It had been a long time since Zeus had run so far without stopping. The snow had been falling steadily but he could still make out the faint tracks to follow. Staying always within those tracks to make the run easier had worked for the first half but Zeus was having a hard time getting enough air into his lungs to keep going. At a spot that looked like either Virginia had sat down or Perseus had laid down, Zeus collapsed onto the ground fighting for air. He wasn’t sure he could take another step or if he could even get to his feet again. Panting hard as he tried to catch his breath, a gunshot snapped his head up and once again he rose to his feet using every ounce of strength he could muster. They were close, very close, he could feel it and he had to push on to find Virginia. With aches running rampant over his body, paws feeling like they were walking on pins and needles, Zeus pressed forward toward the last line of trees.
The evergreen branches scraped against the fur on his head as he broke through the line of trees into the clearing. Before him, Perseus backed up against Virginia snapping feverishly at something that Zeus had never seen before. Hair standing on his back, Zeus leapt forward out of the trees and pulled from deep inside of him all the power needed to cross the distance between him and the beasts as fast as he could. The creature nearest Virginia arched its back and moved forward in a plunge towards Perseus’s neck for the kill. Zeus kick up snow around him creating a cloud in his wake. As the distance closed he ran harder until he was past the closest creature and smacked into the one going after Perseus. The blood filled his mouth as he clamped down on the creature’s neck, knocking it down to the ground, sending up a plume of snow. The creature cried out in pain as it hit. Zeus climbed back up on unsteady legs and started shaking his head back and forth, trying to rip the creatures throat out before it could regain its stance. Instinct told Zeus that he was on top and that he had to stay on top. The creature rolled over, dragging Zeus over top of him. Zeus bit down harder as the full weight of the creature was brought to bear on him. Just as he felt that all was slipping away from him he could hear Perseus growling. It seemed to Zeus to be a long way from him as everything started to fade. Perseus seemed to be coming closer and growing louder and louder. Zeus pushed with his legs until he felt like he could push no more. The creature rolled the other way still within his grasp. Blood was flowing through his mouth in growing volume. As he got to his feet, Perseus had the creatures neck from the other side violently shaking and pulling large chunks of flesh.
Virginia took aim at the next closest creature and let loose an arrow. Blood exploded outward as the arrow found its mark in the creature’s eye. It slid to a stop a few feet away from Zeus and Perseus as they left the dead creature and formed up in front of Virginia, facing the other creatures off. Another arrow whizzed over their heads as the sound of a gun boomed again. Two creatures hit the ground and Zeus went after another one that he thought was too close. As more gun shots went off the creatures that were left retreated into the forest. Zeus and Perseus pursued them to the tree line and then stopped, sniffing the air. Once Zeus was sure that they were gone he turned back toward Virginia.