THE MISTS OF CROAKA III

A pair of guards were running for their lives within the mist. They had been running for nearly an hour, and a sheet of water and sweat covered the faces hidden beneath their helmets.

One was a large man. His long legs took giant strides as he stomped through the soft ground. The other was a feminine figure with shoulder- length black hair that flowed out from underneath her helmet. A pair of pointed ears could seen with every chance the archer took to glance behind them.

They stopped again to catch their breaths, but it wouldn't be for long. The terror they were running from was still fresh in their minds, and the tension of being pursued could be felt in their stiff postures and the fearful looks in the direction they'd come.

"Where are they? They should have caught up to us by now after stopping so frequently." The man wheezed as he hunched over to catch his breath. His elven companion ignored him, once again listening for anything that could be following them.

A few moments passed in a heavy silence. Then the elf reached for her bow, rekindling the fear of her companion.

"Desha?" he called in a hushed tone. "What is it? What do you-"

She raised a hand to silence him just as a silhouette appeared in the mist. Moments later, a guard came running up to them with a blank expression and jet black hair plastered to his face.

"Mavas!" The man called out to the running guard. "What took you so long? Where is the lieutenant!?"

The man named Mavas slowed to a stop as he came up to his fellow guards. He glanced at Desha, who was looking at him with narrowed eyes, then he turned to man with a grim expression on his face. "The lieutenant's dead, Leon." he said breathlessly.

"What? How?" Leon asked.

"You know how! He was singled out and devoured, just like the damn priest!" Mavas hissed.

“But you went back for him…” Leon whispered.

“Did you not see that thing!? I’ve seen monsters in my day, but that thing is different! Out of all of us, the first one it kills is the priest!?” Mavas shook head, then the blank expression returned to his face. “...I tried to help him, but it was too late by time I reached him.”

Leon sighed heavily. "May Thena take him. " He whispered a small prayer for his former superior. Then he looked back at Mavas with all sympathy gone. "Where do we go now? The Captain's detachment is in the opposite direction, and the only others on this side belong to Elroy's squad. The latter option seems the most logical choice, seeing as we’d have to go back the way we came. If we don't move soon-"

"That's why we're leaving right now. Charles had the map, but I got a good look at it before we separated. If they kept a steady pace then I know exactly where they could be by now. All we have to do- Desha? Desha!” Mavas turned to the elf and grabbed hold of her shoulder. She was looking back into the mist, where he had emerged, as if hearing something that the others could not. Then she looked at Mavas with her eyes wide and body trembling.

Mavas drew her close and looked her square in the eye. “He's dead. There's nothing we can do for him now. Understand?” he whispered menacingly. Desha nodded slowly, taking a moment to collect herself, then she shook off his hand.

Mavas looked at her one more time before turning back to Leon. “We need to get moving. If Elroy kept south-west, then I know where they could be. Come on.”

With the decision made, the trio set out to make for the other guards that they had left only hours before. They stomped through the undergrowth that was soaked through from the mist. As they ran, other than their footfalls, the only sound was their heavy breaths. In the unending cloud, it seemed like hours passed before sounds of combat could be heard.

Mavas stopped ahead of them and held up his hand for silence. “Sounds like they're already fighting…” He drew his sword and looked at his Leon and Desha. “Come on, let's go lend a hand. It’ll help with persuading them afterwards.” he said as he lead the charge. Leon was right behind with his long-sword at the ready. Then Desha followed slowly with her bow drawn and an arrow nocked.

They all surged forward, expecting to plunge headfirst into chaos. But what the three saw in the mist before them as they approached was entirely different from the scene they had imagined. Dozens of croaka were sprawled on the ground in a wide circle with a second layer of corpses forming on top of them. In the center our the massacre, fighting fiercely, was a group of five men.

They were split into two groups of two, with one man standing in the back to cover the rest. The first pair was a tall warrior and a priest off to the left. The towering brute was swinging his great battle-axe at the while the priest was using his staff to ward off any other enemies that would try to flank.

The other pair consisted of two swordsmen fighting back to back in order to cover their blind spots. One seemed more experienced than the other, cutting down one foe after another. Still, his younger companion kept pace by using more strength than skill.

The way the squad methodically cut down foes in waves was a testament to their training and teamwork, but it was the man in the back that drew the attention of the three guards that watched on. Whenever an enemy seemed to be a threat to one of his squad members, his hand would reach for a throwing knife in his hand, and a second later, another enemy would be dead on the ground.

“What in the hells!? How can they kill this many frogs with only four people?” Maverick asked. He was stunned as he surveyed the carnage.

“There's more than four people.” Leon said quietly. His eyes were glued to the scene before him just like Mavas, especially on the dark skinned youth that stood closest to them.

"I never count priests... All they do is point and pray." Mavas replied solemnly.

Leon pointed his blade at the small priest who was currently using his staff as a bludgeon with startling efficiency. "Well he seems to be doing a lot more than "pointing and praying"." he countered.

Mavas looked at Desha, and when their eyes met, she motioned towards the combatants with tension stiffening her every movement.

"Aye,” he said quietly as he turned back to the fight. “The lot of them seem a lot stronger than I gave them credit for. Why don’t we go see if they’ll let us join their ranks? Looks like they're about finished anyway…”

Just as Mavas finished his sentence, one of the remaining croaka jumped high, aiming toward the dark-skinned youth. The man took a graceful step back practiced ease and threw two knives in rapid succession. The first knife buried deep into the monster’s shoulder while the second pierced its chest.

