I posted in another story an explanation for my long absence. The last 6 months has been a series of events some devastating, others good. I want to get better at updating, but this time period has been a bit chaotic.
Sheep: The reason he went to his parents first even though logistically get Amara first would have been more efficient, his concern for them overrode logic. Though I do always appreciate criticism, it is the only way I can improve!
Demi: I hope you're still around my dear, but I am back from my prolonged absence...
Thank you guys for the get-well-wishes, they are appreciated :)
Pegasus flew low, fearing the weight of the ice on his wings. He came down, shaking to try and break away some of the burden. He beat his wings hard, managing to break loose much of it, and several broken feathers. He snorted when he felt Hercules dig his heels into his sides. He decided to run, to ease the ache of his muscles. He had run but several steps before the slick wind swept cobblestone caused him to stumble. A sudden weight lifted before he collapsed onto his side, whinnying as he tucked his legs to avoid injury. The thick layer of snow blown into a drift off the road cushioned the impact, and he was able to stagger back onto his feet. He shook again, trying to get the powdery snow off his body before it froze into a new layer of debilitating ice. He whinnied, looking around for his friend. He felt a pair of hands pat his neck, and he quickly nuzzled against the body they belonged to. He felt the familiar weight of his companion once again against his back, and reluctantly took to the sky, continuing to maintain a low altitude.
He felt the familiar directional tugs on his mane directing him directly into the wind. Nearly blinded by the wind he trusted the guidance of Hercules, forced to fly higher to avoid a collision with structures on the ground. Soon the stinging smell of salt accompanied the static air, and he realized they were flying south towards the coast. The smoke of burning wood from below told him they were passing over a residential district, and tried to use these clues to gain his bearings but the town was too large to determine his location from these clues alone. He was suddenly directed to his right. With the wind no longer blowing to his eyes, he was able to make out blurred grey shapes familiar pillars and statues, a blue stained banner making the only color in this bleak landscape. He recognized the banner quickly, it was the only such tapestry this close to the coast. They were flying past the eastern edge of the agora, the banner marking the southern most entrance. Amongst the blur he was able to make out movement, the shifting white foam of what was once a gentle rolling sea.
The sea roared as waves battered the coastline, carrying back the debris of the homes that once stood. A few scattered stones marking the foundations were the only evidence the structure was ever there. The ships once docked against the fragile wooden platforms jutting into the water had been carried into the whitewashed storm, the few pieces of driftwood blurred into the foaming waves.
Hercules strained to see further than a few bemas before his eyes, seeking evidence of any structure left unmolested by the unrelenting ocean. Cassandra had given him little description, and his hope of finding where the young girl lived diminished. There was little left of what had once been a sprawling and crowded fishing district, and had he not flown south through the agora he would have never known he was in the right location. He shivered, feeling the stabbing pain in his extremities beginning to ebb replaced with a dull throbbing tingle. His face burned, unprotected from the wind.
"Pegasus, do you see anything? Anything at all? Any buildings, or people?" He shouted, feeling desperate. He saw Pegasus swing his head, but was unable to hear any reply. They had been circling the area, dipping dangerously close to the crashing waves in hopes of seeing any sign of life through the blinding snow. The beast reared up with jarring force, Hercules clutching his mane to keep from falling off. He felt water splash at his legs, a torrent of water Pegasus had seen before his master. Still warm from the summer's heat the tepid water provided a bizarre contrast. Hercules shouted in alarm, despite the initial warmth the biting wind brought a sharp pain to his wet skin. He faltered, he knew he had to get out of the storm before the damp froze and Pegasus fell from the sky; but he was loathe to let Cassandra down and leave the young flower girl in the storm. "Come on Pegasus! We have to get back to my parents!" Unsure if his companion had heard him, or merely understood their immediate danger and came to his own conclusions, he turned to the northeast away from the coast.
Krios left the comfort of his mountain, his constellation shrouded by the storm. He turned to the mountains, where his brothers Persus and Atlas would be recovering their strength. The storm raged around him, the wind and cold a welcome comfort. He turned to Mount Olympus, knowing the Gods were blind in this storm and he could travel in safety. He knew the power Zeus held, and even in his elder age the man was more powerful than the boy who had destroyed his family and trapped him in that miserable hole. Protected by his storm he moved with confidence.
He had traveled for many hours when a sudden pain gripped him. A shout vanished into the wind echoing back to him off the wind as he collapsed to his knees. He coughed, gasping for breath as he looked down at his body. Bone was breaking through his icy ribs, the first signs of his heart and lungs little more than bloody pulp were forming behind the protection of the protruding ivory bone. He laughed, despite the pain, and put a hand to his head. The ice was gone, and his horns were more prominent. He felt coarse curled hair and welcomed the return of his former body. He would arrive at Persus' once extict volcano in his former glory, and embrace his brothers. He longed to see them with their former beauty, their bastardized bodies that cursed them in their prison soon to be little more than a memory. A lesson, to never trust the lesser beings. They formed this cosmos, they ruled it justly. They erred in creating the gods. He would gather his brothers, and finally find his lost mother, and together they would wipe their creation clean.
Pardon the short updates... I just suck.