Dragons, Dystopians, and Denial

Somehow, Jerica laughing made Elias continue to nervously laugh, but it didn't exactly have any mirth. It was really out of stress, really.

"Riiiight," he said, but had no idea why she was laughing or what she was referencing.

"My gods," Aerik muttered, but even he was smirking, no matter how he tried to hide it.

Jerica laughed even harder.

Aerik chuckled and shook his head. "Okay... back on topic after... that rabbit trail. Did using your powers land you in some kind of trouble with someone?"

Elias wasn't sure what exactly happened, but he was glad the topic was changed. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, letting the anxiety escape out with the air.

"No," he said. Not really trouble. At least, not anymore. Nowadays he was just following orders, and that was it.

"Like I said, I don't know why I'm here. I pretty much stumbled here by accident."

Well... he had an inkling.

But that was very personal.

"Hmm, well..." Aerik said thoughtfully, pausing a moment to think before he continued. "Well, if you're here by accident. And you're not trying to get more magic. Maybe you're meant to be here to cleanse yourself of it?"

Elias let that thought think in. "You mean, it's possible to take away 'magic' here?" he asked, interest piqued and deciding to substitute the word magic over power, even if it sounded silly.

"Dunno!" Aerik shrugged. "But it's worth a try. I know someone in Crevon who might be able to do it... but I can't messages to him to ask, unfortunately."

"Let's go!" Jerica said eagerly.

"I can't Transport that far." Aerik shook his head. "Not with three of us."

"Then we'll take horses," Jerica said. "Or something. Come on, let's go! Aerikkkkk..."

Elias felt like he was falling through the air, but in a good way. His body felt weightless.

He could... actually be powerless? That was a reality?

He looked at them in a daze, letting his stone face slip into a dreamy look. But then Jerica mentioned horses, and that caught his attention.

"Horses?" he echoed. "You mean the running animal that went extinct?"

"No, I mean--" A look of horror crossed Jerica's face before she suddenly got very, very sad as she imagined a world without horses. Without her horse. "They went extinct on Earth? I hate it there already."

Elias felt the beginnings of an amused smile creep on his lips.

"Yeah," he said plainly. "It does suck."

"Well, we have horses," Jerica said, then turned her head towards Aerik. "And we're going to Crevon? Pleaseeee? I want to go."

"I don't think I can justify being away from here for so long, Jer." Aerik cringed. "I'm sorry."

"Then let me take him."

Elias flicked his eyes between the two of them.

Why was he suddenly terrified of being with Jerica alone?

He looked at her and squinted, just a little. "Are you going to throw more cups at my face?" he asked.

“Depends,” Jerica said with a shrug, a slight challenge in her expression as she looked at him. “Are you going to deserve to have more cups thrown at your face?”

Elias pursed his lips, just a little. "How old are you?" he asked. "Fifteen? I think I'd get cups thrown at me from any teenage girl."

“Ah,” Jerica said flatly. “So you DO enjoy getting hit in the face.”

"For the record, I'm twenty-four," Elias said as he got up on his seat since Jerica and Aerik did too. He made sure to stand a little extra taller to prove a point, too.

He was taller than Jerica, but only by several inches, so he felt like his point of proving that he was older and therefore more mature fell flat.