Chapter 11

Mortified!

That was all I was right then and there. I wished for the psledon to come right back and have my head for breakfast and my stupid arm as a dessert or a toothpick perhaps (yes, my arms were that small to a psledon).

And the idiot stranger couldn't do anything other than just staring at me and have his face flush! Good! At least I wasn't the only one embarrassed!

Reason told me to move my hand but my heart told me not to. Why? Because of our positions! Picture this;

Two bodies, entwined from the base with A, the stranger, and B, me, crossing each other's lanes. How do I put this? You know, like how those of the East will have to cross-drink the marriage wine or something. Anyway, so I am at the left and my lean is more provocative as it entices desire.

My right hand was close to the stranger's shoulder. It was actually on it as I used it to negate the weight, somehow. My left hand was at a very dangerous place and I could feel a quiver I don't know if it was from him or his third leg. Looking up at him, I finally got a glimpse of what I would forever call an Adonis on Asther.

His long, straight nose seemed to be upturned with narrow phoenix eyes accompanying it at either side. His prominent forehead proved that he was wise beyond compare but I didn't know whether or not it was that wide as his auburn hair was up in a swoosh.

His cupid's bow led a trail down to luscious lips and a chiseled chin. All in all, his face was worth a prize and an award. His Adam's apple bobbed and he got a pained expression. Was he fighting his desires?

I all of a sudden felt very sorry but I made no move to remove myself from this ambiguous pose. He looked at me with fury burning and twirling in his eyes and now I wondered why he was angry all of a sudden.

"Get your weight off of me!" He whispers and yelled and then it hit me that I was still holding a certain set of jewels, ahem.

Like they were hot coals, I quickly withdrew my hand and retreated but soon went tumbling down due to inertia. Somehow, he followed me to the ground, landing right on top of me. What a weird thing to happen! What sort of cheesy romance story is this? I'm only nine for crying out loud!

He supported his weight with his arms propped up so he wouldn't crash me which was a little futile as the ground below was a bit too soft for a sturdy hold. Now that I looked closer, he seemed 14 and moving on to be a hot god-like being.

"How old are you?" He asked as he got off me.

"I am 9, you?" I asked, really hoping he would tell me his name. Continuously addressing him as a stranger in my head was tiring. I was trying to get up when I sensed him approaching and I quickly dodged to the left. He skidded to a halt.

"Stop lying. That agility is not for a nine-year-old. Tell me the truth." He said with a smirk as he surged toward me aiming for my face with his fist.

"Heh, think you can get at me? I don't think so." I thought as I parried his attack.

Yes, I am nine but my body is fit, very fit. Though my hand-eye coordination is poor and my bones are a bit stiff, I can still hold my own against him. He sent me a flying kick that nearly grazed my cheek but I managed to avoid it in time and also sent him one of my own, kicking him behind his knee and sending him down.

I smirked at him as he gritted his teeth at my attack. As I gloated, he sent out his foot, throwing me off my feet and I felt my body connect with the ground, a very painful experience. The battle went on with me suffering due to the difference in a lot of things.

His swiftness and decisiveness when he fought showed that his experience was rich while I am used to fighting with old people! Lost in thought, I fell for a feint and got hit square in the gut. Ouch!

"You are right. You are nine." He said in the middle of panting.

I was on the ground clenching at my little dress that he had been mercilessly ripping every chance he got. I felt embarrassed and ashamed. I had tears hanging off the corner of my ears from the pain of the punch and from being embarrassed. I was hurt, very hurt. But I won't let my tears fall. That's what he wanted.

I sat up from my fetal position and turned, having my back to him. "Humph, how dare he hurt me like this?" I thought as I took calming breaths to help ease the pain that was surging through my lower abdomen.

I closed my eyes and recited the different characteristics of different witches in my head to distract me from my surroundings.

"Are you ok?" He asked cautiously. I didn't feel inclined to answer his question so I shifted my thoughts to the different realms we have. A moment of enlightenment had me opening my eyes quickly and turning to face him.

"Where are we?" I asked as I gave him a look.

He seemed baffled that I would even talk to him but that's okay. All I needed were answers. He seemed troubled like he couldn't say where we were and this had my curiosity going through the roof.

"We are in the plains." He said in a whisper.

"The plains? The plains, hmmm. I have not read of it so either he is lying or it's the truth I don't know of." I thought while giving him a look that said he should explain.

He looked conflicted and hesitant once more and I really couldn't understand just what was making him this way.

"Look, either you say or you don't say. I just want to get out of here." I told him while shrugging my shoulders. I didn't care that I didn't know this place. With creatures like the psledon hanging around, I wouldn't want to return here.

"The plains are a realm on its own. Here, magic runs wild and seems to have its consciousness making creatures like the one you landed on." He started and I wondered just... I just wondered. What kind of place had I stumbled into and how do I get home?

"Could you explain a bit more?" I asked him, curious about the Plains. I had read a lot of books about the realms and there was never anything about a place like this. But, it was intriguing, to say the least.

"The Plains is a place where all rogue magic gets trapped, hence creating a world of its own. When the first witch who could control all three elements was born, it created a kind of change in the world. Magic ran loose in our world. You cast a fire spell, it creates an explosion. You want to summon water, it creates a flood instead and so, to keep that magic in order, the Plains were created." He explained and I was deep in thought.

I had never had of what he said so it was hazardous to believe in him. Why is there no record of it if that truly happened? How did he think of creating the plains? Space creation is difficult as is, say a whole realm, something is fishy.

I looked at the guy and saw that he staring back at me. Turning his head quickly, he averted his attention while I pondered more on the plains. A little voice kept on telling me that this place was more than where magic was banished. I felt like it could be a trial for witches and warlocks or any other magic-wielding being or this place could very be a prison.

I looked at the ground and realized that it was dry and hard, like a desert. Its crack lines were all heading in the same direction, like water was being drawn to that specific direction.

What on earth is happening here?

With the wind whistling in the distance, I was certain that something was up. I looked all around me and felt that this place was like a dome, a globe maybe even a ball. Otherwise, why would an upside exist with a downside? Ok, weird question. Everything in life has an upside and a downside.

As I kept on trying to find the general direction of the cracks, my new travel buddy kept on staring. Uncomfortable!

"Is there something on my face?" I asked as I turned to him. He blushed and averted my gaze that had me chuckling. I got up and dusted my clothes and went on my way. I had no idea to where I was going but I felt something like a calling. It was tugging at my soul, drawing me towards it. Hands tucked into the folds of my dress, I went forth towards the calling to my soul. Except I had forgotten one thing.

"Hey, where are you going? Do you know where we are?" he asked me.

Yeah, the stranger. He seemed scared for me to go forward and it seemed like he knew what was up ahead. My gut told me that he wouldn't answer me if I asked for his help so I did the only sensible thing I could do, I ...….