Battle with a hydra

Himari stood looking into the ocean below for any sign of moment. She could feel the excitement in the air. Everyone wanted this. The people on this ship wanted to help their country by snagging a hydra and they also wanted the bragging rights that came with killing a hydra with two or three heads. Himari’s gaze never left the water, but nothing was moving. She didn’t think her search magic was wrong. She was just about to do another search when she saw movement in the water. Something large was headed to the surface, bigger than she expected. The closer it got the bigger it became. She wondered if all hydras were huge. The creature finally broke the surface of the water and towered over the ship. Joan hollered out never taking her eyes off the hydra “Himari that is not two or three headed. That has way more heads than we agreed upon.” Himari wanted to count the number of heads but there wasn’t time the Hydra was getting ready to strike. Himari knew that it had too many heads for Cedric and Mavis to handle alone. Could she handle freezing that many heads? Think Himari, think. She looked at a sun ray lighting up a strip of the boat between two of the hydra heads. That’s it she thought. She concentrated trying to form a laser beam focusing on a head on the end of its body. She imagined the laser cutting right hydra smoothly and watched as the laser cut the head off completely. She quickly opened her storage box and stored the head. Cutting off one of the heads made Himari sad and a little sick to her stomach, but she needed to focus on helping. Cedric hollered out “I expect a full explanation on how you did that once we are done here and why its head is not regenerating even though you didn’t use flames. Now that it’s madder than it was before you started dismembering it.” Himari said “Please don’t say dismember. It makes me queasy right now. You and Mavis concentrate on freezing the amount of heads you can and Joan and her troop will handle them as planned. I will continue what I am doing. Do you still have any of the mana potions I made left?” Cedric shouted out “Yes” and Himari replied “Good, you and Mavis use those potions but don’t push yourselves to exhaustion.” Before Duncan could say the comment about her needing to take her own advice that she could feel was coming she quickly looked at him and said “I will not push myself to exhaustion. Promise.” Duncan nodded and pulled a long beautiful sword from his storage box and called out as he used magic to make a flame rap around the blade “We will slay this hydra and bring riches and pride to our people of Imponina.” Everyone shouted out a battle cry as they began their assault on the hydra. Joan and her troop’s wielded swords covered in flames chopping off heads that dropped soundlessly into magic storage boxes. Himari turned her attention to chopping heads off with her laser and dropping them into her storage box. Just then the hydra opened its mouth and a ghastly colored haze was coming from it Duncan shouted “Everyone back. It’s released its deadly poison. Joan pulled face respirators from her storage container and started handing them out. Joan loudly said “Wear these. They will protect you from the poison.” Himari was tempted to just blow the gas away but was scared it could harm the wild life or worse people. Himari was sure if she had time to figure out the molecular components of the gas she could change the properties rendering it useless. She didn’t have time for that now though. She needed to concentrate on the matter at hand or people could get hurt or worse. She wished she could muzzle the hydra. That’s it! She visualized a pocket of water around each hydra head that prevented the poison from leaking into the air. She explained what she did and before Cedric or Duncan could say anything “Yeah, yeah, I know. I will explain everything I did and how I did it when we are done.” Everyone turned the concentration back to the hydra just as it slammed one of its head into the deck causing the whole ship to jerk sending some of the people flying. Himari lost her balance but Duncan caught her and helped her regain her footing. It was just as everyone had gotten their footing the hydra through its head into the ship again this time almost landing on some of the people. Himari looked up in time to see one of the heads heading her way, right before the head would have landed on her arms grabbed her and yanked her into the air. Duncan looked at Himari with a grim expression on his face and said “I don’t like what I am about to suggest but there are still too many heads for Cedric and Mavis to hold alone while the others attack. Can you do what you did except to multiple heads at the same time?” Himari thought about it a moment and said “I don’t think I can do all the heads without breaking my promise to you. I might be able to do three if everybody else can get the rest?” Duncan nodded his head. Joan who heard everything yelled out “Okay let’s do this. Cedric and Mavis we need you to hold three heads still and everyone who is able to attack those heads. If you need a mana boost grab a potion from Cedric but don’t fight if you are already exhausted. We are not losing