Cold

Cassandra often wandered around the small shopping district in the Refuge, usually to get her mind off the stress of war and her duties as main leader. Today it was because of the death of Foster O'Hara, one of her best archers, he was always hardheaded and liked to argue but he still followed orders. Cassandra took a deep breath and pushed the door open to the potions shop, owned by the children of Hecate or Trivia, "Cassandra!" someone shouted, the source came from a girl with purple hair and henna tattoos that framed her face she had two different colored eyes, blue and brown like an alley cat. Golden bangles and armbands and rings jingled as she moved, "Hey Elixyvette." Cassandra greeted her with a sincere smile, "How are you?"

"Never been better!" she replied happily as she walked behind the small counter. There was several test tubes with different colored liquids in them; also very different fumes, "I'm working on an invisibility potion." Elixyvette explained, "So far I've gone through three different test subjects and two of them are floating." Cassandra raised her eyebrow, "Well, at least you have a potion that allows people to fly." Elixyvette smirked, "I already have, like, a million of those." A few minutes passed before anyone said anything, "That's it!" Elixyvette exclaimed and went over to a jar of talons, specifically labeled 'Hydra Claws' in spidery hand writing, "Maybe it's too much minotaur hair," Elixyvette muttered to herself while starting a fire underneath a small cauldron. After a few minutes she was pouring a purplish liquid into a test-tube, "Melaka!" Elixyvette shouted, after a few minutes a smaller girl emerged with red hair and pink eyes, "What?" she asked tiredly rubbing her eyes, "Drink this." Elixyvette said holding the potion to her, Melaka opened her mouth to protest but instead got the purple liquid down her throat, 'I was desperate' Elixyvette mouthed to Cassandra who nodded as Melaka started to disappear into the air, "Yes!" Elixyvette shouted and went over to a big leather bound book, "This is awesome!" she grabbed a fountain pen and started writing down the recipe for the potion. Meanwhile Melaka stumbled back the way she came, "Bye Elixyvette, and good job." Cassandra commented, "Thanks, and may the Gods be with you Cassandra!" Elixyvette shouted before Cassandra left the shop. Cassandra continued to walk through the shopping district to get to the training arena to practice.

Cassandra pulled her hair to retrieve an amethyst encrusted hair pin, Cassandra pushed the largest gemstone and watched her pin grow into a four foot long Celestial bronze sword encrusted with amethysts on the hilt,

Quintessence, or in Greek: Pemptousia,

"Cassandra Greene." Someone growled roughly putting their hand on her shoulder, before she could react, Cassandra had her attacker pinned to the ground with Quintessence at their throat.

Ryan.

"Jeez Cass!" he exclaimed pushing her off him, "I just wanted to see if you would spar with me." Ryan crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his bottom lip, "but now? No." he whimpered, Cassandra rolled her eyes and dusted herself off, "I thought you were a monster." Cassandra replied and resumed walking with Ryan following behind her, "You didn't answer my question," he whined, "Fine," Cassandra grumbled, "I'll spar with you." Ryan caught up to her and grinned evilly, "Finally someone as challenging as Tori!" he exclaimed pulling his sword from his sheath, an obsidian colored blade encrusted with sapphires that contrasted beautifully against the dark metal, Wicked or Kakos in Greek, "Tori always wins." Cassandra pointed out picking up her pace to avoid Ryan's cocky grin, "And I do too." Cassandra elbowed Ryan who laughed, "I at least have strategy on my side." She said fast walking to the arena entrance, "I have strategy on my side." Ryan mimicked her, Cassandra was caught off guard and faked a yawn, looking down; big mistake. Before she could react Ryan had struck her to the ground, "Never turn a blind eye on your enemy." He muttered smiling at her, "Your right," Cassandra always knew Ryan left his right side unguarded, just as he started to get up, Cassandra kicked him in the stomach and advanced as he stumbled backwards. Ryan lost his sword where they had been only seconds earlier; perfect, "Never turn a blind eye on your enemy." Cassandra mimicked Ryan, her sword at his throat, "You got me." He arched his neck, just barley revealing his tattoo of a laurel wreath, "Good trick, Ryan." Cassandra said taking away pressure from the tip of her blade not wanting to hurt her friend, "What?" he asked too innocently his amber colored eyes darted around anxiously not wanting to be hurt, as if Cassandra would do anything to harm him. She sighed and took her sword tip from his throat, "I win." Cassandra said triumphantly, "You might want to get that checked out." She added as Ryan rubbed his neck slightly, smearing the small dab of blood from Cassandra's sword, "Maybe." He responded as Cassandra swaggered out of the arena.

