Mira was a nervous wreck.
Within the thirty minutes that it took for the sun to set, she could not sit still. Although there was nothing she could do to help Zander, she still fretted. She didn't know what would happen to their realities, with a rupture in between their worlds, and she didn't know if Zander would physically be able to go back and forth like that, or if he could even find his way back to his home world.
What if he got lost in another world and could never get back to his own world? What if he was able to get back to Ashryan but could not find a way to get back to Earth? What would happen if a short ogre and a blue-haired elf prince was stuck living in her house for who knows how long? The possibility was too mind-blowing to contemplate.
She knew these same questions were also running through the men's minds, even as they tried to act nonchalant around her to quell her unease, but knowing that did nothing to make her feel any better.
By sundown, they all gathered in the backyard, near the willow trees where the previous rupture transpired. Erick Rashak and Daran Duluth stood next to each other, stoically keeping up a solid front while Quill rested on a nearby boulder, not saying much.
Although Mira knew Erick was still recovering from his blood poisoning, he looked to have almost completely healed. His long peacock blue hair was tied back with a thin black elastic band that Mira gave him, and his purple robes with their gold thread embroidery looked regal and stately. His stance was strong and his arms were crossed over his chest as he stood, like a boss, surveying Mira's tiny one-acre property with the intensity of an emperor overseeing his domain.
The short bald ogre Daran stood with his sword unsheathed, eyes alert and ready to tackle any dangers that might be lurking in the vicinity of her backyard.
Mira stood nearby, holding onto Sofie and watching Zander as he prepared for twilight's descent.
Quill sat still, eyes darting about. His body was tense, waiting...
As the molten mandarin sun slipped behind the mountain range, the world took on a pinkish orange haze. The pinkish orange slowly turned into pinkish purple. Then the purple changed to indigo, mixed with grey.
They were finally in the twilight zone.
"Brace yourselves." Zander gave a hand signal, and began the incantation. Blue sparks began shooting from his fingertips, and the area before him began to shimmer. The tree trunks faded in and out of existence, as something else, from somewhere else, began to replace them.
Although Mira had taken a headache pill earlier, in anticipation of what was to come, she still flinched when the buzzing began. The mist began to spill from the rupture, and now that she was directly in front of the opening, she could see why it was misty.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar of a beast could be heard, coming out of the rift.
Sofie yelped and jumped out of Mira's hands, landing on the grass in a graceful arch. In a flash, the tiny Shih Tzu leaped into the air and ran towards the growl, emanating from the misty bog.
Without thinking, Mira sprang after her.
"Sofie!" She launched herself towards the dog and grabbed its tail. The momentum carried her, headfirst, onto the ground.
SPLAT!!!
Mira ate mud.
The squirming little dog was no longer blonde. She was now a wet bedraggled shade of bog brown. Coughing and hacking, Mira tried to spit out the mud in her mouth. Oh God, it was disgusting!
Beside her, Sofie peddled in the dank boggy water, yelping with excitement.
Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!!
Mira reached out to pick Sofie up, and with her free hand, tried to wipe the mud off her face, only to realize her hand was so caked with mud that she was actually getting even more muck on her face.
Mira blinked a few times, and looked around.
Suddenly, the growl that she had heard on the other side of the rift began again. She turned towards the sound.
A pair of red eyes stared at her from a short distance away.
In the murky twilight, she could vaguely make out the shape of a mangy looking wolf, but it was much larger, much coarser, and far meaner. It was hunched over, its head and jaws looking enormous.
"Oh no…."
Sofie began barking incessantly at the demon wolf, as if answering its challenge.
Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!! Aaarrrfff!!!
The demon wolf ignored the Shih Tzu, fixing its sights on Mira. It looked starved, and she was its prey. It bared its fangs and snarled, canines dripping with yellow saliva.
Mira could see its muscles tense as it prepared its body for the lethal leap. She scrambled, trying to gain a footing to run, but the mud was slippery and kept sucking the soles of her shoes back down.
It was too late to run.
The demon wolf launched itself into the air, towards Mira. She screamed and held out her arm in a futile attempt to shield Sofie.
Suddenly, a jagged bolt of blue lightning hit the wolf squarely in the chest.
AAARRROOOOOHHHHHH!!!
The demon dog howled in rage and pain as the force of the hit sent it tumbling end-over-end. It fell with a splash, into the bog.
It was severely wounded, but still alive. It tried again, scrambling to its feet to take a second stand.
Before it could regain its footing, a flash of white appeared. A foot landed with a solid thud onto the side of its face, snapping its neck with an audible 'crack'.
It slid back down with a soft splash, into the mucky bog.
Mira clutched the little dog to her breasts and shook with the aftermath of panic.
"Mira!"
Relief flooded in when she saw Zander, mere yards away, his no-longer white robes, limp and clinging to him like a second skin. He looked just as bedraggled as she did, but for some reason, the man was still as handsome as ever. It was impossible for this man to have an unglamorous day.
Mira's relief at seeing Zander quickly turned to horror.
She had jumped out of her world, and into his!
Zander Tamein turned away from the half-submerged corpse of the demon wolf and in a few strides, had reached her side, his long lean body towering over her. As he caught sight of her muddied face, his eyes became inscrutable. He reached out and grabbed her with his strong arms, crushing her body into his.
With her face buried in his chest, Mira could hear the strong thumping of his heart. She could also feel his shoulders heaving silent sobs that bordered between relief and anguish. Not knowing what to say that could comfort him, she stood there, letting him hold her until the fear and anxiety within him subsided.
"Holy Mother of Gods. I can't believe you fell through the rift." He caressed the back of her head, and then pulled back to inspect her face, her body, her hands, her neck, her legs. Zander touched her everywhere, looking for injuries. "How do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere? Tell me if you feel any pain."
"I'm fine." She grabbed his arms. "Zander, I'm fine."
"Oh thank heavens." He heaved a sigh.
"I did smear mud all over your robe though." She grimaced, pointing at the place where her face landed, on his chest.
Zander wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying. He stroked the stray strands of hair back from her face and continued wordlessly gazing into her eyes.
MoooOOOOOOOooooohhhh
She looked around. "Do you hear that? I think it's coming from over there." She pointed to a dark looming shadow behind him.
Zander gave a strange laugh. "I certainly hope so."