Chapter 14: Bringing Back Bodil
(The group had been venturing for hours now. The trail that they were traveling on seemed to be endless and nerve-whacking. Solace and Chim lead the group as they get closer and closer to get the essence. Meanwhile, Simon looks over and sees the body of his friend still tied to Storm. He walks over and whispers something).
-Simon: (whispering) Don't worry, Bodil. I'll bring you back. I promise.
(Over the next 3 miles, the group never stopped for a break. They continued on, determined to get the first essence and if lucky, bring back the troller again. About 9 hours after they had departed from the center of the plains, by now, everyone is exhausted. But, when they come over a hill, right ahead of them is a giant cave. GoldSolace and Sky walk in front of the group and look ahead).
-Sky: Is this it?
-GoldSolace: Yep. This is definitely the cave where the Life Essence is at. But before we enter...
(GoldSolace glances behind himself).
-GoldSolace: Is everyone ready?
(Everyone pulls out either swords or axes, enchanted. They are armed and ready. Solace looks back at the cave).
-GoldSolace: Well...let's do this.
(The blond leads everyone down the hill and towards the cave. Chimney lights up a torch as they enter the cavern, lighting up the dark entrance. Everywhere everybody looked, they see stalactites and stalagmites on the sides of the cave, the faint sound of water dripping met their ears. But the way the cave looked starts to send shivers down everyone's spines).
-ChimneySwift: Um...Solace? This cave is giving me shivers right now. That Hydra could be just waiting for its chance to attack us.
-GoldSolace: I don't know. The Hydra usually waits at the entrance of a cave when it starts attacking. It rarely ever leaves its home.
-Sky: Maybe it's got bored of guarding the essence and left.
-GoldSolace: Probably...
(The group continue to adventure through the cave. Then, a small squeak met their ears. Bashur immediately thinks that it's the Hydra).
-Bashur: Oh no! The Hydra is here! Everyone, take cover!
(Bashur hides under Storm. The stallion snorts in annoyance. Chimney moves the torch over and lights up the left part of the cavern. A small bat is seen hanging upside down on the floor of the cave).
-ChimneySwift: Bash, relax. It's just a little bat.
(Bashur peers over from under the stallion and sees the small creature).
-Bashur: What if that's just the Hydra in disguise?
-ChimneySwift: Bashur, how can a giant monster disguise itself as a small creature like that?
-Bashur: Disguising powers?
(Ronix giggles from Bashur's answer. Bash hears her giggling and smiles, knowing that she will be liking him in no time. The group resume exploring through the cavern. After they do a bit of searching around, they reach the deepest part of the cave. A chamber-like room comes into view. Everyone looks in astonishment from the large open-area in the room. Right in the center of the room is a small pedestal. Floating right above the object...is the Life Essence. A small, gunpowder-shaped, pink item with small hearts dancing around it, levitated right over the pedestal. Sky walks in front of the group).
-Sky: Well, looks like the Hydra isn't here. This doesn't look too hard.
(Sky confidently approaching the pedestal. Then, Bashur breaks away from the group to analyze the far sides of the chamber. On the right side of the cavern, he sees a medium-sized hole in front of him and right beneath his feet, he sees the bone remains of a horse. He gulps as he sees the horse's skull).
-Bashur: I wonder who made a meal out of this horse...
(Suddenly, he hears a low growling noise. He looks up at the hole in front of him).
-Bashur: Huh?
(Appearing from the dark hole is a pair of purple eyes. Bashur gasps, then he gets even more terrified when several pairs of eyes appear around the first pair. He immediately rushes away from the hole).
-Bashur: HYDRA!
(Everyone, including Sky, look to the side and stare in shock as a large, dark dragon with six, swing heads starts to crawl out of the hole. Each neck has a glowing, bright-blue color around them and each head has light-purple eyes with dark-purple pupils, similar to the Ender Dragon. Three of the heads turn and roar at Sky, showing off rows of razor-sharp teeth while the other three do the same thing towards the gang. Sky looks towards his friends).
-Sky: EVERYBODY, RUN!
(Immediately, all the Minecrafters split up and dash in different direction. The creature's heads look around, choosing who to eat up first. However, Caveman isn't backing down from the dragon, rather wanting to challenge the beast. He bravely walks up to it).
-Caveman: Ya'll don't scare me with your six heads and your Ender Dragon-like eyes. Prepare to face the caveman!
(The prehistoric Minecrafter leaps and grabs onto one of the head's horns. The dragon roars as it tries to shake him off, but Caveman has a firm grip on the horns. Then, one of the other heads comes and bites down on Caveman's legs. The Minecrafter cries out in pain as he feels their sharp teeth dig into his flesh. Then, he loses his grip and is tossed away. He crashes into the rock wall and falls over on the ground).
-AntVenom: Caveman!
(Caveman grunts painfully as he tries to get to his feet. The Hydra roars as it crawls right for him, seeing an advantage to attack him. Caveman gazes up and gasps as one of the heads lunges right for him. But then, a stray arrow flies towards it and impales the side of its head. The head roars out painfully as the other heads look over and see Kitty, armed with an enchanted bow. She readies another arrow).
-Kitty: Back off from the caveman, you scaly freak of nature.
