Hera woke up feeling dizzy and confused. She looked around and saw colorful trees of different sizes, their stems and branches oddly shaped as they reached for the clear blue sky. The ground was soft and mushy. Butterflies and vibrant little creatures fluttered and danced around, in the flowerbeds that entrenched it.

"Where...am I?"

She massaged her temples and placed her fingers between her nose bridge, trying to recall everything that had happened so far. Slowly, things began to come into focus again. The field trip in Eladine forest, her lost bracelet, and that annoying boy who helped her search for it. Pwyll, was his name? The pictures of memory started to get foggy, and the last thing she remembered was running into the deep woods, before everything went black.

Hera stood up and dusted herself. She felt a weight on her wrist, and realized she was wearing her bracelet again.

"Oww," a groaning voice surprised her.

She turned and saw a boy lying on the ground, in agony. He had scruffy hair, and an olive skin complexion. His clothes looked nothing like the ordinary garbs she had seen before. Despite wearing a simple khaki doublet and trousers, armored plating covered his exteriors, like a warrior in battle. His boots looked outdated for someone his age, and they were made from an unversed type of fabric.

"Are...are you alright?" Hera asked, slowly approaching him. The boy groaned further, not replying. As she drew closer, she took another look at his face. For some strange reason, he looked familiar. Then, it struck her.

"Pwyll?" she gasped.

The boy slowly opened his eyes, and upon seeing her, he shrieked in horror.

"Stay away from me!" he yelled, jumping back.

Hera folded her arms and arched an eyebrow. "Seriously Pwyll? That's the first reaction you give to someone who's trying to help you?"

"H-how do you know my name? Where is this place? Why am I in this...weird outfit?!" Pwyll rambled, bewilderedly.

"It's me, Hera, you idiot!" Hera bellowed. "And, just like you, I don't have the slightest clue of where this place is either! Or, why of all reasons, are you wearing that silly cosplay outfit!"

"Hera? Is that really you?" Pwyll winced.

"Of course, it's me, you turtle! Who else would I be?"

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

Hera rolled her eyes and pinched him in the arm.

"Ouch-"

"Now you know, we're not," she confirmed. "Why do you look so terrified? Do I have horns on my face now?"

"Not really," Pwyll muttered. "But-"

"But what?"

"You...might want to touch your ears."

"What?"

"Y-your ears. They're...pointed."

"P-pointed?" Hera laughed. "Are you out of your mind? My ears are completely fi—"

Hera paused as she touched and felt her ears. "No way."

"I need something to mirror myself," she murmured. She saw a small lake in front, and immediately rushed towards it. She kneeled on the ground and looked at her reflection. A girl with emerald-green eyes, framed by thick golden eyelashes stared back at her through the crystal, clear water. Long, silky white hair cascaded elegantly down her back like a waterfall, and small, slightly pointy ears peeked out from the sides of her slim, angular face, revealing her nature.

Hera screamed.

An elf. She had turned into a freaking elf.

"I demand an explanation for this!" she bawled, glaring back at Pwyll.

"M-me?" Pwyll stuttered. "You think I know? I'm just as confused as you are!" he argued.

"Oh please, don't act all innocent! This is all your fault!" Hera replied, rolling her eyes.

"My fault? Wait, so you're blaming all of this," Pwyll gestured, with one finger. "All this, on me?"

"Yes, undoubtedly."

"Unbelievable." Pwyll shook his head. "You know what? None of this would've happened, if you hadn't just run off aimlessly into the woods, to search for your stupid bracelet!"

Hera gasped. "This isn't a stupid bracelet! It's an heirloom passed down by generations of my family's ancestors! I doubt an imbecile like you would be likely to understand its importance anyways!"

"Well, look where your precious 'heirloom' landed us now!"

Hera gritted her teeth, but said no more. She looked away and huffed at the air. At this point, she was so annoyed, she swore she could've killed Pwyll that very instant, but then again, he was right. If it weren't for her irrational actions back in Eladine Forest, they wouldn't be stuck here in who-knows-where.

"You aren't planning to kill me, are you?" Pwyll asked, as if reading her thoughts.

"Tempting," Hera replied. "But I'll pass for now."

"Good to know."

"Just for the record, I still think you're somehow connected to all of this."

"For goodness' sake, I wished I hadn't helped you back in the forest!"

"Oh, drop the act! I didn't need your help in the first place!"

"Indeed. I should've just left you to get lost on your own!"

"Excuse me? Just to make things clear, I don't intend on getting stuck here with a dimwit like you as well!"

They began arguing again, unaware of the skulking shadow watching them from a distance. Furtively, the figure unslung a curved armament from its back, resembling a bow and nocked two arrows to it. Drawing back on the bowstring, it centred the points that swam in and out of focus on the quarreling pair. The aim was perfect from here, and the lack of wind was an added bonus.

Taking a deep breath, the figure released his shot and sneered as the arrows successfully hit their targets. He immediately sprinted to his victims, unsheathing a dagger from the slim scabbard at his shin. A precautionary measure just in case they put up a fight, but both Pwyll and Hera were already paralyzed from the bottom down.

They could only stare and twitch helplessly as the figure crouched, leaning forward until their vision was filled with the dark confines of his hood. Slowly, the short creature pulled it back, revealing his face.

"Well, well, well. An elf and a mage. Ain't this a lovely pair?" the dwarf hissed.