Kingdom Come: A Fantasy Novel

By Jim Doran

Seventeen-year-old Harold Tray is preparing for college when he is visited by an apparition one night. After she convinces him to accompany her to a faraway world, Harold finds himself in the middle of a prophecy in the fairy-tale land of Kingdom. Planet is a powerful pixie who proclaims Harold has been teleported to help her bring peace back to Kingdom. His assignment is to unite five maidens to overthrow the illegitimate king. Luckily for Harold, the five are fairy-tale princesses from familiar childhood stories. After partnering with Planet and other misfit companions, he journeys across Kingdom in search of the maidens. He finds them at the end of their stories, ready to continue their lives as queens. Unfortunately, their progress to the throne will not be easy. An ancient enemy is waiting for them, and he knows secrets about Harold’s past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jan 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781483478241

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Kingdom

Come

A Fantasy Novel

Jim Doran

Copyright © 2018 Jim Doran.

Art Credit: Daniel Johnson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7823-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7825-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7824-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017919271

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 12/29/2017

Dedication

To Hope, a squinkle in a sea of ordinary

Quotations

Little tree, little tree, shake over me, that silver and gold may come down and cover me

- Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm,

Cinderella

When a star falls, a soul ascends to God.

- Hans Christian Anderson,

The Little Match Girl

Why is it that a woman can see from a distance what a man cannot see close?

- Thomas Hardy,

The Return of the Native

Acknowledgement

This novel would not be possible without the effort of many individuals. I would like to express my gratitude to my wonderfully talented artist Daniel Johnson, my fellow Inkling T.M. Doran, my consultant Chris Giroux, my life-long supporters Judy Malecke and John Doran, and new supporters Carla and Ken Graham.

I would also like to thank my wife Hope and my children who sacrificed so much in the creation of this novel.

Finally, I would like to thank all of the people at Lulu.com who helped me bring this work to production.

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1

Harold

My sister never passed up an opportunity to kiss a frog.

That thought went through my head as I mowed the lawn. I pictured my six-year-old sister on a summer day like today, pressing her lips lightly to the top of a frog’s viscous head. She stepped back, dressed in her princess costume from Halloween, waiting for the transformation that would never come.

I’m not going to tell you there are no fairy tales in real life because that’s a lie. They aren’t like what you’d expect, but they exist. This story you’re reading is one of them. But I must warn you, this isn’t your typical fairy tale.

I entered my house to find a dinner of chicken and peas on the table. I don’t eat often with my parents, but since I was leaving for college this fall, I thought I would make an exception. My father was reading the newspaper, and he looked up when I joined him. My mother nodded at me, reading something on her tablet.

I took my first bite when my father spoke. "Harold, do you want to see The Tale of the Two Dragons? It has great reviews."

I swallowed and asked, Really, Dad? Don’t you think I’m a little old for that movie?

Frankly, no. I don’t think I’m too old. Why should I think you are?

Not my thing, Dad.

Having fun is not your thing?

It’s not fun. Not anymore.

My father frowned and said, I remember a time when it was.

Yeah, when I was four years old.

More like fourteen, my father snapped. He stood and walked away.

I continued my dinner without looking up. I thought my mother wasn’t listening, but she was. I remember when you would beg to go to a fantasy movie. Lauren would’ve been jealous because she was too little to go.

I didn’t answer her.

I can still picture the two of you running around the backyard. You had that plastic shield and foam sword and your goalie mask on. Lauren wore her princess costume and carried her wand. Remember her wand? It was made of a broken stick with a cardboard star covered by tinfoil. I wonder where it went.

I finished my soda and wiped my mouth. Don’t know.

She used to toss something in the air to cast spells. What was it she threw?

It was dandelion seeds, but I didn’t answer. Instead, I shrugged.

I remember you reading to her at night. She loved your stories, you know. I miss them too.

I know what you’re doing, and you don’t have to worry. Just because I won’t go to a movie doesn’t mean anything. I don’t feel like it.

My mother nodded and put her hand on my arm. I hated that. She made me feel like a little boy. She knew I’d turn eighteen in August.

I changed the subject. "I was reading The Universe in a Nutshell outside."

Light summer reading.

It’s fascinating, I said, standing. And it’s real. I collected my plates and took them to the sink.

