After a long walk through the dark, dank, and dangerous corridors, Silvertongue suddenly comes to a halt and says "I see some light coming from the corner of the room. I must investigate." Without waiting for a response from Stella or Drake, Silvertongue quickly heads towards the corner, his face still betraying no emotion or sign of concern. Stella and Drake, both curious about the light, follow Silvertongue towards the corner, cautiously but eagerly seeking any glimmer of hope in this dark and gloomy place. As the trio approached the corner, Stella and Drake remained cautious and alert, their weapons at the ready as they scanned their surroundings for any potential threat. They reached the corner and saw that Silvertongue was right, there was indeed a faint light coming from within the room. It was certainly a welcome sight in this dim and foreboding dungeon. Silvertongue's curiosity proved to be correct, and as the group entered the room, they found it to be a place of sacrifice with many ancient symbols adorning the walls and ceiling. The trio entered carefully and stood in silence, scanning their surroundings for any signs of movement or danger. Silvertongue quietly strummed his lute, his face betrayed no sign of concern, anxiety, or curiosity. Drake and Stella stood close together, their weapons at the ready in an attempt to be prepared for anything. Stella, surprised by the presence of a lit candle in an abandoned room, turned to Drake and Silvertongue and said "Someone must have lit this candle before. That's why Silvertongue saw a light coming from this room." With intrigue and curiosity, the trio moved forward, wondering who might have been present in the room before them and why the candle had been left lit. The room still had a sense of danger and foreboding, even with the glimmer of light from the candle. They advanced slowly and carefully, keeping their eyes on the shadows and ready for anything. Drake, his mind racing with possibilities and suspicions, suggested that the candle might have been lit by D'arce. They had been searching for Stella's lost friend throughout this frightening dungeon, with no luck or clues to her whereabouts. Perhaps this candle, and the light it provided, might lead them to their destination. The trio advanced cautiously and began looking around the room more closely, observing the stone walls and ancient symbols, as well as looking for any hidden entrances or secret passages that might provide further insight into their current predicament.
As Drake, Stella, and Silvertongue continued to search for clues or hidden passages, Drake spotted something hidden behind the bookshelf. With curiosity, Drake examined the bookshelf more closely, moving it aside to gain access to the hidden door. After a few moments of searching, the door suddenly swung open, revealing a dark and narrow passageway. The three looked at one another, knowing that they had just discovered a potential way forward, but also cautious and wary of the dangers that might lie beyond the door. Drake, Stella, and Silvertongue entered the narrow passageway, but as they moved deeper in, Stella suddenly felt a sense of claustrophobia, as if the passageway was becoming smaller and more cramped. She began to feel anxious and unsettled, a feeling intensified by the darkness and the unknown dangers of the passage. As Drake and Silvertongue noticed Stella's discomfort in the narrow passageway, Drake moved to comfort her and try to keep her anxiety in check. Understanding her feelings, he held her hand and spoke to her in a soothing and reassuring tone, trying to help relieve her stress and relax her nerves as they progressed forward. Silvertongue, meanwhile, observed the interaction between Drake and Stella, his expression and body language giving off a sense of indifference and disinterest, making him come off as uncaring and unsympathetic towards Stella's feelings. As Drake and Stella moved forward in the narrow passageway, Silvertongue walked behind them, growing impatient. "Come on hurry up, I want to know what's down there" he said, his tone sounding uncaring and unsympathetic towards Stella's feelings. He could see the anxiety and stress that the narrow passageway was causing Stella, but he seemed more interested in the mystery of what lay ahead, and didn't care that she was struggling. Drake looked back at Silvertongue, irritated by his lack of care and concern for Stella's feelings. Stella, in particular, was irked by Silvertongue's selfishness and indifference, feeling that his actions were rude and inconsiderate.
