Journey to the Ironclad Kingdom
@jttik.bsky.social
Children's Book written by Chris Collier
Buy the book: tinyurl.com/yktyv3mk
Author's Website: https://www.chris-collier.com/
Buy the book: tinyurl.com/yktyv3mk
Author's Website: https://www.chris-collier.com/
Like all proper dwarves, this one spoke in a rough-hewn Scottish accent.
“I expected ya to be a bit taller, laddie.” He scratched his head. “Thought you’d be a bit older too, I might add.”
“I expected ya to be a bit taller, laddie.” He scratched his head. “Thought you’d be a bit older too, I might add.”
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Like all proper dwarves, this one spoke in a rough-hewn Scottish accent.
“I expected ya to be a bit taller, laddie.” He scratched his head. “Thought you’d be a bit older too, I might add.”
“I expected ya to be a bit taller, laddie.” He scratched his head. “Thought you’d be a bit older too, I might add.”
It was a dwarf. A proper dwarf of magical realms that everyone thinks of when they hear the word. Bennett could recognize a dwarf when he saw one, even if didn’t quite believe what his eyes were telling him.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
It was a dwarf. A proper dwarf of magical realms that everyone thinks of when they hear the word. Bennett could recognize a dwarf when he saw one, even if didn’t quite believe what his eyes were telling him.
A great big axe that stood taller than Bennett himself, nearly twice the size of the man that held it.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
A great big axe that stood taller than Bennett himself, nearly twice the size of the man that held it.
Instead there was a little stout man, maybe 3 feet tall on a good day, clad in shiny steel armor with a bright orange beard that nearly touched the ground. Bennett saw the implement this little man used to bang on his door. It was an axe.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Instead there was a little stout man, maybe 3 feet tall on a good day, clad in shiny steel armor with a bright orange beard that nearly touched the ground. Bennett saw the implement this little man used to bang on his door. It was an axe.
Neither of his parents could have been angry enough to cause such a commotion.
“I’m coming! I’m awake, I promise!” he shouted, and rushed to the door. He turned the knob and opened it quickly, but his dad wasn’t there. Neither was his mom, his sister, or either of their dogs.
“I’m coming! I’m awake, I promise!” he shouted, and rushed to the door. He turned the knob and opened it quickly, but his dad wasn’t there. Neither was his mom, his sister, or either of their dogs.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Neither of his parents could have been angry enough to cause such a commotion.
“I’m coming! I’m awake, I promise!” he shouted, and rushed to the door. He turned the knob and opened it quickly, but his dad wasn’t there. Neither was his mom, his sister, or either of their dogs.
“I’m coming! I’m awake, I promise!” he shouted, and rushed to the door. He turned the knob and opened it quickly, but his dad wasn’t there. Neither was his mom, his sister, or either of their dogs.
Bennett was so startled he fell out of bed. The knocks were so loud it sounded as if the door would cave in. He couldn’t imagine a fist making such a sharp sound either. It sounded more like his baseball bat smacking the door.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Bennett was so startled he fell out of bed. The knocks were so loud it sounded as if the door would cave in. He couldn’t imagine a fist making such a sharp sound either. It sounded more like his baseball bat smacking the door.
“I’m awake!” he cried drearily, before rolling over and drifting back into a light sleep.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
“I’m awake!” he cried drearily, before rolling over and drifting back into a light sleep.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fell asleep to the sound of his father’s voice again, awash in the comfort of his normal everyday concerns, on his normal, everyday street, in his normal, everyday town, where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens.
Bennett awoke with a loud knock on his door.
Bennett awoke with a loud knock on his door.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
He fell asleep to the sound of his father’s voice again, awash in the comfort of his normal everyday concerns, on his normal, everyday street, in his normal, everyday town, where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens.
Bennett awoke with a loud knock on his door.
Bennett awoke with a loud knock on his door.
Something that changed that small folk’s life forever.
Something that is a story, Bennett told himself eventually, and nothing more. Besides, Bennett had scarier real things to worry about, like school the next day.
Something that is a story, Bennett told himself eventually, and nothing more. Besides, Bennett had scarier real things to worry about, like school the next day.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Something that changed that small folk’s life forever.
Something that is a story, Bennett told himself eventually, and nothing more. Besides, Bennett had scarier real things to worry about, like school the next day.
Something that is a story, Bennett told himself eventually, and nothing more. Besides, Bennett had scarier real things to worry about, like school the next day.
Soon it was time for bed, and though Bennett was overcome with tiredness, the sound of his father’s voice reading said something that kept him awake for a long time. Something about an old wizard carving a symbol into an unsuspecting folk’s door.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Soon it was time for bed, and though Bennett was overcome with tiredness, the sound of his father’s voice reading said something that kept him awake for a long time. Something about an old wizard carving a symbol into an unsuspecting folk’s door.
It was even now, the same color as the rest. He convinced himself that he couldn’t spot the one with a symbol. Convinced himself that it didn’t have a symbol at all, and slowly was able to get lost in the movie with his family.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
It was even now, the same color as the rest. He convinced himself that he couldn’t spot the one with a symbol. Convinced himself that it didn’t have a symbol at all, and slowly was able to get lost in the movie with his family.
