The Curse of Taloncrest Manor

Chapter 26: The Hydra's Wrath

The whole group was sent into a panic, constantly diving and dodging all over the place to evade the beast's flames. 

"What kind of rats trick the Grand Magistrix?!" Dischord asked incredulously. "You two are just as blind as you were back then!" Cadence shot back. "We've waited for this moment for years!" 

"Yeah!" Cantrelle added. "We're tired of not being included with the rest of the congregation. Once you and the Magistrix are out of the way, we'll take the helm ourselves! The Songsworn will be under new management!" 

"Fools! The Magistrix founded this organization Herself! She worked hard to gain everyone's trust and loyalty. You really think they're going to follow a group of people who attempted to overthrow Her?" Dischord argued. 

"Them? They will approve," Clarion countered. "Serving the same two people for countless ages.....it was bound to become stale and boring sometime." The hydra attempted to stomp its foot on Dischord, but the vizier rolled out of the way and returned the favor by stabbing it in the heel with his sword. 

The three heads roared in pain. "You'll pay for that!" Cantrelle yelled. The beast swiped its claws in Dischord's direction, but suddenly, it became briefly stunned and immobilized. "Huh?" the vizier asked, confused. He turned to his side to see that Jane was using her stasis spell yet again. 

"Do something!" the Taloncrest matron cried. "At best, I can only keep one of the heads out of the action!" 

Dischord dove underneath the hydra's belly and used his sword to slice open a wound in it lengthwise. However, this was still not enough; the beast recovered only a few seconds later. The vizier's eyes widened. "Wait....I think I saw something. I have an idea!" 

He turned to Ricardo and his friends. "I need you four to distract it!" 

While the boys kept the hydra's attention focused on one side of the balcony, he regrouped with Melody. "What's your plan, vizier?" she asked. "I saw a large glowing weak spot on the beast's underside when I sliced through it the first time. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a good position to stab it, but I could try again from a better angle, provided it doesn't see me coming," Dischord explained. Melody thought about it for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright. I've got your back." 

Dischord rushed at the hydra again, but the distraction ultimately didn't work; the triplets turned around in time to see him approaching. "Not so fast, 'vizier'!" Cadence said as she raised her claw to impale him. But just as she was about to bring it down, Melody managed to blast her with a lightning barrage, giving her right-hand man the opening he needed to finish the hydra off. 

With the hydra's weak spot critically damaged, the three heads roared in agony as their combined form began to dissolve in a white light, leaving behind the triplets---now in separate bodies once again---lying heavily wounded and exhausted on the balcony floor. 

Melody approached them, her hands searing with electricity and her eyes glowing a solid shade of white. "And so ends your defiance of the Grand Magistrix," she said as she raised her hands to deliver the killing blow. 

"WAIT!" Cadence wailed. She took out the key to Thomas' quarters and handed it to Melody. "Here! Take it! Just.....don't hurt us!" she begged. Melody took the key and put it away.

"And why should we spare you, knowing what you three just tried to do?" Dischord asked. Cantrelle slowly rose to her feet. "Please, whatever punishment you deem is suitable for us, at least know this: during our time with the Songsworn, we genuinely tried our best to bring fun to the meetings, in our own way."

"We wanted to liven the place up a little---no pun intended---and make the group unlike any other. We used to be just as devoted to the Songsworn's goals as you are right now." Clarion added.