Kingdoms Divided

Chapter 16

"You all better be lucky I'm losing soldiers faster than we can get them!" King Lefore exclaims, as he throws a soldier. "You all are pathetic. I have lost my eldest son to these people and you can't even protect a stupid little village." The king is infuriated and starts to think. "I need you all to get your balls back from whoever is holding them hostage and start to actually protect this kingdom or it won't just be your heads on a stick. I will find whoever it is that you hold closest to you and take them from you. Wives children, I don't care!" He slams the table and his family cheer for him.

The soldiers have two reactions, those who fill with anger to do better, while others fill with fear as they are scared to lose their loved ones. "Go back to your posts. I want you to triple the amount of guards we have at the next village's entrance. No need to lose more than what we already have." The Red's King only knows how to be angry and him losing four of his children in less than a year makes fill with outrage. He now only has an eldest daughter in her mid twenties, one of his eighteen-year-old twin boys, and a boy and a girl in their early teens left.

After another week of travel the Kingdom of Lun's army makes it to the Kingdom of Red's new border once again. They wait till it's dark, the plan being to send those they save to the soldiers that are waiting outside of the borders for them. Jiban, Lennox, El, Freya, and Osmond make their way down to the village. They stop, seeing that the guards are tripled at the new entrance from when they last invaded.

"Okay, where do we go from here?" Lennox asks Osmond and he looks at the outside view of the kingdom to see where they are. He thinks for a moment, trying to remember what he can of the kingdom. "Follow me." Osmond says, getting up and making his way over to what looks like a bush, but Osmond moves it to reveal a hole in a building.

"I can't believe it's real." Osmond smiles, but it fades quickly, becoming a face of determination. "Go through quickly. It should lead you directly inside, but be careful because I can't tell you what will be on the other side."

"Good job kid. Now go back to the others. We'll take it from here." Lennox says, and Osmond is in shock. "What? But- don't you need to know your way around insi-" Osmond begins, but Lennox stops him. "You're not dying today kid. You're also not qualified for battle yet. Go back." Jiban is even shocked looking at Lennox, but Lennox doesn't budge, Jiban has never seen him so cold yet serious. "That's an order." Lennox says, making sure the boy knows if he doesn't go back it would be a defiance against the king. Osmond unwillingly turns around and heads back to the others. Jiban wants to say something, but doesn't have time to as El is already crawling through the hole to get into the kingdom and Jiban quickly follows with everyone else behind them.

They crawl for a while before reaching an end with bricks stacked in front of it. El kicks at them, but they all tumble over easily. Everyone holds their breath as the noise of the bricks falling rings through the small hole they are in. El peaks her head out after the ringing stops before slowly making her way out. She looks around and then fans the rest of them to come out.

"So where do we go from here?" Koa asks

"Just find as many people as you can who may be willing and take them away. Just hope to the stars that they don't start screaming." Lennox half jokes.

They then split up and start to look around for anyone outside of their homes, silently killing any Red soldiers they meet along the way. Lennox and Jiban stop first at a home where they see a lady in her early twenties. They take the chance of going up to her, but she tries to scream, Lennox is quick to cover her mouth hushing her. "We're here to help you." He speaks quietly and she realizes they are not wearing a red uniform. "Get only the essentials and whoever else is in your home. We don't have a lot of time." Lennox explains before the woman rushes into her home where she gathers a small bag and her son.