The Inner Kingdom: Quest One (Dragon Quest Book 1)

by Gibbs, S. R.

  “Captain Leo is very popular with the females here; he has a knack for always appearing out of nowhere when one is in need” Mina explained as she let the now blushing ladies into the room.

  “Where are they going to put all that food?” Clutching her stomach, Ashley tried to hide the fact that she was hungry.

  Smiling that smile, I have learned to mean she knew something we didn’t; Mina went to the empty big corner beside the bed and pressed her hand against a tiny drawing of a tree, I never realized was engraved on the wall.

  While removing her hand, I noticed that the drawing was no longer on the wall. As she walked back toward us, I was a little disappointed, since I have been surprised over and over with the architecture and with the mirror trick from earlier. I guess I was expecting a little bit more than a disappearing act.

  Before any of us could voice what we were thinking, the ground where she was just standing, begin to twirl and stretch upward until the silver floor began to mold itself into the shape of a large circular table, complete with four chairs.

  “That was amazing. Do you have special abilities, too?” Stepping up to the table, I rubbed the cool silver surface.

  Looking shocked, “Good heavens, no. Your rooms are equipped with all the amenities that you may need. I will show you how everything works later,” Mina stated already sitting at the table with a tea cup in her hand. “But first, let’s enjoy this feast.”

  “Has anyone on this planet ever heard of the saying, 'never put off till tomorrow what you can do today’?” Angie asked, not budging from where she was sitting.

  “No, I have never heard that before,” Mina replied as she picked her tea up to drink, only to put it back down. “We do believe there is a right time for everything, and now is the time to feast."

  “Wait a minute; you were in the middle of telling us about where we come from,” Angie reminded everyone, snapping our attention away from the food.

  “Hypothetically speaking, correct?” Mina countered sarcastically.

  “Of course.”

  Mina sat down her cup of tea and motioned for us to take a seat at the empty chairs surrounding the table.

  “I think we'd rather stay right here and listen to what you have to say, without the distraction of the food,” I explained.

  “If you insist. After observing the powers that each of you have begun to manifest, we know that you, Angie, are a member of the Ruby Kingdom. Ashley, you belong to the Sapphire Kingdom, and you, April, are part of the Emerald Kingdom.”

  “What about our parents?” I found myself greedy for information like, "Do they ever think about me? And are they alive and well?"

  A flicker of an emotion I couldn’t decipher passed over Mina’s face as she looked up from her cup of tea at me; it instantly disappeared when our eyes met, making me wonder if I had imagined it.

  “That part, I do not know,” she stated sadly, picking up her cup of tea, only to put it down for a third time without taking a single sip. "I only know where you come from, not who your parents are."

  “I believe that we are not going to get much else out of her. Isn’t that right?” Angie inquired with her arms crossed.

  “Quite so. Come eat and you can discuss the rest with my father.”

  “I’ve heard that before,” Ashley muttered as we made our way toward the table.

  I could not deny the fact that I was starving, since I was too nervous to eat while some of the guests followed and stared at me. Judging by the way Ashley and Angie gazed at the table of food, I am sure that they felt the same way.

  In sitting down at the table, I noticed that the four women were still in the room, standing so silent against the wall it was as if they were trying to become one with it.

  “I hate to eat in front of people who are not doing the same,” I muttered, looking back at the four women.

  Catching the meaning of my comment, Mina offered food to the women who all turned it down.

  “Do not let them bother you. All of the helpers of the castle will aid you without complaint. Just let them know what you want.”

  “Helpers?” Ashley questioned, trying to refrain from stuffing her face, unlike Angie, who was already starting on her second sandwich.

  “Yes, the castle doesn’t usually have this many people here. Many volunteered to come to help prepare the castle for your arrival.” Pausing for a moment, she took a sip from her cup while shifting in her seat. “The Inner Kingdom does not condone the use of the word servant. All helpers in the castle are volunteers. The people outside the castle are not taxed, and everyone has their own land filled with gardens and livestock.”

  “Then how do you make money?” Angie asked, pushing herself away from the table to lie back in her chair.

  Mina chuckled softly. “Most of the Inner Kingdom’s businesses run off of the barter system, but each kingdom has their own set of customs and currencies. We accept payments from all of the kingdoms.” Trying to hide a yawn by sipping from her first cup of tea, she said, “I’m sorry girls; I believe it is about time for me to retire.”

  Angie cleared her throat loudly. “Are we expected to sleep in these dresses?”

  “Thanks for reminding me. Let me show you how to enter your wash area.” Standing up, Mina led us to the space between the bed and the wall that turns into a mirror. “There are markings all around the room. We call them celtas and we use them to conceal things that would normally take up a great amount of space."

  As she pressed the drawing of the tree, I watched a section of the wall lift up, revealing a huge walk-in bathroom with a gold toilet, sink, and the most gorgeous garden tub I had ever seen.

  Ashley looked truly happy for the first time since we were brought here. “I call dibs first. I am dying to have a bath. Where I can relax and wash myself.”

