Magic and Monsters

Rewind

Charles snapped opened his eyes and gasped for air, with his  jack-hammering heart beat. He was back in the pool, with the same mist from earlier. He placed a hand on his chest where the blade pierced through, but there was no wound to be found. In fact, he felt rejuvenated and strong. What happened earlier? Charles decided not to complain.

"Cho-oo-osen o-one!" rasped a voice. It was the same fucking raspy demonic voice. What was happening?

"Chosen one! Help me!" it cried. Charles knew better this time and immediately went the other way. Fucking cave full of walkers. 

"Come to me... come... don't go!" it wailed. 

'Haha, fat chance!' thought Charles.

Charles continued to wade through the chest deep water away from the sound. Finally, the fog began to clear as the creepy voice faded. The castle came back into view, with lights shining through the thinning mist. Charles gave a sigh of relief and looked back at the foggy death cloud behind him. What the fuck just happened?

He climbed out the water and dried himself, before getting changed into the new traditional clothing. Charles was still shuddering from the experience of death. The cold blade piercing through him, draining his life out of his body. The deathly embrace will now forever haunt him. 

Even stranger, why is he not dead? It appeared that time had rewound its clocks and given him another shot at being a hero, rather than dying without fulfilment.

He looked up at the castle and caught a glimpse of a shadow flitting away from one of the lower windows. Someone was watching him! Probably Harrison the fat bum hole, plotting some scheme to ruin him, which was the least of his worries.

Charles retraced his steps back to the castle's back entrance.

"Hey, do you know where Lady Beatrice is?" Charles called to a servant in the hallways. The servant turned and bowed his head before replying.

"Please follow me, Sir."

The two of them made their way up the flight of stairs. Charles still couldn't help but marvel at the expensive furnishings. They reached the top and turned right, away from where his room was. Finally, they approached two giant double doors. The servant knocked twice before waiting.

"Who is it?" asked a gruff voice.

"A young man is seeking her Lady's audience." replied the servant.

"Wait a moment!" replied the gruff voice. The sound of heavy feet running came from the other side.

Charles waited in the silence for a few moments. He was amazed by the security. The castle certainly seemed impregnable, yet beautiful.

Suddenly the stomping of heavy feet returned. The two doors opened, revealing another double door at the end of the small room, where two large knights dressed in leather armour with chain mails stepped aside. They nodded to Charles and the servant.

"Lady Beatrice is waiting for you through those doors." the grunted the soldier on the right.

"Thank you," replied Charles before striding up to the next set of heavy, oak doors. He took a deep breath and pushed them with one hand on each door. The well-oiled mechanism swung the doors open with ease.

Lady Beatrice stood in front of her massive king-sized bed. Her spacious room was adorned with paintings of old men and women, probably important people. Expensive furniture filled the room.

"I thought it would be you Charles when the guard told me a strange man wanted to talk," said Beatrice. The guards shut the doors behind them.

"Haha, next time if it's a 'strange man', don't let him into your room!" replied Charles. They both laughed at the joke.

"Anyways, tell me what's on your mind," said Beatrice.

"Well..."

"Well?"

"It might be hard to believe," he mumbled whilst looking to the side.

"Damn it! What is it!?!" growled Beatrice. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward in anticipation.

"You see, I was having a bath at the hot water pools outside when I nodded off," he said. Beatrice nodded for him to continue. "When I woke up, I couldn't see anything further than my hands. A thick fog covered the entire place, and that wasn't the worst of it!" he exclaimed.

"What happened next?" asked Beatrice. She was smiling as if he was joking.

"Beatrice, I know this story is hard to believe, but when I was in that godforsaken fog, I heard a voice. The voice sounded like venom, and it told me to follow it," said Charles.

"Did you follow it? Maybe the voice wanted to play!" she replied with a laugh.

Charles was about to move on to explain the cave where met a horde of walkers, got stabbed and allegedly died when he suddenly decided against it. A voice within him warned him to keep the rewinding of time a secret.

"I swear I'm not lying. Look out the window now! A fog that thick couldn't have dissipated quickly." Charles exclaimed. He walked over to the window and looked out in shock. There was no fog whatsoever in the clear glistening garden and pools.

"Fog? Is your head filled with fog?" asked Beatrice with another laugh.

"Something isn't right, you have to trust me on this!" said Charles, locking his eyes onto hers. She gazed back, scanning for deception.

"Do you swear upon Styrax?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes! Although I have no idea who Styrax is," he replied whilst looking straight into her beautiful eyes. They appeared wickedly red in the flickering candlelight.

"I believe you. This is bad, something is wrong with the castle's magical borders." she said.

They were suddenly interrupted by a massive GONGING from somewhere above.

"Well, looks like we'll have to continue our discussion at the dining table," said Beatrice. She grabbed his hand and half dragged him out of the room in her usual haste.