The impact of the knives caused the croaka to backflip as it fell towards the youth, but he responded quickly with a final throw that sank a knife deep into the creature’s skull.

The dead croaka hit the ground just as another ran up to flank the youth. It croaked loudly and brandished its spear as it charged. Most of its comrades had already been slaughtered by the man from afar, and it was determined to get revenge for its kin.

Desha nocked an arrow and took aim, but Leon moved to placed a hand on her arm to stop her. “Save your arrow... he knows it’s there.” he said.

Under her helmet, Desha frowned.

“What makes you so sure?” Mavas asked.

Leon shook his head and sighed. “I know from experience. Watch closely.”

The trio looked on as the final croaka rushed for the youth while he was reclaiming his knives off the fresh corpse. It attacked with reckless abandon, ignoring all the natural signs that told it that the man was not to be trifled with. The man leaned back and evade the thrust without so much as glancing at his assailant. Then he unsheathed the sword on his hip, immediately cutting the makeshift spear in two.

His speed caused the croaka to take a step back, but the youth shadowed its step and aimed unleashed a skill, aiming for the monsters neck. The scimitar in his hands glowed green and hissed as it began to slice through the pale-blue flesh of its latest victim. Yet half-way through the monster’s neck, the light died and the hissing stopped, leaving headless body to fall to the ground with only half of its neck cauterized.

Although the battle was won, the youth frowned as he looked down at his blade while the squad gathered around him.

Seeing his chance, Mavas sheathed his blade and approached the squad. “Hail, guardsmen!” he said, spreading his arms out. “Fancy running into you lot all the way out here, huh? Mind if we tag along? I think it’s safe to say we’re lost!” he chuckled.

All the men of the squad looked to the youth, who stepped forward. Mavas suppressed a shudder as he the man’s fighting spirit enveloped him.

“What happened to the Lieutenant? Weren’t you guys going south?” the young man asked as he eyed Leon and Desha. They hadn’t moved from their original spot and seemed to be fine with Mavas doing all the talking.

“We got into a scuffle with some of those frog-men and got separated. But uh...shouldn’t I be telling him all this?” Mavas gestured to Elroy, whose jaw clenched under everyone’s gazed.

The young man looked from Elroy to Mavas. “Elroy has temporarily relinquished command of this squad. My name is Thadius, and anything you need to say to Elroy, you can say to me.” he declared.

“Well do you mind if we tag along, sir? Just until we can reunite with the Lieutenant.” Mavas asked.

---

Separated, huh? Smells like bullshit to me...Or am I just paranoid?' Thadius thought as he looked over the trio of “lost” guards. They had split up with the Lieutenant's squad hours ago, so the fact that the three coincidentally found them just didn’t seem to add up. Not to mention the familiar feeling he was getting from the man further back.

Thadius nodded toward the two guards behind the man. “Let’s have you and your companions take of your helmets and introduce yourselves. I like to put names to faces.”

The man obliged, taking off his helmet and motioning for his fellow squadmates to join him.

“My name is Mavas.” he said, sweeping his shoulder-length black hair from his face. Everything about the man was sleek, slick. His narrow face ended in a pointed chin. A perfectly straight, long movie-star nose led up to an overhanging brow that cast a permanent shadow over his eyes. Overall, he looked harmless at a glance. But he had a devious aura, which didn’t sit well with Thadius at all.

Mavas grinned under Thadius’ scrutinizing gaze as he introduced the first of his comrades that walked up. “This strapping man here is Leon, and apparently, he already knows you.”

Thadius raised an eyebrow as he watched the man remove his helmet, then he smiled once he saw a familiar face. “The city guard is the last place I’d expect to find you, Paladin.” he said.

“Unfortunately, my superiors weren’t very pleased that I fought in the coliseum, especially when I returned in defeat.” Leon smiled wryly. He was the definition of a fairytale prince. He had the wide, strong-jaw with a cleft chin to match. His short brown hair was soaked through, but did little to diminish his charm. One could tell that he was a righteous man, and it was made even more apparent as he came to stand beside Mavas.

“Ah, brother Leona! Do you remember me? We entered the clergy together!” Marcus walked up and shook Leon’s hand enthusiastically.

“I remember you, brother Marcus. But it’s...just Leon now.” Leon cleared his throat as a small chuckle escaped from Mavas.

Marcus cheeks flushed. “Oh...my apologies.” he said, slinking back behind Thadius to a chorus of soft laughter.

Mavas recovered almost instantly when he looked at his other companion, and immediately continued with the introductions. “Last but not least, this lovely gentleman is Desha. He’s very self-conscious about his looks so...try not to stare too hard.”

When the elf stepped forward, Thadius, Marcus, and Elroy immediately reflected on Mavas’ words. Standing before them was nothing less than a female elven archer. She had a lithe figure with curves that were clearly distinguished despite the armor. Her face was slathered with mud that dripped down to her modest bust, completely hiding her face. Yet, hard green eyes clearly scrutinized the confused onlookers.

Thadius was the first to speak up. “And you say that’s a man?” he asked. Desha hands balled into fists and her lips curled in response.

“I’m pretty sure. I was there when he registered.” Mavas glanced at his companion. “He practically had to put his manhood on the counter before they’d take him. You know how Todos feels about female soldiers.” he chuckled. But once again, his mirth was short lived as he looked over at Banon, who was glaring at Desha with open hostility.

