A cart went by as Taranee and the girls glanced around. "What happened? And how does my hair look?" Cornelia pat her hair and looked at Will, but Taranee was too busy staring at the almost 'patchy' texture everything seemed to have.

She examined her hand, realizing that her skin had also changed in tone, the same colour, but sort of erratic; uneven. "Is this Meridian or Heatherfield?"

"Neither.." Taranee looked up at Will's thoughtful tone, the redhead was also studying her palms when her eyes widened, "Guys, we're inside the painting!"

...

Irma felt the rythmic bumping of the horses strides as she bit her lip focusing the long jousting lance on the target. She slowed after passing it, grinning back at the spinning target. Bullseye.

She jumped down from the horse as an older man walked into the stable, "Hey, Mr. Fordham, I'll bring Dusty back right after I win the tournament!"

The man looked at her seriously. It wouldn't kill him to show emotion. "Manure."

"What, you're saying I can't win because I'm a girl?" Irma frowned, defensive. She'd already had crap about this from Kurt.

"I'm talking about our deal." Irma grimaced, recalling an earlier conversation, "I lend you Dusty, you muck out the stalls."

Irma winced, "Don't you have like a poo vacuum cleaner?"

...

Hay Lin leaned her head back, enjoying the soothing sounds of cart wheels clacking in sync to the beating of a tambourine in the distance. She watched Will frown. "Okay, there must be some connection with the painting and Meridian."

"And with that ox and my shoe.."

"Well, well, well.." Prince Phobos grinned at the painting he had grown to love for it's being punishment to it's maker. "Four of the five Guardians, one of whom possesses the Heart of Kandrakar. If I can capture that crystal, my powers will double." Phobos turned to the bowing man who had entered, startled to findPhobos in the murmur room. Phobos was yet to mention Tracker's lack of reappearance to his 'Lord' Cedric. "Summon Frost. The Hunter."

...

"Fair maids, make way!" Cornelia whirled around to see a ox-driven cart headed straight for them. The others all dived out of the way except for herself, who could only think to brace herself, waiting for it to hit her. It did not.

Someone had tackled her, knocking her out of the way of the cart. A man, and a familiar looking one at that. "Sorry, we're not from around here."

"I know." Cornelia blushed with slight childish embarrassment under his kind gaze. "I created here. Elias Van Dahl." He helped her up and she rest her hand on his arm. He was a man, but he wasn't that much older looking.. "Welcome to my painting."

"You painted this?" He nodded, his dark blue eyes reaching into her soul. Just then, they heard a screech, and a large beastly man, mounting a rhino-like creature seemed to drop from the sky onto the road. Ready for a chase.

"D-did you paint that? And if you did, can you erase it?" Hay Lin's voice was faint beside her as Cornelia stared at the 'man' with bluish skin and long blond hair; rocks protruding from his heavy armour. He was riding a three-horned rhino which also wore metal shielding it's thick skin.

"Frost the Hunter!" The fear in Elias' voice made Cornelia tremble, glad he was still holding onto her arm. As if to counter her thoughts, he let go, running to open a door, "Quick, in here!"