The Inner Kingdom

Chapter Thirteen - The Evaluation

Location: The Castle

◑ Ashley ◐

After sending Mina away, there was nothing left to say, not even to one another. We were finally going to be able to leave and return home. I just wondered why I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be.

Since we did not have anything to pack, we picked at the food Mina had prepared and waited.

I must have gone to sleep while waiting, judging by the lack of light shining through the window Leo created.

Lifting my head up off the bed, I could see that April was asleep beside me on the bed, and Angie must have dozed off as she sat on top of the dresser as she wanted to be the first one to see the sun rise.

Unable to lie still, I decided to take a short walk so I could think.

Carefully putting my sandals on, I tiptoed out of the room, gently closing the door behind me. I knew it had to be really late. Due to the darkness of the sky outside the room window, there was one thing that confused me, I don't remember climbing any stairs the entire time I've been here, and yet the view from the room window suggests that it is high up. When I looked from the window earlier, all the people below looked like ants.

I guess it doesn't matter since I won't be coming back here ever again.

I continued walking down the halls, and since I had nothing better to do, I tried to use my energy to find the celtas drawn into the walls. I was surprised by how many there were. After getting bored with finding celtas, I started seeing what each one did.

I saw the one shaped like a tree hid things such as doorways, and the ones shaped like a bird hid windows and mirrors. There was another one I did not recognize, and this one was shaped like a crown.

As I transferred energy into the celta to activate it, nothing happened. I thought maybe whoever designed it did not finish it yet. Then the hall I was in flickered as if someone was changing the channels on my surroundings. The stones went from gray to gold and silver, and the lights grew brighter, as well as the floor seemed to be covered with gold carpet instead of the silver colored one I was just standing on.

When the scene completely changed, my stomach dropped as if I was on an elevator. Clinging onto the now gold and silver wall, I tried to regain my balance.

"How are we going to convince the girls to stay?" I heard a voice sounding like the prince coming from a room up ahead.

Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I strode quietly, closer to the doorway, trying my best to stay hidden while I peeked inside.

"Let's not focus on them; there will be a war very soon that we need to prepare for," a huge burly man said with a long flowing gold robe and a heavily jeweled crown on his head. The entire air around this guy screamed royalty. No doubt about it, he must be the king.

"Father, without them, we might as well hand over Eupai to Jewel. Bain's last word says that the dragon warriors will unite the land."

"Then, if you believe so much in the foretelling of the future of the previous warrior, my uncle, spoke about long ago, why are you so worried?" the king spoke in a deep voice.

Uncle? Nolin never said that the prince was related to one of the previous dragon warriors. I would think that would be something the prince would be bragging about to everyone.