Our Kingdom Come | KingdomCraft

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ xxɪ - ᴀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ

THE ALPINE KINGDOM

Joel mounted his horse. He glared at the Alpine castle and back down at the reins he held in his hand. His puff of breathe was outlined by a fog, visible because of the cold atmosphere of the northern kingdom.

He rode most of his journey back in complete silence. The only words were those that he echoed in his mind. He had no rest and continued to ride even to the late hours of midnight, pausing for his horse to rest but nothing more.

On his way over the eastern Alpine border, Joel witnessed a large gathering of males tossed in a circular formation under a large oak tree. His curiosity got the best of him as he urged his horse to head their direction.

It wasn't until he neared the group that he realized his mistake. Too late. The circle's outer shell, comprised of young men with light leather coats hanging on threads by the seams, dissolved into a pathway between Joel and their brown-haired leader: Bobby. The man who robbed him in his first steps out of the Birch biomes' bounds. The leader of a band of rogues. Thieves. He still wore Joel's red cape on his shoulders as a prize.

"You!" Joel exclaimed. Pulling back, keeping his distance. He won't be robbed of another horse. He dropped from the sadle and landed on the white snow.

"Yes?" Bobby asked plainly, his fingers were planted onto a map settled over a large rock. Joel couldn't tell much from the writings nor symbols what the map illustrated. "Can I help you?" He shot, more bothered by Joel's presence than anything.

"You-you don't recall me? You stole that cape off of my back!" Joel waved his finger in the air, jabbing his pointer in the direction of Bobby.

Bobby's mouth formed a circular shape as a soft "oh" exited into the air. "Yes, this cape is very nice." He spun around in it dramatically waving the red fabric in the air.

Joel shook his head with a sigh. Frustration was only one way to describe what he felt around these thieves. "Hand it over. I demand it to he returned to me." He extended his hand towards Bobby who merely shook his head.

"No thanks. I will need this for the mission today." A few of his thugs murmured in agreement.

Joel raised an eyebrow as he rubbed his hands together for some warmth. "Mission, you say?" He questioned.

Bobby grabbed a member of his group by their tunic. "Didn't I tell you to tell me to stop telling people what we're supposed to be doing?" He whispered. The boy nodded and Bobby released him from his grasp. He took a deep breath and faced Joel.

"There no mission," he deadpanned.

Joel crossed his arms over his chest. Bobby raised his hands defensively. "Fine. Fine! You got me." He fixed the cape over his back. "We're making our way to Old Youtoria, rumor has it that war has broken loose. And where there's war..." Bobby gestured to his group. "...there's a big pay day."

"You seek that? Payment. Not a very noble reason," Joel started.

"Ah!" Bobby interjected. "But it's the true reason."

Joel shook his head, but saw this nuisance as an opportunity. "Then I shall go with you. I require to be taken to the battlefield." Truth be told, he was still afraid of returning to the Birch Kingdom. Who knows what danger he would face. Those creepy hooded assassins may he waiting for him. But how is riding into battle any safer? Joel shook his head slowly. In a warzone, at least you're not the only target.

Bobby waved his finger. "You are not a part of my group. We don't associate with outsiders."

"You can keep my steed as payment," he gestures to the horse, as much as he would dislike trading his only ride to be delivered to a war front, he felt inclined to pursue this.