A Kingdom In Peril

Chapter 6

"Where are... we?" Princess Elara muttered, still in disbelief.

She looked around and then glanced down at the village below. It was nothing like Norfolk Village, this place radiated life and vibrancy. It was beautiful and peaceful in a way she hadn't seen in Norfolk Village. 

This place felt alive and peaceful at the same time, like a small paradise.

There were treehouses dotted the landscape and vendors sold fresh vegetables and fruits. You could tell just by looking at them how peaceful and free from corruption, threats, and poverty they were. Unlike Norfolk Village, everyone here had genuine smiles on their faces—smiles that reflected contentment with their simple, yet peaceful lives.

Their eyes and expressions were wide open, there were no signs of worry and judgment, only kindness. Almost everyone in Tanao Village seemed to be working together, helping one another.

"We're in Tanao Village," Kael answered in a neutral tone in his voice, showing a little amusement.

"You've been here before?" Princess Elara asked.

"No, but I've been searching for this place for a while," he replied with a casual shrug, while his eyes still scanning the area.

If his assumption was right, this was the Tanao Village he had been searching for. But something didn't add up. Kael had heard that Tanao was an underground village, and the way to get in was a mystery. No outsider, not even travelers, had ever reached it. Some even said it was just a rumor, that it didn't exist at all.

Yet, here they were—in Tanao Village, by accident.

"Alright, let's keep mov—" Kael cut himself off, quickly covering Draken's mouth when he heard a strange noise. "Quiet," he muttered. They all tensed, on high alert and ready to face any possible threats. Kael moved slowly toward the tall grass, leaving Princess Elara and Draken behind.

Suddenly, "AAAHHH!" Princess Elara and Draken shouted in unison as a rabbit jumped out in front of them. They both let out a huge sigh of relief.

"It's just a rabbit," Draken grumbled, patting his chest as if calming his heartbeat. But when a kid appeared out of nowhere, Draken yelped again and quickly hid behind the Princess.

She rolled her eyes and smirked. "You're such a scaredy cat," she teased.

"Are you outsiders?" the boy asked, scanning them from head to toe, as he immediately noticed their strange clothes.

"We are," Princess Elara answered with a gentle smile.

"Is this Tanao Village?" Kael asked, stepping forward to join in. The boy nodded right away, his eyes wide with innocence.

After a moment of looking around, the kid asked, "Did you see a rabbit come by here?"

"We did, but I think it's already gotten far away from here," Princess Elara replied.

The boy's shoulders slumped as he frowned. "Oh, no..." he murmured softly.

"What's your name?" Princess Elara asked gently, trying to lift his spirits.

"I'm Ethan," he said, a wide smile briefly brightening his face, only for it to fade into confusion when he noticed Draken.

"No, you're not," Draken said with a deadpan expression, while his tone are flat. Then, the next moment he yelped in pain as Princess Elara smacked his back. "Ow!"

"What are you doing!?" Princess Elara hissed. "You don't get to decide his name, you idiot!" she snapped.

Draken rubbed his back, pouting dramatically. "But I'm serious..." he muttered under his breath, as he started sulking.