Viscount Nathan was going through a set of documents that I placed on the table. They were composed of multiple accounts regarding taxes and money flow in the city, while also including small, big, and new businesses' overall functioning. "Are there any problems, Cedric?" He asked, stamping and signing the already processed documents while giving each one a brief read.
"We seemed to be short on funds for this winter." I said, looking at the few morning dew drops outside the window. It was still too early.
"It's true that we can't arbitrarily keep on spending money from our own pockets. And doing the opposite in the current situation is also not a good choice." He went into thought for a moment as he muttered to himself before opening his mouth again and asked, meeting my eyes. "How long can we last?"
"Probably another year, if this goes on. The collection of taxes has been stagnant for a while. There are people who are favoring migration to other provinces rather than staying in Riverdale."
"Is it because there are no new jobs?" He asked, lamenting.
"The city's population is already low. And each one has their own business, with a few working under them and the remaining working as adventurers and mercenaries. Excluding adventurers who don't directly contribute to the house. Only a few rookies stay around, and that too until they gather some experience doing low-level missions. And mainly, our city lacks the resources to support them, sir. No agriculture. No trades. Nothing, which would bring in more money. So they view it as a waste from the beginning. They lack enthusiasm, and that would only grow moving forward." It was the sorry state of this city called Riverdale. I didn't understand how it managed to survive all these years.
"I am a Viscount of that kind of land." A self-hatred smile momentarily appeared on his face. "Well, the other two cities in Andor are no better. Although I can't talk much about Lumin, the state of this province would only get better when I ascend to the title of Earl and rule over the entirety of Andor." He sighed. Those words, which I kept hearing from years before, seemed like nothing but words to me. Empty words. But it didn't make me feel any less loyal to Viscount Nathan. That was the case. Yes.
"So what do you suggest, sir? Slaves? Although it could be temporary. Should we discuss something with Steward Desmond before the banquet? I think his help would do us only good." The man who manages the entire kingdom should be more than enough to handle our city's finances.
"No, no. Not now. After the banquet, yeah, after the banquet." He nodded to himself. "I need to become the Earl first. Nothing small or big should come in between. Nothing." His voice grew as he spoke the last sentence. The question was, would problems wait for oneself? "Okay, leave that for now, Cedric. Isn't it today?" He asked, his voice returning to normal. Even his agitated expression became collected.
"Yes, sir." I said, understanding what he meant.
"This time, you go and bring him by yourself, Cedric." I nodded and gave a respectful bow before exiting the room.
I know what the Viscount is doing is wrong. Or self-explanatory. But I still, like someone loyal, didn't bother to dig deeper. I sometimes question my actions. I feel pity for what I do. I may brush it off as being loyal, but it was nothing more than being a coward and unworthy of my position. Yes, that was it. My truth.
I walked across the hallway, and while climbing down the staircase, I saw Miss Bianca gathering all the maids in the hall. She had her usual stern expression. I approached her, looking over four rows of maids in their attire, standing in the front. "Good morning, Miss Bianca." I said, as I stood beside her. She just nodded in response, looking over the maids, but I didn't mind that. It was still early, but the preparations for the banquet seemed to have begun.
"Do you have anything to talk to me about, sir Cedric?" She asked, not even glancing at my side.
"Ah, sorry to bother you, Miss Bianca. I know I don't need to say this, but I talked with Viscount Nathan a moment ago." With the mention of his name, she finally turned her head towards me. "He needs you to attend to the guests with the utmost care. Especially the king and his escorts. They should be arriving a day or two before. If everything goes well, Viscount Nathan will become an Earl soon. So, no small mishap will be tolerated." Her expression didn't change a bit at my words.
"That, you don't need to worry, sir Cedric. Please convey the same to the Viscount too." She said, looking into my eyes. I nodded, not bothering to elaborate anymore.
"Though I forgot to ask you. Have you seen Shaka anywhere?"
She shook her head, and after exchanging another glance, I exited the mansion in a small carriage, which was waiting for me in the front yard.
Still a mellow dark, I looked through the carriage window as a messenger bird flew in the direction of the mansion, pecking at one of the windows of the maid quarters. Ignoring that, I crossed my hands and leaned my head back in my seat. Today was the final day of young master Ash's punishment. A week later, it would be his sixth birthday. "It's already been six years since then," I muttered. Things looked the same from back then. Even people did. But it was better to say that changes were hardly noticed. Noticed by anyone but me. The carriage went at a steady pace. With still a few more hours left to reach the Misty Grove, I used this chance to take a short nap while going through a few more arrangements for the upcoming banquet in my head.
