ASRAN SERIES- ACROSS THE BORDER

Chapter - 10

But Robert was just as stubborn as always and Peter understood that he would not rest until he achieved what he had wanted. Also, he knew that Robert would go to any great lengths to see to it that he gets the ingredients even if it means putting his life on the line.

“Peter… please… Please… mmm… mmm…” Robert begged him with pitiful eyes and then held his shoulders and shook them vigorously.

“Just trust me this once… please…” He requested Peter.

But Peter had already made up his mind and he would not just give in to his stupid requests.

“No, Robert! No! I know all about your weird experiments and I don’t want to become a sacrifice for your tests and trials… I am sorry… but let’s use the common method of searching and finding to get my sister back rather than using magic,” Peter said to him.

He then pushed Robert away and crawled into the tent hurriedly. He did not want to get brainwashed by that five eyes person and get into trouble. Once he sealed the opening of the tent as quickly as possible, he breathed relaxedly. He could not imagine what would have happened if he got forced into Robert’s craziness.

Meanwhile, Robert looked at the tent and let out a loud sigh. He really did not try to force him anymore but still, he felt like Peter should open up a little to the magic world. As his tricks did not work on Peter, he squatted next to the bag that was kept under the table.

“Seems like he forgot to grab his bag when he hastily went inside the tent,” Robert mumbled and opened Peter’s bag. 

He started to examine the sleeping plant inside it and his eyes sparkled.

“I hope you are what I think I am… Do not cheat me now that I have placed all my hopes on you,” He talked to the plant for which he got a slap from its tentacles.

Right after one hour had passed, Peter came out of the tent and noticed that Robert was missing. Without waiting for him, he started to pack their bags and got ready to leave. Just when he was about to communicate by using telepathy to inform him, Robert came running towards him.

Peter did not speak to him and just started to walk as he knew that the minute he talked, Robert would start to push him once again to agree to his experiment. When Robert saw Peter’s poker face, he understood what he was thinking and pouted his mouth as he was dispirited.

“Peter…” He still tried to start a conversation but Peter started to run from there without any warning.

Left with no other choice, Robert darted after him for a couple of miles. But then after that, he squatted on a big red rock in the desert and announced, “I am tired… I can’t walk anymore… I am going to die from my racing heart… Ah… Ah... Ahh...”

He held his chest and laid down on the rock while pretending to be having a hard time to breath. Peter did not hear him, so he continued to run without looking behind. 

So, Robert took out a loud speaking device and shouted, “I am tired… I don’t want to walk any longer. Come back, Peter… Peter… My dear friend, I am dying… come back… come back...”

The minute Peter heard his screams he took a U-Turn and dashed towards him. He then pulled the speaking device from his hands and threw it away. 

“Have you lost your mind? Why are you shouting? Do you want the militants from the nearby village to come and catch us?” Peter asked him while trying to control his rage.

“Don’t worry… No one is living in that village. When you were sleeping, I went over there to check if I could find some useful ingredients, and do you know what? They have all left… There is no trace of any people living over there. I think the militants had forced them to leave suddenly as all their belongings were left behind,” Robert informed him. 

He then pulled a few magical items from inside his bag and told Peter, “Look at these! We can’t even buy them if we spend our whole fortune. But those villagers abandoned them as if their lives were on fire… Can you even imagine what could have happened or who would have made them run away from their birthplace that they love the most? They didn’t even have any time to take such important items with them. I am gobsmacked.”

“Robert, look at us… We are also roaming in this desert after we left our home. The militants may want to take control of this whole galaxy, so this tiny village is nothing in front of their eyes. Let us just go and search for my sister. If we keep this slow pace then we can never reach the heart of the city even by next month,” Peter complained to him and pulled him up from the rock.

“We don't have to do that, we can just transport to your sister’s location from here. But you are not ready to let me do it. If only you could trust my magical skills a little then we don’t even have to walk so much distance like fools,” Robert mumbled and looked at him with expectation-filled eyes.

Peter shook his head in disapproval and asked him, “What are you talking about? I am completely not understanding anything you are saying to me. Let’s just go, Robert.”

Peter made it seem like he did not know what Robert was trying to imply and kept on moving away from there. Robert wanted to smack his head once to see if Peter had ever used a little bit of his brain for thinking!

“That's why I always tell you that you need to read the books your mother gives you more often. If only you had read then instead of pushing all the hard work to me, you could have become an excellent powerful mage.” Robert sighed and continued to follow Peter with a hunched back.

When he did not get any response from Peter, Robert continued to say, “In one of the books, it is written that a little purple flower from Hygelnewl plant combined with the right amount of dust from Asran star and a pinch of fine Renlow powder along with your sisters’ scent could make us travel directly to the place where she is right now,” Robert explained to him.

The minute Peter heard that he realized that he could not stop Robert’s enthusiasm any longer. So he pulled out a dress from inside his bag and threw it at Robert.

“Here is my sister’s scent that you asked me. Do not spoil the cloth as it is one of my sister’s favorites. Also, even if by chance your technique doesn't work then at least I could be left with her dress which I could give back to her. But then I don't have any of the remaining ingredients you just mentioned to me,” Peter told him.

“Who said you don't have any of the other ingredients? Take out the dust from Asran star, that you are hiding from me.” Robert extended his hands towards him and asked him to give the powerful dust to him.

When Peter blinked his eyes and shook his shoulders as if he didn't know what Robert was talking about, Robert almost lifted his hand to swat at his head. After looking at his innocent eyes, Robert got irritated by Peter's ignorance of his surroundings. 

Robert pulled the chain around Peter’s neck and opened the cap of the tube pendant. He then took out a pinch of the pink dust and put it inside the box where he kept the purple flower. The color of the flower changed into red and sparkled a little.

“Now we have to add the scent of Elly…” Robert said and then he took out his magic wand and touched the dress once.

Thin white lines surrounded with a blue tint appeared all over the dress. He picked one of them and dropped it into the box. The color of the flower now changed into purple again.

He shook the flower a little bit and purple dust fell inside the box.