Tristan

Overall, the body of the hydra was not exceptionally quick. It moved in very methodical, very predictable ways. It never allowed more than one of its four colossal legs to be off the ground at a time, though every time a foot hit down it seemed to shake the whole world. Its tail was only slightly faster, swinging back and forth very obviously, to such a degree that Tristan had no trouble dodging it.

The heads were a different story entirely.

All six whirled around on necks that seemed more like springs than appendages. They twisted this way and that, darting and lunging toward target after target. Within seconds of the fight's start, Tristan had been forced to dive out of the way of the one he'd nearly collared, because it swooped back toward him with such violence in its black, slitted eyes--it was like it knew what he'd been trying to do.

What he was still trying to do.

The three tanks clearly had their hands full, each trying to tank two of the heads at once, but all the while the immense body of the hydra was marching toward the rest of the raid. The only way to stop it--assuming it would even still work--was to get a collar around one of its necks. If chaining it gave any other effects, that would be a bonus, but Tristan suspected that the hydra would crush them easily if allowed to roam completely free.

"Cross, you're an absolute asshole!" Kitara yelled.

"But isn't this exhilarating?" the half-giant replied. "We can totally handle this!"

"Maybe you can," Kitara replied, "but Mister Biggs is getting hammered right now. He can't keep tanking two of those things!"

"He's fine," Sophie called out. "He can take it! I'm helping heal him."

But Tristan clearly heard the strain in her voice, and he assumed the others could, too.

"I'm going to try to [Taunt] another head off of him," Cross said.

"All DPS, focus fire on one of my heads!" Drannis ordered. "Chessa is still the shot-caller, so take out her target first! We will handle this, just one step at a--"

Almost as if challenged by the dwarf's words, the hydra lifted both of its front two legs for the first time and slammed them down together. The resulting shockwave was so violent that every single member of the raid within its devastatingly large range was knocked off their feet. Only Kitara was left up, and that was because she'd been flying at the time.

The earthquake also removed a decent chunk of Tristan's health, and from Opie's yelling, it must have hit the others just as hard.

"Where did that even freaking come from?!"

"You've got to start paying more attention to the briefings!" Chessa shouted back.

"I read the guide!"

"You skimmed it at best."

Meanwhile, Tristan had gotten back to his feet and picked up the collar once again. Looking back and forth between all the tanks and the heads viciously attacking them, he knew he had to make a decision. Who was he going to help? Which head was he going to try and lock down?

Drannis seemed to be fine, and since all the damage was going into one of his targets, he'd be even better when that one went down.

Mister Biggs only had one head now that Cross had used [Taunt], and admittedly he seemed to be fine, too. If anything, it almost looked like the giant maned astral was dancing with the vicious, biting head.

That left Cross. The half-giant had three heads pounding against him, and though he might have asked for it--though he might even deserve all the pain that was coming his way for his reckless pull--Tristan couldn't deny that Cross was the one that needed help the most, and as a part of the raid, his success would be all of their success.

Heaving the awkwardly-large chain over one shoulder while trying to also handle his greatsword one-handed, he began running toward Cross. He definitely didn't have enough Strength or Agility to make quick moves, but that didn't seem to be a problem currently. All three heads Cross was fighting were very focused on him, practically to the exclusion of everything else. They wove in and out in fascinating patterns, always keeping their necks free from tangling, as they attacked from practically every angle. Tristan could see the big man struggling to backpedal or sidestep as he attempted to keep the heads ever in front of his shield, but you wouldn't know it from the manic grin plastered on his face.

"I'm going to try to chain one," Tristan yelled to him as he got closer.

"I'm... fine!" Cross replied, ducking right under another lunging head and neck, which then tried to slam itself down on top of him. "Help the others!"

"Yeah, I don't think so," Tristan called back. He was looking for any kind of pattern or opening where he might grapple or at least be able to bring the collar close to one of the heads, but he just couldn't see one. All three moved so quickly, so smoothly, one after the next after the next. There was hardly any downtime for Cross at all.

How do they not tangle? Tristan wondered.

