Coalesce: The Escape
Chapter 20

I sit up with a gasp, my eyes wide and breaths coming fast.

It was only a dream... I think, looking around. Well, not all of it, I still have no idea where we are or what happened. We just all.. fell and that was it. Where is everyone else though? Looking around, I see no one else in the room I’m in. It’s cold, dark, and smells of mold. As quietly as I can I throw my legs over the side of the wooden bed I was on and stand. A shiver runs down my spine when my feet hit the stone floor. This whole thing was a bad idea, why am I so persistent? I ask myself and creep towards the door at the other end of the small room. Thank the Deus no one else was in here. Just a few buckets and a broom in the corner by the bed.

The soft pitter-patter of feet makes me jump and I wince at the sound of my heels clicking on the stone. I can’t jeopardize this, if I’m going to replace them and get out of here, I have to be quiet! I scold myself and continue on. The door is just out of reach now. I take another step and reach for the handle when the door is flung open. I throw myself at the wall in the cover of the noise.

Uh-oh... I think as someone steps inside. The person is fairly tall and lean. I hold my breath and squeeze my eyes shut. This is not going to end well for me.

“Hello?” The voice says and I recognize the voice to be Kylon’s. The breath I was holding leaves me in a great sigh.

“Kylon.” I pull myself up and throw my arms around his neck. Never have I been happier to see someone in my life.

“Woah, hey. It’s alright.” He gently pats my head, not seeming to know what to think that I actually was happy to see him.

“What happened?” I ask and drop my arms.

“Well, the people that took us are actually against Soldier’s Keep. We explained everything to them and they said we could go whenever we like.” It seems so simple now, I think.

“Wow, that’s convenient.” I mutter, glancing out into the hall.

“Pretty nice, they’ll let us stay and feed us for as long as we need to sort out a new plan.”

“Let’s get to it then, where’s Castel and Eraleth?” We walk back out of the room and he leads me down the hall.

“Eraleth is in the other room, but who’s Castel?” He lifts an eyebrow before he turns down another hall. Kylon just walks so freely and seems so comfortable, it makes me wonder.

“Oh, nevermind, force of habit…” I muster. She must have been part of the dream...

“Here we are,” He says and opens a door on the right side of the hall. Eraleth and a smaller woman look up when we walk in.

“Morgan!” They say in unison, apparently happy to see me. Who was she though?

“Uh, hi,” I still feel weird when people don’t address me as ‘Princess,’ or ‘Your Highness,’ nice as it is, it’s hard to get used to a change like that.

“We decided to wait for you to start planning, after all you are the main reason we’re all here anyways.” Eraleth says and puts his feet on the table in front of him.

“How thoughtful,” I say with a raised eyebrow and I smack his foot. “Except that you shouldn’t put your feet on a table.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Majesty.” He smirks playfully and I roll my eyes.

“No need for fanciful titles now. I do not consider myself a royal anymore. Galeiseth has been overthrown anyhow.”

“Right, right. Now to business. Where are we headed next?” Kylon leans on the table and looks at me.

“I say we head North to Sorcerer’s Mountain.” Eralath says.

“I’m not sure if that would be the best, none of us can use magic.”

“You’d be surprised,” The woman says with a brief glance towards me.

“Okay, mage, I trust your judgment. If anything goes wrong though, we go ahead without you. Everyone agreed?” I look at Eraleth and Kylon and they nod in agreement. She stands up and leaves the room.

“We should leave soon,” Eralath looks at Kylon and I pointedly.

“Okay, let’s get ready then.”