He loved snuggling on the couch with his family, but instead he sat on the edge of the couch, at just the right spot where he could peek out the sliding glass door to see the brick at the far end of the patio.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
He loved snuggling on the couch with his family, but instead he sat on the edge of the couch, at just the right spot where he could peek out the sliding glass door to see the brick at the far end of the patio.
They had a movie night after dinner, and watched one of the Star Wars films. Bennett should have enjoyed it. He loved stories, and movies, and popcorn.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
They had a movie night after dinner, and watched one of the Star Wars films. Bennett should have enjoyed it. He loved stories, and movies, and popcorn.
Think about whether he’d really seen anything at all. Convince himself that he didn’t actually touch the symbol. He did to himself what grown ups often do to curious children with imaginations running wild, and tell them that it’s all in their heads.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Think about whether he’d really seen anything at all. Convince himself that he didn’t actually touch the symbol. He did to himself what grown ups often do to curious children with imaginations running wild, and tell them that it’s all in their heads.
His sister started talking about some drama going on in her imaginary grocery store in the basement, and Bennett was thankful to have the attention off him so he could sit and think. Think of what that symbol on the bottom of the brick reminded him of.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
His sister started talking about some drama going on in her imaginary grocery store in the basement, and Bennett was thankful to have the attention off him so he could sit and think. Think of what that symbol on the bottom of the brick reminded him of.
When his family ate dinner, his parents asked him how his day was.
“Good,” he said.
“Did you have fun?” they asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Good,” he said.
“Did you have fun?” they asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
When his family ate dinner, his parents asked him how his day was.
“Good,” he said.
“Did you have fun?” they asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Good,” he said.
“Did you have fun?” they asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
When he went inside, it didn’t even make him a little mad to see his sister playing with his toy cars and racetrack.
Nothing seemed to hold his attention. Nothing seemed to cause much of any type of reaction within him.
Nothing seemed to hold his attention. Nothing seemed to cause much of any type of reaction within him.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
When he went inside, it didn’t even make him a little mad to see his sister playing with his toy cars and racetrack.
Nothing seemed to hold his attention. Nothing seemed to cause much of any type of reaction within him.
Nothing seemed to hold his attention. Nothing seemed to cause much of any type of reaction within him.
He tried to go back to flying his toy planes around, but he didn’t quite get the same joy in trying to get them stuck on the roof. He tried to run around with the dogs, but for the first time he can remember he just didn’t have the energy.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
He tried to go back to flying his toy planes around, but he didn’t quite get the same joy in trying to get them stuck on the roof. He tried to run around with the dogs, but for the first time he can remember he just didn’t have the energy.
One that makes them feel that, at any second, a trap door might open up below their feet.
Bennett placed the bricks back, and tried to forget.
Bennett placed the bricks back, and tried to forget.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
One that makes them feel that, at any second, a trap door might open up below their feet.
Bennett placed the bricks back, and tried to forget.
Bennett placed the bricks back, and tried to forget.
A sense of foreboding overwhelmed Bennett. A sensation that often occurs in curious people when they’ve been asking and answering little questions along the way until they stumble upon one great, big question. One they aren’t quite sure they really want to know the answer to.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
A sense of foreboding overwhelmed Bennett. A sensation that often occurs in curious people when they’ve been asking and answering little questions along the way until they stumble upon one great, big question. One they aren’t quite sure they really want to know the answer to.
He traced the carving with his finger. What an odd thing to be carved into a patio brick, he thought to himself. He even popped up the next brick (which took considerably more force), but the bottom side was smooth and flat.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
He traced the carving with his finger. What an odd thing to be carved into a patio brick, he thought to himself. He even popped up the next brick (which took considerably more force), but the bottom side was smooth and flat.
At the sight of the carving, his mind immediately went to lessons of Stonehenge and the great pyramids of Egypt that he was taught in school, of ancient humans who lived long ago and left their mark on the world.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
At the sight of the carving, his mind immediately went to lessons of Stonehenge and the great pyramids of Egypt that he was taught in school, of ancient humans who lived long ago and left their mark on the world.
He looked it over and found something carved into the bottom. Something so foreign and unrecognizable, but somehow at the same time so primally familiar that he felt he’d seen it hundreds of times.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
He looked it over and found something carved into the bottom. Something so foreign and unrecognizable, but somehow at the same time so primally familiar that he felt he’d seen it hundreds of times.
Bennett touched the brick again, pushing it with a bit more force this time, and the brick shifted. Just enough so that he could fit his fingers around either end. He did just that, lifting the thing with the delicacy of a trained surgeon.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Bennett touched the brick again, pushing it with a bit more force this time, and the brick shifted. Just enough so that he could fit his fingers around either end. He did just that, lifting the thing with the delicacy of a trained surgeon.
You never really can be sure about whether the question you’re asking is the right one, but curious people ask the questions they truly want to know the answers to, and those questions are always the right questions to ask.
June 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM
You never really can be sure about whether the question you’re asking is the right one, but curious people ask the questions they truly want to know the answers to, and those questions are always the right questions to ask.