Lord Master Hydra : Part VI

Gwendolyn has called upon the white witches counsel in order to endow Edwin and Lex with power. This power is called “The Light of Sucram.” When put together with the power that King Jamie and Marcus have (The Stones Of Sucram) the four make a force to be reckoned with. The downside is that Ramfus knows what Gwendolyn has done and now fears that King Jamie is on to him so, he moves to kill Gwendolyn before she can cause him anymore trouble. And now here is the final episode of
Lord Master Hydra Part VI

Gwendolyn struggled briefly with the ties that bound her wrists. She was inside the castle, deep inside of Ramfus’s hideaway. “Release her bonds,” Ramfus commanded of his henchman. The same man who had abducted and brought her to him. The big, burly monster leered with fiendish lust at Gwendolyn, grabbed her by her bound wrists and with one yank, broke the bonds. Gwendolyn stared defiantly at the grotesque giant in front of her and rubbed her sore wrists. “You’ll pay with your life for your indecent thoughts about me,” she whispered to him. The man’s eyes flickered with fear for a few seconds, then he grinned a big toothless grin at her. She turned her head as his sour breath washed over her. “M’lady,” he whispered huskily. “It matters naught that you are heavy with child. I’ll make you my willing bitch a’fore this night is ended.”

“Enough man!” Ramfus said angrily. “Right now I need her alive. After I remove her child from her then and only then can you have her for sport.” The man glared at Gwendolyn once more and then moved off to stand in a dark corner. Ramfus approached Gwendolyn with an evil grin. “So good lady we meet at last. Have you seen your beloved yet?” From the folds of his robe he produced a large glass jar. Inside the jar was the head of Lance. Yet, she did not blink. She did not move. But she did speak. Her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned out. “You treacherous demon from hell,” she spat. “Your life is worth spit this evening Ramfus for even now the King moves against you and he will send you to your master in the very depths of hell!”

Ramfus eyes glowed with hatred. “Did I ever tell you how King Andrew really died Lady Gwendolyn?” He leaned forward again. “Listen carefully white witch and learn from a master.”

****

Edwin, Lex, Marcus and King Jamie stood at the entrance to the long stone staircase that sloped downward inside the castle. With the help of Edwin and Lex’s new found power, they had found the passageways behind the walls and now they were standing at the head of the steps. They knew that once they reached the bottom the passageway veered to the left. Edwin and Marcus would take one direction which would bring them to the back entrance of the lair and Jamie and Lex would proceed straight ahead which would take them to the front entrance. They had planned this carefully and now they started to descend. As they descended it grew darker and danker. Rats and other creatures that bred below the castle ran over their feet in the dark and squeaked and scurried to move out of their way. Suddenly, they couldn’t see a thing. “Stop!” Jamie commanded. He touched the stone around his neck and it begin to glow. Faintly at first until it grew brighter. When he was able to see his companions, he nodded at Marcus who did the same. Soon his stone was also giving off a brilliant light until their way to down below was as bright as day. When they finally reached the bottom, they proceeded down the passageway, now lit by the stones around Jamie and Marcus’s necks, until they came to spot where the passage veered off to the left. Here they stopped.

“Okay men,” Jamie whispered. “Edwin and Marcus you proceed to the left and just follow the passage until you come to the back entrance to his lair. Lex and I will proceed ahead. Do not enter until you hear my voice on the other side!” He leaned over and quickly kissed Marcus. Edwin and Lex exchanged one too, then the four of them stood back and looked at each other. “God speed men,” Jamie said thickly. “Now go!” They parted company; Marcus and Edwin to the left, Jamie and Lex straight ahead. They proceeded on their way to where Ramfus lay in wait.

****

“I know how King Andrew died you foolish bastard,” Gwendolyn spat. “He died in battle with the Hydra.”

“His wounds were few from the Hydra,” Ramfus retorted. “If anyone remembers correctly, they never really saw him after he fell from the blow from the Hydra’s tail. True, he did kill the beast. But I had my men take the wounded King away before anyone could get a glimpse of his wounds. I had him brought here where I poisoned him. Slowly and carefully. He died a most horrible death. You see I’ll have my revenge good lady. The Hydra had a mate and if you look carefully within my eyes you just may see her mate.

Gwendolyn stood in shock. It couldn’t be! She’d heard of such things before…but this? Ramfus was part beast, part human. Her heart hammered in her chest and she briefly clutched her stomach. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. She would have to trust her own intuition and her power. She raised her head and stared intently into his eyes. They were black…like his soul. She continued to stare and then she gave a start. His eyes were turning color. They were now a blood red with a black spot right in the center of each of them. Then she knew for sure. Ramfus was the Hydra’s mate. Ramfus had somehow reached way back to touch the darkest of magics to transform himself into a dreaded beast. She hadn’t counted on this. He could now prove to be unstoppable. No her mind screamed. She wouldn’t let that happen! This evil black heart had killed her king! She needed to buy time to allow Jamie to get here so she spoke. 

