Autumn Leaves

Pegasi

'What next?'

'Pegasus.'

'Let's do this.'

'Hold tight,' Loki instructed, 'I'd rather you not let go of my arm whilst we are teleporting, and end up with half of you missing, or worse.'

'What could possibly be worse than part of me missing?'

'You could be lost in space-time continuum for the rest of eternity.'

'So, why didn't you tell me hold tightly before? Did you not care about me getting splinched then?'

'Splinched?'

'Harry Potter reference.'

'Ah,' Loki said, 'That explains it.'

'Answer my question. Didn't my potential loss of body parts bother you before now?'

'I am simply trying to protect you, Savannah,' Loki said, a little exasperated, 'I assumed that you were going to hold on tightly anyway. It only recently occured to me that you might not. And while you are slightly disorientated, I thought it would be wise to warn you of the dangers.'

'Right.' Savannah said, 'Sorry.'

'No need to apologise. Just hold onto my arm, and we'll be off.'

Savannah did as she was told, for once, clinging tightly onto Loki's upper arm. Perhaps it was a little tighter than necessary, but  she told herself that it was reducing the risk of her ending up with less body parts than she was born with.

There was another horrible moment where she was pure nothingness, and then a tree. Once she had gotten her breath back, and taken a small sip of the swirling elixir, she turned to Loki, a question on her lips.

'Is there anything I should know about Pegasuses? Pegasi, I mean.'

'No. Just don't call them adorable.''Why would I do that?'

'You think that micro-pigs are adorable.'

'They are.'

'They are not. You have an unerring ability to call things adorable inappropriately.'

'I do not.'

'Yes, you do. A few weeks ago, you called me a sweet little purr-machine. '

'Liar.'

'What do you expect? I am the God of Lies, after all.'

But Savannah didn't contradict him. Perhaps she would have, if not for the flying horse that had just landed in front of them. It (most likely a he) was standing patiently in front of them, great wings no longer stretched out, but instead folded neatly by its (his) sides. Once again, Loki stepped forward, and bowed slightly, out of respect. The Pegasus, who was a sort of sparkly-blue, inclined its (his) head, and then spoke.

'Greetings, Prince Loki, it has been a while,' the Pegasus said. Turns out it was female, after all.

'So it has,' Loki said, 'I apologise. Life has been rather hectic lately.'

'Who is your lady-friend?' (Why did everyone call her his lady-friend?)

'Her name is Savannah,' Loki explained, 'And we have need of your help.'

The Pegasus stepped closer to Savannah, looming over her impressively. Then she bent her head forwards, and sniffed Savannah.

Fucking sniffed her.

These people were bloody weird. Were they people?

Brushing that thought aside, Savannah forced herself to look up into the creature's eyes. The Pegasus stepped back, to Savannah's relief, and turned to Loki.

'Why do you bring a mortal human here?'

'She has been poisoned by Amora, and we require the shoe of a Pegasus for the antidote.'

'So you have come to me for the cure?'

Savannah didn't like that, how the Pegasus had referred to it as a cure, as if she had a disease. In retrospect, it was a kind of disease, which she did have, but she still didn't appreciate it.

'In a nutshell, yes,' said Loki, 'It would mean a great deal if you would donate one for our cause, Tempest.'

Tempest. What a strange (cool) name.

Tempest seemed to give it some thought, and then turned and galloped off. 

How rude.

Why didn't she fly?

She soon returned, however, leading a smaller Pegasus behind her. This one was a sort of blue-green-grey-silvery purplish colour. As cool as Tempest's colouring was, this one was infinitely more beautiful.

'Storm,' Loki said, 'It is good to see you again after so long.'

'It is good to see you too,' Storm (Savannah assumed that that was her name) said. 'My sister tells me that you are looking for the shoe of a Pegasus?'

'Yes,' Loki affirmed, 'Do you think you could spare one?'

'Of course,' Storm said, 'Anything for you, my prince.'

Savannah shouldn't've felt jealous of a flying-horse, but in that instance, she was so jealous it hurt. And she felt protective, too. It was a strange feeling, and she wasn't quite sure why a Pegasus flirting with a Norse god made her jealous, but it did. She didn't have much time to muse on why mythical creatures were instilling such venemous traits in her, though, because the Pegasi had flown off, and Loki was holding a massive horse-shoe, which was singing.

Singing.

Not like Opera-singing, but the sound a sword makes as it flies through the air. Not that Savannah had ever heard any flying swords, but it was what she presumed it would sound like.

Were there such things as flying swords? They had Pegasi, why not?

Anyway, the sound was similar to that of a sword flying through the air. Except, it was sort of hum-singing, the notes fluctuating, and seeming to overlap. It was beautiful, and cool, but Savannah had more important things on her mind. Eventually, she couldn't not voice them, and so she turned to Loki, and said, rather viciously-

'How do you know them?'

'I met them on a diplomacy trip, a few centuries ago.'

'Why was Storm flirting with you?'

'Was she flirting?'

'I thought you were the perceptive one. Yes, she was flirting. Why?'

'Maybe she can't resist my natural charm, and my devilish combination of good looks and brain.'

'That, and your modesty.'

'Modesty doesn't apply to sex-gods.'

'You. Are. Not. A. Sex. God. Understand?'

'No. Clearly you are wrong. I am sexy, and a god. Therefore, I am a sex-god.'

Savannah growled at him, which made him chuckle. This only served to infuriate her further, and she was looking for something to throw at him, when he gripped her by the arm.

'Come,' Loki said, 'We must visit the Unicorns.' 

As absurdly funny as that sounded, Savannah thought she was going to cry.

'I don't want to,' she complained, 'I'm cold, and tired, and hungry, and dizzy, and I hate travelling like this. Worst of all, I really need to go toilet.'

'Not my problem,' Loki said, and Savannah found a nice, big stone to hurl at his head.

Guess what she did next?