Chapter 18: Fighting Hydra with Fire
At the medicine shop, Sean was bedridden due to the symptoms of the hydra poison and the owner knows the cure and he informs them.
"The hydra poison can be cured by using the hydra humour. That hydra who attacked this village earlier was the same hydra who currently lives in Mt. Rakutei."
"So it's the same hydra who grazed Sean's shoulder, right. I'm gonna slay that thing!" Seed said wanted to kill the beast which Lene tells him.
"Don't forget about the Dragon Knight's warning, right. That hydra's claws are embedded with hydra poison. We have to be cautious about it."
"Your highness I'll look after Rockwell's well being. You might go to the mountains to get that antidote." Asher said decided to look after Sean and he tells Seed. "As for you, time displacement man. You'd better lessen up your behavior, which is why you were so brash and confident to beat up monsters which resulted for your injuries."
"Meh... Come on, Lene. Let's find that cure for mockingbird." Seed said as he leaves the shop while Lene followed him.
As they get out of the shop, they meet up with the Dragon Knight who took them to the medicine shop and wants to know the results.
"How is your comrade?"
"The owner says that the cure for the hydra poison is the Hydra Humour and we need to battle the same Hydra that Sean had fought." Lene said telling him.
"We're gonna slay that monster to get that antidote. As long as the feisty princess to heal us with her Rune." Seed smiled in arrogance as the latter finally introduced himself to them.
"I almost forgot to introduced myself, my name is Kharam. So this girl with you is a princess..."
"No need for formalities... I have to save my friend." Lene said smiling as Kharam tells them.
"I'll meet you at Mt. Rakutei... my dragon Skyla was there trying to protect the dragon egg from the hydra."
As Kharam leaves to Mt. Rakutei, Lene decided to aid him knowing of his efforts until the last of the listening crystals is resonating on her Rune.
"My Rune is glowing again... he maybe compassionate to help us and he needs our help."
"He's just a smooth operator, Lene!" Seed remarked furiously which Lene teases him.
"Take it easy, Seed. You're quick to jealous if I interact with any other guy like you. He needs our help and we need to save Sean from the hydra poison."
"Tch... so be it... I would play along as long as we save the mockingbird's ass from that beast." Seed grunted in reluctance to assist Lene.
As Seed is with her, she meets the farmer named Greco who loves to farm and noticing the war had caused the destruction of crops and decides to join the group while a little girl named Elmyra likes to join at her side due to her taking care of her livestock. Rowan also meets fellow Kobold named Luke.
"Really? this beautiful lady is a princess. I thought she was a Kobold like us..."
"She's not a dog, you idiot!" Seed said scolding him as Rowan clears up the misunderstanding.
"Don't worry... the princess will take care of us. I need your strength to fight this war."
"In that case, I'll join you Rowan. I would expect Melvin is aiding the princess for this mess." Luke said and he joins at Lene's side.
Afterwards, Lene and her group travel to Mt. Rakutei and meeting up with Kharam at it's entrance.
"I'm glad that you're here, dear princess... and I wanted to assist you in killing the beast. Skyla is trying to keep itself at bay. We must hurry." Kharam said as he sided with her group much to Seed's annoyance and jealousy.
"Ugh... I hate someone is trying to give Lene some smooth talk."
They manage to proceed in getting through the mountain path. Upon arriving to their destination, both a dragon and a hydra clashed with their powerful abilities.
"Skyla!"
"That's the same Hydra who grazed Sean with it's hydra poison and the antidote is probably on it's body." Lene said seeing as Seed was surprised to see Kharam's dragon with four wings.
"Normal dragons had a pair of wings for flight but this one had extra wings."
"She's trying to defend the dragon egg from the hydra."
"All right, enough of the fuss... Let's slay that poisonous beast." Seed said while getting his sword from his sheath and the battle is on.
The battle turns into an infiltration because of the hydra can hit them with an acid breath and seeing the ground are melting because of the poison. Kharam allows them to buy his time to protect the dragon egg as he uses his talisman as it glowed to weaken the monster. Lene then hits it with explosive taser to blast the hydra seeing it's weakness.
"So the hydra's weakness is fire... No doubt about it." Lene said surprisingly as Seed patted her while trying to encourage her.
"You shoot that thing again and I'll roast this beast down!"
Seed then casts his Flowing Rune to protect themselves including Kharam and his dragon with Protection Mist and Lene hits the monster with another explosive taser, allowing Seed to casts Blazing Earth from his Rage Rune which causes the burning ground that the hydra was stepping on burst into explosive flames similar to a flaming lava column which incinerates the monster completely. Once the hydra is slain from getting burned Seed slashes its stomach and gets the antidote they had been looking for.