  “We need some boundary rules because the next person who tries to bathe me, will be needing someone to help them wash for the rest of their lives,” Angie warned, her face given away no sign that she was joking.

  “I will inform all of the helpers that you value your privacy. If it will please you more, I will also have them leave the room while you are changing.”

  Looking pleased with Mina’s words, Angie actually said something I wasn’t expecting. “Thank you.”

  “It is my pleasure; I have been waiting for the dragon warriors' return for a long time.”

  After leaving the hidden bathroom, we returned to a room that was empty. The four women had left, taking the leftovers, and the space where the table was standing was now back to a smooth silver floor.

  Mina then showed us that there was a celta that operated almost everything in the room, the lights, fireplace, and hidden windows, but using them required energy, which she was rapidly draining.

  Opening the door to leave, Mina turned around, and while trying to open her mouth to say something, another yawn escaped. “This is where we part till the morrow. Your sleeping gowns will be found on your bed. Sleep well, dragon warriors.”

  “Wait, how do you know I am comfortable with sharing a bed?” Angie called after Mina.

  “Would you rather have separate rooms after coming to a new world where you know no one?”

  “This is great. Good night, Mina,” Ashley and I spoke out in unison before closing the door behind her.

  “This is not good. We are now stuck here until tomorrow.” An exasperated Ashley flopped on the bed on top of the long sleeping gowns.

  “It could be worst,” I muttered releasing my curls from their restraints.

  “Do not say that. I’ve seen the movies, and in in all the ones I have watched, when someone says ‘it can’t get worse,’ guess what? It got worse.”

  Getting off of the bed, Ashley began to undue her hair as well. “I am too tired to discuss this right now, I feel like all my energy has been sucked out of me."

  “You have changed since coming here,” Angie said, walking toward me. “Ever since we arrived, you have been slowly changing.
You haven’t been as adamant about returning home like you were before."

  Knowing she was right, I turned my back to her so I wouldn’t have to look at her accusing eyes. “I know this may sound crazy, but ever since we were brought here I have felt a connection to different things. It’s like I have memories that have been locked away and I can’t reach them. I just want to know the truth.”

  “Me, too. It’s very strange. Like there is something I should remember,” Ashley agreed looking at the picture above the bed. “I must admit, I am a little curious. Let’s just hear them out tomorrow. Maybe not everything they say is a lie.”

  After a long pause, “Fine, let’s just hope that saying isn’t true,” Angie replied.

  “What saying?” Ashley and I inquired at the same time.

  “Curiosity killed the cat."

  The Information

  Location: The Path

  ◑ Angie ◐

  I was awakened to the sound of someone knocking on the door. Pretending to be asleep, I ignored the noise, hoping that it would end.

  To my relief, the knocking ceased as I snuggled deeper into the pillow under my head. My seconds of bliss were abruptly ended by the sound of pounding on the room door.

  Reality hit me when I opened my eyes. I begin to recall that I was no longer home or on Earth for that matter.

  As I glanced at the lit fireplace, which took the remainder of our strength to activate its celta last night, I caught myself becoming confused about what was true and what was not.

  The noise had returned, and this time it didn’t sound like it was going away as I sat up in bed and stared at the door. The soft satin covers and the smell of burning firewood was almost enough to lull me back to sleep, despite the loud knocking.

  Dragging my achy body out of the tangled limbs that belonged to my sisters, I didn’t bother to straighten my wild hair as I opened the door to find Leo with his hand raised in the air to bang again. He was still sporting his armored clothes except today his armor plated chest, boots, and cuffs were gold and the clothes beneath were silver.

  “What?” I growled, looking up at the one person I wasn’t expecting to find at the door. “Why are you here?” I was never much of a morning person, so my voice held an extra edge to it.

  He stared at me with one eyebrow lifted, not letting his face betray what he was actually thinking. “I take it you slept well, since you did not hear the helpers’ attempts to wake you.”

  Opening the door wider to glance around the corner, I found three ladies standing against the wall whispering to one another, which turned into giggles as they saw me. “What’s wrong with them?”

  Clearing his throat, he said, “It is very improper for a lady to open the door to a person of the opposite sex in her… sleeping attire.”

  “Improper? I look like I am wearing a rug,” I exclaimed as I motioned at the calf-length thick red fabric with wide shoulder straps. “Secondly, I don’t see you as human, let alone a man. You are more like a homicidal invention, of my hormonal teenage nightmare, which I can’t seem to be able to awake from.”

  “I assure you that this is not a dream, and I have no time to confirm or deny your sanity.”

  “Never mind that. Why are you here?”

  “To hurry along the process of getting you ready since Mina will not let anyone break the agreement that was made.”

  “What agreement?”

  Sighing heavily, he said, “The one she made with you and your sisters about boundaries.”

  “Then that must mean you came here to escort us home.”

  “I am here to make sure that you are properly escorted to Nolin whom in return will answer any questions that you may have."

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, “Is that a yes or a no?”