“But why Ramfus? Why in the name of mother church would you kill your own king?”
“BECAUSE HE WAS WEAK YOU SILLY BITCH,” Ramfus screamed in anger. “And he produced a son who practices everything that flys in the face of morality. Jamie doesn’t deserve this kingdom! He will never produce an heir for he fancies men to women. NO! I can’t let him live! I killed his weak, pitiful father, I killed your weak pitiful beloved (he advanced upon Gwendolyn with a rush) and now I’ll kill you!”

****

Jamie and Lex had arrived outside the massive oak doors just in time to hear Ramfus tell Gwendolyn how he had really killed the King. Lex watched Jamie’s face go through mixed emotions as he listened carefully at the man on the other side rant and rave. It was only when they heard Ramfus scream at Gwendolyn, did Jamie speak in a hushed whisper.

“Now Lex,” he whispered harshly. “Concentrate…use your new power and open this door.”
“I’m not sure I can,” Lex whispered back fearfully.
“You can lad! Concentrate! Just imagine the door opening for you. Quickly before he kills Gwendolyn!”
Lex stepped back, held his breath and concentrated on the door. His mind kept wandering to his brother Lance and the awful way he had probably died by Ramfus’s hands. He thought of how Gwendolyn carried his brother’s unborn child and how Ramfus would use his evil magics to kill her and the child. His heart slammed in his chest as his anger slowly grew. His eyes narrowed to dangerous slits and they began to glow a faint blue, just as they had when he first received the power. He listened to Ramfus scream and curse on the other side and he concentrated even harder on the door. Suddenly, his anger and his hate grew even stronger and his eyes glowed a bright, hot blue. Without warning, they flew wide open and a steady, hot stream of blue light shot from his pupils and landed on the massive door before him. The door lit up, and started to glow with the intensity of the light until it exploded sending splinters of wood in every direction. With a cry filled with anger and hate, Lex and Jamie rushed through the opening and drew their swords.

On the other side of the passage, Edwin and Marcus heard a loud explosion. They looked at each other quickly and rushed the door that stood before them. This one was not as big and heavy as the one at the front entrance. Together they threw their shoulders to the door and it flew open with a crash. What greeted them was total chaos. Lex and Jamie were slowly circling Ramfus with drawn swords, who had grabbed Gwendolyn from behind and was holding a sharp knife to her slender neck.

“STAY BACK LADS!” Jamie shouted as Marcus and Edwin burst through the other door. “Ramfus,” Jamie continued slowly. “Release the Lady Gwendolyn, ‘tis me you want dead.”

“Never,” Ramfus said wildly. “You see my King after I kill you, her and all of your lovers, I intend to raise her child as my own. Someone must carry on my traditions and run this Kingdom as it was meant to be run. I will train the child in the ways of the arts and after I’m gone, my legacy shall live on. By the way Lady Gwendolyn, did you know ‘tis a girl you carry? This is perfect! Not only shall she be a Queen, but when she’s old enough, she’ll be my Queen!”

Gwendolyn’s eyes grew wide with horror. She grabbed on to the arm encircling her neck, lifted it up to her mouth and bit down as hard as she could until she could taste the coppery taste of blood.

“AAAAAAAAAGH YOU BITCH!” Ramfus screamed. He pushed her away, right into the arms of his henchmen who (somewhat confused) caught her and steadied her to her feet.

“You!” she spat with contempt. “I told you that you would die for thinking those evil thoughts of me.” She uttered a few words under her breath, reached up and quickly twisted the man’s head until his neck snapped and he crumbled to the ground. “NOW!” She yelled as she ran for cover. “ALL OF YOU! USE YOUR POWERS NOW!” 

At the moment she finished speaking, Ramfus rose to his full height. The room darkened even more as he stretched out his arms.

“AND NOW MY KING,” he screeched in fury. “YOU AND YOUR MOTLEY CREW ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE POWERS OF HELL!”
His robes fell to the floor and his face contorted as the bones and sinew twisted and turned. He screamed in pain as his fingers elongated into claws and his arms thickened and lengthened. His skin turned several different shades until it became a hideous black and scales formed all over his body. But, it was the transformation to his upper extremities that really horrified the spectators. His neck did indeed stretch sever inches but it also grew two more heads so that there were three protuding from what used to be his shoulders! Their jaws were elongated and they snapped and spit. There were several long and sharp teeth peering out from inside the creatures mouths. It’s noses were flat and a sick smelling steam protuded from each one. It’s eyes were blood red with black as coal dots were the pupils used to be. It squatted on thick tree-trunk like legs and it’s feet were long and flat with long sharp nails that scraped the stone floor. Behind it a long tail slashed about the room knocking down anything in it’s way. Ramfus had transformed himself into a Hydra and he meant to kill them all.

“What in the name of mother church…” Lex breathed deeply.
“Never mind that!” Gwendolyn snapped. Your power Lex…YOUR POWER ALL OF YOU NOW!”
The men in the room snapped back to reality as the realization of what Ramfus had done to himself hit home. They quickly scrambled to their feet and drew their swords as they slowly circled the creature being careful to stay out of it’s reach.
“Concentrate! All of you concentrate!” Gwendolyn yelled.