Chapter 12: 10 heads are better than one.

He sits, wearing a resplendent robe, in a large chair, looking at us over a thick aged book, peering as if expecting an explanation. We stood rather dumbfounded for a small time, and I spoke up, apologizing for intruding in his house. Lowering his book, he looks at us square, and tells us he is expecting new recruits, that we were sent by someone named Evangeline, but we were not what he expected. Lilith? That same woman that gave me the letter for Max? Raising his hand, he reveals a mark on his arm, that same mark we were shown of the undertow. Does he mean that this Lilith sent us here to become part of the undertow? I have enough stock in the fire, I don't need more things to work on. Best to find out if we can stay here, and get done what we left the city to do. Aurane seems to have asked him a question, and I only catch the end of an answer, something about Lilith doing what she wants sometimes. He tells us to have a seat, and watch out for his sister, and we move on to the next room. A large statue of a woman, small spatters of dirt on her clothing, her eyes, hard, and glittering like agates. And, like me she was missing her Right arm. Who ever the sculptor was, this woman had meant a great amount to them, and the right arm had not fallen off the statue, but it had been sculpted without the arm. Rorin, Melfina and Aurane all sit, and I find a nice large two person couch, something that should be able to support my weight. Marda, not seeing a place to sit, looks over at me, and I pat the couch next to me. She walks over to me, and While adjusting to make room for her, she appeared before me, and in a fluid motion, dexterous as she was, and just sat down in my lap. A woman, small as a child, but a grown Halfling none the less, had just plunked herself down into my lap... I... wasn't really sure what to do. I decided just to leave her there, as it had been One hell of a day, and there were not any other chairs to sit.
 
I looked to our host, and asked for a name, and he responded his name was Elladamril. As he answers, he takes a small plant off of a shelf and sets it on the ground, a small budding fruit just coming out. The fruit must be for spike, but as I look, the small turtle is nowhere to be seen. I didn't even notice when he wandered off. Looking at all of us, he asks us who we work for, and if he should just kill us all right now. Oh. He said that, with no weapon in hand, but telling us just as Max would tell me that a buckle was loose, or that the sweet tea was ready. Almost with... anticipation. We quickly blurt out what we are doing here, I myself exclaiming that I was just a simple blacksmith, and I have no Idea what I am doing here! I died earlier for Daja's sake! Taking all of our explanations in stride, he looks us over like a predator does, wondering if it should eat a particular part of a meal. Making up his mind, he announces we can stay here, and he will show us some rooms. As we go deeper into the tower, we pass a few rooms, their purposes evading me, one room has spike sitting in the very middle, as if taking a nap. Many of the rooms here have multiple cots, and this tower seems to have been used as a safe house at one time or another. Finding our own rooms, I deposit my gear down on the floor, and gathering my mind, I go to find Melfina to ask her something that has been bothering me. Knocking on her door, she opens her door, and stands in the door way, obviously not wanting me in her room. I had hoped for more privacy, but I take a quick look, and not seeing anyone, I go ahead with my question.
 
"Melfina? When I died, I thought that the specter that followed you around was part of your religion, and as it was present at my death, I fully expected it to take me to whatever destination I was bound to go. However, it was nowhere to be seen. What is that specter, if not Death's friend to guide those who have fallen? I thought that was it's role in battle." Melfina looked at me, fierce eyes examining me, and answers, "That specter is a spirit that lives in the turtle that I carry around. it does not have to do with my faith, but had been with me for nearly as long as I can remember." If that specter does not have to do with her god, then what was the shadowed figure that stood over her? I look to her again, and say, "When you brought me back, I saw a shadowed figure over your shoulder. You were so bright, and they were yet so dark, I could not hardly see them.... Was that...." I trailed off before asking if that was her god. Feeling the weight of my arm grow heavier, I don't really want to think what it would be like to be touched by two gods on the same day. Shuddering a bit, I turn to go. Remembering my manners, I turn to her again, and thank her for bringing me back to life. A small noise causes me to miss what she replies, and I look to see Spike, the small painted turtle, who carries the most horrific embodiment of death inside him... Has just vomited on the floor.
 