“You must have fought in the Shade War.” he said, attempting to draw Banon’s attention to himself. Except at his words, Desha snapped his head to look at Mavas and followed his eyes to the towering warrior that was glaring at him.

A feral hiss escaped Desha’s lips as he reached for his bow while Banon reached for his axe readily. Mavas moved to stop his companion, but Thadius’ reaction was much faster. His tremendous pressure crashed down on the surrounding guards, bringing everyone but Marcus, who fell flat on his back, to their knees.

Everyone looked at Thadius with dumbfounded expressions, and he returned their looks with a calm expression. “My apologies, it’s still tough for me to specifically target more than one person. I only intended to stop Banon and Desha.” he said as he turned to the elf in question. “Even if you two have some history, I’m amazed that you’d take aim at a fellow guard so quickly. Is working with Banon going to be a problem?”

Desha curled his lip but didn’t respond. Mavas spoke up in his stead, still shaken from suddenly being brought to his knees. “He’s mute, sir. But rest assured, I’ll keep him out of trouble.”

Thadius eyed the kneeling Mavas, who gulped from his intimidating appearance, then looked at Banon. “Are you two going to have a problem?” he asked.

Banon stood up, never taking his eyes off Desha as he did. “Just keep that tree-demon away from me.” he said, then he turned and walked back to the battlefield to loot the bodies of the dead.

“Well, that’s Banon for you. Even if he doesn’t like you, he won’t trouble you if you give him his space. Can you manage that?” Thadius asked Desha, the elf nodded and stood. “Good. Now you’ve already met Marcus and I, and you should already know Marshal from earlier. So the only one left is Thomas-”

Thadius turned to find the guard still gawking at Desha with a complex expression.

’Did he not see Desha pull his bow on a man for looking at him the wrong way!?

Thadius thought as he tapped his fellow rookie on the shoulder.

“Thomas, you wanna introduce yourself?” he asked.

Thomas quickly stood up. “Uh, sure. I’m Thomas and I uh…” Thomas tried looking at Mavas and Leon but his eyes kept wandering to Desha. “I don’t mean no harm, but I just never seen a man look so much like a woman before. Are you really a man?” he asked. Desha snarled in response.

“And I think that’ll do for the introductions. Why don’t we all go and give Banon a hand.” Thadius interjected. As the others went to collect loot, he held Thomas back.

“Thomas,” he sighed, ”I know you’re curious, but try not to ask him that. In fact, I don’t think you should speak to him, for your safety.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just so confusin’...” he sighed heavily. His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to sort it out in his head, then he looked to Thadius. “Have you ever seen anything like it?”

“Actually, I have…” Thadius started as he put an arm around Thomas and began walking toward the battleground.

The guards worked quickly to gather any loot from the dead and continued on their way with new additions to the squad. Thadius lead the way, checking the map every so often to keep track of their progress. Thankfully, the map was magical, revealing more of the map as they walked. It left Thadius with plenty of time to think and enjoy the experience, even if the trip wasn’t as fruitful as he first thought.

Thadius looked at Serenity on his hip and thought back to his failed attempt at a fire element sword skill. He’d been on the receiving end multiple times during the battle royale in the coliseum, and it seemed to be a common move for magical swordsmen. Yet whenever he tried to perform it, a message would interrupt him saying ‘Knowledge of fire limited’.

He was truly frustrated. With the croaka not giving him any experience to level up, he at least hoped that he would get some cool moves to work on instead. Unfortunately, Extended Slash was the only elemental move in his arsenal, and its range was still in its early stages, causing him to exhaust the majority of his aura to make it useful.

Despite all of it, Thadius was still optimistic. He still had a plethora of moves to level, with Throw being at the top of his list. Being able to throw again thrilled him, but he’d have to adjust to throwing knives instead of a ball if he wanted to master the skill quickly.

’Once I get my precision up with standard throwing, I’ll try some trick throws. Then the speed will come naturally. Or should I work on distance before speed? That ties in with precision though...’ While Thadius was lost in thought, Thomas sped up to walk beside him.

“Hey, Thadius. You never finished the story ‘bout when ya first met Tegaia. I was wonderin’ if you’d tellin’ us.” he said.

“I was also interested in that, if you wouldn’t mind telling us...” Marcus said.

Leon walked up to Thadius as well. “Tegaia? You’ve actually seen her?”

“Touched her too...” Thadius flashed his devilish grin.

“I’d call bullshit if I hadn’t heard her myself.” Banon said as he walked closer.

As the men gathered around Thadius, Mavas couldn’t help but take interest. “Who’s Tegaia? I take it she’s some woman.”

“She’s a Goddess! And she gave us a blessin’ earlier! Aw man, ya shoulda seen it!” Thomas was skipping steps in excitement from the memory alone. “Come on, Thadius. Tell us!”

“Alright, alright! But I need ya’ll to know that what I’m about to tell you must remain a conversation among men…” Thadius stopped in his tracks and looked everyone in the eye in turn. Then everyone looked at Desha.

The elf’s brow furrowed in confusion, but with a quick elbow tap from Mavas, he nodded in earnest.

“Alright. Now imagine the one woman you ever loved, shows up at your door wearing nothing but a robe. Then without so much as a word, she starts kissing you. What do you do?” Thadius asked as he looked around.

“Is she your wife?” Marcus asked.

“That’s not the point! The woman is clearly asking to be bedded, so that’s exactly what you do.” Mavas declared.

“Damn right.” Banon agreed.