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I opened my eyes to a constant tapping sound on the window glass. Rubbing my eyes, I went to the window to find a greyish, white bird, trying to enter the room. It was a small falcon with an envelope in its mouth. As soon as I opened the window, it rushed inside, fluttering its long wings continuously, and circled one time around the room. It dropped the envelope on the single bed at the corner and left through the same window it came in a hurry.
Grabbing the small feather that floated in the air, I brushed my tousled bangs to the side of my ears and curled my hair behind, into a small bun. I picked up the envelope—letter and sat on the bed, opening it. As I read the name on the top left, it made me unconsciously smile a little—Carter. It was from my brother. And it has been more than a month since I received anything from him.
Still, a little early before sunrise, it was a bit more silent than usual in the mansion. I ignored my little drowsiness as I read through the long contents of the letter that never ceased to worry about me and constantly mentioned his partner Lark. He always talks bad about him in his letters but I could tell they were good friends. Except, my brother never seems to agree on that. I sighed internally. But as I reached the end, I couldn't help but peer at the written words and read them multiple times.
When I thought he would be returning home after his long mission in the capital, he already went on another one. I felt both angry and sad, but could do nothing about it. And the important thing was, his mention of the name Luna Winters. The young lady of this house. My brother still didn't know I worked here and I haven't seen Miss Luna till now from when I started working here. But this coincidence surprised me. She seemed to be the part of his hastily formed party for a mission in the Misty Grove and also his previous one in the capital. I felt relieved when I read the location. The forest wasn't far from here or dangerous. It also looked like he was just filling in for the numbers.
Although my brother would be angry when he would know I was working as a maid, he would also be surprised if he knew it was the mansion of the very woman he went on an adventure with. I chuckled unconsciously. He also kept on describing her elegant beauty, which made me frown a little. The sudden tap on the door made me come out of my thoughts. "Maya, are you awake?" A familiar voice called out to me.
"Coming, Miss Ivy!" I replied as I kept the letter back in the envelope and shoved it under the pillow. Rubbing my face, I hastily went to the door and opened it. The mother-like face of Miss Ivy, already dressed in her maid attire, was before me.
"You still didn't get ready?" Hearing her words, a sudden realization dawned on me. It was the day we were to start decorating the mansion in preparation for the young master's birthday banquet, which was in a week. "You forgot, didn't you?" She made an angry gesture, and I nervously smiled. "Miss Bianca is already waiting for us in the hall. You don't want to anger her, first thing in the morning, do you? So hurry." When she mentioned her name, a shiver ran through my spine.
"Just ten—no, five minutes, Miss Ivy!" Saying that, I shut the door and washed my face, changed my clothes and opened the door again, with a shaky breath.
Miss Ivy looked at me from top to bottom before her lips curled up into a wide smile. "Good," She said, brushing off a feather on my shoulder. Nodding, I followed her, through the long hallway. Today was also the final day of young master Ash's punishment. The entire week felt like a minute as I was busy learning the way around here. But I couldn't say the same for him. I couldn't stop thinking, how lonely and scared he would be. And also the fact that he was in the same place my brother went, made me feel a strange sense of ease. "Still sleepy, Maya?" Miss Ivy asked, peeking at me from the front.
"No, Miss Ivy." I shook my head and glanced at the pale-orange filled sky from one of the windows in the hallway. Smiling to myself, I increased my pace. Before we knew it, we were in front of twenty-some maids, with Miss Bianca instructing them. She looked at me with a sharp glare for a second before gesturing to join the group. She sternly repeated what things should be done and how thorough we should be, also pointing at a few walls in the main hall now and then. We nodded, carefully listening to every detail. Miss Ivy, as the second-in-command, stood beside Miss Bianca and gave me a short smile when our eyes met. But I couldn't do the same.
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I used to have this occasional dream. A dream of my adult life. A busy, adult life. In that, I wasn't a Mage or a swordsman and neither a farm boy. I used to sit in a glass-walled room, with a nice table before me. It used to be filled with a bundle of towering papers, every morning, among other things. And I, as a clog in a rusted machine, used to sign them with a pen, something I haven't held or seen before. The name I signed wasn't mine but I naturally wrote it as if it was mine. Even the language wasn't something I learned but I seem to naturally understand it. There were people coming into the room, asking permission, bowing to me and leaving again. The dream was endless. Repetitive. As did the work. And I was used to it—I knew. Even though the world was filled with vibrant colors, my life was black and white. Only this white, empty room and the black and gray-suited people lingered before my eyes every day. Something really felt empty inside me, but I couldn't understand what. Also, this wasn't my first time saying this.
