The never ending chase

Part three

3- Hope

They had stopped the car and Teuy was quickly coaching Ryan who after some explaining he had found out was actually named Arion. Teuy informed him the way to access the gift was heightened emotion, physical pain or shock. Since Teuy had tried letting Ryan induce a change himself and it hadn't worked he gave up, turned into a fox and bit Ryan which jump started all three triggers.
   A layer of golden fuzz laced it's way along Ryan's skin as he watched in fascination. His body began to change and he tripped and fell to the floor as his limbs began to lengthen and his hands and feet welded together. His hair grew out both from the base of his spine and down his neck. A beam of light enveloped him and Teuy shielded his eyes for fear of being blinded. When he could look again Arion stood tall and proud as a huge stallion. 
   "Does that feel good," Teuy laughed already knowing the answer. Ryan shook out his mane and whinnied a 'yes'. 
     The earth trembled beneath the stallions hooves and the two new the time for battle had come. 
   Only a few hundred metres away stood Laelaps followed Teuy was disgusted to see by Amphitryon. The man was looking cadaverous bathed in deaths shadow. He had wasted away to a skeletal shape stretching his papery grey skin sickeningly over each bone in his body. His mouth hung permanently open drinking in the chaos he was causing and loving every moment. His eyes were pools of darkness the same glassy black depth a shark possessed and they were filled with the same hungry malice. His pointed feet looked sharp enough to cut through flesh and messed with the mind by not quite touching the ground. He didn't glide though but dragged along all remains of his personality lost inside the empty shell that immortality had left behind. Gone was all he had once had, including his clothes which were by now mere rags. Greed had consumed him just as predicted and now he was all but a walking corpse, a restless, spirit, a poltergeist. 
   Teuy felt the urge to run but standing close to Ryan diminished it somewhat as he knew this was meant to be. Laelaps was very intimidating black as midnight and big as a house he was coated in danger. The whole nature of the huge canine made every cell in his body scream with fear an inheritance from all the foxes ripped to shreds by packs of bloodthirsty dogs. 
   Without warning Arion shot forward running on pure instinct barrelling towards before the man (or what was left of him) could call for his slave to protect him. Ryan caught the beast around his neck not phased by the presence of it at all. He continued to run far into the distance until Teuy and Laelaps were finally alone. 
   "Hello old friend." Teuy greeted warmly his once vacant face now filled with joy. The great dog wagged it's tail full of that euphoria that only a dog greeting it's long lost human can display. 

"A hunt needs a steed and that is not you as I had thought. Zeus finally broke the spell old friend...we're free." The two grinned(one with difficulty) relishing in the knowledge the were no longer slaves to the paradox.
"But you remember the prophecy?" Teuy asked nervously. The huge beast nodded as it slumped to the floor limbs shortening fur receding. 

    Before long Alexio once more stood before Teuy just as radiant and charming as the day they had met. His smooth blonde hair was ruffled, his soft brown eyes had lost some of their sparkle and his strong able body was weakened but he was Alexio and that was all that mattered. The two embraced and things felt right for the first time in centuries.  
    The boys could feel their bodies draining of energy and they knew soon it would be time to go. "I love you hound," Teuy laughed. 
"I love you too fox. Shall we spend eternity together?"
"We sh-"
"Wait," Teuy was interrupted. 
Ryan covered in black liquid and limping a little was trying to hurry to them. "Thank you Ryan so much but we must be going," Teuy said. 
  Ryan had disappointment etched on his face. 
"Don't you remember the myth. Once the paradox is broken the Teumessian fox and Laelaps return to the stars from whence their gifts came. 
  "You can't die, you've lived through too much to give up now!"
"I told you I'm tired of living it's about time we found peace."
The bodies of Teuy and Laelaps had begun to melt away skin lit up with bright, white light. Alexio thought Teuy's flaming orange hair looked beautiful light up. He always had looked like a fox and he suited the gift he'd gotten far more than Alexio had. It was a tragedy how things had turned out and all because of irresponsible Gods. 
  "Before you go just tell me one thing," Ryan begged. 
"A gift for your services stallion," Teuy nodded solemnly. 
"What is you're name. Teuy is short for Teumessian right? But what was it before?"
  A sad little smile filled Teuy's face. "After all this time hero...I'm afraid I've forgotten." And before anything else could happen the two vanished. Arion felt like he had been stabbed again  and searched desperately in the night sky for the two boys. He was fascinated to see there was two new constellations that filled the sky a small and large canine encircled in the night. They were still chasing each other through the skies, except this time he could tell they were playing forever romping while the ordinary folk slept and that made Arion happy. 
   Many said Ryan was different when he came back from that journey. He was quieter and more withdrawn but something about him was extraordinary and nobody could deny that. He retained the gift from the Gods and was left in peace to enjoy it. After being the first one to discover the new constellations he also named them, Canis Major and Canis minor were the scientific names but to many they bore the nicknames the fox and the hound. Years after the event he continued to watch the skies bringing his children with him sometimes and when he did went out the stars always seemed to shine just a little brighter.