Kingdoms for Sale: The Journey Begins

Kingdoms for Sale

The Journey Begins

Anita Sinclair

ISBN 979-8-89345-088-0 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89345-089-7 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Anita Sinclair

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Mad Marvin's Meadow

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

The Rat King

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Prissy's New Shoes

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Introduction

This story takes place where fairy tales were believed, and pretending wasn't necessary. Everything imagined was real; dragons, fairies, unicorns, and elves roamed the countryside and villages too. The world of Aught was flat, and along the border, before reaching its edge, was a horrible place called the Land of the Unruly . There were no rules, no kingdoms, no one to lead, and no one willing to follow. Thieves, robbers, and other horrible characters would flee to the Unruly , thinking they would find a safe haven. Often, these same thieves, robbers, and unsavory characters would return home to face the penalty for their misdeeds rather than stay in such a ruthless place. Green ogres guarded the borders of the Unruly , where dragon eggs cursed by a witch's brew were incubated in dark crevices.

Away from the edges and deep into the interior was the Land of Endings, a place where rolling hills, green valleys, deep forests, and kingdoms filled the land. Life was mostly good within the confines of the Land of Endings, but certainly not perfect.

There were many kingdoms inside the Endings, but this story takes place inside the Kingdom of Villes. The noble King Clyde and Queen Lilian ruled over the kingdom. Prince Augustus (whom they called Auggie) and Prince Thaddeus were their sons. So begins the first of many of their tales.

Kontar

Prologue

Beyond the forested area, King Edgar and his army were approaching the cliffs above Lookout Lake when the earth began to shake. Twisted fingers of smoke rose into view from the sides of the cliff as thunderous roars echoed off its sides.

Before the king could issue a command of retreat, the monstrous dragon, known to all in the Land of Endings as Kontar, flew into view and immediately began attacking the regiment. Panicking, many of the horses tossed their riders to the ground, trying to escape the dragon's fiery assault. Prince Clyde landed on his back while his father, King Edgar, remained in his seat.

A battle raged between the brave men and the evil dragon. As Kontar continued his bombardment of fire, Prince Clyde regained his footing and joined several of the knights as they maneuvered their way to the rear of the dragon. There they launched a counterattack.

The sudden onslaught from behind infuriated the dragon. Turning its massive body, the dragon's spiked tail struck the king in the chest. The force of the blow swept King Edgar off his horse and over the steep edge of the cliff. Encumbered with heavy armor, the king was unable to save himself as he sank to the bottom of the lake.

Unleashing a shout of fury, Prince Clyde attacked the beast. Rushing after the dragon, the prince raised his sword and caught Kontar under his wing. Feeling the sharp blade penetrate the dragon's scales, Clyde plunged his sword deep until he felt bone. Then with a forceful thrust, the sword broke through the bone, allowing Clyde to continue his upward motion. A sizable chunk of the dragon's wing fell to the ground as the dragon lashed out wildly with bursts of fire shooting into the sky.

Gravely injured, the dragon sprang into the air to make his escape. Watching the beast fly clumsily through the sky, those on the ground thought that Kontar would also plummet into the lake below, but no, the dragon flew awkwardly out of sight and back to the Unruly.

Chapter 1

Sire, sire! came the frantic call from Cyrus as he galloped his horse over the drawbridge to reach the safety of the castle's grounds. Clinging to his horse's neck, Cyrus, a mayor from a faraway village, had ridden through forested mountains and craggy canyons to reach the king. Steep ravines and rushing rivers delayed the journey, making the mayor's panic grow.

The king! I have a message for the king! he shouted while passing through the gate. Surprised by the large crowd of villagers who had gathered for market, Cyrus jolted the reins of his horse back sharply, causing the steed to skid to a stop. The portly mayor rolled awkwardly off the horse and landed on his knees. With wobbly legs, Cyrus regained his footing and pushed his way into the crowd.

Spotting a sentry standing guard at the foot of the massive stone staircase that led to the castle's front door, Cyrus stumbled over to where he stood. Grabbing the young man by his shoulders, he began shaking him harshly while shouting, He's back! He's back! He's heading this way! You must warn the king!

The surprised guard instinctively broke the grip that Cyrus had on him and demanded to know what was going on.

Kontar! cried the mayor. He's bac—

The name was all it took. Before Cyrus could utter another word, the guard pushed the mayor aside to dash up the stairs. Giving up trying to stay on his feet, Cyrus collapsed on the stoop beneath him. The mayor buried his head in his trembling hands and began to moan, We're going to die. We're all going to die!

