Pictor's head popped around from the corner. He whispered behind him, "Coast is clear. I don't see her smell her anywhere."

Alexei's head now popped up from around the corner. "Good. I never thought I'd be happy to give her that perfume," he snickered to himself.

 After paying the inn keeper, they all made a run for it. Nadya was fast asleep in her room.

***

"Where are we?" asked Doushi. They had been wandering for hours on end now, and they all had the feeling that dear old Pictor was utterly lost. The actual fact was that he was extremely lost, and he wanted to ask for directions. It was a very difficult thing to do of course, since there was no on around to ask.

Pictor held his breath before cursing.

"That's a :'I have no clue where we are, give me a minute!'" said Alexei, who was sitting on a rather large rock next to the road. It was a sullen landscape that they resided in. The gray seemed to be a blotchy gray color, the grass that covered the ground was a dead brown, and the trees that lined the path were dead and bare.

Pictor proceeded to turn the map around in several different positions. Slowly with a sigh, he folded it up and placed it into his breast pocket.  "Well guys, this place isn't marked on the map. That means we are so utterly lost."

Alexei and Doushi went a shade lighter as Pictor took the opportunity to freak out.

***

Meanwhile, the evil ex-girlfriend was back at the inn. She held the keep by the shirt collar with one hand while the other rested on her sword. "I know you saw them! Where did they go?" she asked the plump man.

"I-I saw them g-g-go to the Sashi-tomeru forest."

"I'm sorry, I'm not from around here. Explain what are you talking about, now."

"The Sashi-tomeru is a forbidden forest... where terrible things occur. Anyone, even the most powerful demonic monsters, never come out! We all take the path around it, and we even get along! No one, nothing, comes out of that forest alive. I was going to warn those men, but they left without the proper traveling equipment! Miss, you mustn't go into that forest, even if they are your loved ones."

Nadya dropped the man. She sighed to herself, "Well, at least he's dead now."

***

"Pictor, we've been walking for hours now, don't  you find it odd there's no animals out here?" Alexei said as he gazed at the unchanging sky. 

Pictor, with a hint of panic in his voice, replied, "Of course I do."

Doushi lead them forward, he could easily hear the two speaking but he paid it no mind. Trotting on he worried about the landscape inwardly, what could have scarred the land so badly? After continuing for a long while a tingling feeling wafted through the air. A feeling of forgotten happiness, that lounged for company. At least that's what Doushi felt it was.

Out of no where a lake was looming in front of them. It looked like a form of sliver ice and carried a chill with it, something that could rip the heart out of a person who had never felt any happiness. It was like an odd overwhelming joy, but sad at the same time. Everyone was silent as they looked to each other.

Pictor broke first, "What do we do now? I me-- Alexei what's wrong?"

Alexei had covered his mouth in disbelief and surprise, a shocked expression covered his face. "There's a woman bathing in the lake," he said through his hands.

"What?" Pictor and Doushi whispered together.

"Just turn around!" Alexei hissed and pointed to the bank on the other side.

Sure enough, there sat a pile of clothes. It was difficult to tell if they were woman's apparel, but who else would take a bath in the middle of nowhere and fold there clothes neatly? She must have been underwater for a short while before they had sprang upon her.

Alexei grabbed both Pictor and Doushi dragging them into a nearby bush. Oddly enough everything by this lade was green. 

SPLASH!

A head with long black hair popped up, from the steady sliver surface. The person waded their way back to the bank with the clothes on it. Yes, that person was a woman. She dried herself off and but all her clothes back on. He clothes were a several shades of blue, flowing robes. She wore a turtle neck type shirt, underneath all the robes, which was trimmed with light sliver. It was obvious that she was a priestess, but she only appeared to be sixteen years old.

Slowly she looked around the lake. Her eyes stopped on the bush that they hid themselves in.

Doushi sneezed.

The woman's eyes went wide, she lift her hand into the air as if summoning something. The answer to any questions that the boys had was answered when a huge wave of water came rushing towards them. In a blur they all had been washed into the lake.

***

Alexei opened his eyes and began to cough, spitting up water. Apparently he had almost drown, along with Pictor and Doushi. He looked around to find himself in a tent, to his even greater surprise a campfire was burning outside of it.

He had crawled half way out of the tent before realizing he was completely drench. Of course he didn't mind the cold, he did mind the dampness though. With a frustrated curse he emerged from the tent to see the woman speaking with Pictor. From the looks of it she had given him many apologies, since Doushi was sleeping at his feet. 

Pictor looked over to him, "Oh! So you're awake! It took you long enough, I mean you are a vampire and all--"

"You realize I almost drown and that I haven't had a decent meal in a long while."

That shut Pictor up quite quickly. With a nod he dropped the subject and waved to the black haired, light, blue eyed woman. "That kind lady is Hosanna Qamra, former priestess at a very respectable temple if you care to know. She says she's very sorry about the whole incident. Recently she's been followed by some very strange people..... so...."

Twitching Alexei grabbed Pictor by the collar of his shirt. He nodded to the woman, "I need to speak with my friend." He didn't wait for any acknowledgement as he dragged Pictor over to a tree. "You idiot!" he hissed into the poor man's ear.

Pictor, confused, stood in a stupor for a moment.  "What did I do?" he asked the frightening Alexei.

"It's what you didn't do! You realize you're under a spell? She some sort of magical creature, after all how could she control water like that?" he hissed this into Pictor's ear so that the woman, Hosanna, couldn't hear.

"But look at us, we're not human. For all you know she can't control that part of her magic, if there is magic at all."

Pictor had a point, but Alexei wasn't about to admit it. Sharply, sounding like a snake, he whispered into Pictor's ear. "But we don't know that."

