With the battle won and we had all shifted back into our human forms, I stood among the other mythics, panting and covered in the blood of our fallen foes. The adrenaline still coursed through my veins, but beneath it all, a sense of dread gnawed at me. Ares might have backed down for now, but I knew deep down that this wouldn't be the end of his wrath.
"We did it," Edmond said, his voice filled with a mix of relief and exhaustion.
"Yes, but at what cost?" I replied, my eyes scanning the battlefield for any signs of Diana. She was gone, vanished after Ares had gripped her. I feared the worst but refused to accept it until I saw her myself.
As the other mythics began to regroup and tend to the wounded, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. My instincts, sharpened by years of battles and struggles, told me that we hadn't seen the last of Enyo and Ares.
'Elanor?' I turned to look at the ethereal form of Aelfred. 'Where is Diana?'
'I don't know. She just vanished after Ares grabbed her.'
'Could a dead being die again?' Edmond asked.
Aelfred shook his head. 'I don't think. I have to find her.'
'Please, let us know where she is when you find her.'
He nodded his head and vanished.
Together, Edmond and I went through the battlefield, checking on our comrades and offering aid to the injured. The casualties were heavy, and the loss weighed heavily on our hearts. Among the fallen, I spotted some familiar faces, mythics I had known for years, and the pain of their absence intensified my determination to put an end to Ares and Enyo once and for all.
"Elanor!" my father ran up to me and wrapped me in a tight hug. His button down shirt wasn't tucked in and his face was spattered with blood.
It was so different from his normal pristine self.
"I was so worried, my sweet pup."
"Dad." I sunk into his hug, sobbing.
I let out all of the emotion that I had been holding in for such a long time. He hugged me tighter and kissed the top of my head.
"It's all right, pup. It's okay."
It felt as though the weight of the world sat on my shoulders and i had no idea if it would ever go away. As the tears slowed down, I looked up at the man who had been such a rock in my life. He looked so old now.
"I love you, old wolf."
He smiled warily. "I love you too, young pup."
Harmony pushed her way through the people and other mythics to make her way to us.
"We did it. We....we won."
I laughed lightly. "We did."
"Now what?" she asked, looking around.
"Um, I guess we clean things up and go back to regular life."
I looked around for Edmond and found him in his father and mothers embrace. A vision I didn't think would happen after my dream. They were alive.
"The pups?" I asked.
"They're in the interior of the castle with some of the wet nurses."
I nodded and hurried away from the carnage to find my children. Making my way through the bustling castle, the nursery was barricaded. I could hear the whimpers and cries of confused, scared pups within.
"Freddy. Vicky," I said quietly.
"Let's get our kids," Edmond said, stepping up beside me.
"Yes. I miss them so much."
He reached for the furniture that was used to block the door and pushed it off to the side. I grabbed one of the curio cabinets and pulled it away. I heard the family yell of Morgan, Phil's mate from within.
"Calm down!" I yelled. "It's Prince Edmond and Princess Elanor. The battle is over."
The doors opened and the terrified faces of pups, nurses, and few of the maids stared at us in hope.
"It's over?"
I nodded my head. "Thank you so much."
"For what?" Morgan asked.
"You protected all of the pups."
Freddy and Vicky ran to Edmond and I, wrapping their little arms around our legs, sobbing. I picked Vicky up and held her close as Edmond picked up Freddy. He moved to where Vicky and I stood and the four of us just held onto each other for as long as we could.
"Momma?" Freddy asked.
"Yes, my sweet little prince?"
"Can we never do that again?"
I smiled at him through the tears that welled in my eyes yet again.
"Yeah. We can never do that again," I said laughing.
"I'm so glad you're okay momma and poppa."
"We are to, my sweet princess," I said softly.
"Are the grandwolves okay?"
"Indeed, my girl," Edmond told her.
"Everyone's okay."
As we stood there, holding each other, the sense of relief was palpable. But beneath it all, that gnawing feeling of dread persisted. We had won the battle, but Ares and Enyo were still out there, plotting their next move. Diana was missing, and I couldn't shake the fear that she might not be alright.
As the sun began to set, casting an orange glow over the castle and the battlefield beyond, I knew that our fight was far from over. We had to regroup, strategize, and prepare for whatever came next. Ares was a formidable foe, and he wouldn't rest until he had achieved his dark purpose.
In the distance, I spotted Aelfred materializing once more, and my heart skipped a beat. He had returned from his search for Diana, and the look on his face told me that he had found something important. What had he discovered? Was Diana safe, or had Ares done the unthinkable?
I ran towards him as Diana appeared beside him.
'Diana!' I called to her.
She looked a little shaken, but fine.
As I approached Artemis materialized between us all.
"My sweet wolves," she said. "I am glad to see that you are okay."
"Mother," I greeted her with a mixture of relief and curiosity.
Artemis glanced at Diana and Aelfred before turning her attention back to me. "Zeus managed to pull Diana from the fates before they could send her to Tartarus for good."
"Tartarus?" I asked, surprised.
"It wasn't very pleasant," Diana said, shaking her head. "I don't want to go back there."
"What will happen to Ares and Enyo?" Edmond asked.
"Zeus plans on keeping a tighter reign on all of them."
"He knows that Hera was the mastermind, right?"
Artemis nodded her head.
"Is he going to do anything about it?" I asked.
"No. Since technically Hera didn't interfere directly she did not break his word."
"This is ridiculous," Edmond told her.
"I know and I don't think it will be the last time she tries something. Just beware."
She cupped my cheek and kissed my forehead then Diana's before vanishing.
"I think it's time we went for now as well," Aelfred said, grasping Diana's hand. "We need a rest."
Edmond reached out for my hand and we turned toward the castle. Despite the destruction of the day the twinkling lights of the castle gave me hope for a better future free of Hera for our children.
"What about Harmony?" Edmond asked as we walked back.
"What?"
"The potion. Did you ask her if she wanted to do it?"
"Oh! I completely forgot. Not yet. I'll ask her tomorrow. I think we've handled enough today. I want a really hot shower and I could eat an entire deer by myself I am so hungry."
He laughed and pulled me close, dropping my hand to drape his arm over my shoulders. "I could go for a hot shower and everything in the kitchen too."