A Daughter's Love

Chapter Twenty.

Malia.

The sun disappeared behind the horizon, plunging the entire Coliseum into darkness that was disrupted by torches that hung on the walls catching fire, one by one. My eyes followed them until I turned to face the throne where Vulcan stood, his body illuminated by the flickering orange of the flames he had manifested from thin air. I reached for my daggers, hand tightening on their hilts as I studied my opponent who had a hammer large enough to flatten me, carelessly tossed over his shoulder while he descended the steps that led to his throne. My feet slid across the dirt, squaring my stands, knees bent and eyes locked onto his form, examining his every move. The staircase crumbled behind him, brought down by the sheer force of his steps, boulders falling onto the floor of the Coliseum in his wake “The only reason your mother defeated me was because she used my emotions against me” Vulcan announced, his hand tightening on the handle of his hammer as if he could feel it crushing me even before the battle had begun “I will not allow that to happen again” I knew nothing about the god, not of his past or his present. All I knew was his name and what he was the god of but my mother had clearly known more. She took the time to get to know him, to analyse what made him tick and that gave her the ability to beat him in a fight, by not just combating with his body but with his mind. Though I admired her for her wit, I wasn’t one to use emotions against my opponent since more often than not, I knew nothing about them “I don’t need anything but my fists to win” I argued, leather, gloved hands constricting around my daggers when his crimson gaze travelled along my body, taking in every inch of me. He was the god of fire, the god of war and battle strategy. If there was a god for me to worship, it would be him “Your confidence will be your downfall” he pointed out, a sneer stretching across his pink lips, chin and upper lip cleanly shaven with a strong jawline and high cheekbones. The way he stood was as though he was posing for a painter to capture his moment of victory before the outcome of the battle had even been confirmed. His pride and dominance was what coated the air around him just as confidence and recklessness coated the air that circles me “And your pride will be yours” he laughed at my words, free hand reaching up so that he was gripping the handle of his hammer in both hands. I flinched, readying myself for his attack when he rained his weapon down onto the ground in front of him, the force shattering the earth. The ground cracked open, sinking and snaking toward me as flames burst through from the open channel, reaching for the heavens and clawing to be free of their rock prison. I took a step back when the flames nearly scorched me, the crackling stopping just inches away from my feet. The heat that radiated from the orange fire stung my cheeks and nose, sweat dripping from my forehead before the inferno completely flickered out and I was left staring at Vulcan from across the small canyon he had created, eyes blazing into mine. I let out a long breath when I realized what he had done. He was reminding me of what he was, of what I was. He was a god and I was a mortal, able to die. The breath of laughter that escaped my lips was almost taunting “Vos petits trucs sont impressionnants” the French rolled from my tongue like an alluring purr. The words ‘Your little tricks are impressive’ causing Vulcan’s face to harden, clearly able to understand the language just as Neptune and Aurella was without having been raised in France. He tried heaving his hammer back up again but it would take time, time I took advantage of. The weapon was heavy; he was heavy which meant that he was slower than I was. My body shot forward, leaping from one side of the crevasse to the other, retrieving my right dagger from my hip and tucking its hilt in between my teeth. I needed to get close so that he couldn’t use his hammer as effectively as he might’ve preferred with it being a long range weapon. He raised it and I managed to slid underneath, standing so that my chest was pressed firmly up against his, my arms going up to knocking his wrists away from the handle of the hammer, weakening his grip and causing it to thud to the ground behind me. My hands gripped his wrists, placing his palms on my hips as I leaned up, the tip of my dagger pressed against his throat where I could hear blood pumping through the artery that was hidden beneath the exposed flesh. His eyes found mine, amused but dangerous as my mismatched ones merely smiled triumphantly up at him. It was in that brief moment of letting down my guard that he managed to break my hold on his wrists and used my arms to turn me around, my back pressed up against his chest with his lips to my ear “Try again” he gloated before his knee was brought up, connecting with my lower back and cracking my spine. I screamed, the dagger dropping from my mouth, cluttering down to where his hammer was left abandoned as I fell forward, his hands gripping my wrists the only thing keeping me upright. I gasped for air, vision blurring from the amount of pain that had shot up from my back to my brain. My mind instantly went to Ryker but I pushed the thought away when Vulcan let go of my wrists, causing me to collapse onto the dirt below, chest heaving and groaning from the agony that I felt. I shook my head to try and clear it, gaze catching sight of my dagger and the handle of his hammer