Hidden Kingdom

⊱Chapter 23 🗡Hidden Truths⊰

Hey guys!!! I am on a roll!!! Whoo!!!!!! I finished editing the next chapter of Hidden Kingdom. This is going to be a three part update. So here we go. Part one commences!!!!!!!!! 

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As I felt myself waking up I became aware of my surroundings slowly. Warm arms held my prone form tight against someone's chest as we moved along with the rhythm of a horse's gait.

Slowly blinking my eyes open I see Dax's anxious face above mine, a relieved smile breaking over his features. Still too exhausted to move I snuggle deeper into his embrace after gazing over to see Zimra following along having been tied to Jake's saddle.

"Where are we?" Bao's voice cut into the silence that had comfortably surrounded us.

Sighing I answered him with a voice scratchy from a forced sleep, "We are a few towns over from the King's Village. It would scare people and cause a mass panic if people had seen us transport into the village itself. I had to give us the appearance that it took a bit of time to travel, so to not arise any suspicion of us. We will arrive home in good time. No worries." A yawn forces its way out of my throat. Huffing I rebury my face back into Dax's chest.

Jake slowed his horse's pace so he could walk along aside Dax, giving me a worried glance before asking what had been continuously running through his mind. "Should you be this weak and tired? It doesn't seem normal." His tone unnaturally increasing an octave.

I smiled at him as my eyelids began to droop again, struggling to remain awake, "I will be alright eventually. This is actually normal believe it or not. Portals take up almost all of a magic user's energy when created and maintained. Even for the most experienced spell casters almost all of their energy is taken. How long was I out?"

"Only for a few moments at most." Bao's voice drifted over to me. He kept facing forward as I glanced over to his rigid form in front of us.

Closing my eyes again I yawned once more as my voice slightly slurred out, "Few moments huh? I feel really sleepy."

I felt warm lips brush along my forehead as Dax's chest vibrated when he lightly murmured, "Then sleep sweetheart. I will wake you up when we arrive home." His deep voice soothing me back to sleep in a matter of moments.

For once it is peaceful as my dreams are blissfully blank.

Though it seems short lived as a deep radiating pain in my stomach pulls me from the gentle caress of sleep. Squeezing my eyes closed, my teeth clinch together as I try to hold in the intense scream that is threatening to bubble its way out of my throat.

Slowly breathing in and out only a small hiss makes it past my lips. The pain continues on for what seems an eternity until finally slowly fading away. Leaving a deep ache in my abdomen as if a wound sat there.

Opening my eyes some time later the castle outline hazy in the distance, glowing from the light the rising sun is providing. Sitting up I turn in Dax's arms, fixing myself to lean back against his chest. Dax's laugh rumbling through my back.

Soon enough we are outside of the stables. I swing down from the saddle after Dax dismounts. Taking Zimra's reins from Jake to lead her to her stall, making sure to fully take care of her after the long journey.

"I don't know about you guys but I think I'll crawl into bed for the rest of the day." Jake yawned out as he stretched his arms into the air. Waving once he wandered off towards his room in the soldier quarters. Bao following my best friend's lead. Saying a gruff goodbye over his shoulder as he followed behind Jake.