twoanimalsletoutlowgrowlsandshowedtheirfierceteethtosignifytheyuoodandwouldguardherwell.KingDimitrismiledandsaidtoCharina,

    “Ifyouareied,youcouldwalkthroughtheruinsofthepadlookfortreasures.Perhapsyoumightfindmaterialthatwouldhelpyourwriting.Iwillebackforyouwhenthemoonrisesandwewillgobaundaneworld.Sowe’llsaygoodbyefornowandI’llgoaboutmybusiness.”Sayingso,KingDimitrimountedhishorse.Lightningfppedhismightywingsaotheskies.

    Thick,heavycloudsfloatedintheskieslikethetifloatingonthewideexpanseofobelostheyhethickclouds,theyheardloud,boomingsoundssimirtothethunderingoftensofthousandsofhoofs,mixedwiththegofallmannersofonsaleshoutsofsoldiersriseoeraseemedasiftwomightyarmieswerebattlingeachothertothedeath.Dimitri’shearttightened.“CouldsiccatastrophebehappeninginKingZeus’sseventhheaven?”hewondered“Ifso,Imustflythereandtrytohelpthemightykingofgods,whobefriendedme,overlookingthedisparityofourmutualpositionsaedmeasafriendandanequal.Iwillitmyselfevenuoproteghispersonandhisimperialpower.”Dimitrineverusedhiswhiponhisbelovedsteed;hejustsoftlycmpedLightning’sfnkwithhiskheirmutuallyagreedonsignal,andLightninguoodthathismastersetaurbedandwishedtorushaheadandfindoutwhatallthisotionwasabout.Hefppedhismightywingsandsurgedfullspeedaheadintothesky.

    8

    Uponreagtheclouds,Dimitrisawgroupsofsoldiersonhorsebackstreakpasthimswiftasthewind,payingnoheedwhatsoevertohisuninvitedpreseheirtrationwasteredsolelyonthegesilefield.Tensofthousandsofcavalrymenwereassembledontheopenfields.Theyweredividediionsgallopingatfullspeed,theirformationuniformandstrictlyregimeheyseparated,rejoined,andthenseparatedagaintoformallmannersofplexpatterns.Inamomentthousandsofcavalrymensuddenlyscatteredinalldiresandthenjustasswiftlygregatedintoaunitedwholeagain.Theysplitintotwoandfoughteachotherasfiercelyandbravelyasiftheywererealenemies.Dimitrilookedupatthereviewingstandandsawthehandsomeandbravesungod,Apollo,standingtherefidentlyandinghistroopsusingfgsofallcolorsandhandsignals.Tensofthousandsofcavalrymetuohisandthattheyseemedtobeextensionsofhisfingersandarms,co-operatingseamlessly.Inasedthetwosesthathadbeenfightingtothedeath,mergedintoone.Suchawell-trainedandwell-equippedarmywasreallyinvincible.Dimitrirodeslowlytowardsthereviewingstand.ThesungodApollocaughtsightofhim.Rushingdown,hejumpedintohisglitteringgoldchariotandhurriedtowardshisguest.Whewomet,theywerebothveryexcited,huggingandkissingeachotherinexuberance.

    “BrotherDimitri,wehaven’tseenyouforalongtime.Howareyou?”excimedApollo.

    “IamsosorryIhaveoseeyouandpaymyrespectstoKihereweresomethingsIhadtodealwithinthemundaneworld.IreceivedKingZeus’summonsandamheretoseewhathewanted.Howareyou,BrotherApollo?”

    “Iamfine.EverythingisfiherZeusisieherewatgmedrillthearmy.Heioleadittorestoreydomforyouandisgreatlydistressedthatwehavenotheardfromyou.eo’sgoandseehim.I’msurehewouldbeveryrelievedandhappytoseeyou.”Sayingsothetwoofthemrodetowardsthebigtent.

