The hydra puffed out its chest toward the charging monster. Pride oozed out of its stance as it proudly displayed the Mark of Discord toward the monster. How dare such a simpleminded creature attack it? Couldn't it see what it was. Couldn't it see who it represented? Obviously not, based on the simple-minded beast's actions.

It was completely ridiculous. Something that was only capable of physical acts of violence didn't have a hope of challenging it. It wasn't just silly. It was insulting.

The Brand of Discord pulsed with power as, once more, the blue holographic interface popped up in front of the [[Briarblood Charger]]. The [[Briarblood Charger]] balked at the sudden intrusion but stubbornly bulled its reinforced skull through the manifestation of light. A complete description of all that it was pulsed before it, and yet the thing didn't even recognize greatness when it smashed it in the face.

The hydra ignored its silliness, scurrying around a tree as it forced its will onto the status.

Instead of 'reasonably fast', it shall be 'reasonably slow'.

Instead of 'carnivore,' it shall be 'herbivore.'

The Brand flared with power, and the hydra felt a wave of exhaustion wash over it. The status flickered, then changed in accordance with the hydra's will.

```[[Briarblood Charger]]

A common meat eater. Known for its ability to trap its prey between its antlers and drain them of lifeforce. It is tough, and reasonably agile, though its hide is notoriously fragile to puncture attacks.```

The hydra barely managed to absorb the fact that the Brand had utterly failed before the [[Briarblood Charger]] slammed its horns around its body. The hydra flinched but was surprisingly unhurt as the beast's antlers slammed into the trunk of a [[Blackburr Spire]].

The hydra wriggled, intent on sneaking free when bony, spiky growths began growing from the smooth ivory of the horns. Despite its best efforts, several thorns dug into its hide, drawing pinpricks of red blood.

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The hydra brandished the ethereal status window as a wave of weakness passed over it. The status was incorporeal, however, and no matter how hard the hydra bludgeoned the beast, the ghostly status passed through.

The [[Briarblood Charger]] scuffed the earth, driving its antlers deeper into the tree as more and more boney, blood sucking spines impaled the young hydra. Its status flickered repeatedly as various descriptors changed, but never did anything mutation impact the great beast enough to stop it.

Out of the corner of its rapidly darkening vision, the hydra glimpsed a figure. Tall and lithe, the woman stalked gracefully between the looming trees. A dress of leaves and mildew flowed smoothly behind her.

The hydra whimpered, and [[Dryad]] turned to behold the battle.

A moment passed.

[[Dryad]] looked away.

Everything turned black.

----------------------------------------

Cosmic energies glittered as awareness slowly returned. The hydra felt itself falling. No, not the hydra. The soul of the hydra was floating within a Vessel. It drifted far and away, toward a deep, hungering void where nothing would or could return. No exposed soul could survive in that chaotic maelstrom rapidly approaching, not even one so protected by a godly construct as it was.

Unnacceptable.

The hydra felt at its deepest reaches and opened a latch on the side of its soul cage. Gently. Softly. A soul escaped. It was a sleepy soul, ponderous and not fully awake. Still, it recognized the collective's plight as it hovered before the Vessel. It was as if it was wishing the collective a final goodbye.

Then, with a burst of undeniable power, the soul rocketed toward the hungering void and launched the young hydra's soul cage back toward the Timeline.

The hydra grieved for the lost piece of itself, but the impact of merging with the corporeal soon derailed the thought process.

The Hydra raised a pair of sinuous necks to behold the surroundings. A verdant green forest surrounded it. Towering black trees erupted from the earth in all directions, shading the environment with their prickly fronds. Looking lower, a dirty green grass sprouted from the ground and rose halfway up the hydra's chest.

The Hydra stumbled to its four stumpy feet, getting used to the changed balance between its long tail and new neck. It felt a thrumming in its heart as its amalgamated soul settled more firmly into the corporeal. Threads of shivering strangeness tickled across the hydra's thick hide, dancing and eventually conglomerating into a single spot on its chest.

[[Aevum: Skill Choice: Restrict Movement->Waking for the second time]]