They came like a storm. Bolts striking from the blue. Thunder that rained down on the monster before them. Claws and fury and hatred still. Spines of bone and metal. Blades formed of flesh and stone. Blasts of powers barely understood, washing over E-10's scales in every beautiful hue the eye could perceive. But the beast was unmoved. Dodging and taking the onslaught of a storm head on. Nothing but a gleeful roar in its voice as it did so. Heads and limbs launching a counterattack of their own.
A blast of acid erased a Beyondling left of her. Body turning to little more than sludge. To her right, a Beyondling was cut to pieces by a swipe of a claw. Celia barely avoided what came next. A blast of noise that erased the ground beneath her. And would’ve erased her if she hadn’t jumped at the last second.
But the air couldn’t save her from the feather the monster launched her way. It hit with all the force of a hurricane. Sent her flying, spinning through the air and back into the dirt. A cough of pure suffering escaping her as she stood. More and more Beyondlings rushing past her and towards the fight, and only half as many made it there. The rest, however, were mercilessly cut down by a variety of attacks.
Everything from vines of flesh growing out E-10's body, to a sound that zapped through the air and severed heads from their bodies.
It was more sacrifice than fight. And it was only buying scant few seconds. Seconds in which Haet caught a second wind and returned to the fight like a living meteor. Catapulting from a tree, and throwing himself, spinning through the air, and driving his stingers into the beasts neck. Where snake transformed into tiger and parrot and puppet.
The result was a shriek of pain tearing its way out of three throats. A ragged gasp of agony, as E-10's heads went limp. Each slumping low one after the other. And as they fell, and the abomination went slack, Haet stood atop its serpentine back, surveying the desolation that had befallen his crew. A look of hard grief in his foreign eyes.
"Beluu, headcount. Need know who survived." He barked out after a moment of what seemed like quiet reflection.
And Beluu, whose body was a thing of water ceaselessly following from an umbrella of white and red flesh, responded with a groan of pain himself. Followed by getting to work doing exactly as he was told. Slowly cutting his way through the crowd, and taking note of everyone who exhibited some sign of life.
Not even two minutes into doing so, the clearing was struck by a great quake. Earth shaking beneath their feet. Creatures that could have passed for birds taking to the air in the distances. The cry of a falling tree punctuating the arrival of another calamitous beast. One just like the last, only instead of a tiger and parrot pouring forth from its neck in place of a head, it was a lion and a crow. Both uncannily grinning as they approached, massive form crashing down from over the trees.
"How fascinating!" One of its heads roared. Eyes passing over the whole of what remained of the crew twice over. "Most prey flee in terror when approached by a predator. Though, I suppose you had a predator of your own didn’t you?"
Haet looked down at the corpse beneath his feet, and then back at the very much alive form of E-10 across from him.
"How? Killed you."
"Not so my precious prey. You put on a spectacular show, but kill me you did not."
And Haet narrowed his eyes at that, a whisper blooming to life on his lips.
"Hydra."
And with that, a ripple moved through everyone present. Fear swelling into panicked gasps and trembling forms. For everyone except for Celia that is. Who seemed to be the only one that didn’t know what a hydra was. But, just basing it off how everyone else seemed to react, she assumed it wasn’t anything good.
Which was all but confirmed when E-10 finally gave its reply, and a cold sweat seemed to overtake even Haet.
"A hydra." Was all the abomination needed to say.
And, well, after that chaos ensued.
A number of Haet’s motley crew finally took off running. Another portion stayed. And a final third seemed to give into absolute despair. Muttering curses and invoking names that Celia had no point of reference for. And Haet, Haet stood like a statue. Not a single muscle in motion. Head tilted at an angle, as if her was pondering some great question. All the while, the monstrous form of E-10 passively studied him.
Celia wasn’t sure what they found. But regardless of what it was, it was Haet who spoke up first.
"Haet not biggest fan of games. But your game, Haet play. No choice not to play. When begin?"
"I’m glad you’ve come to see reason. It would’ve been such a shame if prey as fine as you are went to waste for simple stupidity. Now as for your question, we will begin a day from now. You shall hear the caw of a clarion beetle and that shall be our little signal." He answered. Before turning his eyes directly upon Celia.
"Oh, and do keep an eye on your little chimera for me please. I’d hate for the centerpiece of my meal to go first."
And then it left. Slithering back into the forest from whence it came, and dragging its other head - or heads - back with it. And when it was gone, not a trace of it, scent, vibration, or sound left, it was like the last veneer of stability left with it. An absolute flood of sorrow blooming to life in the hydra’s absence.
But Celia ignored the panic happening behind her. Stepped past the downtrodden faces before her, and walked right up to Haet. Who’s eyes were cast in the direction of the Hydra. Boring through the forest with such intensity, that Celia was almost certain he could still see it.
"So, what was that and how doomed are we?" She asked, blunt. Too exhausted - both mentally and physically - to even pretend that things looked okay right now.
And a little curious as to why Jonas hadn’t intervened.
"Hydra, undying. Very." Came his equally blunt response. Followed by him turning to look her in the eye. "Don’t flee. Edges under watch. Probably. What Haet would do."
Celia couldn’t help but agree. "Ok, then what should we do. Should we do anything? And when you say undying…"
"Head come back unless all heads killed at once. Usually too many heads. Worse, Hydra smart. Hydra cruel."
"And each head is going to be as strong as that one?"
He nodded.
"Well that… that more than sucks. But, uh, I was kinda wondering, what should we do with Dreg? Again, I know it’s not my responsibility but I, uh, I don’t know. He can’t really even get up and-"
"You strange thing." He said, poking her with a single gigantic claw. Big enough to almost knock her off her feet.
But she remained firm. "Ok, and what’s that supposed to mean?"
"You like Haet. Care for crew. Strange in Beyond. Why?"
Celia didn’t even need to think of an answer. "Just how my dad raised me to be, I guess. Now, about Dreg. I’d be very comfortable if you had a plan of action in mind for him or something."
"He go with you."
"… What?"
"You good hider. Hid from Haet in caves. Escaped Dreg too. Dreg excellent tracker. So, you hide Dreg."
