"I don't like it," Trask murmured. "We're going to get ambushed. We'll be trapped on that ledge over the water with no way to maneuver."
"We should cross the lake in groups of two," Dougan recommended. "That way at least we can cover one another."
"And avoid getting everyone wiped out by a single blast of dragon breath," Trask agreed. "Okay, me and Gavin first. Then Mara and Seth. Then Kendra and Tanu. Then Mendigo and Dougan."
Seth wrung his fingers as Trask set out along the ledge with Gavin, moving in a low crouch, treading lightly and quickly.
"Keep that crossbow handy," Dougan murmured in Seth's ear. Nodding, Seth unslung his crossbow and made sure it was ready to fire.
When Trask waved his crossbow over his head at the far side of the lake, Mara and Seth set out. They descended near to the water to boost themselves onto the ledge. The stone shelf angled upward, so they were soon a good ten or fifteen feet above the dark and silent lake. In places, the ledge narrowed to only a few feet wide, but most of the way falling was not a concern. They moved swiftly, trying to step lightly. Seth winced whenever dirt or pebbles crunched grittily underfoot.
The last section of the ledge descended like a ramp to deposit them at the far side of the lake. When they arrived, Trask signaled with his crossbow again and Kendra started across with Tanu. Seth watched the murky lake and listened, but detected nothing threatening.
Finally Dougan and Mendigo started across at a brisk pace. Seth and the others had backed away toward the narrow passage that led deeper into the roofed ravine. Trask remained nearer to the water, a pair of adamant-tipped quarrels ready in his oversized crossbow.
Seth began to relax as soon as Dougan and Mendigo reached the near shore. And then shrieking heads came boiling up out of the water.
With water raining down on them, Dougan and Mendigo broke into a run. Fumbling the giant sword, the limberjack dragged the tip behind him, the metal scraping and clanging against rocks. Unflinching, Trask took a step closer to the lake, aiming his crossbow. Tanu shepherded Kendra, Seth, and Mara deeper into the passage. Gavin dashed toward the lake, waving one arm, shaking his spear, and screeching the dragon language.
As the dark green hydra scooted its bulky body onto the shore, Seth gawked in amazement. The massive creature had no fewer than fifteen heads swaying at the end of as many serpentine necks. Three shorter necks ended in charred stumps. The draconic heads were roughly the size of coffins, varying somewhat one from another in size and shape. Several bore scars.
As Gavin continued to wave his arm and shriek, all the heads gradually fixated on him, malevolent eyes glittering. Breathing heavily, Dougan reached Seth and the others at the mouth of the narrow passage. Mendigo arrived behind him.
"We don't care who you are," the heads spat together, harsh voices ringing in unison. "All who enter this temple must die."
"We're not after the g-g-g-gauntlets," Gavin called, switching to English. Seth wondered if Gavin also stuttered when speaking the dragon tongue.
"You think we care what you're after?" the heads cried. "We have killed since the dawn of time, and we shall kill well into the dusk."
The hydra looked old to Seth. Compared to Nafia, the heads and necks seemed wasted, more skeletal. One was missing an eye. Another lacked a lower jaw. One head dangled listlessly at the end of its neck, either dead or unconscious. Missing patches of scales left bare spots on the scarred necks. Lank scarves of scum glistened wetly.
"You call yourself a killer?" Gavin taunted. "I name you a slave! A broken-down old watchdog!"
The heads screamed. Seth covered his ears, and even so the wails resounded with tremendous volume. "We are Hespera! We guard sacred treasures!"
"You cower in a muddy pit reeking of slime," Gavin laughed. "Elsewhere in this same sanctuary a younger hydra roams a glorious swamp, hunting fat prey as it pleases!"
"Liar!" the heads snarled together.
"Oh, these dragons really pulled one over on you. Listen to yourselves! So many sad voices singing the same sorry tune." Gavin pointed to one head. "Say something on your own." He gestured to the head missing an eye. "How about you, cyclops?" Gavin shook his head. "Your minds are further gone than your body! Pathetic!"
Two of the heads on the right began to hiss at each other. Another head began to squeal. A head on the left stretched toward Gavin, fangs bared, but he skipped out of reach.
"Silence," demanded a single head toward the center, yellower than the others.
Gavin pointed at the speaker. "That one."
Trask loosed a quarrel at the yellow head, and one of its eyes went dark. The head reared up, jaws opening, and Trask launched a second quarrel into the mouth. Using undersized forelegs and semicircular fins, the hydra scooted farther out of the lake. Trask tossed his crossbow to Gavin, who caught it as he sprinted away from the lake. Sevetal heads lashed toward Trask. Casting aside his shield, he drew a pair of swords, and the blades rang against tooth and scale as he whirled and slashed, moving generally away from the water.
Seth fired his crossbow, but could not tell where the arrow landed. Tanu threw glass bulbs that began to fill the ait with smoke. The hydra flopped farther onto the shore. After hacking off part of a tongue, Trask turned and tan. Everyone stampeded deeper into the passage. Behind them the hydra flailed and bellowed. The echoing wails seemed to come from all directions.
"Slow down," Trask panted. "Don't rush, we're out of danger."
"We should stop here," Tanu suggested in a stage whisper. "The passage widens again not much farther on. We could stumble unprepared into an equally deadly foe."
"The creature is too big to reach us here," Trask said, leaning against a wall. "Anyone hurt?"
Nobody responded.
"Could have been worse," Dougan said.
"The hydra isn't there to keep us out," Seth said. "It's there to trap us inside."
"It would appear that way," Trask agreed. "The creature didn't show itself until all of us were past."
"Between the narrow approach and the vulnerable ledge, we'll have a tough exit ahead of us," Gavin lamented, handing Trask back his crossbow.
"What was with the trash talk?" Seth inquired.
"I was trying to get some of the heads out of sync,"
Gavin said. "I wanted to identify the g-g-governing head. I think we succeeded. Hespera is ancient. Some of those heads looked unwell. Senile or nuts or something. I hoped some might resent their role as guardian. If we could take out the governing head, and incite the others, the monstrosity might end up trying to go ten different directions at once."