However, her talk worked, as much as I tried to ignore it. I thought about my sister, Lauren, as I went to my room. When we weren’t telling each other our stories, we acted them out. She was the mage, and I was the fighter. We sneaked between the two hedges separating our house from our neighbors, pretending we were in a mystical hedge maze in the middle of a dangerous forest or proceeding down a hallway in the depths of a dungeon. Some of our friends acted like zombies or evil knights and jumped through the hedges at us. Lauren threw seeds at them while speaking nonsensical words, claiming she immobilized them. I recalled staying up past ten o’clock, enjoying our backyard adventures until our mother came and dragged us inside.

I entered my room and gazed at the blank spaces on the walls. Once upon a time, there were posters of magicians fighting beasts, astronauts shooting multiheaded aliens, and a knight on a steed. Now there were only clean squares, a series of blank spaces. I knelt, reached under my bed, and pulled out an item—a broken pool stick with a tinfoil star. I hadn’t taken it out for months, and holding it again reminded me why. I quickly returned it to its hiding spot, suppressing feelings I thought I’d moved past.

Later that night, I was in bed, listening to my tunes, when my mother entered my room. She usually left me alone at night.

She looked around the room. This is a mess. Are you going to clean it up, college boy?

Yeah, maybe.

My mother stared at me with a look I couldn’t interpret. Harold, I’m worried about you.

Why?

You aren’t yourself.

I’m fine, Mom.

She wanted to say something but didn’t. When she spoke, she stammered and paused. Harold, do you want to…I don’t know…if you want to talk to someone about it, we can arrange it. We can find a counselor at college.

I don’t need to.

Are you sure? I know we all went to Dr. Gunthman, but maybe you want to see someone yourself.

I shook my head.

She started to leave but stopped at the doorway. I read something interesting. It said when we play, we are living another life.

Like pretending, I said.

Not pretending. We are remembering something that happened to us in a different life.

Reincarnation?

No. I’m not explaining it correctly. When we play or have insights or imagine, we transcend our world and engage in something outside our universe.

I grinned. That’s complete crap, Mom.

You used to write stories with ideas like it, she said.

She was working on me today. I’m not interested in stories anymore. When I get older, I’ll write papers on physics. I’m going to publish them. They’ll be important and based on fact, not fantasy.

I would be proud to read them, but I wish you’d write the way you used to as well.

I closed my eyes and thought of the pool stick under the bed. I don’t think so, Mom.

I fell asleep later and was resting peacefully when suddenly, someone shook me awake. My eyes opened, and I rose and looked around my room. There was no one there.

Weird, I remarked to myself and rested my head on my pillow.

I was still awake when again I felt a tug on my shoulder. I clutched a hand there, crying out as I sprang up and looked around. But again, no one was in my room. I started breathing heavily, and the back of my neck broke out in a cold sweat.

I expected my parents to burst through my door, but no one came. It took me a few minutes before I could lie down and think about what happened. I figured I must have fallen asleep briefly and had a nightmare. I had never heard of this phenomenon before but was willing to believe anything.

Suddenly, a voice whispered, Do not yell.

For the third time, I sat up quickly. Had I heard someone, or were my senses playing a trick on me? I turned on the light but didn’t see anyone. I felt ridiculous talking to an empty room but decided to chance it. Where are you?

Before me appeared a woman in her late twenties, dressed in a white smock. A tan kirtle fastened with a small silver brooch covered the smock. Puffy sleeves came down over her wrists, revealing small, pale hands. The dress ended below the knees, displaying white boots with tassels. Her hair was bronze, and it fell naturally in place without help from any salon.

The woman was anchored to the ground, not hovering in a traditional ghostly manner. Her complexion was pale; white skin, circles around her eyes, and red lips signaled she was not of this world. Her arms were spread wide, palms out and upward.

The apparition was so startling another scream started to form. I was about to cry out a second time, but she put a finger to her lips and shushed me. I reached for my throat and found I couldn’t make a sound.

She spoke. Can you help me?

I shook my head.

Yes, you can. I would like to send you on a journey far away.

I shook my head a second time. I was glad she didn’t intend to kill or haunt me, but I didn’t want anything to do with the spiritual intruder. All I wanted was for her to disappear and leave me in peace.

The ghost said, I desperately need your help.

I continued to shake my head, fearfully. The ghost moved her fingers slightly, and my voice returned. I said, I have to wake up. Wake up.

You are not sleeping. You are here with me.

This isn’t real. I’m sick. Something is wrong with me.

You are not sick, said the ghost. I need you to go on this journey.

Never, I said. You’re not here. I’m having delusions. You must be a memory of someone I’ve seen before. My eyes are telling me you’re here, but you’re not.

Please, she said, please believe in me. Please help me.

