@olympicpatron
The woods were unusually cold for the time of year. It was a damp and miserable chill that reached into your skin and laid needles of ice beneath the flesh and wetted your clothes until they felt like ill fitting weights dragging you down into the earth. It could have possibly been the elevation or a sudden cold snap—but more likely it was her own weakness amplifying the crisp air beneath the canopy until it was causing her physical pain. The Earth was doing what it could for her, but there was no way she’d last another week separated from her familiars. Especially not while hiking through rugged wilderness.
Bringing her familiars with her hadn’t been an option. Partially because wandering around the woods with a lizard the length of three men was loud enough, and any more company would only bring unwanted attention, but perhaps even more importantly she had left them in Cora’s capable hands after her new “friend” attempted to swallow her cat whole.
Beck looked back at her companion and winced. It’s scales had taken on a dull, pallid look. There were unnatural spaces between them too, showing off taught exposed skin as it stretched over bone. The only color left on it were the deep rust stains around its scarred neck, where a barbed collar still imbedded itself. She had tried everything she knew, and the creature was patient enough, but she hadn’t had the strength to remove the metal monstrosity from its neck. In its eyes was a similar weariness that sparked a twinge of guilt in her for wallowing in her own pain.
It blinked at her, and though its face was reptilian and unmoving, she felt its doubt pressing against her. Beck forced a smile that she knew lacked the reassurance she wanted it too and turned to carry on.
They carried on like that for two more days until she felt the quality of the wilderness change around her. The woods felt older, and rather than unfurling for her like a flower as they usually would have, they looked back at her with mild annoyance. As if she were an unruly child dropped off suddenly at the door of an aged grandparent, she felt their annoyance along with a begrudging acceptance. The creature with her took notice of the shift in atmosphere, and began to thrash its tail and raise its head in alarm.
An unusual spike of anxiety rose up in her at that. Normally she didn’t fear any creature, neither magical or otherwise, but she was simply too tired. If it came down to a test of her magic verses the beast, she was certain she’d come out the loser.
“Easy friend. This only means we’re close.” She said in the steadiest tone she could muster. With one hand she brushed back her sweat drenched hair, and with the other, she cautiously stroked the scales of her companion until it could be coaxed forward.
After another hour, she slumped down against the creature’s side and sighed. Her hand covered the rough paw of the beast as she patted it. “Well… If someone’s here, I guess they’re going to have to find us.”
Herakles felt stone and dirt explode underneath him as he slammed into the earth and the air was forcibly expelled from his lungs. The Olympian took a moment to stare up into the clear blue sky as he breathed in the crisp mountain air. He could feel soreness on his chest from the impact that had sent him flying and a large smile began to grow on his face as he heard a deep grunt and the pawing of hooves against dirt from just out of his line of sight.
“Come on now you old sow, is that all you have left?” Herc said, grinning as he sat up in the crater his collision had created in the mountainside. As he pulled himself to his feet, his gaze fell upon an absolutely massive creature. Some might say that it resembled a boar, but such a comparison would be like saying a housecat bore a striking resemblance to a lion. The beast before him was as wide as a semi-truck and almost as tall. Its body was a ten-ton mass of bristling fur and thick muscle with a wicked pair of tusks sticking out of its mouth like terrible spears. Its eyes glittered with something that might be considered joy as the enormous boar lowered its head and charged.
Most humans and even some gods might seriously consider their life and the choices they had made that brought them here, but Herakles was something of a special case. The old hero had many escapades to his name where he pitted his skills against all manner of monsters. Most of these adventures lead to the creature's death, such as his Labors against the Laernean Hydra, the Stymphalian Birds, and the Erymanthian Boar, just to name a few. However, the past is not always prologue. The gods might not change but he was once a mortal and, despite his immortality, he still retained the ability to grow. To evolve.
The hero shifted his stance as the titanic, furred freight train barrelled towards him. Within seconds it was close enough for Herc to feel the heat of its breath on his face. It was far faster than its mass suggested, but so was he. The earth crumbled underneath him as Herakles exerted his strength downward through his legs, pushing himself into the air as the boar was about to run him down. He twisted his body in the air with the grace of a gymnast until he reached the apex of his arc at the center of the boar’s back where his arm flashed out and struck. This was an arm that had the strength to break mountains in half and hold gods at bay, but that’s not all it could do. He might have been a killer in his past life, but he wanted to be more than that.