I head back to my own room, away from everyone else, and take off my arm. Looking it over, I take out my small cleaning kit, and look to see what I can do for it. Scuffed, and slightly dented it does need some work. I have been too abusive of it recently. Of course, I died earlier today, so the rest of me has been under a lot of abuse. I wonder if my wounds will leave scars, and while most of the time magical healing doesn't leave any, I feel a strange itching sensation up near my right shoulder, on my chest. Maybe there is some residual magic, or Melfina's strange healing ability has a side effect. I saw the way it knit skin together before. If it is still bothering me in the morning, I'll ask Aurane. he may be a Mason, but he can still heal. Mortar still holds things together. Good scents wafting into my room pulls me out of my own mind, and back to where we are. While we had made some plans for the Hydra on the way here, We should solidify them over whatever dinner we can manage tonight. As it turns out Elladamril has made us some sort of soup, and we are brought into a large, once magnificent dinning chamber. What would have been a once Transcendent room, has been dulled down by natural wear, and extra decorations, drab in comparison to what could have been. Our host is not talkative, reading a book, and not paying any attention to us. I turn to my compatriots, and we finalize our plans for the Hydra, deciding on making the beast run after us, and hopefully we can wear it down before engaging it in melee combat. I know I would not want to be hit by those heads all at once. Again.. I do bring up Garnet the tone deaf, and that brings Elladamril out from behind his book, and he says he doesn't really have a problem with how she does things, just as long as she is helping others. We tell him that it was she that helped point us in these directions, and he seems a bit annoyed, like a small child has just told him a useless fact. While the food was marvelous, the atmosphere was soporific , and while Melfina followed our host into the next room, I excused myself to my room. Once again taking off my arm, I treated it as I normally do before sleeping, and I make the room ready for the night. Before closing my eyes, I hear a growled curse, a shattering of glass, and nothing more. I curl up, and let my dreams take me. And they take me places I didn't want to see again.
 
THonk- the sound of hot metal being hit, the small flash as hot scale flies off the metal stock. THonk- I work my forge, shaping a large plate into a shield. I am already planning to put Daja's sigil on the front. Max working across the forge from me, working on the first sword he would sell, the decorative pommel would be inlaid with a couple emeralds... How did I know that? He is making it as a display piece..... THonk- my parents stand in the doorway of or home, arms out, as I run toward them. I love them so much as they let me go work at the village blacksmith's today. I want to show them the nails that I was allowed to keep on my first day. I can already imagine dad using them to use in a key place to hold up the house... THonk-I nuzzle against my mother's neck as I hug her and my Da goodbye. We break the embrace and she hands me one of Da's blue tunics, a bit old, but it will do until the army can get me my own equipment.... THonk- In my fury I breath my fire right at the gnolls. How dare they use My weapons! I cared for those, I worked on them and put my heart into them. as they flee and drop the blades I have worked so hard on, I see my captain cut down their leader. THonk- the demon, it's four arms, holds my arm in it's pincer, laughing down at me, as it rips my arm apart with it's other hands. the merchant we were sent to confront already dead inside, along with most of my squad.... THonk- dazed, I lay on the straw mat in the hut. I can hear The old shaman calling to Daja. "Make this one whole again! His is good stock, he just needs to be reworked!" how can I remember that? I was unconscious, and delirious.. I feel the pain of those weeks return... I see Daja again, she is working at the forge, heating some sort of metal. taking it out, she raises the hammer... THONNNNKK- force vibrates my whole body. It Hurts!! Images flashing before my eyes. My parents, my axe flying through the air, my children. Every strike brings new images. THonk a giant ship flying through the air, a black blade in my hand glowing as if just out of the coals, but not hot to the touch, Leona laughing with her father. Daja picks up the project, and places it back in the heat of the forge. The forces on me leave, and I am able to take a few steps forward, before she plucks it back out of the fire, and THonk-I feel it again and see my compatriots all dead around me. I am head of the The temple forge at Cherwood, people coming far and wide to study under me. The visions faster and faster, I can't see them all, as Daja folds the metal in on itself. The visions pass, as done the pain, when the metal is thrust back into the fire. The process repeats, the sound, the pain, the visions, but some fade, not to return after each folding, and some are made stronger, last longer than before. The Dwarven figure stops, and sets the hammer down. Holding the project up, as one does to examine the work, and see what needs to be rectified.
 