Thadius shook his head. “That’s what I thought. She wraps herself around me and I lay her on the bed. By this time, I’m ready to let her know how I feel in more ways than one-”

“Whoa, whoa! Are you trying to tell me that the woman-” Mavas’ interruption was cut short by glares of men all round. “Please continue.”

“So I’m kissing her while working my hands up her robe at the same time. Now in the back of my mind, I’m wondering ‘Has she always been this soft? Has she always smelled this good?’. Mind you, I haven’t seen the woman in a while, so I’m just thinking it’s my mind playing tricks on me. That’s when it should have hit me, but I keep going. My hand makes it all the way to the divine fruit before I hear her call my name.”

“What’s the divine fruit?” It was Thomas who interrupted this time.

“Does he really have to spell it out?” Mavas asked incredulously.

Marcus shook his head. “Even I could guess that one...”

“I was just askin’!” Thomas cried.

“Anyway, I hear her call my name and I`m about ready to transition to the next part. Then she calls my name again, and the sound of her voice bounces of the walls. Ya’ll know what I’m talking about. Then I look at her face, and a pair of silver eyes are looking at me. I’m thinking ‘You wait until I get to the good part to stop me!? Seriously!?’. But we stop, and then she gives me a mission and tells me her plans for the future. You know, religious endeavors.” Thadius shrugs as he finishes his tale.

“I’m having a hard time believing a Goddess would do such a thing…” Leon murmured.

“Whether you believe it or not doesn’t change the fact that it happened.” Thadius responded.

“What do they feel like, the thighs of a Goddess?” Mavas asked with a sly smile.

Thadius looked up into the dense fog. “It’s hard to describe now. It’s been so long, it’s like trying to remember a good dream you had as a child. But if I had to put it into words, I’d say it felt like-”

Before he could answer, both Thadius and Desha’s heads snapped to the east. What Desha heard, Thadius could feel.

What the hell is that!? Thadius thought, then he watched Mavas pale with one look at Desha’s face.

“It followed us…” he whispered, eyes wide with fear.

“What followed you!?” Thadius yelled. He needed to know what was coming, because whatever it was, was gigantic.

Mavas just shook his head. “We need to run, right now! It’s smart, but if we make a break for it now, we can outrun it!”

“Outrun it!? Didn’t you say it’s smart!? Which is it Mavas!? Is it dumb enough for you to outrun it, or is it smart enough to let you run to more of your friends for it to munch on!?” Thadius towered over the man, prompting Desha to put himself between the two.

“Leon! It’ll be here soon! Tell me something, anything!” Thadius demanded.

Despite the situation, Leon seemed to be the most composed, looking Thadius squarely in the eye as he spoke. “It’s the Mists Hydra. I’ve heard whispers about it in the order, but seeing it is another matter.”

“Can we fight it?” Thadius asked as he walked up to the Paladin. His voice was hoarse with tension.

Leon shook his head. “Only you and I, and perhaps Banon, would be capable of actually fighting it. But the longer the fight drags on, the greater the risks become. And in Marcus’ case, it would be suicidal. The beast targets priests and priestesses with a prejudice I’ve never seen in a monster.”

“Shit!” Thadius cursed as he removed his shield from its harness. All eyes were on him, waiting for his decision. He was used to the look of dependence. But this time, lives were on the line, and a wrong move could kill them all. A part of him wanted to retreat and spare his squad the danger, but a larger part of him wanted to see the monster and test his skill against something that exceeded his imagination.

’I could let them run and try to hold it back or slow it down. But have no idea how strong that thing is. And if I die, how will they look at me when I return? Will I be a liar? A fraud? Where will my place be among them if they find out that death means something entirely different to me?’

Blood rushed through Thadius’ veins as the massive space that was the hydra, rapidly closed in. Yet he was calm as he eyed the men around. Even if he was revealed as a Traveler, his charade wasn’t worth a life.

“Congratulations Elroy, you’ll be leading the squad back to camp. I’ll stay and buy you guys as much time as possible…” he said.

+15 Leadership

“Are you insane!? You’re going to face that thing alone after what we just told you!?” Mavas screamed.

“Give me a shield and a sword and it’s gonna take a lot more than a fucking water snake to send me running with my tail between my legs. Besides,” Thadius flashed his signature grin, “if I die, I might get another chance at that divine fruit!”

+10 Charisma

“He’s gone mad! Quickly, we must leave this place! Let him have his death!” Mavas looked around hoping to rally the rest of the squad, but no one moved. A hard glint was visible in the eye of every man. Their uncertainty was clear, but so was the hope in their eyes as they looked to Thadius. Under his confident gaze, no one wanted to be the first to flee.

“I’ll fight alongside you. It’ll be interesting to see what we can accomplish together…” Leon said as he drew his blade.

“Hmph, the croaka were too weak anyway. About time we fought something worth bragging about.” Banon stepped forward, reaching for his battle-axe with a sneer directed at Mavas.

Once the more experience men cast their lives in with Thadius, Thomas, Marcus, and Elroy followed. Even Desha stepped forward, much to Mavas’ surprise.

“Have all of you lost your minds?” Mavas stared at the others with a dumbfounded expression.

Thadius ignored him, calling everyone into a hundle. “Alright, if we’re going to do this everyone needs to know their role. Leon, Banon, and I will be dealing the damage. We’ll be taking advantage of every opportunity to attack.” Both Banon and Leon nodded in agreement, then Thadius looked to Desha. “How many heads does this thing have?”

