The Tangle of Blood

Chapter Ten: The Original

What was supposed to have been a quick afternoon nap, had turned into a couple of hours of deep sleep, and Rosalyn awoke dazed and confused. What an odd dream, she thought, yawning as she fought to regain orientation.

She had been dreaming, right? Sure, she had. What other explanation could there be? She squinted through the darkness in her chamber. The room was cool, and her bed was warm and cozy.

She turned to reach for her phone which she always kept on her nightstand, but her arm fell through the air where the nightstand was supposed to be. The sharp pain that shot through the muscles in her arm quickly brought her reality to the forefront of her mind.

She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting through the sleepy mist in her head, bringing back the memories from the morning's events. She had spent the morning in a different realm, training and learning to fight, becoming a warrior. Her eyes opened quickly. And she had enjoyed every second of it, she remembered, with a careful shake of her head.

Rowena slept in her bed, tossing and turning with an occasional moan of discomfort. Rosalyn would have laughed if it didn't feel like a thousand knives were piercing her skin, cutting through muscle and bone every time she took a breath.

She couldn't remember ever experiencing fatigue and pain of this magnitude before. The pain was increasing with every passing moment she lay still, and she knew that the bell would ring anytime for them to reconvene in Guard's Hall.

With great effort and excruciating pain, she rolled slowly and let her feet hit the cool ground.

She wasn't overly surprised to find that Beatrice had a new outfit waiting for her. With another wide yawn, she ran her hand through her still damp hair, thinking of the hot baths she had drawn for them after lunch. The woman was a saint, Rosalyn determined.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch," she whimpered as she wiggled into a black short-sleeved tee and tan cargo-style pants. She decided to forgo the awaiting boots, and grabbed the Nike Blazers she'd brought from under the bed.

Picking at the fresh tangles in her hair, she grabbed a brush and walked to the common room to find Alex and Rane sitting on the couch next to a snapping fire. Rane's tinkling laugh filled the quiet room.

Rosalyn cleared her throat. "Oh, I'm sorry. I can just-" she murmured awkwardly.

"Don't be silly. Join us, Rosalyn," Rane said pleasantly. "How are you feeling?"

Rosalyn slowly walked to the couch facing them. Rosalyn was surprised to find the heat from the fire welcome. Though the temperature was hot outside of the castle, she noticed the rooms tended to stay damp and cool. "I have been better. I won't lie."

Rane laughed. "I remember my first few weeks of training. I thought I would die from the pain."

"Whimp," Alex laughed. "Sissies, both of you."

Rane just smiled, "Just when I was going to tell you about the hot spring in the south woods."

Rosalyn threw a pillow at her brother, "Shut up, numbskull. He's mean. You can still tell me. I promise I won't tell him."

Rane let out a tinkling laugh and laid a hand on Alex's arm. Rosalyn raised an eyebrow at the gesture before lifting the brush to her hair again.

A bell sounded from deep within the hall. "Is it already four?" Rane said, glancing down at her watch.

"You have a watch," Alex said, half amused and half surprised.

"Oh, yes. The Terramon Realm is primitive compared to what you are used to but not completely archaic."

"Why is that, by the way?" Alex asked. "I mean, you have access to all of Earth's technology, even weaponry. Why have advancements not been implemented?"