Of Gods, Warriors, & Men

The hum of the ship's systems droned beneath the clang of heavy boots. Calyx stood, his entire body tensed. The wild and unpredictable nature of his presence was much more appearant now, without his mask. It was like a heavy weight pressing down on the room. The Blade brothers stood opposite him, physically battered, bloodied, but ultimately unbroken. 

The god's fingers flexed, cracking the air itself. "You two don't belong here. You're nothing but echoes of the godslayer. Nothing more than impostors." Though he spoke confidently and clear, there was no mistaking the breathless way he inhaled inbetween every other word. He might have been able to conceal this for the most part, but there was no mistaking it to Raten, the god was panting?

Raten wiped a streak of blood from his nose with his forearm glancing down at the vibrant Vermillion of his own freshly spilled blood for a split second, and grinned. "Oh yeah? Then why are you out of breath, sunshine?" 

Vorden's stance was measured, calculating. He surveyed the terrifying face of the alien deity. He may have held his head high, and put on the cover of ease when fighting both Blades but Vorden knew all too well that it was a skillfully crafted act. They were wearing him down. That's why he was trying to provoke them with emotionally charged insults. No doubt trying to entice them to charge in foolishly. Urging them to allow rage and pride to blind them.

Clever. Vorden thought to himself.

"You talk too much." He said loudly, putting a stop to the banter.

Then they moved. 

Raten struck first, launching himself forward with speed beyond normal human capability. He feinted right, pivoted low, and drove a knee toward Calyx's ribs. The god sidestepped, but Vorden was already moving, swinging the long metallic piece he picked up before straight for Calyx's temple. It should've landed. It should've cracked bone. 

However this time Calyx caught it midair with one hand. 

Vorden had no time to react before Calyx tugged back on the metal strip and sent Vorden lunging towards him, then a palm slammed into his chest like a sledgehammer. He flew backward, skidding across the cargo floor and slamming into a crate. 

Raten took the opening, sliding beneath Calyx's raised arm and smashing his fists into the god's ribs with rapid-fire brutality. Each hit was strong enough to kill a normal man—but this wasn't a normal man. 

Calyx flinched and winced more with each hit, but ultimately he was left still standing.

Instead, he turned his head toward Raten, this simple motion sent terror ripping through Raten. Then Calyx grabbed him by the arms with both hands and hurled him across the bay. Raten twisted midair, colliding with a cargo container, his body denting the metal before he dropped to the floor, coughing. 

"Pathetic," Calyx said, stepping forward. "You have the movements of warriors, but nowhere near the power." 

Vorden, gasping, wiped his mouth. "Power's overrated." 

He nodded toward the floor. 

Calyx barely had time to glance down before the anti-grav cargo loader just to the side of him roared to life, magnetizing the plates of his armour and yanking him sideways. The god's balance shifted—just enough. 

Raten was already there. He shoved a shipping crate the size of a small transport shuttle, leaning into it with all his body weight. The moment Calyx staggered into position, the crate came crashing into him like a building collapsing right on top of him. 

Silence. 

Vorden and Raten were panting heavily, staring at the wreckage. 

The ship rocked from the impact. The air filled with the groan of bending metal. 

"Did that—?" Vorden started. 

The crate exploded. 

Calyx emerged, eyes alight with fury. Before either brother could react, he moved like a phantom—one second standing a few feet away, the next right between them. A fist to Raten's stomach stole his breath, lifting him off the ground. A brutal backhand sent Vorden reeling, his head bouncing off the floor. 

They hadn't even blinked before Calyx was on them again. 

A knee crashed into Raten's ribs. A heel smashed into Vorden's thigh. He was toying with them now, a predator wearing them down, savoring the kill. 

Vorden lunged forward despite the pain, grabbing Calyx's arm, twisting, trying to redirect the force. For a moment, he almost had it—until the god countered effortlessly, flipping Vorden and slamming him spine-first into the deck. 

Raten came in wild, but Calyx caught him mid-swing, twisting his arm so hard a sickening pop echoed in the bay. 

Raten howled. 

Calyx held him there, bending his arm at an unnatural angle. "Enough." 

Vorden, blood running down his face, tried to push himself up. His body screamed. He collapsed. 

Calyx's grip tightened. "You fight like cornered rats. Hiding, running, using tricks. But you have no honor." 

Raten gasped, struggling, his legs barely still standing, helplessly dangling by his injured arm. Blinded by the excruciating pain.

"At least the godslayer faced me like a warrior," Calyx continued, voice filled with venom. "He looked me in the eyes when he took my life. You two? You're just footnotes in his legacy." 

He raised his free hand, forming a blade of crackling celestial energy. He had been holding back, this entire time. Not once until now had he even felt so inclined as to use his celestial power. It wasn't that the fight had grown difficult. Rather he had simply grown bored, irritated, frustrated by the lacking of his two opponents.

"At the very least, I can give you an honorable death." 

The blade hummed as he drew it back, preparing the final blow. 

Then— 

THUD.

A heavy impact against the hull. The entire ship lurched just slightly and vibrated with aftershocks.

SCRAAAATCH.

Something was moving, along the hull outside. 

Calyx hesitated, his nebulous gaze shifting upward toward the origin of the sound. The brothers, barely conscious, attempted to stay that way as they sucked in shallow breaths. 

Then a new sound echoed through the ship—an ear-splitting, mechanical whirl.

A saw?

Sparks suddenly erupted from the wall near the docking bay entrance, raining across the cargo bay floor. The ship groaned as a jagged line of burning metal was cut straight through and extended down.

Calyx's grip on Raten slackened for half a second. Raten took his chance, gathering all of his remaining strength, he braced himself for pain and started twisting and wrenching himself free, dropping to the ground. He clutched his arm, and used his legs to push himself back toward Vorden. 

Vorden lifted his head, eyes hazy with pain, but sharp with recognition. 

The jagged metal cut began to curve forming a large oval shape. Once the cut had met back to where it began and connected it was fully detached— 

And the hull suddenly burst open. The metal oval shot off like somebody used a battering ram to launch it, spinning through the air.