From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 20.2

The white sclera of Spyro's eyes had blackened, swirling to the darkest colors of nothingness itself. Looking into his eyes was like peering into hopelessness. As he turned and darted off in the direction Garmr had disappeared to, six figures emerged from the yellow dirt behind him.

The spirits Spyro had summoned were a portion of the Androktasiai. All of them were donned in gilded Grecian armor and wielded swords or spears. Their faces were obscured by helmets, but Vatra knew who they were the moment they appeared. Fearsome, female warriors and the personification of manslaughter. Garmr didn't stand a chance.

Vatra had kept an ear on Hel, and noted the goddess was as entranced with the Androktasiai's appearance as she was. The distraction was short-lived.

"I should have remembered your friend's tricks. No matter. Garmr will have fun with them," Hel said. She rushed forward, swinging her sword up high above her head.

I remember her godkiller, Vatra thought. She dodged to the right, avoiding the flames that scorched the yellow earth where she'd been standing. But I'm not going to run away this time.

Putting her weight on her right foot, Vatra used her momentum from dodging to run directly toward Hel. She barely gave time for the flames to go out before crossing over the ash, kicking up the soot and yellow dust behind her. Hel looked up in surprise and raised her sword to block Vatra's strike.

Vatra's right godkiller caught the blade of the sword, scraping down the length of it toward the hilt. She used the distraction to swing up with her left, but Hel noticed the attack.

Twisting her sword, Hel deflected both blades at once. But, Vatra wasn't going to retreat. If she allowed Hel to get distance between them, she could use that powerful attack with her godkiller. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Hel was very adept at close-combat.

Instead of using her blades right away, Vatra aimed to disarm Hel. She feigned an attack with her left blade, then landed a hard blow with her knee to Hel's abdomen. The goddess doubled over, and Vatra followed up with an elbow strike to her back.

Hel loosened her grip on her godkiller, letting out a shout of pain. Just as it appeared she was going to drop her weapon, she turned to strike out at Vatra. Parrying away the blade with her left dagger, Vatra followed through with a hard roundhouse kick. As she spun around, Vatra drove her right godkiller into Hel's chest.

The goddess' godkiller fell to the ground in a cloud of yellow smoke, followed by her leather armor.

"Well, that took a little longer than I thought it would. I wonder how Spyro's doing," Vatra muttered. Sheathing her own godkillers, Vatra bent down and picked up Hel's sword from the ground. "At least this will make a nice trophy for me."

The ferocious cry of a wounded animal drew Vatra's attention away from the sword in her grasp. Garmr was running down the main street in her direction, a cloud of yellow dust in its wake. Two spears bobbed from its hide. The beast snarled and snapped at something just out of Vatra's view.

Cautiously stepping closer to the buildings, Vatra watched as Garmr neared. She saw three Androktasiai clinging to their swords still piercing the beast's flesh. They continued to drive their weapons into Garmr, even while bouncing around like banners caught in the wind.

"Tenacious spirits, aren't they?" Vatra questioned aloud, directing her words to Spyro when she noticed him approaching from the alley at her left.

"I had to take a detour. They have been driving the creature around this entire city. He is proving to be more difficult to kill," Spyro said. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, curls bouncing around his face.

Vatra looked over his face curiously. The darkness that enveloped his eyes was still there, and would likely remain until the Androktasiai were gone. I can't wait to have his big, doey eyes back, Vatra thought.

"At least I killed Hel," Vatra said. She lifted the godkiller in her hand half-heartedly. "Though, watching Garmr struggle like this is kind of making me feel bad."

"It is no worse than putting down a rabid animal. Hel poisoned Garmr into committing great sin. There is no telling what atrocity he would commit. Look at what he did already," Spyro explained.

"I suppose," Vatra said and shrugged her shoulders.

At last, Garmr fell once the other three Androktasiai caught up to the battle. They brought down the beast with effective strikes and deep cuts.

Vatra and Spyro approached Garmr just as it drew its last breath. Unlike gods or goddesses, the beast's body would remain where it was. At least the inhabitants would know what happened to the creature that killed the people of their city.

Spyro released the Androktasiai, and his eyes returned to their normal, deep brown color. "I forgot to mention, I did find a ship when I was following Garmr and the Androktasiai through the city. It does appear to be an older Corrcon combat vessel. Though, there is something a bit off about the ship," Spyro said.

Following Spyro, Vatra took to practicing parries and strikes with Hel's godkiller. "What's that mean?" she inquired, barely drawing her attention from the sword.

"I sensed the spirits still attached to the ship. There are only a few of them, but they do not resemble the inhabitants of this world. Though it is clearly a Corrcon combat vessel, I am suspicious of what the ship was actually used for," Spyro answered.

"Ah," Vatra said. "We've got ourselves a black-market ship then, you mean?" Her eyes widened in sudden interest. "I've got to see this ship. Did it have a name?"

"The side of it read Agkistrodon."