“It has two…” Mavas sighed as he came to join the huddle. “It uses one to collect water while the other spits out a jet of steam.”

“Nice of you to join us.” Thadius said. Desha agreed, giving Mavas a hearty pat on the back.

“No point in dying alone right?” he replied grimly.

“Dying isn’t in the plan.” Thadius declared as he turned back to the squad. “Thomas, Elroy, Mavas, and Desha will be harassing one of the heads. All I want you to do is prevent it from preparing its steam attack, and keep Marcus out of harms way. He’s going to be a primary target for this thing. Now, Leon, I don’t think this thing is used to sunlight, so your Holy Light will come in handy in creating the opening we need. But if this thing is as smart as they say, then it’ll probably only work once.”

“Right.” Leon nodded.

“Does everyone know their role?” Thadius looked around at his squad. Everyone looked resolved to fight the battle come. “Good, now spread out.” he said, then he turned to face the heavy pressure closing in on them.

Silence fell over the squad as they settled into position. Marcus and Desha stood together in the rear with Mavas, Thomas, and Elroy in a line ahead of them. Thadius stood at the forefront with Banon and Leon just behind him.

Thadius kept tabs on the hydra with his Ambient Pressure, but it only highlighted the hydra as a large target. He couldn’t sense its presence or make out its general shape unless it entered the range of his Fighting Aura. But after a few precious seconds, the hydra came to a stop just inside Thadius’ range.

“Here it comes…” he said.

Everyone readied themselves. At a moments notice, they were ready to move. But then the mist if front of them retreated and swirled into a vortex.

“It’s gathering water!” Mavas shouted.

“Desha!” Thadius called out. When he turned around, an arrow was already flying past his head and into the center of the vortex.

The mist that had been sucked in suddenly gushed forth as the hydra roared. Then it slithered into view. Two crocodile heads glared at the squad as it slid on its massive snake-like body. Its scales were the same pale-blue as the croaka’s skin, and its whole body glistened with moisture from the mists. At a height of 30ft(9.14m), it was an intimidating figure, and the pressure it exerted reminded Thadius of a man he met on a mountain in Yune.

Thankfully, Thadius’ Holy Fighting Aura gave the squad a tremendous boost to their fighting spirit which kept them from being frozen with fear. So he started calling orders, everyone was quick to react.

“Desha, keep an eye on the left head and make sure Mavas’ group can get away safely! Leon, Banon, with me!”

The squad split into two groups. Thadius, along with Leon and Banon, rushed for the hydra’s body while Mavas’ group moved to draw the attention of the left head.

The right head immediately bent down to snap at Thadius, who was leading the charge, only to receive a surprise as a Wind Cutter cut into the roof of its mouth. It reared back in surprise, giving Leon and Banon time to hack at its lower body.

Banon, with a mighty roar, used his height to swing down into the hydra’s back while Leon moved to thrust at its torso. Both attacks were successful, drawing blood from the wounds. But the hydra’s scales and muscles were thick, and it would take a lot more attacks to cause a mortal wound.

All aggro was turned toward Thadius’ group after the first attacks, and both heads turned to handle the threat. That’s when Desha set to work, aiming at the eyes of the left head while Mavas, Elroy, and Thomas circled around to the other side of the hydra to keep it busy. With the attention of both heads divided, all seemed to be going according to plan.

Unfortunately, the true battle had yet to begin. The hydra lifted its torso off the ground, and in a stunning display of dexterity, it whipped its tail in a wide arc that sent Mavas’ group flying back. As its tail came rushing at Thadius, he rushed forward and used Shield Bash to bring it to a halt.

’Let’s see how you take an attack from me!’ Thadius thought.

As soon as he stopped the tail, he lashed out with Dragon Claw, carving four deep cuts into the hydras flesh. It thrashed in pain and knocked him back several feet. Thadius’ shield had taken some of the impact, but he still had the wind knocked out of him as he smacked into the ground.

Leon and Banon had been fortunate enough not to be caught in the attack, and they quickly moved in to take Thadius’ place, digging their weapons deep into the wounds he’d already created.

But this time, the reaction of the hydra was completely different. As Leon and Banon’s weapons sank into its flesh, it coiled around them into a crushing hold. The men cried out as the air was forced out of their lungs and bones screamed in agony.

Thadius jumped up and sprinted toward them despite the pain in his chest. But Mavas and Elroy reached them first with Desha providing them cover. They hacked at the hydras scales desperately but they barely managed a few scratches.

Thadius sheathed Serenity and then aimed a Wind Cutter at the nearest head. On contact, a deep gouge was cut into the monster’s neck, and when it felt the full pressure of the one who did harm, all aggro was on the man with shield.

“That’s right. You can’t just ignore me. I’m dangerous!” Thadius taunted as circled away from Banon and Leon.

Once he was certain he had the hydra’s undivided attention, he used Extended Slash. In exchange for all of his Fighting Aura he could slash a foe up to 6ft. away. So what seemed like an empty swing to the hydra, was actually a full on hit that ripped across its torso.

In surprise, the hydra loosened its grip on Banon and Leon which allowed Marcus to move in while the heads were preoccupied.

Mavas and Elroy fell back into their roles as decoy for the left head, with Desha giving them cover from afar. Although the tactic was sound, they all miscalculated the cunning of the Mists Hydra.

It was quite used to archers, and the more arrows Desha shot the faster it adapted to the speed of their flight. Then in between shots, the left head lunged at the unsuspecting foe.

