The snake reared its crested head and spat, showering them with hot venom, hitting Silvius in the arm and Elissa on the cheek. It stung, burning painfully. Tisamenos, thinking quickly, crouched and placed his shield above his head. ‘Get behind me!’

Shuffling across the floor, Elissa managed to reach him, and Silvius joined them a fraction later, just before the snake struck where he had been standing.

But the snake was too fast, and like a bolt of lightning it hit the shield Tisamenos was holding, and the three companions tumbled away from each other, out from its safety. Tisamenos lost his grip on the Last Gorgon’s head.

Now the snake was looming above Tisamenos. Silvius had fallen to the right, arm bruised, and he scrambled to pick up his sword.

Elissa was on the other side of Tisamenos. She hadn’t been hurt. She had to deflect the snake’s attention from him, so she grabbed a torch from its bracket, hurling it at the snake’s head. It turned to look at her. In its eyes she saw cold death, an inhuman power that made her shudder all over.

Silvius jumped at the snake, and he stuck his sword into it; it recoiled immediately, and narrowly missed him as the creature swooped back to deal with what was irritating it. He yanked his sword out and toppled backwards.

Elissa swooped in from the other side, and gashed the snake with her own sword. It was the first time she’d used it. Dark blood spilled out, and she slipped on it but did not fall.

Angered now, the snake began lashing about.

‘The Gorgon’s head!’ called Tisamenos. Elissa swiftly threw it to him. ‘When I say go, run straight in front of me!’ he cried, catching it. ‘And don’t, whatever you do, look at me!’

The snake was swaying from side to side, sizing up each of them in turn, judging which one to go for. Its long forked tongue flickered in and out of its deadly mouth.

‘Run!’ shouted Tisamenos. Elissa and Silvius sprinted across between him and the snake, and the snake, confused, gazed right at Tisamenos, who pulled out the Last Gorgon’s head and ripped off the bandage.

As Elissa and Silvius tumbled to a halt and turned, ready to help Tisamenos, the snake tensed all its muscles, and began to swing its head from side to side again.

‘Tisamenos! Run!’ called Elissa. But he remained firm, and the snake readied itself for the final attack.

Trembling now, Silvius called too. ‘Tisamenos! Run! You’ll be killed!’

Elissa thought quickly. ‘Do what I do!’ she shouted to Silvius. Then, remembering how she’d been told to pick up snakes, she jumped onto the beast’s body just behind its head. Silvius immediately joined her.

‘It’s working!’ shouted Tisamenos.