Tarn stared down at the amorphous blobs, watching them undulate back and forth as they roamed the tan stone floor. When they passed close to one another, their forms would join and then separate again. Tarn was reminded of soap bubbles floating through the air, combining and breaking apart.
“I have fought these before,” Narsol said, nodding at the strange creatures as they slithered back and forth. “They are slow but difficult to kill. I would recommend up front attacks. When we fought them, they had a shared health pool. Yet as challenges go, this may be one of the Axe dungeon’s lesser ones.”
They appeared to be both one organism, and several. Through their green translucent skin Tarn could see the misshapen forms of the two doors leading to the “D” tier of the dungeon. Both were barred, waiting for their guardian’s defeat.
“Feels like an opportunity then?” Tarn cast a look in Aryo’s direction. The kid had done well, but it would be great to have a chance to put him center stage for a change and see what he did with it.
“’A good leader keeps his tools sharp’,” Narsol nodded. “Izmek the Lesser, Third of his line.”
“Sounds good.” Tarn pushed away any concerns about the accuracy of Narsol’s information. This was why he was here, after all.
“Aryo, you’re up!” He cast an eye over to the kid, who was currently taking back a sandwich Lash had stolen from had pack. “Bog, Jental – you’re in this too. But Aryo takes the lead.”
“About time I got some action!” Bog got up off her feet, dusting imaginary dirt from her pants. Jental cast Tarn a bemused raised eyebrow as she glanced in Aryo’s direction.
“Are you, are you sure?” Aryo took a few steps towards the arena, as Bog stepped aside. “I mean – I’m ready Tarn. I know I am. But what do you mean – take the lead?”
“He means no pointers, junior.” Tapping her gem, Jental conjured her lance into her hands. “Time to figure out why you’re here.”
“She’s right, time to make your own calls.” Tarn put his arm around the kid, giving him a shake. “Don’t worry – you’re ready for this. We’ve got your back.”
Leading him forward, they stepped into the depressed area of the chamber. The strange creatures shifted back and forth across from them, seeming to take very little notice of their presence. On some level, Tarn regretted taking action against them. They were simply existing, but the Axe would not allow Tarn’s team to progress.
No different than hunting in the forest, he thought to himself. You do what you have to in order to survive.
“Let’s do this quickly.”
Walking towards the rear of the chamber, Tarn conjured up his bow. He intended to hang towards the back of the group for this battle. In Bog, Jental, and Aryo he had three melee fighters already. No healing, but plenty of damage.
//INITIATIVE BEGIN
As the initiative started, the three blobs began to vibrate and ripple. The two on the end shifted themselves into large, blocky formations as their soft appendages changed into a rock-looking surface of right angles and sharp points. The center jelly ballooned in size, expanding as if someone had filled it with air.
He called up his interface, gathering the data on their opponents.
//Crystalline Jelly
AP: 250 (Shared)
Status effects: Shifting (i)
Shifting – Changes form at the start of each round
Form One: [Armorer]
Form Two: [Healer]
Form Three: [Armorer]
Tarn ran through his targets one by one. The center of the blobs had gained a [healing aura], which would heal the pool of AP by 30 at the end of the round. It also had a new effect Tarn had never seen before – [unstable].
//Unstable – Any negative status effect gained will be converted to a random status effect (positive or negative)
The two on the sides had instead gained [toughness], reducing the amount of damage they’d take from any attack by 20 AP.
The safe but weaker damage choice was the blockier of the slimes. Tarn targeted the left one, releasing an arrow that did 10 damage. He was confident the rest of the team saw his plan, and that Bog and Aryo would also choose that target.
Bog did just as Tarn expected, leaping in and landing in front of the same rocky jelly that Tarn had attacked. Her axe sliced into the thick viscous material, delivering a reduced damage of 20 AP. Aryo ran right next to her, unable to attack but getting his [accelerated] status active.
Jental also took to the air, bringing her lance down into the larger center creature for a full total of 30. All in all, Tarn considered it a good first pulse. Now it was time to see if Aryo could find the rhythm Tarn was hoping he’d see.