I turned back on my chair, looking through the glass wall behind me. A forest of tall buildings, not much different from each other. But, far behind them, at a distance away, there was this bluish-white beach. An expanse of sand and people running and resting. Smiling and falling down. It felt colorful. Even if it was a dream, I don't know how many times I saw it. And even if it were reality, I don't know how many times I wanted to see it. But it was out of my reach, even though it was right before me, filling my eyes with a sense of emptiness. Thinking about that, I heard another tap on the glass door behind me. A man with a blue file in his hands entered and placed it on the table before me. The color blue was bright. Provocative for some reason. Maybe I knew the contents inside already. I looked at the man who came as he sat on the chair opposite me with a haughty attitude. This was the first person who didn't ask me for permission.
His face was blurry. Or just that I couldn't make out his features. But I could tell he had a displeased expression. But I said nothing. It felt like I was accustomed to his behavior. As if I knew him—very well at that. Maybe that was also the reason; I could feel my emotions stir up just with his presence in the room. I turned my eyes to the blue file on the table, picked it up, and read its contents. The man started to inspect this lifeless room, not minding me in the least.
The file was thin, and I didn't understand a single word. Or it's better to say that after each word I read, I seem to forget it as if it never existed. But turning each paper made my heart feel a range of emotions. By the time I reached the end, I had hastily tore off the last paper from the file, threw the file to the side, and got up from my seat. This time, I could remember the last word written at the corner of that crumpled paper. A signature was needed. My signature. But I showed complete offense by doing that. It wasn't the type of signature I do every day. It was different. It was important—for me and for them. But the man before me seemed to have already guessed my reaction beforehand. He acted calm. He didn't mind my actions. He didn't respond either, but waited. I collected myself and sat back in my seat in resignation. Unnatural for me, I tapped my finger on the table as I glared at the man before me. Although I can't see his face properly, I felt a faint smirk appear on his face.
My heart stirred. My eyes darted. I tried to speak, but no words came out. But I saw the man's lips move as an inaudible whisper, and he got up from his seat. He walked to the side and picked up the blue file that I threw. Dusting it, he shuffled through the papers inside and walked back to me. He neatly opened the crumbled, torn paper on the table and placed it inside the file, handing it to me. I didn't bother to extend my hand. So, he placed the file on the table and leisurely left with a few more inaudible words. The smirk never left his face. I turned and looked at the scenery again. The sand. The water. The people. The setting sun left a brimming hue of orange in the sky. It calmed me, for whenever I gazed at it, a decisive thought came to mind, and I got up from my seat. I grabbed the car keys on the table and got out of the room, leaving the blue file on the table unattended.
Stolen novel; please report.
Everyone outside stopped their work and looked at me as I made my way to the elevator. But I didn't mind those gazes. It became too common for me to see it as a bother. As the hum of the elevator opening greeted my ears, I tightened my grip on the keys in my hand. I was going to do it today. On a very ordinary thing. But unordinary for me. I got into the elevator and got out of the tall, glass building. A man waited for me, holding out the car door. I didn't know how long, but I gestured to him and entered the vehicle alone. I started the car and pushed on the clutch and accelerator. The wheels rotated at full speed, and my car moved—accelerated. The digital number on the speedometer of my car kept on increasing, and I didn't have any intention to stop. I crossed a red signal. Two and three. But the streets were empty, with only a few vehicles moving around. I could hear a few curses and drifting tires simultaneously, which I ignored and took a sharp left. The rubber tires burned due to friction between them and the hard ground. And before I knew it, I stopped my car at one location and opened the door.
My skin pulsed as the atmosphere shifted from a cool car AC to a chilly breeze on the seashore. I removed my hard black shoes and socks, throwing them to the side. My legs sank a bit into the dry sand. I took a step forward. The feeling of small particles of sand rubbing against my skin felt oddly comforting. So this is how it feels. I thought. I took another step. Each of my nerves could feel a tingle. Something new. I walked around, left and right. I wanted every cell in my body to remember this feeling. I got on my knees, took a handful of sand. The smell was nostalgic. It's been far too long.