I wake up. I feel... Worked. Both tired and restored. But as I get up, start moving I feel more and more rested. I wander out of my room, and find aroma's floating through the air of eggs, and toast, and various meats, and I wander down to the dinning room area we ate in last night. Finding Fried eggs inside of Sourdough bread, and cured meats, some sliced and hot, some waiting to be torn into. We eat with renewed gusto at this start to a new day. As we get ready to leave the tower, and gather our stuff together, I still feel an itching on my chest, and seeing that I can't look at that part of my chest, while he is no doctor, I ask Aurane to look at it. Undoing the buttons and ties on my vest, and pulling the armor Plate sewn into said vest aside, I let him take a look. His soft human fingers touch my scales, and with an odd look at me, mutters in questioning tones about possible necrosis. Apparently some sort of Brand has appeared on my scales, even though fire should not effect someone like me. and this new scar upon my self spreads from where the Diamond touched my chest, to where my metal arm connects to me. I look to Melfina, who is peering over Aurane's shoulder, and Ask her What did she Do!!! Denying anything, she says she doesn't have to bring me back next time, and a small amount of pain emanates from my upper chest as Aurane has pried off one of my scales while I was distracted. That hurt! Declaring that it doesn't look infected, or problematic, I am allowed to re-secure my armored vest back up, and we finish our preparations, and head out to get the mounts, hoping they are still there.
 
The Moorbounder seems to have caught something in it's massive paws over night, or maybe multiple somethings? Small piles of fur and feathers sit together, but a lack of bones has me somewhat concerned. Not really sure what to do immediately, and seeing that the creature is seemingly unfazed but the passing of the night, I'll worry about it later. The horses seems reasonably fine, maybe a little upset but I am not an expert when it comes to horses. Never really understood them. Going over what we knew about killing the Hydra again, we know that we will need to burn them, or cauterize the wounds, So we have the oil. We know that Elladamril did not really want to help us, and the oil was the best we were going to get from him. Marda proposes making some arrows we can light on fire with torches, or whatever we may have. Of course, none of us has a bow, and most of us don't even have crossbows. Marda says she may have a solution to that, and she pats a bundle behind her on the horse. When we do finally reach the work camp, it had been decimated. Tent cloth and tools are scattered around the clearing in front of the tunnel entrance. Any wagon carrying items needed for the project have been reduced to heaps of splintered wood. What we don't see is bodies. Either the workers who were here when we left... yesterday (gods above! Was that yesterday?), either left or were eaten. We find some tracks leading back into the tunnel, and Aurane and I scout out the first 100 feet or so. We are not sure just how far this tunnel goes in, and we need some idea of how many torches we will need. I had wanted to light a torch and leave it every 80 feet, and that plan would have had us running out of torches it seems. We come back out, and Marda has unfurled the pack that was resting on the horse, and it has enough weapons to arm a small squad. I guess her life style has made it so she is prepared with any weapons she may need. Anyone not having a crossbow grabs one, and a few bolts. I give Rorin the oil flask I had been given, as I don't really want to be near the beast. Passing around a couple fire arrows to everyone, and a few spears she has prepared for the same reason, we turn into the tunnel, light torches, and head into the darkness.
 
Rorin, Aurane and I all hold torches aloft as we walk down into the tunnel, with Rorin leading the way, as he seems to be able to step quieter, and move faster than me, even with his shorter legs. We want to have a rabbit for this beast, something it can chase, and hopefully not catch. Wall sconces line the walls, some broken, some missing altogether. Walking for over 20 minutes, the entrance becomes a small bright dot in the distance, and we can only hear our foot steps and a light sound of water ahead, dripping into some pool of water up ahead. I can only imagine it is some sort of lake, where the monster resides. When we do reach the lake, the tunnel had obviously come directly into the natural formation around the underground lake, as coulombs and rocky spikes grow from the floor, and dangle from overhead. The walls of the chamber come to the very edge of the lake, and there doesn't seem to be a way around the lake without being practically in it. I try to get Rorin's attention, and I set Aurane and Marda to watching the lake. I try to quickly grab as many torches as I can, and get the others to pass them around and light them. Getting this thing to chase us doesn't seem like it is going to work very far, but we may be able to hit it from afar before it catches up with us. Before we can get the torches spread out, and everyone into position, Bubbles start to come from under the water.
 