    LookingoutfromhistentKingZeussawtwobckspotsfarawayinthehorizoningfasttowardshim.Hekhat

twoanimalsletoutlowgrowlsandshowedtheirfierceteethtosignifytheyuoodandwouldguardherwell.KingDimitrismiledandsaidtoCharina,

    “Ifyouareied,youcouldwalkthroughtheruinsofthepadlookfortreasures.Perhapsyoumightfindmaterialthatwouldhelpyourwriting.Iwillebackforyouwhenthemoonrisesandwewillgobaundaneworld.Sowe’llsaygoodbyefornowandI’llgoaboutmybusiness.”Sayingso,KingDimitrimountedhishorse.Lightningfppedhismightywingsaotheskies.

    Thick,heavycloudsfloatedintheskieslikethetifloatingonthewideexpanseofobelostheyhethickclouds,theyheardloud,boomingsoundssimirtothethunderingoftensofthousandsofhoofs,mixedwiththegofallmannersofonsaleshoutsofsoldiersriseoeraseemedasiftwomightyarmieswerebattlingeachothertothedeath.Dimitri’shearttightened.“CouldsiccatastrophebehappeninginKingZeus’sseventhheaven?”hewondered“Ifso,Imustflythereandtrytohelpthemightykingofgods,whobefriendedme,overlookingthedisparityofourmutualpositionsaedmeasafriendandanequal.Iwillitmyselfevenuoproteghispersonandhisimperialpower.”Dimitrineverusedhiswhiponhisbelovedsteed;hejustsoftlycmpedLightning’sfnkwithhiskheirmutuallyagreedonsignal,andLightninguoodthathismastersetaurbedandwishedtorushaheadandfindoutwhatallthisotionwasabout.Hefppedhismightywingsandsurgedfullspeedaheadintothesky.

    8

    Uponreagtheclouds,Dimitrisawgroupsofsoldiersonhorsebackstreakpasthimswiftasthewind,payingnoheedwhatsoevertohisuninvitedpreseheirtrationwasteredsolelyonthegesilefield.Tensofthousandsofcavalrymenwereassembledontheopenfields.Theyweredividediionsgallopingatfullspeed,theirformationuniformandstrictlyregimeheyseparated,rejoined,andthenseparatedagaintoformallmannersofplexpatterns.Inamomentthousandsofcavalrymensuddenlyscatteredinalldiresandthenjustasswiftlygregatedintoaunitedwholeagain.Theysplitintotwoandfoughteachotherasfiercelyandbravelyasiftheywererealenemies.Dimitrilookedupatthereviewingstandandsawthehandsomeandbravesungod,Apollo,standingtherefidentlyandinghistroopsusingfgsofallcolorsandhandsignals.Tensofthousandsofcavalrymetuohisandthattheyseemedtobeextensionsofhisfingersandarms,co-operatingseamlessly.Inasedthetwosesthathadbeenfightingtothedeath,mergedintoone.Suchawell-trainedandwell-equippedarmywasreallyinvincible.Dimitrirodeslowlytowardsthereviewingstand.ThesungodApollocaughtsightofhim.Rushingdown,hejumpedintohisglitteringgoldchariotandhurriedtowardshisguest.Whewomet,theywerebothveryexcited,huggingandkissingeachotherinexuberance.

    “BrotherDimitri,wehaven’tseenyouforalongtime.Howareyou?”excimedApollo.

    “IamsosorryIhaveoseeyouandpaymyrespectstoKihereweresomethingsIhadtodealwithinthemundaneworld.IreceivedKingZeus’summonsandamheretoseewhathewanted.Howareyou,BrotherApollo?”

    “Iamfine.EverythingisfiherZeusisieherewatgmedrillthearmy.Heioleadittorestoreydomforyouandisgreatlydistressedthatwehavenotheardfromyou.eo’sgoandseehim.I’msurehewouldbeveryrelievedandhappytoseeyou.”Sayingsothetwoofthemrodetowardsthebigtent.

    LookingoutfromhistentKingZeussawtwobckspotsfarawayinthehorizoningfasttowardshim.Hekhat