Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own Adventure Time.
Jake shivered as he and Lady walked through the forest. He cursed to himself as he realized they had walked in a circle.
"I think it was this way." The red haired man mumbled to himself and pulled the reins the right. Jake raised his lantern higher to see better through the thick storm. Snow came down heavily and the wind pushed the two off the path. He heard a growl from somewhere nearby and hesitantly looked around. Glowing red eyes peered out at him through the thick bushes. A pack of wolves unlike anything Jake had ever seen emerged from the foliage and advanced on the young woodsman. Their thick armor like fur was a stark white and they were twice the size of regular wolves. Muscles rippled under their skin, just waiting to burst through. Their fangs were bared in hunger, too big to fit in their mouths. Jake paled. Never had he seen creatures so powerful. One launched itself at the two and bit Lady. The horse neighed frantically and Jake fell off of her back.
"Lady!" The wolves ripped at the horse's flesh, eating their fill. Jake stared in horror as his horse was consumed. After their meal the wolves turned to him. Jake screamed as one of the wolves latched onto his arm and tried fruitlessly to shake the creature off. His uninjured arm flailed about until it reached his ax. The woodsman brought the sharp object down on the wolf's snout. The monster howled in pain and released Jake from its grip. Jake cradled his injured arm and ran as fast as he could. The wolves gave chase easily gaining on the smaller human. Jake yelled as lost his footing and fell down a steep hill. He weakly pushed himself up, hearing the growling of the wolves coming closer. There stood a large metal gate before him covered in frost. Jake grabbed the cool metal, rattling it loudly.
"Help! Please someone help me!" The gate opened on its own and Jake hurried in. He slammed the gate right in the face of the wolves. They growled menacingly, circling the gate and staring at him with their haunting red eyes. He limped up to the front door of what he now realized was a castle. Pushing against the heavy wood, he opened the door. Jake breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the door. The young man clutched at his bleeding arm and looked around the empty hall.
"Hello? Hello?" Two pairs of eyes watched the woodsman stumble around the castle.
"He must have lost his way in the woods." One of the pairs of eyes whispered.
"Keep quiet! Maybe he'll go away." Whispered the other pair of eyes.
"Is someone there?" Jake called out to the large room. His voice echoed back to him and the man frowned. He swore he had heard someone talking.
"Not a word, Marceline. No one word!" There it was again. Jake was sure he had heard someone that time.
"I don't mean to intrude, but I've lost my way and need a place to stay for the night." Marceline turned to Flame, pouting.
"Oh Flame, have a heart." The flame haired man frowned at Marceline and shook his head.
"Not a chance Marcy. You don't want Master to be angry do you?"
"Oh that old coot can just-"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but can you show yourself?" Marceline grinned wickedly at the fire mage and floated down from their hiding spot at the top of the stairs. She floated down in front of Jake and landed silently. Jake startled back in shock and raised his arm to defend himself only to hiss as his injured arm protested the movement.
"Hello." Marceline smiled at the man, showing off her fangs. Jake gasped and took a step back.
"Y-you... y-you're a..."
"Vampire? Yes." Jake looked ready to pass out. Flame sighed from his spot at the top of the stairs.
"Well now you've done it. Master will be displeased." The red clad man jumped over the railing of the stairs, landing gracefully on the floor. He rose and Marceline snorted.
"Show off." Flame just glared at Marceline.
"I apologize for my friend's behavior; she seems to have been raised by wolves." Marceline gave an indignant cry that was ignored by Flame. "Unfortunately you cannot stay here. Our master is not fond of guests."
Marceline rolled her eyes and wrapped a hand around Jake's shoulders, missing the flinch he gave as she jostled his injured arm.
"Nonsense! He'll stay here for the night, Master never has to know." Flame shook his head but followed Marceline as she led the traveler to the den. The mage conjured a warm fire in the fire place. Marceline smiled gratefully but the man pretended to ignore it.
"You may stay here tonight. Then you must leave in the morning. If our Master ever found you here..." The man trailed off. The three of them fell silent as they warmed themselves in the room, not knowing their master watched from an overhead walkway.
An elderly woman with wrinkled green skin walked into the room pushing a tea cart, her white hair bouncing slightly as she walked. She pushed past an indignant Flame and stopped next to Jake.
"Hello dear, would you like some tea? Or apple pie maybe?" She handed the man a slice of pie, not giving him the chance to deny her offer. A young boy with blue-green skin hid shyly behind the green skinned woman, looking at Jake in awe and fear. Flame seemed to recover from his shock and moved to stand next to the green woman.
"Tree Trunks, you can't give him tea." The woman scoffed.
"He is a guest and will be treated as such. BMO hand him a cup of tea." Flame sighed in exasperation and threw his hands in the air. There was no stopping these people. BMO grabbed a cup of tea and shakily made his way over to Jake. The boy was shaking so hard that he nearly spilled the steaming cup right into Jake's lap. The man took the cup from the boy and thanked him. BMO smiled brightly and moved back to his hiding spot behind Tree Trunks.
The door to the den slammed open and a cold wind swept through the room putting out the fire in the fire place. Flame's own fire hair shrank considerably and the man shivered as he felt the cold. Tree Trunks began to shake in fear and BMO clutched desperately at the fabric of the woman's brown dress. Marceline had turned herself into a bat flapped away into a shadowed corner of the room.
Jake stared as a seemingly innocent man entered the room. His skin was a pale ice blue as were his eyes. His hair was stark white and fell thickly over his shoulders like snow. But what scared Jake was the sheer power that rolled off the man. There was something quietly dangerous about the man that made the hairs on the back of Jake's neck stand.
"Why is there a stranger here?" His icy eyes flickered over to Jake and Marceline emerged from her corner, human once more.
"Master, let me explain. This man was lost in the woods and attacked and we-" Marceline was cut off by a loud growl from the white haired man. She lowered her head dejectedly. Flame took a step forward to protect Marceline if he needed to.
"Oh spare the theatrics, Flame. I will not harm her... yet." Flame stiffened at the cold words of his master. Jake continued to stare at the man. "Who are you? What are you doing in my castle?"
Jake shivered. That man's voice could freeze someone's heart.
"I-I was lost and then these wolves..." The man scoffed.
"You are not welcome here. Leave now." Jake grew indignant. He was a guest in this man's home and the man was treating him like a piece of dirt.
"I'm sorry sir but I need a place to stay, my arm is injured and I can't walk in that storm."
"Are you that stupid? If you leave now I might let you get away with that little comment of yours." Jake huffed.
"You would do nothing. Someone would notice my absence and come looking for me and then they would stumble across your castle. A castle filled with magical people. You would be executed immediately. Magic has been banned since the disappearance of King Simon. You would not risk that." The man was seething with rage. This peasant had dared threaten him in his own home.
"You will regret your words." A rush of cold wind wrapped around Jake. Ice shards were pushed harshly against his skin and Jake cried out. He looked up at the man before darkness enveloped him.
A/N: Please review and tell me what you think.
