The Old Family

(23)Whirlwinds in the Dark

Whirlwinds in the Dark

Momus' POV

The Pazári were persistent.

I struggled to break through the bulk of the hoard, my sights set firmly on where Vikard was standing atop a large, spiked rock, shouting orders to those below.

I knocked a Pazári thief through the face with a flaming hand and finished him off with a dagger to the eye. It cut through to his brain and I twisted it, letting the blood gush out onto the mossy floor. I pulled my dagger back and stepped to the side where Nemesis was grunting and mashing henchmen together with her spear. It looked like she was making a kebab.

"Do you see Eleos anywhere?"

Nemesis plunged her spear through the chest of a raging thief and kicked him off when his ribs got stuff in the spear's head. She was sweating, but without a shadow of a doubt enjoying every minute of this. "No, I've been a bit busy."

"I can see that..." I eyed the ground around her. Nemesis was more of 'ask questions later' kind of person.

"Momus!"

I looked up at the mention of my name. It was Vikard, he was standing with his hands on his hips and a broad deviant grin crawling up his face. I growled in response.

"Good of you to come, but I'm afraid your mother promised me a reward for my assistance. A deal's a deal." He shrugged and it only made my blood boil even more.

"Ah mother..." I said dryly, "She does have a way with words, but may I ask, what exactly did she promise you?"

Vikard huffed with a grin and crossed his arms; "A bride, of course."

"No!" Autolycus jumped up from behind me and drew his sword, ready to slice at the man he now saw as his romantic rival. I sighed and pulled him back by his shirt. I do so love a good unfair fight, but this boy was far out of his depth and unfortunately, useful. For now.

"Calm yourself."

"You don't seem surprised?" Vikard asked with a slightly raised brow and a hint of annoyance in his tone.

I shrugged and smiled and I knew my reaction displeased him even more. "I've learned the hard way that there are merely a few things my mother won't bargain with."

I'm saddened to say, my sister wasn't one of them.

"Well, she never really specified which daughter, but Eleos is rather striking, isn't she? My apologies, Nemesis."

Nemesis scoffed and plunged her spear into one of Vikard's men, who was lying dying at her feet. "Excuse me while I go cry in the corner."

Vikard sneered at her, but the quickly looked to the other side, where Dolos and Apate were fighting. Apate sliced her knife across a thief's cheek and swirled around, bringing her leg out to trip him. He dropped straight onto Dolos' dagger and it ripped right through the man's gut.

Blood and guts fell out onto the floor and I watched as Vikard's dark eyes narrowed. "Such a shame you're not interested, Apate. You have great skill."

"Don't even go there, Dickard." Dolos snarled and sliced his dagger over another one of Vikard's men while he looked into the leader's eyes with fury.

It was a difficult thing to get Dolos to show any real or genuine emotion, but talk about his siblings in vile and crude ways, and you'll have to catch his daggers.

Before Vikard could reply, a sudden black ball of fury whirled itself at him with the sole intention of causing him severe pain.

Vikard ducked just in the nick of time, but the entity had managed to nip the side of his face with one sharp claw. A thin line of blood ran down Vikard's face as he stood up and drew his Kopis swords. "Oh, wonderful. It's Thanatos' pet."