Prologue 4 Part 2: Waking Up

As the expert was reading and transcribing the parchment's contents, she found 2 pages that were stuck together. Slowly, she used the robotic arms and other tools in her lab to separate the pages carefully without damaging the artifact.

After stabilizing the now unstuck pages of parchment, the expert began reading the parchment's contents once more.

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Snapping my head back in an unhealthy manner, I saw a figure float up above the tree line. Seeing the figure observe his surroundings, I instinctively drew in my breath and froze. Apparently finding nothing out of the ordinary, the figure started to turn around. But as soon as he did, a magic circle appeared on the back of his head. What seems like an array of scanning light beams from a sci-fi movie, was projected out of the magic circle. The most shocking aspect of the array, was that it managed to scan about a quarter of the surrounding forest almost instantly. As soon as the figure was satisfied with his array's results, he turned his body ninety-degrees and began the procedure again.

After the third scan, it was the figure's turn to snap his head around. At that moment, I knew I was found out. I had been in the section of forest that was just scanned.

Before I knew he had moved his head toward me, the figure had appeared floating above my head. Noticing the shadow that had fallen on me, I looked up to see a the now clear figure. He was a 6-foot-tall man with broad shoulders and had dirty blonde hair that was tied up in a small pony tail. Robed in a jet-black cape that covered everything below his neck, I could see the glint of metallic objects thanks to the wind that ruffled the clothes.

Keeping my eyes on him, I felt myself get light-headed. Unconsciously, I put my weight on the wooden stick, causing it to lean forward. Seeing the scene, the mysterious man disappeared and reappeared beside me just before I fell over and caught me. The sudden impact made the air I had been holding onto burst out with explosive coughs. That was when I realized I had not been breathing since I stepped on the twig. I lack of oxygen got to me and I noticed my consciousness slipping away. I cursed at the now crushed twig before I lost myself.

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"How did he escape the initial survey?" I barely heard a voice mumbling nearby.

"I don't know, but now that he is here, we have to take him back with us. Otherwise, he could be a loose end that we'd have to answer for." Another voice pitched in an authoritative and overbearing manner.

"Ugh. I wish we could just kill him and get it over with, but we can't do that now thanks to the inspection. Honestly, why did the council inspection have to be in this expedition of all the possible times. Lucky b***ard. Now we have to babysit some loser until we get back. Ugh." A third man spoke out in clearly offensive manner. His tone clearly made it clear that he was in an administrative role for the people who captured me. But thanks to his ranting, I now knew that I was somewhat safe for now. The sense of relief that befell me, next made me fall into a tranquil sleep that I didn't know I needed.

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"CRASH!"

My eyes popped open when I heard a load crashing sound near me. Turning my head left and right, I found myself in what seemed like a sleeping back on the floor of a tent. I found that the source of the crashing sound I heard was a large metal trunk on the floor about a foot from my head. Closing my wide eyes to nothing but a crack, I froze and didn't move any further as I had heard a muffled voice. I saw the trunk, on its side, cracked open, some clothing spilling out. A man in servant clothes stood up from behind the trunk and frantically looked around. Finding no one but the supposed unconscious man, me, he let out a sigh of relief.

The servant quickly picked up the mess he had made and put the trunk on the floor deeper inside the tent. Watching his movements, I was able to learn that I was close the entrance of the tent and that I might be able to escape. But the two things I needed were something I was lacking: information and time, moreover information on the time I had left. As I was thinking about what I could do to next, a man walked into the tent sporting light plate armor on his chest, arms and legs. He reminded me of an adventurer from a medieval armor concept artwork.

His feet stopped in front of my face.

The next thing I saw was a torrent of water being directed at my face.

"Splash"

I sat up with a bewildered look on my face looking forward. Slowly, I looked around and found the water guy to my right. With a scowl, he locked his eyes with mine, then he nodded his head toward the tent's entrance and walked away. However, before exiting the tent, he glanced back at me. After locking eyes for a second or so, he turned around and spit on the ground before exiting.

Carefully, I stood up to find my left leg completely healed. Not only was the leg healed, but I was clothed in unfamiliar clothes. The clothes consisted of a tan full sleeve linen top, black linen pants, a red linen vest and a black belt. Checking on my undergarments, I found the ones that I had worn to the lake. Breathing a sign of relief, I began doing some stretches to loosen up my tightened muscles. After feeling better, I walked out of the tent.

Outside, I found myself standing on the lake's surface. Looking back at the tent, I saw that the tent's floor had hidden this fact from me. I began looking for the water guy to find him standing in front of the biggest tent located about 200 feet away from me.

"Come here." As soon as I found him, I heard a voice in my head. The voice sounded similar to the offensive man I remember hearing earlier. I then looked at the water guy, just to find a provoking smirk on his face. After confirming I had seen him, he entered the tent.

After losing sight of him, I took in the surrounding atmosphere. There were many servants running around doing various tasks that I couldn't identify from a glance, there were also many guards patrolling in the distance and guarding some of the bigger tents in the vicinity. The guards were outfitted with some in light armor like water guy and some others in heavy armor like you would find on a medieval knight. Seeing that no one paid me any heed, I walked over to the tent water guy went into. Just as I got to the entrance, the two guards dropped their spears in my way to stop my advance.

"Let him in." The water guy's voice commanded the guards, who lifted their spears accordingly.