[ WP ] You keep getting randomly pulled out of your daily life back to the year 1200 by the same group of sorcerers . It was amazing at first . It 's starting to give you the shits .

I hate alarm clocks. I hate how their beeps have no sense of randomness, not even a little. It's so nauseating. That's why when my alarm clock stopped beeping on its own, instead of wondering why, I just smiled in my sleep and carried on dreaming. In my dream, I was lying on a cold stone floor, and was being muttered at by old men. 
 
 Except it was n't a dream. My eyes finally sludged open to show me a dark hall lit by dim torches. Surrounding me were men with large grey beards and dark purple robes. They muttered and pointed at me in amazement 
 
 I sat up quickly, feeling grateful that I had decided the night before to not sleep in the nude. `` Who are you guys?'' I asked. 
 
 As soon as I spoke, the men stopped muttering and stepped back. Well, they all stepped back but one, who actually stepped forward. 
 
 `` Welcome, man of time. We are the court mages of Jrahledal, and we were tasked with the future of our king's lands.'' 
 
 I sat in silence for a few moments, but it was apparent that this old man was done talking. I coughed. `` Alright?'' 
 
 The men in the back stood a bit taller when I said that. `` So you will help us then! Good, good. Come, we have much to talk about.'' 
 
 The men ushered me to a long table. I sat down at one end, the man who I spoke to sat down at the other, and the rest of the mages sat on either side. Once I was seated, I was able to finally take in more of my surroundings. There were nine mages in total. The man I talked to was more than likely the head mage. From the room we were in, I guessed that I was in some sort of castle or monastery. I was obviously in the past. Probably medieval ages. 
 
 Some servants filled cups for us. By the smell, it was some sort of wine. I swished it around in the cup as I had seen people do in the movies. `` So what is it you want to ask me?'' 
 
 The head mage paid no regard to his wine, and jumped straight into what he wanted to say. `` Let me ask of you: what year is it where you are from?'' 
 
 `` 2019.'' I silently cursed myself, as it had just turned 2020. I never was good at switching years. 
 
 The men muttered to each other in amazement once again. It seemed to be a past-time of theirs. `` Eight hundred years!'' The head mage exclaimed. 
 
 `` Do you think that is too far into the future, Maher?'' asked a mage seated to the head mage's -- Maher's -- right. `` What if there are no records of us?'' 
 
 `` Nonsense!'' Maher spat back. `` The Kingdom of Jrahledal will never be lost to the annals of time!'' 
 
 `` Of course,'' the other mage replied, and bowed his head in visible embarrassment. 
 
 Maher picked up his cup of wine and then put it directly back down. `` And if I may inquire, oh Time Leaper, as to your name?'' 
 
 `` It's Jason.'' 
 
 `` Etschason. A very interesting name,'' he said in wonder. I could n't help but think he may have been mocking me. Probably not. 
 
 `` Maher, I am pleased that your chant was successful, but time is of the essence.'' The mage who spoke sat directly next to me. He seemed to be not quite as old as the rest. He was still very old, though. 
 
 Maher looked as if he was about to snap at the younger-but-still-old mage, but then nodded his head quickly. `` Etschason, we have brought you here because we require information about our country. You see, we are on the brink of a battle that we can not possibly win. We need to know the enemy's plan of action. So I ask of thee: during the second turn of players, who does The Great Pitchknight Ceralius throw the ball to?'' 
 
 `` Uh,'' was all I could say. This battle they spoke of was a ball game? 
 
 `` You're talking about a ball game?'' I asked. `` Not an actual battle?'' 
 
 Maher slammed his palm onto the table, nearly knocking his still full cup over. The cup of the mage to his left did get knocked over, and it spilled all over his robes. He cursed a bit when that happened. Maher did n't notice. 
 
 `` It *is* an actual battle!'' He shouted. `` The outcome of this game shall determine the next heir to the throne! We can not let the enemy win, or they shall destroy our kingdom from the inside!'' 
 
 `` Okay, okay.'' It was n't actually okay. `` He throws it...'' 
 
 All the mages ( except for the one who was straining wine out of his robe ) leaned in expectantly. Their eyes were actually glimmering, I swear. 
 
 I snapped my fingers and pointed left. `` Left.'' 
 
 `` Left?'' Maher asked in confusion, among more muttering. `` Do you mean that he will throw it to Squire's Halt, left of the pitching stump?'' 
 
 I snapped my fingers again, and this time pointed at Maher. `` Yes, that's exactly what I mean.'' I was starting to sweat. `` To the Squire's Halt.'' 
 
