Realm Lord

Arthur was sound asleep, having his first dreamless night of rest in a long time. He slumbered peacefully against the temple wall, his body finally surrendering to the exhaustion that had been building for days, when he was starkly woken by a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently, and a voice that slowly became clearer through the fog of deep sleep.

"Arthur, wake up. You're sleeping the day away," a playful and light tone slid into his ears, pulling him from his slumber.

Arthur's eyes shot open and he launched upwards, about to manifest his sword when he saw Luke kneeling in front of him with shocked eyes, recoiling back from Arthur's sudden movement.

"Relax! It's just me, Arthur," Luke said, hands raised in a placating gesture.

Arthur let go of a held breath of restlessness and fell back against the cold stone wall, remembering that he was safe and with his friend. "S-sorry," he mumbled, his voice rough from sleep.

Luke smiled and sat next to him, shoulders touching in that reassuring way. "No worries, man. I get it... it's been rough out here."

Arthur smiled and nodded his head, staring at the sun looming overhead through the cloudless sky. 'I slept all night,' Arthur thought while yawning and stretching his arms and back, finally filled with relief and renewed vigor after getting the sleep he so desperately needed.

Arthur simply looked ahead, him and Luke sharing a nice silence for a moment, watching the roses sway in the gentle breeze, their grey and dead petals glinting in the sunlight—somehow beautiful, despite their deadly nature. But soon a grim reality settled over Arthur. 'We can't stay here forever. I need to figure out what's next.'

He looked at his friend, the comfortable silence breaking as he voiced his thoughts. "Hey, so what do you say we get moving here in a little bit? I know the fields are scary, but I'm stronger now, and I can help protect us. Plus, we at least need to try to get home."