anyone today. Understood?” Choruses of “Understood” were yelled out by the troops. Still in Duncan’s arms in the air Himari was already concentrating on making three lasers and removing the hydras heads. As she was doing this Joan and her fighters were removing three heads of the hydra also. There was only one head left and it was the thickest and largest of the hydras heads and bodies. Himari hollered ‘Joan lets combine my laser with your blade so we can get it in one swoop. “Joan nodded. Himari concentrated her magic into Joan’s sword changing the orange and red fire to a golden white flame that acted and looked more like lightening the way it danced and sparked across the blade. Joan ran towards the hydra before flying into the air dodging the hydras attempts to strike. Himari thought that Joan moved so graceful through the sky more like a dancer than a warrior. Himari almost missed the head of the hydra falling into the storage box it was over that quick. Duncan flew Himari down on the ship where he checked her over to make sure she wasn’t hurt. She felt his relief through their connection that she wasn’t harmed and hadn’t pushed herself to exhaustion again. They then rushed to check on the rest of the crew and troops and were relieved no one was hurt. Most of them were just tired but could still stand and walk on their own. They checked the ship and were surprised and relieved that it didn’t even have a scuff mark on it. Joan and her men gave out a boisterous cheer and soon had the crew and everyone else on the ship cheering. Duncan excitedly and happily picked Himari up by the waist and started spinning her around as he chanted over and over “We did it.” Himari couldn’t help but grin back. She was slightly dizzy when Duncan finally set her back on her feet and she had to hold onto him until everything had stopped spinning. She felt elated and relieved and couldn’t help but laugh as relief and joy bubbled up inside of her. Himari and Duncan stood looking into each other’s grinning happily completely oblivious to the crew and troops shouting and celebrating around them. It was like they were in their own little bubble that was burst by Joan wrapping an arm around Himari’s shoulder and shouting to be heard over the ruckus of everyone else ‘We did good! We made an amazing team, didn’t we boss man?” Joan tacked on in a teasing tone “After all that work I think we deserve a reward boss man. Why don’t you teleport Arturo here and have him and the other chefs cook us a scrumptious meal.” Duncan through back his head and laughed “You and Himari both are motivated by food, now I understand how you two became friends so fast.” Himari crossed her arms and said in a teasing tone “I dint know it bothered you so much I taught Arturo some of the recipes from my home world. I guess I will have to tell Arturo not to make the cookie recipes I gave him for you.” Duncan groaned and said “I take it back. Please don’t. You know I love those cookies.” Joan was watching the exchange with amusement flashing in her eye. Himari said teasingly “I might not tell him if you beg and make sure there is a lot of flattery in there.” Duncan bantering back said “Oh beautiful, smart, amazing, not at all gluttonous, Himari I beseech you to have mercy on me and do not deny me those delectable cookies you’ve taught Arturo to make or any other delicious creation you plan to teach Arturo. Please accept my humblest apology.” Himari and Joan locked eyes and couldn’t contain their laughter and both started laughing uncontrollable. They were holding each other up and laughing. Maybe it was from relief, or happiness, or the absurdness of the situation anytime they looked at each other their laughter would start again until their sides and stomach hurt from laughing so much. Duncan watched the two with a bemused expression on his face. Once they had calmed down Duncan announced with a mischief smile “I will go ask Arturo if he wants to cook for such a rowdy bunch.” He disappeared and reappeared a few moments later with a smiling Arturo in tow. Arturo and the other chefs went straight to the kitchen to cook a feast. Himari tried to follow them but Duncan, Cedric, and Joan wouldn’t let her. Instead she drank punche in celebration with everyone else. Everyone was laughing, joking, and telling stories that were sometimes so silly and outlandish they had everyone in stitches. Soon dinner was served and the chefs joined in on the merriment. It was close to dawn before anyone found their beds and drifted off to sleep. Himari had set up a barrier around the ship with alarms and cruise control with the destination set for the docks they had come from so even Dylan could sleep. When she had explained to Dylan what she had done he had grinned at her and slapped his knee before saying “Girl you are amazing.” Duncan had stood proudly by her side while she had done this before escorting her to her quarters on the boat and as he had done almost every night since she had come to his world; he kissed the back of her hand and bid her a goodnight. This time he walked right across the hall since his room was across from hers. He waited until she was safely in her room before entering his and going to bed.