From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 23.1

The arena was quiet. Despite the contorted faces of the spectators, jaws slacked and fists pumped in an uproar, no noise left their lips. There was no thumping from the stands as feet pounded the floor. Silence swept over the arena, enveloping the building in an instant as if from the snap of someone's fingers.

Vatra's breath was bated. She watched Ares with the attentiveness of a hungry animal. And she was voracious.

As prompt as the sound had dissipated, the noise overwhelmed Vatra's senses the moment she pushed forward. Sand kicked up behind her. She left behind Hisato and all notion of a plan the two of them had formulated.

"Vatra!" Hisato's voice was distant.

The shock on Ares' features vanished, and he returned the expression of determination that surely reflected on Vatra's face. The god prepared for Vatra's approach, his fists raised in front of him.

Seeing an opening in his left side, Vatra closed the gap between them as quickly as possible. She swung fast with a right hook, but noticed Ares' right knee coming up toward her. With their close proximity, a hard kick would do decent damage. Vatra abandoned her strike and went to block the kick. It was a fake-out.

Ares landed a hard front kick with his left leg. The blow struck Vatra in the belly, causing her to double over and stumble back. She let her guard down and caught his movements from the corner of her eye. The god was going to keep hitting while she was down.

There was a brush of skin against Vatra's left arm. Glancing to her side, she barely caught Hisato darting past her. The man moved with the speed of a loosened arrow. He crossed between Ares and Vatra, kicking out with a hard side kick and sending the god flying back.

Ares crashed with an audible thud into the sand.

Hisato grabbed Vatra hard around the wrist and pulled her upright. His brows were furrowed. "You shouldn't have done that," Hisato said. "We had a plan."

"Sorry," Vatra sighed out. "If it's any consolation, I looked like a total ass just now."

"It is." Hisato grinned.

"But now we have to fight Ares," Vatra said.

Giving a small nod, Hisato stepped away from Vatra. "But we'll do it together. Okay? Don't go flying into this fight without me."

"Right," Vatra agreed.

The two of them watched closely as Ares climbed to his feet. The god was chuckling.

"I can't say I've been knocked on my back that often." Ares dusted the sand off his bare arms and legs. "This is going to be a good fight for once."

"Now that we know you're here, we have a lot to ask you," Vatra said.

"Do you?" Ares looked around at the crowd surrounding the arena. "This is a fight, not an interrogation, little bird. I'll tell you what, though. If both of you can win this fight, I'll let you ask me whatever you want."

Vatra looked at Hisato, who only shrugged at her.

I guess it was too much to expect him to answer our questions in the arena, Vatra thought. She rubbed the bruise already forming on her stomach and readied her stance once again.

She'd trained for years for exact moments such as the one they found themselves in. Facing a war god who was well-trained was no easy task. More often than not, Vatra's skills had helped her kill gods too power hungry to care about the chaos they caused. However, as much as Vatra had dreamed of killing Ares herself, she wasn't so sure she'd even be able to beat him in a single fight.

"We can win," Hisato said.

Snapping her attention away from Ares, only for a brief moment, Vatra inhaled sharply. Just don't let your emotions take over this fight, she told herself.

Both of them charged Ares. They moved with a synchronicity that was unspoken and unexpected. Even to Vatra. With every movement she made, Hisato shadowed her and guarded her weak points. She hadn't even told him about her weaknesses. It was as if he'd recognized them in the few moments of her attempting to attack Ares.

We can win this.

Vatra maintained a head-on approach. At the last moment, she dropped down ever so slightly. Her knees bent and weight shifted to her front foot just the smallest amount more than her rear. Rotating her hips around, Vatra swung up with a powerful uppercut.

It was evident Ares hadn't expected such a quick, direct strike from her. He slipped back with barely a palm's width to spare. Though, Ares didn't get very far.

Hisato had followed Vatra's movements carefully. With ease, he grasped the opportunity of Ares' jumping back on the defensive. He darted in and, in a graceful, sweeping motion, took out Ares' legs from under him.

The god fell into the sand. Except the second time his back hit the ground, Vatra was on him within seconds. Grappling was a particular specialty of hers.

I won't waste another opportunity here, she thought.

Dazed, Ares stared up at Vatra with widened eyes. She was fast and precise with her movements. Vatra straddled Ares, hooking her right arm under his neck. Slipping her head around Ares' right arm as he pushed up to defend himself, Vatra hooked her own left bicep with her right hand and squeezed tight. From that position, Ares was slowly being choked out by his own arm and Vatra's right arm.

"You got better," Ares said through a straggled breath. He writhed like a mouse trying to escape a snake.

Vatra threw her body weight over to the right side of Ares, pressing her weight down into her toes. "You didn't," she growled.

Ares wheezed. He dug his fingers into Vatra's bare arm, but didn't tap out of the fight.

Why isn't he giving up?

The crowd roared. Spectators climbed to their feet in anticipation with every agonizing second that dragged on. A wave of shouts and screams rolled through the stands.

Sweat slicked Vatra's grip. It was a mix of both hers and Ares'. She couldn't hold on much longer, though she wasn't sure how Ares was even breathing still.

Oh, right. A god. Vatra rolled her eyes and shouted, tightening her grasp.

Ares thrashed against her at the exact moment she caught Hisato appearing at her side.

"Don't let him slip," Hisato warned.

"No shit." Vatra gritted her teeth. She dug her feet into the ground.

Hisato crouched down. "I can step in," he said.

"No!" Vatra shouted.

The god gained leverage with his legs, pushing back with a short, abrupt kick. Vatra held on to Ares' neck, though her hold in the sand with her own feet was gone. She fought to get her right knee back in the sand, but Ares had already gotten the upper-hand.

Vatra's right hand slipped from her left bicep. Just as soon as her fingers loosened, Ares pushed himself to his feet in a single, smooth motion. He spun and landed a hard kick to Vatra's temple as soon as he was upright, salting the wound.

Spitting out a glob of spit, Vatra took no time to baby her pride. She launched to her feet, charging Ares with Hisato at her side.

They weren't going to lose.