We all move at once. Melfina, Aurane and I all start moving back, Melfina whipping out a torch from her pack, but after only 20 feet she drops it at her feet, and readies her crossbow. Aurane stopped close to her, and clutching his shield in front of him, Holy hammer glowing on the front, he readies to cast some sort of spell. I stop 10 feet beyond them, take an extra torch, light it with mine, and drop it. I glance back to see that Rorin has barely moved from where we were talking, and he holds a flask of oil, ready to throw. Marda has disappeared, and I hope that she is somewhere safe. The specter has come out, the turtle having no qualms about killing a large lizard. The sounds of the bubbles stop. As the specter moves Forwards towards the lake, Aurane yells out what “What the Fuck is going on??” and I run back another 30 feet, and Huck another torch, already lit, another 25 feet away. Dropping my torch at my feet, I turn and ready my crossbow. The weapon feels a bit unfamiliar in my hands, but I know how to use it. I can see bubbles coming from the water again, and I try to see where everyone stands. They are all where I last saw them, and I see Marda, crouching behind a stalagmite, holding two daggers. The only reason I can see her is because the light from our torches is gleaming off the blades. Aurane had said he may be able to burn the creature if someone could get some metal inside of it.
 
Then the beast comes out of the water. Heads scanning around, pale green scales gleaming in the torchlight,the clawed feet gripping the stone floor of the cave. As it comes up out of the water, Rorin throws a flask of oil at it, and Melfina hit it with a ray of sickening green light. The scales of one of the heads may have gotten a bit greener, but it is hard to say in this light. With the heads weaving back and forth, and remembering the last time I met this thing, I can't bring myself to fire. And I hate it. I need to be helping my team. They brought me back from death, and so far the only thing I have done is run away from the danger. As I watch in horror, the hydra focuses on Rorin, and darts forward and the heads sweep forward and in a blur of scales and teeth, Rorin is on the ground. The specter grows larger, and more imposing, and it snaps me out of my stupor. Melfina and I get off a shot, mine goes wide as the heads weave out of the way, but hers, a flaming bolt connects with the body. The small bolt sticks out of it comically, the flame not igniting the oil that Rorin hit is with. With held breathe I watch as Marda darts out from her hiding place, uncorking a potion of healing, and grabs Rorin. Force feeding him the tonic, she pushes herself to the limit and stabs the creature with a dagger, and splashes it with one of her oil flasks. Eyes flying open, Rorin grabs the torch next to him on the ground, Springs up into a standing position, and lights the oil. As the flames start roaring up on the front, illuminating the monster, maybe making it a bit more scary, he turns and sprints away from the thing, as a Lighting bolt flies from the open hand of Aurane. The white hot light arcs just over Rorin, and impacts the Hydra. The energy arcs between the heads, and the whole thing briefly twitching for just a moment. Angered by the pain, the heads dart down once more, attacking the specter who has wandered a bit closer, and Marda, who rests just in front of it. The pain must have agitated it, as some of the heads collide while it tries to bite it's targets. As the attacks end, Marda is bloody, but still standing. The Specter pulls back a skeletal hand, claws forming on it's fingertips, and it gouges out a large chuck from a neck. Lighting my arrow, and running at the beast, I take the time to aim, and I feel the influence of my amulet, and fire right when I feel I should. The Flaming arrow leaves my weapon as a crescendo comes from Melfina's lips, a bubble of rotten power forms in the flesh of the hydra, and it spreads around the necks, a blight under the scales. My bolt hits the creature in the middle of the blighted skin, making scales slough off. Pulling her swords from covers, Marda swings up into the heads, blades going vertical above her, once, twice, and on the third swing it severs one of the heads from its neck, leaving a neck swinging around, possibly in agony, the only thing coming from it is blood. Stopping his reversed advance Rorin pulls his small grappling hook from his belt, and throws it, catching a head. With surprising strength he pulls the head down onto a stalagmite, the point impaling just behind the jaw. As it comes to the base of the stone cone, the head is separated by the rock from the last