled him away from his view of the activities below. He frowned when he saw the brooding expression on his General’s face.
“What is it?” he demanded.
General Brant and two of his men halted at attention. Brant bowed his head in greeting before meeting his gaze. “King Tamblin, it is as you warned us this morning. We have spotted alien ships to the north,” Brant responded.
Tamblin clenched his fist. “How many?” he demanded in a hard voice.
“Two, your Grace,” Brant answered.
Two—so far. This would be just the beginning if history were to repeat itself. While Mandra Reykill, a Dragon Prince of Valdier, had declared the moon a sanctuary, the price for Tasiers was too tempting for some traders to resist. The dragon-shifters had long considered the small rodents a delicacy.
Now that the mushroom forest was thriving, the gentle creatures flourished. The moon was finally healing from the predation. Now it was being threatened again.
Tamblin gave a brief nod. “I want you to gather an elite reconnaissance team. See if you can board the ships without being detected. We need to know how the ships operate and discover if there is a way to disable them,” he instructed.
Brant frowned. “If we disable the ships, it will trap the aliens on the moon,” he warned.
Tamblin gave him a grim smile. “Yes. It is vital we have a strategy that will level out the battlefield. We are no match for their technology or their size. We will need to use what we have to our advantage. For now, we should assess the situation and gather as much information as we can,” he replied.
“I’ll gather a team, and we’ll leave this evening,” Brant said with a bow. Turning on his heel, he left.
Tamblin looked out across his kingdom again. The sounds of music and laughter resonated throughout the cavern. Illuminated mushrooms growing in thick clusters with brilliant colors released spores that looked like floating candles. Soft breezes that blew through the open vents would help carry most of the seeds outside where they would mix with the other spores.
The mood of his people had changed over the past few years. The restored balance of the moon brought feelings of joy and hope, while the discovery of other clans outside of the cavern brought a chance of survival. Tia’s union with Jett had paved the way for increased trade and introduced the possibilities for new relationships among the clans.
He briefly closed his eyes when a shaft of yearning pierced him. The memory of Arosa, Queen of the Wood Fairies, flashed through his mind. He had not seen her since the night the men and children of Valdier had visited. His responsibilities always seemed to impede his own desires.
There hadn’t been a day since then that he hadn’t thought about Arosa. He would remember that magical night with her for the rest of his life. Memories burned inside him: the way her four small transparent wings hung down her back like a cloak, the way her long hair, its vibrant color like flames capped by a crown of tiny white flowers with dark red berries, fell over her shoulder, and the rosy hue of her lips after he kissed her. He would never forget how her brilliant green gown fell in layers around her, a striking contrast against her red hair and silky skin. Her intellect and wit had truly captured his admiration.
“Tamblin.”
He turned when he heard Jett call his name. Lost in thought, he had missed the sound of Jett’s approach. He forced a smile of greeting on his lips.
“Jett. I see you escaped your wife and daughter relatively unscathed. It looks like you might have a bruise under your eye by tomorrow,” he mused.
Jett touched the tender spot under his left eye. “Arielle caught me with her sword while doing a backhand twirl. She said she is a dancing warrior princess,” he chuckled before growing somber. “Santil found me. He said the scouts had spotted two alien transports.”
“Yes. I’ve sent a team to do reconnaissance,” he said.
Jett nodded. “I’ve done the same,” he replied, walking over to the railing.
“I was going to send a missive to your parents. I want you to know that the Sand People are welcome here,” he said.
“I appreciate the offer and will convey your message to my parents,” Jett replied.
Tamblin didn’t miss the way Jett’s hands tightened on the railing, nor the way his lips pursed. They stood in silence, looking out over the festivities. He was about to say something when Jett spoke.
“Perhaps they will leave. The Dragon Lords promised to protect our moon. Surely whoever the traders are would not dare cross such powerful creatures,” Jett growled with frustration.
“Greed can be more powerful than the need to survive, Jett. Generations ago, our ancestors saw what it could do. Almost three-quarters of our people died because of hunger, loss of habitat, or through the aliens careless harvesting of the Tasiers. Only a few clans survived the devastation by the aliens, and we didn’t even know about each other until recently,” Tamblin reminded him.