Except Thomas noticed the attack and pushed Elroy out of harms way. When the hydra came back up, it had Thomas by the arm, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Thadius! Help me!” he cried.

“Shit!” Thadius cursed as he rushed for the nearest wound he could find, then he shoved his sword in it.

Mavas followed suit, plunging his sword into the open cut in the hydras torso and twisting the blade with every ounce of malice he could muster.

Unable to bare the pain, the hydra let go. Yet, the height at which it let the young swordsman go, knock him out cold as he smacked the ground.

Meanwhile, Marcus ran over to the warriors and was shaking as he reached down to check their injuries. Banon lay unconscious, but Leon could still move. He reached for Leon first, but the Paladin shook his head.

“Him first, he got the worst of it.” he said.

“O-okay.” Marcus nodded and immediately went work on Banon.

The hum of healing magic quickly filled the air, and the sound of it drew the hydra’s attention like a moth to the flame. Even the might of Thadius wasn’t enough to keep the hydra away from a easy meal.

“Hurry, Marcus!” Leon winced as he sat up.

Beads of sweat and water dripped down Marcus’ face as he concentrated on healing, trying desperately to heal the fallen warrior before death could creep up behind him.

Although the hydra covered the distance quickly, Banon was healed before could attack. Yet, it wasn’t deterred. It raised it tail brought it crashing down.

Leon quickly shoved the priest out of the way, barely managing to roll away from the attack himself.

The beast was intent on ending Marcus’ life though, and raised its tail to crush him again. Even with his speed, Thadius knew he wouldn’t make it.

“Leon! Do it now!” Thadius cried as he ran for the priest.

Leon nodded and lifted his sword to the sky. “Holy Light!”

A blinding radiance filled the area, brighter than anything the hydra could possibly know, and it hurt. It roared as it was blinded by the light, and the momentary pause was just enough time for Thadius receive the crushing blow.

He raised his up high and took the full force of the tail slam. The sheer force brought him down hard on his knee and he cried out as an excruciating pain shot up his thigh.

“A-are you hurt!?” Marcus shouted. He was shaking uncontrollably, and his voice was barely audible over the scraping sound of the hydra dragging its tail over Thadius’ shield.

’I won’t alway be here to save you! Thadius thought bitterly. Still, he remained composed. If he didn’t try to calm Marcus down, the priest would keep freezing up like a deer in the headlights.

“I’m fine, go!” Thadius forced the words through grit teeth as held up the weight of the hydra’s tail.

Marcus quickly crawled out from under the hydra and ran towards Desha. Yet he wasn’t quick enough.

When the hydra recovered from its blindness to its intended target scurrying away, it went into fit of rage. Thadius, who had gotten in its way once again, was hit with such force that despite his shield, he blacked out until he hit the ground.

Desha, now Marcus’ last line of defense, was swept aside with another flick of its tail. The result being Marcus alone and exposed as the heads of the hydra gazed down at him with every that could stop what was to come out of commission.

’Gugugugu!’

“Marcus move!” Thadius screamed desperately. He tried to run for the priest, but his leg buckled when he put weight on it. He reached for one of his throwing knives, but he had run out.

He tried to use his pressure to gain the hydra’s attention, but he was ignored. The beast knew exactly who the threat was, and as the left head sucked in the mist, the right opened its mouth and unleashed a scalding blast at its prey.

“No!” Thadius cried, but his shout was drowned out by Marcus’ bloodcurdling shrieks. When the steam dissipated, a faceless corpse was all that was left of the Thenian priest.

Now without a healer, the squad was in jeopardy of losing everything. Desha was struggling to get up with his arrows scattered and broken around him. Thomas and Banon were still unconscious. Mavas and Elroy had completely lost the will to fight with the death of Marcus, and Leon had the look of a man resolved to die at any moment. With the squad scattered and broken, the hydra could take its sweet time picking them off one by one.

’You’ll have to finish me first!’ Thadius thought as he pushed himself to his knees.

His fighting spirit coursed through his body, filling him from head to toe. He willed himself to stand. “See! I can still move! You haven’t defeated me yet!” he cried as he took a step towards the hydra.

“You think you’re so fucking smart! Look at you! You can barely move any more than I can!” he spat as stumbled and fell to his knees. He leaned on Serenity to steady himself and rose again, threatening the beast with every step he took.

The hydra saw its chance to seal its victory, and the right head came rushing at him. Thadius raised his shield and stopped the massive jaws from clamping down on him. But he was completely pinned to the spot as the pressure and weight of the hydra crashed down on him. The attack had also caused him to drop Serenity, leaving the blade merely inches beyond his reach.

’Dammit!’

Thomas stirred as Thadius approached the monster alone and cried out in fear. "Thadius!"

"Stay back!" Thadius screamed.

The hydra writhed and clamped down its jaws as it tried to eat the prey that was right between its teeth. But Thadius refused to be eaten, and he pushed against the beast to force the shield up further. Blood and saliva dripped all around him, and the shield screeched in protest as deep ridges were cut into it from the teeth.

Thadius’ mind raced as quickly as his heart, searching for some way to end the battle as soon as possible. Every second he wasted, the worse the chances were for his squad. Sensing the distress of its victim, the hydra clamped down harder, and the power of its jaws proved too much for the shield as it began to bend under the force.

"Argh!" Thadius braced his hands against the edges of the shield, using all his strength to keep the steel and mythril from warping further.