remaining strings off meat connecting it to the neck, and Rorin runs to Aurane, who had called for him. Running behind Aurane, the Head still trails on the end of the rope behind him. Gripping Aurane's hips, Rorin peaks out from behind Aurane, and a healing wave flows through the shorter man from the taller. Rearing back, the Hydra heads whip forward, and try again at Marda and the specter, but both remain standing after the assault. In retaliation the specter reaches both hands out, and grabs the head that last bit it. Holding onto it, the claws sink down in the the flesh, beneath the scales, the skin dying from the touch, scales falling off. As the hands sink into the middle of the neck, the last rotten shreds pull away, and the horrible visage of death claims yet another victim. Wanting to get in closer, and needing to get there Now, I pull my axe, and start running forward, and concentrate once more one the speed of the wolf, and the flight hawk, letting me run faster than normal. I get up to the creature, and swinging around, I use my momentum to hit as hard as I can. Nearly severing a head, I swing again, and cut the rest of the way through. Knowing that fire is necessary, I urge myself to go farther in this moment, and breathe fire onto the hydra, once more wreathing it in flames. Hearing Melfina finish another prayer, I see her suddenly appear next to me, her form moving faster than any of us could move. Reaching out to touch the creature with her hands, a blast of necrotic energy rocks out from her hands, completely withering a hole in one head, and it nearly removes another. Rearing up, in pain , the entire beast flails out, and Aurane takes his chance. Lighting blasts over all of us, into the torso. Sparks of lightning dance over my scales, and tickle down my arm. Melfina gestures, and some of Marda's wounds pull shut, roughly knitting themselves back up. As a spiritual weapon comes into being above the creature, and her wounds violently knitting back together, Marda leaps up into the air. Bringing her blade onto a neck, the sudden weight of the diminutive woman makes the head dip as the neck is pulled down. The blade grinds against the scales, and catches one that that has been loosened by previous attack, and it sinks in behind the scale, and finds the soft flesh. As the momentum brings the small figure down, the hook of the blade slices into muscle, and swings her back into an arc, allowing her to strike the top of the next neck, cutting enough to partially sever it. She falls upon a third head, which is writhing from the necrotic wave pulsing through the great monstrosity, and cleaves through a great chunk of meat opposite the blighted skin. The weight, too much for the remaining weakened flesh, and loss of blood, another head falls to the ground. The spiritual weapon, floating above the last head, comes out of the sky on top of it, handle up, and rams into the skull, slamming it into the cave floor. As the jaw clamps shut, and reverberates off the ground, the hammer pivots and the head arcs up, then back down, nearly a full circle, and with a mighty crack, the final head snaps off, skipping off the water of the lake, and out of sight.
 
Panting, holding my axe above my head, we all stare at the still body of the hydra, necks bleeding, eyes starring out into the cavern that was it's home. Melfina tucks her knives away, and she starts examining the heads to find what she can scavenge. I turn away from the gruesome remains, and head over to the lake. Wondering what may be inside, I stick my head underwater. I figure, anything else that may live in this water is going to be small enough not to hurt. Looking in, I can barely see something in the bottom of the water. Before I can jump in, Aurane comes up and tells me he can make it so I don't have to get wet, and holding his hammer aloft again, the water parts, and a aisle of land is revealed so we can just go down without having to hold our breath. As I am tying a rope around a sturdy, non gore covered stalagmite I hear behind me as Rorin shouts, “hey guys, Check this out!” I look over my shoulder to see him disappear into the pit of the lake! Walking over to the edge of the lake pit to throw the rope down, I see him running back up the slope, jumping from ledge to ledge, and then back up to the shore line. Holding gems, and old manacles, he simply hands them to Aurane, and keeps walking past. Marda pipes up, looking at the manacles, saying they may be anti-caster manacles, to stop them from casting spells. We gather our things up, torches, and rope, and Melfina with her hydra teeth, we start walking, from the natural cavern, into the artificial tunnel.