Fight For The Kingdom

By Victoria Schwimley

It’s summer vacation and all Aiden can think about is the coming camping trip, where he is going to convince his dad he’s mature enough to join the Adventure Scouts. Aiden gets plenty of opportunities to prove this when he and his brother, Trystan, follow a mysterious light behind a waterfall and step through to the other side, and into the Kingdom of Anka—where they must defend the kingdom from an angry dragon, who is intent on retrieving her stolen egg. On their quest, they encounter some interesting characters, including the beautiful Queen Aryana—the youngest ruler in history; the peddler, Jay James—who possesses a magic stone the group desperately wants; Zachary—keeper of the foxes, who can’t seem to keep track of a single fox; the two beautiful fairies, Jayden and Jacy—who help the group out of some sticky situations; the competent guide, Alyssa—without whom the group would be lost; and Fizzle girl, who will help them rise above their problems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Victoria Schwimley
• Release date: Jan 11, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370556526

Victoria Schwimley

Victoria resides in Northern California. Her books include the Jessica Crawford series, Crime Solver's Detective Agency series, and Fath series, as well as several standalone books. She has also written, produced, and directed several stage plays. When not writing, she is often playing with grandchildren, reading, sewing, or chatting with friends on Facebook. 

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FIGHT FOR THE KINGDOM

VICTORIA SCHWIMLEY

Copyright 2017 by Victoria Schwimley: all rights reserved.

No part of this ebook may be downloaded without purchase, except for the purpose of review or promotion, without the permission of the author. If you are reading this book without purchasing it, or it having been purchased for you, kindly return to your favorite retailer and purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Although some of the characters in this book are loosely based on the many children in my life, the actual characters, places, and events are purely fictitious.

My life is filled with children, and I count my blessings daily that my life is so enriched. The many hours they entertain me with their antics and laughter give me great joy and plenty of situations to write about. I dedicate this book to all the wonderful children I am blessed to have in my life—without them my life would be empty.

A special note of thanks to my talented daughter-in-law, Dennira Schwimley, for her artistic expertise in designing just the right cover for this book. And also to fellow author and dear friend, Erin McIntyre, award winning author of the Red King Trilogy for her valuable advice in writing my first fantasy story.

Table of contents

Chapter One: Anticipation

Chapter Two: Camp

Chapter Three: Anka

Chapter Four: The Quest

Chapter Five: Beggar

Chapter Six: The Last Trick

Chapter Seven: All the Power

Chapter Eight: A Hero’s Welcome

About the Author

Except: Crime Solver’s Detective Agency

Chapter One: Anticipation

Aiden sat looking out the window of the classroom. He desperately wanted the day to end. Not just because it was the end of the day; it was also the beginning of summer vacation. His father was taking his brother, Trystan, and him on a week-long camping trip. He wanted to join the adventure scouts in the fall. His best friend had been a member for two years, and he wanted to join too. Dad said he needed to show some responsibility first. He was going to prove to him on this trip just how responsible he could be.

From somewhere he heard someone call his name. Aiden. He knew it was Ms. Adams, his teacher, but he didn’t want to look. All he wanted to think about was summer break.

Aiden, she said again, her voice a little too sharp.

When he turned his eyes toward her, she had a strange look on her face, and for a moment, he’d swear her eyes turned white like milk. A chill ran up his spine. He swallowed hard. Yes, Ms. Adams?

She continued to stare at him, locking eyes with him for a long, uncomfortable glare. It was almost as if he’d personally insulted her. Finally, she relaxed to stand with one hand on a hip, frowning at him. Are you in this class today or not?

He looked around. Was there something wrong with Ms. Adams’s eyesight? Didn’t she see him sitting right here? Wasn’t she the one who called on him? He patted his chest, his head, and his arms. I seem to be all here.

It wasn’t his fault the class laughed. He was only speaking the truth. That’s what adventure scouts were supposed to do. Nevertheless, he held his breath—waiting for Ms. Adams to send him to the principal’s office, which would likely mean an end to the camping trip. Oh, why had he opened his big mouth? Why hadn’t he just apologized and answered her seriously? Because he had a terrific sense of humor that most people got, but some people thought of as disrespectful. He blamed Dad for those genes.

The entire class stared at her for a long time, waiting for her response. No one dared look at Aiden for fear Ms. Adams might reprimand them too. She continued staring at him. He began to squirm in his seat. The heat of embarrassment made his face feel hot. He touched it, wondering if it looked as red-hot as it felt. Perspiration made his shirt cling to his skin, and he grabbed the front of the shirt, rapidly flapping it to bring cold air inside.