Looking over to the ocean, I got up and slowly took my steps. It was like a joy that I could never attain. My pace increased. The dry sand became wet, and some stuck to my feet. It felt alive. I felt alive. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I breathed. I breathed actual air. Like a living human should. Then a strong tide came onto the surface, submerging my legs to my knees. I stumbled. My heart thumped. My blood rushed. An elated smile appeared on my face. I opened my mouth. My tongue felt a little salty as an oceanic breeze swept past me. This was Life.
I gazed at the distant sky. In place of the sun, there was now a beautiful white crescent moon, shining yellowish-white. It was a bit cloudy, hiding it from time to time. The breeze became a bit chilly. I turned my head in one direction. At some distance away, a woman stood still against the waves, gazing into the ocean. And when the moonlight shone brightly, her face was revealed. Even though I couldn't make out every one of her features, I could still identify her just from a glance. A familiar person. But she was different in some way from the time I saw her last time—the only time.
I walked towards her—ran. I was shouting something, bursting out of my throat, but I didn't know what. Waving my hands to get her attention, but I didn't know why. She was walking straight into the ocean. Tides that came to the shore submerged her feet, her waist, till her neck. But surprisingly enough, she didn't fall. Though her thin layer of clothing got fully drenched. And when I thought that, she stumbled upon her own foot and fell on her back. Holding the wet, sandy ground tight, she got up before a bigger tide hit her. This time, taking her into the water. But before she could entirely get swept away, I grabbed her arm and used all my strength to pull her out of the water. Tightly holding her arm, I crawled a few feet away from the water, dragging her body along with me.
The woman coughed, throwing up a mouthful of salt water. I coughed and looked at her, worried that she would dive back into the ocean again. But contrary to that, her eyes teared up, coughing a bit more. The corners of her mouth shook. They trembled as tears rolled down her sandy cheeks. I could hear her gritting her teeth as she tightened her fist. Her brownish-blonde, tousled, wet hair covered most of her face. I got up and went to her but couldn't dare to touch her. I wanted to say something. The reason behind the smile on my face. Yeah, a smile. Yet again, before I could say that, she got up, rubbing her eyes and faced me. She was right before me, looking in my eyes but my mind struggled to see her face clearly. It was more of a layered fragmentation. Revealing piece by piece. But I could tell and feel everything as if I was recollecting a diary written in my own words. She had an angry expression. It was beyond that. She was scornful. And out of nowhere, she pulled out a small pistol. A metalic, palm-sized pistol, pointed straight at my face.
A bang sounded, the next moment. But it was not from the pistol. And without thinking, I turned to my left, in the direction of the city. It was more of a boom. An explosion cloud rose to the sky from somewhere. What was happening? I was reaching the end. The end of this unforgettable dream. The shock still fresh in my mind, I turned to face the woman before me. Still holding the pistol at my head, the woman was no more. She disappeared, replaced with a man in white shirt, a black tie and formal pants. He was bare footed and my height. Wearing my clothes. He was me?
He—I pulled the trigger. It was really a bang this time. A loud one at that. Blood spurted out of my forehead, spilling on the greyish-white, wet sand, soaking into it. But I didn't feel pain. Morelike, I felt it somewhere else. Somewhere near my chest. A pain that was not physical, clutching my heart. I felt I had seen this all happen before. This wasn't the first time, nor the second, I felt. "Why… ?" The question came out of my mouth, asking myself, standing before me. A small smile appeared on his face. And it became clear. The fragmentation. I could see. An adult man, who is me but not me at the same time. He had my features, but matured. Yet, I was still a child. A five year old one at that. The man's face immediately shifted again. He became short, half my size. He now had rugged features and a burly beard. I knew him. "Why… old man?" I asked the figure of old man Gustav before me. But smiling at me again, he fired more bullets, aimed at all my limb joints.
I collapsed flat onto the ground. The same sandy smell, filled with metallic scent of blood and the saltiness of the ocean water. "I will take care of it boy." I heard him say. That's what he said before too. Before he stabbed and sliced me in half. "Everything will be fine." The same final words. He uttered close to my ears. I mocked him inside. I mocked myself for trusting him. Felt frustrated. But I could do nothing. The deed was already done. Both here and in reality. This was my sweet taste of Betrayal. Did I trust him before? Maybe I did but not to meet an end like this. Never.
I could feel my eyes close. This was a dream. But a dream which became more and more vivid the number of times I dreamt of it. And I knew I would come here again. To this dream. It was a feeling. And even more things would happen then. Maybe I will get to see it from the beginning, to the end. My end, as it should be. The story would be shown, told, heard and felt. By me. An everlasting faded reality of mine. I slowly felt myself drift back to reality. A painful one at that.