Paying closer attention specifically to how the necks interacted with each other, and less with their targets, he recognized that there actually was a moment from what he'd begun thinking of as the "leftmost" head where it paused--just enough--to pull out of the way of the "center" head. And, the more he watched, the more he could see that this leftmost head made slightly fewer attacks as a result.

That would be his target.

As soon as he made his decision, it seemed like all three necks swooped at the same time. They converged on Cross with perfect timing, hitting him from three sides at once, and he could only block one with his shield.

The impact sounded brutal.

"Kitara, help me with Cross!" Opie shouted instantly.

The fairy's response was frantic. "I'm trying, but even HoTs take TIME! I'm chain-casting as fast as I can!"

"It's fine," Cross said, struggling to get each phrase out between blocks, "I'll be fine. I'm going to... use a cooldown. If I need to."

He could tell the situation was getting dire, and it wasn't just because the healers were bickering more than normal. He watched and positioned himself closer to the path the leftmost head usually took for its attack, and the next time it came for Cross, he held out his sword, gripped tightly in both hands. He knew he would need his full strength for this to work... as well as some luck in keeping the collar balanced on his shoulder.

The long, thick neck swung right past him and his outstretched greatsword, and Tristan used [Piercing Thrust] to stab it with as much force as he could muster. The sword cut straight through the outermost layer of scales, and he was jerked from his feet as if he'd jumped onto a horse-drawn carriage traveling at top speed.

And the collar, as large as it was, stayed with him.

It was all Tristan could do to keep holding on. He would not allow himself to crumble under the pressure, not when everyone was depending on him.

With the head's next twist, he was actually able to kick up his feet and land partially straddling the scaly neck, though it was much too thick for him to wrap his legs fully around. Having that little bit of support was enough, though, and he felt a bit more secure in his position.

The hydra must have noticed its new passenger, as its neck began to shoot straight up into the air. With his incredible Strength, Tristan was able to hang on, despite the crushing force that pushed downward on his chest as they zoomed skyward. Ironically all that accomplished was pressing him deeper into the scaly neck. Until he realized that the chain, clinking angrily beside him, didn't have much more slack to give. It would definitely reach its limit before the hydra's neck would.

Daring to pull one hand off his sword, Tristan gave a loud, wordless yell as he managed to pull the collar from around his own chest and onto the hydra's neck. But he just couldn't quite get it set properly. He knew he wouldn't be able to, either, unless he took both hands off his greatsword.

In the moment, he couldn't see any other choice. He squeezed his legs around the neck as tightly as he could, and he took the collar into both his hands. With perhaps the most difficult ab crunch of his entire life, he slammed his chest against the neck, too.

His two hands forced the collar closed around the neck, and the locking mechanism clicked.

Immediately, he could feel the difference. It was as though all the hydra's energy and anger evaporated, and the neck went completely limp.

Then, all as one, he and the head began to fall.

The wind whipped past his ears so loudly he could hardly form thoughts. The ground was rushing up to meet him, and he could see that several of his allies were now staring at him, expressions of horror on their faces. There was no question about whether this drop could break his body, only about how badly. On instinct, he grabbed hold of his sword and yanked it free.

Oh gods, what have I done?

Laura: TRISTAN, JUMP!

The message in raid chat likely saved him from another soul-scarring incident, though perhaps not as much as the spell the thunder mage cast the moment he was fully free of the plummeting neck.

One second he was free-falling to the rocky ground. The next, he felt as light as a feather, and his descent slowed to that of a graceful, soft breeze. His feet touched down lightly, without even a hint of injury, and he looked up at Laura.

"Th-thanks," he stammered.

She smiled at him. "Of course! You saved Cross, and [Feather Fall] hardly costs me any mana at all." She might have said more, but two messages from the raid leader cut her off.

Drannis: We must refocus on the remaining heads! Still five remain! But healers, you can now relocate to a safe zone! Drannis: And very well done, Tristan!

Looking around, Tristan quickly understood why the dwarf had used the chat for his messages. He and Xanax were halfway across the room, probably at the very limit of the nearest heads' reach. Tristan hadn't realized just how spread out everyone had become. That was only increased further as the group of ranged DPS and healers began to shift into one of the previously discussed "safe zones," where the chained hydra shouldn't be able to reach them any more.

