Lone Wolves

The Hydra

Shini ran around Akuma and Keleth, jumping and yipping happily. Akuma scowled, glancing up at Keleth, his head held high. The water had long since dried form his scales, covering them in a thin layer of dirt. He weaved carefully though the trees, screeching in annoyance when he couldn't pass. He even got so mad as to snap at a tree. It's width was almost twice that of Akuma's and it fell over with a lough crash. Keleth strutted across it proudly, like a pup. Akuma rolled her eyes.
Akuma lazed with her head on the ground, a fire crackling happily in front of her. Shini twitched in his sleep beside her. He had his back pressed to her side. Keleth laid on the other side, his slate grey eyes flashing in the firelight. He cooed quietly in his chest and raised his head, twisting it around and over the fire to rest it near Akuma. A couple of his tan belly scales became darkened with soot from the fire. He's grown. He had grown at lest two feet in the past day. His head would soon be bigger then her entire body. Akuma looked over at him.
"You looked genuinely worried at the lake." His deep voice surprised her in the serenity of the night. She looked away.
"What of it?" The dragon chuckled, his face sobering in the next second.
"I could see your face through the water. It was oddly streaked by it but I saw anyways. The fear and worry was almost unnerving. That was a new feeling for me." Akuma stared at the fire, watching the orange flames lick up the sides of the wood they had put down for it.
"Don't look too much into it. I wasn't thinking straight." Keleth's face turned to an expression of hurt but Akuma wasn't looking to see it. His scales clicked together quietly as he shifted his body, keeping his head near her. Akuma turned her head to softly lick Shini's forehead before laying back down and closing her eyes. She heard Keleth sigh and move his head on the other side of Shini. Eventually his breathing evened out, signaling he fell asleep. Akuma leaned over to lick his cold cheek. He huffed sleepily. Akuma showed a ghost of a smile and laid her head down to sleep too.

Akuma flicked her ear, hearing a rustle in the undergrowth. She rolled over and cracked open one eye.
"Shini," She mumbled sleepily. "Be quiet, we're trying to sleep." The rustling continued followed by a curious rumble. It was broken by a series of quick clicks and hisses, repeated in at least two other tones then silence. Akuma stood slowly, peering into the underbrush wearily. She pinned her ears back as the bracken broke and something ran into her. She snarled and fought to her paws. There was a yelp and Akuma finally realized the creature was Shini, his hackles on end and his ears back as he stared at where he bust from the brush. Akuma lowered herself to the ground, nudging Shini behind her. There was a low hissing then it broke off. Akuma flicked her ears. Silence. It's completely silent. No birds or bugs. It's silent. A large wedge shaped head pushed throug the brush near the ground. It looked like a snake but a few times larger. It's forked tongue flickered out, tasting the air as it turned towards her. It's small scales were a dark grey with a dusky orange gathering below it's wedge shaped head.
Then another appeared. It's tongue flicked out to the other. The first snake turned and bared it's fangs with a hiss. The new one cowered and averted it's eyes. The dark beady globes then turned to Akuma. It tasted the air again and made a series of clicks. Three other snakes appeared from the brush. They came closer as Akuma scurried back, bumping into Keleth.
"Keleth." She hissed at the overgrown lizard. "Keleth, get up!" The blue dragon shifted and clicked open an eye. It rolled over to look at Akuma, narrowing slightly at at her fear. He raised his scaled head and spotted the snakes, his nostrils flaring to take in their scent. He stood slowly, keeping his eyes on the creatures. One, slightly larger then the rest, hissed and clicked, the others repeating it in various tones. Then the underbrush shifted, a toned, grey body appearing. It had lighter stripes down it's body and, as it emerged, the three noticed that the snakes were all attached to it. Five tails whipped around behind it as it came into their clearing.
"Akuma," Keleth whispered. Akuma tilted her head towards him. "This is a hydra, a relative of dragons. Hydras are impervious to cold and susceptive to heat. Trap it then burn it and never forget about the other four heads." Akuma nodded and dug her claws into the ground, feeling the hum of the earth beneath her. She pulled on it, calling upon her power deep within her. The earth shook underneath the hydra as Akuma growled, her eyes turning white. The ground shifted and rose up, circling around the hydras feet. The brown prison trapped it's feet against the ground. All five heads hissed in anger, orange skin flaring out to form hoods. They hissed angrily at Akuma, tails lashing around behind them. It snapped at Akuma and she jumped on it's head, running up it's neck as the vines around her hind legs grew and immobilized it. The other four heads hissed and reared back, preparing to strike. Akuma snarled as the rope of green flames roared around her, making the heads back off. The vines that wrapped around the one head circled it all the way to the base of it's neck then stretched to the ground, pinning it there to it's displeasure. Akuma landed between it's shoulder blades as the vines moved to the other heads. The largest snapped at them, keeping them from wrapping around it's neck. Akuma snarled and darkened the area around it's head. It hissed angrily and lashed out, biting a different snake. The other snakes muffled hisses came as it glared at the larger before it was covered in vines. Akuma manipulated the vines around the largest head, covering it as the vines wrapped up around it's entire body, Akuma lightly dropped to the ground as the vines stopped.
"Keleth, would you kindly," Her voice trailed off as Keleth shot a jet of flames onto the green covered hydra. All five heads screamed in agony as it was burned alive. Akuma snorted distastefully and trotted to Shini, picking him up by the scruff and smelling the air.
"If we go that way," She jerked her head towards the north. "We can get to the pack of light." Keleth nodded and nudged her hip.
"I'll protect you, let's go." Akuma felt her heart speed a little as she started north with the burning hydra heating her tail and backside.