Harpers Quest Two- Beyond the Mists

Chapter Twenty-Nine

It rose out of the lava then, hissing and spitting as it came, entirely over a 100 feet long with some of that mass made up of its seven heads, seven in total, hissing and spitting, drops of acid fell all around them and sizzled.
Dinan was so surprised that he jumped and almost fell off the bridge and if it wasn't for his quick thinking, even faster reflexes and boots of Levitation would have fallen in, and even for a Drow a fall like that he wouldn't likely survive, it didn't occur to him that he wasn't wearing his Boots of Levitation as he had given them to Tevon to wear when scouting and that all he was wearing was a pair of standard armoured leather boots and that his ability to levitate which was usually somewhat sluggish even absent at most had suddenly come back in full force.
"Whoa!" the Drow warrior said, gathering his wits and raising his twin swords and went in for the kill, throwing a shield up around himself from one of his blades.
Darkstar who had been on the bridge behind his twin, used his powers of Levitation and cast a couple of spells up around himself and pulling his staff out he started to throw bolts out of it, also using his powers to add fire to his Staff and force.
Mendis flew into the air, unhooking his bow and nocking a magical arrow and fired at the Hydra.
Darkstar cast Melfs missiles down onto the Hydra, dipping down with his flight spell and went for a head, deftly avoiding the strike from another head.

A Meteor shower rained from above as Varharland let loose one of his more powerful spells, then with an almighty roar, the Silver Dragon leapt into the chasm and started to attack the Hydra.
Trias leapt into the air and landed on the Hydra's back and started to fight with his sword as Grace used her own wings to do the same.
Jihid pulled out a longbow and used his wings to glide he fired flaming arrows down onto the Hydra, which spat acid out of one of its mouths and attacked the stranger.
Gus rushed in, both his axes going at once, while Skye cast fire-bolts and Sylandra attacked with her blades.
Dinan took a flying leap and landed on the Hydra's back both his swords a blur of movement, Josalyn was fighting using a tactic that Blades were taught.
Caladan was flying around letting out his lines of flames, they weren't big enough to seriously hurt but they did hurt.
Meriel was casting a spell while Baldur just waded in with his axe, Jack stood nearby feeling somewhat helpless, he hadn't been that powerful a Cleric when he died and he lacked the spells the others had, but then he remembered his electrical powers, powers he had developed in death so gaining energy he let fire with streams of electrical bolts.
A stream of fire came from above they all looked up and saw Varharland letting loose with one of his breath weapons, the Hydra reeled than turned three of its heads towards the Silver Dragon and let loose with streams of acid.
Varharland growled in pain than taking a deep breath, he switched breath weapons and a stream of plasma bolts came flying down aimed at the Hydra's eyes.
"Where he get that?" Skye asked eyeing the plasma bolts.
"He did say he was a freak," said Tevon who had wounded one of the Hydra's heads severely, between him, Sylandra and Skye the head hung loosely until Sylandra lifted up her big two-handed sword and loped it off a splatter of blood sprayed down all around them.
The Hydra bellowed in pain, blind in three heads, missing one and wounding on all of the others it started to get frenzied, beating its stubby useless wings which Varharland sent a line of fire across it totally ruining them.
"Aim for the main head!" Trias yelled out.
Tevon levitated up using Dinan's boots and started to attack another head, Skye fired Magic missiles.
Sylandra eyed her options and ducked as a spray of acid splashed down all around her, leaving her unscathed, although the cries of pain she heard meant that some of the others weren't so lucky.
If she could get up onto the central neck somehow, she could use her magical greatsword to do some severe damage, but she was loathed to leave Skye down here by herself, Skye was pretty tough but no fighter.
She had best remain here than with Skye, she concentrated as another head, severely wounded and blinded went for Skye, who screamed and then fell to the ground, Sylandra went up and loped it's head off.
"Thanks," said Skye getting to her feet shakily, Sylandra noticed she bore some acid burns and she started to use her Paladinic powers to heal her.
