Knight's Quest

Chapter XVI: The Bakery

You stand there in the clearing holding the note in your hand. Could it be that your friends had left you for good. Maybe you really are a mad man.

Don't be ridiculous, this note is clearly a fake. Angel does not believe in the Writer, so why would she say “may the Writer be with you.”? It's a fake. I look around the cleared area for any sign of a struggle or a trail to follow.

There is no sign of a struggle other than the matted down vegetation. You do however find a small piece of dark red ripped cloth caught on a branch, blowing in the wind. You also see a trampled down path in the brush leading towards the village, the way you same from.

I take the cloth and examine it.

It is not very significant, although the color does look familiar. It is very soft, but has an eerie feel to it. You are wondering what to make of it when Sarah arrives behind you, out of breathe. “What was that all about?”

I fake gasp and say “Princess, there is no time to explain. Quickly, follow me!” I follow down the trail to wherever it may lead me.

You head off down the trail when Sarah pants, “So, what was on that note?”

“Nothing.” I run until I get to the village.

The trail runs all the way back to the village through the woods. It is a much quicker journey heading back then you would have expected. Some kind of adrenaline keeps driving you forward. You don't know why, but you are slightly scared, and not for yourself. Sarah pants behind you, keeping you from doing any real thinking and alerting any creature that might be out there. As a result, your trip back to the village is uneventful. When you break out from the cover of the trees you are in a small field bordering the village. The trail disappears with the woods and you are left with no clue of where to go. You also have the strange feeling that you are being watched.

Of course I feel like I'm being watched, you're watching me. Not to mention Blade is probably still following me, and I'm sure that I'm still wanted for all my crimes. “Stick close your Majesty.”

“I'm so confused, I have no idea what's going on. Can you please tell me something, anything. Maybe I can help you.”

“Well let's see, friends of mine have either been kidnapped or run away. They are probably in desperate need of my help right now. Of course then there's the fact that I'm the only real person here. Oh yes, and there's someone about to try and kill me, but whatever.”

“Oh, I had no idea.”

“As you were supposed to. What are my problems are my problems, and no one else's. You wouldn't understand.”

“Actually I think I do. You're not the only one with problems you know. I'm the one who's just been kidnapped here. My father is dead, my kingdom is in disarray, I might be sold as a slave. I have a lot of things on my mind as well.”

“Those are petty problems compared to mine your Majesty.”

“Look, I'm only trying to help. Maybe we can both solve our problems together.”

“And how would I help you? Do you want me to bring your father back to life?”

“Uh, well, you could, um, maybe let me go free.”

“I don't think so.”

“You could tell me who your friends are.”

“No, not happening.”