Part 2

Chapter 14

The Calm Before the Storm

I didn't have any better idea of what Pan was talking about than the rest of them, but I kept my mouth shut as we all shuffled away from the pool and circled around him for the desired exposition.

This hydra, apparently, was the reason he killed the mermaid all those years ago. Pan spun the tale with his golden eloquence, telling about how the mermaids had a difficult time adjusting to his presence in Neverland.

He told us how they refused to accept that he was one with the land, how he had the final say and control in the land. "A few of them," He elaborated. "Conspired to destroy me."

The tale continued, related a few failed attempts, a few siren songs sung that didn't affect him in the slightest. The time they tried to come onto land during the full moon and trick him into following them into the sea. It always ended in disaster for them of course.

They felt as though they deserved Neverland. It was all shit of course, they had every realm to live and wander in. There was no reason for them to vie for control of Pan's land. Yet, perhaps because he denied them the pleasure, it was as though they had a vendetta against him.

But then they tried something a little less direct. Taking a hydra egg from another realm, they placed it beneath the island and waited the seventy-some years for it, pretending to keep the peace.

He swallowed hard when he reached that point in the story. Laying it on a bit thick, I thought, but even with my knowledge I couldn't help but be moved by his story. "And now baby's hatched."

"What do we do?" I asked immediately putting my hand on my club.

"Back to camp," He said. "We'll get weapons and make our preparations. Get the others."

We all turned to follow him, as he called over his shoulder, with his signature sense of excitement and adventure, "We're going to war, boys!"

I followed Pan a half a pace behind, as usual, until there was a hand at my shoulder. Rufio spun me around, a small fire in his eyes.

"A hydra? What is this bullshit?"

"It's a creature that-"

"No." He seethed. "I know what a bloody hydra is. I mean you, you bastard. Why didn't you tell me?"

I didn't think he'd believe me if I said that I didn't know. So I stayed silent as the rest of the boys filed by us to keep a closer pace to Pan.

"Why didn't he tell me?"

I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw something pass over him. Something odd and seemingly out of character. Some sort of helplessness that he tried to hide. He looked frightened. As though something had very dangerously swung out of balance, and as though he was afraid he could never bring it back.

I shook my head. "We've got to go. We're falling behind."

With that I brushed past him.

It's one of my bigger regrets.

I arrived back at the camp shortly after the company did, with everyone buzzing around, gathering spears and clubs and knives and arrows. There seemed to be an organized chaos to it, I noticed after my eyes adjusted. A few were gathering the weapons, a few were busily set sharpening them, and a few were gathering hides from the bedrolls - likely trying to make armor or something of a similar nature.

Pan was in the middle of a semi-circle and upon noticing me he waved me over with a tick of the head.

He had a plan of course. The only trick was keeping up with it.

The first step, logically, he said was finding the creature. It was obviously big, as evidence from the earthquake. He guessed it was under the island, maybe it had a nest there.

"But if it's aquatic," One of the older set said tentatively, "How are we gonna get to it?"

Another boy shook his head. "It's gotta come up sometime."

"Okay. Great." A third spoke up. "What the hell is a hydra?"

It was somewhat humorous that is was so easy to forget we all came from different realms.

He received a painstakingly detailed definition and description.

Its serpentine body, so a storytelling boy relayed, was so strong it could likely crush the whole island in one fell swoop. Its spines oozed poison and its talons could pierce through sheets upon sheets of metal. All of its slimy scales that reflect the whites of your eyes when you look into them were explained individually, the angles hard enough to slit your throat. Each of its heads was described in detail, as well as what happens when one is sliced off and the extra two, even more grotesque than the first, grow back in its place. The teeth that were covered in slime and shone yellow, and the bigger, immortal middle head that could breathe poison so potent you'd die on contact.

I couldn't help but imagine the thing as its image was spun. Green like mucus, as it slithered around in my mind, each of its nine heads looking in different directions so you couldn't sneak up on it. In my mind's eye it coiled and slithered, disproportionately small as I imagined it started coiling around my ankle.

I could all put feel its acid leak onto my skin, and still in the recesses of my imagination I felt the fabric over my sleeves disintegrate horribly, and the welts beginning to appear on my skin. The small hydra continued its spiral up my leg, destroying the fabric and my skin underneath it as it went.

It went to my middle and started to squeeze. Even though I knew it was all in my imagination - and I didn't really believe it was happening - I could feel it constrict my lungs and stomach. In all honesty, I nearly spluttered then.

It grew at such a rapid pace, until it took up the whole campsite, crushing all the boys around me. It squeezed until I thought I'd break apart. The last thing I saw was the inside of a serpentine head.

I came back to reality with a small lurch I hoped nobody noticed.

My stomach still hurt; that was the issue with Neverland. Things from your imagination, even when you didn't actually believe it, sometimes leaked into real life.

"And its blood better not spray on you," The boy ended his description. "'Cause it's pure venom. It'll rot your flesh out like acid."

Pan quirked his eyebrows at the descriptions, but let the boy finish.

The original boy who didn't know what a hydra was turned white as a sheet. "How-how are we gonna kill it, then?"

"We're not." Pan said with a little smirk. "We're going to control it."

A flag came up in my brain, and I pressed forward so that I was blocking the rest of the group. "You can't tame hydras."

