The Kingdom of Magic: A Tale of a Girl Who Became a Hero

By Claira Kincaid

Take an epic journey with young Myra as she travels to faraway villages and rallies people together to defeat evil and save the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Jun 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662921742

Book preview

Chapter 1

Do You Believe in Magic?

There once was a large ocean and on its shore were delicate wildflowers, each more beautiful than the next. They all had white pedals and long green stems. The sea was calm and great for fishermen, and there were mountains nearby, covered in lush green grass and groves of short bushy trees. In a small village called Josiah, children constantly played by the shore of the ocean.

The village was where a girl lived. She was black and her skin tone matched her hair that was long and wavey. She had been in the village for as long as she could remember, but she wasn’t born there. She was born in a village called Meslow, where her parents had grown up. Just after she was born, a war had broken out and Meslow was being destroyed. Helpless, the girl’s family fled for their lives. Although they survived, the village they once called home is no longer standing today. The family arrived in Josiah and had been there ever since.

Myra was the girl’s name. She was tall and beautiful and had her mother’s eyes—a pretty shade of brown. Myra was told the tale of where she had once lived. She was fascinated by the story and asked for it to be told many times. Myra listened attentively to every word her mother said, but when she came to the part about the war, her mother often became quiet.

Myra’s father was a tall man with kind eyes and a long beard. He had a low booming laugh that sent the rest of the family giggling. He was always joyful and helped the family stay positive, even when times were difficult. It was just the three of them, but they were a happy family and enjoyed being together.

One warm spring day Myra was outside gathering wildflowers when a man ran up to her. He had light brown hair, was unusually tall, and wore a tattered coat and leather shoes. Myra had never seen anyone so peculiar, and was instantly fascinated by the man’s long eyebrows.

Hello, Myra greeted, smiling politely. The man grunted but returned the smile. Looking at her, he pulled something out of a large sack he had slung over one shoulder. It was a small leather bag. Here, he said, and handed it to her. She looked at it curiously.

What’s this? She wasn’t used to accepting things from strangers.

A gift. Keep it, he ordered seeing her uncertain expression. Myra nodded slowly, frightened by the man’s rough voice.

Who are you? Myra asked suspiciously.

Sir. Just call me Sir, he replied. Myra nodded again, suddenly feeling a little fearful. She reached up and rubbed the gold locket around her neck. It had been her grandmother’s and it always gave her a sense of comfort.

What are you doing here? she questioned.

Business, Sir grumbled in the same rough voice. But it’s none of your business. He furrowed his brow, Do you believe in magic? he asked. Then abruptly, without waiting for an answer, he strode off.

His question had taken her by surprise. Wait! she called. What do you mean? But he was already far away, disappearing into the distance. Myra watched him go, thinking of how strange he was and about what he had asked her. Did she believe in magic? She wasn’t sure. She sighed and hurried off towards home.

When Myra arrived at her house, she found her parents sitting on the couch in their usual spot by the window. Myra’s parents owned a pretty one-story house, painted yellow with a white roof. It wasn’t very big, but it was the perfect size for their family. The living room had wooden bookshelves lined against the side wall, with a tall lamp on each side. A glass window was behind the couch that had a lovely view of the garden. Myra’s father, Paul, was a professor at the village school and often used this room as an office.

Myra! Paul called out in delight when she entered. He stood to greet her and they hugged. Myra’s mother, Katherine, smiled at the sight.

Back so soon? she asked. How did you enjoy gathering flowers?

It was lovely, Myra told them. But then something very strange happened. Katherine’s eyes widened in surprise. What? she inquired.

Myra explained about Sir, and after she had finished, Paul sat up, his expression tightening.

What’s inside the bag? he asked curiously. Myra shrugged and brought the bag to him. Paul opened it slowly, then pulled four things out from inside of it:

1. A folded up letter.

2. An old notebook.

3. A black and white photograph of three people.

4. A map.

They looked at the note first, it was handwritten. Paul put on his glasses and read it out loud:

Dearest Friends,

My name is Nicholas, and I hope I am considered a friend. This letter has many details of my travels over the years and my experiences with magic.

It started on July 4th. I was out camping with my friend, Theodore, when we heard something. We had just started to investigate when I discovered a man sitting by a stump. He was young, probably eighteen or nineteen, and I asked his name. He told me it was Sir and that he wanted me to do him a favor. He told me that witches had taken over his village and that he needed me to fight alongside his army. He said he was running out of ideas and therefore decided he needed someone else to help him. He explained that he thought people like me could help, but I didn’t know what that meant at the time. He sounded desperate and explained that the witches were terrible creatures and that he couldn’t stop them alone.

At first, I thought he was mad. Witches and fairytale creatures aren’t real. But I was young and foolish at the time, because those things really do exist. But I wasn’t sure what to do, so I asked him to join Theodore and I in a round of drinks. I led him back to the campsite and introduced him to Theodore. But it didn’t go as planned. Sir told Theodore he had magic powers, and when he refused to believe him, Sir disappeared through golden light—a portal. Then he returned with a dozen soldiers. That was the first time I believed in magic.

Theodore and I were rushed away in the arms of the soldiers. We were cuffed and taken through the golden light, then we appeared on a hilltop. We were suddenly in a place that was so beautiful. There were fairies and elves all around us! It was a different world. But then we were forced through streets and pushed through the door of a small wooden house. It was painted blue with a red door. We were led to a small bedroom that had two beds across from each other and a short table with a lamp on it. Above the table was a glass window, letting in small beams of light. Sir then approached us and explained this was his house. He stared at us for a while as a smile crept across his face, then he asked us if we believed in magic. Theodore and I quickly nodded.

At first, I was angry at Sir for taking us here against our will, but quickly realized it was worth it. I started getting to know Sir better and soon we were close friends. He confessed many things and told me his darkest secrets. He explained details of the world we were in and told me about the creatures inside it. I never knew such a place existed and was very happy to have met Sir.

As we grew closer, I decided I would join his army. But Theodore, being unsure about things, refused to join. No matter how many times I begged him, he shunned the idea. Eventually he became so fed up with my insistence, we got into a big fight and ended up swearing to never speak to each other until the war had ended. Our fight was more than an argument, it was nasty. Dreadful in fact. I cannot even bring myself to write about it because it is too painful to describe. When Sir and I left, I didn’t even look Theodore in the eye…I turned my gaze forward and marched straight out the door.

We went to Sir’s village by foot and arrived days later. The witches, who had been harming the innocent for ages, were finally put to the test because of courageous men and women who fought alongside Sir and his army. There are many details I would like to write about the fight, but it would take too much time, so I will just tell you that we won. The witches were forced to live in caves and were banned from all