"So this is the Hydra Humour... After all this time this thing is actually existed."
"The Hydra is the one who vanquish most of the harpies living in this mountain. Most people are trying to hunt these hydras for medicinal products such as the Hydra Humour." Kharam said explaining to them and he soon reveals his motives. "I have reasons to assist me against the hydra is to protect the dragon egg which is owned by my dragon Skyla."
"So this four-winged dragon is the mother of this dragon egg." Lene said as she looked at the dragon egg until it was started to hatch to see another white baby dragon.
"It's your offspring, Skyla." Kharam said as Skyla finally meets her offspring until one of the listening crystals resonated on Lene's Divine Dagger Rune.
"Lene, your Rune is glowing!" Seed pointed out about her Rune and the was crystal lighted up onto Skyla and she speaks.
"I'm glad to rescue my offspring, my dear. For your efforts, I would glad to join you..."
Lene nods in agreement and Skyla allows her master Kharam to take care of its offspring.
"Skyla can talk? So that means I'll take care of it. I'm christening you as Divine."
Returning back to Highway Village at the medicine shop, Sean slowly wakes up after the medicine owner had administered the Hydra Humour to cure his hydra poison and Asher, Lene, Seed and the other group watch.
"Nguhhhh..."
"You're finally okay, young man." Asher said in relief.
"Luckily, we slay the hydra long enough to save your butt, mockingbird." Seed said telling him.
"I'm glad that you're recovered, Sean..." Lene said nicely to him as Sean replies to them.
"What a day for me to recover. You two saved my life."
"I guess the Hydra Humour had worked on him..."
After Sean's recovery, they meet up again with Kharam and his dragon Skyla outside the medicine shop.
"You were a lucky mercenary to recover from the hydra poison."
"You're still the same guy who warned us about the hydra? But he has a dragon and a baby dragon..."
"It's a long story, mockingbird..." Seed smiled and he explains to him. "Lene and I we deal against that hydra who poisoned you while this guy is defending a dragon egg from harm. Until Lene's Rune had glowed and the dragon had spoke to her after her dragon egg got hatched."
"That's the last listening crystal, right. And that means this dragon was chosen." Sean said realizing the ordeal as Kharam decided to join at Lene's side.
"My dear princess, I decided to join at your side with me and Skyla and I clearly forgot that I was a Regiment Commander of the Dragon Knights. Just tell me what's been going on."
When Lene tells him about the war started by his half-uncle which makes him decided to inform this to his captain.
"I'll informed this to our captain and his name is Lance Hobbad regarding about the blood wars. Glad to be your acquaintance, dear princess."
"Rrrroaarr!"
"I hope I can meet your captain, Kharam."
As Kharam and Skyla join at Lene's side, he mounted Skyla to fly back to the Dragon Knight Fortress to inform his captain. Lene watched to see him flying away with his dragon and decided to go to Matilda.
"Now that he joins at our side and fly away... What a bummer!?" Seed shrugged in disappointment as Asher tells him.
"He went back to their main territory to inform his captain so that more reinforcements to be added on our disposal for our soldiers."
"Seems like we're going to the capital of Matilda which is Rockaxe. I can't break my father's word to meet with Sigurd who leads the unification of the Matilda Knights."
"I've never been to Rockaxe, Lene. We'd never travel that far..." Sean reacted as Seed mumbles about their destination.
"That's the same Rockaxe Castle that Lord Jowy and all of us sided with the white Matilda Knights to deal with Lord Riou and his rabble mercenaries. Why are we need to get in there? That's when we got outsmarted by Lord Riou and his group to burn our Highland flags to be replaced from their flags. Then, Lord Jowy tells us to pull our armies out and we were so close to defeat them. Then, we followed Lord Jowy's direct order to make our quick retreat..."
"I guess you still knows about the fallen of Rockaxe, haven't you." Asher said which surprises Seed.
"Ugh! Can't you at least stop pestering about me getting involved?!"
"If you wanna look at Rockaxe today... it was different than the ones you really thought it was the same old castle. You'll see..." Asher said in calm tone as Seed looked at Lene who really wanted to go to Rockaxe.
They soon travelled to Rockaxe Castle who is now became known as Rockaxe City and Seed was horribly surprised to see the entire castle and town had turned into a modern city as he thought.
