49 Kingdom (2/2)

”There's a lot of unused area around here, why hasn't there been any expansion?” he looked down at the densely wooded area and could practically see the potential.

”The kingdom destroyed a lot of the cities as soon as your father went into seclusion. They left me alone because of the herbs I was able to grow, but my taxes were significantly higher.”

Will remembered when he had met her. She has to break her back every day just to meet the levy the kingdom had demanded.

”Is it the same everywhere?” he asked as he continued to scan the woods underneath.

”If you mean the taxes, yes.” she looked at Will with a hint of sadness in her eyes. ”Even the town we are going to is highly taxed, almost so much that they cannot afford to live.”

Will thought about how these people were living. Every second they flew, he felt better about staying with Maya instead of leaving with Bianca. How could he leave an entire civilization under the authority of a dictator who didn't hear his people's cry?

Will looked in the distance to where he saw the break in the forest. It was more like a hole in the woods, barely even noticeable from above, he could only imagine how hard it would be to find it on the ground.

”If these people are so far out from Ebonhart, how would the kingdom know exactly where to locate them?” he couldn't see through the trees so he had no idea what kind of path may be laid out for the knights to travel.

”Every village and town is along King's Road. Every village outside the path was destroyed. We must have lost a third of the kingdom in the span of a week.”

”The road is that important to the trading route?” Maya nodded at Will.

”The knights can follow the road to any of the villages and collect the levy every fall. Without all of the villages within the path, anyone can ignore the tax and live free in Ebonhart.”

”The villagers don't travel to the capital themselves?” Will thought about what it could mean for the people to travel themselves. They could potentially leave at the beginning of Autumn and make it to Ebonhart within a week at the slowest.

Maya shook her head. ”If they brought their own crops and cattle, they could leave a portion and blame it on the harvest. The knights go to each village every year and search every home for anything they can take. If anything is hidden, the head of the household is punished.”

Will remembered some of the conversation he had with Maya when he had first arrived in Crystallia. He also remembered her begging the knights to take everything she had instead of taking her.

”What about transportation here?” Will asked, trying to change the subject. ”Do they only have horses?”

”Compared to your civilization it must be odd.” Maya replied. ”You have cars, boats and trains. We haven't had time or need to invent anything for help.”

”You don't have oil or gas?” Will couldn't think of how they wouldn't know about the natural fuel from his world.

”No one is about to dig up the earth for something so meaningless.” Maya said as she rolled her eyes.

”What about the aura then?” Will countered. ”I'm sure someone with the wind aura could transport other people. Fire could help in construction and possibly make a substitute for gas.” Will couldn't help but nerd out at the possibilities.

Maya chuckled as she looked at Will. ”You are the first wind aura user in Crystallia Will. As for fire, remember your father secluded himself.”

”None of the aura users remained after he left?” Will asked.

”What happened to Bianca before she left?” Maya replied to a thoughtful Will.

”Her aura faded because she no longer supported me.” He said flatly.

”The king turned his back on the entire kingdom. Anyone within this realm lost their affinity as soon as he shut the door.” Maya said

”Then Michael kept his affinity because he was on earth instead of Euphellia.” he said rather than asked.

”The village is just up ahead, are you ready?” Maya cut off the conversation abruptly as the clearing grew closer.

Will nodded, whether he was ready or not didn't matter, he should have been there a long time before.

”Here goes nothing.” Will took in a deep breath as they fell from the sky into the dense wood line.