Gregory's eyes fluttered open, his head pounding with a vicious intensity. The world spun around him, nausea rising in his throat. With a herculean effort, he managed to roll onto his side just in time as his stomach heaved violently. He retched, emptying the meager contents of his stomach onto the ground beside him.
As the spasms subsided, Gregory lay there panting, feeling more wretched than he ever had in his life. His entire body ached, and his mouth tasted of bile. But even as he wallowed in his misery, he became aware that the intense nausea and disorientation were already beginning to fade.
Slowly, carefully, Gregory pushed himself up into a sitting position. He blinked, trying to focus his vision and get his bearings. They were no longer in the dense forest they had been fleeing through. Instead, they appeared to be in some kind of clearing, surrounded by unfamiliar terrain.
A few feet away, he spotted Bryce kneeling on the ground, head bowed and fingers massaging his temples.
"Bryce?" Gregory croaked, his voice hoarse. "What... what happened?"
The prince looked up, his face drawn and pale. "We made it," he said weakly. "But I've got a splitting headache. Feels like my skull's about to crack open."
Gregory nodded in sympathy, then immediately regretted the movement as it sent a fresh wave of pain through his own head. "Where are we?" he asked, squinting at their surroundings. "How did we get here?"
Bryce sighed, wincing as he did so. "It's... complicated," he said. "I'll explain everything once this damned headache subsides a bit. For now, just know that we're safe. That seeker orb can't track us here."
Gregory wanted to press for more information, but the residual queasiness in his stomach and the throbbing in his head made him decide against it. Instead, he focused on taking slow, deep breaths, willing the last of the nausea to pass.
As his faculties slowly returned, Gregory couldn't shake the feeling that something monumental had occurred. The world around them felt different somehow, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. He glanced at Bryce, noting the prince's drawn expression and the way he continued to rub at his forehead.
Whatever had brought them here, Gregory realized, it had taken a significant toll on both of them.
Gregory took a few more deep breaths, feeling his strength slowly returning. The nausea had mostly subsided, replaced by a gnawing curiosity and growing impatience. He pushed himself up to his feet, swaying slightly but managing to stay upright.
"Alright, Bryce," he said, his voice firmer now. "I think I've been patient enough. What in the world just happened? Where are we?"
Bryce looked up at him, a mix of guilt and uncertainty in his eyes. He sighed heavily, then slowly rose to his feet as well.
"I... I teleported us," the prince admitted reluctantly. "Or at least, I tried to."
Gregory's jaw dropped. "You what? But I thought you said you couldn't control your magic!"
"I can't control the resurrection aspect," Bryce explained. "But I've been secretly practicing other forms of magic for years. Teleportation is... well, it's incredibly difficult and dangerous. I've only attempted it a handful of times before, and never with another person."
Gregory felt a surge of anger. "So you risked both our lives on a spell you barely know how to use?"
"We didn't have a choice!" Bryce snapped back. "That seeker orb would have led our pursuers right to us. I took a calculated risk."
Gregory took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Fine. So where exactly did you teleport us to?"
Bryce's expression grew sheepish. "That's... that's the problem. The spell didn't quite work as intended. I tried to take us to a safe house I know of, but..." He gestured vaguely at their surroundings. "This isn't it. I'm not entirely sure where we are."
Gregory groaned in frustration. "Great. Just great. So we could be anywhere?"
"Not anywhere," Bryce said quickly. "The spell has limitations on distance. We can't be more than a few hundred miles from where we started. And I can sense that we're somewhere... old. Powerful."
Gregory looked around the dim room they were in, noticing for the first time the ancient stonework and the musty smell of long-abandoned spaces.
"We should try to figure out exactly where we are," he said. "Maybe there's a way out of this room?"
Bryce nodded in agreement. They began searching the walls, looking for any sign of a door or passage. After a few minutes, Gregory's hand brushed against something that felt different from the rest of the rough stone. He pressed against it, and with a grinding sound, a section of the wall swung open.
