Chapter 59: Chapter Fifty Nine: Water Boss Fight

Qube hurried after the Chosen One, the rest of the party right behind her. After a few minutes, the corridor abruptly widened and they were standing above a giant well, a blue Save Point next to them. The water was so murky that Qube could only just make out a large shadow in the depths. On top of the water were several floating wooden platforms.

 

Qube eyed the platforms balefully. At least it didn’t look like any climbing would be required. She hoped. She really, really hoped.

 

She was so busy contemplating her dislike of the platforms that she missed the Chosen One jumping into the water and swimming out to the nearest platform. The shadow within the depths moved.

 

“Chosen One!” Qube cried, just as he clambered onto a platform. “[Lesser Shield]!” The dark shape reared up, a terrifyingly huge eel’s head breaking through the water surface and it rose up… up… up…

 

The Boss loomed over the Chosen One, making the Fighter appear tiny before it. Its body was slimy smooth, and when it opened its mouth it was filled with hundreds of sword-like teeth, each the size of a fully grown human. It screamed, a high-pitched sound that made everyone clamp their hands to their ears. It dove back into the depths, crashing waves bouncing off the well’s walls, sending the platforms spinning. She saw its dark form disappear into a circular opening just underneath the water’s surface. 

 

The Chosen One was on all fours, holding on to the wooden raft for dear life, looking decidedly ill and swearing vengeance on someone. The other party members were behind him in an instant. Qube hadn’t even noticed them move, she’d been so transfixed by the creature. 

 

She felt her heart thudding in her ears. This was bad. This was very, very bad. She couldn’t swim. Even if she somehow got over to the platforms, a single stray wave would send her plunging into the deep, and one of the others would have to stop fighting to go rescue her, leaving the rest of the group vulnerable.

 

She felt a blunt nose push at her hip. Glancing down, she saw Squiggles, peeping up at her with her little coal eyes. The sharktopus squiggled forwards slightly, then danced around to look at Qube in a clear invitation to give the half-elf a lift.

 

“No, go help the others,” Qube told her pet. Squiggles wriggled.  Qube gave her a light push. “Go on. Show them what a good team mascot you can be! I can cast from here.” She watched as the latest member of their little family flung herself into the monster-infested water.

 

“I hope…” Qube whispered. She’d never tried to cast a spell from so far away before. Still, why should distance make a difference to magic? As long as she could see the Chosen One (and the others) then she should be able to reach them.

 

The Chosen One pulled out the harpoons, and started handing them to the three companions next to him on the rocking platform. Sexy Screamy Spider Lady was still floating in the air and so was unaffected by the tossing, but Definitely Bad Guy and Sewer Bard seemed to be handling the constant motion of the platform a lot better than the Chosen One. If she hadn’t needed to reserve as much mana for the fight as she could, Qube would have been tempted to [Heal] him. 

 

It couldn’t be good for morale if their brave leader started vomiting right before the big fight, after all.

 

From this distance, she wouldn’t have expected to be able to hear the Chosen One speaking. But his voice seemed to cut through the cacophony of noise, sharp and clear, as he ordered them all to fire their harpoons at the giant eel the next time it surfaced.

 

Qube wasn’t too sure how sound his logic was there. Presumably the reason it had surfaced the first time had been to see who was jumping about on its platforms. Surely now it would take advantage of its domain and simply attack from beneath the water? Its mouth had been so big that it could have easily bitten through one of the platforms and feasted on the flesh of her friends.

 

And wasn’t that a cheery thought, Qube grimaced.

 

But, despite all common sense, the Chosen One was right. After a few minutes of circling underneath, the monstrous Boss once again breached the water, using its head to try and sweep everyone off their platform in a spectacularly inefficient usage of both its natural weapons and the advantages of its home territory.

 

“Fire!” the Chosen One yelled as he jumped from one platform to another, narrowly missing the eel’s attack.

 

Without hesitation his three companions fired, each with the fluid movement of experts who had spent their lives using harpoons. The spears penetrated the eel’s rubbery skin and it was locked in place, thrashing and screaming as the Chosen One jumped on top of it and ran to a giant red protrusion at the top of its spine. It was similar to what had been on the giant spider in the Forbidden Forest, or the red patch on the rock and fire creature’s stomach.

 

Was this some sort of sign of a guardian? It seemed a particularly bad idea, if that was where they were vulnerable.

 

After a few slashes of his Sacred Sword, all of the harpoons were suddenly yanked out of the eel’s body as it violently shook itself.

 

The Chosen One jumped free as it slammed back into the water. He pursed his lips as he looked down into the depths, watching the creature’s movements.

 

“Okay,” he said, gesturing at Sexy Screamy Spider Lady, who nimbly floated out of the way of the eel’s tail, causing it to slap onto an empty platform. “You fire your harpoon first. Then, once that snaps, you,” here he pointed at Definitely Bad Guy, “immediately fire yours while she reloads. If it snaps before she’s reloaded, you fire,” here he pointed at Sewer Bard. “Basically, we’ve got enough harpoons that we should be able to juggle this thing; assuming it’s not invulnerable while it resets.”

 

“I would not expect it to be invulnerable,” Sewer Bard said, his balance perfect on the rocking platform. “While there is tell of beasts capable of shielding themselves from physical harm, I—”

 

The Chosen One cut him off. 

