There was nothing in that moment, at least, that Vatra wanted to discuss any further. Sure, there were more rabbit holes to go down. More threads to tug at. But, Vatra's emotional stability was wavering at a level that felt like all she wanted to do was fall on her knees and scream into the air for an hour.

She had to keep going with at least some level of clarity.

"Let's just get to the Agkistrodon in one piece," Vatra said after a moment. She gave Enyalius a somber look, and he nodded.

"So, leave it to the rain to offer the backdrop of our melancholy journey? How tragic." Enyalius tsk'd before humming along to "Another One Bites the Dust".

Vatra couldn't help but chuckle. "I thought you preferred Elvis?"

Hopping forward, Enyalius stomped along to the beat as his humming turned to outright singing. The god leapt over a fallen branch, gracefully sliding along in the mud squelching beneath their boots. He spun and slicked back his hair, grinning at Vatra as if goading her along.

She smoothly joined in at the chorus, swinging her arms over her head and jumping about beside Enyalius along to the beats they created with their own feet.

The two of them ignored everything around them for a moment. Vatra pushed her worries and fears from her mind, allowing her need to control everything to take the back seat. For the remainder of a single song, they were just two immortals forgetting their responsibilities.

Vatra hadn't allowed herself that luxury in a long time. And, she would have never thought she'd let herself feel so vulnerable next to a god she'd despised so much.

They sang and danced until they mumbled out the last of the words, both of them out of breath. The rain hadn't let up. Raindrops as big as silver dollars continued to pelt their heads, and lightning threatened to strike them. But, they didn't appear to care. It wasn't the same indifference to the storm they had earlier.

No, as they both looked on at each other, strained faces now smiling and truly relaxed, they both trusted one another to take care of the other. If Vatra were to die, she did believe Enyalius would help her in the aftermath.

He didn't lie to me, Vatra concluded to herself, watching the god with curiosity. Enyalius changed.

The walk towards the Agkistrodon felt less like a grueling hike. Vatra eyed the forest around her. She'd hoped their moment of peace would have lasted longer.

"There's movement not far off, four figures, I think," Vatra said. She stopped and pointed to the right of them, gesturing between two particularly large, dead trees.

The wide, greying trunks were almost as round as a grain silo. Swooping branches, barren of any foliage, draped toward the ground. Looking out over the two trees, Vatra felt lonely, sad. They were like the visual depiction of despair.

Enyalius stepped up beside Vatra. "Can you tell if they're gods or mortals?"

"No," Vatra replied. She allowed her hand to fall back to her side, shaking away the emotions the trees evoked in her chest.

"I lost my weapon in the crash, so I'm useless until I can get a weapon," Enyalius said.

"Let's hope we don't have to fight." Vatra backed up a step, keeping her eye on the figures in the distance.

The strangers didn't appear to notice the two of them.

A scream ripped through the air. The sound drew the attention of Vatra and Enyalius, but also of the figures in front of them. Instead of running for the scream, though, the unknown beings turned and ran in the opposite direction.

"Should we follow their lead?" Enyalius asked. His gaze darted between the direction of the shout, and the disappearing shapes.

Vatra shook her head. "What if it's someone we know?" she inquired.

"Do you think either of your manly companions would cry out in such a fashion?" Enyalius said with an indifferent expression.

"And you're so familiar with Revna's cries for help?" Vatra punched Enyalius in the arm and started toward the left. "We have some time to spare to offer help, or at least check out what's going on."

"Do we, now? You seemed so eager to leave this place before. What if the mortals bring in reinforcements while we help our damsel in distress?" Enyalius audibly stomped along behind her.

"The Agkistrodon can hold a few more passengers than we have now. Maybe it was our heart to heart that made me realize we don't have to leave everyone behind, not if they're just trying to get away, too. I do know some of these gods, and they weren't all terrible to me," Vatra replied.

Enyalius sighed. "Fine, but if we're charging in to help someone, could you at least give me one of your knives?"

There was less hesitation to Vatra's decision than she expected. She pulled free both of her godkillers and handed one over to Enyalius. "Don't make me regret everything up until this point, all right?"

The god gave a small nod. "I wouldn't dream of it, love. Now let's go help our mystery friend in need."

Both of them sped up into a light jog. They took careful steps through the slick mud and over loose rocks. Fallen branches provided tricky obstacles to navigate, but after a few minutes, they'd both fallen into a steady rhythm.

It didn't take them long to find the source of the scream. Vatra and Enyalius stopped at the top of a small hill and looked down into the clearing below them. The area was clear of trees and thicket, and had turned into a mud pit from the downpour.

Stuck in the confines of the mud pit was Nat, covered in grime and blood from trying to claw her way out. Loose rocks pulled away from the earth surrounding her every time she tried to climb out.

Vatra and Enyalius looked at Nat in silence. Then, they both turned on their heels to leave.

"Wait!" Nat screamed. Thunder rumbled overhead.

Rolling her eyes, Vatra went back to the entrance of the pit. "You can rot in there for all we care. Why aren't you with the humans, anyway?"

"I was, but I was barely conscious after the crash and got dragged away by something. It threw me into this pit, and I only woke up just a few minutes ago," Nat pleaded. Her eyes were wide, fearful. Blood seeped from a wound on her head even as the rain washed it away.

"Right," Enyalius said.

"Believe me, okay? There's something in this forest with us." Nat dragged her nails into the dirt, fighting to get up the incline that was just steep enough to keep her in. Her body slid back down into the mud seeping up past her ankles.

Vatra looked up. There wasn't a particular noise that drew her attention away from Nat, but a sensation that something was watching them. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she almost considered jumping down into the pit with Nat. 

A creature stood before them, hunched over on two legs. Over its broad shoulders it carried a limp figure. The beast was eerily human in appearance. Except, its large, yellow eyes reflected the minimal lighting overhead as if it were a nocturnal beast. Fangs were bared as the creature snarled at them both.

The body the beast was carrying fell to the ground with a heavy thud. It abandoned its bipedal movement and fell forward to its hands and feet. The long, slender fingers of the creature dug into the mud as it rushed toward Vatra and Enyalius.

Both of them had frozen in place. Vatra knew what emotions kept her in place, pure horror and shock at the sight lumbering toward them, but she wasn't sure if the same thoughts were running through Enyalius' mind. He had never struck her as one to be scared of something.

"What the hell is that thing?" Enyalius broke the silence. He looked down at the knife in his hand as if realizing he was armed, then glanced back at the creature charging toward them.

Vatra was unfrozen the moment Enyalius said something. She'd faced alien creatures much larger and much tougher than the one in front of them. This would be easy enough to handle.

Flipping her godkiller around in her right hand so the blade pointed behind her, Vatra took off sprinting toward the creature. She planned to rush the beast, and cut it down before it could strike them.

Boots squelched through the mud with each large stride. Her arms pumped beside her, and just as Vatra neared the beast, she jumped and spun to the right. The beast, even if it turned to strike her, would have been in the direct line of the blade.

Except, as Vatra spun to land her blow, the creature had dodged the attack.

How the hell does an alien creature know how to dodge?

 Vatra landed back into the mud. She slipped as she made contact with the ground and fell to her knees, staring wide-eyed at the beast with a newfound mixture of confusion and fear.