Opposite Of Forever

Seven

Atlas White

Before:

Atlas's hair whips around her face and the cool morning air turns her nose to a bright red shade. Her fingers are slightly numb on Valiant's reins but she does not slow her pace. Erratic hooves behind her makes her turn her head in surprise, "You've finally caught up, Dante? Just when I thought I would have to come in search of you." Lord Dante belts out a laugh and kicks his horse into a quicker pace, so that he easily rides alongside her. 

"Lady Atlas, you certainly surprised me with your riding skills. I have never met a woman who can control a horse as well as you. Tell me, when did you first ride?" Laughter bubbles out of Atlas's mouth and she smiles a quick smile at Dante before kicking Valiant into a pace that she knows no horse on their lands would be able to catch, "Catch me and I might just tell you." 

Dante laughs incredulously and pushes his mare further, "Come on, Summers, is she really going to outrun us?" The horse snorts and canters just a tad bit faster. 

A few miles later Dante's horse whinnies in exhaustion and slows her pace. He pats her neck in thanks and calls after the galloping lady, "Lady Atlas, you are victorious. Rest for a moment so my horse may catch her breath." 

Atlas's laugh is triumphant and filled with joy as she urges her mount to turn back and return to her competitors side, "Not a lot of female riders where you come from, my lord?" He shakes his head and laughs,"I'm afraid not, Lady Atlas, and please, call me Dante." She smiles and winks at him, "Only if you will call me Atlas." He pretends to think it over, "Deal." 

Now:

"I honestly still don't understand why you go everywhere by horseback. I mean, we have cars for a reason, Atlas." Atlas rolls her eyes and ignores Jackson's incessant commentary, "Tommy doesn't mind it, so I do not see why you must have a problem with it." Jackson huffs and crosses his arms over his toned chest, "I don't have a problem with it, I just don't see the point." 

Atlas raises her eyebrow challengingly, "Alright, since we're on the topic of seeing something as pointless, I do not see the point of you having magical powers if you refuse to use them." Jackson's jaw drops and he points and accusing finger at Tommy, "You told her?" Tommy laughs and nods his head, "She'd have figured it out on her own anyway. And don't drag me into your little pity fight, I'm not picking sides." 

The bell rings and Jackson huffs while swinging around to face Atlas again, "This isn't over." She winks and smirks, "I wasn't counting on it." Tommy laughs and takes a hold of Jackson's sleeve, "Easy there, guys, it's only Monday. You can tear each others hair our later. See you after school, babe!" 

She waves and waits for them to disappear into the school. She swings around and makes her way over to Hercules. He drags his one hoof backward in excitement, "Hi, boy. You ready to get out of here?" His head bobs up and down and he quietly whinnies. 

Atlas takes a hold of her saddle's horn and hoists herself into the seat. Her feet almost automatically slide into the stirrups and she urges Hercules forward. He eagerly complies and almost jolts forward in excitement. She lifts her face up toward the sky and grimaces at the menacingly dark, looming clouds above. "You okay with get a little wet, Herc?" 

He attempts at trotting but Atlas pulls him back into a relaxed walk, "I guess not then." Instead of directing him to the woods, Atlas changes her regular course for the town. Adrenaline courses through her veins for a second and then she feels Jafar's familiar slither over her leg, "Hello, Jafar. I was wondering where you were. I haven't seen you in a few days." 

The viper curls his tail around her wrist and gently rubs his scaly head against her cheek, "I wass Ssalamder hunting, Atlass." Atlas chuckles and places a chaste kiss on her viper's head. "The house is empty without you, Vivian has been gnawing on the last of my nerves recently. Forced me to take her camping for spring break. Absurd, if you ask me, all she did the entire time was complain and search for cellphone signal. Honestly, teenagers these days are far too attached to their devices. I miss the times when people actually spoke to each other." 

Jafar releases her hand and slithers from her hand onto Hercules's back and into his thick mane. He pokes his head out and lays it between Hercules's ears. The horse gently shakes his head to move the hair out of his eyes and Jafar hisses out a warning. 

Hercules's hooves sound foreign on the tar as Atlas slowly rides into the heart of the town. Newcomers look at her strangely while some o Af the town's residents wave to her in greeting. Atlas stops to get a drink at Armano's Bar and Grill and ties Hercules's reins to the specially mounted pole. 

Walking in she is greeted by big smiles and Armano himself comes to seat her at her usual table. He smiles and slides into the seat opposite hers, "Good to see you, Attie, I heard your aunt took you camping for a while. What made you want to commit that type of suicide?" 

Atlas laughs and shakes her head, "Thought I might as well spend some time with her, I mean I do live with her." Armano laughs and his eyes flit to something over her shoulder then back to hers, "There's someone new in town." Atlas smiles and shakes her head at his strangeness, "There's often new people coming into town. What's made this one different?" 

Armano's smile drops and he leans forward to speak quietly, "He has a strange name and well... he came by horse this morning, I haven't seen anyone else go around by horse in this town except you and tourists. And I can assure you that that horse is no everyday horse. Purebred and huge. None of the horses in this town look anything like that except yours and he was definitely not you." 

Atlas's ears prick, "He?" Armano nods, "Yeah, he. Didn't speak a word to anyone, only came in, sat down and left again." Atlas leans back in her seat and scratches behind her head, "Now that is strange. Can you describe what he looks like?" Armano shakes his head, "I'm sorry, Atlas. I didn't get a clear look at him. He left in too much of a hurry."

Atlas nods and pushes out of the booth, "Thanks, Armano, I'll keep an eye out for him. I'll see you later." Armano stands up as well and throws his dishtowel over his shoulder, "Stay safe, Attie, don't be going nowhere alone with this stranger, we don't know what he's capable of." Atlas nods and walks out without another word.

Atlas mounts Hercules and urges him forward. He stops short and his ears pulled flat against his head. Jafar pulls his head into Hercules's mane and stares in the same direction as the horse. Atlas turns her head to see what has got her companions so rattled and she freezes. Dante. She quickly turns Hercules and urges him into a canter, "Hurry, Herc, please."