Chapter 34, The Final Trial Part II
Pyrrha and her Team trekked across the narrow path of the stone bridge. In silence and with their weapons in hand. All the while, they glance around to each side, gazing out over the lake's seemly steady and calm surface. Though such a sight was hardly reassuring to any of them. Knowing what it was that lurked below surface of the lake itself and with all the encounters they heard, they would not be fooled by the lake's seemingly peaceful appearance.
Pyrrha paused for a moment. She then turned and gazed out over the lake, squinting her eyes, curiously. She suddenly had a feeling of unease. As if something felt so off about this.
"What is it?" Auron asked from behind.
"See something?"
Blake, Hanako and Keith stood ready with their weapons in hand, bracing themselves for the attack they knew was coming. Pyrrha did not answer at first. Seemingly to gaze out over the lake itself. She looked back at Auron and the others. She then shook her head.
"No, nothing." Pyrrha insisted to her.
Auron breathed a sigh of relief. Though it was not enough to let down his guard. Keith cocked his head, glancing into distance at the bed of water that surrounded them from all around.
"I don't know about you guys, but this place is starting to give me the creeps." Keith insisted to them.
Auron nodded his head in agreement.
"Yeah, me too." Auron said.
"If things are this quite, something must be up."
Pyrrha came up to them.
"Do you think the creatures gone somewhere else?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
"Yeah, or it could be right on top of us." Keith proclaimed to her.
"Remember, all those stories that people have been saying."
Blake stepped up as she listened out with her cat ears. She walked over the the edge of the path, where she peered down at the water below. Much to the worry of Pyrrha and the others.
"Blake?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
She then shook her head, looking back at the others.
"I don't hear anything." She said.
"If this creature's close, it's defiantly keeping it quite."
Pyrrha turned back to Auron, Hanako and Keith, who looked more anxious then before. The same feeling of unease that she had also felt at the notion that the creature was indeed nearby and stalking them at this very moment. From what she had heard, despite the very size of it, the creature was much stealthier then one might have expected.
Pyrrha then turned and gazed ahead down the stone path over the lake itself. She could see the passage in the far distance. Still quite a ways from their very reach. Regardless if the creature was indeed on top of them at this moment, they needed to get to the Northern pass as quickly as possible.
She turned back to the others.
"Let's keep moving." She insisted to them.
"We need to reach the Northern pass."
Auron, Blake, Hanako and Keith each glanced back at Pyrrha. Despite the fear they all felt at this moment, the look of determination she gave was all but enough to give them the courage to keep moving. Auron nodded his head in agreement.
"She's right, let's get moving." Auron claimed to them.
"Everyone stay sharp."
Pyrrha and Auron then turned and continued on along the path. As Hanako and Keith followed after them, Blake remained for a moment as she gazed down of the lake below. Peering down at the steady surface of the water, she squinted her eyes, suspiciously. While her senses were not at all triggered by any such danger that could be nearby, there still persist a feeling that something was indeed off about this whole thing. But what was it?
As she continued to stare down at the water's surface, she began to noticed there was something there, staring back at her. Blake squinted her eyes, trying to get a clear look at what it was.
"Blake!"
Blake turned back at Pyrrha and the others, where she saw them waiting for her. She turned back down at the lake below. did not dwell on it for any longer then she then turned and followed after Pyrrha and the others.
Peering up at the surface, the creature uttered a faint growl. A pair of glower yellow eyes peering through the darkness. Though what appeared to be a single set of eyes, from the darkness emerged another set of glowing yellow eyes. And then another. And another. Gazing up at the surface above and the intruders that had entered their domain.
Or in this case, potential prey.
The creature then swam ahead as it followed after the five.
As Pyrrha and her team continued to walk along the stone bridge, Blake suddenly felt her eyes twitch atop her head. She cocked her head, glancing back in the direction they came. She heard a sudden low growling sound from below. She came up behind Pyrrha, where she placed her hand over her shoulder.
"Wait!" she said.
Pyrrha and the others paused for a moment, glancing back at Blake, curiously.