that was laying directly in front of me “Get up!” he barked from behind me when I tucked my knees underneath myself and forced my body onto all fours. I knew that the hammer would be too heavy for me to use but the dagger would hardly affect him. My body stiffened, an idea coming to mine. I lunged for the dagger and turned onto my back, throwing it and just as suspected he dodged, his eyes following the weapon, momentarily looking away from me. I used that moment to get up, dragging the hammer into both hands and using whatever strength I had to lift it. Vulcan turned, stunned that I had somehow managed to carry the weight of his prized possession, my mismatched eyes glowing brightly in the dark, fangs digging into my bottom lip, causing it to throb as blood trickled down my chin. I cried out when I raised the hammer above my shoulder and swung it, aiming for the god’s head but his hand shot out to block the attack, palm holding his own hammer at bay “Nice try” he complimented, thinking that it was over but I grinned, eyes locking with his, my hands and stands adjusted their position when I turned on my heels and sent the hammer into the opposite side of his head, knocking him clean across the Coliseum. In the motion, I let go of the weapon, letting it skid off to the side while I stood panting. How strong was he exactly, to be able to fling that thing around like it was nothing but a sword? I wondered, glancing to where the wall of the Coliseum had come crashing down from Vulcan’s impact but there was no movement among the rubble. So far, it hardly even felt like a fight but to say that it was over would be truly foolish of me. I bent and reached for my dagger then began advancing on the crumbled wall but froze when a boulder was thrown directly at me. I tried to dodge but it struck my shoulder and send me stumbling to the side, hand gripping at my dislocated limb. I cursed and gritted my teeth, breathing hard when movement drew me out of the pain, momentarily. Vulcan stepped forth from the wall, blood coating the side of his face and eyes blazing like the fires of hell. I sucked in a deep breath then forced my arm back into its socket, crying out when pain shot through my arm and shoulder, but without my arm, I would be useless in a fight. Once my right hand fingers could move again, tightening their grip on the hilt of my dagger, I reached for the other one that hung from my waist, expertly twirling them in my grasp. My feet moved to strike but a wall of fire shot up in front of me. I raised my arms to shield my eyes from its bright light, heat stinging my bear arms and legs until it died down and I blinked, searching for the god of fire among the wreckage “Tell me, have you ever been in love?” the question was asked from somewhere behind me. I turned on my heels and found that Vulcan was stood with his hammer slung across his back, arms dangling from its handle almost carelessly. The question caught me even more off guard than his teleportation did “Excuse me?” I retaliated, not knowing how to react. The god tilted his head back, studying me from the way my muscles tensed at the mention of the word ‘love’ to how my pupils didn’t seem to dilate as they normally would when one was to think of their lover “No, you haven’t” he concluded, only getting under my skin more. I started walking toward him with a narrowed gaze that emitted venom. He spoke the one word that I couldn’t stand and used it to taunt me. That was a sin, I couldn’t forgive. He readied his hammer when I neared, slamming it down directly in front of me so I stepped onto its head and used the handle to steady myself with my other foot, once again pressing my dagger to his throat, causing a small, red trail of blood to form there “It would seem I’ve struck a nerve” he commented in his sarcastic, prideful way. I was about to slice at his neck when he raised his weapon and caused me to stumble. I fell back so that I was sitting on the head of the hammer, facing him. As it rose, I tried to hold on but my daggers fell and I slid down the length of the handle, its cold metal rubbing up against my core until I was gripping Vulcan’s shoulders with clawed hands. His face was mere inches away from mine, his smoky breath caressing my face as his body heat radiated from his bare chest, through my armour and clothing. I moaned without even realizing it then instantly tried pushing away from him “Stop toying with me!” I snapped, shoving at his face with my palm and sending him staggering back into the wall behind him as I leaned back on the handle and pressed my feet to his shoulders, giving him a clear view of what it was that could be found between my legs despite the thin fabric of my underwear that rode up uncomfortably. I felt like dying of embarrassment but shoved it aside, using his shoulders to send myself tumbling backwards and over the head of the hammer, landing in a low crouch beneath it. My hand instinctively went to one of my daggers but before I could reach it, Vulcan had abandoned his weapon and wrapped his hand around my throat, lifting me off the ground with little effort. I gasped for air but there was none, hands clawing at his wrists, cutting deep with my claws but he hardly seemed to notice his own blood or acknowledge his own pain. My mouth parted in a voiceless gasp when he turned and slammed my back into the wall, head bouncing off it like a ball. Just as my vision was about to go black, he let go and my body skidded down the wall into a crumpled heap. I panted