Chapter 40: Reunion

The silence that followed that order was perfect, sending the room into a state of unbothered decorum. Every single eye turned to the man that stood at the door, His body completely blocked out the doorway, Six foot eight inches of pure muscle, Blue radiant eyes and dirty blonde hair, his hands were stained with fresh blue blood dripping and staining the floor beneath him, A black body hog that showed every perfectly toned muscle on his body, utility belt around his waist, baggy camouflage cargo pants snug around the ankle and black boots, The very definition of a human specimen. The wooden floor creaked as he took a walked inside the cabin, taking step after step till he was inches away from Rylan and the man that held a dagger to him.

“Put down your weapon.” His voice was gentle but still managed to convey his evident authority. The man grunted in protest but regardless put away his blade and took a step back, giving way as he took another step forward. Rylan still on his knees could do nothing but stare at this Man. “Stand.” Not an order, permission. Rylan didn't want to just roll over and do what this man had said but the alternative was to remain kneeling so he grudgingly stood and immediately wished he'd stayed on his knees. Rylan was five foot eleven inches, in no way would he be considered a short person but before this man he seemed tiny. Not only was he incredibly tall, he was also a heap of defined muscles, his blue eyes looked down on Rylan who was forced to look up just to meet his gaze.

“Finally, When three days passed and you still hadn't woken up I’d honestly began to lose hope.” The man said with a pat as he gently patted Rylan's shoulder as if scared that any more force and he'd break him, for some reason that pissed Rylan off but there was something about this person that seemed…familiar, but he would have definitely remembered this person if they'd met before after all he didn't look like someone who could be easily forgotten.

“Well, I'm a lot tougher than I look.” Rylan said, his eyes darting from one player to the next. Looking around the room he didn't recognize a single face, even if he hadn't gotten a clear look at the faces of all the players that followed Jakob he would be able to spot them in a lineup but none of the players before him now we're familiar, each face was new except Peter who sat in-between a man and a woman. Rylan took the boy in, searching for a mark or scratch, any sign that he hadn't been treated well but there was none, He was untouched, the only thing of note was the panic in his eyes which looked to be directed at Rylan rather than caused by the pressure of a room full of strangers.

He thought about it, they'd brought them to this cabin, nursed him back to health and Peter seemed rather comfortable in their presence, they could be allies and just as likely, they could be people with an agenda, he couldn't let his guard down and have a repeat of what happened with Jakob.

“Now that he is awake we can finally move. Twenty minutes and we're out.” The man said.

“Yes sir!” They all chorused and marched out of the room, the guy that had pointed a blade at Rylan shooting him a dirty look before leaving. Only when he watched them leave did Rylan notice that they were all dressed the same, Body hog, a utility belt strapped around their waist or slung around their bodies and camouflage cargo pants, the only one's who didn't adhere to that particular dress code was he and Peter. After they all filed out, Rylan, Peter and the one who gave the order were the only ones who remained in the room.

“Join the others in the room, help out anyway you can.” Peter nodded and jumped off the couch, about to run off when Rylan said.

“He stays.”

“Why will he stay?” His tone was disarming, making it incredibly hard to stay alert in his presence, again Rylan felt like he'd met this person before.

“A reason is not needed, he stays because I want him to.” Rylan shot back.

A humored laugh escaped the man before he responded. “I understand that the both of you have been through alot together, it was obvious in the way he protected you while you were unconscious but I give you my word, the boy is under no threat or being harmed I simply said he should leave us because I wish to speak to you and what I have to say is of no concern to him. So if it's ok with you, can he go assist them with preparations?” The pieces connected, the reason he felt like he'd met this man before, The manner in which he spoke, the authority, His presence. It was all because they had.

“Maerik?” The name escaped Rylan before he could give it more thought.

A small smile slowly curved his lips as he said. “I'm glad I didn't have to introduce myself.”

Rylan took a step back and looked up from head to toe, taking in every single detail, He looked better than his in game counterpart which was slightly confusing because when creating avatars in RPGs most players either exaggerated their physical features or kept them desame but until now he'd never met someone whose avatar was a step down from their reality.

“You can go.” Rylan said to Peter who just nodded and ran after them.

“I…I didn't think we'd ever meet again.” Maerik said after a short silence. “Im glad you survived.”

A chuckle absent of humor left Rylan. “Same and as you can see, it's gonna take a lot to kill me.” His mind wandered back to the first thought that had crossed his mind when he'd woken up. “How'd you find me?”