  I could tell he was beginning to lose his composure as he rubbed his temple with his right hand. “Why can’t you just do what you are told?”

  “Do I look like a pet you can boss around?” I countered.

  “A poisonous snake would make a better pet!” Leo shouted, putting his foot in the room before I could slam the door closed all the way.

  “You are now seriously violating the agreement.” I accused, putting all my weight against the door, which did no good as he slid the door open with ease.

  “I have had enough,” he muttered, closing his eyes while cupping his hands out in front of him.

  “Angie, what’s going on?” I heard Ashley’s voice call out.

  Peering back at the bed, I could see that both of my sisters were now wide awake.

  Ignoring her question, I glanced back at Leo to find that there was now a small white orb in his hands. Without opening his eyes, he threw the orb hitting the wall above the dresser, causing it to move and morph into a window that let in a blinding white light.

  “A warning would have been nice,” I muttered while my eyes adjusted to the bright light that now filled the room.

  “You left me with no other options.”

  I swore I saw a grin on his face as he took in my apparent discomfort.

  Paying no attention to the questions my sisters directed my way, I grabbed Leo’s arm before he could fully leave the room.

  I let go of his arm only when he actually stopped. “How did you do that?”

  He leaned down about an inch away from my face. “If you are really curious, be a good girl, and let the helpers do their work.

  After he exited the room, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I found April and Ashley standing behind me with their arms crossed.

  “What was that all about?” Ashley questioned at the same time April gave the okay to the three women peeking in the room to enter.

  “How long were you awake?”

  “I wasn’t sleep when you got out of bed,” Ashley admitted smoothing down her long hair.

  “If you weren’t asleep, why didn’t you say anything?”

  Before Ashley could answer me, April interrupted us. “We are going to have to continue this conversation later. Since the helpers are now behind schedule, they want to assist us quickly."

  “Alright, but there will be a part two to this discussion,” I muttered as the women were already coming toward us.

  A short time later, we stood dressed in plain single strap, light fabric gowns, which were the same color of our dresses the previous night. Our hair this time was brushed and left to hang loose.

  We were given gold sandals that tied up our calves to wear, which were very comfortable despite the fact that I never liked sandals with strings that went between my toes.

  “If you do not mind following us, we will lead you to Grand Elder Nolin,” the tallest one of the helpers announced, shepherding us out of the room.

  Once we were down the hall, I could not stand the silence any longer. “Now can you tell me why you kept quiet this morning?”

  “You are questioning the wrong person. I was going to let you know I was no longer sleeping, but April covered my mouth.

  I turned to see a red-faced April pretending to be very fascinated with the architecture as she listened to our conversation.

  “Don’t look at her like that; she probably did it because she did not want to interrupt your flirting.”

  “I was not flirting,” I denied.

  “Just promise you will control your temper around him since he seems to be the only one that sets you off,” April said, finally looking toward me for a response.

  “Fine, I will try to become less upset when he is around.”

  “No matter whom you flirt with, or not flirt with, we must not get attached to anyone here. We will get the opportunity to leave one day, and it would be better if there was nothing here to miss,” Ashley murmured low enough that only we could hear.

  “Ditto,” I whispered back.

  Meeting eyes with April, she hesitantly agreed as Ashley and I suspiciously looked at her.

  “It is easier this way. We must not allow ourselves to feel anything toward a
nyone here,” Ashley declared, stopping us as the helpers continued to walk, oblivious to our argument.

  April turned toward us looking more determined than I have ever seen her. “It’s just that, I can’t stop wondering if everything is true. What if we are obligated to help the people here?”

  “We are not obligated to anyone here. We do not belong here,” I replied.

  “Well, according to everyone here, this is our home,” April countered, not backing down. “I just want to know the truth. What else can explain the strange abilities we have developed?”

  “Maybe it is a side effect from being here. These powers cannot be limited to us; you saw what Leo did back there.”

  The sound of someone clearing their throat caught our attention. As we stopped to see who made the sound, the four helpers were beginning to look impatient as they motioned for us to keep up with them.

  We continued walking in silence until the ladies stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway. The tallest one rubbed her hand across a celta in the shape of a peacock creature like the one that led us here. Shortly after touching it, the symbol disappeared, causing a section of the wall to lift up, forming a doorway that led out into a sidewalk made out of shiny white rocks.

  The rocks were very smooth and did not hurt when I stood on them, which was very surprising due to the fact that I was wearing thin sandals. The sun felt wonderful against my skin, energizing me in a way. The smell of flowers was overwhelming as I inhaled deeply, feeling better after just a minute outside.

  “This is where we part,” said the one who activated the celta as we looked back at her for further instructions. “The path will lead you to your destination. Just activate the celta.

  Before we could ask where the celta was located, she had already closed the doorway.

  “Great! Now what are we supposed to do?” I yelled, looking around for anything that resembled a celta. “Have any ideas, April?”

  “I don’t know. Mina said that celtas are made and activated by energy. Maybe we can locate it with the same method.”