 Maher stood up quickly, knocking into the table as he did so, spilling another cup of wine onto the mage to his left, who sighed. `` Perfect. We thank you for your help, Etschason. I shall now send you back to your time, as I have much to discuss with the King and his players.'' He waved his hand at me and muttered a few lines of what sounded like gibberish. 
 
 And with a *poof* I was back home, standing on my bed. I turned my annoying alarm clock off and lay back down. After all that, my day was pretty much over. Nothing else could beat the experience I just had. 
 
 Except four hours later, I woke up once again on that stone floor. This time, the mages did n't even wait for me to stand up before they started talking, all at once. 
 
 `` Quiet! I shall speak!'' Maher yelled, silencing the others. `` Etschason, we thank you for your presence again. We have no time to delay. You see, the game is on a break. I have called you back because the ball was thrown right.'' 
 
 `` Right?'' I asked, trying my best to sound shocked. 
 
 `` Indeed, it was thrown to the King's Crest, not to the Squire's Halt,'' Maher nodded in frustration. `` I wanted to ask of you: what do we do now?'' 
 
 The nine pairs of eyes once again began to glimmer, as if on demand. It was n't as easy to think up an answer this time, but I managed to throw out the first thing I could think of. 
 
 `` Bunt?'' 
 
 The mages stared at me incredulously. 
 
 `` Bunt?'' Maher snorted. `` Bunting is for weak players. It never works.'' 
 
 `` I remember this game well,'' I lied. `` Bunting is your only hope, now.'' I probably should n't have sounded so sure. 
 
 `` Well, if you say so, Etschason. Bunt we shall!'' Maher turned to leave, but another mage stopped him. 
 
 `` Maher, if you'll pardon my interruption...'' is what he said. 
 
 `` What is it?'' 
 
 `` Might I ask a question of Etschason?'' 
 
 Maher shook his head, annoyed. `` Fine. Be quick about it.'' 
 
 `` Thank you,'' replied the mage, bowing. He turned to me. `` My name is Urle, and I wanted to ask: if you remember this particular game well, as you so claim, then how were you wrong about the direction of the pitch?'' 
 
 Maher's mouth opened a little, either in shock at Urle's questioning me, or in shock that he had n't thought to ask that very question himself. 
 
 Once again, glimmering eyes. 
 
 I licked a bead of sweat from my lip. `` I, uh...'' 
 
 The mages drew nearer. 
 
 ``... they probably brought their own person from the future,'' I said slowly. `` I guess.'' 
 
 The mages threw their hands up and yelled in frustration. 
 
 `` Of course!'' Maher shouted. `` Those cheats! Well, they surely wo n't see a bunt coming! Thank you, Etschason!'' And with those words, he sent me back and I was once again sitting on my bed. 
 
 I was n't really tired anymore, so I moved over to my couch and turned on Netflix. I jokingly considered watching a movie about time travel, but decided against it. The first time I had been summoned it was pretty cool. The second time, however, was just stressful. It's easy to lie if you think you're never going to be questioned about it because the ones you lied to are long dead. 
 
 The movie ( Coherence, it's a good film ) was just starting to get to the good part, when I blinked and found myself once again on a familiar stone floor. This time, it was only Maher who stood in front of me. 
 
 `` I just wanted to let you know that we won the game,'' Maher said smugly. `` But of course, you already knew that. I simply wished to offer my thanks.'' He snapped his fingers and a servant walked over with a small chest. Maher took the chest from the servant and handed it to me. `` This is for you, Etschason. A token of Jrahledal's appreciation. 
 
 `` Sweet, thanks,'' I said, taking the chest from his hands. I opened it up and what I saw took my breath away: gold coins with dozens of assorted cut jewels scattered through like marshmallows in a bowl of Lucky Charms. `` Wow, thank you, Maher.'' 
 
 Maher smiled smugly once more. `` No, thank you.'' And he sent me back. 
 
 The movie was still playing when I arrived, but I was n't really paying attention. I sat for a few minutes and just looked at the contents of the chest. It was truly beautiful. 
 
 I was still staring at it when Maher brought me back. 
 
 `` I apologize for calling upon you again, Etschason. It's just that I just remembered. May I?'' He took the chest from me and started rooting through it. After a bit he held up a large blue gem and handed the chest back to me. `` I forgot that this sapphire was in there. My father snatched it from the belly of Viirahim. It's sentimental, you understand.'' He waved his hands and sent me back to my couch. 
 
 I was n't too upset at losing that sapphire, since I still had a many more riches sitting in that chest. Slightly annoyed, maybe, but not too upset. 
 
 # # Went over the limit. End of story is in a child comment
