The Inner Kingdom: Quest One (Dragon Quest Book 1) Read Online Free

not see underneath a tree ahead of her.
    Concentrating on the spot April was fixated with, my jaw dropped when I saw the most beautiful bird I had ever seen. It looked similar to a peacock, but it was gold and silver with outstretched wings like an eagle. 
    Out of nowhere, it began to squawk loudly as we got closer. It was so loud, I had to cover my ears as it flew off.
    “It wants us to follow it,” April muttered as she ran in the direction of the bird.
    “April, where are you going? We have to return to the school!” Ashley yelled after her, as we struggled to catch up to her. 
    “It's nice you want to be bird whisperer and all, but we need to go back! We have already gone too far!” I explained as we finally caught up to April, who was now gawking at something I do not think science could even explain.
    Not that far off in the distance, there was a tall wall of swirling liquid casting off a silvery light upon the snowy scenery as if it was made of mercury.
    “We need to go back now!” Ashley shouted snapping me out of my trance.
    “Let’s get out of here before something bad happens!” I yelled to April as she kept walking closer to the strange moving wall.
    Before we could turn around, the swirling liquid started to spin faster, transforming into a vacuum. The snow did not make it is easy for us to run, which no longer mattered, as the pull became stronger, dragging us all in.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
    The Confrontation
    Location: Inner Kingdom
    ◑ Ashle y ◐
     
     
    I felt nothing but fear, as I passed through the liquid wall; it coursed through my entire body making me unable to scream.
    I couldn’t open my eyes because of the force pressing down on my closed eyelids, due to the fact that I was moving at a very fast pace.
    Just when I was beginning to go into a full blown anxiety attack, it suddenly ended as I hit something hard .
    The rich smell of grass and dirt wafted up my nose as I laid face down while wondering if I was still alive.
    Pushing up slowly off what felt like grass, I pried my eyes open. To my relief, I saw April and Angie struggling to get up not too far away from me.
    Viewing my surroundings, I noticed that we were underneath a stunning giant weeping willow tree. The leaves of the tree filtered the light between small openings, creating beautiful patterns all around.
    “Where are we?” Angie asked bringing to my attention there was no snow anywhere and it felt more like spring than winter.
    “I’m not sure, but I know we are no longer in North Carolina,” I replied as I pulled back a few hanging leaves to see what was outside.
    “I think it's safe to say that we are no longer on Earth either,” Angie said, pointing up at something in the sky.
    Following Angie’s gaze, I was mesmerized by what I saw. There were two suns blazing in the sky above.
    “This is impossible. This can’t be real,” I murmured shaking my head.
    “I know, like something out of the twilight zone.”
    “Ouch!” I yelled. “Why did you pinch me?”
    “I had to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”
    If I wasn’t so shocked by reality, I would have been upset, but my stinging arm from Angie’s pinch confirmed that this was all too real.
    A little off in the distance, I noticed that behind us was a high wall made of stone, like the ones shown in history textbooks of Ancient Roman fortresses; it was so high that I had to squint to see the top. Following the wall's path with my eyes, I could not believe what I was seeing; not too far behind us was a castle.
    Suspiciously, the gravel path at the foot of the tree appeared to lead straight to it; Angie pointed out, after walking around, not straying far from the tree.
    I turned to look at Angie as she began to make frustrated noises at her cellphone as she tried to get a signal.
    “I’m dreaming again,” A hysterical April said through laughing fits.
    Angie and I just looked at each other at a loss for words as April