(She fires another arrow. It zooms through the air and strikes the same head again. The head roars out again. Then, the Hydra turns its attention towards her. She gasps as the dragon rushes right for her. The female quickly bolts and gets into a crevice. The dragon gets to her and two of the heads start biting the entrance to the crevice, taking it apart block by block).
-Kitty: SOMEBODY, HELP!
(Rex sees his wife in distress and quickly pulls out an iron sword).
-Rex: Don't worry, I'll save you, my love!
(Rex quickly dashes over for the dragon. He lets out a war cry as he jumps onto the dragon's back and stabs the sword into one of the heads that's biting on the crevice. The head cries out and falls over as the creature begins to back away from the crevice. Rex grabs the handle of his weapon, pulls it out of the deceased head, and quickly gets off of the back. Kitty makes a break for it out of the crevice as the creature backs away. She runs up to Rex and embraces him).
-Kitty: That was way too close.
-Rex: I'm just glad you're safe.
(The other catch up to the couple. The Hydra is now down to four heads, one of the heads flopping over with two arrows to the head while the other has purple blood dripping out of the wound on its cranium).
-SethBling: Well, we manage to take out two of its heads. Now, we just gotta keep it up.
(Suddenly, the four heads extend out. All four nearly reach the roof of the cavern. They open all their mouths and a medium-sized, bright-blue colored fireball starts to appear in each of their mouths. The first one launches its move, as well as the second, third, and fourth).
-Deadlox: INCOMING!
(All the Minecrafters lunge out of the way as the fireballs strike the ground, sending stone and cobblestone blocks in all directions. Half of the group end up on opposite sides of the cave).
-Ssundee: Ugh, geez, this thing just doesn't give up!
-Seto: Luckily, I got potions that will slow it down and give us a chance to fight back
(Seto summons in his hands potions of harming. Using his new telekinesis powers, his eyes start to glow a dull-blue color and levitates the potions in the air. Two of the Hydra's heads lunge for the sorcerer, their mouths wide open. Seto does a throwing motion with his arms and both potions are launched at the creature. The heads accidentally swallow both potions. Their jaws flail open and screech painfully as the effects of the potions kick in. The Hydra collapses on its short, front legs, then its back legs fall down. The only remaining, unharmed heads fall to the ground as their injuries heads are splayed in different directions. Everyone looks cautiously as the Hydra remains on the ground).
-AntVenom: Did we do it? Is it dead?
(A few seconds after AntVenom said that, the two remaining heads begin to ascend from the ground. They open their mouths and morph their attacks together to form a gigantic fireball).
-GoldSolace: Wait a sec...with a fireball that big, it will consume the entire chamber here and kill all of us!
-Jerome: Not on my watch. Biggums, you ready?
(Bajan pulls out an iron Betty).
-BajanCanadian: Always!
(The two Minecrafters run right for the creature. Before the Hydra can unleash its attack, both friends jump into the air and bring down their axes, right into their skulls. The fireball disappears and both heads freeze in mid-air, blood dripping from their wounds. Then, both collapse to the ground. Jerome and Bajan breathe deeply as they withdraw their weapons from the Hydra's heads).
-Jerome: Way to go, dood!
-BajanCanadian: Nah, we both showed this ugly lizard who he's messing with.
(While everyone tries to calm their nerves, Sky pads up to the pedestal and gently grabs the essence. It glows a bright pink color as Sky looks at it. He turns and hurries over to his friends).
-Sky: I got the essence, guys! Now...it's time for the big test. Jerome, Bajan...
(Both of the men nod, knowing what to do. They pad up to Storm and untie Bodil's body. They carefully move the body off of the stallion and settle it on the ground. Simon and Sky walk up to the deceased Bulgarian. Sky looks at the essence in his hands, then looks at Simon).
-Sky: Simon...before I do this, if this doesn't work, then...you'll have to go with your life without Bodil.
(Simon breathes deeply as he shuts his eyes).
-Simon: Just...do it.
(Sky gently places the essence on Bodil's chest. Suddenly, the essence begins to levitate into the air and glows brightly. The others look in awe and amazement as small streams of magic begins to spew out of the item and enter Bodil's body. Slowly, his stitched-up wound begins to glow brightly. A few seconds later, the wound is nowhere in sight, completely healed-up. Then, the streams begin to slow down, and then vanish. Sky grabs the essence and pulls it up back to him).
-Simon: Did it work? Is he alive?
(Seto grabs Bodil's wrist and feels around for a pulse...but he doesn't find one).
-Seto: (Sighs)...No. He's not alive. He's...gone for good.
(Immediately, Simon's eyes choke up with tears. He sobs out loud as he lets his head fall onto Bodil's chest).
-Simon: (sobbingly) I'm...I'm so sorry, Bodil. I..I...I couldn't save you! This is all my fault! I should have been there to protect you and now...YOU'RE GONE FOREVER!
(Simon sobs uncontrollably as everyone slowly begins to break out in quiet tears. Snowy cries out loud and buries her head into Sierra's shoulder. She wraps a comforting arm around the sobbing Minecrafter. Everyone cries as the troller and parkour maker lies across the unforgiving, hard ground).