Our Kingdom Come | KingdomCraft

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ xᴠɪɪ - ᴀ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ

OLD YOUTORIA

"It's time to move on, kid. I'm really sorry but there's nothing you can do," a neighboring villager grasped Callum's shoulder in pity.

The ones who responded to the fire had all left now, since there was no scrap to salvage. No bodies to bury. Callum's eyes were red and his cheeks were stained with dried tears. He had seen no rest since the arson. Many have disregarded it as a simple accident, perhaps too much firewood in the hearth, but this was deliberate, how else could not one family member escape the flames clutches. Not even young Margaret.

Who could have set it aflame was Callum's next query. The men who attacked his kingdom and sent him on the run have been at the back of his mind, but they were the most reasonable answer. Whoever took control of his kingdom were the same ones responsible for this horror.

Callum made up a plan. The nearest Kingdom from his position was the Jungle Kingdom, ruled by another young monarch, a lad named Oliver. If he could reach the capital and seek a meeting with the Jungle King, there was a good chance that he could convince the sovereign to assist him in taking back his nation.

It was worth a shot. After all, what else could he lose?

His situation was fairly ironic. His royal sigil was that of the mythical creature, the phoenix. The one that rises from the ashes. The one that rises from adversities. Fate was a tricky thing. No one was rising from these ashes.

He kept his head up, focus on the path before him. He was afraid that if he caught sight of the burnt down home, he would burst into another long sob. His eyes were tired from it all.

He got on his feet, diverting his eyes away from the grounds of the old home. As he circled around, facing west, facing the direction of the Jungle. He could discern the tall green trees in the distance. He wasn't too far now, just a day's walk to the border and a few more to the capital.

And Callum, now with enough of the confidence he needed, took his first step forward.

THE TROPICAL KINGDOM

Joey clung on the the mast of the sail. He could barely detect Shelby and Meghan through the haze of the storm. The boat rocked against high waves. The three found themselves in the middle of a sudden downpour. Joey was unable to sense the weather change before it arrived, which was odd, since he always had a knack for telling when a storm was heading.

It reminded him of the crashing waves that grew to great heights, when the Aghors attacked not too long ago. Unnatural. Perhaps, that was why he couldn't sense this storm either.

"Hold on to whatever you can!" He shouted againts the thundering boom that followed the lightning. Drops of rain streamed down his face, making it hard to keep his eyes open.

Meghan was on the deck, her hands gripped the rope that tightly wrapped her wrists. "This is not good," she exclaimed to the merciless sea. The wave slammed against the hull, tilting the boat. Meghan was flung off her feet, her back struck the deck.

The rope was scratching her arm, it burned her skin, but no matter how much it hurt, she had to hold on. "Joey?" She screamed, trying to find him through the storm. "Shelby?" She looked forwards, where she last saw the Desert Queen.

Shelby had attached herself to the shroud that held up the foremast. As the ship swayed, she went along with it. It made her nauseous. Her stomach ached as if she just drank some rotten milk. "I'm over here!" She shouted back, her eyes caught the Swamp Queen's pink hair.

Joey heard the two and sighed in relief. At least they were all still on board. He focused on the path ahead, squinting his eyes as he scanned their surroundings. Far to the left, Joey detected a shoreline.