The first thing I felt was an overbearing number of sounds. Muffled, screeching, screaming and moaning. All kinds, mixed like a heavy, constant source of noise. The sounds were annoying. They were disturbing and painful. I could feel the reverberating sound of my heart beating in my chest. I could feel both heat and cold. Vividly. I was awake. But I couldn't open my eyes. I couldn't move my hands or speak. There was nothing I could do. But I wasn't dead. That was the least surprising.
I felt my body being squished under the feet of many monsters. Running. Screaming. Dying. I thought about the kobold that tried to kill me and about Eveline, who was unconscious under a rock. I thought about old man Gustav whose warm, unusual smile still lingered in my memory. Even during all this, I could clearly feel the wound that sliced me in half, healing, albeit slowly.
The old man should have aimed for my head or at least my heart if he really wanted to kill me. He didn't. Was he stupid? No, he did that with purpose. Or maybe he couldn't do it all along. But he still cut me. Enough for me to struggle. Writhe in this unbearable pain. It was painful yet numb. Something common these past few days. I was slowly getting accustomed to it all. Slowly and better. But I thought, constantly. Something of a premonition. Why die while trying to uselessly kill me? It was useless, for both of us. A thought flashed in my head. But I was afraid to act on it. Afraid of the reality that would dawn upon me. I tried to sense Mana. The simplest thing. But I couldn't. Not even a tinge of Mana inside me. I was certain then. My newly formed core was shattered. Would it heal? I didn't think so. Was that his aim all along?
I slowly opened my eyes, gulping down saliva. The scene of crimson entered my eyes. My senses jumped back from death as the smell of sickeningly thick monster blood parched my throat. The hundreds of kobolds. Even more numbered goblins were nowhere. Only their crushed, battered corpses with organs and brain matter spread everywhere remained. The very sight instilled terror in me. It was a sea of blood. The headless corpse of old man Gustav was some distance away from me. Lifeless. With his age-old short sword a few inches away from my reach. I gritted my teeth at that. And among all this, in one place stood the five-headed Hydra. It now had one more head, completely grown. Even its initial size seemed to have become a bit bigger. My breathing was ragged as the remaining monsters ran into the tunnels. It felt like I didn't sleep for long. The Hydra was taking deep, long breaths. Each one echoing inside this space. It was not moving for some reason. Its skin was shining black. Like metal with a reddish hue and it only deepened as time went by.
I looked around me and found all the thick, greasy blood running into the pool of blood under the Hydra. It was pouring into that endless pit. At some point even mine must have been mixed in it. I just didn't know. The gooey monster beside the Hydra was deflated. Like it was dead or in slumber. But I could see trails of flesh and other meat, gathered around its lower body. Getting absorbed into it, slowly. I observed that scene barely lifting myself. When I inspected my body, I could see my muscle fibres crawling, alive, trying to attach themselves at the part of the wound. I was still naked but the green cloak was around me, dyed in red. Even my metal hand and leg were no more. My eyes again darted around. I tried to gather my thoughts. It all felt jarry. I still couldn't help but try to feel Mana, but I was unable to. My core was really no more.
I looked in the direction of Eveline. The cover of rock I made over her still remained, but parts of it fell off due to the commotion. I could see parts of her body, although barely. My options and choices meant nothing now. Nothing at all. It was also then a low sounding growl escaped from the Hydra's mouths. The sound grew. The ground shook. It vibrated, waves forming on the layer of overflowing blood on the floor.
I again looked at the wound in my chest. A gaping hole. Without thinking much, I plunged my right hand into it, reaching the depths of my sternum. I could feel a fist sized sphere, pulsating. As always, it was surrounded by a thick, black barrier. I clenched it in my hand, putting more strength. It was sturdy but I was physically trying to break something. I used more of my strength. The hole in my chest enlarged as my hand stirred inside my own body. The pain was nerve-sickening.
Even then, I could only grit my teeth as the blurry image of Hydra was becoming increasingly detailed in my eyes. The cave rock was collapsing. Tumbling and falling everywhere. A few small ones even fell on my shoulder, but I resisted the immediate pain. The air around me trembled as one of the Hydra heads opened its mouth wide. It was pointed at the ceiling of this small cave. I pulled my hand out of my chest. For a moment I felt a sudden dawn of peace and calm. A serenity. "Young master, Ashhhh!" A loud voice echoed, turning my eyes in the direction, where a new figure appeared. A familiar person. A shock of an expression was on his face. He ignored everything that was happening and looked at only me. I waited to see if anyone else would come out from there. But he was the only one. My sister's bodyguard. Torian.
