Day 1

Lakisha Thornbulton a twenty-three-year-old ecologist had long wavy, silky dark brown hair that was tied up in a bun. Her green, green eyes, made her memorable.

She was busy digging through some scat, from a grizzly bear.

“What is this?” she asked her uncle James Thornbulton.

James Thornbulton had raised her from the age of twelve after her parents were killed. Both her parents where lawyers and had been killed by the drug cartel they were prosecuting. Lakisha wanted nothing to do with that life and followed her cool uncle all over the world, examining scat from various animals.

James was only ten years older than Lakisha. Making him more of a big brother than a parent.

Lakisha was born in Portugal but her father and grandfather where Danish, her mother was born in New Zealand and her grandmother was British.

This meant that Lakisha spoke English, Danish, Hawaiian, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.

James spoke all the languages Lakisha did and Zulu as well.

James was a well-built man with black hair, honey hazel eyes, and a strong jaw.

James was wearing black gum boots, blue jeans, a white long sleeve shirt and gloves, with Dark blue dungarees.

Lakisha was wearing red gum boots, tan khaki pants, a black t-shirt with silver wings on the right back shoulder. Dark blue denim dungarees and gloves.

Both were distracted from the bear scat by Lakisha’s necklace of a swan. The swan was made of a blue diamond (crystal) which her gran had given her, it was glowing.

The stone glowed for a few seconds, James and Lakisha looked closely but it was gone.

They had both seen it, but maybe it was just the sun reflecting off it or so they concluded. James reached over for his bag but it was gone.

Well, they had gone.

They were in a similar environment, but the path was gone, the moss on the trees was new and the forest sounded different.

But the scat was still there.

“What is happening?” Lakisha asked

Lakisha and James Thornbulton were surprised,

“Where are we?” Lakisha asked not expecting an answer.

They heard voices so they went towards it, keeping the few things they had with them. They joined a path. Where they saw men were pulling a creature along in a cage.

“Hey”, he yelled,

“That’s cruel! Release that animal.”

The men looked at him and Lakisha, they spoke a language unknown to either of them. James blinded by his anger didn’t see how hostile the men where. Four men with swords stood by the cage checking them out, James marched up,

“Let this animal” go he demanded.

One of the men hit James in the face causing him to bleed, two men tied James’ hands and two men ran towards Lakisha.

She ran back into the jungle and climbed a tree hoping they would run past her and not see her, they ran passed just as she had hoped. Scared and alone Lakisha followed her uncle James. Staying safely out of sight in the tree line. She was thirsty and also hungry.

Finally, they came to a castle and there was a river nearby, she drank and drank as she was so thirsty.

They took James into the castle. She didn’t want to be caught so she stayed back hoping to sneak in and rescue him later.

James was taken before the queen. He stood proudly and with dignity saying nothing when the queen approached him. She was a fiery red-haired woman with sparkling green eyes. She asked him a question. He replied in English the universal language that he didn’t understand her. He hadn’t noticed that no one looked her in the eyes or even in the face.

Kerri-liana was surprised to hear English, she stood up from sitting and watched, a very handsome man with black hair was standing before the queen.

‘I like him’ she thought,

“Who is he?” The queen asked,

“We don’t know, he doesn’t understand us, we made sure he wasn’t faking, we said things no man can ignore.”

“So where did he come from?” she mused.

“Get him cleaned up. I want him to join me for a meal. Prepare me a lamb” she ordered in the direction of a servant.

The queen is ruthless, but attracted to good looking men Kerri noted.

She listened from the walls and learnt that the queen’s name was Tiffany. She also learnt that everyone was afraid of the queen. The queen even fed people to her tigers if she felt like it. She was building an army as she was planning to destroy the sky people, who lived high on some mountains.

Kerri-liana wondered where her parents where? How could someone who looked so young be queen?

The servants’ whispers about how the only other time she had invited a man to eat with her he ended up as crocodile food.

Kerri-liana mapped out the passageways in the walls and finally came to James’ room.

She snuck in.

“Hey” she said,

“Don’t be afraid I am here to help. Tell me where are you from?” Kerri asked

James was surprised to hear English and with the morning he was having he wanted answers. He was also very worried about Lakisha.

“My name is James, and I work for Nat Geo Wild. I am here with my niece. I haven’t seen her since I was taken, where are we? And how did you get in here?”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Slow down” Kerri- liana said,

“There are secret passageways all throughout the castle. I will see if I can find your niece, how old is she?”

“Lakisha is twenty-three, long brown hair, green eyes. She can speak English. But if you repeat this phrase, she will know I sent you.”

He repeated a phrase in a language she didn’t understand and she spoke so many languages that she was very surprised.

“Come with me” Kerri -liana said, “We can find her together.”

“No” he said, “If I escape, they will search for me and then she might be found. I will stay, find her for me please.”

