The Inner Kingdom: Quest One (Dragon Quest Book 1) by S.R. Gibbs Page B

loose.
    We were given gold sandals that tied up our calves to wear, which were very comfortable despite the fact that I never liked sandals with strings that went between my toes.
    “If you do not mind following us, we will lead you to Grand Elder Nolin,” the tallest one of the helpers announced, shepherding us out of the room.
    Once we were down the hall, I could not stand the silence any longer. “Now can you tell me why you kept quiet this morning?”
    “You are questioning the wrong person. I was going to let you know I was no longer sleeping, but April covered my mouth.
    I turned to see a red-faced April pretending to be very fascinated with the architecture as she listened to our conversation.
    “Don’t look at her like that; she probably did it because she did not want to interrupt your flirting.”
    “I was not flirting,” I denied.
    “Just promise you will control your temper around him since he seems to be the only one that sets you off,” April said, finally looking toward me for a response.
    “Fine, I will try to become less upset when he is around.”
    “No matter whom you flirt with, or not flirt with, we must not get attached to anyone here. We will get the opportunity to leave one day, and it would be better if there was nothing here to miss,” Ashley murmured low enough that only we could hear.
    “Ditto,” I whispered back.
    Meeting eyes with April, she hesitantly agreed as Ashley and I suspiciously looked at her.
    “It is easier this way. We must not allow ourselves to feel anything toward anyone here,” Ashley declared, stopping us as the helpers continued to walk, oblivious to our argument.
    April turned toward us looking more determined than I have ever seen her. “It’s just that, I can’t stop wondering if everything is true. What if we are obligated to help the people here?”
    “We are not obligated to anyone here. We do not belong here,” I replied.
    “Well, according to everyone here, this is our home,” April countered, not backing down. “I just want to know the truth. What else can explain the strange abilities we have developed?”
    “Maybe it is a side effect from being here. These powers cannot be limited to us; you saw what Leo did back there.”
    The sound of someone clearing their throat caught our attention. As we stopped to see who made the sound, the four helpers were beginning to look impatient as they motioned for us to keep up with them.
    We continued walking in silence until the ladies stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway. The tallest one rubbed her hand across a celta in the shape of a peacock creature like the one that led us here. Shortly after touching it, the symbol disappeared, causing a section of the wall to lift up, forming a doorway that led out into a sidewalk made out of shiny white rocks.
    The rocks were very smooth and did not hurt when I stood on them, which was very surprising due to the fact that I was wearing thin sandals. The sun felt wonderful against my skin, energizing me in a way. The smell of flowers was overwhelming as I inhaled deeply, feeling better after just a minute outside.
    “This is where we part,” said the one who activated the celta as we looked back at her for further instructions. “The path will lead you to your destination. Just activate the celta.
    Before we could ask where the celta was located, she had already closed the doorway.
    “Great! Now what are we supposed to do?” I yelled, looking around for anything that resembled a celta. “Have any ideas, April?”
    “I don’t know. Mina said that celtas are made and activated by energy. Maybe we can locate it with the same method.”
    “I say we just follow the path, and just see where it goes. We already know that Nolin is our destination,” Ashley strategized out loud.
    Checking around the area, I could only see flowers everywhere I looked. It reminded me of the field we traveled by when coming to the castle. The path ran through the gardens and