Zutal had spent seven days in the forest, and while two gold a day is a lot of money he is beginning to realise that dead people can not spend it. Maybe picking a spontaneous mission and not questioning his master was a bad idea, a bit too late to question now and certainly he can not leave with the familiar contract binding him to Sofia, which is why they have been passing through ever more dangerous areas of the forest.
Timber wolves and a hybrid humanoid wolf have been the least of Zutals concerns by now as going deeper into the forest has left the party, and Colbert Vermillions group of 5 slaves plus butler, rather rattled. Flying, sentient swarms of beetles the size of 10cm (4 inches) have been repelled by bug spray as they shouted threats at the party, with more creatures coming in to confirm the groups purpose and past alliances in the Deep Wood, like amphibian tribesmen that are too poisonous to touch the skin off for creatures even like Zutal with scales rather than squishy skin with pores to absorb poison.
However the recent group left Zutal more rattled, the hobgoblin tribe that they stayed at as part of Dante Vermillions negotiations prior to the trip have warned the party about a hydra variant lurking in the lost temple. They had adamantly refused to lead us to the location even with the deals and instead only allowed us to use their base as camp for the groups journeys, although the usefulness of the walls is appreciated and their protector bear tribe that is in charge of the area for letting us live here.
Since we had the deal we did not have to do chores for the village in return for staying, but we did have to find our own food, which meant that after spending another day setting up for any prolonged stays we could head into the temple by next morning. I did make note that the hobgoblins returning from their hunts in the evening did bring in a dead human, however he clearly had been mauled by something else as he was already partially eaten, and these hobgoblins might be a tribe, but they did cook all their meat before consumption.
The group did reach the temple but not without issues, the detailed descriptions of the forest from its dwellers did little to help us when every tree had a low hanging branch or moss growing on its side, it took us far longer than we preferred to find the temple even with its close vicinity to the village, arriving at around mid-day after six hours of moving through the dense forest filled with ferns and bushes.
Once we reached the site we found a partially uncovered temple, mad of stone slabs that made large steps to the tip of the flattened pyramid with a tree growing on top of it. Tree roots covered the top of the temple, with ferns and bushes hiding the bottom of first couple of the large stone slabs that were as high as I was. On all four sides the temple had smaller steps for bipedal creatures to ascend and descend, but such a feature would not be used by us as there was a cave opening on the eastern side.
Colbert: "This opening should lead us into the underground complex of the temple, stay close and I will lead the expedition from now on."
I exchanged looks with Sofia, but she was unbothered by Colbert taking charge as she instead focused on Marie, with her old leather bracers adorned by my grey scales, with some grey scales on her chest plate around her heart but the rest still covered by emerald. I did this as my scales were much tougher and only slightly heavier than Sofias scales, hopefully allowing Marie to parry an attack with the bracers or to stop a wild animals bite, similar to how they have been protecting me from the wild creatures in the woods. Plus the extraction process was very humane, with a few scales falling off naturally but most being ripped out from me while I was in combat with foxes the size of wolves, and owls far larger than me trying to steal me, Sofia and our tent in the middle of the night, so we are down a tent from the beginning of the expedition but nothing else got damaged during the only night raid.
Marie: "Keep in mind that I will overrule any decisions deemed too dangerous. I will not be placing my team on top of any sacrificial offering tables, circles, engravings, and or allowing blood of my party to be spilled into any chalices or aforementioned places."
The past week has been hell, as the further we advance into the forest the more dangerous it is to just be wandering according to an old map. The local hobgoblins do not stray far from their own village, even if the rest of the territory is under their bear masters due to the wild creatures being strong enough to challenge our party by themselves. This does not mean that the hobgoblins are weak, however as an adventuring team fully prepared with supplies and strong members we would beat them in a 4v4 fight, but that is not how the forest works and the natives can easily ambush us or simply not engage.
Colbert: "Do not worry, that is what the slaves are for. Just remember one thing, if you leave or I die then not even sister will be able to save you from my fathers wrath and Dagon will be thrilled to help out."
Sofia: "Do not believe him Zutal, Dagon rarely gets involved with lesser beings. Although Dante Vermillion will still kill us."
A bit of a relief that I will not be picking a fight with a God, but it still is a terrifying prospect to deal with a full demon that controls the most volatile region in the Sentient Assemblage.
Sofia: "Stick to the deal."
Colbert: "Same to you"
As the two continue to argue the smell of the hydra permeates the air, but something is still wrong. The creature is not weak as the village and it are unsure of who would win in a confrontation as seen by a lack of fighting, however it is by no means strong enough to make the protectors of the area engage with it over it squatting in the temple suggesting that it may not be a real hydra. This either raises our odds in winning or it makes the encounter less predictable, leading to our downfall.
As the group of eleven stands around and assesses the area I hear a faint squeal of an animal that turns my blood to ice. The warming robe having no effect on me as I can hear the noise coming closer from the hole that we are discussing and assessing the surroundings of for any quick getaway or defensible position.
Zutal: "Hey! I think something is down in the hole screaming."
The wailing continues as more sounds soon follow. Bestial growls and loud thumping coming from the cavern below.
It all culminates in the abomination that surfaces from down below. The seven headed fake hydra raises from the earth. Its snow white skin glows under the sun in visible discomfort as it raises out of the comparatively small hole. Soon it is upon the party and everyone fends for themselves.
Goblin servant: "Slaves protect your master."
Colbert: "Damn it a fake hydra!"
Colbert is quickly following up on his servants quick wit with an eldritch blast to one of the seven heads. The rest are roused from the sun lights daze as they focus on their targets.
