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

to shoot me, too?” Angie asked, walking forward with her hands out on either side of her as if asking him to shoot her.
    She really needs to work on her anger issues.
    “Angie! Get back here!” I yelled, trying to stop her before it was too late.
    Once again, I heard the release of the arrow before I saw it. There was no time to blink, since it happened so fast.
    As soon as the arrow became free from the bow, the air around Angie heated up and the arrow instantly caught on fire moments away from piercing Angie’s heart.
    Everyone stared in amazement at the flaming arrow now lying on the ground at Angie’s feet. The once silent group surrounding us began to stir as they shouted words such as beasts, minions, and vixens.
    Before long, they all started to release their arrows at all of us. The air around Angie became stifling once again as every arrow that came toward us burst into flames. Angie did not move or say a word, but we all knew that she was somehow responsible for what was happening.
    The men finally stopped their firing as a giant shadow passed overhead. Seconds later, a giant bird swiftly landed in front of Angie, as if signaling them to stop their attack on us, and it wasn’t just any bird; it was the strange peacock that led us to this place.
    “We need that bird to be able to go back home,” April exclaimed.
    A commotion coming from the group of people surrounding us pulled my attention away from the creature that led us here.
    I became a little confused when I saw a tiny old man wearing a long ragged robe with a black sash around his waist, swinging a gold crooked cane that was taller than him while pushing his way through the group toward us.
    As the elderly man came closer, his face contorted with anger when he saw the makeshift binding I had made for April’s wound.
    “What have you brutes done?” the elderly man exclaimed, hitting the tall guy in charge in the back of the head with his cane, surprising everyone, including the other armored men.
    “Elder Nolin, you don’t understand. These females are intruders and could be in an alliance with the queen,” the tall man replied.
    “I’m sorry, but we do not know anything about what’s going on here. We came here to find someone to help us return home,” I told the old man.
    “Do not act innocent now. You should have told your friend there to control herself if you wanted us to believe that you have come here in peace,” the man accused, pointing his finger at Angie.
    “You started it first. You tried to kill us. Did you forget about that?” Angie shouted, apparently ready for round two.
    “Leo, you need to learn how to control that attitude of yours,” Nolin muttered hitting him again so hard that his helmet flew off of his head.
    Being able to see Leo without the helmet made it clear that he could not be much older than I was. Standing over six feet tall, with thick eyebrows, long dark hair tied into a high ponytail, and intense almond-shaped brown eyes that hinted at an Asian descent, he looked every bit the part of a fierce warrior.
    His one redeeming factor was the youthfulness in his eyes, which not even the scowl on his tan face could hide.
    Leo’s abuse caused a few people in his group to laugh, which he quickly quieted with one paralyzing glance their way.
    “I do apologize for the treatment you have received,” Nolin said before using his cane to get down on his knees to bow before us. “Please accept this old man’s apology.”
    “What are you doing Nolin?” Leo asked, trying to lift the old man up. “Have you finally gone completely mad?”
    “You should be showing your respects and apologizing also, Leo, or should I say captain? Don’t you realize that you are in the presence of the dragon warriors?” he replied, still on his knees bowed forward.
    This announcement caused everyone around us to drop down to their knees, except for Leo, who just stared at us with suspicion… well, mostly Angie.
    “What have you