"What is it?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
Blake stood silent for a moment as she gazing out over the lake below. All the while, the ears atop her head continued to twitch as she heard the low growling sound from below. Pyrrha squinted her eyes to her, curiously.
"Blake?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
There was a moments silence as she and the other's listened it for any potential noise. Only to be met at first with the same eerie silence as before. Though as they continued to listen, they then heard a faint sound from below. Pyrrha squinted her eyes. The sounded bared that of a resemblance to that of a reptilian growl. She glanced back at Auron, Hanako and Keith, who appeared glanced around worryingly.
"Did you hear that?" She asked, curiously.
Auron gestured a nod of his head, having to noticed the strange growling sound.
"Yeah, I heard it and I don't like it," He said.
"Come on, we need to keep moving-"
The five suddenly felt the stone path shook violently beneath them. Pyrrha quickly braced herself along with Blake and the others. Unannounced to them of the strange looming shadow which passed under the bridge. Auron glanced back at Pyrrha and the others.
"Move, NOW!" He exclaimed.
Auron then ran ahead along with Keith and Hanako. Pyrrha turned back to Blake before taking her by the hand.
"Come on!" she exclaimed to her
Pyrrha then turned and ran ahead across the stone path, pulling Blake along with her. From below, the creature continued to struck the path, causing it to quake below them. Pyrrha and Blake suddenly toppled to the ground. Auron, Hanako and Keith slid to a stop as they turned back to them.
"Pyrrha!" Auron proclaimed.
Just as he was to go back for them, the three then head a sudden cracking sound. Glancing down, they saw the creaks began to tare apart through stone path. Leaning off the ground, Pyrrha glanced up and saw the path ahead began to break apart. She then gasped as she stood up. Though before she was to run ahead, she then back to Blake, who leaned up off the ground.
"Hurry!" Aurona and the others called out to her.
Pyrrha glanced back at them for a moment. Only to then turn and narrow down to Blake. Blake glanced up to her, where she saw her extend her hand to her.
"Come on!" She exclaimed.
There was a moments pause on Blake's part, glancing down at the hand she extended to her. Once more was she riddled in awe and confusion. The Kindness that Pyrrha had showed her since coming to the Academy was something she never expected from a human. But to see her, unwilling to leave her behind, even as the path before them began to crumble.
She did not harp on it long as she then reached up her hand and took hers. Pyrrha then pulled Blake back up onto her feet. A look of awe for the Kindness Pyrrha had shown her.
Though the moment was but short lived as they were brought to attention by the sound of the shattering path ahead. The two glanced ahead, where they saw the path began to crumble and fall to the waters below. Auron looked up to them.
"Guys, come on, Hurry!" He exclaimed to them.
Without another moment of hesitation, Pyrrha and Blake began to run. All the while, the path ahead continued to break apart and crumble. Much faster then how fast then they were running. Auron and the other watched helplessly on the other side, hoping that they would make it.
"Come on, come on." Auron said
As Pyrrha and Blake came halfway across the pathway, the last ounce of whatever hold the path had left had given in. Just as they were about to fall to the water below, Balke came forward as Gambol Shroud then changed into it's sickle form, which she then threw forward. The blade of her sickle then punched into the ground where Auron and the other stood, causing them to step back.
Quickly, Blake wrapped her arm around as she swung them forward. Blake turned to Pyrrha.
"Hang on!" she said.
The two then swung around the stone pillars before they came up over the path. Pulling Gambol back to her, Blake and Pyrrha landed over the stone path. Pyrrha glanced up at Blake, smiling.
"Thanks." She said.
Blake turned to Pyrrha. She then glanced to the side before nodding back to her. Auron, Hanako and Keith came up to them.
"You guys alright?" Auron asked.
"Man, that was insane!" Keith proclaimed.
"For a second I thought you were all goners. Nice moves, girl."
"Uh, thanks." Blake said.
Pyrrha turned back to what was.
"What was that?" She asked, curiously.
Auron narrowed his head for a moment. He then cocked his head, gazing out over the lake itself, having an idea of which was that had caused the quakes. Though he had little time to dwell on it as the group the felt another quaking from the earth beneath their feet. Causing the five to nearly lose their balance. Followed by that familiar reptilian growling sound from below.
