From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 4.1

Year: Around 352 BCE

Location: Thessaly, Greece

Leather gloves tightened around the reins in Vatra's hands. The animal beneath her sensed her apprehension, and braced against the tension of the bit. Teeth chomped loudly on the metal, and hooves dug restlessly into the dirt.

Vatra steadied the stallion with a soothing pat against his neck. "Easy, boy. Easy." She sighed and sat up straight, surveying the sight in front of her.

The vantage point overlooked a raging battle below. Clashing armies in a bloodbath. Their ranks spread across a field at the edge of the sea. Vatra scanned the flurry of men and cavalry, and eyed the ships bobbing out in the ocean. Athenian vessels.

What a mess, Vatra scowled to herself.

Men ripped off their armor and dove into the ocean. It appeared to be an attempt to swim out to the ships too far off for any of them to possibly get to. White caps swallowed them whole, dragging them by their flailing arms and war-tired bodies.

Hollow hooves on dirt drew her attention from the battle. Vatra looked over her shoulder and saw a rider guiding a large, bay horse up the hidden path to the vantage point.

"See anything interesting, Spyro?" Vatra asked, turning back to the fight. She admired the tenacity of some of the fighters, giving their all until they were inevitably cut down.

"It has not drawn their attention yet," Spyro replied. "Are you sure they will be here?"

"Of course they will," Vatra retorted.

A breeze from the ocean carried over the hill. Salty air stung her skin and brought a shiver up her spine. She pulled her dark red cloak closer around her. The smell of heavy metal and sea-spray concocted into an assault on her senses that made her cover her nose with the back of her glove for a moment.

"I just hope they can't resist the fight much longer," Vatra added with a cough.

Spyro moved his horse closer to Vatra's, lining the two side-by-side. "What will you do when they get here?"

"I'm going to kill him," Vatra said matter-of-factly. 

Her eyes held a ferocity that hadn't disappeared ever since the idea came to fruition. She was going to claim her revenge.

"I will help you." Spyro nodded his head.

Vatra looked to him with widened eyes. "You don't even know these guys, Spy."

"No, but I do have an obligation to help you kill him. In your creation as a phoenix, so was I bound to you. Your ability to reincarnate has connected me with you. I feel your emotions just as you do. This anger, and revenge... I want it too."

"I'm really stuck with you, then, aren't I?" Vatra asked, chuckling.

"We have had this discussion before, have we not?" Spyro's eyebrows raised, and he glanced around the battlefield in front of them. "Just point me to these... what did you call them?"

"Incestuous bastards."

"Incestuous bastards," Spyro repeated. His serious tone made Vatra laugh, though he didn't appear to find his words as humorous. A tight line held his lips firmly in place.

"We need to teach you a bit of humor one of these days," Vatra said. Her observation was interrupted when the hairs on her arms prickled.

"They're here," Vatra stated.