Maybe.

"So about this quest," Jax said with his slight British accent, "What are your thoughts Miss. Victoria?" Tori narrowed her eyes, "I will use this knife if you call me by my real name," she said menacingly Jax opened his mouth to reject but got interrupted, "or if you try anything." She added as they slipped farther into the Northern woods for patrol duty, "She-e-e's playing ha-a-a-rd to ge-e-e-t." Jax mumbled, Tori whipped around with her knife in hand, "Care to tell me what you just said, Jackson?" Tori asked using Jax's real name, "Victoria is so awesome." He said in the same tune, "Good enough." Tori replied and started walking ahead, "Miss. Victoria I need to-"

"Jax!"

"Ask you-"

"Jackson." Tori warned, "If you would like to accompany me for the search." Jax said quickly bracing himself for a kick or punch in an unpleasant place, Tori pondered for a minute, "Fine." Jax mentally did a happy dance, "Miss. Victoria, you are amazing." Tori whipped around hitting Jax in the face with her brown hair, "Under one condition though."

"Tell me."

"You will stop calling me Miss. Victoria."

"Alright," Jax smirked, "Miss. Victoria, or maybe I should call you, Miss. Stubborn as Hell." Tori let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed Jax by the arm to ensure he wouldn't cause anymore stalls, "Victoria-"

"Jax, don't call me that."

"Victoria, something's wrong-"

"Jax, I don't have time for your pranks, you stupid Mercury spawn."

"Victoria, something is wrong." He grabbed Tori by the hand, if Jax was showing any type of affection; something definitely wrong, "Why should I believe you after every lie you've ever told me?" Tori snapped, "Because I'm not lying." Tori opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a blood curling scream, "There it is." Jax muttered and started to run to the location of the scream, "Did I not tell you?" he asked as Tori caught up, "Whatever you say." She replied speeding ahead of him, spraying snow into Jax's face, if this was any normal time he would've enjoyed it.

Maybe even more if he was a normal person. By the time they had reached the location of the sound it had stopped, "Jax, look." Tori placed her hand on his shoulder and pointed to a small cluster of trees a few hundred yards away. In the middle there was a hunched over black shape and you could hear the horrible animal like sounds coming from it, "Miss. Victoria, we should go."

"No Jax, there was a human scream…I heard it."

"Victoria." Jax said firmly keeping an iron grip on her wrist, but of course no one could beat the daughter of victory in anything, she wrestled his grip for a few minutes before finally getting free, "Damn it Tori!" Jax shouted trying to get Tori's wrist back but it was too late, she had started to run towards the shape, "Victoria don't you bloody do it!" she stopped a few paces from the grove, she slowly took out her knife. The shape was clearer now, a silhouette of a hellhound, "Victoria!"

"Jax, calm the hell down, its asleep." By the time Jax arrived he was out of breath, cold, and tired, "Don't do that again." He half yelled grabbing Tori by the arms, "Jax,"

"Victoria, listen to me-"

"Jax…" Her voice was shaking, "Look behind you."

Then everything came crashing down, the hot sticky breath of the hellhound on his neck.

It was awake, and they had no defense except Tori's small knife.