Page 86 of The Hellbeast's Betrayal

These creatures were serpents that were incredibly flexible. This due to the fact they had no spine and therefore could hallow out burrows that were a warren full of their offspring. These burrows could span miles if left undisturbed, meaning there would be hundreds of them in the dunes that ran alongside the riverbanks.

Their horned heads usually protruding out of the surface as this was how they hunted, as they would lay in wait for their unsuspecting prey. For these horns were meant to deceive other creatures into thinking it is food. Then when the smaller creatures approached, the Cerastes promptly killed it, dragging its carcass back to its warren. This meant for us that they would be easy to spot and therefore we would know where to set the fires.

“If we planned it right, their movements would create enough vibrations to alert the beast and lure it out,” my brother added.

“I am sorry, but I have to ask, exactly what is a Lern… whatever you called it?” Keira asked, getting confused.

“Lernaean Hydra,” her daughter replied, as of course Amelia would know, seeing as she had no doubt read every book in her father’s library.

“A Hydra, you mean one of those monsters that has loads of heads and every time you cut one off another grows in its place… that kind of Hydra?” Keira asked, making her daughter giggle.

“Try two heads grow in its place, but yeah, close enough,” she replied.

“Is that wise getting something like that involved?” Seth asked.

“It will be far from us but better still, it will not be a risk Garmr will be willing to bet on, as they take a very long time to kill, and he will no doubt lose a lot of his men trying.

“Meaning he will have no choice but to take the path we want him to take… gottcha,” Keira said, making Dom chuckle.

“It is not a bad plan. It offers us an easy escape, as we will have something they do not,” Lucius said with a nod of his head.

“What’s that?” Tyr asked.

“Me,” Adam answered, now joining us and looking at the map.

“Can you do it?” Lucius asked, nodding to the statues painted there.

“Yeah, but I might need some incentive,” he replied, making Pip stroll in right on time and say,

“Hi, I’m incentive, nice to meet you all.” Then she skipped over to her husband and winked up at him.

“Then this could actually work, should all else fail. And if not, forcing them into a bottleneck will give us an advantage, as he will risk it or not, either way, we have ourselves an out,” I said, looking down at the map and doing so now, by clinging on to hope that…

We wouldn’t needthat out.

30

A BRANCH OF HOPE

The first part of our plan went underway without a hitch, as we managed to lure the Hydra out of its home just in time. As soon as the Hydra spotted the army coming its way, it started attacking. Quickly leaving the smaller prey of the Cerastes to slither away.

Our scouts had been watching from afar and had been led by Bill. This after he had assured me that he’d had dealings with these Cerastes creatures before.

Which meant that like we predicted, Garmr had no choice but to lead his army towards the Valley of Gods, where he would find us waiting ready for battle. The valley was exactly what it sounded like. A mountain pass that narrowed first before opening up to where the statues of Gods would watch and protect travelers that ventured through. But the biggest of these statues was of Hades himself. One which was situated at the narrowest point, as if welcoming those to a place to worship the deities of the Underworld. A statue that was over a hundred foot in height.

This was also where the bottleneck was, the one that we would use to our advantage. But as for me, I wouldn’t be part of the battle, for I would have my own personal fight to contend with. The reminder of such was strapped to my back in a sheath, that this time didn’t hold a sword, but what I was hoping was a far more important weapon.

As for Orthrus, Dariush, and myself, we were all waiting for the right opportunity to put our part of the plan into action. Something we couldn’t do until we saw Ella. Which was why we stayed hidden at one of the taller peaks on the mountain waiting to spot her. Of course, I knew that Garmr would want to keep her at a safe distance from the fight, as he couldn’t risk anything happening to her.

But, with that being said, she would still need to see those that she brought back, as well as be within distance to control the souls she had acquired when taking hold of that book. Which was why it became increasingly difficult to watch as the battle began, knowing I could be of help in my HellBeast form. But Dom had been right, the moment I saw the sheer numbers of Garmr’s army, I knew the battle would not be easy to win, if not impossible.

Not unless I could get Ella back. Because with her by Garmr’s side, it would never matter how many lives we took on the battlefield, not when they would only become another soul to add to her collection. A soul we would have no chance at killing. Not when they would simply return to the book seeking the power needed to continue the fight.

“Gods,”my brother uttered the second he saw what I did. Legions of HellHounds leading the battle, with other creatures that had joined in his cause. I wondered if they knew what this war actually stood for. That it wasn’t to take over Hell, but instead to destroy it entirely? Would they still fight alongside him? I doubted it, but then, half of his army belonged to Clay, and believed Garmr to be their true king.

The clash of these two forces as they came together set us all on edge, as I could see Dom leading the way with the other Kings spread out along the front line.

Sigurd’s darkness created a wall of night around a large group of HellHounds, as serpents lashed out from the thick black fog. His own army created a similar effect, causing mayhem and confusion between Garmr’s ranks.

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