Attack of the five headed hydra

Where had Tiamat disappeared to? She looked across the pond and saw a spot where there were bubbles.

Did he intend to play a childish prank where he dragged her under the water or perhaps aroused at the sight of her lovely flesh he was going to go back on his word and ravish her.

Whatever his decision was she wasn't sticking around to find out.

Just as she was about to climb out of the water onto the back she watched in shock as Tiamat was tossed up into the sky from the pond.

Steady on his heels was a five headed hydra it was clear that Tiamat had already chopped one of its heads off and it was in a foul mood giving chase after the culprit.

It had to be one of the most menacing and fear inspiring creatures that Fiona had lain eyes on yet.

Even though Tiamat was shouting at it, it could not speak but the growls it emitted spoke volumes.

With its reptile-like skin, the color reminded her of that of a crocodile, grayish brown with a tan underbelly and boy did it look hungry.

One of the hydra heads sniffed the air then turned to glare at her as if to say I spy a human.

It licked its lips as if it saw something scrumptious and Fiona realized that something scrumptious was her.

The hydra nudged its other heads in her direction and Fiona much to her dismay froze in fright as the hydra changed directions and sped towards her Tiamat all but forgotten.

Fiona shook her head and then scampered up the banks of the pond, the hydra hot on her heels.

Even though it had five heads the rest of its body reminded Fiona of a millipede with a thousand tiny legs that worked quickly to keep up with its supper.

The hydra millipede was just about to snag Fiona with one of its heads when Gritzl gave the order and several soldiers started launching poisoned arrows at it.

Sloan rushed over to provide her with protection while soldiers rushed in to jab at its thick reptilian hide with their swords.

"Were you trying to kill me?" she shouted at Gritzl, "you could at least wait until I put more of a running distance between myself and the centipede."

Gritzl smirked and said, "we're even now."

Sloan pulled on Fiona's arm to get her to come and hide behind the large shield with him for her own safety, but she ignored him.

Mesmerized by the battle unfolding before her eyes, nothing could drag her away.

Sloan returned to hide behind the shield alone when he almost got hit by one of the millipede's legs that had been cut off.

As soon as the soldiers cut off its leg another one grew back which was disheartening to see.

Fiona debated that the Hydra's source of renewable energy must be coming from the pond, but no one paid her any mind as she voiced her concerns.

Now that Fiona was out of harm's way and her heart stopped racing and the blood was no longer rushing to her brain her mind wasn't as erratic as when she was being chased.

That's when she heard the first of the hydra's telepathic thoughts, but it seemed that only she alone could hear the monster as no one else noticed.

The creature reared up on its belly, many tiny feet kicking the air and said telepathically, "Give me the talisman, it feels like I've waited almost a millennia for it to reappear."

Then it sent its huge body crashing down on the soldiers that were too slow to get out of its path, crushing them to death.

Divided and scattered, Gritzl had a hard time controlling the foot soldiers who were torn between loyalty to the Black Flame and running for their lives.

He couldn't fight himself because he was still recovering from his wounds and could only bark orders.

The Elites were few and were the only one's doing serious damage to the hydra, enough to make it refrain from charging them through with all its might.

It was Tiamat who noticed that the hydra wasn't straying too far from the pond, without water it would die easily.

"Surround the damn monster, keep it from returning to the water, we'll end its life now. I weep for the countless human bones I saw buried beneath the pond, do not let it retreat," commanded Tiamat his voice shook with determination.

Fortified by the voice of their master the men yelled and charged into battle even though they were afraid.

Their leader's voice would lend them some strength and they found the will to look past insignificant fears and battle the hydra again.

Feeling cornered the hydra decided it won't go down without a fight and had to retrieve the talisman that made it leave the safety of its natural habitat.

It lunged after Fiona again but this time it clashed head on with Tiamat who used the broadside of his sword to prevent the hydra's snapping teeth from drawing blood.

The impact caused both him and Fiona to get pushed back. Fiona panicked and in a nervous fashion she rubbed her hand together unwittingly activating the ring.

A blinding flash of light shot out from it and blew off two of the heads of the hydra.

Down two heads, the hydra decided it needed to live another day and wanted to head back to the pond where it could easily drown anyone who tried to go after it.

The talisman has used up all her energy and Fiona fell unconscious to the ground.

Tiamat called out to Sloan to, "do something."

Sloan scooped up Fiona's unconscious body and ran back to hide behind the shield as swiftly as his two trembling legs could carry him.

Whack!

Tiamat lobbed off another head, it was down to one, if it didn't return to its underground nest beneath the pond to rejuvenate and regrow its head it was as good as dead.

Even as it bled out, the hydra continuously headed towards the pond despite being aimed at with poisoned arrows and jabs from the swords it persisted for the pond.

It would come back stronger than before and crush all its enemies even if it had to drain the entire pond to do it.