The smell of eggs sizzling on the pan got Zach’s attention, it made his stomach growl with a pleading need for sustenance. The spot on his chest where the figure plunged its hand into was achy and the type of soreness that seeped all throughout the body. Zach swung himself into a sitting position that left him woozy, he sat there for a minute while he gathered his bearings. There was a muffled conversation that had stopped when he sat up and not long after there was a soft knock on the door before Avery entered.

“Good morning Zach!” Avery said, which caused Zach to wince.

“Not so loud, Avery.” Zach said.

“Looks to me, someone came home after a late night of drinking.” Avery said more quietly.

“No, I didn’t drink.” Zach said. 

This caused Avery to frown, “Are you alright?” He said feeling Zach’s forehead.

“I’m fine.” Zach said.

“You are not fine, you’re burning up.” Avery said, as he gave Zach a cold damp cloth that had been sitting next to a bucket.

“I need to eat, I’m famished. Are those eyes cooking?” Zach asked as he washed the sweat from his face. 

“Right they are, let me dish a plate up for you. You stay in that bed, you’re not fit to stand up let alone come to the table” Avery said, before leaving Zach’s room.

Zach gingerly laid back with his arms stretched wide. He thought about his dream, what could it have been? 

‘Had it been nonsense?’

‘No’ he remembered the voice that sounded like his.

‘It couldn’t have been real, I could have caught some sickness from that dank dungeon?’ He thought.

‘It was quite rank in there.’

Avery interrupted his thoughts with a small portion of eggs and bacon, mashed carrots, and a glass of water.

“Eat this slowly, you don’t want to throw it back up.” Avery said.

“Thanks Avery” Zach said.

“You’re welcome, get some rest. I’ll be in the forge, holler if you need me.” Avery said as he slipped through the doorway, the latch clicking after him.

Zach was ravenous and wanted to swallow the entire meal whole, but he paced himself. Nibbling at a piece of bacon, he slid his notebook out of his satchel that was lying next to his desk. Avery must have slipped it off him while he had slept.

Opening the notebook to the most recent page he scribbled his dream down, along with a few simple drawings of what he had seen.