"Can't I?" He cocked a brow. "Peter Pan never fails."

And that was that.

"All right," I conceded. "How do we subdue it?"

Pan's plan was elegant, elaborate, and full of things that could only happen through happenstance. Of course, happenstance with him wasn't really happenstance.

All in all, his plan was so very much like him it would have been impossible for anyone else to think of it. I think I understood the majority, at least better than a few of the other boys who blinked stupidly amongst each other.

I sat about shortly after the plan was set, digging through my hammock and taking the claws from the tiger to add to my club. Using my dagger to add little notches to the wood, I carefully secured the claws within until they wouldn't budge and my fingers were sliced open from the pressure.

I was still working on it when Pan came and sat beside me on the ground.

"Forget everything I told you about formation," He told me quietly so as not to attract attention. "Stand in the back with me."

I nodded instantly. "Of course."

We sat for a moment, I shuffled with my club, fitting another claw into the wood, waiting patiently for elaboration.

"This will get bloody. And I can see it playing out step by step." He sighed. "But in case something goes wrong, in case something...unexpected happens. I need another way out of this."

I furrowed my brows. "And that's me?"

He nodded.

"What do I need to do?" I asked, feeling anxious at the prospect of Pan being in danger.

He smirked at me, "Hang back and use your head."

I wasn't sure what he meant, but any more pressing on the matter only raised my worries.

There was a lack of seriousness amongst the boys, as though they did not understand that we were about to battle an enormous monster. A creature that wouldn't hesitate to take a life, a creature that wouldn't be so easy to knock off as the tiger.

Inexperienced with real battle, it was fair to say I was a bit of a wreck, at least inwardly. I'd never actually seen a hydra, but I definitely knew of them, and the previous description didn't subdue any nerves whatsoever.

On the other hand, I knew fights quite well. I knew I thrived on adrenaline and force and pain. In that, I knew I'd be successful and I didn't have to question whether or not Pan would be.

But I knew my primary derivative would be to make sure Pan didn't get in over his head.

He didn't need me, I knew that, but I still felt the need to know at all times that he was still breathing.

The island would fall apart if he wasn't, I was sure I'd know, but if I could sense it ahead of time. If I could jump in the creature's breath and get in the way, it'd be worth it.

Once the plan was decided and the knives were sharper than death, we strapped on as many layers as we could. Our hoods were pulled over our brows, some secured scarves about their noses, some applied gloves and swung their belts over their shoulders for an easier access to their holster. Pan led us through the jungle as we marched to the off-beat of a few of the younger boys' walking sticks.

Part of me was unnerved by their participation. We were about to battle a monster, and exactly off my right there was a boy no older than eight. But Pan had decided it wasn't too much, and nobody, especially not me, questioned his judgement.

He led us to the same precipice I stood my first night in Neverland, stopping abruptly in the fringe of the brush. The sun was setting, bloody and red. Only fitting, I thought, for a battle. The dusky air teased us, biting at any exposed skin. I bit back shivers from nervousness.

Pan stepped in front of us all, his back to the sea, and addressed the company.

"Today," He said, projecting well over the large group. "All of your training and practice will pay off. We have a goal, and a battle to win. Defeat is not an option - with you all fighting by my side, Neverland is in safe hands. If this hydra thinks he can fuck with us, then let him take one look at us with each head and watch him wither at the sight of Peter Pan's boys!"

It was a rousing speech, a few of the boys lifted their spears above their heads and pumped them to the sky with cheers. Pan grinned broadly, a spark in his eye that was so very familiar to getting his way.

The cries died down and he continued with his speech.

"We go against a beast who's pitted against me - against Neverland. We aim to protect our home, make it a place to live forever. And no hydra brought to this land by a girl will ever take that away from us!"

The boys continued to cheer, some of them clanked their sticks together. I found Rufio by my side. He and I alone were sober, exchanging anxious looks quickly before Pan continued his speech.

"Fight well; remember your training. Keep your belief. This is the first battle we will face - and we will face it well. This is more than a game - this is a tournament!"

The company let out a deafening roar, and even I shed my composure for a beat to lift my club into the air.

The archers stepped forward into a crescent formation, followed by the spear-holders, creating a phalanx from wooden shields. Pan, his shadow, and I were in the back, overseeing it, watching the scene unfold.

The front row drew back their bows, waiting for the order from Rufio to let go.

I turned to Pan. "Sure this will work?"

"Have some faith." He grinned at me. "Peter Pan never fails."

It wasn't him I was worried about.

He opened his palm, a mass of silver light building between his fingers. He waited until the light became bulbous and bright in the dimming sun. His fingers retracted, and in that moment I swear I almost saw claws on him.

With a gesture upwards the light flew up into the air and broke with a heavy crack. I had to cover my ears from the shock of it. It disintegrated in a rain of stardust, catching onto the archer's arrows, causing the shafts to erupt into metallic flame.

There was a pause, Rufio cried "Fire!" and the arrows flew through the air. They crested high in the air, silver fire catching in the red sun, and then one by one, the arrows disappeared into the blackening sea.

I waited a moment as the archers fitted new arrows onto their bows a second time, pulling back and holding still.

The hydra didn't wait for anxiety to set in, for with a shake to the earth beneath us, the enormous creature breached the surface, looming over us, eclipsing all light.