(Takes place before The Lightning Thief)
It was a sunny day in the fall, and a crisp breeze swept over the little girl playing by a pond. The girl's dark, earthy brown hair was braided into twin French braids. She looked to be about 5 or 6, for she had short, chubbier limbs, and wide, soft brown eyes. The girl giggled as she splashed the water up onto her blue jeans, pink hoodie, and purple tennis shoes.
"Alaina, no!" A young woman called, rushing up to the girl. The woman had the same color brown hair, and darker brown eyes. She stood proudly at 5'5- 5'7 and was lithe and tanned.
The woman scooped up the girl, Alaina, and twirled. She set the child down, away from the water. "What were you doing?"
"I whas pwaying in the wahter!" Alaina giggled once more, before grabbing her mother's green hoodie sleeve.
The mother tapped her daughter's nose, smiling as Alaina laughed. "Come on, your father wants to see you!"
"Weally?? Wet's go!" The girl ran to a silver Honda sitting a few yards away. The woman ran after her child, scooping her up, and opened the door.
She set Alaina into her car seat, buckled her up, and closed the door. The woman walked to the driver's side, slide into the car, and started the ignition.
~W~
(That's my linebreak)
~W~
The toddler was shaken awake by her mother. Alaina yawned, and grasped the wolf stuffed animal she had in her chubby hands. The woman picked her daughter up, and closed the door to the car.
They were in a small town, somewhere out east of where they lived in West Texas. The mountains gently rolled down the horizon as the sun set the world ablaze with blues, yellows, oranges, reds, and pinks.
The girl watche dove her mom's shoulder as she was carried into the woods, the trees creeping together to curtain them from the world.
The woman walked for a bit before a shrill howl pierced the air.
A large, black wolf soared over a fallen log in front of the pair. It's piercing red eyes scanned over the two, while the woman clutches her child tighter.
A puff of black smoke erupted from wolf. The wolf was replaced by a tall man. His animal fur coats clumg to him. He was slim, but muscles packed into the small frame. He had the same blood red eyes, and greasy, jet black hair. He was pale, and sharp features adorned his face.
"Lydia," he breathed, and opened his arms. He strode forward, and embraces the woman. Lydia, the woman, nestled her face under his chin.
"I brought Alaina," she whispered, and turned the girl onto her hip. The brunette girl eyed the man warily, her eyes narrowed.
"It's okay, Al, this is your father," Lydia murmured. The girl looked at her mother before back at her father.
Then, she launched herself out of her mother's arms and into her father's. "Daddy!" She exclaimed, hugging his neck tightly. The man was surprised, but soon wrapped his arms around his daughter.
"Alaina, are you being good for momma?" The man asked, pulling the girl off of his neck.
"Mhmm! I even cleaned up my toys!" Alaina responded cutely, her eyes gleaming with a lightness of pride.
Lydia laughed, and the man chuckled. "Good-" He stopped, looking into the corners of his eyes. He pulled Alaina closer, and Lydia tensed.
The man sniffed, before he growled. "Move! We got to mov-"
He was cut off by a large reptilian figure. It slithered out of the brush, before multiple heads erupted from its muscular body. Its tail lashed, and the men had it measured to about 20 feet long, give of take a few feet.
He grabbed Lydia and tossed her away, clutching his child in his arms.
"Lycaon!" Lydia screamed, as she watched the vicious monster lunge at her lover and child.
The man, Lycaon, was dodging the meticulous nine heads of the monster, weaving and slapping them away as the reaches for his daughter. She was silently nestled in her father's chest, scared of the cruel animal attacking them.
The hydra heads were at attention to Lycaon, until one head noticed Lydia. It spit green, steaming acid, aimed right for the woman.
"Lydia!!!" The man screamed, before racing over to his lover.
The green liquid hit the woman square in the chest, before she crumpled to the ground. She screamed as the acid dislolved her and she whispered out. "I-I love you bo-th."
Lycaon howled in grief as he saw the life die from Lydia's eyes. The hydra, seemingly satisfied for now, quickly raced of.
Lycaon fell to the ground, hugging his daughter to his chest tightly so she wouldn't see. "I'm sorry, Al-Alaina... but you're mother is d-dead." He set the girl on the ground, but she didn't leave him.
He stared at his dead wife, before taking the silver ring off her hand. He wished it smaller, before grabbing his daughter's hand.
"Wear this proudly." He slipped the silver band with a ruby paw print on her finger.
"I love you." He whispered, before howling once more.
A few heartbeats passed before a silver wolf slid from the forest. Her amber eyes landed on Lycaon and Alaina before she dipped her head.
"I'm here, Lord." She grunted, approaching slowly. Lycaon hissed, "Here, Rika, I want to take my daughter to somewhere safe." He stood and pushed the small girl towards the wolf, staring at the silver haired woman who appeared in the wolf's place.
"Yes Lycaon," she dipped her head, "But where?"
"Take her to a park, leave her for one of the gods to find."
Rika nodded, before scooping her package up in her arms and running off into the woods. Lycaon watched his daughter leave him, before he howled once more. A navy blue whisp emerged from the ground, before streaming after the pair...