Chapter 14 The Rage of the Frozen Hydra
The icy mist tore open in an instant as if an invisible hand had slashed through it with a blade. The creature stood before them now. A massive multi headed Hydra looking like it had crawled straight out of some ancient legend. Its body towered at least ten feet high thick and gleaming a sickly blue green as if the water from the frozen Himalayan lakes had crystallized into its very skin. Ice particles clung everywhere across its form glittering in what little moonlight broke through. Nine heads swayed on long serpentine necks and on each head burned two green eyes. Venomous. Glowing. Like emeralds that had been set on fire. The heads swayed in the air hoods flared like cobras and from each mouth dripped green blue flames that hissed into steam the moment they touched the snow. Its tail was thick and long bristling with spines that sliced through the snow as it whipped through the air. The whole body shone with a frozen sheen as if it was the king of the ice itself. It roared. The sound was so deep and terrifying that the surrounding trees shuddered thick blankets of snow slid off the branches and an icy shiver ran through the entire forest.
Aarav and Kiyan froze completely. The cold wind slammed against their faces. Their breath puffed out in white clouds. Aarav's eyes went wide. His face turned pale. His hands clenched into fists without him even realizing it. Kiyan's golden eyes flared bright for a single heartbeat. His hair whipped in the wind. No words came out. Just the pounding of their hearts loud enough that it felt like the forest itself was holding its breath to watch.
The creature did not wait for even a moment. Its tail shot forward like lightning tearing through the air kicking up particles of ice. The sound it made was like a whip cracking. Kiyan did not even have time to turn. The tail wrapped around his waist and the spines sank deep into his skin. Hot red streams of blood burst out. Kiyan's coat tore apart. His scream echoed through the forest. A scream full of pain. A groan. His face twisted. His eyes burned with that golden glow. But the grip of the tail was too strong. He hung there in the air thrashing. The creature lifted him higher. One of its heads lunged forward. Mouth open. Green blue flames dripping from its jaws. Teeth long and sharp gleaming like diamonds buried in ice. The flames came closer to Kiyan's face. Red lines of searing heat began to streak across his skin. The smell of singed hair filled the air.
Aarav's blood boiled. The Devanshik (a divinely blessed one who wields divine power) power inside him surged awake all at once. A silver aura burst from his body like waves of pure moonlight spreading outward bathing the snow in radiance. His eyes lit up like molten silver. His hair rose in the wind. He ran. Snow exploded under his feet with every step white powder kicking up in clouds. He tightened his fist and drove it into the creature's stomach with every ounce of strength he had. A blast of silver energy erupted. The creature's body jerked from the impact. A deep burning mark was seared into its belly. Droplets of green blue fire scattered everywhere landing on the snow and hissing as they melted through it.
The grip of the tail loosened. Kiyan fell. Straight toward a ravine tumbling through the air. Aarav lunged forward with every bit of speed he had and grabbed Kiyan's hand. He pulled him hard into his arms. They both tumbled across the snow. Ice particles stung their faces. The cold burned. Aarav dragged Kiyan behind a thick tree. Both of them were gasping their breathing fast and uneven. Aarav looked at Kiyan's face. Blood was still seeping from his waist. His coat was completely shredded. His face had gone pale.
You okay. Aarav's voice was shaking. He placed his hand on Kiyan's waist. The silver energy glowed softly trying to ease the pain the moment it touched the wound.
Kiyan clenched his teeth and nodded. Then he pushed himself up to his feet. His face was twisted with pain but his eyes were burning. The golden glow had fully returned. Yes. Now we fight. It is not letting us run.
The creature roared again. All nine heads surged forward at once swaying through the air. Three of them spewed green blue flames. The fire came screaming through the air. Snow melted into steam on contact. Aarav thrust his hands forward and formed a silver shield. A gleaming wall of moonlight that the flames crashed against scattering sparks in every direction. Steam billowed everywhere a strange fog settling over the forest. Kiyan leaped. He used his Chhayodhbhav (a nightborn entity who drains age) speed to scale one of the creature's heads. His nails lengthened glowing with golden energy. He struck the head hard. His nails sank deep. A green liquid thick as blood began pouring from the wound. The creature shrieked and shook its head. Kiyan barely managed to avoid falling but the tail whipped around again. A spine sliced across his arm. A red streak of blood spilled onto the snow staining the white with crimson.
Kiyan. Aarav screamed and ran forward. He hurled beams of silver energy. Two of them struck the heads directly. The heads went numb. The green fire began dying out. The creature stumbled backward. Its footprints sank deep into the snow. Then it lunged again. One head tried to snatch Aarav mouth gaping flames pouring out. Kiyan shoved Aarav out of the way and barely escaped being caught in those jaws himself. The sleeve of his coat caught fire. Red marks seared onto his skin. They both ended up standing back to back breathing hard. Aarav's silver aura and Kiyan's golden glow shimmered together now like moonlight and sunlight dancing on the snow together.
The creature attacked again. Five heads launched flames at once. The air turned hot. Aarav raised his shield. Kiyan leaped and struck another head. His golden nails sank in. The head jerked. Green liquid splattered. The tail slammed into Aarav. He flew backward and smashed into a tree. The bark splintered. His breath stopped. A deep gash opened on his shoulder. Blood started seeping out. Pain blurred his vision but he forced himself back up. Kiyan screamed and threw himself at the creature landing blow after blow on the heads with his Chhayodhbhav strength. One head went completely limp. Its flames died. Aarav fired more silver beams. The creature's body became riddled with wounds. Green steam rose from every strike. They attacked together one final time. Aarav unleashed a massive wave of silver energy into its stomach. Kiyan struck two heads at once with golden force. The creature screamed. A sound that shook the whole forest. Green fire scattered everywhere. Snow melted into tiny rivers.
But then the creature suddenly turned. Its green eyes blazed even brighter as if some last reserve of strength had awakened. It bolted toward a thick wall of ice. Its feet sank into the snow. Its body began merging into the ice. The blue green color blended with the white as if the ice itself was swallowing it whole. In a single moment it was gone. Only a thin mist of green steam remained and the distant echo of a growl that slowly faded into nothing.
They both stood there gasping their bodies trembling with exhaustion. Red droplets of blood were scattered across the snow. From Aarav's shoulder. From Kiyan's arm and waist. Aarav limped over to Kiyan and grabbed his torn arm. His face tightened with pain. Your wound. It is deep.
Kiyan placed his hand on Aarav's shoulder. His own face was pale with pain too. You too. Sit. They both lowered themselves onto the snow sitting close together. Kiyan tore off what was left of his shredded coat ripped it into strips and began bandaging Aarav's shoulder. His hands were shaking but he kept trying. Aarav placed his hand on Kiyan's arm. The silver energy glowed softly. The burning in the wound eased. The bleeding began to slow. Kiyan's golden eyes stayed fixed on Aarav. A deep unspoken worry. As if years of pain had surfaced all at once. Aarav looked back into Kiyan's eyes. His palm rested still against Kiyan's arm.
The cold had grown sharper. The wind was moaning now. In the distance that same growl came again. Deep. Drawing closer. As if the creature was coming back. Or something even worse was on its way. They both stood up leaning on each other. Their eyes fixed on the darkness. Tension hung thick in the air. Like the next danger was only hiding waiting to strike.
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