Why don’t you ask someone else?

She smiled in response.

I told myself that arguing with a delusion was another form of insanity. What could I do to break out of this episode? Perhaps the best way to stop this madness was to go along with it. I spoke to her as if she were real. You want me to go somewhere, but I can’t. I’m off to college in six weeks.

The ghost pouted. College will wait. It will still be here if you return. Come with me. It is not the road less traveled but the road never traveled.

I don’t think so, I said. Why should I anyway?

Because my cause is both just and important.

You’ll haunt me for the rest of my life?

Haunt? she asked. I am not haunting. I am pleading. It is important. I fear the future if you will not accompany me.

I admit I was intrigued as well as worn down. Perhaps if I played this out, she would go away. Maybe whatever portion of my brain had tricked me into seeing this ghostly lady would be satisfied if I said I’d help her. Maybe if I completed the dream, the symptoms would go away. I asked, How far is it?

Very far. To the world where I was born.

Will I be safe there? I asked.

Oh, do not be such a goose, the woman said.

I only want to know if I’ll be safe.

I guarantee no safety, said the woman. But you will not be alone.

I will go, I said. How do I get there?

Take my hand, she said.

I did, and then I was elsewhere.

2

Planet

As I said, I was somewhere else. This is the best way to describe it because it didn’t look like I was somewhere else, other than outside, but I knew I was in a different place. I lay on the grass, the dew soaking into my pajamas. My eyes took in the night sky littered with many more stars than I had ever remembered seeing. I sat up to get my bearings.

I appeared to be on a small plateau devoid of all flora except grass. In front of me was a bench-shaped monument made of stone. It had a solid base with a wide seat. To my right was a smaller version of the bench, about the size for a beaver to sit on, if beavers could sit. On my left was another stone bench; while smaller than the one before me, it was larger than the one to my right. Far off to my left, tops of trees rustled in a gentle breeze, whispering their ancient secrets to each other. Plains wrapped around the rest of the plateau.

Off in the distance, from the direction of the forest, I heard wild cries of animals I couldn’t identify. A murder of crows flew overhead, close enough that I spotted them in the night sky, and I was grateful I recognized something familiar. I stood up, rocked back and forth, and breathed in the pure night air. You can’t tell pure air until you experience it, much like pure water. I remained still a good long moment and focused on the benches.

I didn’t know what to think of this new sensation. I knew I was in a dream. My illness had hijacked my senses, making me believe in this weird landscape. I had given in to it, and instead of its going away, it had taken over—a scary notion. I closed my eyes, hoping to find myself back in bed, but the sensation of water on my back wouldn’t go away. When I opened my eyes, something moved around the side of the larger bench. It had been looking at me and then had ducked back to hide.

Lady? I called, realizing I didn’t know my spirit’s name. Is that you?

There was no answer, and I had a sinking feeling my guide had abandoned me. The brief glance of the thing behind the bench was much smaller than a person. I forgot for a moment that this was a delusion, and I treated it as something real. It made me afraid to think I wasn’t alone, and something—or someone—was watching me. I called. Who’s there? Show yourself!

A blue light rose slowly from behind the bench, and I thought it must be swamp gas. As it approached, I was uneasy as I’d never seen a light move with such purpose. It zipped in a more or less straight line toward me, and I wondered if someone was projecting the light somehow. As it came forward, I exclaimed at the shape enveloped within. The light illuminated the creature hovering before me.

Inside of the light was the tiny form of a girl in her late teens. She was about six inches tall with creamy skin and large pink eyes. On her back was a pair of ornate, golden-colored butterfly wings, and her body was surrounded with a light blue aura. She wore a tunic tied with a string around her waist and a skirt with ruffles. She looked at me with concern, and her mouth was slightly open. Gazing at her, my mind couldn’t accept it, and I screamed. She reared back, squinted, and said, Well, that was rude.

I was flummoxed. At first, I thought this was a trick someone was pulling on me, a little flying android. I looked around for someone holding a drone controller, but we were alone. She looked real, not like the CGI creatures in movies. Her body movements were natural, and if she’d been life-sized, only her blue aura and wings would have seemed out of place. However, she was anything but life-sized.

I was sleeping here when you appeared. You scared me right off my bench. I decided to hide and see if you were friendly or not. You cannot be too certain out here. The forest holds all kinds of monstrosities.

I stared at her in amazement. She talked naturally, and her voice came from her mouth, not from anywhere else. I continued to look around for the source of the trick.

