The man stopped after a few hours of walking, his bare feet beginning to grow tired.  He let out a sigh as he sat beneath a large weeping willow, the moon light gently shining through the curtain of leafs.  He ran a calloused right hand through his long black hair, separating parts that were stuck together due to dry blood.
His light grey eyes searched his surroundings, looking for any sign of an apple tree.  A smile graced his lips as he spotted his target.  With the grace of a cat, he sprang to his feet, his movements silent as he ran upon the balls of his feet.  He was just about to slice a branch off with his broadsword when a scream pierced the air.
Without thinking, the man rushed towards the scream, the high pitched wail lingering on the night’s cool breeze.  He could hear the whimpering of a child as he came closer, the hushing sound of a mother’s soft voice, trying to soothe her child from fear, yet knowing that the worst was yet to come.  The man leapt up into a tree, his body running off of pure instinct, his eyes turned into an icy grey as they scanned for any sign of a threat.
A howl pierced the air, followed by the scream of the young child.  A lycan, the size of a small bull, had begun to advance on the mother and child, its fangs glowing slightly in the moon light.  The man reacted before any rational thought could begin to take place.  Without a sound he sprang from the branch that he was perched on.
He spun slightly in mid-air, his right foot swinging and connecting with the left side of the large wolf’s head.  The wolf yelped in surprise as it was sent flying into a tree, its cold red eyes focusing upon the man that had seemingly attacked out of nowhere.  As it slowly began to arise, the man slammed his sword against the ground, the large blade slicing deep into the dirt.  The wolf growled, wanting to attack, wanting to get retribution for being embarrassed right in front of its meal.
“Come now,” the man spoke gently, his rough cold voice ringing in the wolf’s large ears.  The beast began to growl louder, its claws sinking into the ground as it battled with its own mind, wondering if it should attack and die, or run and never face its pack again.  The wolf let out a howl before it charged at the man.  Time seemed to slow as the wolf’s large paws slammed against the ground, its claws ripping up the dirt.
The man took in a deep breath as he watched the beast’s movements.  The wolf jumped as it came within a yard of the man, ready to pounce and rip out his throat.  But as the wolf jumped into the air, the man began to move in a flowed motion.  His right arm smoothly moved back, the large sword gliding through the air.  As the wolf reached its maximum height, the man attacked, striking in a stabbing motion, the large blade slicing through the large wolf’s torso.  The man smiled softly as the blood of the beast splattered upon the ground, leaving a streak of crimson shining in the soft moon light.
A light whimper of fear broke him from his instincts.  His right arm slowly dropped, placing the dead beast upon the ground as well as his blade.  He blinked a few times before looking towards the source of the whimper, the young child and its mother.  With his eyes returning to a light grey, he gave them a light bow.
“Who are you?” the young woman questioned, her warm voice shaking in fright.  Her child was shaking in fear as it clung to its mother’s legs, its bright blue eyes looking up at the man.
“My name,” the man began, his voice remaining slightly icy, yet with a softer side.  He paused, gently looking towards the moon as he went into thought.  He let out a light laugh as he shook his head.
“Answer me,” the woman spoke, her voice rising in both anger and fear.  Her hazel eyes looked over the man’s body, watching to make sure he was not about to attack, and that if he did, she would be on guard.  The man lightly stretched, his back popping in several places, the crunching sound echoing throughout the little area which they stood in.
“My name is Okeanos,” he replied.  His eyes caught the woman’s, a smile slightly showing upon his lips.  “Don’t worry; I will not harm you or your child.”  The woman let out a light sigh of relief, her hands lightly running through her shoulder length blonde hair.  The child still looked on, slightly shaking in a mixture of fear and worry.  “Now that you know my name, what is yours?”  Okeanos asked gently, taking a seat upon a piece of dry ground.
“My name is Venus,” the woman replied gently, smiling down at her child as she gently picked it up into her arms.  “And this little cutie here is Joy.”  Venus smiled as she hugged her daughter close, her eyes watching over the young child.
“May I ask how old she is?” Okeanos asked softly, his eyes scanning over their forms, a warrior’s technique that he was taught while on the road, searching for any weapons.
“I’m four,” Joy answered, her voice soft and light, like that of a song bird.  Okeanos laughed gently, his eyes returning to the sky, his thoughts escaping him once more.
“You seem to space out a lot,” Venus said as she made her way closer to him.  The sandals she wore made a light patter upon the ground as she walked.  Her hazel eyes scanned over him gently, taking in the bloodstains upon his clothes, but what really caught her eye was the light green that shined upon his left arm.  “What happened to you?” escaped her lips before she could stop herself.
Okeanos looked up at her, yet he was not surprised by the question.  What did surprise him was that Venus gasped after asking it.  “I’m so sorry,” she began, her pale face becoming a bright red as the blood rushed to her cheeks.  Okeanos began to laugh, finding the situation slightly hilarious.  The sound of his laughter caused Venus to get back to her senses and look at him with slight anger.  “Why are you laughing at me?”
“Because of your embarrassment,” Okeanos replied, slight laughter present in his voice, causing Venus to glare more at him.  He let out a soft sigh as he began to lie back, placing his hands behind his head.  “But since you asked, I might as well tell you.”
