Chapter Eight:

HANNAH POV


I remember, a story that Dad told me when I was little that a swan is always mute until they bend their neck back and sing a beautiful song, and then they die. I curl my fingers tight around the could-be-australian-shepherd-pegasi’s mane.
I feel the winter chill against my exposed skin, I shiver, “Ace,” I whisper, “It’s good to see you again.”
I don’t know if he understands me above the cold winds, but he turns his head slightly and snorts at me. I smile closing my eyes and snuggle up against Ace’s neck: he understands me. I sniff, and try to get comfortable. I start to let my mind wander from there, and being pessimistic, they weren’t happy thoughts.
“You’re weak!”
“You’ll never find Mom!”
“The world is going to-”


My alarms ring loud and my eyes burst open as my heart beats a million times a minute. I begin to panic and look around the sky. I curse out loud as I pull out Mom’s bow and load it. I yell out to Maxine, “We’re under attack!”
She turns and nods and arms herself, and I continue to look for our assailants.


My eyes scan the in the gray clouds, the smell of snow thick in the air, but where was the enemy?! No, wait.


“Maxine look!” I point where I see movement, I can make out creatures moving in the clouds, my first thought is it must be storm spirits, but not a second glance and I jump back into a flashback and instantly my fears of falling and dying came flooding back. I swallow back the spit building in my mouth from fear. I breathe faster and harder as my eyes widen,as silver fickers in the clouds, “Drakons.” I choke out.
Maxine flies next to me, “Yeah a whole pack of them.”


I roll my eyes in a glaring manner; that comment didn’t help, but Maxine didn’t seem to notice because of her wild grin that suggests that she found this to be enjoyable.
“Shall we do this?” She asks, not even glancing at me, still her gaze on the pack of the Drakons, too numerous to count at this point. I was taken aback at the adventure lust on her face, I had plenty of tousles with Drakons and I hate snake in general so one that flies just makes it worse.


I suck down my fear and put on my game face, and glare angrily at the Drakons as pull my bowstring back. “You lead the strike!” I shout as a wind picks up and snowflakes swirl around.
Maxine’s smile broadens and kicks the haunches of her pegasus and they dash ahead as I aim for the first Drakon. I focus on the closest Drakon and the tip of my arrow lines up with it.“Adjust for the wind, aim a little higher…”
FUUUISSSSMMM!!!


I didn’t pay much attention as I pulled another arrow from my Mother’s quiver and loaded my bow, and watch for a second as a Drakon falls spinning on it’s side, screeching as it falls. I aim again as Maxine comes into my sights, and I can’t shoot. I wait for an opportunity as I watch Maxine draw a glowing silver short sword and spin it in her hands.
“Come at me you little #*$&@^!!!” She shouts.


I feel the snow melt against my hot skin, as I chuckle to myself when my fear leaves me, and urge Ace, “Come on let’s join fight!”
Ace neighs in satisfaction and zooms in towards the action and the cold air blasts against my face and the blurs of Drakons and Maxine is around here somewhere. A Drakon is above me on my left, I stuck out my arm and my knife slashes through the Drakon from tip to tail. It’s ash went into the air as the wind blew harder and harder. I put my knife away and draw my bow shooting at a Drakon that opens it’s jaws at me. Ash.


Ready. Aim. Fire. Ash.
Again.
Ready. Aim. Fire. As-

***

My vision fades, and all I see is black.


“What is going on?!”


My voice echoes in the darkness as my answer.
I feel like I’m being pulled away and suddenly I see Mom coming to me, or I coming to her. I come to a complete stop and my Mother does or says nothing. I look at my Mother, as she blankly stares into the distance.


I turn around thinking that I can see what she can, and I do: Hades stands as a skeleton speaks, “Nike, Nemesis, Tyche, Hebe, have switched sides, their children might be a different story but they are on board.”
“Good.” Hades replies, almost as if he is sorrowful.
I frown as the skeleton continues, “The other titans and giants have also assembled, at least those who have reformed.”
Hades grunts, “Any news of Gaea?” “Still undecided sir, but favoring us as the days go by.”
“I knew that it was too easy at the end.” Hades whispered to himself.


I slowly begin to see light coming through the picture and I hear Drakons screeching.“Well let me know when you hear something.” Hades replied, “You are dismissed.”
The skeleton bows and leaves, the light grows brighter as Hades leans against a wall and plays with his skull ring. He mumbles something that I can’t quite comprehend over the screeching Drakons.
But I’m sure he uttered the word “safe” and I feel like I’m being dragged again and I hit my body and I’m aware of my surroundings.

***

“Hannah! WATCH OUT!”


I can only watch as a Drakon’s claw hits my face and my body slams into Ace’s backside. I clamp up my legs so I won’t fall off and I feel blood drip down my face. I groan as I pull myself up and grab onto Ace’s mane and cling to his neck for support. I hear another screech again and claws came and tore through my winter coat and cut my skin all the way from my back to my neck in one quick swipe.


I scream as the cut burns, and the cold freezes my back. I feel my quiver slipping down my back because the strap has been cut. I freeze in order to keep it from falling but it was no use, I watch it plummet to the ground.


“No!” I quickly direct Ace to follow it at great speed as we dive for the sacred object. We slowly get closer to it as the raging Mississippi is coming into view. I hear a screech behind me and I look up and see two, no three Drakons flying at me. I grab my knife for defense but I focus on the quiver.


I come so close to it I reach for it and nearly grab it when something hits me hard from the side and I tumble in the air. I flip and see Ace trying to catch me even though he’s being terrorized by the Drakons. It’s the last thing I see before,


KERSPLASH!


I am surrounded by cold water, tossing turning, I try to swim to the surface, but as when I break the surface I am pulled down.

I take in water, I can’t breathe. I’m up again, I choke for air as water splashes over my face. Down under.


I look up and I see a familiar shadow hovering over my body in the water. The ripples in the water obscure his face, but I know who he is. But I don’t remember this. I scream under the water as I feel this unimaginable pain inside me. I come up for air and he whispers to me, “You shouldn’t be alive.”

Under.
Pain.
Beatings.

I remember this now.

Up something.
Down under.
Pain.
PAIN.PAIN!!!!!!

Water. Choking…..

Can’t Breathe..

...

Notes

You're still here?

Lol. Glad you guys are still reading even after that terrible mix up.
Oh also be on the look out I have an announcement to make in a couple of weeks so be on the look out for that! ~ Eliza Rush