Hidden Kingdom

⊱Chapter 17 🗡Mission One⊰

Camron laughed at me slightly at the fact that I was worried he would change his mind about us. "Of course my darling. I will always wait for you."

Standing up on my tip toes I peck him on the lips, "I love you."

He grinned at me with eyes shining, "As I love you." The strange feeling in the pit of my stomach growing with intensity at his reciprocated words. He gave me one more peck on the lips before nudging me towards the door. "Now go have an adventure, love. They are probably waiting for you."

After giving Camron one last hug, I run back to the stables to find my companions waiting on me as they are finishing saddling their own steeds.

Jake eyed me suspiciously while Dax gave me a knowing smile, he probably already said his long goodbyes to Maria. "Took you long enough." Jake grumbled at me, he was clearly still half asleep. He was not a morning person.

As the boys double checked their belonging, I did so as well to make sure Sam attached all of my saddlebags. "How long do you think we will be gone?" Jake asked from beside his roan colored horse.

"Two months at most I would think." I supplied while tugging on the straps of my saddle to make sure Zimra was comfortable and nothing was too tight or too loose on her. "It takes two weeks to get to Sarcosia, which is the main city that the King wanted us to check. Then however long it takes to get the information we need, along with the two weeks in travel back home."

Bao whistled from where he stood by his saddle bags he was arranging. He momentarily stopped whistling to cheer, "Nothing like a good long trip to get you in a good mood." He hadn't stopped grinning like a complete fool since the rest of us had encountered him in the royal stables.

Dax groaned over the neck of his gorgeous dapple grey mare towards Bao, "Stop being so damn cheery. It is just plain creepy coming from you." Jake made a noise of agreement from his throat while both shuddered slightly from the strange vibes coming from Bao.

Looking away from my companions I silently agree with them, the light mood coming from Bao doesn't seem right for some reason. It is plain nerve wracking.

"Enough, we must be on our way. We already have wasted enough daylight. I want to be past the city of Dornage before nightfall. Let's get a move on." I scolded the three.

We mounted our horses together, spurring them into a trot heading out of the village toward an entirely different part of the kingdom. Bao continuously whistled for another good hour of our journey before the three of us collectively told him to shut up.

Afterwards he mumbled kill joys underneath his breath, probably thinking we wouldn't hear him. I rolled my eyes heavenward at his attitude, he was one to talk.

Thankfully the rest of our journey northward passed rather quickly and for the most part quiet in the days that followed.

The coastline seemed to suddenly materialize out of nowhere, hinting to the fact that we were getting close to our destination.

The land surprised me throughout the length of our trip. It seemed more barren and desolate the further out we travelled from the middle of the Kingdom. The people within the towns and villages also pertained a certain miserable air about them that continued to grow as the distance grew between us and the center of the Kingdom.

The feeling of being watched by more than one person or thing continued to grow by the day. I had been monitoring the feeling since it first started, now it was beginning to really creep me out.

Smoke in the distance spiked fear into my core. Nudging Zimra into a full gallop I leave the others behind in the dust as I head for the source of the smoke. I just pray that I wasn't too late for whatever had happened or whatever was about to happen.

Roaring of flames reached my ears growing louder the closer I came to the source. Then came the screams for help.

A man covered with ash smeared across his face, came running towards our group shouting out, "Please! Please help us! My crops are on fire. The fire is spreading quickly, soon it will burn down my house and consume everything. If you don't help, my family could perish by this fire's hand."

Jumping off from the saddle and placing my hand on his shoulder to try and calm the poor man down, "Of course we will help."

Relief flashed through the man's eyes as his shoulders slumped from exhaustion. "Thank you."

Letting go of the ash covered man I turn around to face my boys who stood patiently waiting for instructions. "Okay, here is what we are going to do. Jake gather his family and keep them back on the dirt road at a safe distance. Bao, Dax, once I put out the main fire you two will smother the remaining smaller fires that may survive the initial blast. Got it?"

"Got it." Dax seemed eager to help unlike Bao. Who spoke with a hint of reluctance like what we were doing was wrong.

Jake stepped closer to be heard over the roaring flames, "I'll come help with the fire once the family is safe."

"I'm holding to that promise." Turning back around to face the orange flames that reached for the blue sky. "Step back, it is about to get really dusty." Heavy steps scampered off in a hurry, letting me know Jake ran off to gather the man's family at a safe distance.

The other three men stepped a few paces back behind me, making crunching noises with the gravel underneath the bottoms of their boots as they moved. With my eyes closed I could feel the heat of the flames licking at my face as the wild fire began to creep closer. 

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YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Onto Part three of this triple update!!! Please let me know what you guys though of the newly edited version of this chapter. 

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