The Hydra raised its four remaining heads, plus the main one and lunged at the Silver Dragon, who backed up and let fly some pretty impressive plasma bolts back at it then dove in, his vast wings beating wildly and somersaulting he let fly a cone of cold.
The Hydra screamed in pain as one of its heads cracked into a million pieces.
"Got you good!" Var bellowed "Ok three down, four to go," he noticed that Skyla had pulled out her Powerstaff and was aiming it at the main head which seemed to be the toughest part of the beast, it lunged at her, the small, wingless dragon got flung backwards but managed to keep her feet and aimed her Powerstaff at the Hydra.
A small figure brandishing a shining sword swooped in for the kill, wings flapping wildly, a rain of magma balls shot down from Varharland.
Mendis angled his wings slightly, aimed for the Hydra's main head with his sword, and slashed down, putting all his Halfling strength, a powerful will and four feet of height behind it.
Lightning bolts and acid rain, rained down from Meriel and Caldon atop Rashid cast his only damaging magical spell, magic missiles came from the young Halfling's hands.
Tevon had gotten onto the Hydra's central neck and was stabbing away with his sword, which wouldn't shut up, taunting and jeering at the Hydra, hurling insults as easily as a sailor and also geeing Tevon on as well.
"How many Hydra's does it take to light a lantern!" Jaws jeered "None! Because it is too dumb to do it!"
"Jaws!" Tevon groaned.
"That the way Tevon! Hack into its measly hide! My bite is deadly! Nyah! Nyah, you big seven-headed oaf you can't get us!" it rudely whistled "I betcha mother deserted you as soon as you hatched! Cause you're so ugly! Yeah, that's right back into it Tevon! Go for it, you big hero! You're so strong and powerful Tevon nothing can stand in your way! Especially a big, dumb, seven-headed Hydra!"
"Jaws!" Tevon groaned wishing heartily for once that his sword would shut up.
"Actually, it appears to be taunting it! Working like a curse-spewing weapon or something. Let it rip Tevon it seems to be working!" Varharland said, "notice how it hasn't actually attacked any of us!"
Mendis came in with his sword and joined Tevon on its neck, just as another head was sliced off by a very angry Silver Dragon.
"Way to go Var!" Mendis said, "Jaws keep taunting, the creature's not attacking us! It's confused and shaken, let it rip Jaws!"
Varharland attacked another head methodically tearing it to pieces deftly avoiding the snapping jaws and acid breath with a skill that seemed impossible on such a large dragon, Mendis both felt and heard the neck snap as Varharland's powerful claws wrapped around a stunned and already wounded head and snapped its neck, Varharland bit down onto it as well just to make sure, he then backed up and spluttered "Gross-out! This tastes terrible!"
He spun around with his tail and slammed it into the central neck, Mendis heard the bones snap, and the Hydra howled in pain its two remaining heads swivelled to meet the Dragon, who wasted no time making short work on them as well.
Varharland yelled out then "just need to get the main head now, quickly while it is stunned and confused, Jaws! Keep taunting"
They all obeyed, Mendis grabbing Tevon just as Rashid flew in under them, Sylandra somersaulted off taking one of the heads with her as her two-handed sword cut deeply into it, a fireball came from Skye's direction when everyone was clear Varharland let fly a massive blast of fire right at the Hydra with claws to its chest to get to its heart, Mendis watched in amazement as a substantial shinning lance seemingly made of pure energy appeared in the Dragons forearms which Varharland aimed straight for the Hydra's heart it went in deep right up to the handle impaling the Hydra which screamed in pain and thrashed wildly about, spraying columns of acid-like corrosive blood from the remaining heads in random directions, Varharland bellowed as one of them scored his wings.
"That does it you bastard you're going down!" Varharland said landing on the far side of the chasm, then throwing his head back and the strangest thing happened a pure wall of sound emanated from the Silver Dragon who raised silver-coloured wings with rainbow undersides, the party all blocked their ears as they all started to hurt.
