Journey Awaits

Chapter 3: Ripples

Wren.

The only thing that played in my mind relentlessly as I struggled to grasp my own breath.

My body began to grow tired yet the panic the soured through my veins powered my limbs to work and attempt to swim back up.

My lungs began to be clenched, the feeling of my chest burning, yet the desire for air was far too strong.

My eyes widened as I began to inhale the water, my hands struggling to swim up, reaching for the surface as if I were climbing a ladder. My vision began to become blurry as my sense of fight or flight activated. My consciousness began to fade yet that feeling of fear never truly left.

COUGH

In an instant, my consciousness had awoken with my body jolting up from vomiting the excess water that had built from my lungs. My eyes widened in fear, my hand clutching my chest as my heart rate raised.

Was it all a dream? It was far too vivid to be a dream, nonetheless, my pain proved otherwise.

My gaze darted around the area, scanning the scenery to find myself in an oddly serene place. My eyes landed in front of an enormous portcullis, the teal Flemish bricked gate appeared to have no guards in sight that were protecting this entrance. A spectral aura covered the entire area yet my guts forced myself to stand up and investigate.

As I approached the metal bars that blocked my path, the sound of copper clanking and footsteps that seemed to approach me made me halt; followed by the sound of a deep female voice.

"A mortal that dare trespass the land of Siringhed? Speak of your name and business, foreigner."

A familiar towering figure emerged from the shadows with guards dressed in standard diving dresses that followed close by behind the female figure, the guards raised their lances and formed a fighting stance as if I were a fugitive. In response, my arms raised in a surrender pose to avoid angering and causing a misunderstanding; I replied in a shaky manner,

"My name is Yenri; I am an adventurer who happened to have woke up here, I promise that I wasn't going to trespass" I spoke before adding, "Wait... Mortal? Where am I?"

I stood in silence, waiting for a response but to my avail; I received none. A feeling of abience stuck by my consciousness, turning my guts a whole as it was not enough to prevail over my position of uneasiness.

The silence was then broken by a woman's voice, chortling as she walked away

"Guards, cease the foreigner in to the dungeons. See to it that the trespasser is aware of her crimes and allow her to be familiar in her very own cell, it is of course, courtesy of the royal family."

My eyes widened at her words, my body moved in an instant to run away, but to my demise, the guards grabbed hold of my wrists before dragging me along side with them into the dungeons. I hollered as they pulled my wrists, tossing me aside as they locked the iron cage.

"Hey! Wait! You can't seriously just lock me up for no reason!"

I bellowed as the guards snickered and left me alone in my own cell. The stench of deceased rats and rubbish overwhelmed my sense of smell which icked me.

"Seriously... What is going on?"

I muttered underneath my breath before the loud footsteps began to approach my cell oncemore.

"Apologies, it is protocol here after all, it is my duty as the queen to take care of pests that roam around..."

My eyes widened as I observed the female infront of me, my gaze took in her royal attire and long black hair that was tied into a pony tail that trailed around her back. I scoffed as I was in disbelief,