That evening Ava's mistress, Pelitha, was hosting a party, meaning that Ava had her work cut out. As she hurried around serving wine to the lounging guests, there came a rumbling sound, like thunder. All the guests looked up in concern.

“Zeus is angry tonight,” said Aaron, holding his empty goblet out to be refilled.

“No,” put in another guest as the sound continued, “that’s the sea, crashing against the cliffs at the southern end of the city.”

As Ava refilled Aaron's cup, she saw that he was listening intently. The sound was growing louder and louder.

Suddenly a scream rang through the night. Aaron leaped up and ran to the room’s south-facing window. He looked out towards the sea and drew in a sharp breath. Ava ran up beside him, her eyes widening in fear at what she saw. Under the light of the full moon the sea was rolling and crashing like she had never seen before. She watched as the ships that lay at anchor were swept under by waves that rose higher than the city’s walls. But most terrifying of all were the huge, unnatural creatures that rose out of the sea.

“Hydra...” whispered Aaron in disbelief.

A horn blast rang through the city. Aaron dropped his goblet of wine on the floor and ran across the room to the doorway. Ava knew what the horn call meant: it was the call to arms. She rushed after Aaron and followed him out of the house. Together they sprinted through the streets towards their battalion’s barracks. Once there they swiftly donned their battle-gear alongside the other members of their battalion. Aaron took command and led the battalion through the city towards the southern wall.

“What’s going on?” asked Narsus, running up beside Ava.

“I don't know, but it’s bad, whatever it is,” she replied grimly.

When the battalion arrived at the southern wall, they found it in ruins.

“What in Athena’s name-” gasped Narsus.

His voice was drowned out as a massive wave crashed against another portion of the wall, the sheer force of the water smashing the bricks apart. From behind the shattered wall rose the huge, monstrous heads of the Hydra. Each head’s maw, lined with dagger-sized teeth, was wide enough to swallow a human whole. The monsters carried their heads on long, serpentine necks that glistened with dark blue scales. Their red eyes twinkled malevolently as they looked down at the human soldiers arrayed against them.

The soldiers of Aaron's battalion froze under the gaze of the Hydra, their eyes wide in terror. Only Aaron remained unshaken, and as he raised his sword and cried, “Form up! Spears at the ready! Lock shields!”, his soldiers shook off their fear and formed up against the monstrous heads that faced them. Ava moved up beside Aaron, her shield raised and her spear held forwards. The soldiers of Athens stood firm as the monstrous heads surged towards them.

Ava and her fellows fought off the monsters' first attack, stabbing the heads again and again with their spears. One head snapped up the soldier standing beside Ava and devoured him whole. Ava stabbed at the beast with her spear, piercing through the scales and into the flesh of the creature's face. The hydra twisted its head sharply, snapping the spear in two, before withdrawing to a safe distance. Ava dropped her broken spear and drew her sword.

The hydra held back, giving the soldiers of Athens a few moments of respite, before they raised their reptilian bodies from the sea and onto the land, their heads moving in to attack once more. Ava raised her shield as one of the heads surged towards her. The monster's jaws snapped shut, crushing the shield. Before the monster could make another move, Ava strode forward, gripping her sword with both hands, and hacked at the beast's neck. Her blow cut straight through, the severed head landing on the ground with a heavy thump. Blood spurted from the hydra’s neck, coating Ava.

She stepped back into formation as another head swept towards her. Taking up the spear of a fallen comrade, she rammed it between the beast’s eyes. The head slumped to the ground as Ava tugged her weapon free. She looked around, frowning as she saw the losses her battalion had suffered. A soldier on the edge of the formation screamed as a hydra’s maw enveloped her and broke her body with one bite.

“Reform!” shouted Aaron.

His soldiers closed ranks, stepping up to fill the gaps left by their fallen comrades. Ava saw Errylis move up beside her.

“Errylis,” Ava said in greeting.

Errylis didn't look at Ava, keeping her gaze fixed firmly ahead.

“You always laughed at me,” whispered Errylis dramatically, “you all did. Now I'll show you the kind of hero I am, Ava. I'm going to take down a hundred Hydra and...”

She broke off uncertainly, then shrugged and said, “I guess I’ll just have to kill a hundred more of them after that.”

“Stand firm!” shouted Aaron as the hydra launched another attack.

The soldiers of Athens fought harder and fiercer than ever, stabbing viciously at the monstrous heads. As Ava ran her spear upwards through one of the heads, she heard Errylis whisper, “Now is my moment...”

Ava turned to see a hydra head advancing towards Errylis. Errylis took a step back, then charged towards the oncoming head. As the hydra opened its mouth to devour her, Errylis threw her shield into its maw. The hydra’s mouth snapped shut, crushing the shield to splinters. Errylis leaped off the ground and landed atop the beast’s head. The hydra reared back its head, lifting Errylis high into the air. With a shout, she dived off the creature’s head and down towards its upraised chest, her spear held out in front of her. With her own weight and the force of her fall behind it, her spear pierced the hydra’s scales and impaled its heart. The monster toppled back into the crashing waves, taking Errylis with it. Ava held back a cry, swallowing hard and giving a solemn nod of respect as her comrade fell into the sea. Errylis had died the hero's death she had always dramatized about.