 

“Anyway, let’s go!” he shouted, as the beast re-emerged. Qube braced herself, ready for disaster.

 

Although Qube would be the first to champion the Chosen One, she was also the most surprised when his plans went off without a hitch. Even Squiggles managed to help, retrieving any harpoons that fell into the water. As soon as one harpoon was dislodged, another took its place, with the Chosen One chopping at the red protrusion the entire time.

 

Faster than Qube could have thought possible, the giant eel gave one final cry, and collapsed. As it disintegrated into a skeletal platform, it looked at the Chosen One almost balefully. The whole thing felt almost unfair to Qube, and strangely undignified. As if the beast had been cheated out of a proper death.

 

But dead it was, with only its spine and skull remaining locked in place as a strangely stable platform in the middle of the giant well. And, in the middle of the skull, there stood three pedestals.

 

A carrot. A potion vial. And a sword.

 

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Just like the other Temples. And these pedestals were deep blue and stone, matching the decor. Just like the other Temples.

 

It took all of Qube’s considerable self-control not to throw herself at the nearest platform and attempt to jump her way to the pedestals.

 

She had to examine them before they Bestowed their spells on anyone! She had to make notes! She had to study them!

 

“Chosen One!” she called, frantically waving. “Chosen One! Please, I need to look at those!”

 

“Keep your hair on,” the Chosen One instructed her. Qube paused in confusion, before deciding to ignore his strange order in favour of more frantic gesturing. “No one’s gonna touch the pedestal without you. Can you — oh, your pet.”

Squiggles had already abandoned the group and started writhing its way through the water towards Qube.

 

“Team mascot,” Qube corrected almost breathlessly as she impatiently danced from foot to foot. “Come on Squiggles, come on!” As soon as Squiggles was within reach, Qube flung herself full force at the sharktopus. “Go, go, go!” she whispered, clutching the sandpapery skin so hard it hurt. Squiggles spurted forward, tearing through the water and jumping onto the skull with such speed that the Chosen One instinctively swung his shield into place.

 

“[Golden Prophecy] that thing can move,” he said, relaxing his stance as his brain caught up with his reflexes.

 

“Much better than an otter, right Squiggles?” Qube cooed as their mascot proudly slorped around the skull. But Qube’s attention was quickly diverted from her pet to the pedestals. The potential focus and force of the Temples’ powers.

 

As she circled them, Definitely Bad Guy fell into step beside her. She was far too excited to pay any attention to him, though, as she bent over to examine the potion vial pedestal (making sure to keep enough of a distance that she didn’t activate it, of course).

 

How she wished she had more time to examine them! But already the Chosen One was finishing wandering around the bleached skeleton, poking at various protruding bones.

 

Definitely Bad Guy cleared his throat, drawing her focus onto him. Qube brightened — with his analytical mind, surely they would be able to make twice as many observations!

 

“The pedestals are curious indeed,” he said. There was a pause while Qube waited for him to continue, precious seconds slipping away.

 

“Yes?” she said, encouragingly. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the Chosen One pry a golden coin out of the empty eye socket of the eel’s skull.

 

“They appear to hold much power.” The tips of his ears were starting to turn the same shade of red as his hair.

 

From the teeth of the skull, Qube heard Sexy Screamy Spider Lady sniggering. Definitely Bad Guy’s expression went even more wooden. Qube didn’t have time for this.

 

“Yes, Definitely Bad Guy, but we need to hurry and examine them before the Chosen One decides to move on. Please focus on them, we need as many details as possible! We can compare notes later.”

 

The red had grown, moving from his ears to his cheeks.

 

“Yes,” he said. “It would be a welcome change to actually engage in intelligent conversation.”

 

Qube had already stopped paying attention to him, moving on to the carrot symbol and attempting to see if [Identify] gave her any useful information.

 

“Sewer Bard, could you [Detect Magic] and see if you could get a read on what kinds of spells are inscribed?” she asked, not bothering to wait for his acknowledgement before she continued. “If we can find a Mage’s mana signature, it may help unravel the mystery of these pedestals. And then, perhaps, the key to the Temples themselves.”

 

She glanced up to see both Sewer Bard and Definitely Bad Guy staring at her.

 

Before she could elaborate on her theory (no doubt they were both looking at her like that because they were confused about her Temple theory) the Chosen One dropped down off the top of the skull next to them.

 

“Okay, I’m bored,” he said, looking at Qube. “Have you finished looking at them yet?” He tilted his head as he looked at her. “Also, next session, you need to tell me why you’re examining them.” Qube opened her mouth to explain, only to be forestalled by him holding up his hand.

 

“Not right now,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “I feel way too sick and tired to even begin to try and make sense of whatever you’re about to say.”

 

Qube pouted, before snapping into Healer mode.

 

“Oh, of course!” she exclaimed, “you had to deal with being tossed around! [Heal]!” Her mana soaked into the Hero. He briefly closed his eyes.

 

“Thanks,” he said, giving her a sleepy smile. “But I need actual rest. Anyway, you grab the magic one, I’ll get the sword and… you know what? [Fiddle] it. Squiggles can have the carrot. Ready? On the count of three! Which means right after I say three!” he said without pausing.

 

“One! Two! THREE!”

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