The older they grew it seemed the more independent they became. Ao and her brothers were thick as thieves, and there weren’t many days the girl didn’t seek them out. It wasn’t a secret some of Jupiter’s ‘legitimate’ children held the three of them in contempt, but Ao knew she could always count on Kore and Kalyke. Of course, her half siblings would always hold her loyalty, they were blood after all. They were raised together. But the divide between mothers was difficult to breach.

She and Kore were traveling, it was only days after their first birthday but they were eager to test their limits in authority and physically. It was more than a camping trip as they traveled along Ashen’s borders and down to the coast eastward. It was a beautiful day, if not windy as they walked along the water’s edge. The sea was choppy, and in the distance the sky was just beginning to go dark.

Aoede’s golden eyes scanned the horizon. After exploration the girl was fascinated with the sky and the weather. She knew by now that the darkness meant nothing good for her or her brother. It seemed too far away to really worry about right now, but they might do well to start heading inland. Who knew what was being blown their way? She knew weather wasn’t the most exiting topic for her brother, but still the dark coated girl spoke up.

"We should be cautious, Kore. There’s a storm on the horizon.” She gestured with her nose to have him look out over the waters. If the wind hadn’t clued him in, his sister certainly would.

279/1500

"Aoede Regni"

Kore travels with his smaller sibling, a happy curiosity resting in his eyes as he darts glances to his star covered sister. They had just had turned one and, with that turning of a year, came a certain restlessness to push their known boundaries and see what lay beyond the Rio Grande. The siblings that seem to have the cosmos painting in various ways across their pelts, have felt some of their half-siblings pulling away, a gulf forming that the three illegitimate Jupiter children did not understand. Kore loves his siblings but, as the divide grew, he felt the need to protect Ao and Kalyke the most.

Soft blue eyes turn to the land that surrounds them, paws carefully picking their way along the windy beach, strong gusts picking up from time to time to try and knock over the tall, lanky boy. Kore tries to keep body between her and the wind and, when Ao talks about a storm, his blue eyes slide out over the ocean to where the dark clouds loom ominously on the horizon. He nods, looking back to his sister who seems to have captured the night sky on her pelt and says, “It seems to be making the ocean mad.” The boy clad in galaxies points to the waves that have begun to pick up pace, slamming against the beach with more force with each passing moment.

Aoede has always been able to see things in the sky that her brothers missed, find the most interesting parts of the land to go explore and her brothers adore her for it. If she sees a storm, then Kore knows a strong one is blowing in. A strong gust buffets the siblings, nearly knocking Kore off his paws. Quickly looking to Ao, the boy makes sure that she is unharmed as the rain begins to fall.


WC: 310
Total WC: 589 / 1500

"Kore Regni"

The small golden star spangled girl paced along easily with her brother. His stride may have been longer but there wasn’t much she would have bet that said she was the faster of the two. The smallest, the youngest, she was the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to her siblings full and half. Part of Aoede thought she needed to compare herself to her siblings, to prove herself to her father and grandfather despite being just another in a crowd of puppies. Perhaps that was part of the driving factor of her restless paws and soul. She couldn’t deny how good it felt to stretch her limbs out here with Kore. She could walk leagues with him seeing new places and watching the weather.

They paced down the beach in relative peace, but it felt like every step they took brought a stronger gust of wind. With the quickness of the breeze increasing so would the coming clouds on the horizon. Like some imaginative nightmare the clouds moved with frightening speed towards the beach. Aoede hadn’t ever seen anything like this before. Where they lived it was usually lazy long rains, or heavy thick snows that slowly piled upon them. The whipping wind and stinging rain was completely new. The most this felt like was the tornado they had seen from far off..

This was a hurricane, and Ao was realizing far too late for them to get to safety. Kore commented on the angry sea, but it was more than just the sea they needed to fear. Her heart was struck cold, she hoped against all odds it was more bark than bite but as the sky darkened above them with almost unnatural speed she felt scared for her life. A burst of wind hit the both of them, very nearly knocking both Aoede and Kore off their paws, but she managed to keep on her feet.

"Kore, what do we do? Lets run inland. I don’t think we’ll find any shelter that I won’t be afraid will fall on us.” She had to raise her voice as her paws danced in the sand with the anxieties she felt. How afraid she was here in this storm with her big brother.

"Aoede Regni"

378
967/1500

The wind picks up, slamming into the starry siblings, almost knocking them both clean off of their paws. As the rain begins to fall, pounding into the surrounding land and them, Kore looks to Aoede, making sure that his moon-kissed sister is safe. He reads the anxiety in her, the way her paws dance in the sand and the rise in her voice speaking volumes to the galaxy boy. Casting his cerulean gaze around, Kore weighs their options. They cannot outrun the storm because the storm is already here. Looking to Ao, he offers her a comforting smile, speaking up to be heard over the storm, “I have an idea! Follow me!”

Turning, Kore makes sure that Aoede is attached to his hip as he moves them toward one of the large mangrove trees, inspecting its root system as they approach. The wind continues to try and knock them over, seeming to come at them from all directions while the rain pounds heavily into them. The boy finds what he is looking for and points out the way some roots make a natural cave and he says, “Here! Help me dig.” The wind takes he voice and throws it but Kore pays it no mind, instead beginning to dig.

Paws scoop out large mounds of earth until there is hole that he deems deep enough. Next, Kore maneuvers Ao into it, helping her get comfortable while offering her encouragement. Once she is settled, Kore moves to join her, crawling carefully into the tight space and wrapping his frame around her. Wrapping his strong arms around Aoede’s, the boy pulls his sister to him, subtly shifting so that his body cover her’s. If their root cage fails, then he wants the debris to fall on him. Together, the siblings watch as the hurricane blows.


WC: 303
Total WC: 1207 / 1500


"Kore Regni"

The young golden gilded girl couldn’t have ever predicted how fast the storm was actually moving but she wasn’t going to forget after today. The weather was not a force to be trifled with, and the young one had fully underestimated its power. Terror raced through her as she was nearly pulled off her paws with her brother beside her. Fear laced her voice as she scrambled to think what they could do to survive this encounter.

Kore keeps his wits about him, at least if he was scared then Ao didn’t see it. He was confident and he was supportive as he urged her to follow after him. His idea had ot be better than the blank her mind was drawing so she trusted in him and followed at his side as he tried to shield her from the gusts of winds. Eventually he finds a place that Ao couldn’t even see. He had to direct her to the place as he yelled over the wind for her to help him to dig. The only terror she might have underground was the possibility of drowning, but they were actually a ways up from sea level. Maybe this really would work.

Her tiny paws drudged up the sand as the rain began to pour upon them. It was cold and windy and Ao was quickly soaked through, but they were nearly done by that point. Kore encouraged her into their swiftly dug den so he could protect her further by covering her smaller frame with his own. He kept her warm as much as he kept her safe from the wind blowing around them. He was taking far too many risks for her sake, but they were in this together. As the storm continued, she had hope they would see the blue sky again.

"Aoede Regni"

wc:304
1500/1500