Heart of the Battle

Chapter 1

Dicey extended a chalk covered hand, the gauze that was wrapped around her knuckles and fingers stretching slowly to allow the 24 year old to grasp the side of her punching back. Sweat coated her body heavily from the ours she had been there, working on the drills that perfected her attacks and increased her stamina. Dicey couldn't remember the last time she had worked this hard, or stayed inside her rat infested apartment for longer than it took to get a change of clothes. The woman didnt want to face the world though, nor the monsters that seemed to constantly infest it. And by monsters she didnt mean cyclopes or the hydra, but portly little bosses that had constant pit stains and seemed to only want her in their office to look at her rack in an attempts to tell her what she had done wrong.

Rolling her shoulders slowly, the 5'4 girl stepped back and brought her right leg up, knee touching her chest before kicking out hard. The ball of her wrapped foot slammed into the punching bag making it jerk back hard into the wall. Dropping the foot to the ground she stepped forward, digging her feet into the concrete floor for traction and brought her left fist upwards, slamming it into what could have been an invisible opponents ribcage. The punching bag made a satisfying impact sound and slammed back into the wall.

Turning to grab a bottle of water Dicey was honoured with someone slammed on the wall in the apartment next door. Oh how she enjoyed conversation, honestly.

"Hey, crazy bitch! Stop punching that fuckin' thing its only 3 a.m."

Hearing the mans witty statement Dicey approached the wall and slammed her hand against the wall, mimicing his idiotic banging. "I'll quit training in the middle of the night when a scumbag asshole like you stop drilling holes in the wall of your bathroom to get a peep show of me in mind! And don't think I haven't considered coming over there and ripping your nuts off, asshole."

She took another drink of her water, raising a hand to brush back her red hair that was sticky with sweat, her neighbor swearing and threatening to come over to her side of the wall. Fat chance that would happen, and even if it did Dicey was farely certain that as the daughter of a War god could easily take him down. Eyes falling on the small tv that she had left on a tv dinner tray in the corner, her eyes fell on the twine necklace with only one bead in the center, tossed off a week ago and forgotten. She had gone to one of those sissy camps for demi gods. It hadn't gone over well. The woman didnt make friends or even allies well and at times she was sure she didnt even want them. They made you weak and she wouldnt allow that to happen. But still.. she had liked the camp for a short period of time. It was nice to have a family. Walking over, taking it in her fingers the thought of going back for a visit barely had the chance to cross her mind when her apartment began to shake. Turning, ready to take on anything or die trying, Dicey watched as the wall was ripped away by a large snake like creature. Not exactly a basilisk but deadlier, but entirely fun to fight normally. It was a Drakon.

Dicey still cursed her luck though. She could barely afford the apartment in the first place, where would she go now. Running out through the wall and leaping down Dicey landed on the Drakons tail and was nearly tossed aside into a pile of rubble. Oh this would be fun indeed.