Volarn is a planet with a medieval-style society. Its warriors fight with swords, made more powerful by channeling their psychic
powers through arj’ak crystals, while their vassi/sorcerers act as healers and advisors. The warriors are an average of seven feet tall and
muscular, with long black hair and violet eyes. This fantasy setting is replete with unicorn-like yasmirs that the warriors ride, as well as a
multitude of exotic creatures and strange landscape.
Volarn has one disastrous problem – the majority of its women are sterile. Rhamus, the king of south Volarn hires space
merchants to procure Earth women for mates.
In the opening scene, a west Volarnian soldier, an enemy of south Volarn, attempts to kill King Rhamus’ twin babies. The
king’s sister, Kasha, spots the culprit and gives chase, ending in a fierce baTitlee and the princess’ serious injury.
In the meantime, Rolan’, one of the “flesh merchants”, notices how sad one of the beautiful Earth women is
when speaking of her twin brother Eric, and her not knowing whether he lives or not. Rolan’ has had a crush on Olga since last year when
she’d brought to Volarn as a bride. Seeking to please Olga, he talks his partner into looking for Eric when they return to Earth, using a
DNA tracking device.
Back on Earth, Eric is alive. He is a handsome blonde hunk, an expert in Tae Kwon Do, and a Green Beret. Eric is being held
captive in a South American guerilla camp and on the verge of death. The aliens decide to beam Eric aboard to save his life and then take him
back to Volarn to visit his sister. Eric is excited by the space journey and the opportunity to see Olga again, but his visit takes a different
direction once he sees Kasha, who he instantly falls in love with.
The princess finds Eric very handsome, an almost irresistible scamp, and is impressed by his fighting abilities, but is disturbed by
his intense interest in her.
Although very attracted to him, Kasha’s not ready to quit the Getra (women warriors) for a man.
Eric pursues Kasha relentlessly, in a teasing manner that both attracts and disturbs her. He uses every opportunity to be near
Kasha, including his training of the warriors in martial arts, and the Volarnians giving him fencing lessons. He gets numerous chances to caress
the princess’ sensitive hands during encounters when she is teaching him equestrian skills. Although he can tell Kasha is aroused by their
contact, she rejects his every flirtatious attempt. Frustrated and tired of Kasha’s non-interest in amour, Eric admits his love and asks her
to marry him.
Kasha is angry at the Earthman for pushing their friendship past proper limits and confused at her feelings when he touches her.
Neither could Eric ever understand the complications of his love interest and its implications. She is Getra, a warrior woman; therefore,
supposedly sterile. But, Kasha is fertile, a secret known only to she and King Rhamus. To expose such a secret would cause ramifications to her
brother and the throne, as well as Volarnian society.
Finally, to get Eric “off her back”, she throws out a challenge that I’ll marry you when you fly like the
basami (Volarn’s dragon). To accomplish this challenge, Eric leads Kasha up a mountain cliff while being closely chased by an enemy
patrol. To save them, he jumps off the cliff using a homemade parachute, with Kasha wrapped around his body.
Eric flaunts his success at meeting her challenge in front of her fellow warriors, causing Kasha to become angry and issue a
new challenge – When I fly, by myself, like a basami, I will marry you.
Hoping to dissuade Eric from thoughts of marriage, Kasha decides the Earthman would make an excellent lover and seduces him.
After one fantastic evening, Eric withdraws from the lover relationship; he knows that with such an arrangement Kasha will never consider
marrying him. Now Kasha pursues a sad Eric.
Kasha talks Eric into going along on an alati (a large feline) hunting trip with her, during which he persuades her into
exploring the outskirts of an old city within the border of the wastelands. Kasha is chilled by the ghosts she can sense but wants to please
Eric. Unexpectedly, they discover the decaying carcass of a huge basami - thought to be extinct - and a baby dragon. The princess manages to
seduce Eric one more time; the disheartened Earthman tells her why he loves her and why he won’t be satisfied with anything less than a
life partnership.
Eric takes the small basami and they raise it together. To Kasha’s irritation, the dragon develops a “mamma”
fixation to her and constantly drools on her feet, and has very bad breath until they discover it should be eating crespassno flowers instead
of meat. In spite of its bad habits, she likes the basami Eric named Puff, and knows it will help her get closer to the Earthman.
Eric decides he must spend more time away from Kasha, hoping that becoming a better warrior will impress her; thus, he joins a
distant patrol group. He takes the basami with him, but manages only one visit, once the dragon is old enough to fly.
Jarvic, Kasha’s cousin, is pleased by the possibility of a match between them and becomes Eric’s staunch supporter
in his quest for Kasha’s love. Eric is often seen with his entourage of the basami, and a konkol (a spider-like creature kept as pets)
Kasha gave to him.
During Eric’s visit, he tells Kasha that when Puff’s hungry, he rides on the dragon’s back as he flies to a
distant food source. He tries to get her to go along, but she’s terrified of heights.
While riding on Puff to a crespassno field, Eric is captured by the enemy commander who he beat in hand-to-hand combat during
an earlier skirmish. He is taken back to a fortress, put in a tower cell and beaten. Kasha realizes she cares for Eric and cannot live with the
thought of him being killed. The fortress is heavily guarded and deep in enemy territory and Kasha knows no rescue can be mounted.
Though petrified with fear, she rides on the basami to the fortress and directs Puff to knock a hole in the tower, and rescues Eric.
Kasha realizes she has met her own challenge, and even though now acknowledges her love for Eric to herself, still fights the
thought of marriage. During his capture, Eric received a wound on one thigh and Kasha nurses him back to health. King Rhamus convinces the
princess that she can be taught to use the power of the Tarthra (the Volarnian’s way of picking a life mate), so that she can perform
the “choosing” ceremony - and that he will deal with the consequences of her secret.
During the Tarthra, Eric and Kasha light up the area around them with the crystal’s power, proving their intense love.
A short time after their marriage, Kasha goes into her ventyl cycle (time of fertility) and the newlyweds spend the week secluded in their
chambers.
This is a fox and hound love story; with first Eric chasing the princess, then her pursuing him. It’s full of humor,
action, a lovable dragon, and romance.