loudly, chest wheezing when I glanced up at him in time to see his hammer raining down on me. I gritted my teeth and hoisted my legs up so that the soles of my feet were countering the force of the weapon’s blow. My back was pressed against the ground and my lower half trembled from trying to hold the crushing weight of his hammer “L-Lord Vulcan-.” I got out in between panting and holding my breath, hoping that my words would shock him enough to give me the upper hand that I so desperately needed “I pray to you” my eyes locked onto his from in between in my legs, seeing them shift from anger to something different, a mix between fascination and awe “Give me strength!” I prayed and just like that I was able to shove the hammer away long enough for me to roll out of the way before it came crushing down on the earth where my body had once been. Was that their weakness? Was praying to them the answer to defeating a god in battle? I wasn’t sure but I knew that it worked. I didn’t have time to ponder over it, lashing out and ramming my fist into his gut, sending his staggering a few steps back and away from his weapon that he let go of. My fist struck the side of his face followed by my hands shoving at his chest and the sole of my feet that replaced them. With each blow, he took even more steps backwards, his head not shooting to the side like expected but rather keeping his eyes locked firmly on mine. I stopped, arms raised, hands balled into fists and chest heaving. There was a sinister glint in his scarlet orbs when his own fist struck my face, sending me tumbling backwards, nose shattering beneath the force, blood trickling forth from my nostrils when my eyes began to water. He gripped my chest plate before I struck the ground then shoved me into the earth, crushing it underneath my weight, forcing the air out of my lungs and managing another blow to the back of my head in the process. Vulcan backed away, first one step then two, allowing me room to breathe, to recover. The world was black, consumed by the darkness of my mind for what felt like forever and before I could pass out, the image of the Coliseum returned stronger than ever, the image of the god of fire and war that loomed overhead. Rolling onto my hands and knees, I coughed, a rib having splintered into my lungs and causing blood to splatter from my mouth with every heave “Tu es-.” I began, moving so that I was only perched on one knee “Tu es-.” I repeated the words ‘You are-.’ in French before completely standing and turning to face Vulcan. Both of us appeared torn and broken, defeated but there was the issue of confidence and pride between us that wouldn’t allow for us to stop fighting anytime soon “Digne” the single word that I had never expected to ever say in my lifetime crept past my lips. A word that meant even more to me than the word ‘love’, a word so powerful that it gave me new strength, new hope and filled my mind with questions about my opponent. It would be a long, seemingly endless night but it would be the start of something greater than me or Vulcan.

Neptune.

Ryker yelled in agony, his body convulsing, unable to handle the pain that Malia so easily conquered. He was weak but her ability to rapidly heal would later rid him of his wounds, that much was evident from the way his dislocated shoulder seemed to snap back into place on its own. Malik sat at his side from where he lay on a dusty mattress of what used to be the cell of one of the gladiators who had once battled within those Coliseum walls. Aurella stood in the centre of the room, her hands extended, black smoke swirling before her in a large sphere that displayed the images of the battle taking place around us. The walls trembled and cried could be heard coming from the images that the sorceress portrayed, perfectly timed to sync with those of the red headed boy. I refused to look, eyes focused on the stone walls and barred windows as Aurella saved every last detail to memory, her head thrown back in a trance with her mouth gaping, the black smoke pooling forth from someplace within her “He can’t take any more of this!” Malik declared, rising from his seat, his single eye glaring a hole into my back. Ryker was the least of my concern since it looked and sounded like Malia wasn’t wining. If she lost, the sword would be gone to us and along with it, Evangeline’s hope of ever returning to the land of the living again “He has to-.” I bluntly informed, ignoring the fact that Malik’s worry went beyond that of just a loyal friend and was more along the lines of a concerned lover. His love for Rebecca’s son was unmatched, not even his love for his own mother could compare to it “You have to stop this-!” in between his demands, I heard Malia say something in the background but wasn’t sure as to what it was so I turned and raised my hand, silencing Malik. The red head had gone silent, breathing hard and groaning faintly as I took in the image among the smoke of a girl dragging herself onto her feet, her body bruised and beaten, broken and defeated ‘Tu es-.’ she repeated, staggering when she stood fully upright, her body trembling until she managed to calm it. Her shoulders were rolled back and her chin was raised with confidence, hands balling into fists at her sides when she met Vulcan’s gaze. I dreaded her next words and hoped that it would be anything but what I thought it to be. Her bloody lips parted and her tired eyes filled with a new round of excitement ‘Digne’ the word ‘Worthy’ registered in the back of my mind, creating a moment of silence when the world was frozen before I slammed my fist into the wall, leaving a dent “Dammit!” I snapped, startling Malik who was unaware of why I had reacted the way I did. My nostrils flared and my wide eyes searched the room, landing on Ryker’s worried ones since he too had heard the word and understood what it meant to Malia. Being worthy was as close as anyone could ever get to being loved by her “Father?” Malik questioned when I didn’t say anything. I looked to my son, a spitting image of me then leaned back against the very wall I had struck, running a hand through my hair “Out of all the beings in this world, why did it have to be him?” I questioned out loud, mind racing with thoughts. I had thrown her to the wolves, knowing that Vulcan would fall for her if she was to win the battle between her but she had gone and mated herself to their Alpha by declaring him as being worthy of fighting her. Malik’s eyebrow shot upward and I shook my head “This fight won’t end any time soon-.” I tried explaining it as best I could without getting into detail but the way Ryker tried to form words and speak with little success was enough for me to understand that he too knew what Malia had done “Not until one of them is left unconscious-.” I paused, knowing that she would give her all in her fight with Vulcan, that she would push herself past her limits and he would do the same “Or dead” we were snapped out of our intense stare by Ryker who curled in on himself, holding his stomach, gasping for air before the bones in his wrist began snapping without warning “Ryker!” Malik exclaimed, falling to his knees beside the bed upon which his friend was splayed screaming and gasping, gripping at his broken wrist. I ran a hand over my face and gazed toward the ball of swirling black smoke and images. It would be a long night that awaited us ahead.

Malia.

My hands moved to undo the strings of my armour, allowing the skirt and breast plate to clutter to the ground below, leaving me exposed but able to move without any restrictions. I lunged, hand aimed for his chest but he gripped my wrist and crushed it in his grasp, causing bone to splinter in my ears before his free hand shot up to connect with my gut. I shrieked then gasped when he pulled me closer, pressing my chest firmly up against his. My wrist slowly began to heal when he loosened his grip, his other hand caressing my thigh from beneath the fabric of my dress. It wasn’t until my wrist was fully healed that I pulled my head back and slammed my forehead into his, sending him back a step, his hold slipping and giving me enough time to plan my next series of actions. I flexed my hands at my sides, eyes starting to illuminate and fangs once again protruding, my hair taking on a silvery sheen that fooled Vulcan into looking twice “Evangeline?” he questioned but was caught off guard when I attacked, swiftly dancing around him with unhuman speed and digging my hand into his back, past his spine and in between his ribs to his heart. I could feel it beating in the palm of my hand, racing at the thought of seeing my mother stood before him mixed with the shock of impending defeat but I wasn’t going to let it end like that. I retracted my hand and distanced myself “Keep up” I warned when his hand shot up to grip his chest and he turned to face me, seeing me for who I was, not my mother but Malia May Campbell. His questioning and concerned gaze instantly hardened at the sight of me, almost as if he was irritated by the fact that I looked like Evangeline, but then they smiled almost sinisterly, accompanied by the grin that stretched across his lips. There was a piece of debris between us, a chunk of scattered rock that he’d used to dislocate my shoulder prior. My eyes flickered from his form down to the rock when he began advancing toward me. I took off at a sprint, stepping onto the boulder to wrap my thighs around his neck, using his shoulders to steady me. His hands shot up to grip them, squeezing hard as I threw myself backwards so that my back struck the floor of the Coliseum, dragging him down with me. I gritted my teeth and searched the world around me for any form of a weapon but pain coursing through my leg snapped me out of it. I cried out, throwing my head back as he gripped my ankle, forcing me to loosen my hold on his neck enough for him to stand, looming over me like an impending storm. I was tired, I was wounded but I couldn’t stop, not yet, not when the battle had yet to be won. He used my leg to lift me up, turning in place then let go. My body ricochet off the earth a few times and skidded along the dirt until my back collided with the far wall. My ribs splintered and my spine cracked as the back of my skull cracked, blood coating my hair in crimson. I slid down the wall in a defeated heap, eyes rapidly blinking to take in the world around me, warding off the black spots that threatened to cloud my vision “Stay down” Vulcan’s voice warned from somewhere in front of me, giving me no choice but to look through the eyes of a siren to be able to see. Split pupils and glowing irises met with the sight of the god venturing closer, boots crunching across the dirt but paused to bend and pick up one of my abandoned daggers. I knew I would die if I remained there, if I didn’t do something. My second dagger lay not too far from where I was so I used my legs to slid back up the wall, hands clawing at the stone before I pushed off, arm extended and fingers managing to grab hold of