“Really?” Venus questioned, surprise in her voice.  Before Okeanos could reply, she sat right besides him; Joy snuggled close in her arms, beginning to fall asleep.  Okeanos let out a soft laugh before he stretched slightly, getting comfortable.
“After the comet’s passing, I was knocked unconscious due to the attacks of a group of tree roots.  When I woke the next day, I was leaned up against a wall that had collapsed upon my left arm.  A little green dragon had found me and decided to perch upon my hand.  After a while it grew hungry and used my arm as its food.  A few hours after that, it set fire to what was left of my arm.  And that’s what happened,” he spoke softly, his eyes having focused upon the moon.  He didn’t want to watch her facial expression, if she made any at all.
“Wow,” she whispered.  “Well at least the dragon didn’t eat all of you like some of the others.”  She continued, her eyes scanning over the green flesh.  Okeanos closed his eyes slowly, a sigh escaping his lips as he thought of the people that had lost their lives on that fateful night.  Venus looked down at her sleeping daughter, lightly stroking the young child’s long blonde hair as her own thoughts turned to the destruction she witnessed.
As Okeanos opened his eyes once more, a crack of lightning split through the air.  Joy woke with a scream, causing Venus to tighten her hold upon her daughter.  A high pitched wail pierced through the air, the sound causing Okeanos to cringe.  Another bolt of lightning spread throughout the air, its blue light spreading out in a pattern of veins.  “What’s going on?” Venus shouted over another wail.
Okeanos quickly sprang to his feet, grabbing his broadsword as his eyes scanned the sky, lightning streaking through the cloudless night.  As another wail pierced the air, the creature that was creating the noise came into view.  It was the size of a large falcon, having a wingspan of around twelve feet, its feathers shining a light goldenrod.  As it opened its golden beak, another wail sounded, as with each flap of its large wings, a bolt of lightning streaked through the air.
“It’s just a thunderbird,” Okeanos spoke softly, sitting back upon the ground, a soft smile upon his lips.  “Some tribes say that it is good luck to see one.”
“But doesn’t it also bring rain?” Venus questioned, sitting down next to him.  As the thunderbird passed, clouds began to gather.  Venus sighed, knowing she was right.
“Well than, we better start walking,” Okeanos replied, slowly standing.  He held out his right hand to Venus, and with a smile she took it, helping herself up.  Okeanos lightly knelt down, placing his left hand upon the ground, his eyes closing.  Venus watched on in curiosity, while Joy began to sleep once more.  Okeanos listened to the ground, picking up multiple light vibrations of footsteps coming from the north.  “There seems to be a small village of survivors near by.”
“Lead the way,” Venus spoke softly, smiling gently.  Okeanos laughed gently and began to walk towards the north; his broadsword hanging over his right should as he entered the forest.  Venus kept up to his pace, walking to his left flank.  Time slowly passed as they walked, the wails of the thunderbird could still be heard in the distance.
Okeanos let out a soft sigh as they walked, causing Venus to look at him in slight wonder.  Without speaking, Okeanos swung his right arm out, slamming his sword into a tree.  Venus watched on in fright as the large blade sliced into the tree, a crunching and popping sound breaking the silence.  Okeanos smiled softly as he lightly rubbed his right shoulder, apples beginning to fall from the tree.
“Sorry if I scared you,” he whispered as he bent down to grab an apple.  “Had to pop my shoulder, and I was starting to get hungry.”  He handed the fruit to Venus, causing her to smile.  He laughed softly as he grabbed another apple, taking a bite from the fresh fruit.  After removing his sword from the tree, they began walking once more in silence, just as rain began to fall.  The patter of the rain hitting against the large forest leafs was peaceful, Venus smiled as she listened to the soft music, thinking she was lucky to be under tree cover, protected from the rain.
Time passed by slowly, the rain beginning to cease as night became day, sunlight starting to shine through the clouds.  Venus let out a soft sigh, her feet aching from the journey.  She sat upon a fallen tree to rest, lightly stretching her sore legs, her hands gently running through Joy’s long blonde hair.  Just as she thought she could get some rest, Okeanos tapped her shoulder.  “We’re here,” was all he whispered before he continued walking.  Venus looked up to see the candle lights that surrounded the little village, a smile spreading upon her lips as she sprang to her feet once more, running towards the entrance of the village, her steps causing water to splash.
Okeanos laughed softly as she ran past him, his mind beginning to wander once more.  People began to leave their huts as the sunlight spread through the village, drying the wet ground and buildings.  Venus smiled as she looked around the center of the village, Joy having woken up as well, her blue eyes scanning her surroundings.  A scream of happiness pierced the air as she caught sight of someone she wanted to find.
“Daddy!” Joy screamed, jumping from her mother’s arms, her little feet pounding the ground as she ran.  The man whom she had cried out for turned and smiled, tears greeting his eyes as he knelt down to catch his daughter in a hug.  Venus smiled as tears flooded her eyes, the tears beginning to fall as she walked to the man.  Okeanos watched on in curiosity, a light smile upon his lips.