My name is Planet, she said. Have you come in response to my wish?

I took a step backward and didn’t know what to say.

You look human but you are wearing strange garments. You are not from around here. I think my wish brought you here.

What are you? I asked.

I told you; my name is Planet. Are you deaf? You do not appear to be deaf. Are you in shock? Well, I admit I am far from home, but this is why I wished for you. I need a companion, or I probably ought to go home. While there are far worse places in Kingdom, this is not a safe place for me. It is safe for you here, as we are in the land of men—

I didn’t ask who you were, I interrupted. I asked what you were.

The tiny form hovered in front of me, and I took another step backward.

How did you arrive here? she asked.

I was teleported here, I said.

Teleported? I am not sure I understand.

I struggled to explain. I traveled a far distance in little time.

By my wish! replied Planet, and her blue glow grew brighter. I knew it. You came when I needed you. I was over there on the bench not too long ago when I fell asleep. What matters is the last thing I thought before I went to sleep. I wished hard for someone to come and help me. I am a very powerful pixie, but my parents never believed it. They took me for—

You’re a pixie? I asked.

She put her hands on her hips. Of course I am a pixie. What else would I be?

I don’t know. An illusion?

Planet lit up. She put her finger in the air. That is good. We can never be too trusting of each other. I may be a tiger in pixie form. She shaped her hands like claws and then started laughing. Sorry. I am only a pixie. What about you? Are you human or a changeling, or … something else?

A pixie? I repeated, wondering if I trusted this floating being or if it was a trick. Was someone waiting nearby, ready to laugh at me?

You are not being serious with me, she said. You are no pixie.

I said, I’m not a pixie, but I can’t believe you are.

Planet pouted. What is the matter? Do I not look like one?

I suppose so, from the little I know of pixies. What I mean to say is you aren’t really here. I’m not sure if I’m truly here.

Planet laughed. You are a silly man. Are you telling me you are an illusion? This is the first time an illusion confessed to me it did not exist.

No, I’m not an illusion. You exist—I pointed to my head—in my mind only. You don’t exist outside of it. I’ve made this all up.

I would not fit inside your head, she said.

No! I yelled. I am making this up. None of this exists. You don’t exist. This ground doesn’t exist. These benches don’t exist.

The pixie frowned and pointed her finger at me, and something sprang from it. Suddenly, electricity shook my body. It didn’t hurt, but it did make me take a step backward. I looked at her with wide eyes. My tongue tingled as an aftereffect, and I rocked on the balls of my feet.

She said, Do you still say I do not exist?

You can’t exist! I screamed, rubbing my chest where the sensation started.

And the ground does not exist?"

No, I said.

She flicked her finger, and this time the blue bolt struck me in the leg. I fell to the ground, hitting it hard. I screamed.

Do you still say I do not exist?

I lifted myself off the ground guardedly. Yes, I said. You are a figment of my imagination, no matter how real this all seems.

And you, said Planet, are dumber than a goblin. You are crazy, and I am glad you are not the answer to my wish. Farewell.

She turned and started away. I was about to let her go and looked back over my shoulder to run away from the fairy phantasm. As I started to retreat, I noticed there was another bench before me, but it wasn’t the same size as the others. I stared at it and swallowed hard. I shouted out, Planet?

She stopped in place in the air, keeping her back to me with her arms folded. Yes?

What sits on the bench I’m looking at?

It was made for the giants who constructed the Circle of Counsel, of course. Do you not know anything?

I said, There are giants?

The pixie turned toward me. Of course there are giants. Are there not giants where you come from?

No, I said. There aren’t pixies either.

Planet apparently forgot she wasn’t talking to me any longer and looked interested. Oh … so am I the first pixie you ever met?

Yes. I still didn’t believe she existed, but I was more secure in this delusion with her than without her.

Her eyes narrowed. Then how do you know the word ‘pixie’?

There are stories about pixies, I said. But they are only stories. I never met a live one.

Planet perked up again. I am the first one you’ve met. My wish must have been powerful to bring you from another world. Well, I welcome you to Kingdom, Mister … what did you say your name was again?

Harold.

Hero? she said. You are a hero?

My name is not Hero. It’s Harold.

Herald? Like the noisy men with trumpets? I have heard whenever you cross realms, you are to be given a new name. Since I found you first, it is my right to rename you. I don’t like heralds; they are loud and distressing. I will call you Hero.

I wish you wouldn’t.

Then I most definitely will, said Planet. You don’t know much about pixies, do you? She smiled playfully.

