‘Excuse me,’ Joel said. ‘But he belongs to us.’
‘Pegasus belongs to no one,’ the woman spat furiously. She turned back to the stallion and her voice softened. ‘Look at you, my old friend. You look like a plough horse.’
As the woman continued to inspect Pegasus, the stallion nickered with excitement. She laid her forehead against him and dropped her voice. ‘Pegasus, we have fallen,’ she said sadly. ‘Father is in chains. Apollo is dead and Olympus lies in ruins. The Nirads have defeated us.’
‘Nirads?’ Emily asked cautiously.
The woman looked down to Emily’s wounded leg. ‘I can smell them on you too,’ she said. ‘You have fought the Nirads? You are lucky to be alive.’
‘Is that what those four-armed creatures are called?’ Joel asked. ‘Nirads?’
The woman nodded. ‘They murdered my brother. Killed countless others and conquered Olympus.’
‘You said they killed Apollo. Was he your brother?’ Joel asked breathlessly. ‘Are … are you Diana?’
‘That is one of my names,’ the tall woman answered. She studied Joel for a moment. ‘And you are a Roman.’
The sound of the helicopters cut short further conversation.
‘Please, Diana,’ Joel entreated. ‘I know you are a great warrior, but trust us – you can’t stay here. Those flying machines up there will capture you. We have to hide.’
‘Hide?’ Diana repeated in confusion. ‘I do not hide from a battle.’
‘You do now,’ Emily said as she moved closer to Pegasus. ‘Come on, Pegs. We’ve got to go before they see you.’
Pegasus let out a soft neigh to Diana but followed Emily away from the pond.
‘Pegs?’ Diana repeated as she trailed behind them. ‘Did I just hear you call him Pegs?’
When they were safely hidden in the trees, Emily turned to her. ‘He doesn’t seem to mind. I think it’s a cute name for him.’
Diana was incredulous. ‘Cute? Child, do you have any idea of whom you are speaking? This is Pegasus, the great stallion of Olympus. To make him suffer such indignities is beyond tolerance.’
‘Of course I know who Pegasus is,’ Emily shot back as reached out and stroked the stallion’s dark muzzle. ‘But he’s also a friend of mine.’
‘Emily, stop,’ Joel warned fearfully. ‘You don’t understand who you’re talking to. Please, show some respect!’
‘Respect?’ Emily repeated. ‘Where’s her respect for me?’ She turned back to Diana. ‘If Pegs doesn’t mind me calling him that, then why should you?’
‘You insolent little nothing!’ Diana cried. She stepped forward and raised her hand to strike Emily. ‘You have yet to learn your place—’
Pegasus quickly placed himself between Diana and Emily. He looked at Diana and let out a series of strange sounds. The expression on her face softened. The tall woman looked at Emily several times before dropping her head.
‘I am sorry. My behaviour is unforgivable. Pegasus has just explained to me what you have done for him and how you have helped him. Please forgive me. I have witnessed my father’s defeat, my brother’s murder and my home destroyed. I am not myself.’
Emily frowned. Diana could understand Pegasus? She looked at the woman with envy and more than a touch of jealousy. She secretly wished she were an Olympian too. Then she and Pegasus could actually communicate.
‘I understand,’ Emily finally said. ‘I’m so sorry for your losses.’
‘Is Olympus really destroyed?’ Joel asked, timidly coming forward. ‘How? You’re Gods. Who could defeat you?’
‘The Nirads,’ said Diana sadly. ‘Soon they will destroy your world too, unless we stop them.’
‘Destroy our world?’ Emily said in shock. ‘Why? What do they want?’
‘We do not know,’ Diana said. ‘Until now, we had never encountered the Nirads before. We know nothing about them or where they come from. They have made no demands on us and taken nothing from our ruins. All they desire is destruction. And unless we find a way to stop them, all will be lost.’
‘How can we stop them?’ Emily asked. ‘Nothing seems to hurt them. Even falling twenty storeys doesn’t slow them down.’
‘There is one thing we have discovered,’ Diana said. ‘In the course of battle, right before Pegasus fled to this world, I bested a Nirad. But it was only after the creature had touched Pegasus’s golden bridle. He was poisoned by it. We believe he died as a result of touching the bridle and not my spear.’
‘You need his bridle?’ Emily asked, trying to make sense of everything she was hearing.
Diana nodded. ‘This is why I have come here. I need it to forge new weapons to use against the Nirads. I see you have taken it off Pegasus to colour him. May I have it?’