Unholy Water

We wander the halls for a while only running across a handful of zombies and some stonecrabs the size of a small dog.

Finally the first boss door appears out of the dark in front of us. Silence finally decides to leave my side and rejoins Brutus in the front. Momo signals for us all to take a moment to catch our breath.

“Make sure you have easy access to your healing potions.”

I shuffle through my bag rearranging it for quick access to my potions. I don’t think I will be able to write notes in this fight so I will have to remember everything I can till our next break.

“Let's keep up the pace. Remember Tai I want you to try and stay out of this fight as much as possible. Brutus I need you to take the left side. Silence, do what you do best. Check your gear everyone and once we are already we will push through together.”

Everyone nods in agreement. The tension in the air has risen a little bit.

Last time I was in the dungeon a party before me had already cleared the first boss. So I have yet to see it. I wonder what kind of creature it could be? From the murmurs I hear at the guild it isn’t a tough boss but that you should always be on your toes.

Momo signals for us to start. The four of us work together to push open the large stone door. When I was here it was already open. They must close at night when the dungeon begins to reset.

It wouldn’t be impossible to open alone but it would take a lot of time. I should make a note of that.

As we enter the room it is empty. There is no way someone beat us here. The door was sealed. What is going on?

I look around and see everyone is still on edge and waiting for something. Momo dons her helmet. The boss can’t be invisible right? I can’t find any noticeable clues about what is going on. The boss room is dimly lit but I’m able to see everything in the room for the most part.

Drip…

Drip…

Drip…

Water droplets are falling from the ceiling and there are puddles of water around the room. The water is starting to fall more rapidly.

Brutus prepares himself by drawing both blades aimed at the puddle forming as his voice echoes in the room.

“Here it comes! Look alive everybody!”

Streams of water rush into the puddle pooling together forming a giant floating bubble of water. The color is not clear. There is a mixture of blue and dark greenish tones. There is something floating in the center.

Slowly the bubble starts to form arms. It floats there swaying slightly back and forth shimmering in the torch light.

“What is this thing?”

I really want to know is it like a summon kind of like the golems?

“It’s called Unholy Water. The thing is unpredictable so keep focused.”

Momo is slowly approaching the bubble. It has started to take a more monstrous shape. It forms a tornado of water touching the floor. Mist rises from the stone.

The bubbles, foam, and waves all start to form the shape of a face. The core is still floating in the center.

Whatever it has for a face darts its attention towards Brutus. Quickly one of its arms extends like jelly. The orc narrowly dodges the attack and the water arm extends all the way to the wall.

When the arm retracts the stone wall has a small visible cloud dissipating off the surface.

It’s not mist. It’s steam.

The water must be scalding. I definitely can't get hit by it.

Silence has been casting some magic for a while now. Their spell must take time.

I hear the rush of water. I turn to see that I must have the water’s attention. It swings its right arm in a sweeping motion. A wave of water is flooding right towards me.

I have to use my speed to my advantage. I charge the wave directly and at the precise moment leap over it with a long stride. I land clear of the water but now in the monster’s striking distance.

Not good!

His arm launches towards me faster than I can react. I raise my shield in fear but it won’t do me much good. The water arm never connects.

I look up.

Momo is standing before me with her tower shield heating up against the water arm of the monster.

“Tai, get clear. Too hot–”

I could hear it clearly through her helmet. This is the first time I have heard her voice strained with pain. We both break away from the attack in different directions. I watch as Momo cracks a potion bottle over her arm healing the burns she just received.

Silence is still casting. Brutus exchanges blows with the water being but his hands holding the blades can only withstand the heat for small amounts of time.

Can I do anything to help?

The monster launches an attack at both Brutus and Momo simultaneously outstretching its liquid arms. Wait, what was that?

As the liquid expanded in front the Unholy Water’s core shifted further, almost breaching through the back of its body. I wonder if we could–

Silence casts a sheet of ice below the tornado of liquid. It separates the water from touching the stone floor. Silence looks like they have to remain still to keep constantly casting the ice.

I think it is working. The stone was conducting heat into the floor so with it no longer in contact it should eventually become cool enough for Brutus to cut the distance to slash the core.

Wait–

The monster launches one monstrous water arm toward Silence. Momo moves to defend them holding the water back. It splashes and I can see puffs of steam rise from both of them.

It will not cool quick enough. They won’t make it. I have to do something fast.

“Brutus can you draw the left arm out near the others?”

“Goggles what is going on in that–”

“Just trust me I have a plan. We have to be quick.”

“Alright–”

Brutus runs about the same distance away from the boss and lets out a warcry. The boss’s other arm launches at Brutus and he holds the water in place with his two blades.

“RRRAAAWWWRRR!”

I have to move fast. They won’t be able to hold out for long. I take off sprinting around the boss as fast as I can. I use some of its own water against it to increase my speed as I slide around.

I can see it.

The core is barely sticking out of the monster's back. I cautiously draw my blade and hold it firmly in my hand. I run as fast as I can. As I near the core I use the wall to get some height and I slice through the core with my short sword. My blade passes through the water of its body and it splashes on my arm. I can feel my skin burning.

The core offers little resistance and it splits in two. Then it quickly dissolves. The Unholy Water instantly collapses into puddles of steam that quickly evaporate away.

I think I did it. I helped beat my first boss.

My heart pounds overjoyed with my first tangible victory.

The relief on the others' faces is comforting. They each take a moment to recover from the fight. Drinking healing potions and wrapping up their wounds. I take the time to write as many notes as I can about the fight in my journal.

Brutus collects the remains of the Unholy Water’s core and fills up a tiny vial of the only lingering water.

We meet in the center of the room to take a moment to recap our situation.

“The boss seemed way harder than normal. What did you do to finish it off, Tai?”

Momo smacks my back in appreciation.

“I just kind of stabbed it. The core was peaking out the back because all the water was rushing towards you.”

“I wasn’t able to see with all that water. I’m glad…that you came with us…”

Silence looks exhausted and we have only cleared the first boss. I reach in my pouch and hand them a mana potion.

“Please take it. It really doesn’t do me any good.”

They are standing there glowing with joy over the potion. Quickly they yank it out of my hand and drink it down in one gulp. They smile and look a little more energized.

“You shouldn’t spoil the elf. They have their own potions and they should use them.”

Brutus points his green finger aggressively at Silence. Silence just sticks their tongue out.

“Why you little–”

Momo steps in between the two.

“Come on. We have to keep moving.”

As we descend the steps into the next level I notice something odd. Why do the boss rooms have an entrance door but they don’t have an exit door? Could monsters from the lower floor come into the boss room during a fight? That's a sobering thought.