Standing atop that sandy wall, Sophie finally got the portal open. A bead of sweat formed on her forehead. Perhaps from the intense heat of this land, perhaps from the strain of opening another portal so soon. She'd been about to turn to see if the white haired wonder was coming, when he plowed right into her.

She let out an "oof", and then down they were falling. There was orange everywhere here, she could see as they fell, and then they were on the ground, and she was a Sophie sandwich. "Get off me," she grunted and grumbled as she wriggled and pushed out from under him. She frowned deeply at him, but the frown disappeared quickly as she realized what the orange of this land was.

They were in the midst of a great fire. Smoke covered the sky, and fire leaped up over tree tops. Crackling and popping sounds and roar of the fire were loud. She'd been so mesmerized by it, that she hadn't bothered to cover her mouth or nose. She coughed and nodded at the man's words, before covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve.

Sophie followed him easily enough, like she really had a choice with all that dragging he was doing. She was tired and a little weak from too much exertion in a short period of time, but she could still walk and run fine. Opening another portal though, she probably couldn't do. Any other time she'd have jerked away from this jerk and been on her way, but she was weak, and hoped he had a plan, because she didn't.

When they stopped, she glanced over at the thing he was staring at. Some kind of bracelet. He pressed some buttons on it, and a portal opened. She dropped her arm from her mouth and gawked at it. She'd never known anyone else who could open portals. She'd assumed he must have been able to travel somehow, perhaps teleportation by focusing on a person or place... but this was her thing.

She made a mental note that she would need to take or crush that bracelet, soon, and then she was being dragged through the portal only moments before the fire reached them. Sophie allowed herself to be tugged along, as she took in the sights of this new place, trying to get a feel for it. Had she been here before?

When they entered the abandoned house, Sophie jerked her arm away. "Quit dragging me around," she said with a golden speckled glare. She looked around the room while adding, "You're welcome." In reference to her saving him in the desert. When her eyes found him again, she put her hand out. "My orb," she demanded.

If he told her no, she'd kick his ass and take it. Or she'd try anyway. And if he tried to put anything else on her as far as a leash or whatever the hell it had been, she'd try and stop him. She wasn't going to let her guard down around him again. And as soon as she had the energy, and had destroyed his bracelet, she'd open a portal and strand him here. Maybe she'd learn a little bit more about why he was after her in between those things.