The old man was right... the entire castle and it's town is now a bigger city. Just like Muse and Greenhill... No wonder their world has been changed. Oh yeah, I forgot me and Culgan were already dead at their time so I'm just a time traveller who got accidentally transported here.
"Hey, red head... still thinking of things." Sean said in a mocking tone which makes the latter replied in the same tone.
"It's none of your business, mockingbird. It was the first time I've seen Rockaxe became a big city. I'm being fixated at my own time, you know."
"We should explore the city first before we get to their castle." Lene said as Seed grabs her hand.
"Maybe you and I we have a little date to do, my feisty princess..."
As Seed drags Lene into the city, both Sean and Asher saw them go and they shrugged to follow them. At the tavern side, they meet Baku a bathmaker who is interested in fiery people and seeing Seed as the main example.
"Well well... I've never seen a red haired dude and he's a unique guy..."
"Why is everyone are getting interested on my hair?! There's nothing to do with me!" Seed angrily annoyed as Lene laughs at him.
"A lot of people can see their natural hair color. Others can dyed it too, haha..."
"Whoa... this guy's got a fiery temper and I love it. This is what I do for making a roasted hot bath." Baku said and seeing Lene. "Please, dear lady... I would be glad to join you and I'm gonna make a huge bathhouse within your base."
"I guess you don't have a bathhouse at the Higheast, Seed. What do you think?" Lene said asking him which makes Seed replied in a snobbish tone.
"Uhm, well... we don't have a bathhouse at my time in the Highland Kingdom and since this is your place. Do whatever he wants..."
"He agrees it." Lene smiled letting Baku to make a huge bathhouse in Higheast City.
"Well then... time to build this bathhouse in one simple stroke. Here I go..." Baku said as he quickly leaves the tavern to take a trip to Higheast City.
"The truth is... I've never tried hot baths like Lord Riou does. Because we live in royalty to our beloved country in Highland we always cleaning ourselves in the tub." Seed said and Lene smiles at him.
"I think you should get used to it, Seed. This is the modern world... but I think you would try something..."
Afterwards, they proceed to reach the castle and was visited a fellow knight and squire.
"Welcome to Rockaxe Castle and you must be Lene Ashitare, the princess of Silveria Kingdom. Sigurd is waiting for you..."
As they enter the castle that leads through the throne room, they meet Sigurd the leader of the unified Matilda Knights.
"Thanks for bringing them up, Mason. Welcome to my castle, your highness."
"I was requested by my father to lent your strength, Sigurd. The entire citizen of Muse have been massacred by Doug using the same incarnation Rune as mine."
"So my senses is true regarding about this massacre of the city. Your half-uncle is a very dangerous individual, taking blood shed upon others especially to you and your family members. That monster needs to be stopped."
"..."
"I will be glad to lent our strength to you, your highness. But since you were tired of your travels, I'll let you rest for the night." Sigurd said as he orders Mason. "Mason, take princess Lene and her group to their chambers."
Mason then takes them to their chambers so that they can rest for tomorrow and Lene was amused to see him.
"I can't believe you became an assistant to Sigurd, Mason. Where are you from?"
"I'm from Camaro... why did you asked me that?"
"It appears that you and Sigurd are friends if he is the leader and you were his assistant." Lene said as Mason decided to leave.
"Enjoy your stay, your highness... If you'll excuse me."
As Sean and the others are rested, Lene and Seed decided to rest inside the chambers, remembering the times about his stay at the Highland Kingdom.
"I really missed staying at Highland. It was a fun place... I've never seen this place has been redesigned."
"I always been at the castle many times. But for now, I really missed it when my half-uncle had taken over Silveria."
Seed tries to check on the bathroom and to his surprise it was completely changed.
"Lene, how come their bathroom is changed?" Seed complained as Lene giggles at his annoyance.
"Just because you always keep thinking about your own time. Our time was modern... I already told you that you need to get used to it. It has a shower here if you wanna refreshed yourself up."
"After all our battles we ended up getting stunk after we fought the hydra. Let's just say... we should refresh ourselves." Seed suggested which makes Lene to tell him.
"I think you should go first, Seed. Besides, you're the only guy who never tried bathing in the shower rather than bubble baths on the tub. I'm already used to it."
"Tch... you really make fun of me, you feisty princess. All right, I'll go first then."
With that, Lene leaves back to fix their things at their room as Seed watches her, became flattered over her actions as he smiles and he gets inside and begins to undress his clothes then takes a shower to refresh himself. Lene smiles at him knowing of their travels they just had.