They eventually reached the bottom of the narrow passageway, Stella taking a deep breath to try to relieve her anxiety as Drake held her hand. A blush colored her cheeks as she turned towards Drake and softly said, "You can let go now." With a subtle blush on her face, Stella looked away slightly, feeling embarrassed to have been clinging onto Drake's hand for so long. Drake, embarrassed himself, quickly let go of Stella's hand, smiling at her and reassuring her that there was no need to be embarrassed. Silvertongue, keeping his distance from Stella and Drake, suddenly spoke up again, pointing to the dark shadows of the narrow passageway. "There's something hiding in the shadows over there, " he said ominously, raising the tension in the air. Drake and Stella, alerted by Silvertongue's comment, looked towards the shadows with a sense of caution and unease, their imaginations running wild with the possibilities of what could be lurking there. Their attention was now focused on the shadows, their fears and suspicions heightening with each passing moment. As Drake and Stella looked towards the shadows, a pale-faced girl suddenly appeared, her features distorted and devilish, her voice coming off as demonic with unnatural and sinister undertones.
"DO YOU COME HERE TO JOIN THE HUMAN HYDRA?!", she screamed in a wicked and terrifying voice, her appearance causing Drake and Stella to recoil in shock and fear. Silvertongue, however, showed no emotion, confused by the demon girl's words. "The human what?" he asked, his facial expression remaining unmoved by the girl's wicked appearance and demonic presence. As Drake and Stella stood frozen in terror at the sight of the demon girl, the Human Hydra suddenly appeared from the shadows, absorbing the demon girl and becoming one with her in a chilling and unnatural display. Drake and Stella looked on with utter shock and horror, not knowing how to react to the surreal situation in front of them. Silvertongue, however, remained unmoved and undisturbed by the demonic presence, his expression showing no hint of concern or unease.
As the human hydra rose to full height and stepped forward, Silvertongue's expression finally changed. A look of realization and understanding dawned on his face as he connected the dots, realizing that what the demon girl had said was true. "You're right... this is The Human Hydra!" Silvertongue exclaimed. "The remaining guards... they tried to save themselves with an act of love. A group of guards tried to perform a Marriage of Flesh to save themselves from the madness and sickness it induces. The ritual did not work as these guards probably planned as they became a malformed multi-headed creature afterwards."
Stella, with a look of horror and disgust, asked in a shaky voice, "Marriage of Flesh... Act of love? You mean they tried to do the ritual and show affection to the old Goddess Sylvian and failed?" Silvertongue, remained unmoved and stoic, his expression conveying a sense of indifference to the situation at hand. Drake, angry at the revelation, gritted his teeth and shouted, "That's fucked up! Human Hydra or not, I'm chopping off some heads." With determination, he drew his scimitar and prepared to take on the multi-headed monstrosity in front of them. Stella, in distress and shock, tried to hold him back, begging him to rethink his decision. Silvertongue, however, remained still and unmoved, his expression showing no emotion or sign of displeasure towards Drake's violent declaration. The human hydra, suddenly sensing aggression and violence from Drake, reacted with fury and anger. "What the fuck you talking about!? I'm gonna wreck you up so baaad!!" Drake's face filled with rage, responded to the human hydra with contempt. "You are pathetic." The human hydra, however, was not affected by Drake's insult, and fired back with its own offensive comment. "That's what I said to yer momma afterwards!" Drake, now even more angry to take down the beastly monstrosity, prepared for battle with a steely gaze.
"Prepare to die." The human hydra, feeling confident in its superior strength and power, mocked and challenged Drake with confidence. "You're the one who's gonna die here, fucker!"
Silvertongue and Stella, watching from the sidelines as Drake and the human hydra exchange insults and threats, exchanged a quick glance with one another, their faces showing a mixture of confusion, amusement, and disgust. Stella, in particular, found the altercation to be utterly ridiculous and childish, while Silvertongue remained stoic and indifferent, his expression giving off a sense of contempt and mockery. Both of them wondered if the threat of imminent danger would ever break the awkward tension and silence, or if they would be forced to continue standing by and watching the immature exchange of words. Drake, no longer willing to tolerate the human hydra's insults and threats, finally made his move and slashed several heads from the multi-headed beast. One of the heads, its body writhing with pain and fear, shouted out in dismay and shock. "What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Drake paid no attention to the injured head's plea, and instead continued to violently attack and dismember the human hydra. Blood and bodily fluids sprayed everywhere as Drake's relentless aggression and rage continued to be directed towards the multi-headed monstrosity. The human hydra, losing more and more heads from Drake's relentless slashes, tried to make an attempt to deter him from continuing to attack it.
