Survival in a Strange World

Chapter 10: The Realm Knights

He ran his fingers over the wall of the hovel. Feeling the grooves of the stone until something nipped his fingers. A nearly invisible crack in the rock. Leaning in and pressing his ear over it, Stephen closed his eyes and focused. Keeping his breath silent. Letting his mind go blank, blocking out all irrelevant thoughts and noises. Only his heartbeat filled the void of silence. Absolute silence. Not a footstep, not a cough. Nothing.

Satisfied, he readied his pickaxe once again and swung at the cracked wall. Hammering away at the stone and easily breaking through. The stones smashing into little cobbled pieces and rolling away. Suspecting that someone would have heard the stones breaking, he swapped his pickaxe for his sword, then stepped out into the corridor. Alert in case of attack.

The corridor was barely lit. Lanterns hanging at intervals on each wall. Moss growing in random locations of the cobblestones. To his left was a wooden door that opened into a storeroom. On his right was the stairs up to the main floor. With no immediate danger, he turned and chucked his pickaxe back into the hole, then gathered up some of the loose cobblestones and squeezed them into the space to cover up the secret tunnel. Just in case it was ever needed again. He was surprised that no one had come running yet and couldn't stop a chuckle. That would only give him a further advantage for the plan to succeed.

He paused looking up the stairs, seeing a familiar white light emanating from the room above, then sighed. Accepting its meaning with a sharp breath, Stephen confidently strode forward. A little vexed that the recovery of his memories would be postponed again, but taking solace in knowing that the next visions would hopefully answer all his questions. He was heading into battle, golden sword in hand, golden armour clinking as he marched. Ascending the stairs and letting his mind wonder to the fate of Stephen Blue. The man he had met in the woods, Raider, who claimed to be the leader of the Realm Knights and a friend. Where would he find himself when he awoke? Questions danced in his mind as he felt his eyes slowly close, accepting the light and letting it surround him, as everything faded away.

-

His eyes fluttered open, almost against his will. There was softness against his head and back, and warmth on his body and face. He was in a world of comfort and selfishly, he didn't want it to end. After all he'd been through, he wondered why he couldn't just sleep another hour or two. It was bliss to be laid still, not worrying about fighting monsters, escaping Illagers or scavenging food.

Unfortunately, his stomach rumbled at the thought of a potential meal, and he cursed himself for letting his mind wonder to that. Still every inch of his body resisted against movement. His arms and legs were stiff as logs, and he was still weary from the amazing rest he had been blessed with; feeling like he had slept for days. But his rumbling tummy had other ideas about what his current course of action should be, and so Stephen succumbed to the primal instinct, stretching out his arms and legs, hearing rested bones click and feeling sleeping muscles wake, moaning in ecstasy at the refreshing feeling, although still hungry.

"Ah, you're finally awake!" said a voice from the other side of the room. It was a deep and nasally voice but otherwise sounded gentle and friendly. Stephen strained his neck up to look for its owner and found a tan skinned man sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room, with a fireplace crackling quietly in the corner. His attention was immediately drawn to the mans elongated head and all brown attire. His clothes a shade darker than his skin.

"Are you hungry? I couldn't help but hear your stomach growling," the man said chuckling and placing his book on the table beside him. Something about his appearance startled Stephen, it was so familiar, and he felt a trickle of fear. But the stranger was clearly trying to be nice to him, so he pushed it away.

"Please help yourself to food from the chest beside you. I will send for one of the Knights. They will be relieved to see you have awoken," the man said, gesturing to a chest at the side of Stephen's bed. Then the man turned and promptly left the room through the cream-coloured door in the opposite corner.