Phil was running through the small streets of the city in the desert, trying his best to hide from the mages. If they caught him, it'll all be over too quick. Being a thief isn't a fairy tale, especially having to do it for a living.
As he took a sharp turn into the little market, so he could get lost in the huge crowd, Phil took a glimpse of one of the mages – a tall figure, cloaked in black, moving gracefully like a panther. If he wasn't running for his life, he'd love to observe the mages and how they just radiated power.
And, unluckily for him, they didn't only radiate said power; they were basically made from it. The mages were the most powerful and respected beings on the continent. Thus fooling and escaping them was almost impossible. Almost, because Phil had done it before. But not this time – these few were from the strongest. Even the huge crowd at the market couldn't hide his tracks.
Phil ran into one of the side streets and crushed into something. Someone would be more specific, as there was another person on the ground. Phil shook his head to focus back his vision and started apologizing to whoever he had just run into.
The stranger was one of the higher class, judging by his clothing and the two guards on both this sides. They helped their master up, and Phil was shocked as he saw who the stranger was.
"Dan?"
The latter's face wore the same expression as Phil's – he was maybe even more shocked. As if he was just realizing something's very, very wrong.
"Phil, what-"
"I'm sorry, I have to go, the mages, they're after me, I really need to-"
"Leave the mages to me." Dan had finally taken hold of his face and now wore a worried expression. "You're coming with me to the manor. There's something… Something I need to discuss with you urgently."
Phil looked behind him and saw the cloaked dark figures standing a few feet away, ready to attack. He gulped and turned back to Dan, nodding and following him back into the street. They didn't speak on the way to the manor, only in the security, which the closed doors of Dan's personal chambers were providing, Dan turned back to Phil.
"How are we here? And more importantly, how is that we realize we don't belong here just now? I mean, I can remember my whole life in here, and now it turns out it's not real!"
"I don't know. But what I know is, we have to get back. To our time, in London." Phil was keeping a blank face, but Dan knew him better than that – Phil was as worried and confused as Dan was himself. "We're gonna figure this out, Dan. We just need some time."
"You're staying at the manor with me. From what I've seen, I can tell you're not… financially stable in this place?" Dan took a step closer, looking at Phil form head to toe.
"Uhm, not really." Phil looked at the floor, blushing. "But thank you, if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be dead or tortured in the dungeons of the mages."
"Why were you running from them, anyway? You're the kindest person I know, I really doubt you've gone and insulted one of them in the face." They both laughed and Phil bit his lip, still looking at the ground.
"You see, I'm sort of a… thief?" he brought himself to look Dan in the eyes. "From what I remember about my life in this place, that's what I've always been. I guess I wasn't as lucky as you." He smiled at Dan, gesturing at the giant chambers with his hands.
"Guess not. But you're staying here, so that doesn't really matter. But it's getting late. Let's discuss this in the morning – we can go to the library and look for more information there. I'll get servants to prepare chambers for you in a moment." They started walking towards the doors, but before opening them, Dan turned back to Phil, "Uhm, about our argument last night-"
"It's not the important thing now." Phil cut him off, but by his tone, Dan knew that he still wasn't forgiven. "I promise we'll talk about it back home, just… not now."
Dan nodded and they left the room.
That night both of them found it hard to fall asleep, their minds wandering off to their fight and their situation on hand.