The Hydra went for Varharland but was thrown back on its back with the energy lance still through it pointed to the sky it thrashed weakly, blood gushing from the gaping wound in its chest, it's body started to quake and break apart at the seams and before the party's eyes it exploded, most of the party were crouching in pain at the moment as the wave of pure sound was going through them all and all most of them could hear at the moment was sound, as the sonic boom paralysed them all.
This seemed to go on for eternity but was probably only a few moments and when it went there was still a ringing in their ears they all heard Varharland said: "um sorry".
They recovered, and Mendis said, "Geez Varharland what in Tymora's name was that!"
"Uh, my Sonic boom," Varharland said.
"Damm warn us next time when you are going to do that!" Tevon said, getting shakily to his feet.
"Darkstar! Dinan! Callina!" Meri suddenly cried and went to where the Drow twins and Callina were lying unconscious on the bridge.
Skye was already there "their unconscious!" the Half-Drow Cleric-Mage said,
Varharland said, "I'm sorry I forgot about Darkstar and Dinan's adverse reactions to loud noises!"
"Their Drow! Their ears are more sensitive than a surface Elf's and Callina's obviously also Drow enough now to be affected," said Meriel "I hope you haven't caused any permanent damage!"
"Ow! What was that!" said Darkstar as he sat up "whoa! I'm dizzy! And man have I got a ripper of a headache".
"Darkstar!" Meriel asked, "you ok?"
Darkstar rubbed his temples and tried to focus his eyes "yeah I think so".
Meriel said, "do you know who you are?"
Darkstar rubbed his neck "yes Meriel I'm fine! Stop fussing! Although some Willowbark would be nice!"
"I think a dram of whiskey would be more suitable!" Dinan joked "Lordy! What a headache!"
Callina sat up "what was that?"
"My Sonic Boom," said Varharland "I apologise I forgot about your adverse reaction to loud noises".
"We're Drow what else do you expect?" Darkstar said, "Dinan, I think your right where is that whiskey?"
"Coming right up Bro," said Dinan "Cally have some of this".
"What happened? "she asked.
"Welcome to been a Drow," Dinan said with a grimace "we all have the hereditary weakness, we don't like bright lights, loud noises and open spaces despite how long we have lived on the surface, we always have it is one of the reasons why Darkstar and I still wander around well covered in bright sunlight, even though we're adapted somewhat, you fainted from the noise".
"Oh," she said.
"Even after living near the surface as we have as worshippers of Eilistraee, we still have some of that weakness, we carry this to the end of our days like us you can operate above ground quite easily, but you will never really like bright lights, loud noises and open sky it is just something in us a weakness we have to live with that was just one of them".
"Arh," she said.
Darkstar said, "what was that Varharland!"
"My sonic boom, it's uh this breath weapon I have."
Darkstar got to his feet, brushing himself down "you are a freak, since when did a Silver Dragon have a sonic boom as a breath weapon?"
Varharland bowed his head "yeah well".
"Are you absolutely sure that you are a Silver Dragon?" Darkstar said, "somehow I don't think so!"
"What else could I be?" Varharland said, "like I said, I'm a freak!"
"Not all of us are what we appear to be," said Darkstar "whatever you are though Var I'm glad you're on our side, your heart is true and good".
Var said, "uh thanks".
Darkstar continued " somehow Var I think your past goes deeper than even you think, maybe you should look more into it yourself".
"Yeah maybe," said Varharland "Darkstar, are you sure you're Ok?"
"Apart from a ripper of a headache, yeah I'm going to be fine, er what happened to the Hydra?"
"Uh I blew it up," Var said, "there were bits of it everywhere".
Darkstar grimaced "Eew! Gross! I suggest we move away from here before the other denizens of this plane drop by to pay a visit".
"Good idea," said Varharland "I just wanted to make sure that you were ok".
"We're fine, don't worry about us," said Darkstar " let's get moving before something else unpredictable or as unpleasant comes like those heartbeat creeps".
"yeah," said Var.

Another rather short Chapter there is a few of them from herein as I was advised by someone here that my chapters were too long and that I should try to shorten them