Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay I was trying to sort out where I want to go with this story in my head. It is not by any means abandoned, I plan to keep chugging on this one!

The small group was huddled close to the fire. Dim grey daylight illuminated the room poorly, the sky darkened by thick storms. The small amount of light was enough to pierce the frigid bite of the night, and even this fragile warmth was a welcome releif.

Hercules looked around him, to his wife and friends relying on him. He had already been to the stables and ensured Pegasus was safe and comfortable. But he feared for Phil, his mentor. For his parents, who had raised him with more love and devotion than most people showed their natural born. For the citizens of his city, his country, his world. He looked down at his hands, glad the others failed to see the tremor. He didn't know how to protect everyone, to stop whatever was happening. He bit his lip, hard enough he tasted the bitter metalic taste of blood. He couldn't fix everything, but he had to to something to protect those that he loved.

"I need to get Phil and my parents," He stated, catching his companions by surprise and jumping to his feet. "It's not the time of year for this… they won't have enough firewood!" He shouted, rushing to the door and pulling his cloak from a hook he had placed into the wall, and turned to find Megara quickly approaching him,

"Are you crazy? Going out in a storm like this! Are you trying to kill yourself!" She pushed him roughly, nearly throwing herself off balance with the effort.

"I can't just leave them to freeze to death in this storm! How can I abandon them!" He shouted back to her, his tone angrier than he intended. Megara stared at him, her breathing quick, eyes wide. But she quickly lowered her arms, placing a hand to her head as she sat down quickly.

"I'm sorry… you're right. You can't just abandon them," She looked at him from the corner of her eyes, "But you don't have to be so eager to run into danger. With this snow, how can Pegasus fly? After so much ice builds up on his wings, they'll be too heavy to fly," She asked. She wanted to yell at him, beat her fists against his chest, tell him he was a fool. But then she thought about how cold she was, even with the fire. About the elder couple who had welcomed her into their lives with more love and warmth than her own father. About the obnoxious satyr who frequented their home and make her smile. She would never wish ill on them, but she feared for her husband. "Promise me you'll come home. With everyone. Safe." It wasn't a question.

Hercules approached her, kneeling down before her and grasped her hands tightly, lifting her fingertips to his lips, lavishing the soft feel of her skin, wishing the world were the way it should be. He shouldn't be heading into a deadly storm. He should be lying in bed with his wife, an arm over her pregnant stomach, picturing what their child-to-be would look like. To look into her eyes and see the newfound happiness shining inside of them, not this fear and despair. It's not fair. He let her hands go, tilting her chin to force her to look at him.

"I promise," He stood, and looked to Cassandra and Ikarus. "She's too stubborn to take care of herself so I need you two to do that for me, think you can handle it?" He smirked, and his friends chuckled.

"She might kill us for it, but don't worry. She's in good hands. Have we ever let you down before?" Cassandra replied, smirking at the look Megara threw her.

"Count on us Herc!" Ikaruas shouted enthusiastically. Hercules chucked,

"Oh come on!" She defended, narrowing her eyes at them. "I'm not that pathetic right now. Just… a little tired." She stood, switching her focus back to Hercules,

"Okay… okay…" He smiled. "You're a big tough girl. But can you blame me for worrying?"

"Amarantha! Oh gods how did I forget about her! Hercules, you have to get her!" Cassandra's voice broke through the conversation. "She just lives in a small shack near the water, by the fishing docks. The one with all the flowers growing in the back… Hercules please,"

"I'll bring her back safe too." I wish I could protect the whole city. There are thousands trapped in this storm, and it's going to take everything I have just to rescue four of them. What kind of hero am I if I can barley help my own friends and family? He bit his lip, and looked over to Megara whom he knew was worried enough as it is. "I'll be as quick as I can,"

"Oh just go on bicep boy," She shooed him out the door, worried that if he didn't hurry and leave to help his family she would beg him to stay. I can be so selfish she scolded herself. Hercules paused at the door, and turned to her once more.

"I promise I'll come home," He cupped her face gently with his hands, and kissed her fierecely. Megara felt the tears stinging her eyes, her throat aching as she supressed a sob. He broke the kiss as suddenly as it began and quickly slipped through the wooden door.

"Oh romance in the air! My dearest Cassie-poo take me!" Ikarus feigned collapse, throwing himself across Cassandra's lap, puckering his lips at her. Megara laughed, clutching her stomach as a full and honest laugh filled the room. Cassandra's angry and defeated expression only caused her to laugh harder as the woman pushed her suitor from her lap.

With the door shut behind him Hercules rushed to the stables, the wind already biting at his skin. He pulled his cloak up higher, to protect his neck and ears. He squinted, finding it hard to see the stable such a short distance away. Already his skin felt wet, and he began to doubt if Pegasus could fly across an ocean to rescue Phil. I'll cross that road when I get to it. He thought to himself. At least for now, he could get to his parents and worry about Phil once they were safe. Besides, Phil has survived plenty of winters and more than one summer hell storm. Maybe he can get through this storm, and I can get him when the snow lets up. He continued to fight with himself, his own motives, desires, plans. He felt fear knawing at his resolve.

The stable door was frozen shut, the wind having blown the snow into a thick layer of ice over the handle. He grasped the handle, using his cloak to protect his hand, and wretched the door off of the hinge. Inside, Pegasus was sleeping soundly, seemingly undisturbed by the raging storm just beyond his stable walls. His friend looked up, and greeted him with a series of tweets and stomps.

"You okay buddy?" The animal continued with its excited tweets and brays, "How are you not cold! Must be because you were made of the clouds themselves, guess they can't hurt you," He chuckled. "We need to get to Mom and Pop's, they won't have enough firewood to keep a warm fire going all day and night. I still have plenty leftover from winter, they'll be safer at the villa. Besides… this storm just feels weird," Pegasus snorted, giving him a look as if to say You expected a blizzard this time of year to feel normal? "Oh shut up…" Hercules muttered, pouting. "You know what I meant, come on we have to hurry!" He leapt onto his back and they reared out of the stable. "Stay low, if we fly high up and the ice covers your wings we'd have a long way to fall!" Pegasus snorted his agreement.

The world outside was almost washed out in white, they could hardly discern any landmarks to navigate their journey. Hercules furrowed his brow, Pegasus flying as low as he could, straining his eyes to follow the familiar pattern of trees to mark the road that led to Thebes.

Sorry for the short chapter, I wanted to get something up to just reassure everyone I haven't given this up. I work Mon-Fri now so during the week I'll be slow but I want to get a full chapter up as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy.