Hidden Kingdom

⊱Chapter 36 🗡Capture the Magic Flag⊰

I finally finished editing through the entire book, so there will be five updates today!!! Though the the book has been edited once, the editing process never stops. So if there are things that need to be changed please let me know. This chapter is dedicated to BizarreSmalls for helping to want to continue on with this story. 

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King Hakeem greeted me with a nod at my approach. "Today we will test your magical skills. First you will undergo an obstacle course on the ground with a bit of combat, not much. Then you will go head to head with some of the other riders testing your magical abilities in full combat. Your goal for the obstacles is to capture the flag that is hidden within the forest. The edge is marked off so please don't go beyond. Whenever you are ready you may begin."

Nodding I walk over to where Jayce was standing as he waved to me. "Hey, how are you feeling today?" He asked as he watched me stretch. This would be almost exactly like hunting.

"No problem with any of the tests from here on out, I think. This is more of my element." I recall all of my training sessions as both a mage and knight. Serina squeaking in excitement, the rush of the hunt was one thing we both shared.

Jayce clapped me on the shoulder for encouragement, "Good to hear it. Have fun in there but also be careful. One never knows what the forest may hold." He ominously voiced as he walked off.

Exhaling a calming breath I headed into the woods not putting the first part of the test off any longer. The flag probably wouldn't take long to locate as Serina was already sniffing out the whereabouts of the flag as she flitted through the treetops.

Staying out of sight of those who wished to stop our victory. Soon enough we came upon the river that was too wide to jump. The trees too closely packed to fly through.

Climbing up a nearby tree I swung from a branch to cling onto a nearby vine. Throwing my weight forward to gain momentum, willing myself to swing across the river. My feet firmly planted on a branch on the opposite side of the river, after grabbing onto a branch to stop me from swinging back across.

Climbing down from the position I held in the tree, I hesitated. The air in the forest didn't feel right. Pausing in my mission to listen for anything that might give an indication.

There were no birds or any kind of wildlife sounds echoing through the forest. The natural sounds of a forest always echoed through subtly except for when a predator stalked nearby. I would have to be careful going forward from here. "Serina, do you see anyone close by? Maybe crouched in an ambush position?" Hoping her survey the soundings didn't betray my hunting intuition. Otherwise that means I'm losing my touch.

"You mean the guy hiding behind that bush with what looks to be a sword at the ready?" Serina asked nonchalantly.

I felt the urge to roll my eyes but refrained. Delicately picking my way towards the knight without giving away my location. "Thanks for the heads up. Think you could have told me when you first found him?"

"I told you before you ran into him. Isn't that enough?" Serina hissed, pulling the man's attention to the tree tops where she was hiding. Seeing this as my chance I jumped down from the trees landing on top of him with all of my weight. Easily knocking him out.

"Thanks for the distraction." I pull him over to one of the trees, tying him to it with a vine. That should hold him for a bit.

"You're welcome. I don't think the flag is too much further." Serina moved from tree to tree as I jogged after her.