As sleep started to fade, I stirred awake, only to start trembling. My surroundings had completely changed, where there once were four blue walls, was now replaced with a massive open meadow. It took me a moment to register my vitals, paralyzed from both fear and excitement, my thoughts slowly caught up with my body.
Shakingly, I tried to stand up, only to lie back down. My legs wouldn't stop trembling, I was in shock. Trying to catch my breath, I registered the surroundings around me.
Closing and reopening my eyes, I looked up to see the sky. The bright blue sky stung my eyes, squinting. I looked up to see three celestial objects in the sky. A Sun, high up in the sky blazing down on the greenery. Two moons, one about double the size of the other, hanging lower in the sky peeking through the clouds now and then.
Soft grass blades tickled my arms and face. Still in a daze, as feeling returned to my muscles, I pushed myself into a sitting position. Wildflowers dotted the meadow here and there, grouped in bunches around spots where a tree was growing.
Slapping myself forcefully across the face, realization finally hit me. Although, hard to believe, this wasn't lucid dreaming. I could smell the sweetness of the air, the freshness, hear sounds of nature, and feel every little object rubbing against my skin. But in life, I have always been skeptical of anything that seemed remotely too good to be true.
Standing up, I held myself together, trying to contain my excitement in hopes of not getting disappointed later. Taking my first step in this new world, I shuddered slightly, and then slowly started running in a direction. Shutting my eyes and opening them for the hundredth time, my excitement finally took over me. What was going to happen to me in this new strange world, I didn't yet know, but I was ready to restart life.
After walking a while, the meadow finally opened up to a path. A small path, sliced through the meadow traveling downwards into the distant horizon. As reality sunk in, fear started to take control, I veered onto the path. Although, I hadn't experienced anything strange or odd, hell I hadn't even seen anything except for plants this whole time. It was slowly getting darker, the two moons appearing menacingly in the sky. The larger of the two moons glowing a soft ghastly blue, while the other one let out a soft reddish glow. Stars dotted the sky, much beautiful than anything seen in the city, where I lived. As stars came alive, so did haunting noises of the night, rattles and strange noises came from strange places. With nothing to defend and no prior knowledge of survival tactics, I hurriedly followed the path.
What is this place, I wondered. Many questions filled my head, but something that kept coming back was, "Is there anyone else here?" As my head made scenarios, I dared not to make a sound while walking, hyper aware of my surroundings, I felt sweat dripping from my brow. "How much longer, just let me see other human beings!" The path was my only sign of hope, the once beautiful landscape now seemed hellish as I realized I was all alone.
Not knowing how long it had been, I had been walking for several hours now with the path bending ahead into a forest. Feeling exhausted and frightened, I realized this late in the night, my best bet was to sleep in the open meadow. Who knew what I would face in the forest at night? As my stomach grumbled, my excitement faded, replaced with a tired face. Finding a tree just slightly away from the path, I rested against the trunk. It had probably been less than fifteen minutes, before I slumped over and fell asleep. Hoping this was all a dream, but a little part of me wanted it to be all real.
Sound of shouting instantly woke me up. As adrenaline rushed through my veins, the Sun had just started to rise, I frantically observed my surroundings. Ready to sprint as far as my hungry and tired body could carry me. As the shouts came again, this time much closer, I made my way to the path. Running down the path, not watching where I was headed, the forest swallowed me up. Once I had reached a spot, I felt safe, I put my hand against a tree trunk breathing heavily.
And that's when the sound of metal clashing rang out, so close to me, that I felt my veins turn to ice. Whitening, not realizing what to do, I decided to explore the noise. Taking comfort that it was human, not some kind of a wild animal or worse…As I got closer to the source, I could hear rough voices shouting and giving orders.
As excitement rushed through my blood, a group of me, five strong, were dressed strangely. They were all wearing armor, and in the center was a gold accented carriage. Two white horses were attached to the carriage, and all five of the men had surrounded the carriage, as if protecting it from something. There were curtains on the carriage, so I couldn't see what was inside.
Realizing that I needed to stop thinking based on my old world, I took to my instincts. Hiding in the bushes, I observed the men. It seemed that I was in a medieval age, the men seemed to be knights. The knights had their swords drawn out, a heavy sword, held in two hands, waiting for something.
Focused on the standoff, not realizing who the knight's enemy was, I felt a gust of wind over me. Looking up to see a giant lizard jumping right over my hiding spot, hastily making its way towards the carriage. Terrified, I screamed, only to see other lizards jumping from the treetops from the other four directions towards the carriage and the knights.
I couldn't believe my eyes, it was something straight out of fiction. The knight's swords glowed, as they cut down the lizards. Almost like magic, each of the knight's fitness was beyond anyone on Earth. As the raging battle came to an end, and the final lizard was cut down, it became a lot quieter.
One of the knights made his way towards my hiding spot, before realizing what was happening I found out. "Did you really think we wouldn't see you hiding after that scream?!" Fearing for my life, I tried to explain my situation. Explaining, I didn't know where I was and what I should do. I was tied up in return, and taken to the carriage. As the carriage window opened, the curtains disappeared to be replaced by a young girl's face.
"What shall we do with this ruffian, Princess?"
"Well, for now keep him alive. He seems to be young."
"But, what if he is harmful…"
"Look at him Commander, he has bruises all over his body, and what strange clothes!"
"Well, as your majesty states…"
And now that's how I ended up in the company of a Princess and her royal guards. Every Time there was a rest stop, usually at a clearing, I would be tied up against a tree. They had bread and soup, which they would give me to eat alone. Away from the camp, the knights would be talking and laughing loudly. While the Princess never stepped out of the carriage, only every few hours for an update from the Commander on the surroundings.
I was made to walk barefoot with my hands tied. It seemed from what little information and observance of the party, I realized this was a completely different world. Full of magic, monsters, and more things that were once considered fiction. I knew little, but I was hopeful, although tied up. Not the best of the situations, but better than being alone not knowing where to go or what to do!
The day slowly turned from morning to afternoon. The sky was blue, as sweat dripped from my hair, I was exhausted but at least not hungry anymore. The ropes were thick, digging into my flesh now, as the Sun practically melted my skin. The forest has been long left behind and we were now on a cobbled road, instead of a dirt path. As we kept walking down the road, I fully accepted the new world.
The road slowly got littered with buildings here and there and sprawling farmlands could be seen growing strange plants. A huge wall loomed above our small caravan, sprawling the length of the horizon. Two knights dressed in armour, with their longswords held menacingly resting on the ground, stood on either sides of a large entryway. An entry had been carved into the giant wall fortifications, with a long line of carts waiting to pass.
Our party proceeded forward, skipping ahead of the many merchants and peasants lined up. I didn't get any strange looks, as if it was normal for this kind of thing to open. Two of the Princess's knights made their way toward one of the guards, showing them something as they conversed. By the time our procession reached the entry, we didn't have to stop at all. Finally inside of the city, I gasped with awe. One of the soldiers harshly pushed me forward, as the carriage doors finally opened for the first time.
But, I didn't get to see the Princess, or whoever else came out of the carriage. I was harshly cut free of my bonds and taken to one of the buildings near the entry. One of the knights had split off from the procession, where a crowd had started to form and chanting could be hard. Before I could even take in the city. I was thrown into a cell. A dark, smelly, cell. Slamming against the bars, I begged to be released. As a nightmare replaced my daydream, I was left all alone in the cell.