A closed fist opened into a large open palm as it fell and smacked the coarse fur that covered the boar's back as the beast’s forward momentum carried it past him. The large pig squealed in a tone that was not pained so much as it was frustrated as it dug its hooves into the dirt to bring its charge to a halt.
“Hah! Not nearly quick enough, Stella,” Herc exclaimed, grinning broadly as the boar turned to glowered at him. “That makes the score seven to five, in my favor!”
Stella let out a huff that sent a gust of air strong enough to send leaves and dust blowing into the Olympian's face. Considering that she was standing ten feet away from him this was relatively impressive. Herakles could see the muscles around her shoulders and neck tense as the mythical creature prepared to continue their game, but all of a sudden something changed. All the tension slipped away from Stella’s muscles and her head whipped around to stare off into the distance.
There was not much that could distract the giant boar from one of their little games, so whatever caught her attention immediately piqued Herc’s as well. As soon as the thoughts of investigating whatever might be so interesting to Stella, the immortal felt another presence brush against his consciousness. He normally was not in the habit of opening his mind to others, but this was a special case.
As soon as Herakles gave his consent, he felt the consciousness of the land speak to him, in its own way. The spirit of this place was old before the Olympians started raising columns on Olympus, and rarely had a need or desire to communicate with anyone who walked on two legs. It only spoke to Herc out of absolute necessity and even then it was a rare thing. It didn’t use words, so much as it gave him impressions of a path. It was like he’d always known about the trail, even though he knew for a fact he had no knowledge of it minutes before.
Glancing over at Stella, he noticed that she was looking in the same direction that he was. For whatever reason, she must have been given the same directions he had. Maybe the elemental spirit believed she would be needed? Whatever the reason, the presence in his mind faded once the spirit had said what it wanted, having no more desire to converse.
“Guess you’re gonna have to keep up, old girl.” He said, moving to the colossal beast’s side to stare out in the direction she was. It wouldn’t take them long to reach their destination. Nothing short of a Sherman tank could stop Stella if she had a mind to get somewhere, but soon the sun would begin to set and he would prefer to face whatever awaited him in the light of day.
Without another word the strange pair pushed forward, deeper into the wilderness. Herakles was not exactly what one might imagine when someone used the words “nimble” or “inconspicuous” but compared to Stella he was as quiet as a field mouse. Any obstacles in her path were not so for very long as she plowed through fallen oaks and shoulder-checked giant boulders with such ease it reminded the god of a small child tossing around its toys. He could certainly imagine why such creatures terrified people during his time. What could a mortal do against such overwhelming power? Pray to the gods and hope for a miracle.
With a racket that probably even be felt deep down in his uncle’s domain, Herakles soon recognized that they were beginning to approach the end of the road. The hero was a fair bit shear of his boorish ally, so he held up a hand for her to stop her barreling rampage. There was no sense in her rushing in without knowing what they were dealing with. Surprisingly, she heeded his signal, skidding to a stop and sending up a wave of dirt and uprooted plants as she halted her forward momentum, completely covering the Hero of Heroes from head to toe in soil. For a moment, Herc just stood there, considering who he needed to blame for this before ultimately settling on himself. He lifted a hand and ran his fingers through his hair, dislodging as much grime as he could before pointing a finger at Stella. If the boar could smirk he was sure she would be doing so. He was tempted to say something childish, but he restrained himself and with as much dignity as he could muster, the immortal turned around and began moving towards what the spirit had sent them to find.
His eyes scanned the area as he pushed through the last bunch of bushes before his eyes fell on a rather curious sight. An injured drake of some variety and what appeared to be a young woman with the smell of magic on her. A strange pair to be sure, but considering the company he kept, he did not have room to judge. What truly surprised him was the fact that they were here at all. It was by no means a simple thing to reach this valley. These woods are treacherous even for a practiced mage and a healthy, adult dragon and it was a miracle these two seemed to be mostly in one piece. He certainly could not wait to hear what adventure brought them to his doorstep.
“Excuse me, terribly sorry to bother you,” Herakles said, announcing his presence as he entered their line of sight. He smiled widely and lifted his hand in greeting before stopping a respectful distance away. “You two certainly seem far from home. What brings you to this little corner of nowhere?”
