32 I Want to Go With You

"Ah! Warrior? Maybe - maybe because I was left to fend on my own since I was a child. I am an orphan, remember?" She figured it was the best excuse and when she saw him shrug, she sighed, knowing he still believed she was a normal person.

"Right," he said before smiling at her. "You are really an odd one."

"And I watch action movies and war movies," she added. "A lot of them."

"Well, I never liked dainty girls anyhow," he said with a grin.

"Anyway, as I was saying," said Christopher. He remained to hold her hand when he revealed, "The Oscorians used to be an admired nation of soldiers and their skills and strength are technically above the rest, if not for a few of us who could fly, Aeros would have long been destroyed."

"Plus, it is because every nation right now is struggling to survive. More than anything, they want to live rather than fight. Our whole world is facing drought and had been for decades. Water is slowly disappearing on Pelagy."

He stopped for seconds to face Amanda and said, "It's for that reason why many of us come to earth. This is where we sometimes get our food and resources to live."

Amanda's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell agape to the discovery. She asked, "Are you saying there are many like you living amongst us?"

He tilted his head and said, "Not many. Only a few strong bodied-man from our world can withstand traveling between worlds. Many have died trying. So far, from my nation - Aeros, only those from the elite families could travel across the gate."

'Water. What a coincidence that even in his world, it is declining whereas earth is missing its elemental being, the blue crystal,' she said in silence.

He studied how she was absorbing it all in before he added, "While there are still very few streams that are out there in Pelagy, it is mostly located in another nation far from ours. It's called Plethora... Currently, Plethora is the one providing us with water, but with only a limited supply through pipes that go underground."

"Hence in lack of it - which is very-very often, we get water from a hidden spring here in Trinity Bay," Christopher revealed."It is where one of our gates open to."

"Here in Trinity Bay?" She asked while thinking which one it could possibly be. She knew of only two in their small town. 'But then again, he said a hidden spring.'

She grasped firmly Christopher's hand and thought, 'If only the master of the water could be found, surely he can help his land - wait. What am I thinking? If the blue crystal master is found, that means the feelings I have for Chris will go away? I am just so outright screwed.'

Amanda looked at him with worry. Yet again, she questioned her decision of opening up to him.

When Christopher saw Amanda's brows furrowed, he said, "Look. I know it's a lot to take. The bottom line is, there are other worlds out there - not just us. I can even imagine some humans are capable of opening these gates."

Right. She was sure of that herself. They had seen monsters sent to earth like it was thrown at them. However, it was not only terrors but even those who had human forms but had strange abilities.

She had fought against a mermaid in the past that could transform its tail into legs, but the half-fish woman was not quite like a little mermaid, nor the beauty that the Disney movie spoke about. It was vicious and murderous, eating on human flesh.

She was in deep thought hearing this from Christopher, but she shook her head and sighed. She said, "I've already taken it in. Continue. Tell me more."

Following another hour of walk, Amanda learned about his family, his best friends, and their abilities, the dept of his army, and that for the past three years, the Oscorians have demanded his surrender. They promised peace in replace of him. He said it was a mystery to him.

"There was a time when." He breathed in heavily before he added, "When I thought it was best to give myself than to let my people suffer."

"No, don't do that. If your enemies are how you described them, then - then they are not to be trusted. Who's to say they will continue to wage war against your nation," said Amanda with full conviction.

Seeing that they are nearing the crowded-most part of the town where establishments were built, Amanda said, "I - want to go with you - to your world. Chris, please. Take me to your world."

She concluded that if she was there to help take care of these Oscorians, many lives in Pelagy would be saved. Thus, she asked to be brought to his land.

Christopher never expected Amanda to willingly want to go with him, not after what he had told her, but naturally, it was part of his intention. He smiled and said, "Amanda, I had always planned for you to go, but you'll need to be strong in order to survive the passage of the gates."

"The pressure to pass through between worlds is immense. You literally feel like the space is tearing you apart," Christopher told. "But, we have special healers that can create a potion that could protect you as you go through the gates. In fact, I have already requested one for you."

"The healer I contacted just needs more time to prepare this potion. When it is ready, I can bring you over," he said. "Also, I hope by then I could end this war or at least make the Oscorians stop in their pursuit."

"Where is the gate?" She asked. "Tell me, please. Tell me."

It was because he feared Amanda might cross without being ready that he did not reveal. He said, "I won't let anything - any harm happen to you, Amanda, and that includes crossing the gate unprepared."

"I'm sorry, Amanda, but... I'm not telling you."