Unconscious (Watty's 2016)

Chapter8: Dirik

I woke up with my belly perfectly stuffed with apple pie and fruit tea. I rubbed the food baby and sat up. Sage sleeping with her hands folded under her ear. She softly snored. She is perfect, I thought, a scary thought cause I had never thought it before. I scanned the tunnel we were still in, everything seemed peaceful. Imra was also still sleeping and Sined was studying the map. Quietly I stood up and moved towards the stone table he sat at.

"Do you already have something?" I asked whilst checking the riddle on the map.

"I got it ours ago my boy. Once your friends are awake I will tell you, but till then, would you like some more apple pie?"

Normally I would have loved another piece but after having finished two whole things yesterday, I was stuffed behind the limits.

"No thank you, Sir,..."

"Or perhaps some porridge? Or cookies? Ask me whatever you want except for broccoli cause I hate that vegetable so much. It looks like a little..."

"Like a little three," I finished his sentence.

"How did you know?"

"You look a lot like my little brother, he hates broccoli too for exactly the same reason."

Thoughts of Denis flashed trough my mind and for the first time I realized what a terrible mistake I had made by leaving him and my parents. But on the other hand, here I was a long awaited hero and at home I would just be the bully victim again. Weird, autistic, Thomas. Before I knew, I saw Denis playing with his wooden train together with my dad. I hated and I loved it when they played. I absolutetly loved to see my little brother so happy but at the same time I disliked it very much when they made al the noise and chaos. 

"Oh, I think your girlfriend has just woken up." Sined nodded towards Sage.

"She's not my girlfriend," I whispered angry so she wouldn't hear me.

"Oh no my boy, she is, she just doesn't know yet. I see it in the way you look at each other, the way your eyes melt together when they meet."

"Found anything, Sined?" Sage asked whilst looking at the map. Her rainbow colored hair was a giant mess from sleeping on it. It looked cute in a weird way. As if her hair was resembling her thoughts. She did not speek much about the loss of her father but I knew it was consuming her from the inside out. 

"Yes, I did, the solution is just as simple as baking apple pie."

What begins, but has no end, yet, ends all that begins?

"It's death!" he yelled enthousiast.

"That explains why the crucifix showed up," I thought out loud.

"Shhht," said Sage whilst pointing at Imra who was wonder above wonder still asleep.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, making Sage smile.

Sage picked up the map and the letters fell of as last time. This time no new riddle came forward, but a picture of a man with a mustache showed up.

"Who on Earth is that?"

"That's Dirik," Sage brought out, "he was the local smith but he got killed a couple months ago by the soldiers. They say he molded the sword, Winterhor. That's why he was murdered, because he was a threat for Vicar."

***

Hours later, we decided the wake Imra up. She rubbed her eyes and looked-half asleep- around.

"We're leaving?" Was the only thing she asked.

Sage nodded and pulled Imra up.

"We're looking for death," I said, "afterwards this pic showed up." I held up the picture of Dirik.

"Oh! I know where he's buried. It's not far from here, couple hours I think."

"Great," me and Sage said at the same time, one of us a little more enthousiast as the other. I hated walking.

***

A couple hours and a lot of songs later, we arrived at the graveyard. There stood an old building, of which I supposed it once had been a church. Imra guided us towards a broken tombstone. In a language I couldn't understand something was written on it. I think it said something like 'Here lies Dirik, maker of Winterhorn.'

Sage started walking around the grave, looking for clues. I sat down on another stone, debating wether to pierce my blister or not. It would be a whole task to do so, since they probably had never heard of a needly here. I decided not to and put my sock back on. Whilst I was tying my laces, Imra asked: "You're hurt?"

I nodded and pulled my shoe and sock off, showing her the blister.

"No worries, I've got this." She placed her hands upon my feet and started muttering a spell. Not much later the blister was completely gone.

"Got it!" Sage yelled whilst holding up a medal.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A medal, obvious."

"Yes, but why is that the clue?"

Sage sighed and opened it up, a lullaby started playing and the picture of Dirik and a woman, probably his wife, showed.

"That's indeed a good theory," I confirmed.

"What are you tree doing there?!" yelled a deep, manly voice. A man, dressed in the weirdest uniform I had ever seen, ran towards us.

"Run!" demanded Sage.

Immediately I jumped up and started running as fast as my legs could carry me. The man started chasing us and I ran and ran. But I had never been good at gym. Only minutes later, two cold but strong hands grabbed my arms and we both fell down. The man turned me around and pointed a knife at my throat.

"Who are you? What do you want from Dirik?" he asked.

"I-I'm Thomas, and I'm looking for a clue on my treasure hunt."

The man frowned, "A treasure hunt hu? And what treasure are you looking fo?"

"Winterhorn," Sage said whilst walking towards us, she looked at the man as if she knew him.

"Wintehon?" the man repeated. He pulled of his hood and that's when I saw the mustache, Dirik wasn't dead.