"If you don't stop, we're gonna reck you up badly!"
Drake, still angered by the previous insults and threats, ignored the hydra's plea and continued to attack it with all of his strength. By this point, several of its heads had already been severed. The human hydra, slowly bleeding out from all the severed heads and other injuries, desperately tried to get Drake to stop butchering it. "H-hey! Seriously man!!" Drake, however, stood firm and unaffected, his eyes filled with hatred and determination as he continued his attack with precision and speed. The human hydra, now in immense pain and suffering from all of Drake's brutal attacks, tried to plead with him again, this time with greater desperation. "Oi! You gotta fucking stop!! Can't you see us suffering?!" Drake, however, continued to attack the human hydra with no mercy or hesitation, his heart filled with anger and determination. The human hydra continued to bleed and suffer, its cries of pain and desperation becoming weaker and more hopeless as its demise grew closer and closer.
As the human hydra felt its end approaching, its fear and despair grew. With its voice now sounding desperate and pleading, it tried again to get Drake to show some mercy.
"You want us to beg or something!?" Drake, however, continued to press forward and attack, his heart full of anger and his vision filled with determination. With every blow, it became clearer that the human hydra was on the verge of destruction, and that its pleas and shouts were falling on deaf ears. After finally finishing off the human hydra, Drake stepped back in exhaustion and amazement at the gruesome and horrific scene before him. His body covered in the blood of the human hydra and his blade dripping with its foul bodily fluids, he panted and struggled to catch his breath, as the full extent of his actions dawned on him. It took a moment for him to process the bloody and brutal fight, before he finally turned to look at Stella and Silvertongue. Both of them stood quietly, taking in the bloody scene and the outcome of the fight. As Drake surveyed the scene, Silvertongue approached him and spoke calmly and flatly. "Looks like the human hydra's... 'headed' to hell." He said, the joke leaving Stella groaning. "That was in horrible taste, Silvertongue," Stella said, her face showing a mixture of relief and disappointment at the terrible joke. Drake, however, remained silent for a moment, reflecting upon Silvertongue's pun and its timing, before finally responding with a weak and exhausted chuckle. As Drake and the others stood in the aftermath of the fight, none of them noticed the presence of a large, imposing prison guard approaching from behind Drake. Drake, still exhausted and drained, was unable to react in time before the prison guard struck at him, slicing off his left arm and causing him to fall down in agony and pain, the injury causing a stream of blood to flow out of the wound and stain the floor. Silvertongue and Stella watched in alarm and horror, their faces filled with fear and disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.
As the prison guards approached Drake, who lay wounded on the floor, the prison guards raised their blades and attempted to deal the fatal blow, when suddenly, a black, hooded figure materialized out of nowhere and stood before Drake. Silently, the mysterious figure raised its hand and released a powerful combustion blast at the guards, the force of the spell instantly blasting away the guards in a burst of flame and heat. Silvertongue and Stella watched in awe as the black hooded figure used its combustion spell to vanquish the guards, their expressions filled with surprise at the power and ferocity of its magic. In a blink of an eye, the guards melted away into ashes, their bodies consumed by the overwhelming heat of the mysterious figure's combustion spell. After the mysterious figure used a spell to take out the guards, the mysterious figure quickly told Stella to bandage Drake's arms to stop the bleeding, and Silvertongue to carry him and bring him to the mysterious figure's place. Stella, quickly reacting to the situation, immediately helped Drake bandage his amputated left arm, using all the available cloths and materials at her disposal. Silvertongue, using his strength to lift and carry Drake up, Drake's body slowly drifted into unconsciousness, his mind and body overwhelmed by the events of the fight and the amputation of his left arm. He could sense that he was being monitored, and heard the voices of Stella and Silvertongue discussing his condition and treatment. Another voice was heard, but as it was unfamiliar to Drake, he couldn't quite place who it belonged to, leaving him feeling slightly disoriented and confused as he slowly drifted into unconsciousness. He could also feel the touch of bandages being wrapped around his severed arm and a gentle warmth coming from a healing spell being cast on the injury. As he drifted deeper into unconsciousness, Drake was at peace, the voices and touch of Stella a reassuring and calming presence in his final moments before unconsciousness.
End Of Chapter 4