Keras focused on working in tandem with Enyo, using his shadows to deal with any Hellspawn who got too close to them as she battled one valkyrie and he took on another.
He blocked the female’s blade with his own as she lunged at him, coming close enough that he could scan her arm for anything that looked as if it might be a charm. She pushed off and leaped backwards, distancing herself, and he summoned more shadows, ignoring the drain on his strength as he sent them shooting towards her. One managed to snake around her leg and he used it to pull her back to him.
She swung again and he ducked, kicked off and barrelled into her stomach. She grunted as he slammed into her and lifted her feet off the ground, and hissed as he threw her onto her back on the ground and leaped on top of her. She slashed at him with her talons and he was quick to teleport, narrowly avoiding being cut by her.
Above him, three Keres cried out.
Unhappy that he hadn’t been injured?
He looked back at the valkyrie as she twisted away from him.
Grinned.
A small black stone had been sewn into the back of her short golden skirt.
Keras lunged for it and managed to hook his fingers into the waistband of her skirt. He hauled her backwards as she hissed and snarled at him, and ripped the stone away from her armour as soon as he had an opening.
He crushed it in his fist.
His shadows tore from the black ground and burrowed into her flesh.
She screamed as she went down.
A scream that was echoed above him.
Keras leaped away from her and didn’t pause to watch as the Ker descended on the valkyrie. The death spirits weren’t picky apparently. They didn’t care whether an injured warrior belonged to his side or their one. They just wanted to feed.
He fought to reach Enyo, blocking and slashing with his sword, cutting a path through the Hellspawn who got in his way.
A fist slammed into his chest, knocking him backwards the moment he was close to her.
A sword followed it.
Keras ducked as pain spread across his ribcage like fire and he fought to breathe.
Moros advanced on him, not giving him a chance to recover. Shadows raced from behind Keras, rising in sharp spikes towards the god of doom.
The male grinned as he cut at them with his sword.
A blade that sliced straight through them.
Keras gritted his teeth and cursed. He unleashed more shadows as he swept his own sword down by his side and launched at Moros.
The black-to-scarlet-haired male still only wore minimal armour—a slatted skirt, boots and vambraces, and a single onyx leather strap across his chest that held a pauldron on his left shoulder.
It allowed the god to move faster, but at the same time, it left him vulnerable.
If Keras could get close enough to him and keep him distracted with sword attacks, he might be able to use his shadows to take the male down.
He flicked a glance at Enyo to check on her. She had lost her helmet, but she had managed to dispatch the valkyrie she had been fighting. She turned away from the fallen female and began moving back towards Keras, her silver sword a swift blur as she dealt with any Hellspawn foolish enough to get in her way.
Three valkyries landed between her and Keras. One of them targeted her.
Two came up behind Moros.
Keras bared emerging fangs at them as he readied himself, flexing his fingers around his blade.
Darkness surged through him and he shot towards the trio, shadows racing on his heels to pass him as he clashed with Moros. The ferocity of their swords meeting sent painful vibrations up his arm, numbing his hand for a moment. Moros clenched his teeth and shoved forwards, leaping backwards at the same time. The male barely set his foot down before he was coming at Keras again, his sword slicing through the air.
Keras blocked it and growled as one of the valkyries tried to get around behind him. His shadows snapped at her, driving her back again. She eyed them warily.
Her comrade didn’t.
The second valkyrie beat her wings and shot towards him, and he twisted away from Moros and raised his hand, commanding his shadows to form a wall between him and the valkyrie. She shrieked as she hit it, but it didn’t stop her. She blasted through the shadows and hit him hard, knocking him sideways and off-balance.
Enyo appeared behind her and grabbed her wing and yanked, flipping the female around and hurling her into the air.
Moros lunged for her.
Enyo pivoted and leaned backwards, narrowly avoiding the tip of his blade as it cut through the air at chest height. She brought her leg up, striking the male’s hand with her foot, and he grunted as he barely kept hold of his sword.
He snagged her ankle with his free hand and swung her up into the air.
Keras snarled and stepped, grabbed her and teleported again, pulling her to safety.
Or not.
Moros came with them, landing hard in a clearing closer to the palace.
Enyo rolled onto her feet and brought her sword up, slashing at the god, and Keras launched his shadows at the male as he got his bearings again.
He grunted as someone struck him from behind, knocking him forwards, and growled as pain swept through his left side just above his hip. He glared down at the golden talons that pierced him, grabbed the valkyrie’s hand and tore it away from him, pivoting at the same time. He lunged forwards and cracked his forehead against hers, ripping a grunt from her.
Above him, a Ker shrieked.
Keras raked talons across the valkyrie’s chest, slicing through the strap of her small dark gold bikini-style top and drawing blood.
He shoved her away from him and sprang backwards, his heart hammering as wind beat against him and blood splattered the shoulders of his black armour.
His feint worked.
Rather than attacking him, the Ker targeted the valkyrie.
He spun away from them as they grappled, bringing his sword up as he called on his shadows, blocking the blow Moros had aimed at Enyo. She dropped to her knees and lashed out with her own blade, managed to cut just above Moros’s knee before the male could dodge her.
Around him the battle raged, the cries of the Keres growing constant as the scent of blood grew thicker in the air.
Keras couldn’t see victory.
Not yet.
Even with some of his father’s legion and Nyx’s army battling on their side, they were only a match for the enemy. Victory wasn’t guaranteed. He had to do something to turn the tide in their favour. Taking down Moros would be a start.
Enyo rolled and came up on her feet, forcing Moros to turn with her.
Giving Keras his back.
He grinned as he kicked off, gripping the hilt of his blade with both hands, his gaze locked on the male’s exposed back.
Grunted as his right shoulder jerked backwards and fire blazed in it. He stumbled, missing a step as he glanced at his shoulder.
At the arrow sticking out of it.
He blinked.
Cursed.
Oizys.
He gripped the silver shaft of the arrow and yanked it from his flesh, grunting again as the fire spread outwards, had his right arm shaking as pain rolled down it. His gaze darted over the battlefield. His heart thundered. Where was she?
He couldn’t see her anywhere.
Off to his left, Valen bit out a ripe curse and went down.
Keras stepped to him and growled as he found his brother clutching an arrow lodged in his left thigh.
He crouched beside him and checked his brother over. It wasn’t the only injury he had sustained. Someone had managed to cleave a great gash in the right side of his armour too, and he was missing his left vambrace and gauntlet.