Suddenly, she smiled and nodded ever so slightly. That’s funny, Aiden. Then her smile dropped. Now, answer the question.

Question? What question? How could he possibly answer her when he didn’t even know what she’d asked? Yikes! He was in trouble.

I, uh, um, he said. Then a miracle happened. The bell rang. Kids flew out of their seats in a frenzied hurry to start summer vacation. Aiden wasted no time getting to the door. When he looked back, Ms. Adams was staring at him with an odd smile on her face—almost as if she were hiding a secret. He waved hesitantly and smiled. Have a good summer, Ms. Adams.

You too, Aiden, she said, her face almost stony. He turned to walk away, but she started to speak. Oh, and Aiden… He turned back to look at her as her eyes became milky again. A shiver ran down his spine. She grinned. See you on the other side.

Huh? Aiden said, but Ms. Adams had turned her attention away from him.

Trystan was waiting anxiously by the door when Aiden got there. What took you so long? he asked, jumping up and down. They were both excited to be going on their first camping trip. Dad was waiting for them when they left the school building. He stood next to his truck, waving at them to hurry. We want to get there before dark, he shouted.

Aiden grabbed Trystan’s hand and ran as fast as he could to the truck. They jumped in, and Dad took off, headed toward the freeway.

Aiden took out a checklist, determined to prove his maturity. He cleared his throat. First things first, he said. Tent?

Check, Dad said.

Sleeping bags?

Check, Dad said again.

Snake bite kit?

Dad wavered for a minute then slowly pulled to the side of the road. He got out of the truck and rummaged through his gear but couldn’t find it. Then he noticed a small shopping bag and opened it. Inside was a snakebite kit with a note from his wife attached. It read: Aiden said you’d likely forget this. He held it up for Aiden to see through the back window. Aiden gave him a thumbs-up sign.

Dad returned to the truck feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Aiden grinned. He was already on the way to proving his capabilities. He resumed the list.

Lantern?

Dad nodded.

Food?

Dad shook his head. I was planning on us catching our supper.

Trystan’s head turned quickly toward Dad. His eyes opened wide. Catch our supper? What does that mean?

Aiden patted Trystan’s head. He means fish. We’re going fishing.

I don’t like fish, Trystan said.

Aiden and Dad laughed. Dad said, Good thing Mom packed us extra food. All your favorites she told me.

Trystan relaxed.

Aiden ran down the rest of the list. Satisfied they had everything, he settled back into the seat for the long drive.

Dad looked over at his two sons. He had to be the luckiest father ever.

After a few moments of silence, Aiden murmured, This is going to be the best vacation ever!

Chapter Two: Camp

Aiden, Trystan, and Dad arrived at the campsite bursting with excitement. Although the trip had taken two hours, they had filled it with singing and their ever-favorite game, I Spy.

Dad barely had time to stop the truck when both boys pushed open the back doors and scrambled out. Aiden was getting taller and eased down without a reach. Trystan, however, was still small enough that he landed with a loud PLOP! Dad turned to look at him. Be careful with the noise, Trystan. You might wake a sleeping bear.

Trystan’s eyes flew open wide. Bears! He looked around as if he expected to see one staring at him. Are you sure there are bears here?

Dad shrugged and held his arms wide open. It’s a big forest, and bears do live in the woods. I’m sure they’re out there somewhere. That’s why we need to make sure our food stays in this. He reached into the back of the truck and pulled out a metal garbage can with a lock on it.

What’s that? Trystan asked.

It’s a bear-proof locker, Aiden quickly said. We put our food in there, so bears and other wild animals can’t get to it.

That’s right, Dad said, impressed that Aiden had taken the time to learn about bears in the wild. He couldn’t remember being near that excited about wildlife when he was Aiden’s age, even though his father had taken him camping often.

He handed each of the boys his backpack. We have to hike in from here.

Are the bears going to eat me?

Aiden shook his head. He held up his finger and looked at Dad. I got this. Dad grinned. The Washington forests are home to black bears. Typically, they won't harm you if you leave them alone.

Trystan dropped his pack and crossed his arms over his chest. I'm not going into that forest.

Aiden hoisted his pack onto his back with ease. Don’t be a baby, Trystan, he said. Would you rather stay here by yourself?

Trystan looked around the parking lot. It wasn't like the supermarket parking lot where there were plenty of cars and other shoppers around. There were a few cars, but given that tons of trees surrounded the lot, he guessed they all had hiked into the forest, which would likely mean they'd be gone a long time. He took hold of Dad’s hand. "We’ll be