From under a shady awning that was set up next to the stone staircase, Gladys, an old woman known as the Ancient One, watched the entire event unfold. The Ancient One recognized the man who had grabbed the sentry by the shoulders. Curious by the mayor's frazzled look, she scooted closer to hear what he had to say. Gladys gasped when she heard the name Kontar. Leaning over the smooth wooden counter that separated her from her neighbor's booth, she whispered loudly, Did ye hear him? Did ye hear him yell out Kontar's name?

The miller, who had been busy measuring out portions of flour, had indeed heard the exchange. Nodding silently to the old woman, he turned to the vegetable vendor next to him and proclaimed, Kontar's back, and they say he's on his way here.

The pottery maker, with hands all wet with clay, was also standing close and listening intently. Turning to where her husband tended a buyer, she cried out, Did ye hear what they're saying? Kontar's back! Quick, go warn family.

Both the husband and shopper ran off, crying out the warning. In no time at all, mothers and fathers, looking to their children, gathered them close. All business ceased. Even pickpockets found they could not concentrate. Except for the clank, clank, clank of a hammer against an anvil made by the smithy, silence fell heavily upon the market.

The intense heat of the fire kept the smithy isolated from the crowds, but in due course, the silence caught his attention. Putting his hammer down, he lifted his eyes. The fear that he saw upon the faces of his friends and neighbors alarmed the smithy. Uncertain as to what was happening or what to do, like the rest, he turned his eyes in the direction of the palace door.

Chapter 2

Meanwhile, inside his study, King Clyde began studying a map of the castle grounds while drumming his fingers on the large worktable in front of him. The first tournament of the year was drawing near, and the king had plans to draw up. Contestants from the twelve kingdoms that made up the Land of Endings would be gathered for games and competitions.

Scooping a pile of miniature tents, bleachers, and figurines up into his hand, Clyde began positioning them in strategic places across the map. The king determined whose tents should or should not be located next to each other. Although there currently were no declared wars, skirmishes were beginning to crop up between the Kingdom of Groves and the Kingdom of Boroughs. To keep the mood as festive as possible, Clyde chose to position their tents at opposite ends of the arena.

The king paused to admire the work a craftsman had put into a toy jouster that his son Auggie had lent him. As he studied the small figure of horse and rider, Clyde realized the warrior's features were crafted to resemble him—a cleft in the chin, a wave of chestnut-colored hair, and well-defined brows. Even the nose was a bit crooked, the result of a childhood adventure that left it slightly, but permanently bent. Impressed, Clyde was about to place the jouster on the map when he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye.

Above the room's fireplace mantle hung the torn wing of the dragon. Covered with years of dust and smoke, the wing was nailed to the stone wall with an iron spike. The misshapen wing began to flap and twitch uncontrollably. It was not the first time this had happened, but every time it did, the wing's flightless gyrations confirmed to the king that the dragon Kontar still lived. Clyde hated the beast that had killed his father and so badly wanted to avenge his death. Ten years had gone by and still no sign of its return.

The king jumped when the sentry threw open the door. Clyde had just enough time to recognize the young guard standing in the doorframe when the door rebounded off the back wall and slammed shut. Clyde saw fingers sticking from the door jamb at the same time he heard howling from the other side of the door. Darting across the room, Clyde reached for the latch at the same time the door flew open once again. To keep from being hit in the face, the king instinctively pushed back against it, causing it to slam shut once again. This time he heard a thud and then silence.

Cautiously, Clyde reopened the door. There, crumpled in a heap on the floor, was the guard who had a very important message to give to the king. Letting out a sigh, Clyde bent down to check on the injured man.

Is that Timothy? asked Sir Hamilton as he bent down next to the king. Sir Hamilton was the king's top knight and trusted advisor and was always close at hand.

I'm afraid it is, replied the king as he inspected the bump on Timothy's forehead. Clyde moved aside so that Sir Hamilton could look after the young guard. Although the elder knight had fought in many battles over the years, he was also known to have a gentle touch when tending the wounded.

Both men had little patience for Timothy, for he had recently been jinxed with continual clumsiness. He had started teasing the little people. Prissy, the castle's resident fairy, warned the king, telling him there would be consequences for teasing the fairies, pixies, and sprites. Timothy chose not to listen to the king's advice, so it came as no surprise that a hex was placed on him.

I thought it was decided to keep him away from the royal family, sharp objects, and all difficult duties until the curse was lifted. Where did you have him posted today? asked the king.

With a second sentry near the front steps, replied