All those that witnessed the scene could only look on helplessly as the man they had put their faith in man his final struggle. So with no one to harass it, the second head reared high.

"Gugugugu!"

Dread filled Thadius to the core as the sound of death gurgled in the back of the hydra's throat. He'd felt the same chill only once before; then a moment later, he had burst into flames. This time, he knew exactly what fate awaited him.

The hollow sound reverberated throughout the monster's mouth, and Thadius tried to reach for Serenity, only inches away. The hydra, smelling his fear, clamped down with all its might and forced him to use both hands to keep the shield from folding further. All around him, Thadius could hear the shouts of his squad. But it was too late. The sound of their voices was soon drown out by the sound of steam blasting against his shield.

Thadius’ shield began to heat up almost immediately while the force of the water pressure dislodged his shield, his only protection against the killing torrent. Fearing for his life, he pushed up as hard as he could, scalding his hands against the heated metal.

“Argh!” It was painful, but he kept pushing against the blast. This time, using his armored arms to brace against the shield.

No matter what he did though, the temperature kept rising as the steam filled the hydra’s mouth.

’I’m sorry master! I’m gonna have to use it to get me out of this! I don’t want to die here! thought regretfully as he gathered the entirety of his fighting spirit into himself.

But before he could use his master’s secret technique, the hydras steam was replace by its screams as reared back in pain.

“Thadius! Get out of there!” Leon shouted.

Thadius immediately leap for Serenity, grunting in pain as his burned has grasped the handle. When he looked up to see what happened, he saw a battle-axe lodged into the hydras spine with the giant of a man trying to wrench it free.

“Its coming back!” Leon cried.

Thadius already knew. He could feel its jaws behind him just as clearly as if it was in front of him. He pivoted on his good leg and spun around. Then as the hydra’s head breezed by him, Thadius raised his sword in both hands and slashed with all his might.

Serenity burned with holy flames as Thadius’ Holy Fighting Aura rushed through it, and with twice the power, it sliced through scale, skin, muscle, and bone. All the way through. In one clean stroke, the right head of the hydra was lopped clean off with the every ounce of flesh scorched by sacred fire.

’Now what about the other one!’ Thadius, on his knees, turned in time to see Desha rush past him. The elf had a sword in his hand as he rushed for the remaining head.

The hydra was disoriented from having lost a head, and it could barely move thanks to the axe lodged in its spine. But the monster wouldn’t go down without a fight. As Desha ran up its torso the last head turned to swallow the elf whole.

“Close your eyes!” Leon shouted.

Desha obeyed just as a brilliant flash of light engulfed the area. When the light disappeared, the last head lay on the ground with a sword shoved through the roof of its mouth, and Desha lay on the ground breathing heavily.

You’ve defeated the ‘Mists Hydra’ despite not having a full party and despite your average party level being below LV.100.

+500 Fame

x1.2 EXP You’ve leveled up

You’ve leveled up

You’ve leveled up

… As the leader of the party that deafed the ‘Mists Hydra’ despite the increased difficulty, the following stats points have been awarded.

+30 Leadership

+15 Charisma

“What are you looking at!?”

Thadius looked up to find Elroy looking at him with a look that could kill.

“What?” The question had caught Thadius completely off guard after the ordeal.

“Don’t play coy with me!” he scream wildly as he lunged for Thadius’ hands, bursting the blisters that had formed from his scalding.

Thadius writhed on the ground in agony as Elroy leaned over him screaming. “I know what I saw Traveler! Don’t play me for a fool! Did you think you could hide it from me!? Did you think I wouldn’t no-”

A fist, nearly the size of his head, smashed into the side of Elroy’s face. There Banon stood glowering at him.

“Calm yourself, boy. And show some respect after having your life saved.” he said as he knelt beside Thadius. Banon’s tone was low, but the sound of his voice carried.

“He’s a Traveler! Don’t you see it!? We shou-”

“What? Kill him? You should already know it’s pointless to kill a Traveler! Besides, when have you ever known a Traveler to risk his life for one of us?” Banon interrupted with a glare.

Elroy fell silent, took one more look at Thadius, then walk off in huff. Banon watched him walk away before turning back to Thadius. “Let me see your hands.” he commanded.

Thadius obeyed, hissing as the sticky edges of his ruptured blisters split apart. Upon seeing the mess, Banon grunted then reached into his pack and began applying his Field Healing.

“He really thinks I’m a Traveler, huh?” Thadius said quietly. The relief in his hands was almost immediate, hinting at Banon’s high level in the skill.

“Can you blame him? Your strength isn’t something common, and you always seem lost in thought. But I know a Traveler when I see one, and if I thought you were one...” Banon gave Thadius a hard look, “I’d kill you myself.”

“Good to know…” Thadius said as he looked around.

Once Banon was finished his healing he moved on to Thomas while Thadius walked over to where Leon sat praying over Marcus.

“He was a good man, from what I gathered.” Thadius said quietly as he walked up.

“He was man of faith. He deserves his place in the Heaven’s at Thena’s side.”

“Do you really think she cares?” Thadius whispered.

Leon’s jaw clenched, and his gaze hardened as he looked down at the corpse of the priest. Then after a few moments of silence, he took a deep breath and replied, “I sincerely hope so...”

Thadius left Leon to his prayer and walked over to where Mavas and Desha were. Desha was still laying on the ground, looking at the sky, while Mavas sat down beside him.

“Quite the ruckus over there…” Mavas said when Thadius walked over.

