Page 14 of Alien Guardian's Vow
"Your markings are what activated the emergency protocols in the first place," he countered, his voice dangerously low. "Or have you forgotten why we're trapped here?"
I stepped closer, refusing to back down. "That was different! I interfaced directly then. This time, I'm not interacting with the technology, just sensing it. Reading the patterns. Like a diagnostic!"
"A diagnostic from untested human abilities interfacing with forbidden technology," he retorted, his tail lashing once behind him, betraying his agitation. "The Elders have forbidden direct interaction for generations. There are reasons—sound reasons born from catastrophe!"
"The same Elders who are watching your settlement slowly destabilize because no one will examine the technology causing it?" I challenged, hitting a nerve. "How's that working out for you?"
His lifelines flared brighter, golden light racing across his dark skin in response to my direct challenge. "You don't understand our history. The price we paid for arrogance."
"I understand enough to know when tradition becomes an excuse for inaction!" I pointed forcefully at the electrical field. "That climb is suicide. My way is faster and safer."
"Your way requires me to trust technology that nearly killed us both hours ago," he ground out, his jaw tight.
"No," I said firmly, meeting his intense golden gaze without flinching. "It requires you to trustme."
The words hung between us, charged as the air around the energy field. Varek stared at me, conflict clear in his expression. I could almost see the battle raging behind his eyes – years of training, generations of tradition, the wisdom of the Elders, all screaming caution against the immediate, undeniable reality of our situation. He looked from the lethal climb back to the crackling field, then finally back to me.
"If you're wrong..." he began, his voice low and gravelly.
"I'm not," I stated simply, with absolute conviction I didn't entirely feel but projected nonetheless.
He studied the crackling energy field again, then the treacherous climb he'd proposed. His jaw tightened. After a long, tense moment, he gave a sharp nod. "Explain exactly what I need to do."
I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, relief making my knees weak for a second. "I'll guide you through. Step exactly where I tell you, when I tell you. The null zone moves in a pattern – we'll have to time our steps precisely."
"You first," he said, his voice still rough with skepticism.
I shook my head immediately. "It doesn't work that way. I need to concentrate entirely on tracking the energy field, predicting its shifts. I can't do that and navigate safely at the same time." I met his gaze steadily, holding it. "You need to go first, following my instructions."
For a moment, I thought he would refuse, that his pride or distrust would win out. Then, with another single, sharp nod that conveyed reluctant agreement, he said, "Begin."
I closed my eyes again, letting my markings fully activate. The energy field appeared in my mind as intricate patterns of light and dark, flowing and shifting in complex but predictable ways. The null zone moved through it like a twisting, invisible tunnel, winding but navigable.
"Step forward with your right foot," I instructed, my voice calm and precise despite my pounding heart. "Now. Exactly three feet."
Varek moved precisely as directed, his body tense, every muscle coiled, ready to react.
"Stop. Wait four seconds." I counted silently, feeling the hum of the field vibrate through the bottom of my boots. "Now left foot, slight diagonal to your right. Two feet."
Step by careful step, I guided him through the invisible safe corridor. Blue electricity crackled inches from his body, close enough that his golden lifelines reflected the light. The air temperature swung wildly as we progressed – freezing cold one moment, scorching hot the next. His trust in my instructions felt absolute, a tangible thing I could sense through the bond, contradicting everything his earlier arguments had suggested.
"Hold," I commanded when he reached the midpoint. The null zone narrowed here, barely wide enough for his broad shoulders to pass without contact. "The pattern shifts here. Wait." Sweat beaded on my forehead as I concentrated, tracking the complex energy flows. One miscalculation, one wrong step, and he would be hit with a lethal discharge. The responsibility was terrifying.
"Now duck and step forward quickly," I commanded after several tense seconds. "Two steps."
He followed perfectly, moving with controlled precision despite the lethal danger surrounding him.
"Almost there," I encouraged, my voice steady. "Right foot forward, then immediately left. Long stride."
Three more carefully timed steps brought him through the hazard, onto stable ground on the other side. He turned immediately, facing me across the crackling field, his expression a mixture of disbelief and something else – respect? It was hard to tell on his alien features.
"Your turn," he called, his voice clearer now without the field directly between us.
I shook my head, the motion small but definite. "I can't guide myself. The null zone is shifting too quickly now that the field has been disturbed by your passage."
Understanding dawned in his golden eyes, quickly followed by frustration. "You knew this from the beginning."
I nodded, meeting his gaze across the hazard. "One person guides, one person crosses. That's the only way it works with a field this unstable."
