She was rather pretty with her frilly green dress and... Who in the world wears a dress in the middle of a forest, during winter? Pants were invented for a reason and ever since then, I never wanted to have anything else during cold days. I swam in the snow until I finally got up and ended with a sword pointing at my chest. The girl angrily looked at me and I didn’t know if I was supposed to say something other than I didn’t mean harm.

“You’re cute,” I blurted out and she just stared at me.

“Are you a fairy?” she asked and I had to control my expression and any other sounds coming out of my mouth.

“I hate fairies,” she slowly lowered her sword.

“You don’t look like a demon, ghost or reaper...” she trailed off and nodded “You’re safe for now. Care to explain why you’re in my forest?”

From what I know, it was a public propriety with all kinds of creatures going in and out. It didn’t belong to anybody, not even to that annoying reaper that once had that gruesome hotel which I dearly did not want to remember and I seriously have a thing against it, so I hope my thoughts would stop before I’d go crazy for real this time.

“Well, if you first put that sword away...” I touched the blade and slowly pushed it further from me. The girl sheeted the sword to her waist and I could feel from her scrutinizing gaze that she didn’t trust me. It was mutual. As much as I tried to picture she was some kind of warrior woman, ready to sacrifice her life for the better good of her people or family or whatever, those times were long gone. And I cringed again at the sight of her dress. “Aren’t you cold?”

“No,” she answered without blinking. “Come, it seems like you are.” I dusted my head of snow and did as told. I really shouldn’t trust strangers anymore, but I had a feeling it was better to obey her than to go against.

“By the way, have you seen a dumb blonde, a stern brunette and a blue-eyed guy?”  

“No,” she really didn’t waste time with words, did she?

“Oh, okay...”

We walked for a couple of minutes through snow and some low branches... well, only I got slapped by them... until we reached a small cottage with a working chimney. I could see how beautiful it must be inside and that, maybe, there were some ginger cookies waiting to be devoured by me and Daesung while we relaxed in front of the fire.

“Grandma!!!” speaking of the kid, he got out of nowhere and waved his hands. I waved back. Then he waved them some more and jumped up and down, looking extremely scared.

“What?!” I screamed. He screamed back, but I couldn’t hear him... that can’t be right. He kept pointing in a direction. When I turned to said direction, I saw the girl. She smiled.

“Your friends?”

“Yeah...” I turned again to Daesung who grabbed his head, yelled some more (I couldn’t hear him) and pointed again at the girl.

“What the heck is wrong with you?!” I cried in exasperation. Just then, Yuri came from between the trees and stared in horror at us. She yelled something too and then pointed along with Daesung. Had the fall affect their brains or what? “Those guys are so silly, I swe---”

When I once more looked at the girl... she wasn’t a girl anymore.

Try a slimy huge snake with arms and claws the size of a pumpkin, hissing at me with pure golden eyes. Oh, that’s why they were acting nuts. I ran without stopping towards Daesung and Yuri and fell back on the snow when I hit some kind of barrier. I got up, punched and kicked at it while Daesung and Yuri were doing the same.

Why snakes? Of everything, why a snake!?

I froze on spot when I heard that low hiss in my ear. I could feel her breath over my skin. Holy , why a ing snake???

That’s it. I can’t believe it.

I’m going to be swallowed alive by a freaking snake.

Daesung and Yuri were just as petrified.

“Nagi!” I didn’t recognize that voice. But whoever it was, forced the snake to turn around and hiss elsewhere. Great, go and eat that woman. I’ll just try to scratch my way through that barrier. Seriously though, why was it so hard to break through it? I touched Daesung and Yuri’s hand. Not a spark, no nothing. Just in case, I pressed my back against the wall and waited to see who was the snake’s next poor victim. Damn, she was pretty too; curly hair, cheeky smile, properly clothed and with an unusual black aura. She threw a rock towards the serpent. It moved around and hissed louder. Why would you anger a freaking snake, why?! She moved in a way that seemed to paralyze the snake. I was quite mesmerized as well. A thin layer of energy veiled her arms until it burst into fireworks and blinded everybody. I opened my eyes when I fell backwards straight on Daesung. The blonde caught me in time and we tumbled in snow until I finally got up on all fours and saw the snake fallen in the same manner with the girl on top of it. Daesung grabbed my arm before I’d get up.

“Wait...” I nodded. We had to see if the girl was the enemy or our ally. Either way, she put that snake down like it was a daily business. Yuri on the other hand didn’t care and approached her. Both I and Daesung tried to call her back, but it was of no use. The girl jumped off the snake, fixed her hair and then pulled Yuri in a tight embrace.

“Oh...!” Daesung exclaimed “Guess that’s Jessica. Or a vampire that's on her blood!”

“You don’t say...” I mumbled and finally let the snow bed for another time.