One with the Gods

Chapter Nine: Hydra claw

Chapter nine:

Hydra claw

They left immediately to avoid another day with Bardas. Andromeda had terrible news for Aeros. Zeus came to her in a dream and told her they only had five days to complete seven last tasks. They left quickly to Chios were the lair of the hydra was. After Hercules killed the beast the gods moved its egg to Chios were no one would destroy it.

Their task was to take one of its claws. Andromeda knew exactly how to do it but didn't know how it would work. She was going to poison the hydra with the snake blood. It wouldn't kill it just put it to sleep. "There is one flaw in your plan. How are you going to get the Hydra to eat it?" Aeros asked. She pulled out a big bag. In the bag was the head of a cow. "I will put the blood in the head and when it eats it the Hydra will fall asleep." She answered.

A bright smile spread across his face. He enjoyed the plan. Andromeda noticed she blushed when Aeros smiled at her. "I never did get to thank you for saving my life from that snake. If you hadn't have been there I would have died." She said. "It was nothing. I knew you would have saved yourself." Aeros said. Andromeda hid a blush by standing up and packing Hercules. They mounted and flew to Chios. Along the way Aeros told Andromeda that it is best to do it at night than in the day. "Why is that?" She shouted over the wind. "During the day it sulks in the sun. It is fiercer when it is being heated. So it is better when it sleeps in its cave." Aeros shouted back.

They landed on Chios only a few feet from the Hydra cave. Andromeda could hear it prowling around and growling. Aeros made a fire while Andromeda went hunting. She came back with five rabbits. She found the fire Aeros made and him practicing his sword. He turned his head towards Andromeda and smiled brightly at her. She felt tiny butterflies form in her stomach. She lay the rabbits down and pulled her sword out. "You want to practice or am I too much of a challenge for you?" She teased. With that Aeros replied by attacking. Andromeda quickly blocked it with a swipe of the sword.

They fought until sundown then stopped to eat. The sun went down and they both prepared for the worst if the plan didn't work. Andromeda poured the blood into the cows head and placed it back in the bag. "Are you ready?" Aeros asked. Andromeda saw concern in his eyes. Not for his life but Andromeda's life. She gave him a single nod. She swung the sack over her shoulder and stood up.

They walked silently through the forest daring not to make a sound. They saw up ahead a mouth of a giant cave. All above it carved into the rock was a warning. It read 'Danger comes to the ones that enter.' Andromeda had a sudden urge to take Aeros hand. She kept her hand on the hilt of her sword. They both carefully entered the cave. The walked in and noticed that the floor was like a cliff. It dropped hundreds of feet into an underground river. They moved silently and swiftly. Suddenly a rumble in the cave and a screech from the Hydra echoed through the cave.

"The Hydra must have hit its head on the low ceiling." Aeros guessed. Andromeda pushed on. They noticed as the got deeper into the cave the ceiling got lower and a stench of rotten meat got stronger. Andromeda stopped dead in her tracks causing Aeros to bump into her. She looked across the way. Sleeping on the bodies of humans, animals, and rocks was a dark blue six headed Hydra.

Castolla carefully listened as they walked through the cave. "Dian, can you create a mist and take up to the lair of the Hydra?" Castolla whispered. Dian nodded and began to rub her hands together. As she did a light mist formed around them. The mist got thicker and thicker. Then they floated off the ground and silently speed towards the back of the cave. The dark damp rocks barely missed them as they sped by.

The mist stopped. Castolla looked down at her feet. Under her feet was a dark blue Hydra sound asleep. She looked up ahead and saw Andromeda and Aeros standing in front of it. She saw Andromeda slip the bag with the poisoned cow's head of her shoulder. She held it in her hands and slowly walked towards the sleeping creature. There was a cliff between the bed of the Hydra and the path Andromeda was on. Andromeda set the cows head on the ground at the tip of the cliff then jogged back to Aeros. "What now?" Dian asked. "Now we wait and make things go terribly wrong." Castolla said.