As Tristan ran back to Drannis and Xanax, he heard Opie shout, "You're a freaking madman, Tristan, but at least you're MY madman. I freaking LOVE you sometimes!"

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Sophie, standing only a pace or so away, pain written all across her brow, also managed to smile in between flashes of green light that must have been casts of [Heal Astral].

Tristan checked his own health, and was only slightly surprised to see that, true to Opie's earlier warning and call-out, he was getting noticeably fewer heals than he had before. Recalling the panic in their voices earlier, he made another decision.

Might as well continue to lighten their load.

While on the run, he unstrapped the new, black and white [Sanguine Challenger] from his back and replaced it with his [Oozebane Greatsword]. He couldn't just use [Combat Switch] because the new sword wasn't in either of his presets, but he still specifically wanted the extra healing its [Minor Rune: Siphoning] offered.

He caught up with Xanax just as Opie called out another, now slightly less powerful, earthquake stomp. It still seemed to shake the whole zone, and both of them stumbled to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

"With that collar, you have once again proven your worth," the scaleborn said, greeting Tristan with a somewhat pained smile. "I am ashamed that I did not attempt the same."

Tristan brushed it off, calling attention to just how brightly Xanax's sword was already glowing. "No idea how you managed it, but by the looks of your sword, you seem to have been taking care of business in your own way."

"Ay," Drannis cut in, "and I would appreciate it if you'd both use those bloody great weapons of yours to kill one of these heads, and quickly please!"

As Tristan cycled through his attacks, he grew to appreciate the steady stream of healing that began to pour into him through his blade. It wasn't as warm as Kitara's heals, or strong as Opie's, and it certainly had nothing on Cleo's, but it still soothed his wounds--and he could do it himself.

"Here comes the mana!" Manama sang out just before he began singing a new song, or at least one Tristan didn't immediately recognize. When [Calm Mind] showed up on his bar, Tristan quickly expanded it and then promptly ignored it, since it just restored mana faster. It didn't help him much individually, but it would mean more heals, more buffs, and more lightning spells, all of which helped overall. Besides, as long as [Rally the Heroes] was still buffing everyone's damage output, Tristan had nothing to complain about. It genuinely felt like they were making progress, like the fight was starting to get more under control.

Moments later, Xanax gave a mighty roar, and his next swing actually separated their targeted head completely from its neck.

"One head down!" Drannis shouted.

"Prepare for the first enrage! The Boss is going to start hitting a lot harder!" Chessa called back.

Tristan couldn't help stopping for a moment and staring at what was happening to the hydra. While the lopped-off head settled on the ground, its neck began to retract with the speed of a cat escaping a downpour. There was no blood, no splatter, just the neck being absorbed into the body.

The moment it finished, the whole body of the hydra seemed to ripple, and all of the previously-green scales turned a muddy reddish-brown. But, other than the outward appearance, Tristan couldn't see that much had changed.

"Switch targets," Chessa ordered. "Don't hit Drannis's other head yet! Assist me with one of Cross's instead!"

As Tristan and Xanax both began to run, the half-giant shouted back, "I don't need it! This is fun!"

"You won't think that when we push to a second enrage," Chessa replied with a clear reprimand in her tone.

Tristan followed the flight of the huntress's arrows, and at least Cross had the sense to bring his heads closer to where Drannis was still occupying his remaining head, shortening the run for the melee Classes.

As they began to lay into the new target, Tristan couldn't help but notice that Xanax's sword hadn't lost any of its color or brightness.

"Are you still stacking buffs?" he asked.

The scaleborn's growing grin and cackle would have been answer enough, but he also said, "Indeed! These heads all belong to the same monster! My power only grows!"

By the end of this fight, I might just pity the blessed hydra, Tristan thought.

"Incoming stomp!" Opie shouted.

A second later, Tristan lost a big chunk of his health as he crashed to the rocky terrain, which began to crack and split open, taking the worse end of the attack.