Being the great person he was, Pictor batted Alexei's face away. "Fine then. Let's ask her."

"Pictor! Wait!" It was already too late. Pictor had already walked over to her and was asking her the question.

The look on her face seemed surprising.... steady. She got up and walked towards, who was ready to get smacked for a "mistake." It was a great shock when he embraced him in a hug. Such a shock that Alexei almost threw her to the ground.

Instead he asked, "What are you doing?"

She began to cry in his arms.

Alexei panicked, "W-what's wrong?!"

"Thank you!" she said, though it was muffled in his shirt.

Alexei was about to cry himself. He just couldn't deal with crying women. He patted her on the back slightly, "Are you okay?"

She stopped crying, and looked up at him. Her crystal blue eyes seemed to light up, "I'm fine, I'm just happy to know that someone like you can... break through this spell."

"Oh...."

She let go of him, slightly blushing.

Doushi meanwhile was doing his best to put on a strait face. He was failing quite miserably along with Pictor, They somehow found this whole thing funny. Not that Alexei noticed much, however, he was blushing a bright  shade of crimson. 

"Would you all be heading to the Bishen Realm like so many others?" Hosanna asked, getting over what she had done quite quickly.

The two looked to Alexei to explain. With a rather large inner debate, Alexei decided to trust this woman.  "We are. What of it?"

She snorted, it was an unpleasant sound coming from such a elegant woman. "I'm surprised someone like you would have a vision," she paused at the looks on Alexei's face, "You see very important and tacky people have been called out to in our realm. Someone of your intelligence, and... heritage shouldn't have had the vision to begin with."

"I have no idea how to take that Miss Qamra."

"I should explain a bit better then. Oh and please call me Hos or 'Amra." She cleared her throat before continuing, "Many people in our world are sensitive to  certain types of mental energy.  For example if I were to call you with my mind, someone else might be able to hear it. (No I can't do it! Stop looking at me like that!) The people with stronger abilities make it know, so it's apparent you couldn't hear  anyone's thoughts, feelings, and so forth. Heaven knows how you got a message from the Realm, and only heaven knows how to get there." Hosanna coughed a bit.

Pictor interrupted on that note. "You've also been trying to get to the Bishen Realm, haven't you?"

"Well, duh," said Doushi.

"Shut up you."

"He's right though, Mister Pictor," said Hosanna trying her best not to laugh.

"Continue, please?" asked Alexei who had decided to take a seat by the fire.

"Right then. Right before my erm--retirement from my last job a close friend of mine had a vision. It  was that a special contest was going to be held at the Spring Festival. Four dragons from different clans were going to the people who had or made the best habitats for them."

"You're kidding?" asked Alexei in disbelief. 

"No, I'm not. She maybe tacky, but she's my friend and her sight has never failed."

Without warning Alexei fell backwards, his arms spread out like he was playing dead in a Broadway musical. He had turned the color of his hair. 

"Is he all right?" Hos asked Pictor.

"Good question, wish I knew the answer."

Doushi nudged Pictor, "He's your friend! You should know if he's all right!"

"Well, I don't so sue me."

Alexei groaned as he looked at the blank sky. He had given this whole thing plenty of thought, but he just realized that he had no idea who his competitors were. Somehow that little fact seemed to unnerve him. With a slight twitch he snapped back to reality, as someone stepped on his stomach. With an annoyed sound he batted the foot away. "Awful...."

"What's wrong with you Alexei? You normally don't hesitate! Remember, you started running a family business at fifteen! You can at least get your sense of adventure back!" said Pictor in a rather cheery voice.

 "How do you know about that?"

"Erk...."

Hosanna came to the rescue, "Never mind that! I was just wondering if you could help me with a quest."

Those were one of the words Alexei and Pictor never expected to hear again in there lives. Of course they were going to jump on the chance to go on a quest with a beautiful woman.... not that they'd let it show.

Alexei grinned, "Well, what are the details of this quest?"

She giggled--she hated doing it--and gave them a smile, "You see boys.... that's a secret, but you you will be paid quite handsomely."

Neither of them knew what she meant, but a quest with a woman.....? She did have these violent mood swings, but...

"We'll do it for your sake," Alexei said matter-of-factly.

"Thank you!" she went to hug him only to be stopped by his hand on her forehead. "You're rather fast..."

"Heh, thank you. The rules you have to follow are: No touching me, at all. If Pictor isn't freaking out, you can hug him, but otherwise no. Doushi enjoys all sorts, so hug the hell out of him. All right with that?" he removed his hand and watched her fall forward.

Flustered Hos blushed, "All right, no touching." Regaining her train of though, she produced a paper umbrella from her robes. Tucking it under her arm she looked to Alexei and Pictor. "Shall we get out of this place?"

They both blinked as if to say "How?"

"You mean you don't know the way out?"

They both nodded.

She rolled her eyes, "Men. Why must the woman do everything, eh? I can lead us out of here, since I remember how I got here." He waved her umbrella and everything disappeared with a pop. Adjusting her sleeves, she opened her umbrella and began to walk away. 

Alexei and Pictor watched her for a bit. It didn't take long for Pictor to realize someone was missing. He cursed, "Doushi! Where the hell is he?"

A shout, form far away told them, "Guys! I found something! Come and see!"

Hos, 'Lexei, and Pictor all stopped what they were thinking, and the all looked at each other (despite the distance between Hos and the men.) In about a split second they all ran towards Doushi's voice. They all knew he was bound to do something stupid if they left him alone for too long.

(random note: Steal Hosanna, and I swear I'll make you pay.)