A head looks around at the five swarming servants, three humans and two goblins as one claw slashes at an advancing goblin before grasping the screaming monster. Unable to use any power it is nothing but fodder so that the adventurer party can deal damage.
Sofia: "Mother nature bless us with your might to defeat our foes."
Vines shoot out of the ground and wrap around the large creature, poking into its skin but not tearing through. The eldritch blasted head was hanging low to the ground and got entangled causing the creature to buck and sway to try and rip the plants on it.
Five heads move out, a taunt from Allelu catches three that swarm from in front and the sides, snapping like turtles before retreating from a swinging arm length sword.
Marie manages to hit another moving head causing it to reel back to the main body and scream as blood flows from its side, three arrows piercing the neck and oozing a foul smelling blood that has the consistency of yogurt than liquid blood. The area where the blood lands hisses loudly as though being eaten away by acid. The four legged creature tosses the goblin in its four clawed leg away and proceeds to walk on towards Marie, its remaining attacking head seething at her actions with drool coming from the mouth down its neck before dripping on the grass.
The creature is fully out of the cave and stands at four metres (13 foot) tall with a long and slender tail behind it dragging on the ground like a slug. The humans throw themselves at the creature as the plant bindings fail and it moves forward, dragging the plants and its heads to Marie.
Marie: "I got its attention, Try to remove its heads before they can realise that their surrounded."
Not knowing our language the creature charges forward to meet Marie, but I intervene. Sharp claws meet a low hanging head as the tunnel visioned head drags the entire body. I slash at the charred and blasted head drooping at the ground, aiming just behind the skull where it meets the spine, with a quick stab there can be heard a snapping sound as the limp head drops on the ground motionless. Allelu takes advantage of the dragged heads and slashes two heads with her smaller sword before switching to the larger blade on her back. Sofia stops focusing on the vines and aims a hail of thorns at the enraged head.
The loss of a head seems to anger the beast as it thrashes around violently, while the head is lost the neck still responds to the rage and throws me back. Blood spraying everywhere from the open wound as there is a scream. The female bandit from a while ago is covered in the stuff, her face burns and smokes as she writhes around on the ground imitating the raging hydra in almost a mockery. This results in the hydra also stomping down on another human slave with its feet, the man not even whimpering as all air is pushed out of his lungs when the heavy hydra steps on his torso.
Three slaves down the hydra has only lost one head. A taunt from Allelu, now behind the hydra draws the attention of two heads, a slashed head tries to bite her but she parries with her long sword and removes the lower jaw. Unfortunately the second head is too fast, as the remaining head that has only watched shoots out at her, eating her left arm within its maw, its teeth dagger like in appearance and size grind against the armour before a fist slams into the heads eye socket and pulls out the gooey thing. Releasing Allelu the one eye head moves into an offensive range, snapping but not fully committing to an attack.
Colbert: "We got it on the ropes. Strike now and we can overwhelm it."
Sofia: "No fool."
But it is too late. The human and two goblins with the servant move in. The entire beast rears up on its hind legs and belly flops on the ground, squishing a slashed and bruised goblins as well as the servant goblin. Human and uninjured goblin jump out of the way in time as the beast crashes, landing on their backs with the human being engulfed in the uninjured hydra head. The head does not stay that way as the humans gurgled cries are soon engulfed by a loud bang, as an eldritch blast engulfs the hydra head and human body in fire, with the mouth open in an almost silent scream as sizzling can be heard.
I jump onto my feet and rush at the burning head, claws slamming down into the hydras humanoid like head. The dagger like teeth come out in a splatter of brain matter and bone fragments. My other claw slamming into the humans skull to put an end to the creatures suffering, three heads down and four more to go. Suddenly I am slammed by a normal fake hydra head. It bites into my right shoulder, damn it I forgot that Allelu only struck two heads as this was not the only fully well head.
Neck muscles bulge and strain as I am lifted off the ground and tossed slightly to the side. Once free Sofia slams the head with her thorn projectiles. Allelu attack the one eyed head, but the jaw missing head rises from the ground and slams Allelu into the grass and keeps pushing down while the one eye head wraps its jaws around her helmet.
Allelu: "Get it off!"
Marie: "Stay still."
Allelu: "What!"
Allelus outrage lasts not too long as an arrow to the remaining eye socket pierces into the skull of the biting down head. This kills the creature, as Allelu wraps her legs around the jawless head and rides it. Surprised that the fake hydra does not die easily I try to stand up. The pain in my right shoulder is great and the knives pierced deep, I am not made of steel like Allelus armour. The hydra head that attacked me is being tag teamed by Sofia and Colbert throwing thorns and eldritch blasts respectively.
A bleeding hydra head with three arrows can barely be seen taking on a human and a goblin. As both throw fists at the sluggish head that is in excruciating pain, blood trickles down the neck and almost reaches the base of the body before forming a large pool. Showing the damage over time on the beast.
We are not faring any better. Allelu looks like she is about to pass out from stress and her injuries, with a tooth sticking out of her helm and a hydra head on top of her. Marie, Sofia and Colbert are trying really hard not to kill someone with stray fire that crosses over each other sometimes. Two out of five slaves alive, I as a familiar are also out of the fight. Luckily the fake hydra only has three heads remaining, the arrows head, burned head and slashed head.
Me and Allelu get up and walk to one another around the battle. Marie launches three arrows at the slashed head and significantly impacts its movements as it starts bleeding profusely while swinging its head like a mace. This crazy manoeuvre hurts itself even more, by hitting the burned head and knocking both heads out. The final head gets an arrow to the eye. Before moving to rest Marie shoots the heads that hit each other in the eye and the jawless head just to be safe, as everyone who still lives sits away from the large pool of acidic blood and rests together in a circle with our backs to each other.