"Focus on the tanks," Opie was directing, assumedly Kitara. "I've got the raid for now."

"But that was just the first enrage!" the fairy replied.

"And that's all we've got to deal with for now! Next time, we might need people to pop potions."

Tristan was once again very thankful for his sword's built-in healing rune.

But Opie, it seemed, had still more to say. "That head's at 30% already, and dropping fast! Be ready for the second enrage! This monocle is AWESOME by the way!"

"Which head is after this one?" Laura asked as lightning bolts struck Cross's target one after another.

"We'll go to relieve Mister Biggs next," Chessa called. "He's the weakest of the three."

Tristan was glad he wasn't standing near Sophie after that remark, because even though what Chessa said was definitely true, it probably still hurt the astralist to hear it.

"Ten percent!" Opie called.

Xanax delivered another humongous, roaring slash.

"Two!"

The head began to shrivel up into the neck, which itself began to retract toward the body with record speed.

"Switch targets!" Chessa called. "Second enrage!"

Again, the hydra's body rippled. Again, the scales grew a darker, richer red. Mister Biggs, following Cross's lead, had already pulled his hydra head toward the melee, so it was barely ten paces to the third target.

Xanax was on a tear. Strike after strike, his blistering blade carved into the monster's neck and head. Every time the hydra swung down, the scaleborn was there--and skillfully just close enough to flick his tail at the neck as it passed, taking a small amount of damage each time. Each instance made his sword grow more radiant, and it was already so bright that Tristan had begun squinting.

"Oh, shit!" Opie called. "Ten percent alread--EIGHT percent! Xanax, you freaking beast!"

A handful of attacks later, Mister Biggs gave a loud, rumbling roar, and the hydra head he'd been tanking shriveled back into the boss's core.

"Third enrage!" Chessa called.

This time, the scales had become a much brighter red, nearly the color of blood.

"INCOMING STOMP!" yelled Sophie.

A dome of radiant greenish light appeared around the ranged group just before the two front feet landed, upheaving the rocks and sending nearly everyone--including the tanks--to the ground.

Only Kitara remained upright, floating right beside where Sophie had previously been standing, clearly concentrating on whatever spell the dome had been, because as soon as the damage passed and the dome dropped, heals began to fly toward everyone once more.

Opie scrambled back to his feet. "I've got Drannis. You heal Cross."

"Screw that," Cross yelled. "Keep Xanax up!"

"On it!" the fairy twittered.

"That stomp was faster than normal," Chessa remarked. "Does the cooldown decrease as the heads die?"

"Manama!" Opie shouted, despite the big, bearded singer being right beside him. "Can we get that mana song again?"

"I was drinking a healing potion," the entertainer spat back, tossing an empty bottle to the ground.

"So, yes then, litter bug?"

In reply, Manama gave a withering glare to the healer... but he also began singing, and Tristan noticed [Calm Mind] appeared among his buffs.

Of course, those things were almost impossible to see with Xanax's brilliant sword slashing beside him. The only shadows remaining were those cast by the scaleborn's blade as it swung around and between the scaly hydra's necks.

When the next-to-last head fell to the ground, severed and cauterized by yet another massive blow, Tristan suspected that no one was truly surprised. It was only what came after that caught him unprepared.

With the fourth neck's withdrawal, the hydra's scales grew in intensity and brightness to resemble freshly-heated steel, straight from the forge. The last uncollared head--along with the whole body of the hydra--glowed, practically radiating danger.

Yet it was like a dim candle beside the sun of Xanax's sword.

The hydra struck Drannis with such force the dwarf was brought to his knees. "This is the final push! Blow cooldowns for every hit, and then [Taunt] when the previous is over!"

Cross was the next up, clearly heeding Drannis's orders this time. His whole body seemed to glisten like silver for a few seconds, then suddenly his shield grew larger. Only a few hits later, however, the hydra hit so hard that it knocked his shield completely away, and the half-giant crumpled.

Mister Biggs didn't shy away from his turn though. With a mighty roar, his own [Taunt] went up, and the hydra faced him. Mister Biggs' mane and fur seemed to grow before Tristan's eyes, covering his body like armor. It was a tanking cooldown, Tristan realized. So when the next hit struck Mister Biggs, the astral barely moved.

