Dominance

Chapter 22: Mishaps And The Mirror

Sara was still in awe by Aleron's newly lucid presence. It just seemed so strange to see him in a setting that wasn't manifested from a dream-like atmosphere. She instinctively sidestepped closer to Ashton as she stared at the huge person towering over her.

Ashton patted her on the head, which normally would have annoyed her, but his casual facetiousness was actually calming Sara's nerves.

"You're like... 10 feet tall!" she exclaimed.

"He's actually 7.2 feet. Or around that." Ashton laughed from beside her.

"How do you know that?" Sara asked, baffled by the specific accuracy.

"I measured him in his sleep." Ashton shrugged.

Aleron rubbed the bridge of his nose in vexation. Sara momentarily glanced at Ashton and raised an eyebrow, pulling a confused flabbergasted expression.

"What? I was curious. And apparently that's not tall where he comes from." Ashton said, proud of his knowledge. He winked at Sara who responded with a frown.

"Ashton, could you desist?" Aleron asked while shaking his head. The movement caused him to have to tuck some loose strands of snow-white hair out of his face and back behind his ear.

Ashton said nothing, but smirked arrogantly in acknowledgment. To distract himself from conversation, he drew his attention to the activated crystal in his hand instead. Swishing it about and drawing with it in the air. It left a shimmering residue of light that lingered momentarily before fading away. Sara watched secretly in awe. She was tempted to try do the same with the own gem she was still holding.

"Sara, are you able to focus? I need you to seriously consider what I am about to ask of you."

Sara tried her best to do so. It was immensely hard to distract her focus away from trying to absorb all his alien features in real-time. He was close enough that she could see the details of rough scarring on his left horn. It left the shape warped and kinked into an odd angle, with definitive darkening of the alabaster colour.

"I will. If you can explain to me where we are." Sara grumbled.

"This is The Mirror. It is the halfway point when transportation spells occur. If unsuccessful, or if there is not enough power in the transportation source to push through, you will end up here."

"And who exactly are you? what are you?" Sara asked attempting to push her luck.

Aleron did not hesitate to answer as Sara thought he might.

"What I am is complicated. I am not from this world. My estrangement damned to rot here. Yet, I persevere due to the curse of fenrin that was forced upon me when I arrived. The irony of a curse that eventually consumes your kind is keeping me alive."

"And what is it you want from me?" Sara asked in a strained tone, still mulling over his indeed complicated answer.

"Your assistance, for a compromise." Aleron's voice was assertive. "I lost the location of my power source while I was preoccupied with recovery. Although nowhere near the capacity of my original source, Earth does offer other rare gems that could push that far if combined effectively with others of the same capability. I would like you to accompany us to retrieve and charge these sources to their full potential to help me get back to my own world."

Sara sucked a breath in through her teeth. "And what will you do for me in return?"

"What would you like? I will do whatever is reasonable and within my capability."

Sara raised her hand to her chin to think but barely had time to do so as Ashton slouched over her shoulders and spoke.

"We could find your missing Taudog?" he hinted with a wink.