The Pearl Of Vynes - Chapter 14 Monstrous Assaul

Alice was setting up camp again for them both outside the city, Miles was sitting on the ground mulling over something.

“Is there anyway, we can sell the cargo to someone else?” Alice asked.

“No, it has no value to anyone else. A lot of my cargo is very unique and hard to sell to the public. That damn monster just had to come in” Miles lamented, tapping his fingers on his face as he sat deep in thought.

“So what happens when the Hydra takes people?” Alice asked

“Well usually they just eat on the spot and go back to their nest, but he was taken away so that’s what has been confusing to me. It’s a thing Hydra’s never really do” Miles said, only paying attention to half the conversation.

“I don’t know, I’d want to eat dinner when I get home” Alice said.

Miles stopped for a second and widened his eyes in realisation.

“That’s it!” Miles shouted, leaping up from his sitting position.

“What is?” Alice asked in surprise at Miles enthusiasm. Miles was literally jumping on the spot in front of her, and it was starting worry Alice.

“That! You’re a genius Alice” Miles said grabbing her hands and pulling her up as he swung them both around in a dance.

“Thanks, but for what?” Alice asked getting spun around, still confused.

“There’s only one reason a Hydra would want to take food back to its nest, and that is to feed its young. Looks like there’s hope left he’s alive” Miles said having stopped dancing, was smiling and trying to catch his breath again.

“Wait, wait, wait. You want us to go to the Hydra’s nest?” Alice asked at the ridiculous request.

“Yes, as soon as we recover him we can be on our way” Miles said folding his arms, confidence oozing from him now.

“Are you crazy Miles? How are we even going to kill something like that when the strongest people in the kingdom are having difficulties?” Alice said, attempting to get the message through his thick head.

“That’s why we’re going to get you kitted out. We need something a lot tougher for you, armour is a must” Miles said as he started pacing around the campfire, a plan starting to form in his head.

“Do you think the rest of the people are there?” Alice asked, sitting down.

“It’s possible that they are, since if it attacks again its young should be near to hatching. This is our chance to get them back. So what do you think?” Miles asked

“I think it’s stupid, but if you get killed I’ll be stuck in the middle of nowhere so it’s not like I have a choice” Alice sighed, placing a hand on her forehead to ease the slow headache that was slowly growing worse from Miles.

“But we don’t have to kill it; we just have to be captured” Miles said as a point.

“Wait, won’t the guards try to kill it?” Alice replied, starting to really worry about their lives.

“It’s gonna be difficult to convince them to stop killing it, won’t it?” Miles said smiling.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking Miles, but I already don’t like it” Alice said.

for visiting.

“Ahaha, you’re just like your father” Miles said with a wink.

“I have to say, this is by far one the worst ideas you’ve had so far” Alice said, swaying in the wind as she dangled from a oversized fishing pole, her feet tied to end of the pole while Alice dangled above the dark waters below.

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never gone fishing for Hydra before” Miles said staring out at the water, looking for a hint of any monsters ready to break the surface.

“I feel like I should be more worried about it than I already am” Alice said, the worry had slowly given way to boredom as she was tied for quite a while.

“You’ll be fine, I’m right here with you” Miles said, throwing fish bait into the water. The waters turning a slight pink colour as the bait spread across the harbour and giving a foul smell that filled both of their noses.

“You’re not very good at counselling, you should probably work on that” Alice said as the breeze picked up, making her start to sway again. As Miles kept throwing more and more bait in the port the quiet made the situation tenser, Alice thought to herself; Would this even work?

As she was mulling through her options, a bell tolled in the distance. Coming from the direction of the town’s ramparts

“Seems like it’s finally here” Miles said wiping the sweat from his brow in relief.

“So why did I have to be used as bait then if we were just going to follow it?” Alice said from her position.

“Aesthetics” Miles said with a grin.

From above Alice could see the harbour very clearly. A faint shadow was rapidly moving under the surface. Though it was heading in the wrong direction, racing towards the town itself and ignoring the large amount of bait the pair had thrown into the port.

“Miles, the Hydra is heading to the town” Alice shouted from her dangling position, Miles turned from his bait throwing and ran to the bow of the ship. The head of the Hydra broke the surface of the water, letting forth a cry somewhere between a hiss and roar sending chills down Alice’s spine. Its eyes had a glassy reflection to them emanating a presence that was almost alien to her. As the rest of its body rose to the surface it began to be level with the sea walls of the town. It raised its legs and started to clamber up the wall as the guards started to shout and shoot arrows down at the large beast.

“Miles!” Alice shouted. Miles snapped out of his daze and cut the rope to let Alice down. Alice let out a loud sound as the wind was knocked out of her, Miles untied the rope around her feet and kept an eye on the monster crawling over the rampart walls.

“Something’s not right, it shouldn’t be running to the town over the food” Miles said, placing a hand on his face as thought about the situation, Alice was already running around grabbing their armour and weapons they had bundled up on the deck of the ship.

“No time for that, we’ve got to help them” Alice shouted, putting on her armour and wresting it into shape.

“And how do you expect to do that? The guards are already keeping it under control” Miles pointed out as the arrows started to rain down on the Hydra. Most of the arrows bounced of its scales, falling harmlessly into the water below. Some however started to catch in the small parts in between its hard armour. As the Hydra leaned its weight down on the stone wall cracks started to appear along its mortar and the noise of the wall starting to tear was horrendous.

“Are you that sure they will?” Alice said with less confidence than Miles, still strapping the belts on her armour.

“Not sure, there’s something that’s bothering me about this” Miles said, not having moved from his spot as he watched the situation unfold. Rubble started to fall down around the port as the Hydra breached the wall, standing eye to eye with the Royal Guards. People were starting to flee from the town, running in terror from the monstrosity invading their town, letting out screams in horror. The Hydra started roaming the streets, barely having its tail raised above the walls that Alice could follow with her eyes.

“We’ll wait by the ship, it’s gonna have to come back” Miles said, starting to prep the sails and ropes to head out onto the harbour.

“But the people…” Alice protested as she watch the panicked people running past them.

“I think the Hydra is going to keep them alive. Don’t worry too much.” Miles said, sitting back and watching at the rudder ready for the monster to make its way out of the city. Alice had a tight grip on her dagger strapped to her waist, despite knowing the small piece of metal would minimal damaged at most it kept her reassured with all of the panicing people around them. As the arrows kept whistling through the air, the Hydra started to climb over the walls again with a person held in its mouth. Alice could easily see the person was screaming in terror at the situation.