You flinch back from the huge knight, who is apparently no less startled by your appearance than you are by his. He reaches for his sword, so you hold up your hands in a gesture of peace, “I mean no harm,” you call out in the tongue the strange knight speaks.
The knight continues to stare at you, then speaks as well, “I know no harm of you, stranger.” He then glances to the battle-torn wall that overshadows you both. “The enemy is crushed. For now.”
“Yes, yes—that wall, is it real, or does that—”
When you are about to ask the knight more questions, you are startled by a flurry of movement to your left. The field around you has erupted into a chaotic battle. Snarling and barking sounds assault your ears, along with the occasional sharp snap of a limb or branch.
The knight’s eyes are on the battle, and a whine escapes his lips as his four companions rush to his side. The knight bellows at the combatants, but the sounds are too distant to understand. Your attention is drawn to an incoming attack. A horned creature leaps from the forest, an axe-head poised to strike.
You have no time to think, so you react on instinct. Your hands flash out, intercepting the axe’s momentum, and with a sharp crack the weapon shatters. The attacker and his axe disappear back into the forest, forcing down a whimper as he disappears.
The knight’s eyes drop to your hands, and then up to your face. “You… with the power of my axe, and only your hands!”
You look down, surprised at the two objects in your hands, and also seeing for the first time the stone-like material from the tower in your hands. “What? Where did…?”
The knight suddenly turns and calls out to his companions, who are speaking with your… what did you call them? You realize with some shock that you did not voice out loud what you were thinking. You thought the words, and the knight heard them.
Each of the knight’s companions turns back to you, and although their mouths don’t move, you hear, “He has the power of the old ways.” The knight then returns to you, “You have the weapons you need to aid us. Now I believe it was you who asked a question.”
“Yes, well…” you respond, taken aback. “That wall out there, it appears to be real, but somehow it is also very strange.”
The knight stares at you for a long minute, then falters, “If you are from the Past, as you say, then you should know that our wall is made as others’ walls are made. It’s a wall, solid and real.”
“But that is not my question, and that is not what I mean.” You turn your head back toward the wall. “There are some extraordinary things happening with that wall. It is not just solid stone. On the other side there is a city growing out of the air. I don’t know where that city came from.”
“Where is this city?” The knight asks finally.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like that before.” The knight turns, and his helmet begins to glow. “But something is happening. It’s almost like… is that?”
The knight is staring at his helm; his head appears to be in a different place. “We’ll have to see if it’s real. It might be prudent to allow the others to observe it. There are too many enemies in the area to assume this is anything but a trap. We should move to the city, and see if there’s a way of repairing the wall.”
“Yes, Sir Knight.”
“I am Sir William.”
“I am Ninacos, of the Order of the Knights of the Crimson Realm.”
“Then I guess that makes us brothers. Come on, let’s get to that city before something else comes.”
The two men walked off quickly, moving in the direction from which they came. You limped along behind, but somehow lost that sensation quickly. When the two had disappeared behind the trees, it was like you had never been there at all. The feeling was the same as entering a dream.
You listened as the world around you transitioned from the forest to a tundra to rocky plains. It was all rather surreal, and each change seemed more extensive than the last. It appeared that you were being carried along, but you only thought this because you had fallen behind the knight. Eventually, the forest floor gave way to grass; the two of you walked together through the greenery into the forest beyond.
As you approached the edge of the forest, your eyes caught sight of the city. You had struggled through more trees, but found yourself directly opposite the city. Off in the distance you could see what appeared to be a wall, where the forest had been. And almost as if on cue, a wooden walkway extended out from the forest and met the stone of the city.
You turned your attention back to the city. “I told you I’ve never seen anything like this before.” You paused, “At least, not until today.”
“You’ve never seen anything like it?” The knight asked.
“No, never. This is completely unreal.”
The knight smiled, and then turned to you and whispered, “Just like you…”
You and Sir William continued to stare at the city, as the sun continued to set behind the forest.