And the next moment, my eyes shifted to the previous scene again. A strange yellowish substance materialised above the Hydra's mouth in the form of a sphere. It seemed like a viscous liquid, and an ambient light emanated from it. The next second, it started to crack, and the cracks spelled out a burst of some unknown energy, filled with glistening light. Then with another crack, it completely bursted and in a streamline, the energy instantly fired into the cave ceiling, digging through it. It made the entire ceiling shook, and it started to collapse.
At the same time, another one of the Hydra's heads opened its eyes and came rushing in my direction. Its speed was uncanny to its size. Before I could react, a green light blazed in front of me and a metal sound rang with sparks flying around. It was Torian covered in Aura, blocking the entire Hydra's head with just his sword. But he was immediately pushed back and his body swung into the air. A falling chunk of ceiling rock hit his body but it broke into pieces, as Torian crashed into a wall at the back. I tried to move my body but I was so slow that the Hydra's head was right in front of me with its entire mouth wide open. Two snake-like, long fangs and the sheer size of it's mouth was enough to fit my entire body inside it.
Yet, the body of Aura covered Torian appeared before me again. This time, blood dripped from the top of his head. Even his armour seemed to have been bent. And his sword half-broken. "Young master, run!" He shouted with his hands trembling and his body constantly pushing back. I tried to move but my body didn't listen to me. At the same time, another Hydra head opened its eyes, and along with the one that fired a cannon like energy blast before, the two Hydra heads came rushing at us. "Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggghh!" Torian screamed both in pain and grit as he parried the Hydra's head he was battling, to the side, even if for an instant and jumped forward, towards the two approaching Hydra heads. A few more falling rocks obstructed his view, but it didn't matter in the end. The Hydra heads' sheer size and strength was enough to push Torian back again, irrespective of what was happening around us. But he somehow managed to cushion his fall by rotating in mid-air as even more raging, green Aura burst out from his body.
The head he parried before, now rushed to him from behind him, and the two remaining heads attacked him from the front. His entire self had no way to escape from that position. Screeches filled the room along with, now the increased rate of collapsing ceiling. With another Aura burst, Torian tightened his grip on the sword hilt and with a piercing gesture that was aimed to the ground, he plunged his sword inside one of the Hydra's mouths. But it shattered like a piece of fragile glass as the Hydra head behind him bit off his entire lower half in mid-air. Blood sprayed out from there, along with his intestines, but before Torian could even grasp his situation, his Aura dimmed as another Hydra head in front of him munched off his upper half like a clean sword slash. With another spray of blood, his seperated spine dangled to the side of the Hydra's mouth, with the remaining part of his torso, covered in half-armour and the completely intact left arm, now fell to the ground along with a few falling rocks.
My heart thumped at the scene as my breathing became erratic. The Hydra heads slowly turned their bloodshot eyes in my direction. They glowed in a tinge of yellow, and behind them, with my completely enlarged eyes, I could see—feel—another three pairs of piercing gazes. My body didn't move. It shivered, uncontrollably. Was it fear? I put that fleeting thought at the back of my head and tried to crawl in the direction of the short sword of old man Gustav, a few breaths away. I pushed my body like a being with no limbs. I ignored the presence of the approaching Hydra heads and extended my right arm, throwing my body to the front at the same time as I grabbed the hilt of the sword. Above me, unable to sustain the damage any longer, the entire remaining part of the ceiling collapsed the next moment. A few rocks fell on my body and the hand. Then again, I felt the strong presence of the Hydra right beside me. Its mouth, completely open. This was neither of the six heads, but a new, freshly grown seventh one. A bit pinkish, red. Underdeveloped scales yet the size grew as its mouth inched closer to my body, rushing. Along with a part of the ground, it swallowed me whole. Everything around me darkened as I tumbled into its mouth. Suddenly I felt a burning sensation all around me. Even the air I breathed in hurry burned my tongue, my throat and lungs. Blood poured out of my nose as the slithering tongue under me made a wavy motion and my body rolled deeper into the pitch black darkness. At the same time, ignoring the immediate pain, and my unfamiliar surrounding, I tightened the grip on the sword and aimed it at the black core inside me. I slid the sword through my chest, stabbing slightly at a different place than the old man and crouched as I didn't know what more to do.