Pyrrha and Blake then stood up as they glanced around. Blake and the other holding their weapons at the ready. All the while, Pyrrha peered ahead over the lake. There came another reptilian growl. Thus time coming from off to her right.
"What is that?" Blake asked, curiously.
Slowly Pyrrha walked over the edge of the path, her weapons held firmly and at the ready. She came up over the edge of the path. It was there she gazed down over the water below, where she saw a large dark shadow beneath the surface. Slowly the shadow grew larger as she saw something rising up from the depths below. Pyrrha gazed down over the waters in awe, seeing the creature that was about to emerge.
Blake and the others glanced to her, curiously. Raising their weapons, they readied themselves for whatever it was that would emerge from the waters below.
"Pyrrha, get back!" Auron exclaimed to her.
Pyrrha said nothing as she continued to stare down, a look of shock and awe as she saw what lied below. Keith glanced to Auron and Hanako.
"Auron... what's the plan here?" Keith asked, curiously.
Auron continued to stare forward to the edge of the path, holding his blaster rifle at the ready.
"Be ready." He said, glancing back at him.
Slowly, Pyrrha step back from the edge of the path. And it was there they saw a long dark blue, scaly, serpent-like neck emerge from below, along with the head of a aquatic dragon with two long horns at each side of it's head. Along with another over top of it's head. Two glowing yellow eyes and a long reptilian snout with two long teeth protruding from it's jaws.
The beast gazed down over the five students, who stared up in awe and horror. Only to then raised their weapons in response to the creature itself. Pyrrha herself held up Milo and Akouo in response as she stood at the ready for the creature to attack.
Only to then gasp as she saw another long neck emerge from below. And then another. And another.
It was then five of them were met with seven separate heads, who gazed down over them. The seven heads of this aquatic hydra snarled down at them, bearing their long sharp teeth at Pyrrha and her team.
"You got to be kidding me." Keith said in awe and disbelief.
Pyrrha backed away, holding Akouo before her with Milo in it's sword form in her other hand.
"What is that thing?" Pyrrha asked, glancing back to the others.
"Water Hydra!" Auron proclaimed to them.
The other students gathered around the monitor, seeing Pyrrha and her team being faced with the Water Hydra itself. While many watched with anticipation, there were those who were concerned with how the encounter would play out. Most notably Qrow, who stepped forward toward the screen. While he had much faith in Pyrrha and her team, he also possessed much concern for them. Knowing himself of what the final trial entailed, what chance would they stand against the water hydra itself.
"Come in, Kid, you can do this." He proclaimed to her.
Though with the encouragement from Qrow and the others, there were a few amongst the crowd that watched with much resentment. None more so then Cardin and his gang, who observed with that of amusement. Not to see them succeed, but to ultimately meet the many jaws of the beast the way that he and his team nearly did. A fitting resolution for them for the day before.
Cardin smirked, glancing to his teammates.
"This is gonna be good." He said to them.
The center head raised upward to the clouded sky and gave a loud bellow as they came a bright flash of lightning. The other heads gave a loud bellow as well before then flying forward toward Pyrrha and her team.
"Watch out!" Pyrrha proclaimed, as she quickly leaped out of the way.
Pyrrha quickly leaped out of the way as the hydra jaws clamped down over the edge of the stone path. The other attempted to chomp down on Blake and the others, only for them to jump out of the way in the nick of time. Auron came up into a crouch as he and Blake fired his blaster rifle at the creature.
"We need to move, NOW!" Auron exclaimed.
Rolling over the ground before she turned back to face the creature, holding her shield in front of her. Milo then transformed into it's rifle mode as she turned and fired several rounds at the beast's head, causing it to growl as it pulled back it's head.
It then turned it's head as it attempted to engulf her in it's jaws. Pyrrha reacted quickly as Milo once more changed form into it's sword form. She then slashed her blade at the Hydra head, causing it to retrack as Pyrrha continued to slash at head of the hydra. The creature pulled back it's head as it utter a hissing sound. Only for Pyrrha to come forth and leap into the air as she brought Milo around, preparing to deliver another precise swipe of her blade.