Where am I? I asked.

Kingdom.

The kingdom of what?

There is no what. You are in Kingdom.

Kingdom is the name of this planet?

I am Planet.

No, I said, getting irritated. That’s not what I meant. What is the name of the planet?

The fairy looked confused. I have no other name.

Do you know what a planet is? I asked.

Sure, replied the pixie, perking up. It is an honorable name given to the best of female pixies in Kingdom.

It means something else in my world, I said. Then I brightened. What do you call this land, your world?

I told you. Kingdom.

I gave up. And where are we in Kingdom?

Planet answered, You are in the center of Kingdom called the Circle of Counsel. It is an ancient place where man, elf, gnome, and giant would sit and make peace. Unfortunately, they all hate each other now, so this place is only used for naughty young humans and satyr romps.

There’s no seat for a pixie? I asked.

Planet frowned. We are aligned with the elves as the dwarfs were once with the gnomes. The humans thought pixies not important enough to hold discussions with us. They confuse having fun and playfulness with ignorance. Humans are the ignorant ones.

I said, You don’t like humans much.

Planet floated a little higher and said, This is not true. I have a good friend who is a human. She assisted me recently. Pixies do not hate humans, generally. It is the humans who wish us ill.

So men hate pixies?

The ignorant ones do. They hunt us.

Why?

Planet looked at me for a while and then answered. I do not know.

I thought she did, but I didn’t want to press the issue. And gnomes are enemies too?

Gnomes trust no one. They do not trust dwarfs any longer. They used to be friendlier to everyone but now they keep to themselves in the wif.

I wasn’t sure what wif meant, but I overlooked it for now. I glanced at the bench behind me. It would take a running jump for me to reach the seat. And giants?

They want to crush mankind. Once Kingdom was peaceful, and we all lived alongside each other, helping one another. This is what the elders tell us. However, King Shade has not tried to unite the people. Kingdom is falling apart. I hope he dies childless and the prophesied queens will appear and unite us.

There is a king?

Naturally. Who else rules except kings and queens? You are curious, Hero.

I decided with my superior knowledge I could impress the king. I would like to see him.

Planet looked at me suspiciously. Why do you want to meet him? Do you like him?

I’ve never met him, I said. How would I know if I like him or not?

Not many people do. I will take you close to Town, but I dare not go in. They would kill me there for … She broke off.

I asked, How long will it take to see the king?

Four days’ journey. I will guide you to the royal town, and then I will part. I am disappointed, as I had hoped we would be good traveling companions. I can tell you about our world.

I am a good listener, I said.

The pixie lit up and said, I think we will make good partners. I do not mind talking, and there is an inn not far from here, said Planet. We can reach it before sun breaks.

I never dreamed we’d be attacked on the way.

3

The Inn of Five

It was a three-hour walk over grassy fields and dusty plains to the inn Planet said was named the Inn of Five. It was a pleasant walk, and I observed as much of this country as possible. Even though I still didn’t accept any of this was real, I enjoyed looking around. The air tasted sweeter than at home, filling my lungs with enriching oxygen. Bird calls echoed across the land. This was a medieval Earth, and while the laws of physics were still in force here (a good thing because I would’ve gone bananas if they weren’t), it was distinctly different from what I thought of as Earth’s past.

The road was bumpy and meandering, winding around trees. The only light was Planet’s aura, but it was bright enough for me to examine my surroundings. I was amazed at the verdant fields, an overflowing green quilt on a brown bed. We passed tranquil lakes and massive trees, the branches of which rose upward like worshipers reaching for God. The land hadn’t been tilled, uprooted, plowed, harvested, or trampled. The sky too looked unaltered and clear, with an abundance of stars, many more than I remembered.

I listened to Planet throughout the journey. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn much about Kingdom. I only learned Planet’s parents were unfair, and she tried hard to please them but she never could. She was best friends with a boy named Compactor and then … something about hunting for magic elements. It was a turning point in her life. I missed most of it as I took in this strange, new world. She paused at one point and asked, Do you have gooseberries where you come from?

I had no idea why she asked me this question, but I answered truthfully. Yes.

I knew it. They all thought less of me because I believed they existed. It proves once again what an honor it is to be me …

I was exhausted listening to her, but as she was my guide, I patiently endured it. I wondered how she was able to speak English. It wasn’t the old English I had read in Shakespeare plays. There was no thou or anon. There wasn’t a distinguishable accent. I said, You speak English well. Is Kingdom a part of England?

What is English? she responded. I am speaking Kingdom’s language.

