MCSM: Shattered Souls [COMPLETED]

17- In Which We Have to Fight a Freaking Hydra

This chapter is so bad I'm so frustrated with my past self for making this one so irredeemable ugh

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The scene appeared more rapidly this time, dim colours forming into shapes. It was like a massive, invisible paintbrush was sweeping around us, transforming the blankness into a dark picture.

"Where...?" Jaq started. I glanced over at Justin, whose expression hovered somewhere between nervousness and anger.

"Right. Okay. Should've known."

I let my gaze sweep our new surroundings. We were in a cave, and a massive one. Water dripped down slowly from the high ceiling, making ripples in a murky pond below. The center of the floor was shaped sort of like a huge unambitious bowl; higher at the top and curving down. The whole place appeared to be empty.

"Shit. Shit. This is gonna be...real fun." Justin muttered, his voice a dangerous mix of sarcasm and rage. He lifted his head towards the roof and shouted, "What are you trying to prove, Entity? What do you think this is going to accomplish?"

"What do you think that is going to accomplish?" Jaq asked waspishly. "It's not like he's gonna answer."

Justin glared at her with surprising ferocity. "As if you haven't been pitching fits left and right about this whole thing."

Jaq growled softly. I braced myself, in case I would end up having to interfere, but Justin shook his head and looked away.

"Nevermind. Sorry. I'm just...I hate everything about this." Justin muttered.

"What's gonna happen?" Jandro asked. Justin lifted his head, sweeping his gaze around the cavern.

"We've gotta fight a hydra. It'll be our only enemy here, but it's huge, clever, and absolutely lethal. Stay away from the tail, it'll knock you flat before you have time to dodge, and avoid the claws. That's...that's how Roanne died."

"Wait wait. A hydra?" Jaq repeated. Justin nodded briskly. "Yeah. You know, it's like a dragon, but with like fifty billion heads."

"Holy shit. I thought those were just legend." Jandro said, raising his eyebrows in obvious surprise.

"Don't forget we're all from different dimensions." I reminded. "I've never even heard of a hydra before."

"It's...yeah it's basically like what Justin said." Jandro told me.

"If I remember right, we've gotta basically cut its stomach open to kill it. Gruesome, yeah, but the belly scales are the weakest point and it'll bleed out really quickly. Don't try to cut the heads off, if you do-"

"Two more will spring up in its place. We know." Jaq interrupted.

"And you'll seriously piss off the rest of the heads." Justin added.

"What about our Aristan swords? Should we try to use them?" I inquired, pulling my shimmering scarlet weapon from my inventory. Justin frowned. "I don't know. I think we've got to do things the same way as in the memory, so they might not work the same way even if we did use them. All the same..."

"I think I'd prefer the Aristan swords, even if they don't do the dust-ifying thing." Jandro said quietly. "Especially since we're up against basically another legend."

"What is it with this adventure and fabled monsters? Seriously." I muttered. Justin smiled at that, even though I wasn't really trying to make a joke.

Jaq pointed to the front of the cave. "Is that you? Gosh, and I thought you were short now."

I turned around to see a group of teenagers enter the cave, faded and transparent like any of the would-be allies from the previous memory. At the front of the group was unmistakably Justin, a few years younger and nearly a foot shorter. Behind him was a blonde girl with curly hair and a gold sword, a tall boy with short black hair and piercing blue eyes, and a girl with bright blue hair pulled back into a short puff of a ponytail.