The man held Joy close, tears falling as Venus wrapped her arms around him as well.  “I missed you daddy,” Joy whispered, holding on to her father with all of her strength.
“How did you get here?” the man asked softly, holding his daughter and his wife close to his body, not wanting to lose them again.
“A nice man saved us daddy,” Joy replied, her smile bright.  “He helped mommy and me.”  Her bright blue eyes looked up into her father’s before searching for Okeanos.  She smiled as she spotted him standing near a wall.  “There he is daddy,” she said softly, waving to him.
Okeanos smiled softly and waved back.  He lightly stretched as he walked over to the reunited family, his sword still in hand.  He lightly bowed, showing respect to the man, causing the man to bow in return.
“You have a very nice family,” he spoke softly, his rough icy voice having slight warmth to it.  “As your daughter said, I did save them.  A lycan was about to attack when I came across their path.”
“I see,” the man whispered, his blue eyes slightly scanning over Okeanos.  “Thank you for saving them.  I thought that I had lost them forever when we were split up by the earthquakes, but now they are back.  Thank you so much.”  The man began to cry once more, Venus hugging him close, lightly soothing him.
Okeanos bowed once more, knowing his job of protecting them was done.  He turned to leave when the man spoke once more, “My name is Aaron, and if there is anything you need, I will try to help.”  Okeanos turned to face the man and nodded slightly before stretching.
“Thank you Aaron.  The only thing that I ask is where we are,” he spoke softly, his light grey eyes scanning over the family.
“We are near the coastline.  Some of the citizens here have traveled from that region.  They say that after the earthquakes stopped, the land had been reshaped.  What were once many continents have now become two large ones,” Aaron answered, his grip lightly tightening around Joy as she fell asleep once more.
“I see,” Okeanos spoke gently, lightly running his right hand through his hair as his mind began to wander.  He let out a soft sigh as his mind decided upon a thought.  “I will be traveling than.  Thank you for the information.”  He bowed once more, before turning to leave the village.  Before he could exit the village center, a soft patter caught his attention right before a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist.
“Thank you, for everything,” Venus whispered gently, her arms wrapped tightly around Okeanos, her slim body pressed tightly against his back.  Okeanos smiled softly and lightly placed his left hand over hers, his thumb lightly caressing her soft flesh.
“Take care of yourself and your family,” Okeanos whispered in return, lightly patting her hand before he began to move.  “We will meet again one day, but until than, be careful.”  He turned to smile at her, causing tears to fill her eyes, yet put a smile on her face.  He lightly bowed to her and began to walk away.  Venus laughed softly and walked back to her husband, back to her family.
Okeanos continued to walk, not pausing to look back.  He let out a light sigh as the sunlight shined off of his tan flesh and the green flesh of his left arm, his ears catching the songs of the sparrows and finches.  His eyes closed once more as he walked; the light patter of foot steps all around him.
“Okeanos,” a soft yet rough voice spoke, causing him to pause.  His eyes opened as he turned to face the person that called his name.  “I see you are still alive.  That is good, for I shall be the one to kill you.”  His eyes widened as he recognized the woman standing in a doorway, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword.  The woman laughed slightly, filling the air with a light chill.  “Come now love, do you really think you can take me?”
“Well the last time we fought, I ended up on top,” Okeanos replied, winking at the woman.  She growled slightly, recalling that night within her memory.  “So are you going to invite me in, or shall I keep walking?”
“Get your ass in here,” she said, trying to keep her cool.  Okeanos laughed softly as he walked towards the woman.  “I can’t believe you’re still alive.”
“You know you can’t live without me,” Okeanos whispered as he lightly placed his left arm around the woman, pulling her into a tight embrace.  “It’s good to see you again, Chantico.  I’ve missed you.”
Chantico lightly placed her slender arms around his neck, her fingers gently running through his bloodstained hair.  Tears lightly filled her eyes as she pulled him closer to her body.
“If you think you are going to get me back this easily, think again,” she whispered softly, her voice having reclaimed an icy touch.  “You’re going to pay for having left me.  For three years I sat and waited.  I watched the skies, looking for any sign of a message being sent.  There were so many guys that I could have gone out with, yet I said no for I was waiting for your sorry ass to return.”  She looked up into his eyes, her brown orbs shining with a slight crimson.  “After all these years, when you finally return to me, all you have to say is ‘I’ve missed you’?!”  With that said, she smacked the back of his head with both hands, making a loud pop.
Okeanos smiled softly, the back of his head throbbing in slight pain.  Chantico continued to look into his eyes, still angry with him.  He knew that she wasn’t going to take him back without putting him in his place first, so he decided to throw caution to the wind.  He pulled her closer to his body and lowered his head; he smiled before he planted a soft kiss upon her lips.  Her eyes widened at the kiss, he had caught her by surprise but she didn’t mind.  She kissed him back, knowing that she wasn’t dreaming, that he had returned to her.
“That’s better,” she whispered softly, holding him close.  “Now you better start explaining what you’ve been doing these past three years that you’ve been gone.”  She pushed him into her home and slammed the door shut, followed by a howl of pain that belonged to Okeanos.