Here and There

"I'm sorry, you what?"

"Oh please don't be upset."

"Upset? Me? Oh no I'm absolutely filled with nothing but joy! How the hell could you do this to me?"

"Alexei, it's not like that."

"Don't talk to me like I'm some sort of old friend! Pictor is an old friend, you are a snotty little brat who needs to stay out of my business!"

"But... you won."

"That's exactly the point I--Wait... no. Please tell me you're joking."

A joke. That's what Alexei had been hoping for. But He had just received a message from that creature, Doushi, that he had been entered into a contest. A contest for a dragon that he was supposed to have read up on. It all went back to Violet and the book that had been throw at his head. Apparently the little priestess thought that it would be a wonderful idea to put him up for a contest that involved dragons because of the book she found in his bag. Without asking him.

So now he was entered in a contest for a dragon he knew nothing about that he had apparently won.

"Why would I be joking? It's an honor that you won a contest.... it makes me think there was no competition."

"Pictor... why haven't I shot her in the head yet?"

"Well, for one thing we're indoors. For another you're actually a kind and wonderful person," The Res said as he flipped through the book he was reading. "Alexei I think this might actually help you out. Though uh... do you still have that thing about snakes?"

"I hate snakes."

The dark skinned Res bit his lip as he spoke, muffling the words. "Then we might have a big problem."

Alexei whimpered as he flopped onto the bed. At least they were indoors in the comfort of a inn. He may have had to share the bed he was sleeping in with Pictor, but at least it was warm in here. Even if he couldn't feel things the way he used to.

But he could feel pain and he could bleed. Those things just didn't add up. He couldn't tell the proper temperature, he still couldn't eat real food, and he was obviously a vampire with no reflection. He could walk around in daylight, sure, but that was just a myth to begin with. Along with the myths of holy water and garlic.

But he had another problem to deal with. A dragon. And apparently something to do with snakes.

"We should get to the Temple of the Goddess Luner though. We can't refuse the invitation. We can tell them that Alexei isn't actually a suitable caretaker for the dragon...."

"I'm taking walk," Alexei announced as he shot up from his restful position.

***

He seemed to be doing a lot of running away recently.

Then again why would he stay put with all this crap going on?

Alexei strolled along the snowy pathway. Why had he come all the way up here to the North in the first place? To run away from his former life. To run away from the destruction of his family. To live a life that wasn't his.

And now he was being told to fulfill some crap because a spoiled brat told him to. He kicked at the piles of powder. It was just another tail in his uneventful life.

"Oh Alexei, you just love running away don't you?" 

The voice almost froze the blood in his veins. He didn't move, he couldn't move.

"Awww, did you miss me?" the voice whispered as he felt a hand brush up against his cheek.

He reacted. Whipping his hand out to smack the monster's hand away. He stumbled for his weapon as he turned, only to find that he had left it in the room. Getting rusty had been the understatement of the century. To be caught at a time like this without his weapon was a grave mistake. "Why are you here?"

"For you of course," The man said with a smile. He looked similar to Alexei. Pale with a similar hair cut. His hair was straw colored, and his eyes were an unnatural shade of red. He was clearly a thicker build that Alexei, and a good deal taller. "It took forever to find you. Now, we should probably get going before anyone interrupts the conversation."

"Get away from me!"

"Oh, what are you going to do about it? You don't have your trust crossbow with you, and even if you did you'd be flat on your ass if I wanted you to be." The man grabbed Alexei by his arm, nearly yanking his arm out of it's socket.

Something strange happened as Alexei struggled. It happened in a flash, the man hissed as he stumbled backwards, shaking his hand and crying in pain.

Confused Alexei glanced at his arm.

Ice?

"What...?" He snapped out of his confusion at the sound of a violent hiss. He prepared himself for the worst, ignoring the ice that was falling of in chunks from his trench coat.

There were no words of sarcasm. There was no confirmation for what had just happened. The vampire that stood in front of him and had turned him into a broken monster was turning its back on him and running. 

And Alexei was just standing there, watching.

*** 

"I'm pathetic." He stated rather flatly as he stared at the ceiling.

"You're not pathetic."

"Yes, yes I am. I'm an angry, stupid, pathetic and whiney waste of space."

"Okay. Fine. You are. Now what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," Alexei said as he glanced over at his friend, who was still reading. "I mean... I forgot my crossbow and I just... I used to be a hunter and what am I now?"

"You're you."

"I wish it was that easy."

"It is. Just do what you always do." Pictor got up from his seat and flopped the book down in front of his friend. "Get the girl and show me up."