Andromeda grabbed Aeros and they hid behind a boulder. Andromeda took out her dagger and sword. She then used her dagger and hit her sword. It made a high pitch sound that echoed through the cave. They watch. Suddenly the Hydra stood up and looked around. Andromeda held her breath as it sniffed at the cows head. With a swift move the Hydra swallowed the cows head with one of its heads. It lay back down on its bed but didn't sleep. It kept alert and focused on the tunnel ahead. Aeros and Andromeda watched intently. Suddenly the Hydra's eyes began to drupe. The head fell to the ground with a thud. It began to snore in a strange manner.

Andromeda released a breath of relief. The crept out from behind the rock. They jumped over the gape the separated the Hydra from the tunnel. They dare not speak a word in case the blood only lasted a short while. Andromeda noticed that around the scattered bones were claws it had shed. She picked one up and handed it to Aeros. He gently placed in on the other side of the gap. She picked another up and gave it to Aeros. Aeros went by Andromeda's side and watched the Hydra as she moved across the gap. Suddenly the Hydra stirred. Andromeda watched as Aeros slowly moved away. Then with a jerk the Hydra moved its tail. The tail knocked into Aeros causing him to fall and was hanging off the edge. Andromeda was terrified but she knew what she had to do.

She lunged forward and grabbed Aeros hands. As Andromeda pulled him up tears of fear ran down her face. Aeros pulled as hard as he could to hoist himself up. Again the Hydra stirred. This time rocks that hung from the ceiling began to fall. One fell on Andromeda's right. Finally Aeros came up and they ran for it. They grabbed the claws and ran.

Castolla watched them run. She took a rock the size of her palm and dropped it. It landed on one of the Hydra's heads. Its heads shot up and saw Aeros and Andromeda running. Castolla watched as the Hydra lunge forward. "Now this is what I was waiting for!" She said. The Hydra screeched as his barreled towards them.

Aeros grabbed Andromeda's hand and ran faster. "Aeros what are we going to do?" She yelled. "Why are you asking me?" He yelled back. "Because you are the monster expert and I've got nothing." She replied. "Get your dagger out and bang it against your sword. The high pitch sound will confuse it." He said. Andromeda did as she was told and began to clack metal against metal. The Hydra stopped and screeched with pain. At that instant Aeros and Andromeda sprinted from the mouth of the cave and bolted to the horses. They made it to the camp and stopped to breath. "Did that scare him off?" Aeros gasped.

Andromeda looked behind her and there was no sign of the Hydra. Andromeda sighed with relief. With shaking hands Andromeda pulled out the scroll. She was about to open it when she noticed Aeros' legs. "Aeros your legs what happened to them?" She asked. Aeros looked down at his legs. From the top of his thigh to the middle of his shin both his legs had a giant gash. Andromeda ran to his side and set him down.

Andromeda pulled out a water canteen and some cloth to wrap his legs. "In my pack Andromeda is the cream I used on you to heal your wounds faster." He said. Andromeda looked at Aeros and he looked to be in a lot of pain. She found a glass jar with a silver top. She unscrewed the lid and rushed back to Aeros. The substance inside was a clear goo. She rubbed it on Aeros' right leg. Aeros lay on his back against a cool boulder shaded by the shadows of trees. As the goo hit Aeros leg he gripped the loose ground and threw his head back. He screamed behind clenched teeth.

Andromeda wanted to stop but knew it would be worse for him to not have it on then to have it. As the goo set over the giant gash on Aeros' leg it turned red with the blood that flowed out of him. She began to place the substance on the other leg. Aeros relaxed this time as the substance began to set and cool. Aeros sat back and relaxed. "I thought I lost you there Aeros." Andromeda said sighing with relief. "You'll never loose me." Aeros whispered. Andromeda felt herself lean closer to Aeros. He smelt of pine had little beads of sweat on his forehead. They leaned closer and closer than Andromeda stopped. What am I doing? She thought. "I better check the gear." She said. She stood up and walked away. Her heart beating rapidly with excitement, or was it lust.