chapter 3

With that I opened my eyes, the strong sunlight blinding me. I raised my arm to cover my face from the rays filtering through the window.  Where I was, I wasn’t sure. But I knew now, that I was awake again, that I was no longer in the dream realm.

“He’s awake finally.” I moved my arm and looked to my side, and saw that Sir Toby was sitting at my bedside. I was in the infirmary. The warden came quickly, and pressed a cool cloth to my forehead before deciding I was well or not.

“How…long have I been out?”

“Three days. Whatever knocked you out was right strong about it. What happened?”

I looked away from him, my silver eyes glazing over as I tried to figure out the reason behind the vivid visions. “I...I’m not sure.” I said unwilling to tell Sir Toby my visions. I knew well enough he knew I was different, but I wished not to scare him one way or another.

“Just felt sick…could have been something I ate.”

Though I knew Sir Tony could tell I was lying, he simply grunted and replied

“Perhaps the King needs a better royal cook?”

“Could be.”

“You feeling better now?”

I nodded and looked away from him, my ears lowered. What was happening to me? I rubbed at my forehead and sighed. For several months now, I had that dream with the deadly knight. And that…has to be what triggered the other visions, yet…they were so strong that they knocked me out when I was fully awake: The dragon, the decayed castle, and the strange glowing god. What…and why was this happening to me? Again I sighed. Suddenly my mind shifted away from myself.

“Sir Toby…what happened to Alanine?”

“She is still within the castle walls, but…” Sir Toby rubbed at his short light brown hair. “Her parents think you were right possessed at your ceremony. According to the guards posted that night, something strange passed through the hall that right scared everyone.”

“What…?”

“That is…according to those superstitious boys. They said there was a ghost in the air, floating over your unconscious form for a good hour. Must have been some serious bad food to cause all that.”

Great. Great. Now not only would they be suspicious of beating Sir Toby, now everyone, the king included would think he was evil.

“Did…that really happen?” Sir Toby nodded gravely. “Something right strange is in the air boy, and I fear for you.”

“Will…will you tell me now who attacked you?”

Sir Toby looked over his shoulder, towards the warden that was busy with another patient, before he bent down over the bed closely.

 “Listen close. It was late morning, a few weeks ago now. I was out, ready for the lessons teaching fencing for the younger folk, when I was called away. Right behind the stables. At first it sounded like one of the guards, but when I saw it…it was something right out of legend. A ghost, a demon, I don’t know but it was…something foul. It asked where you were, but when I disagreed to it, not quite believing I saw what I saw, it slashed at me with such speed….before I could even move an inch. Atwyn, I was too afraid before to tell you but now…know this.”

Toby gripped my shoulder tightly. “I fear that if you stay here for much longer, this thing will kill you. I can only do so much with my strength. But…” Toby looked back again to see that the warden had stepped out, the patient was lying down, apparently asleep. Carefully, swiftly Toby reached into his tunic and brought out a small dagger in a black and gold sheath.  

“I won this off a wizard a few years ago, and he told me this thing can cut through things that mortal blades cannot even touch. Take it, you will make more use of it then I can.”

Toby handed me the blade, and at once I could feel it throb in my hands, which almost caused me to let go of it. This thing was alive, I could feel it, and had a soft power that pulsed through my hands, to my arms. Carefully I unsheathed it, gripping the gold leather hilt, a single pearly white gem welded to the end. The silver blade caught hold of the sunlight shining through the window, the surface shimmering and moving like water. As I glanced up from the blade I could see the look on Toby’s face. I realized that in his hands, it had probably been nothing but a normal dagger but…

“It seems to like you, boy. Keep it hidden, you know not many deal well with magic things, or creatures well in this place.”

I sheathed it, and held it close to my chest, looking up at Sir Toby. “Thank you…”

Several minutes later, Sir Toby left for his lessons, and I took my time about getting out of the infirmary. Apparently, according to the warden Sir Toby had not been the only one to watch over me. Strangely enough my parents had come as well, even though when I was well they only paid so much attention to me. I noticed then that the guard they had hired was nowhere to be seen. I had not seen him since the happening at my event, and even then it had been but a glance. The man my parents hired for my ‘body guard’ often felt to more of an apparition than man.