Page 43 of Dark Gods
If I was the banished god's daughter, was I capable of the same horrors that had earned him his eternal punishment?
The Underworld was where most souls feared to tread, but the aether... that was another hell entirely.
As I walked into training class, I was prepared to see Helle. After all, today was the day she was due back. What I wasn't prepared for was to see Hades standing at her side.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I blurted out.
If looks could kill, the one Helle was giving me was a bonafide murder weapon. Hades just responded with that cool, infuriating look. I didn't know where he'd been, but he looked tan and rested. Glad someone was having a nice holiday while the rest of the school mourned one of their own. One I was still all but certain was dead because of him.
"There was another space, and I filled it," he answered. "Is there a problem?"
Everyone was looking at me thanks to my outburst, and the look of disapproval on Thor's face made it clear what my response had to be.
"No," I said through gritted teeth. "No problem at all."
"Good," Thor said. "Then let's not waste anymore time. I understand you're all planning to compete in the Games, is that correct?"
"I'm just in the training course," I protested. "I hadn't come to any decision yet."
Thor frowned, looking down at the paper in his hand. "That's funny, because I have your signature on the sign-up roster."
"Can I see?" I asked, my voice cracking in agitation.Keep it together, Kore.
Thor handed the paper over and sure enough, my signature was on the very bottom of the list. It was a perfect forgery, too. I looked up at Hades, my eyes blazing with accusation.
He just kept smirking, and I knew if I was going to call him out on this latest affront, it would have to be after class. Hopefully this was a combat sim. He was more than due for an asskicking.
"If that's settled, let's get started," Thor said, taking back the paper. "Halcyon, load Arena 1."
The grid flashed and became a picturesque coliseum sitting atop a hillside in the open air.
"One-on-one combat," said Thor, stepping back to give us room as the others descended on the weapons rack. "Choose your weapon and your opponent."
"I choose Hades," I announced before he could weasel his way out of it. I pulled my favorite blade from the rack and held it ready.
Helle and Daphne backed off to begin their own match, and Hades just scowled at me, lazily drawing the closest weapon without even looking. Or at least, that's what he wanted me to think. The katana was far from a bad pick for him, so I doubted he'd just lucked into it.
"Begin," Thor called.
I heard the clash of blades to my right as Helle and Daphne began sparring immediately, but Hades and I were still circling each other.
"This must be strange for you, fighting an opponent head on," I remarked. "You prefer the element of surprise, don't you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said boredly, shifting just slightly. It was enough to know he planned to attack and I blocked his sword with my own, pushing him back with enough force to stagger him.
If he thought I was holding back on account of class, he had another thing coming. This was finally my chance, and as the teachers were so fond of saying, "Accidents happen."
"Sure you don't," I scoffed, taking a swing at him while he was open. He blocked it immediately, but I could tell from the irritation in his gaze that it took more effort than he would have liked.
Once we'd each traded blows, the gloves were off. Hades was fast, but not quite as fast as me. What little he lacked in speed, he made up the difference in strength. While I'd managed to block each of his blows so far, each one sent me further back and I quickly realized his plan was to wear me out and force me to cross the boundary. Then I’d lose by default.
It figured he'd go for the most shameful way to beat an opponent, but that pettiness made him predictable. I could use that against him. Every blow we traded was giving me crucial info I'd need to bring him down once and for all.
I even let him think he'd gained the upper hand, overextending my next thrust just to see how he'd compensate. He didn't take the bait like I expected and as I sailed past him, I saw the look of recognition in his eyes.
"If you want to play dirty, I'm more than happy to oblige, but we'll have to take the kid gloves off,” he said. Blue flames burned within his dark eyes, holding the promise of the power he had yet to unleash.
Powers were forbidden in the training room, and I'd been counting on that. I wasn't expecting him to make such a direct challenge, and I looked to Thor as a last hope.