James was very handsome in Kerri’s eyes and loyalty was always attractive.

“Ok, I will try, I am Kerri- liana by the way.”

“My apologies” James said,

“I should have asked. So where are you from?”

He asked making small talk out of curtsy.

“I am from Alaska” She replied.

“Where are you from?” she asked,

“I was in Russia doing a study on bears.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” She grinned.

Feeling a little flustered she left. She snuck back to the servants’ quarters and stole a set of clothes.

‘I am going to get lice from this’ she thought,

She then tied up her hair in a messy bun and smeared dirt from the floor on her face. She hid her clothes in the wall near James’ room. She then joined the ladies in the kitchen. She gathered some fruit (some was like nothing she had seen before) and some bread.

She was hungry, she also took a skin of water. She listened as the kitchen staff whispered to one another.

Then a girl, maybe ten came into the kitchen via the secret passageway. Her hair was almost black, and it was in a big knot on the side of her head. She was dirty and wearing clothes too small for her. She had no shoes on.

“Here you go” said one of the kitchen maids giving her some bread.

She stuffed her face eating everything in only a few bites.

“Have the forest orphans been giving you a hard time?” She asked the girl.

The girl only shook her head not saying anything.

“What happened to your arm?”

Her arm had been cut, there was dry blood and dirt on her.

‘Infection’ Kerri -liana thought.

Then the girl disappeared into the walls.

“Who is that” Kerri asked in the native tongue, they looked at her closely.

“Who are you?” they asked.

“I am new here” she told them.

“Where are you from?”

They seemed hostile.

“From far, faraway a place called Alaska.”

“So, you are the new slave. I heard the guards talking about with the queen” (they all spat on the floor) “getting new slaves. She went on a spree and killed thirty slaves last week.”

Kerri couldn’t hide her look of terror.

“Don’t worry it normally only happens on a full moon” they said comfortingly.

“Who is the girl?” Kerri asked again but with hope in her voice this time.

“Rosaleighm, her parents were killed when she was four, she sometimes comes here for food if she hasn’t been able to catch anything. She doesn’t talk much, we feed her as we feel bad. Even though we didn’t know her parents, the queen had them killed. Then the maids at the time threw her into the jungle, I guess they hoped she would die. Then she wouldn’t be their problem but she managed to live out there somehow and comes here if she is really hungry.”

“Do you know how she gets in and out of the castle?” Kerri interrupted.

“Nope” they said,

“We are too scared to try, maybe we will be caught and killed.”

Kerri put a false bottom in the basket hiding the food and water, she then left the castle telling the guards that she was going to get herbs for the queen’s dinner. A guard followed her.

“Where did that strange man come from” she mumbled to herself, loudly enough for the guard to hear.

“Maybe he found a way to open the sugs” the guard answered.

Kerri-liana did not look at the guard but asked,

“How would he manage that?”

The guard’s tone became suspicious,

“By using a crystal.”

Kerri knew she had to get rid of the guard so she went to the river. She picked some plants she hoped were not poisonous, and put them into the basket above the false bottom.

“I need to cross the river,” Kerri said looking down,

The guard sighed and walked into the water he extended a hand for her so he could help her cross. The water was flowing fast and about knee deep. Kerri picked up a stone as big as her hand and walked with the basket hiding it. When she was close enough, she used the stone to hit the guard in the face. He fell to his knees blood gushing from his wound. She kicked him causing him to fall over. The river washed away his body.

Kerri-liana called in English and then repeated the phrase in an unknown tongue. Then walked the river’s edge calling in English and then repeating the phrase.

Lakisha appeared,

“Did my uncle send you?”

“Yes” Kerri replied,

“I brought you food and water.”

“Thank you” Lakisha said.

“Your Danish is terrible” she added.

“I am great with languages” Kerri said defensively.

“I imagine so” Lakisha said eating “Just not Danish. How is my uncle? Did he manage to get away from those awful men?”

“No” Kerri said.

“But he is with the queen.”

“Oh good, this whole matter will be resolved then.” She smiled.

“No” Kerri said,

“The Queen speaks a language that James doesn’t understand and there is no interpreter.”

Lakisha looked panicked.

“Also, the queen is not a very nice person, she kills people for fun.”

Lakisha tried to keep it together,

“Ok. Can we get him out of there?” She asked.

“I might be able to.” Kerri said “There is a child about ten. She knows secret ways in and out of the castle. If you can find her maybe she can help. Stay out of sight and do not get caught or you will be sold as a slave.”

Lakisha couldn’t believe it.

“A Slave!” She said outraged.

“In our day and age!”

“Umm” Kerri began,

“We aren’t on earth; I don’t know how but here human rights don’t apply. Stay hidden, protect yourself. I will be back with your uncle as soon as possible.”

“My name is Lakisha, thank you.”