Yet this was not the end of the strangeness. With all the tension rising, Tristan couldn't help but notice that Manama had begun singing and playing yet another new song. This time, it was harsh and discordant. It did not have what he'd consider a pleasant melody at all. It also did not result in a buff for the party.

But when the hydra took its next swing, and Mister Biggs clearly braced for impact, something happened--the music spiked, bringing with it a sudden whoosh of wind--and the astral still stood there, untouched. The glowing head had missed entirely.

That didn't stop the hydra from swinging back around, aiming for the snarling astral again.

With a violent, crunchy crash, the hydra's head met the astral's shoulder, and Mister Biggs was knocked impossibly far away.

Drannis, already back on his feet, still aglow with the remnants of the healing he'd just received, raised his shield. "COME AT ME, YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD! YOU DON'T SCARE ME!"

And it clearly would have... had Xanax's sword not carved straight through the neck first.

The head, suddenly detached from anything that might have pulled it back, continued flying off to the right, where it crashed to the ground and rolled safely to a stop far away from everyone. The neck retracted into the rest of the body, which now shone a bright, pure white.

Grasping at his heaving chest, Cross gradually stood back up, a cocky grin appeared on his bruised and bloody face. "Just the collared head left. I told you we could--"

"Not another blessed word," Drannis said, silencing the half-giant with a rigid glare. Then the dwarf, shielding his eyes, turned to Xanax and pointed toward the body. "Would you care to finish the job, sir? I feel it's only fair, and well deserved. The beast was no match for the light of your sword."

With another snarling grin, Xanax replied, "It would be my absolute pleasure." He charged toward the body at full speed, jumped high into the air, and brought down his sword in an overhead slash that actually reminded Tristan of his own [Descending Crescent] skill--just far, far more devastating.

The greatsword met the hydra's body in a blinding flash, and when Tristan reopened his eyes, the hydra lay split entirely in half.

Wow, it must have been severely weakened by that collar, he thought.

Opie joined in, quipping, "Wow, am I glad he's on our side!"

"Gods above and among us," Laura murmured.

Sophie quietly walked up to Tristan and asked, "And you beat that guy?"

Tristan did not respond though. He was too impressed and didn't want to ruin Xanax's moment with his words.

Meanwhile, he did hear Manama say, " Dear gods that was hot!" The big man approached Xanax as he returned to the raid and said, louder, "I would very much like to buy you a drink, or ten, after all this is over."

"Perhaps we shall see," the scaleborn said with perfectly disciplined posture. "But, more pressingly, I would like to see what loot we have earned."

While the others gathered around the split boss's corpse, Tristan allowed himself to quickly read over the long list of notifications he'd received.

You have slain [The Unchained Hydra, level 22]

Raid Hardmode completed!

[Raid quest updated: A Cleansing Fire]

[Dungeon Quest complete: Hydra, More Like Bye-dra!]

[Achievement complete: Novice Dungeon Delver]

Your {Fledgling Dungeon Delver} title has been upgraded to {Novice Dungeon Delver}.

Next stage of Achievement revealed: Experienced Dungeon Delver! Requirements: Complete ten different dungeon Quests that have not downgraded.

Dungeon Quests completed: 3/10

And beneath all of those was a line that was somehow bigger than all the others. It was familiar--and obviously connected to the warning messages they'd received after all their other boss kills. Now it just felt far more pressing.

BEWARE! The Great Wave draws near!

He knew it was part of the build-up to the Cinderbark encounter, which meant he didn't really need to dwell on it now. So instead, he expanded his newly upgraded title and was excited to see that it had increased his Endurance stat bonus from +1 to +5! Why it still applied to his Endurance was interesting, as prior to this boost it hadn't been his highest stat any more. His only reckoning was that, perhaps since Endurance had been his highest stat when he'd originally gotten the first version of the title, it was just inherited.

With that out of the way, he turned toward where the boss's body lay split in two. It was loot time!

Or, it should have been.

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