the hilt before Vulcan’s fist grabbed hold of the fabric of my dress, slamming me back into the wall and pinning me in place but before he could, I reached for a nearby torch and flung it at him. It shattered like glass despite being made of metal, the flames jumping to his fist that he struck the wall beside my head with to try and scare me. I breathed hard, eyes wide as I stared up at him, able to feel the stinging of his element against the shell of my ear “Give up” he ordered but there was a tenderness to his voice when he spoke, enough to allow me to second think what exactly it was I wanted and why I was fighting in the first place? I couldn’t lose, my mother and father depended on me to win “I can’t” I whispered, my free hand moving to his wrist that was wound around the material of my ebony dress. My trembling, gentle touch against his flesh was enough for him to loosen his grip and I took advantage of the opportunity. I hurriedly slid back down the wall, using the dagger to s***h at the back of his leg. He grunted, teeth clenched as saliva followed the course of his sharp breaths. My body moved as fast as possible, tapping into my siren abilities, my reckless and rogue self that lunged for the wall, bouncing off it and turning to rain my fist down on the side of his face. He stumbled back when I landed in a low crouch, using the hilt of my dagger to strengthen my blows, one left, one right then an uppercut that sent him tumbling backwards. I knew I was laughing, I could see myself grinning sinisterly as I danced around him, catching him before he could fall any further only to drive the dagger into his back. His mouth gaped and I basked in his agony when I decided to repeat the action, retracting the dagger only to send it back into his body countless times. Blood coated my hand, splattering onto my face and across my body. Once I was done, I dug the claws of my left hand into his shoulder which I had used to keep him in place and drove him into the ground with all the force I could muster. I backed away, my legs dragging and hand unable to hold the hilt of the dagger anymore, the weapon cluttering to the floor by my feet. My eyes began to droop as I watched his lifeless body, laying within the crater my impact had caused but he was far from dead, instead he began to hoist himself onto his hands and knees. I breathed a laugh, running the back of a shaking hand across my cheek, waiting for his next move. It wasn’t until I felt the metal spike of one of the iron gates digging into my back and through my abdomen that I registered what had happened. He had moved so fast, driving his shoulder into my chest and forcing me into the gate, hands gripping at his shoulders and arms, mouth gurgling with blood as my eyes widened, able to see the stars overhead past the rhythmic lap of the torch flames. I was choking on my own blood yet I couldn’t push the image of me seated on the beach, staring at the lap of the waves with the moon looming above me, from my mind. I felt myself grow weaker, grow exhausted when he tore me from the spike and tossed me aside as if I weighed nothing at all. I skidded along the floor of the Coliseum, a trail of blood left in my wake, staining the already red dirt a few shades darker crimson. My body heaved, vomiting blood and mucus while the god ventured closer, my hand gripping at the hole in my stomach, waiting for it to completely heal. I needed to end it or else I wouldn’t be able to stand anymore of it. My movements were getting sloppy, my mind fogging over with exhaustion, body parts trembling and vision blurred. My legs tried forcing me onto my knees with a loud groan that escaped me, hands searching for anything to use in the effort of pulling myself onto my own two legs but there was nothing, nothing apart from an offered hand. Vulcan pulled me to my feet, his arms winding themselves around my waist, catching me when I stumbled again “You don’t have to fight anymore” he tried reassuring me, his hand moving to caress my face, eyes opening then closing, pupils slitting then diluting, eyes flickering from glowing to lifeless. I wanted to give up, to pass out there in his arms, surrounded by his warmth but I couldn’t, I wouldn’t allow for it. The image of my mother seated at the circular table surfaced in the back of my mind, how powerful she seemed, how aged but strong she was that she was capable of bringing down the fire god himself. I clung to Vulcan’s arms, steading myself enough to shove him back. He staggered and was unable to dodge my first round of punches, one striking his gut, the other his face, my elbow, the centre of his chest. Each blow was accompanied by a fierce war cry that tore up from my chest, each blow reckless but enough to drive him back. He tried grabbing for my wrists to stop me but failed and I spun around, sending the heel of my foot into his jaw, hearing it snap moments before the bull of a man came tumbling down, eyes closed and breathing shallow. He was unconscious and I was left standing, legs swaying beneath me when I realized that I had won, falling to my knees and collapsing beside him in a limp heap. The scent of blood, iron, smoke and leather filled my nostrils when I blinked for the last time, the image of his face, peaceful but bruised and bloody, the last thing I saw before darkness dragged me underneath its surface, down into its blackened depths where I would remain. I would drift through its waters until I was strong enough, recovered enough to awaken back into reality.