Only to then catch sight of one of the other hydra heads coming out her from the side. Pyrrha turned mid air as she brought up her shield. The beast muzzle struck her shield, sending her toppling down to the path below. Landing over her feet, she then slid to a stop, but an inch from the edge of the path itself. Blake glanced back to her, firing Gambol which was currently in it's pistol form.
"Pyrrha, are you alright?" She asked, curiously.
Pyrrha turned back to her, gesturing a nod of her head.
"I'm fine." she reassured her.
The two were then brought to attention by the bellows of the two Hydra heads. The two then glance up at the water Hydra. Though it was not just two heads that were looking down over them. But now three. The heads each uttered a hiss as they bared their fangs at them. Pyrrha and Blake stood up to face the three heads, holding their weapons at the ready.
"Keep you eye on the other heads," Pyrrha insisted, glancing to her.
"When one of them strikes, the others will do the same after."
Blake glanced to her before shifting her eyes back to the water hydra.
The middle head was the first to strike as it snapped it's head forward. Acting quickly, Pyrrha and Blake quickly leaped out of the way of the hydra head. Though it was at that moment that the other heads took the opportunity to attack. But Pyrrha was ready this time. Turning to face the incoming Hydra head, Milo changed formed into it's rifle form. She then fired several shot into the beasts mouth, causing it to snap shut as it groaned.. Taking the oppertunity, Pyrrha then positioned her shield under her as she thrusted forward.
Using he polarity to draw her shield back to her, she then proceeded to swipe her sword at the Hydra head. The Head was pushed back by head as Pyrrha continued to swing her sword. She then turned mid air as she delivered a final swipe of her sword. The hydra's head sauntered back as it growled in pain. Pyrrha landed over the edge of the cliff, where she peered up at the Hydra head with a stern gaze.
It was then she head a sound from behind. Turning back, she saw Blake who was cornered by the other two heads. She then leaped into the air as one of the heads attempted to attack her. She came up over the back of the beast as he proceeded to run down it's long serpent neck.
"Blake, watch out!" Pyrrha exclaimed to her.
Blake glanced to the side as she saw the other head coming after her. She once again leaped into the air, leaving a shadow clone in her place. The hydra passed swiftly under her, snapping it's jaws over the shadow clone. Only to have it explode in it's mouth, causing the beast to bellow in pain. The Hydra head glanced up to her, where Blake then turned and with Gambol Shroud currently in it's sickle form, tossed it down at the hydra's head.
Propelling through the air, the blade plunged into the scaly skin of the hydra, causing it to shriek in pain. She then pulled herself forward as she flew toward the Hydra head. Pulling back Gambol Shroud, which changed back into it's Katana form, she then delivered a decisive slash across the neck, severing the Hydra head. Landing over the ground, she peered up at the severed neck. It was there that she saw two separate head sprout from the neck.
A sight that was a shock for both Pyrrha and Blake, wiping away the smirk The two then turned to face the now three hydra heads, holding gambol shroud before her.
"Blake!" Pyrrha exclaimed.
Just as she was to rush to her friends aid, she the heard Auron and the others from off to the side. She then turned and glanced back at the others, who were struggling against the other four heads of the Hydra. Trying desperately to avoid the jaws the Hydra, they rolled or jumped out of the way of Hydra attempt. Turning back, Auron attempted to fire back at the Hydra head. Though the constant plasma blasts seemed to be effective, it would not stop the hydra head from thrusting forward toward Auron, knocking him back against the ground.
Both Hanako and Keith glanced back to him in shock. Though they were unable to go to his aid as they were each attacked by one of hydra heads.
"It's too strong, we can't fight it like this!" she thought to herself.
Pyrrha narrowed her head. As it stood, there was no way they could fight the beast. Not like this anyway. Not with the hydra itself seeming to try and separate them. And now with it's surprising ability to recover quickly from the damage they inflicted upon it.
They needed to come up with another plan. But what?
