Unsure and dirty, Junhong, Lillian and Kailer continue on. Sun setting, cutting off the light they once had but they were near. Soran could smell the damn earth that clung to the air around them.

Soran stopped without warning, closing his eyes as he began to hum. Dropping down to his knee, he pulled out his spell book and a white wax candle. 

In fluid motion he lit the candle with his eyes closed, humming louder to everyone's confusion.

Grabbing the at the damp earth and throwing it into the air. The dirt flying back at him in his face.

"I knew it" he finally spoke, his dirty face scrunched up.

"What's wrong?" Lillian joined him on the ground while  Junhong and Kailer looked at each other with concern.

Soran didn't respond instead he grabbed more dirt clinching it in his hands. The soil was too moist for this part of the forest, it hadn't rained and the only man made lake was back near Lillian's cottage. Things were not adding up.

Standing suddenly, Soran whispered "the forest flooded"

"How?" Lillian asked a little too loudly.

 Soran placed his finger to his mouth to quiet her, they were not exactly alone. He wasn't sure but he felt a new presence.

"The soil is damp as if it was drying from heavy rain, but it hasn't rained at all. This could mean the ritual already began or someone washing away someone scent. Someone they don't want us to find"

"Esther"

"Right on, we can't go this way" Soran whispered in agreement.

"We can't loop around the forest. It would take a while. His mistress could very well be hurt or converted by then."

"Not at all, I have my handy candle. She'll show the way"

Kailer snorted," Might as well just conjure us up a gritty fairy while we're at it."

Soran just raised an eye brow "Pixies don't work for free and we have enough egos round 'er"

Kailer pushed himself of the tree he was leaning on "Making fun of me accent, C'ity Boy?"

"Your accent makes fun of it's self" With that Soran closed his book with a loud snap , tossing it without care into his leather knapsack. "Let's get, time burning"

 Just as Soran said the candle showed the way, throwing off a bit of light as they walked behind it. It floated off the ground but not high enough for anyone but them to see it.

"I'll never get used to magic" Kailer muttered to himself.

"Not everyone was born with inhuman strength" Lillian hissed. She hated when he put down the magical side of their race. He sounded bitter and hurt, as if he was jealous to be their version of normal, probably why he was so rude to Junhong.

 Lillian's eyes watched Junhong as he followed Soran and the candle. She wondered if he was too concerned with finding his mistress, to notice her imprint had grown thicker since he arrived. 

She loved Kailer, she really did but her imprint messed with her mind. It was struggle not to chase after him after Junhong the day he  was sold to his mistress's family. It hurt her physically and mentally to be way from him. 

His presence being so close to her drove her instincts into overdrive but he wasn't here for her.

She hated Esther, not because she was beautiful but because she was Junhong's moon even if he never realised it. Lillian could smell his connection to her, it reeked of expensive perfume. She was wrong, dirty and cruel. She often wondered how her sweet Junhong could love a evil witch like her.

"Could you shield your thoughts, please." Soran turned to ask Lillian.

 Warm embarrassment spread on her face. She was lost in her  jealousy that she wasn't even aware how loud her thoughts were.

"Sorry" she said as silently as she could.

*

The moon was nearly rising to it's proper place when Soran's floating candle just dropped to the wet grass, alerting everyone.

Soran whispered a spell but the candle only fell again, scratching his head he turned to everyone.

"I'm taking that we arrived. Only thing left is to enter the trees"

"Is it safe?" Lillian grabbed Junhong's blazer sleeve timidly.

"Nothing about this safe, if you can't stomach it. Your free to leave" Soran said calmly to tick Lillian off.

Letting go of Junhong , she steps in front of him. Very haughtly she pushes her long black hair aside. "I am a priestess, I don't get scared."

She walked ahead of everyone, pouting as she stomped off, leading the way.

Without out much choice they follow the raven haired beauty further into the mouth of the swamp.

Junghong began to feel a slight tugging at his core, like something was pulling him towards the mess of the swamp. Soon he was walking further away from the group. He couldn't stop himself, he no longer was in control of his legs.

"You shall watch her be born and die" a voice whispered in his ears.

He didn't understand who or what was going on but he was sure the voice and his uncontrollable legs would bring him to where his mistress possibly was.

Less than a few yards away Soran and the other's watched Junhong walking away, further into the swamp.

"Do you think he's okay, he's staggering a bit." Lillian tugged at Soran. Her concern was obvious but understandable.

"He seemed out of it' Kailer chimed in.

"He's out guide in. His imprint and whatever spell he caught will lead us to her." Soran sounded so sure.

"How do you know, he could walking into a trap" Lillian nearly shouted.

Soran's nerves was shot and her voice grated his ears. Unable to stop himself he striked her across her porcelain face. Leaving a red mark behind 

 Lillian held her face in shocked only to be gently push behind Kailer.

"Are you mad man? You dare strike my fiancee?" Kailer growled.

"That's some fiancee you got there. Tithering over a man in front of her betrothed" Soran rolled her eyes "She doesn't respect not love you"

"LIAR!" 

"I speak no lies, open your eyes"

"Stop speaking in rhyme!"

"Maybe you should listen to me instead of your pathetic heart"

"STOP FIGHTING! Now is not the time, I can barely see him' Lillian interrupted.

 Soran snapped his keen eyes on her, while she was right he was very suspicious of her sudden outburst. Soran said nothing and nodded in agreement.

 With that they ran after Junhong in hopes of catching up.

*

 "Do you dare?" A husky Scottish accent asked

A woman dressed in in all white sat in a shallow pool of water, Warm tears streaming down her puffy face. She was hungry and tired. The men dressed in fur and leather wouldn't allow her to close her eyes.

When she asked for bread they laughed and reminded her , she needed to be hungry and desperate to past the lighting filled heavens. Whatever that meant.

She never in her life had been so scared and so hungry. 

 She was so use to getting very little thing her heart desired that not eating and shivering was driving her crazy. At this point she would do or say anything just to be warm and fed.

Another thing that drove her mad was her so called loyal servant was not where to be seen.

When she called for him, her mental call would die as if he was purposely blocking her out.

She alwyast had a feeling He didn't care for her but t never thought IT to be true.. until now.

Everything she knew was gone, now her fate layed in the ritual being a success.

At this point she welcomed death, anything would be better than living a life that didn't belong to her..especially if Junhong  wasn't there to take care of her.

"You rather die than rule our clan? A foolish child you are"

"Death is better than living as your puppet!" She shouted.

The voice scoffed but left her alone to her thoughts and silent swamp.

She wished Junhong.. anyone would come get her.