Page 90 of Of Monsters Of Kings

His absence had stolen the fun right away, and that wasn’t nice at all when we’d intended to share a fright.

I scowled. What to do now? Returning to the hotel while feeling deflated didn’t feel right.

Should I return to frighten the landlady again? She’d likely faint again so soon after the last spook.

I glanced upward to find an enormous pillar of rock extending to the sky—or so it appeared from this vantage point. From my conservatory, I’d seen that the thatched kingdom didn’t quite meet the sky.

How convenient to find myself close to this kingdom. I should say that the thatched house was very far away and high up, and completely out of sight, but the base of the pillar was within walking distance.

I really did need to win back King Raise’s snuffing share.

Was this his kingdom? There was only one way to find out, though I might’ve easily asked Huckery if he hadn’t left me mid-spook.

I trailed my focus up, up, up the pillar of rock. Climbing would take a long time, and I didn’t have supplies. Then again, I hadn’t eaten since waking after the last slumber and didn’t feel hungry. I hadn’t eaten for several months of slumber put together either. This led me to believe I might not need food. I should stop preserving pears if that was the case.

I might as well climb.

“Which king do you belong to?” I murmured.

Arriving at the bottom of the pillar took a surprising and annoying amount of time. I’d misjudged the distance to get here, and foreboding crept through me at the thought I’d misjudged the distance up to the thatched house too.

At the base, I craned to look up. The pillar spanned several blocks in each direction. I marveled at the dread and hopelessness this kingdom inspired. This dark pedestal was a display for a rare diamond indeed.

I jumped impossibly high and gripped a ledge, pulling myself to stand on it. The pillar’s rock wasn’t crumbly as assumed, so perhaps climbing wouldn’t take so long.

I jumped and gripped and pulled up. I did it another time, then again.

I repeated this until I lost count, and then continued going past that.

When my breath quickened, I stopped to sit on a ledge, then peered down. My stomach swooped fast and without warning. My vision swam at the sheer distance to the ground.

Goodness me. The journey to this kingdom was a fright and delight in itself. I leaned back and grinned, my earlier good mood restored.

Better keep on.

I climbed and rested by turn, and as the time passed, concern ebbed in. I could see how far away the ground had become, but I couldn’t tell how close the top was. What if I was trapped and must climb forever? The idea hadn’t occurred to me but should have. Magical, impossible things often happened to monsters, and I’d seen the kingdom of stairs this evening, too, which made no secret of its intention to trap.

Was this kingdom a trap too?

The air gained a chill as I continued climbing for lack of a better idea. I’d liked the short sleeves of my vest at dusk, but now wished for longer sleeves to help guard against the cold. A scarf would also be nice.

Jump, grip, pull.

I settled into rhythm, and when my breath next quickened, I didn’t pause to rest. Was it this determination and perseverance that had me reach the top at last? Had chilled resolve been the key to this kingdom, or was arriving at the top just a matter of time and climb?

I straightened at the top and took in the kingdom of King Raise or King Bring.

Lush grass grew thick and happy and as far in each direction to be a match for the size of the other kings’ palaces, castles, and forests. Colorful flowers dotted the grass. Rabbits hopped, and deer bounded. The unexpected sight gave me the inkling to sob. The animals were so happy, and the grass and flowers so vibrant and full of life. This kingdom was a place of myth—a place I’d only heard stories about. If Mother were to be believed, which I certainly thought so, then parts of the world were like this before The End.

A dirt path wiggled between the lush grass like a worm, and I started down it to inspect the thatched house at the end.

Smoke curled from the chimney of the thatched house. Bunches of herbs dried under the porch. I spotted a rocking chair there too. The chair rocked, though no one sat upon it, and I could imagine sitting on it for an eternity to watch animals hop and prance by.

What if the world was truly like this?

I had to know which king ruled this kingdom.

I climbed the few steps to the porch and raised the iron knocker to announce my arrival. A rhythmic, high-pitched banging halted my downward swing.

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