Pyrrha suddenly heard another growling from above. She glanced up and saw the hydra head she had dealt with before emerge from the waters. Having to have recovered from her initial attack she had dealt it. The beast hollered to her. Pyrrha turned to face the Hydra head, holding Akouo before her.
When it was then she heard Akara's voice once more.
"You must fight as one. Protect each other. Only then, can you succeed."
Hearing the words of her mentor, the realization then came to Pyrrha. Glancing up at the Hydra head with a stern expression. Just as the Hydra rushed it's head forward to attack her, she then quickly leaping to the side as she rushed over to Auron. Just as the Hydra head was just about to attack him, Pyrrha held up Milo, which then transformed into it's javelin form. She then tossed it at the Hydra head, impaling one of the creature's eyes, causing him to back away as it shrieked in pain.
Using her semblance, she pulled Milo back to her as she came up to Auron, who had stood up off the ground. He turned to her.
"Thanks for the save." He said with a nod of his head.
Pyrrha smiled and nodded back to him. The two then heard the loud shrieking of the Hydra, who shook his head before glancing back to them. Pyrrha then turned back to him.
"We can't fight it like this!" She said, narrowed down to him.
"We have to go, now!"
There was a moments thought on Auron's part. Though upon seeing the situation for himself, surrounded by all side by the Hydra's many heads, he could see for himself that this was indeed a losing battle. If they stood any chance what so ever, they needed to fall back and regroup.
He then nodded his head to her.
"Yeah, your right." He proclaimed to her.
Pyrrha and Auron then turned and glanced back to Keith and Hanako.
"Hanako, Keith!" she exclaimed to them.
"Run!"
Keith and Hanako turned back to Pyrrha and Auron before rushing over to them. Avoiding every attempt made by the other hydra heads, dodging while also dealing several blows to the heads chasing them. They then came up to Pyrrha and Auron, who had turned back to Blake, who was trying to fight against the three hydra heads. Dodging from side to side as two of the hydra heads snapped their heads forward, snapping their jaws. Just as the other flew toward her, Blake then leaped up into the air and attempted to come down with a clean slash of her Katana.
When suddenly she was struck from the side by one of the other hydra heads, causing her to fly back. Pyrrha gasped.
"Blake!" Pyrrha exclaimed as she rushed over to her.
Pyrrha then spotted one of the hydra heads coming toward her as she fell. She then leaped up into the air as she threw her shield forward, which then struck the hydra head, causing it to saunter back. She then came up to Blake and quickly caught her in her arms. She then reached out her right hand and drew her shield to her as she landed over the ground.
She then glanced down to Blake.
"You alright?" She asked.
Blake glanced up to her before give a nod of her head.
"Y-yeah." she said, with a nod of her head.
Auron, Keith and Hanako came up behind them. The five then heard the loud bellows of the of the water hydra behind them. Glancing back, they saw the beast coming up behind them, having to already regroup from their initial attack.
"We need to Move!" Auron said, turning back to Pyrrha and Blake
"Come On!"
The five students quickly turned and ran ahead across the stone bridge. Two of the Hydra heads attempted to attack, snapping forward toward the five. Only for Auron and Pyrrha to turn back and fire their blaster rifles back at the hydra heads. Struck with the plasma bolts, the heads were stunned by the impact. The plasma bolts seeming more effective then before. Pyrrha and Auron paused for a moment as they continued to fire at the Hydra heads, giving Blake, Keith and Hanako time to get ahead. The Hydra heads continued to hold back as they continued to be showered by blaster fire.
Once everyone was away, Pyrrha and Auron then turned and ran after the others. Leaving the two heads of the Hydra to recover from the borage of fire. The two heads shook, trying to rid themselves of the shock they felt. The middle head narrowed down to one of the heads before utter a faint growl, causing him to saunter back from it. The Alpha head then turned forward at the five students, bearing it's fangs. Unwilling to allow them to escape as the others have.
The Beast lifted it's gazed to the Northern pass, growling, as it knew where it was they were heading. Slowly, the beast then sank back into the water below as it swam after Pyrrha and her Team.