Chapter 41
Hercules
Ibreathe out slowly as I approach the swamp. The Hydra is an utterly magnificent beast to behold.
Its huge body is mostly ensconced in the inky-black pool, and three necks the size of tree trunks wind up out of it.
They’re covered in interlocking scales that shine like metal when they move, catching what little light filters through the mist in dazzling flashes.
One snakelike head, with a ring of fierce horns projecting from behind the skull, is low to the ground at one edge of the swamp.
Its massive jaws are open, revealing rows of teeth like sword blades, and I can hear the hissing from here.
I guess the Hydra has found my daughter.
I wonder briefly what my father would think of my following Lyssa and her crew to the Hydra.
It was a tactical decision, not a necessity.
If that pathetic little satyr found the bridge, I would have too, I’m sure.
And my being behind them means that I have all the distractions I need for the monster, with the added bonus that it might finish my interfering daughter off for me.
The thought brings a smile to my face. How fitting would it be if she died here, in Athena’s realm? The goddess who gave her shelter when she escaped me, and I strongly suspect will be backing her now.
I don’t believe it was a coincidence that she was selected from the urn. My own daughter the fourth hero, when she’s done nothing of note her entire miserable life?
No. Either Athena or Hera had a hand in her place here, or somebody sympathetic to me wanted to give me an opportunity to finish what I started all those years ago.
Red hair, bloody, pale skin, and screaming flash through my mind, briefly replacing the reality in front of me.
I snarl as I shake my head to clear it. Enough of the past. I must be in the present, and my actions now will undoubtedly shape my future. My eternal future.
I run for the opposite side of the swamp, keeping low to the ground. My lion-skin cloak ripples behind me, the weight of it reassuring. Nothing can penetrate this hide. I’m practically invincible. I watch the two unoccupied heads, only discernible in the thicker mist by the shining red eyes.
I slow as I reach the bank, my boots sinking slightly into the soft earth at the water’s edge.
The smell of sulfur is overwhelming here, mixed with something organic and rotting.
The swamp water is perfectly still, black and reflecting nothing.
Excitement rolls through me, a familiar heat in my chest and limbs.
This is what I was born for. Strength against strength.
I need no time to get my breath back; I’m used to exerting myself. Without taking my eyes off the red orbs above, I move my hands to the scabbard at my belt. My fingers close around the diamond hilt and a crystal-clear ringing sounds as I pull the shining silver sword from its sheath.
The sound carries across the swamp like a bell, and instantly the two heads moving slowly in the mist above me freeze. The third head, still occupied with Lyssa and her crew, continues its attack, but these two are mine now.
I smile and hold the mighty weapon in front of me in both hands, feeling its perfect balance.
Keravnos. The name means thunderbolt, and that’s exactly what it feels like in my hands.
An extension of my own power, my own will.
I flex my wrists to the right, then left, testing the weight of the sword. It’s perfect.
The heads descend from the mist. Two gaping maws appear either side of me, each large enough to swallow a horse whole. Brutal teeth gnash the air, clicking together with sounds like breaking stone, and writhing tentacles dangle and twist, sensing the air between us.
My god-given strength surges through me, and I grip the sword harder, channeling my power into it. The connection forms immediately, a rush of energy flowing from my body into the weapon. The sword begins to glow red, pulsing with my heartbeat, growing brighter and brighter.
A bark of laughter escapes. I can’t help it. This feeling, this moment before the violence begins… It’s intoxicating. The Hydra heads hiss in response, a sound that’s almost mechanical, like steam escaping from a forge. I feel the vibration in my bones, in my teeth, in the cells of my body.
The heads draw back, coiling like serpents about to strike. I plant my feet, adjusting my stance. The lion-skin cloak settles around my shoulders. Keravnos blazes in my hands.
This is going to be fun.