I’m speaking English. And so are you.

No, I am speaking Kingdom’s language, and so are you.

You’re speaking the same language as I am, except you aren’t using contractions.

I do not have contractions when I speak. It is an enjoyable experience overall.

No, not that type of contractions, I said. I mean, like saying ‘I’m’ instead of ‘I am.’

Ah! The running of words together is an old way of speaking in Kingdom, and it has fallen out of favor.

It’s the modern way of speaking where I come from.

You mean this English place?

English is a language.

That you are not speaking, she said.

I must be in a dream then. This would be my brain tricking me into thinking I was somewhere else, yet I was still able to speak the language.

Is it much farther? I asked.

Are you tired? We just started walking.

We’ve been walking for two hours, I complained.

Planet looked oddly at me. Two hours is not a long time. Most people in the country surrounding Town walk eight hours to get there.

I’m not used to it. We have things to transport us.

You must have many horses in your world, said Planet. Let me help.

She pointed at me, and I lifted off the ground. I swayed like a child’s top about to fall over. I tried to steady myself, but there was nothing to grab onto. It was disorienting, but eventually I put my arms at my sides and let her carry me along. She continued to talk while pointing at me. I left Faerie Forest a while ago and traveled slowly to keep people from noticing me. I came across the Inn of Five and heard the human proprietor was a kind woman. She took me in and showed me how to serve others. I learned a little cooking too. I thought this was going to work out, but I left after a little incident.

She continued talking about where she traveled. She decided a day ago to go to the Circle of Counsel because it was a good lookout point. She planned to go to the middle of the plateau, close her eyes, and spin herself a number of times. When she stopped and opened her eyes, she would head in that direction.

Doesn’t seem like a good plan to me, I said. What if you ended up with the giants?

Giants are not bothered by pixies unless we bother them. Men are much worse to us. Although either of the forests would be a dreadful home, she admitted. I have to go somewhere, do I not?

What if you spun yourself back in the direction of home?

I would not return. They would not miss me. Home is nor.

Nor?

You do not understand nor? Nor is the direction that when the sun rises and you face it, you turn to the left and walk. Do not tell me you do not have nor in your world.

I replied, We call it north. There are differences in this Kingdom language with English.

North? What an odd word. I have to blipsie-doodle. Can you walk now? I am getting tired.

I didn’t realize carrying me exhausted her strength. I’m sorry. Yes, please let me down.

She lowered her finger, and I returned to the ground and started walking. You have to …?

It is not a Kingdom word. It is what I call it. She looked at me knowingly. I shrugged, and she said, Do not follow me.

She flew behind a bush, and I heard rustling. She returned quickly and continued to talk.

Suddenly, Planet stopped and stared ahead. I stopped a foot ahead of her and turned around. What is it?

Something—

She never finished as a green blur emerged from the darkness and knocked me off my feet. I fell hard on my back, trying to catch my breath. I rose and spied something more incredible than a pixie.

It was a two-foot-tall hairy creature with a wide mouth and oversized eyes. It had talons and large nails on its feet. Light emerged from its eyes, temporarily blinding me. It had started toward me when a blue light struck its head.

It turned toward Planet and took a swipe at her. It connected with her, and I watched helplessly as she went spinning away. While I couldn’t believe any of this was happening, self-preservation kicked in, and I reached for a large branch on the ground nearby. I watched as it turned to Planet and was about to grab her in its talons. She wasn’t defenseless, however. Another bright blue bolt shot from her, and she knocked it back toward me. I swung the branch at its head, and it connected with a crack. The creature fell to the ground, unconscious.

Are you hurt? I asked Planet.

She sprung up. Only a headache.

What is it?

Tardalong, a forest-dweller. They are leaving the woods and invading the rest of Kingdom. This is what happens when you have a weak king on the throne.

How is he supposed to help?

Before our king, the patrols of Kingdom kept the peace. Let us go and put distance from this foul thing.

We hurried away, and Planet looked sidelong at me and grinned. I was right. You and I make good companions.

I followed along beside her as I noticed sunlight appearing over the horizon. At dawn, we approached a large house with a thatched roof. There were small openings on the second floor that I figured were windows. The lower floor was made of white stone with a door made of black oak. The bottom floor had no windows. There was a plank hanging over the door with words printed—The Inn of Five—and under it were five stick figures. Planet and I entered together.

My eyes had to adjust to the lack of light inside. I had to duck, as the ceiling was a little smaller than my height. There were seven round tables, each with