Hidden Kingdom

⊱Chapter 18 🗡Unpleasant Company⊰

Alright guys, this is the final three part update from the edited chapter 8 of the original book. Please enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments.

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Keeping my eyes closed I take a calming breath to help me force all the unnecessary thoughts from my mind.

Placing the palms of my hands to the ground, projecting my energy pool outwards. Taking control over all earth particles that I could reach.

The more particles I connected with the more my energy drained. Finally deciding I had enough dirt particles I brought my arms up, slapping my palms together above my head. The dirt rising up in a giant inky cloud. Dropping my arms back down, I slam my hands against the ground. The thick cloud following my movements, choking the life out of the burning fire.

Causing a smoke like fog to rise up in place of the orange flames. As the majority of the fire was being put out by the cloud made of earth, Dax and Bao rushed forward to take care of the smaller bush fires that still burned.

As for me I collapsed briefly from exhaustion as I had never used my magic like that before. The poor man, who had never moved from his position behind me, had to catch me. When he did he almost fell over himself as he struggled to support my weight.

Thankfully the boys came back soon after my collapsing, covered from head to toe with soot, smelling heavily of smoke. Dax relieved the man of my dead weight when he was close enough. Lifting me into his arms and cradling me as if I were a mere child who needed coddling.

"Put me down this instant." I hissed through my teeth. Furious he was treating me like a child.

My behavior only made the fool grin as he found my anger amusing, "Nah, you are too weak to do anything right now. Besides I couldn't pass up this opportunity."

His comment had my cheeks turning a flaming red as the blood heated in embarrassment. "I swear Dax one of these days I might just kill you. Now put me down before my image is ruined and I am forever known as a weakling."

This comment seemed to make the entire group laugh instead of just Dax. "Sweetheart I don't think you will ever be known as a weakling. So put that out of your mind right now." Dax freaking smirked.

Still agitated with the man holding me I huffed, angling the upper part of my body away from him so he knew I was put out with him.

Instead I brought my attention to the man we had helped, who stood a couple feet away with a smile on his lips. "So what happened here? Was it Neglasian troops of the Northern territory past the kingdom?"

After I asked the question I almost regretted asking but it had to be done, for his smile slipped away and a sadness came over his demeanor. "Whatever do you mean?" He shook his head with a dejected tone, "It wasn't Neglasian troops that destroyed almost everything. It was our own troops."

Intrigued with what I had learned, my curiosity began to grow. Leaning further forward, "Then what actually happened?"

He placed his head within his hands as though what he was about to tell us had become almost unbelievable even to him. "The troops have been becoming more relentless as of late. Fellow farmers have talked about in taverns that the troops have come to their farms taking almost everything from them and threatening them with burning down the rest of their fields. I hadn't really believed it until today.

They threatened to kill my family if I didn't let them take my crops. They plundered everything, I begged them to take less. How would I provide for my family? So as a punishment of trying to appeal to their humanity they set fire to the crops they did not take. Now I have nothing to provide for my family. They even took what little animals I had. All in the name of the King." By this time the poor fellow was sobbing his heart out. "How will we survive?"