Withered

Chapter 5

Something slaps me, hard. I bolt upright, my eyes shooting out and blinking rapidly as light immediately pierces them. I shake my head, getting my head straight and removing any grogginess. I raise my hands to my face, only to quickly let my left fall limp when the limb reminds me I shouldn't use it. Ever.

"Told ya I could wake him up." I blink at Petra's voice, seeing her and Lukas standing beside my bed.

"Well I wasn't assuming you'd do it so violently..."

"Yeah hi, good morning to the both of you as well." Reuben oinks, nuzzling up to me. Despite my head still wrapped up in a bit of fog, I smile and pet his head with my right hand.

Petra huffs, smirking at me. "You're right, it is a good morning. I've already slapped someone today."

"Um... yeah." I rub my cheek, with my right hand again, which I fortunately think won't leave a mark. "Couldn't you have done something... peaceful to wake me up?"

"I tried that." Lukas shrugs, a flash of concern flickering through his face. "You weren't responding at all, and I would've believed you to be dead if I couldn't see you breathe."

"I'm certainly awake now, I'm assuming the others are ready?" I get up, sighing in relief when my muscles don't grouch at me. Sure, they're really stiff. But that's fine considering all the intense running I've been doing lately with no stretching. Much better than yesterday when they were whining at me to fall asleep.

Petra rolls her eyes, glancing at the two groups just standing around. "Magnus and Ellegaard got into another fight and now Axel and Olivia are following them like puppies."

"Hey, they are still the Order." Lukas scratches his neck as he looks their way too. "Sure we've seen a lot of their faults, huge faults, but they're still heroes."

Petra raises an eyebrow at the both of us. "Wait, huge faults? What did you guys-"

"Sleeping beauty's finally awake." Magnus smirks at me before heading down the stairs. "About time we got a move on now."

Axel follows him immediately with Ellegaard and Olivia close behind. Petra rolls her eyes, even Reuben snorting a bit, as we get head that way too. And while the rest of me feels like it has made an improvement, my left arm doesn't feel any better. Just throbbing and throbbing away, constantly whining at me not to use it.

Petra clears her throat. "Anyway, what did you guys find out?"

Lukas and I glance at each other, and he says it in a hushed whisper. "Ivor used to be a part of the Order."

"So that's why he was on the map, explains the huge grudge too."

I get a thought, I really terrible idea that's luring in me with the truth it whispers. "Hey guys..."

When I see that Magnus and Ellegaard aren't every far in front of me, I keep it to myself. Just muttering a never mind as the idea roots itself in my mind. Pulling up the memory of when we found Ellegaard making a Command Block. Her words and Ivor's echoing in my head.

"A powerful block... capable of altering reality itself."

"Without the Command Block exposed...."

Ivor, an old Order member, had a Command Block. Ellegaard also knew what it was, exactly what it was and even its name. Not too mention she was really surprised when we knew about it, utterly astonished. Since the Command Block surely is a well kept secret that only the Order knows about.

Now that I think of it, their map-

"Ah yes!" Ellegaard throws a glare at me when we finally get out of the temple. "We can finally get a move on already."