“As much as a rematch between the Reaper and God of War would be entertaining, I’d personally like to see a match between the sons of The Preserver and The Destroyer. It’d be like watching ghosts of old.”
Ezra frowned as a sudden flurry of exclamations resonated from the gods, who were clearly all so bored with their current existence that they craved the excitement of the old days. He cast a futile glance at Kama, who watched him steadily in turn. The god appeared indifferent to the suggestion of a duel and instead looked condescendingly at Ezra’s archer gloves.
“It seems as if he’s trying to imitate his father by taking up archery.” Kama looked away from the gloves and smirked at the other gods. “Perhaps an archery competition could be arranged.”
Despite Ezra entering the mandap with his defenses raised, those words hit hard. “I’m afraid I’ll have to decline,” he drawled, outwardly unaffected and flippant—more so with the added hits to his pride. “Archery is only a hobby. It is not something I do competitively.”
Amongst the disappointed interjections, Kama’s smirk widened. “And do you also wield the sword as a hobby? Would you be opposed to dueling competitively with the blade?”
“Quit blowing smoke, Kama,” Savitr goaded, his eyes alight with unkind laughter. He rested the back of his head against the pillar and smirked at the God of Lust. “You wouldn’t stand a chance against Ezra in sword combat. I’d even wager he’d give you a run at archery. At some point, your centuries’ worth of experience has become centuries’ worth of retrogression.”
Surya chortled next to his brother.
“One has to wonder if your defense of his skill is attributed to true belief he could surmount or a desire to win his favor to quench a thirst.” Kama leaned forward with a deep sneer. “Don’t forget I can smell these things, and you reek.”
Scandalized, wicked laughter reverberated across the mandap, and Savitr merely offered an easy, dismissive shrug. “Me, and the majority of the guests here tonight. Your sense of smell must be entirely compromised by now.”
Avery Hendrex 