Chapter 39: Honeymoon hydra slaying, part 3

Filarion riding after last night was something that Johnny found baffling. He had been gentle, true, but they hadn't had anything for him to grease his way in with.

They found the farmhouse in ruins. There was a giant hydra in the middle of the courtyard. As soon as their horses made a stop a little away from it, the giant reptile opened its eyes.

Johnny could see Filarion's predatory smirk, which made his face lit up. The two dismounted, and got their weapons out.

"What is the plan?" Johnny asked, as Filarion just chuckled.

"Hold it back, while I chop up the heads," the elf told him, and Johnny blanched at him.

"Hold it back? Little leaf, don't you see how big this thing is?" Johnny muttered, but Filarion was already sprinting towards the hydra. With a swift jump, he landed on its head, which had the misfortune of being on the ground. Filarion dug his daggers inside, and cut off the head in a flash.

Chaos took over then. Johnny did his best to provoke the hydra. To take its attention off Filarion and make it focus on him. It was a bit hard when Filarion jumped from head-to-head, and cut them off.

The last head appeared to be tricky. Johnny bashed the hydra's foot hard enough to break bones, but the hydra didn't divide its attention between them.

The animal roared, and then struck at Filarion. For one horrible moment, the hydra managed to get its jaws around the elf, and then close them.

"No!" Johnny screamed, as he began to hack and bash at the leg. "You spit him out! Right now!"

Then, the hydra swayed, and toppled down. His little leaf walking out of the animal's mouth like nothing had happened.

"I guess it is dead?" Filarion asked, as he threw the massive head to the side.

"You... you..." Johnny had no words. Had Filarion let himself be eaten?

"I need a bath, I know," the elf looked around, and his eyes lit up when he saw a well. "Join me?"

"Did you let yourself get eaten?" Johnny screamed, furious.

"Wait, Johnny, I can explain," Filarion began, but then his gore covered leathers were gripped in a grip so strong, he feared that Johnny would tear them.

"Explain? I thought I lost you!" Johnny screamed, spittle flying everywhere.

"You can't lose me so easily," Filarion told him with a wink. "Come on, I just need to wash up, and then we can go back home. See what the children were up to?"

Johnny snarled, but let go. He went in the direction of the well, and then pulled out a bucket from it. The water was clear. He sniffed it. The hydra hadn't poisoned it.

"Johnny, don't be angry now," Filarion murmured, as he neared the tank. "That is a typical rogue maneuver."

"It is not!" Johnny snapped, and then proceeded to dump the water over Filarion's head.

"Hey!" Filarion protested, but Johnny was already drawing another bucket.

"There is no telling if you didn't get poisoned. So close to the fangs. With poison running under your shoes!" Johnny snapped, and then dumped the second bucket over Filarion's head.

"Snakes don't let their poison just run in their mouths," Filarion protested. When he saw the third bucket, he stepped back.

"Come closer," Johnny commanded. The chain on the bucket didn't allow for him to move closer to Filarion.

"No! You will not attempt to drown me. I will wash myself. Now, stop being so angry, and go search for the loot," Filarion snapped, and Johnny blinked at him.

"Loot?" He asked, as Johnny pointed at the ruined farm house.

"Yes, loot. You see, the hydra might have brought something with itself to here. It would be good if we hand it over to the farmers, so they can rebuild," Filarion said, and he began to gently wash himself.

"You don't want to keep the treasure for yourself?" Johnny asked, as Filarion snorted.

"Johnny, I can stop working, and still spend the same way I am used to. These people need whatever trinket the hydra was hiding more than I," Filarion then dumped the bucket back into the well, and began to draw it back up.

"If this is your wish," Johnny said, and he began to search in the ruin. He shifted timber to the side, and found something that made his breath hitch. This was a seal. On a piece of paper, and looking like it still had mana inside.

With the seal in his hands, he went and showed it to Filarion.

"Compulsion seal? But, why?" Filarion asked, and then poured some of his own mana inside. "Necromantic mana."

"Are necromancers good beast tamers?" Johnny asked, but Filarion shook his head.

"The guild master needs to see this. This is not a seal made by a green leaf. Whoever made it, must be experienced. We have to get back to the horses. I have a silk handkerchief there," Filarion said, and then looked around. "Uhm, where are the horses?"

Johnny looked around as well. Then, he groaned.

"They must have run off. We didn't have time to tie them up," Johnny said, and Filarion rubbed his temples.

"They must be on the way back to the estate, by now. Guess we will walk," Filarion said, and then looked at Johnny expectantly. "I don't suppose you have any silk on you?"

"No, sorry. If the seal is this dangerous, can't we just burn it? You can remember the drawing, and we can walk back without trouble," Johnny suggested, but Filarion shook his head.

"Marius doesn't trust me fully. He will say that I am being out of line, if he doesn't see the seal for himself," Filarion became thoughtful. Then tucked the seal in his wet pocket.

"Are you convinced that you should be carrying it?" Johnny asked, but Filarion just smiled.

"If the seal takes over me, you won't have anything against taking me down. If it takes over you, I will be torn," Filarion then walked in the direction of the path.

Johnny stared after him for a long while.

"I won't take you down. I can't bear to see you hurt," the tank whispered, determined to make the elf see that as well. With time.