From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 27.1

 The spread of snacks and drinks did not mend the unease. Regardless, Vatra stuffed her face with a slice of bread slathered in a thick spread of some type of jam. She relished the sweet fruit she couldn't quite place, and turned on her heel away from the now empty kitchen. Almost everyone else had slinked away to their rooms to wait for Hisato and Geb's return.

Lurking in the hall leading to the cockpit, Spyro had his arms folded in obvious concern. "I do not like our situation."

"Gods, Spy," Vatra said, startling to a halt. She leaned over and wiped her sticky fingers with a discarded rag on the counter. "I almost forgot you were there."

"Your injury should not have happened. You should have returned to the vessel first to consult with me before participating in that fight. I can tell how serious the break is." Spyro nodded to her splint.

Vatra raised a brow. "Oh, your implant. I always forget about that damned thing. What use is it besides reminding us both how stressed out I always am? Anyways, with our luck, I'll regenerate my arm the next time we face off with this new enemy of ours." She cracked a smile.

Spyro didn't return her sense of humor. "I fail to see how you find our situation remotely funny. I am always here by your side, to support whatever path you may choose, but I will not stand by such reckless decisions. We are in danger here."

"Have you been talking to Hisato?" Vatra questioned.

"I am serious," Spyro said, a heavy tone in his voice.

"I am too," Vatra shot. She frowned deeply and tapped her splint in thought. "I'm sorry for worrying you. Truly. But you need to trust my decisions, and that I have the best intentions in mind. I'll only ever put us and this crew first. All right?"

"While I understand you care for the others, I will only ever stand behind your choices when it comes to matters concerning your own life," Spyro explained.

Vatra stepped away from the counter, squaring her shoulders. "I'm not asking, Spy. You're bound to me and that includes following all of my decisions, whether you support them or not. Life will be much easier for us both if you get on board with this. We've been around too long for you to start questioning me now."

He paused, appearing to consider her words. The furrow in his brows softened. "It was easier when it was only just the two of us to worry about."

"Ah, so you're jealous? I think we've reached the root of this problem!" Vatra chuckled.

"No, I am not capable of feeling such-"

Their banter was interrupted by a rushed clamber of metal boots on the ladder from the level below. Both of them turned their heads just in time to see a frantic Revna pop up. Her widened gaze swept about the room, the white of her eyes like two, spotlights landing on Spyro and Vatra.

Revna's mouth worked robotically, opening and closing, as if lost for all words.

"What is it?" Vatra asked, a demanding inflection in her question.

"Something's wrong," Revna managed out. "Something's happening to Laverna. I don't... gods. She's turning into..." Her voice trailed off as she walked forward, face paling.

Vatra already knew what Revna couldn't finish relaying to them. If Laverna was turning into something, it had to be the same creature that Mercury had been turned into. Which meant that Laverna's true godkiller was back with Hephaestus, and he'd just destroyed the weapon. The god had declared war against them, most likely knowing they had captured his spies.

"We have to kill Laverna, now," Vatra announced. "She's turning into one of Hephaestus' beasts."

Spyro gave a short nod in agreement, and the three of them rushed down through the levels toward the holding cells. The halls and rooms turned to a blur as they ran. Once they neared the holding cells, muffled shouting grew to loud and distinct voices.

The main door to the holding cell was guarded by Set and Fulgora, both as unnerved as Revna had been when she delivered the news.

"That's not right. Not even for a traitor like Laverna," Fulgora said with a shake of her head. She gripped her godkiller and peered through the small glass window into the room before stepping aside.

"Do what you must, Vatra," Set added. He, too, had his godkiller at the ready. "We would have dealt with her ourselves, but we felt it to be your decision."

Vatra nodded before unlocking the door and stepping through. Behind her, Spyro and Revna followed close.

The sight unfolding in front of them was spine-chilling. Vatra felt her blood run cold. She inhaled sharply, taking in a breath that felt like bolts of lightning and sharp icicles in her chest.

A blood-curdling scream ripped through the holding cell. Laverna, ignoring the electricity coursing through the bars of the cells, wrapped her fingers around the metal. She pounded her forehead against the bars, sending a spark of light both through her skull and into the air in front of her. Her eyes rolled back, but she didn't stop.

Despite the obvious signs of her madness, Laverna had certainly mutated into something, as Revna had worded so eloquently. Spiny, gray arms, like that of a spider, had sprung from her back. They'd ripped through her jumpsuit and torn the nearly indestructible material to shreds. Blood dripped down her back. The gray color had spread up her neck, and down to the visible parts of her hands. It slowly trickled out like spilt water across clothing.

Vatra snapped her focus back. She noticed Nat cowered in the corner, and the two met gazes.

"Get me out of here!" Nat shouted. "She's going to kill me." Tears were visibly pooling at the corners of Nat's eyes. She pushed herself to the side of the wall as far as she could.

"Maybe it's what you deserve for your betrayal," Vatra shot. She slipped further into the holding room, keeping a safe distance from the cell.

Enyalius looked over from where he stood in observance of the chaos. He gave Vatra and the others a small nod in regard, an obvious change in his demeanor.

Is he still bothered by what Ares said, and right now, of all times? Vatra shook the thought away.

"The change has been pretty quick. I'd give it a couple more minutes before she looks like Mercury did," Enyalius said.

"Then you have time to get me out!" Nat screeched. She narrowly avoided Laverna's flailing body.

"Hmm, if we open the door to get Nat out, we risk Laverna getting out," Vatra said.

"You do not think we can kill this beast?" Spyro questioned. "We should dispatch her before she has time to fully change, if they are as tough as you say they are."

"He's right," Revna agreed. "We should kill her, now."

"All right, I don't need to be convinced of that," Vatra paused, "but the problem is opening the cell to get in and kill her."

"We're all fully capable of taking out this one beast together, love. To me, it sounds like you're biding time to allow it to kill our other problem," Enyalius said.

Vatra cut the god a look of contempt. At least he hasn't dropped the nickname. "Perhaps," she admitted with a shrug.

"What? No!" Nat sobbed. "I'm sorry, all right? Don't let her kill me in here! I did what I had to do to survive, you have to understand. There wasn't a lot going for me once I was captured. But if you let me out, I promise I'll bind myself as your protector until my debt is owed."

"Can she do that?" Vatra whispered to Spyro.

"I do not see why she cannot," Spyro said. "Though, I must caution you against trusting her."

Another screech from Laverna echoed through the holding cell, and the goddess flopped down on her side. The multitude of limbs protruding from her body clacked and spasmed against the metal bars.

 "Okay," Vatra said hastily. "Let's put this thing out of its misery already. Stay back, Nat."