010- THE ISLES OF SARPEDON
"Once we enter this door, all hell's going to break loose.", Sev warned as he was firmly placing his hand on the stone door. Nakatitig lang ako sa umaagos na dugo mula sa sugat niya against the cloth I applied. He really isn't feeling anything. He could lose all his blood.
"Wait. The flow of time here. Pareho parin ba ito sa loob ng Labyrinth? An hour equivalent to a day?", I asked. Hindi agad nakasagot yung dalawa.
"We'll find out soon. But just in-case, we better hurry. This time, a maximum of three hours and the effects of the elixir I drank earlier will wear off. We must stick to the plan.", gusto kong magmura sa sinabi ni Sev dahil sa pag-aalala ko. Maya-maya pa ay tinulak na nila ni Kai pabukas yung stone door and it revealed a massive space inside.
I didn't expect the ceiling of the cave to be so high, but it was also very hot inside. Like the temperature of the atmosphere was raised a couple of degrees higher. Napapunas pa ako ng noo ko nang nagsimula agad na magpatakan yung mga pawis ko. And there was also a strange smell that enveloped the cave.
"It must be sulfur from the magma chambers of the volcano. See that huge hole over there? I bet that leads to the magma pits of the Mount Vesuvius. We better watch out for that, and, when we cut off the last head, that's where we'll throw it.", saad ni Sev in a whisper habang papasok kami sa napakalaking cave at nililibot ang tingin dun with our guards up.
"Isn't sulfur toxic?", I asked out of nowhere.
"Sulfur doesn't affect us like it does on mortals. You should worry more about the Lernaean Hydra's breath and blood. Especially, its blood. It can kill any of us in minutes once it enters our system.", my heart pounded by his statement. Napakuyom ang kamao ko. I won't let anything happen to the two of you.
"In the name of the gods. Looks like we even chose the most unfortunate season to deal with the creature.", a slight hint of fear crossed in Sev's eyes as he gestured at something on our far side. Nung una ay hindi ko masyadong nakita kung ano yung tinuturo niya pero napatakip ako ng bibig ko sa naabutan.
"That's its skin right? You mean to say it's undergoing ecdysis?", gulat na tanong ko kay Sev as I stared at the Hydra's shed skin. Tumango naman siya.
"Diba dapat magpasalamat tayo? Most creatures are vulnerable kung nagpapalit sila ng balat. They're slower, sensitive, and easily harmed.", I stated. Rinig ko ang singhap ni Kai sa gilid.
"You're not in the mortal realm, princess. In here, it's the opposite.", natigilan ako sa sinabi ni Kai. What did he just call me?
"Kai's right, Kria. The Lernaean Hydra tends to get more aggressive and keen during its ecdysis stage. So always keep your eyes peeled and look out for the---"
"Hydra!", napasigaw ako sa gulat when I saw a pair of bright orange eyes behind Sev kaya dali-dali kaming napatalon palayo sa kabilang bahagi ng cave.
"This is it. Kai, you search for the Adamantine ore. Kria and I will take care of this serpent.", utos kaagad ni Sev sabay lingon kay Kai na mabilis na tumango ang suddenly dematerialized into black smoke beside me. Napalingon ako kay Sev.
"Remember our plan Kria. Hold your breath, engage into combat, and retreat to replenish. You cauterize its wounds, and I'll cut off its heads. Let's continuously stick to that tactic. We can't let our guard down even just for a second. And whatever you do, don't inhale the air once we're near the Lernaean Hydra.", paalala ni Sev as he suddenly recited the Greek chant summoning his divine weapon. Nagulat naman ako when I saw that it materialized on his grasp. So that means the nullifying attribute that Dominicus and Amabilis casted inside the Labyrinth is not applicable here inside the cave? Buti nalang talaga.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Prophecy of Fates
Fantasy"You are fated to end the reign of the gods." After discovering the appalling truth behind her birthright, Ahlkria ends up in a position far from the reality she once lived-in and believed. Exploring places where she thought to have only existed in...
