Abandoned Shack

Nia, Belze, and the silver merchant slowly rode along as they ventured into the forest. However, this forest wasn't filled with dark creatures. Only animals such as rabbits, squirrels, and deer. Nia was no longer able to sense the dragon, but she still felt relief by knowing there were other dragons.

As the horses neighed over the dirt and grass, the silver merchant held to the reins. They moved slowly as there was no trail to follow.

Eventually, they were facing an open field in the middle of the forest. And in the middle of that field was an abandoned shack made of stone.

"It's been a while since I was here. I used this place as storage once," the silver merchant remarked.

"This place? It's a piece of junk. There's not even a hint of wind and I can see the pieces of stone falling off of it," Belze complained.

Nia sighed and said, "Well, it's a good place to wait for nightfall. It's far off the beaten path and away from any roads."

Nia got off the wagon and proceeded to walk towards the shack.

The silver merchant let go of the reins and the horses began to graze. Belze then hopped off, then the merchant.

As Nia walked closer, she opened the crooked wooden door. The lights on every corner inside instantly flickered on by themselves. Inside was a blue room. It had soft chairs and stools. A long sleek table. A closet with a clean design. A large bed made up of wool. The walls were covered in smooth metal, but the room wasn't hot at all. The floor was carpet made out of soft fur. Small holes on the ceiling would breathe out cool air. Clear glass windows that let them see what was outside. There was a counter covered in a random assortment of junk. Although the room looked clean, there were some mice that scurried away as the lights turned on. Nia was utterly surprised. It was nothing like how she expected. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary old shack, but inside was an elegant room. If it wasn't for the mice and the random junk, then this place would have been a perfect room for a king.

Belze walked in with his mouth open in shock. Both Nia and Belze never saw anything like this. Their eyes were stunned with beauty.

The silver merchant waltzed right past them and into the shack.

"It's a little cramped and dirty, but I hope you don't mind. I haven't been to one of my storage rooms in a long time," the silver merchant said.

"Have we all died and got transported to another world?" Nia asked in astonishment.

"Not to my knowledge," the silver merchant remarked as he sat on a stool.

Belze pinched his own cheeks to wake himself up from his dream. But it was no dream. It was a room of fantasy in their world. As Nia and Belze walked in, the door closed steadily behind them.

"Now that we're inside, I can tell you how you can get inside King's City," the silver merchant said.