“I am Kerri-liana.” Kerri scurried back to the castle where the guards asked

“Where is the guard that went with you?! Where are your herbs?!” Kerri looked down and quickly said,

“I dropped it in the forest, something chased us and I was told go to the castle so I am here.”

He grabbed her face and stared into her eyes. For the first time she looked into the eyes of a guard and saw his face clearly. He had a burn on his face a symbol like an “S” but with swirls, his brown eyes showed a hard and fearless man, no mercy or sympathy could be seen. She wondered what he saw when looking into her eyes and at her dirty face.

His grip was tight and she could feel he was strong.

She had to get out of the castle with James before the guard returned and told the truth.

He released her and she walked quickly into the castle kitchen where she snuck into the walls and scurried down the passageways. Her heart was pounding. It was getting dark outside and she wanted to go home as this was not fun.

She got to James’ room in time to hear him being led away to his meal with the queen. She changed into her own clothing and insured the crystal was with her. She crawled through the tight spaces she had been avoiding to spy on James’ dinner.

The queen had him placed next to her. She was looking nice. James was wearing different clothes too. Guards stood at every door, big men with helmets pulled over their faces and only slits for them to see out of. James ate as the queen ate, she smiled at him, he smiled back.

“Guards” she ordered,

“Leave us.”

The guards stood outside the room still guarding every door. She looked at his wound from where he had been struck. Not saying anything she touched around it, as if examining his wound out of care. James pulled away.

“That is not appropriate” he said firmly.

Tone was something that seemed to be universal as Queen Tiffany seem to get that he didn’t want his face touched. He looked her in the eyes. She had beautiful eyes but cold and cruel.

“What do you want from me?” he asked.

She sighed,

“Send in the translator” she called to the guards.

A rat looking man came in and never looking up at her said

“Yes, my queen.”

“What is he saying?” she said impatiently,

The interpreter looked at James,

“Who are you?” James said expecting that the little man wouldn’t understand him.

And as expected the little man didn’t understand him.

“Useless!” she cried.

“Silira” she called.

A tiger came in the guards stepped aside not wanting to be in paws reach of the tiger.

“Dinner” she commanded.

The tiger killed the rat of a man before James or Kerri knew what was happening.

James stood up he couldn’t believe what just happened. The queen continued eating while a man was being eaten on her floor next to her.

James objected, knowing she couldn’t understand but he had to try.

“That is wrong” he said trying not to let his voice shake.

“That is wrong! You are an evil woman” he snapped.

She got that he was upset about it, but his carrying on was irritating. She called for the guards to make him sit again so they could finish their meal. But James wasn’t hungry, how could he be. He was forced to sit but he refused to eat.

James wondered if killing the woman was even possible. He looked the queen in the eyes, as if he could stare her to death.

She sighed, “Take him to his room” she ordered.

A weed of a man with pointy features came in.

“Speak Brut” she snapped.

“My queen” he quivered “Could this man be a traveler?” he paused waiting for the queen to ask something.

“I am not in the mood, say what you mean to say!”

“Sugs” he spat out

“Could his man have come through a sugs?”

“Why do you say that” she said standing up and looking at him straight on.

He quivered,

“Because there is a story in the market about a man with weapons that kill with a bang, and that there was a woman with him riding on horses like they had never seen before. I heard this from the slave traders in town before they went to the tavern.”

This news concerned Tiffany, she was queen and no “sugs” had been opened since her parents and grandparents died. No one had the crystals needed to open a “sugs”.

“Leave me!” she ordered.

She paced the room unfazed by the blood on the floor.

“Lock that man in the dungeon” she ordered.

They took James to the dungeon. At first the news upset her, then she thought.

‘What if I rule all seven kingdoms?’

Kerri-liana went to the kitchen and asked,

“What are sugs?” the servants laughed,

“They allow travel between worlds.” said the one that fed the girl,

“But they have been gone for years, no one has the crystals to open them.”

“The queen’s grandparents closed them forever, that’s why the people rebelled and killed the king and queen. Their granddaughter was saved by her nanny and now she is queen. The worst thing that ever happened was killing the old king and queen.”

“Why did they kill the king and queen?” Kerri asked,

“Because they closed all the “sugs”” she replied like that explained everything.

“I am from a faraway place I don’t know why “sugs” are important.”

“Well because that’s how we traded with other worlds, people lost family as not everyone was on world when they closed the “sugs”.”

“How did they close them?” Kerri asked

“No one knows.” The servant replied.

Kerri disappeared into the passageway and to the dungeon, where she found James. He had not been harmed. But he was in chains and she needed a key.

“Sadly, I can’t pick locks” she said.

“Who knew that could be a good skill to have. Did you find my niece?” He asked,

“Oh yes, Lakisha is waiting for us in the forest by the river near the castle. She followed you here while staying in the forest.”

He sighed in relief.

“I want to go home.”

“I will try get you out of here” Kerri said.