The Swords of Memory: Second Chances

Chapter 6

Zara was back in the room. She had appeared just as suddenly as she had disappeared. It was still an odd sensation but Zara was starting to understand it, even if she was not fully used to it yet. Being asleep in her world resulted in her being in this one. She wasn't fully convinced that this world wasn't just a dream but she had never been prone to dreams before. And the fact that every time she picked up exactly where she had left off made it seem like it couldn't be a dream. It might not be the most amazing thing she had experienced lately, but she might be able to use it to her advantage, especially if she could keep it a secret from everyone that she wasn't just disappearing into some void rather than a world she actually knew about.

"You're back." Aaron said. "Do you remember anything this time?"

"No, it was just like the last time. I feel like I just skipped forward in time or something. Where are the others? How long was I gone?"

"They went to the throne room to discuss some political matters. I volunteered to wait her for you. I've been here for about forty minutes. Are you feeling alright? I hope these disappearing acts aren't causing you any pain or damage." Zara compared his time line to hers. That was about the amount of time she had been awake in her world. Time must be moving at the same pace in both places. It was good to know that she wasn't losing time between when she fell asleep and when she came here.

"No, I don't feel any damage. Plus, I think my healing would counter anything that might result. I should be fine."

"That's great to hear. Garrett and Daniel are waiting in Daniel's chambers for us. Do you mind if we head there now?" Aaron said with a smile. It was a nice smile Zara noted. And his kindness towards her was greatly appreciated.

"Fine by me. Lead the way." Zara followed Aaron into the throne room and into the hallway she had come in through. A few doors down they entered a large room. It was carpeted and the stone walls were covered by red cloth. Just like all the other rooms she had seen, this one was lit only by torch. The room had a huge bed, three sofas, multiple chairs and tables, as well as a couple dressers. It was definitely well furnished. There was even a small pool of water in the corner. From what Zara had been able to gather from her discussion with Aaron about water, that was a huge sign of wealth. Daniel and Garret were sitting on one of the sofas looking at a bunch of things scattered on the table in front of them.

"Zara, I was starting to believe you wouldn't be coming back. Come, join us." Daniel said. Zara followed Aaron across the soft carpet and sat on a sofa opposite Daniel and Garrett. "I know this might seem random, but have you ever colored your hair Zara?" She was surprised by the question. Why would he need to know anything like that?

"Yes..." She said hesitantly. She wasn't sure where this was going and she didn't like it. "I'm naturally a blond."

"Fantastic! Then this won't even be out of the ordinary for you. Your black hair just won't work. The only way you are going to be able to go anywhere outside of this building is for you to take on the identity of Daphne, the fallen power core attendant that you saw. She was blond, so you must be as well. That in addition to the attendant's cloak you are wearing will allow you to impersonate her with ease." He was suggesting that they dye her hair blond. There was a reason that Zara had dyed her hair black. She hated her hair when it was blond. Now she recognized the things that were scattered on the table. They were things that she had seen before but never used. She had made her hair darker. These would make it lighter. The only thing off about them was the containers they were in. They were in glass bowls rather than the plastic bottles you bought them in at stores. The lack of electric lights made Zara suspect that there weren't any stores in the portal game.