Chapter 1 Hercules

I walked into the clearing next to a lake the Hydra was said to frequent. Apparently, its horrible breath could be smelled from over a hundred feet away, but all I could smell was the flowers on the forest floor.

I heard something break, probably a large log. I crept closer and saw the big, hulking, reptilian creature. I charged the single head creature and sliced its head off. Easy enough, right?

Several hours later and this creature just refused to die. The heads kept growing again and again.

It was getting tired. It had to be. I felt like I'd been going at this for days, but the Hydra refused to give up.

I had shot a flame-tipped arrow into its front left leg. I thought nothing would come of it, but this creature began limping.

I got an idea, and was about to try it out when suddenly this overly large crab appeared.

A crab.

I looked up, towards the heavens. "Really, Hera? A crab? What are you, a five year old?" I shouted up to the sky.

With my sword, I just bashed the crab's shell. I didn't feel like wasting my time with it; I had gorgeous women waiting for me back in town.

I jumped up and slashed at one of the Hydra's head. I brought one of my eternally flamed arrows (courtesy of my half-brother, Hephaestus) out from my quiver. I slid it into the neck, and the rest of the heads let out a blood curdling scream.

At least I knew it wasn't invincible now.

I continued at a quicker pace, until there was only one head left. Gods, the stench from this creature was almost more then I could bear.

I tried to slice off the head, but my sword wouldn't go through.

"What?" I was dumbfounded, especially as the Hydra swung around, its long neck throwing me against the front of the cave.

I let out an audible groan, unable to get up for a moment. If I'd been mortal, that would have killed me-or at the very least, paralyzed me from the waist down.

It hissed at me, and its breath was so foul.

"Seriously, have you heard of mint? You could really use it right about now." I said to the creature.

I leapt up, grateful for the natural born abilities that are bestowed to the children of Zeus.

I looked around, and saw a tree branch, just the right size to knock this creature out.

I felt no mercy for a creature so ugly, so disgustingly foul. The green scales that were dirty, the stubs that once held many necks; it was unbearably ugly.

So as I jumped up with my god born gifts, and hit the hydra upside the head. I felt no compassion for the creature.

I had to think it was unbearably stupid as it fell. I set about digging a hole as far down as I could with my hands, and then dragged the heaving, stinking, comatose creature over to it. I shoved it in, revealingly in a job well done.

I left it, brushing my heads off.

Chapter I.V (1.5) Nike

I was sitting in a branch far above Hercules and the dead Hydra. I waited until he was long gone to flutter down and touch the soil that held the dead creature. I felt sorrier for it then I could put into words, regardless of Athena's newly found hatred for anything that was directly related to her worshipping.

The Hydra had been raised by my father, Pallas, even though she had not been a child of his.

I sat down and pulled my knees to my chin. Athena had told me to make sure Hercules killed the Hydra, and if it had not been for me sneaking into his bedroom at the inn and taking the fire arrows from his traveling bag to his quiver, he surely would've fought the Hydra until it had had more heads then Typhoon.

She hadn't deserved death, as she had only been protecting the land that she'd been raised in. She had not even given anybody a horribly long death, either, and she'd never drowned them, letting their souls go to the Underworld.

No, she had not deserved to die. I felt tears roll down but I could do nothing to stop them as I grieved for someone that I had thought of as a sister, regardless of having no resemblance to her.

Then, I did something that I hadn't thought I would ever do.

I rose to my knees, still crying, my tears hitting the earth—Great-grandmother Gaia's body. I wiped my eyes, trying to seem presentable. With dirt stained robes though, I'm not quite sure how possible that would be, but at least I was trying.

I prayed then, for the first time in my entire life. This was not a rather proud moment for me, either. I did not like to seem weak as I was the Goddess of Victory. Then I reminded myself this was for Hydra, not me.

I did not speak, for I did not want the animals or the flora nymphs or the lake god to hear my words, for they felt like a betrayal to my goddess Athena.

Great Grandmother Gaia, hear me now in my moment of want. I swallowed, even though I was not talking. My sister, the Hydra, was wrongfully slain. Let her soul be treated as a goddess's in the Underworld.

I kneeled there, in the soft, overturned soil. I'm not sure if I thought Gaia would reply or what, but I still waited. Then I heard the voice, as sweet as a summer's day.

"Great granddaughter, your wish is received. Let it be known that it shall be honored for you are as pure as the second moon and the flame's keeper." Gaia told me.

"Thank you," I whispered, rising to my feet. I felt like this would help me sleep a bit better tonight.