Fern and Thor

Chapter I

“For those of you who do not know, we called this meeting because of the frequent hydra assaults on the village.” The councillor hammered his gavel on the judge’s table.
As If we didn’t know, Fern thought glumly. Ever since the attack exactly one year ago, in which her father met his doom, the hydra had been more frequent, and more desperate. Everyone in Naquari was certain that there was something the hydra was after, because why would it attack for no reason?
“Please, villagers of Naquari, if you have something to say, please speak up.”
“I say we build a 3 meter high wall around the village!” protested Saef, the Head of Building.
The councillor shook his head disdainfully. “We simply don’t have enough time and material for that. Plus, we don’t know how high it can fly. If its wing span is big enough, it will just be able to fly right over the wall.”
“Can’t Wizard Grue put ananti-dragon spell over Naquari?” asked Titan, a village Battle mage.
Again, the councillor dismissed the idea sadly. “No, that wouldn’t work. Grue’s power isn’t strong enough to secure the whole village. Some areas will remain penetrable”
More ideas were shouted out at the councillor, but he rejected everyone.  Fern rolled her eyes. She knew what they had to do, but she was a shy and quiet elf, and she hated attracting attention to herself.  But as more thoughts were called out, she was filled with a strange anger that no one was getting it right. More theories were called out but none of them were the one she knew was right. Soon, the whole room was a series of shouts and screams, and Fern thought she would lose her mind. Finally, when she could take no more, she cracked.
“STOP!” Fern shrieked. The room went silent. Every head turned to face her with puzzled looks. She immediately turned the shade of red you would find on a beetroot.
“Well?” demanded the councillor, “What is it?”
Even though she was starting to slowly lose her courage, Fern forced her vocal cords to move.
“Can’t you see? None of these ideas are going to work!”
“And why not?” asked Saef, narrowing his eyes.
“Because it’s simple! We don’t need to defend the village” Fern continued, “We need to attack the hydra! Obviously it must have come for something, or someone must have sent it. We just go to its lair and kill it.”
The room sat in silence. The councillor had a thoughtful look on his face. “You may be right Fern” he said, “but how can we tell where the hydra’s lair is?”
“Well, he always comes from the North. So he’ll be in either Damaka Forest or Tetra Mountains.”
The councillor had gotten up by now. “Well...” he said triumphantly, “I think Miss Fern’s idea is excellent. Who will volunteer to find the hydra’s lair?”
Fern stood rigid. She knew what the reply would be already. She had known the people of Naquari enough to know that none of them liked to do bold, daring things. They were too scared for that. Like Fern, they were timid and behind-the-scenes kind of people. So when they were in danger of being chosen for something like this, they did the only thing they could to get out of it. They blamed it on the person who suggested it. And in this case, Fern was entirely right.
“Anyone?” asked the councillor anxiously.
Slowly Saef raised his hand.
“Yes? What do you think, Saef?”
“I think” answered Saef slowly, “That if we can’t find anyone to do the job, what about we ask… “Miss Fern” to do it. It was her idea, so surely she would be willing?”
The councillor frowned as he thought. Fern was shocked that she might have to do something out of her league, but not in the least bit surprised. She just desperately hoped that the councillor denied. But it was not to be. Slowly the councillor’s face spread into a smile. “Yes, an excellent idea.”
Now, it was true that the councillor was not an unkind man. Normally, he would have been very shocked that someone like Saef suggested this, for a young teenager, not even eighteen, to go on a huge adventure. And he still was.  But it was just then he realized that if he said no, the villagers might force him to. So he put aside his feelings and faked for his own safety. “So, Fern, you will be departing tomorrow.”
“But--”
“Now, I suggest everyone get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we will watch Fern leave.”
“What about my mother?” Fern asked anxiously.
“I will notify her. Goodbye, everyone.”
Saef looked smug as he trailed out of the building with the others. Fern felt a bit dizzy. Everything had happened so fast. Hopefully, she thought, her mother wouldn’t let her go. She would talk to the councillor and sort things out, and Fern wouldn’t have to do it. Sighing, Fern started walking home. It was a short walk, maybe about 50 paces from town hall, Fern’s idea of a pleasant stroll. But today it wasn’t pleasant. As she approached her house, she felt uneasy, as if the councillor had already talked to her mother and made a decision. Momentarily, Fern’s thoughts drifted to the hydra. She shivered as she pictured its midnight silk wings, supported be thin red frames, and its gigantic feet that had once bathed in the blood of her father. Its 9 dark heads, snarling and glaring, as it destroyed the village with its fiery weapon. And yet, it was strange, because as it did all these things, Fern always caught a glimpse of its eyes, and she was sure, every time she looked, that the beast had no pupils or irises or any inner eye features at all. Both eyes were completely white. And this made her certain that something, someone, was somehow controlling the hydra into slavery. And that, Fern was sure of, meant it was not doing it willingly.