Warily, they stopped at the outskirts of the fighting. They both exchanged an equal look of curiosity and uncertainty.

What are we supposed to do?

Vatra narrowed her eyes at the nearest figures. Through the sideways rain, it was difficult to gather any discerning features. She couldn't quite recognize any of them, but she was certain none of them were her companions.

They wouldn't be stupid enough to stand around and fight the guards.

A few darting shadows in the distance, hugging the wreckage and tree-line, drew Vatra's attention.

"There's some escaping in that direction. Should we look over there?" Vatra suggested.

Enyalius followed her gesture with a shrug. "I'd like to stay and watch how this plays out," he replied. A familiar light ignited in his eyes. Excitement for a fight.

Blowing air loudly through her nose, Vatra gripped Enyalius around the arm. "We're not here to die in the crossfire. Aren't you interested in finding your father? You hired us to find him. Remember?"

"My priorities have changed," Enyalius said.

Vatra's grip loosened on Enyalius' arm. She glared up at him, ready to fire a barrage of questions, when their path was cut off.

The fight they'd intended to avoid was at their feet. Literally.

Lightning from overhead flashed with an even brighter ferocity. It was followed by a tearing crash of thunder that rumbled from Vatra's feet to the top of head. She shielded her eyes, but managed to catch a glimpse of the light bouncing off the ship before her. Once the deafening noise and blinding light dissipated, three new figures stood directly in front of Enyalius and Vatra.

It was like they'd appeared from thin air.

No, they appeared from the lightning, Vatra thought. She blinked hard against the dots skittering across her vision. The ringing in her ears slowly subsided.

The god at the center of the trio turned with casual regard. He wore the brown, mottled pelt of a wolf draped over his head. Two, pale yellow eyes stared out from the wolf's head. Beneath the open maw of the beast sparkled an even more intense look from the god's own hazel eyes.

"I'm surprised you weren't in the middle of this fight, Enyalius," the god said. His voice was deep yet soothing.

Vatra felt herself watching the god's defined chin move with each word. Her attention lingered on every droplet of rain clinging to his neatly trimmed beard.

"I'm a pacifist now," Enyalius replied with a half-cocked grin.

The god chuckled, tightening his grip on the spear he held in his right hand. The green cloak he tightened his other hand on was draped over a black woven jumpsuit. Relaxing his grip, the green fabric fell away from his fingers.

I wonder where he's been hiding, Vatra thought, forcing herself to pull her attention away from the god. Instead, she looked beyond them, and back at the fight in the distance.

"Ah, you war gods are all the same. You instigate the fight and watch from the sidelines. Might as well run away with the others while you can," the god said.

"Gebeleizis-"

"It's just Geb, now," the god interrupted Enyalius.

"Geb," Enyalius paused, "don't get yourselves killed over this fight. There's other ships that were with this one, and they'll be here soon. Get out of here while you can. Use the vessels they had in the docking bay, or find some other way off this planet. Don't let them win again."

Chuckling, Geb turned back to the fight and squared his shoulders. "I'm at home amongst this storm of lightning and rain. Take your own advice, war god. Get your girl and get out of here."

"Oh, I am not his girl," Vatra snapped. "I'm actually the one you can thank for this opportunity to kick ass."

The three gods in front of her looked back over their shoulders with widened eyes.

"You're welcome," Vatra muttered.

"You took down this ship?" the goddess to the right of Geb turned to face them.

Once she was turned around, Vatra recognized her as Fulgora, the Roman goddess of lightning. Her blonde hair was braided down to the small of her back, and it swung about with her sharp movements.

I wonder if she knows I killed Silvanus, Vatra thought. The Roman gods could be so protective about each other.

Though, it was clear after a moment, none of them knew who Vatra was. She was forgettable, after all. Just as I like it.

"Yeah," Vatra answered with a shrug.

"Which god are you, then? To be so powerful to do what none of us could do before?" The third god, who Vatra knew immediately to be Set, directed his question with an intimidating gesture of his scepter. The godkiller flashed in the glow of the lightning overhead.

Vatra couldn't believe that she stood before three powerful gods of the storm. And only one she hadn't seen before. Their strength was palpable.

She planted a finger on the tip of the scepter hovering mere inches away from piercing her eye. "I really wish I had a cool line to say in reply to that," Vatra said. She pushed the godkiller away from her face and maintained gazes with Set. " 'I am no god' or some bullshit like that. To be honest, I just died and set the whole ship on fire."

Thunder rumbled overhead. The exchange of weapons fire and clashing of godkillers on armor echoed. Vatra looked between the three gods in front of her.

"You just... set the ship on fire?" Geb asked.

"I died first," Vatra clarified. "Which was an important step because it wasn't fun, I can assure you that."

"You're the phoenix, aren't you?" Fulgora asked.

A pit opened in Vatra's stomach. She considered leaving Enyalius and running away. Or, she could spare a moment to grab him and go. Leave him and run. Grab him and go. Leave, run. Grab, go. Leave. Grab.

"Yes," Vatra said as confidently as she could muster.

"You took care of that troublemaker Silvanus for us," Fulgora said. "It didn't do us much good in the end, though. The humans still blamed the rest of us for what the gods like him did."

"What the gods like this one did," Set added, gesturing with his chin toward Enyalius. "I've also heard the stories of the fearsome, true god killer. Why haven't you dealt with the worst yet?"

Vatra almost fainted. She was known amongst the gods. Not only that, but she was a legend. Feared.

By the gods I could truly die happy now. The gods themselves were afraid of me this whole time.

"He's living his penance," Vatra replied. She didn't have time to explain that Enyalius was as unkillable as she was. Or, that even she truly believed he'd changed. At least in some ways.

Enyalius hadn't lost his grin. It was like he was enjoying being the topic of the conversation, even if it was in a poor light. "I do love our talks between us gods," Enyalius said. "But I do believe you boys, and girls, must be getting back to your fight if you want to get a couple good hits in. Give them hell for me, would you?"

The three gods looked between each other. They appeared to give their decision a second thought, but turned back to the fight behind them and returned to their original plan.

"What the hell was that?" Vatra asked when they were out of earshot. "You practically shoved them away."

"I spied with my little eye." Enyalius dropped a hand on top of Vatra's head and turned her attention to the horizon.

Though a speck in the distance, and partially obscured in the storm, Vatra knew the fluttering panels of the Agkistrodon anywhere.

 "We've got some ground to cover," Vatra said. She watched the ship land beyond the crest of a hill and hoped all of the others had a chance to make it on board.