“It’ll blow over soon...You two alright? Any injuries?” Thadius asked, changing the subject.

“I’m fine. Bruised rib maybe, but I’m fine. Don’t know about this guy though.” Mavas murmured as he look down at his companion. Thadius moved to take a look and caught his breath a what he saw.

Desha’s helmet lay to the side, and the mud that was on his face had been washed off. The beauty that had been hidden underneath had stunned Thadius into silence.

The elf met Thadius eyes and his lips curled into a snarl. But without the mud, his blushing cheeks were as clear as day.

Thadius gave Mavas a questioning look, to which Mavas replied, “I had a hard time believing it myself.”

After checking up on everyone, Thadius searched for his shield. He found nearly folded in half beside the body of the hydra with teeth and scales embedded in the metal.

’More food for you, huh? Well there’s plenty more where that came from’ Thadius thought as he set to work pulling out the hydra’s teeth. Banon joined him after patching up Thomas.

Before long, the hydra had been picked clean of useable material. The sky was beginning to darken, everyone gathered around Marcus’ body.

“I won’t leave him here. His grave should be able to get some sunlight at least.” Thadius said as he carefully picked up the priest. No one protested, and then they all followed behind Thadius as he lead the way back to camp. Even as he limped with every step.

They didn’t encounter anymore croaka as they backtracked, and everyone was silent. After a few hours, they emerged from the mist to find the sun sinking on the horizon and the plains stretching out as far as the eye could see. The only problem was... the wasn’t a single soul in sight.

“Where in the hells is the camp!?” Mavas shouted.

“It’s gone, Mavas…” Thadius replied calmly. After looking death in the face one too many times, all other problems were merely inconveniences.

“But the captain told us to be back before sundown. We made it, didn’t we?” Thomas said.

"If they had just left, then we’d be able to see them on the horizon, Thomas.” Thadius shook his head and chuckled. “No. I'm sure Dain raced back to Todos as soon as possible saying something along the lines of 'They weren't ready' or 'I lost too many men'.”

“So he sends us off on a damned map quest just to forget all about us!?” Mavas protested.

“He sure did.” Thadius said. Then he cast a glance at Elroy, who clenched his jaw, refusing to make eye contact.

“You want to make camp now and set out in the morning?” Banon suggested.

Thadius was silent as he looked out at the empty field. He knew he and his men needed rest and proper healing, but it wasn’t in him to see a task go undone.

"No.” he said as he turned toward his squad. “First we’re going to bury Marcus. Then we’ll make camp. After that we will finish the mission we were given. Captain Dain told us to map the west of the mists, as much as we could, and that's what we're going to do for the next six days.” He laid Marcus on the ground and look to Banon. “When we do go back to Todos, we’ll walk in with our heads held high, dragging the heads of the hydra behind us.

“Then when we see Captain Dain, Elroy’s going to walk right up to him, shove the map in his face and say “Mission Complete”. Thadius said with a small smile, then went to stand directly in front of Elroy. "Don't you think he'll be happy that we're alive?" he asked.

"I'm sure he will." Elroy replied stoically. He was still harbored suspicions about Thadius, but he couldn't ignore what Banon had said earlier.

"What about camp? We don't have the supplies for a proper fire." Mavas said.

Thadius looked back out to the plains. "If you're concerned about warmth, then I can take care of that. And if it's the dark that worries you, then I suggest you get to sleep before sundown. Other than that, we won’t need a fire."

"Actually, I was hoping we could cook something, you know? I don't know about you guys, but those rations are terrible..." Mavas made a face as he remembered the taste. There were murmurs of agreement all around, even Desha nodded.

Thadius looked down at his bandaged hands and sighed. He wouldn't mind a warm meal, especially after the day he had, but he wouldn't be the one cooking it.

"If you can scavenge something to burn from last night's camp, then it could work. The question is, who's going to cook?" he asked.

"Well, I can cook." Thomas offered.

"What level is your cooking skill?" Mavas questioned.

"I may be a beginner but-"

"Denied." Thadius cut in. "Can anybody else cook? I'd do it, but I'd rather not chance it with my hands in this condition."

"What level is your cooking skill?" Mavas asked again.

"Max level, Advanced rank." Thadius replied confidently.

"Then you have to cook! Right guys!?" Mavas looked around hopefully, only to be admonished by Banon.

"Would you cook with bleeding hands? Or do you actually enjoy the taste of blood?" he asked as he glared at Mavas.

"I guess the warm meal is out then." Mavas said solemnly. Thomas pat him on the shoulder to comfort him.

"It was a fine suggestion, Mavas," Thadius smiled at the man,"and hopefully, once my hands heal, I'll be able-" Thadius’ voice trailed off as Desha raised his hand.

Mavas was besides himself. "I knew it! All elves can cook something. It's like a right of passage or something, right?"

"Calm down Mavas," Thadius said, then looked at Desha with a curious look. "Is your skill higher than beginner?" he asked. Desha nodded.

"Is it higher than mine?" He flashed his devilish grin.

Although his blushing cheeks made his expression have the opposite effect, Desha scowled at the squad as they all looked at him hopefully.

When he nodded again, Thadius rocked back on his heels and Mavas nearly jumped for joy.

The evening sun shined down on the small squad, marking the end of a long day. Their shadows were growing larger by the second, so any meal preparations would have to be started right away while the rest took care of the burial.

"So," Thadius said as he looked down at the elf, "Can you cook hydra?"