Tarn directed his second bow strike at the right most of the creatures, realizing with the shared health pool attacking one was basically the same as attacking the other. Bog’s second attack was a low-damage taunt. Tarn wondered what would happen to the [taunt] tokens when the creature reformed. They’d know soon.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Ever the gambler, Jental opted for a heavy bleed attack for her second strike on the center slime. Doing only 10 AP damage, it also applied three counts of [bleed] on the creature.
Now finally in motion, Aryo became a golden blur as he burst into an even higher rate of speed. Striking out with his fists, he managed to hit each of the creatures in succession, doing 20 AP to each.
//CHAIN REACTION (Movement / Zephyr)
Requires: Accelerated
The Zephyr may move to and make a melee strike on up to four separate targets, provided each is less than 10 feet from the previous target. Each target struck will take 20 AP damage.
Usable twice a battle. Current uses: 1
//INITIATIVE SHIFT
Tarn’s limbs froze as the still-time took hold of him once again. The group of strange jellies merged once again, for a moment forming a single amorphous shape that pulsed and undulated before them.
//PROCESSING UNSTABLE
[Bleed] converted to [Burning]
[Bleed] converted to [Lumbering]
[Bleed] converted to [Toxic]
Tarn nodded, considering. Two out of three changes were pretty good. Burning was still a damage over time, Lumbering actually reduced their actions to one this round, which was very helpful. But Toxic meant everyone in Melee range was going to take damage just from being near them.
The mass then separated into three individuals again. The left and right were mirrors of each other, now both appearing as masses of sharp spikes and quills, looking like a pair of sea urchin. The center jelly was no longer a large, balloon-like sphere but rather a more compact and crimson one. To Tarn’s eyes it seemed to be pulsing, and emitting a soft but escalating chirping sound.
//Crystalline Jelly
AP: 100/250 (Shared)
Status effects: Shifting (i)
Shifting – Changes form at the start of each round
Form One: [Spiked]
Form Two: [Explosive-2]
Form Three: [Spiked]
Tarn fixated on the explosive status effect on the middle jelly. That was the one they had to take out, but unfortunately it wasn’t their round to act.
The jelly on the left simply rolled itself into Bog, piercing her armor and doing 20 AP, as well as adding a [rooted] status, preventing her from moving in the next round. Tarn expected the right one to do the same to Aryo, but to his surprise a single quill fired out and struck him in the chest. He took 10 AP, but was then yanked towards the prickly slime as the spike was pulled back in.
Tarn slammed into creature and was pierced by several more of the sharp appendages, taking an additional 30 AP. Furthermore, he was now [rooted] and unable to move as well.
The central slime took no action, other than to compress further and continue its countdown – its status shifting to [Explosive-1].
//INITATIVE SHIFT
At first glance, the situation had gotten much worse than Tarn had expected this fight to go. He watched the slimes come together once again and then separate. The center slime, as expected, emerged from the group still as [explosive], with the countdown of one round remaining. The left and right came back out as [armored] once again, limiting their ability to do significant damage.
Tarn and Bog were still rooted, and unable to reach the easier-to-target explosive slime. Jental’s kill count was zero, and by starting her turn next to an ally many of her abilities would not work.
But they were fine, Tarn was sure of it. In Aryo they had everything they needed. Now he just needed the kid to figure it out, and for Jental to let him. Bog cast a nervous glance over to him, but Tarn soothed her with a nod. For her part, Jen kept her eyes on her enemy and stood poised.
Judging from the big grin that slowly spread across his face, it was clear that Aryo had indeed put it together.
He became a blur once again, running back and forth between the three slimes, with his fist striking out against each of them. His second use of the attack did 30 per strike, and even though it meant a loss of his [accelerated] status, combined with the single count of [bleed] still remining, it would be enough.
The pulse ended with no one else able to act, and the [explosive] slime preparing to detonate at the start of the opposing initiative. But the damage over time from Jental’s bleed triggered first, and in moments the huge pile of jellies dissolved into the collection of resolve and blood points.
//INITIATIVE ENDED – BATTLE COMPLETE
“Tarn!” Aryo’s face was beaming, even as trails of slime slowly dissolved from his fists. “I think I understand now, this Zephyr thing. Or at least how to make it work for me. I’m not here to attack something… I’m here to attack everything!”
Tarn laughed, slapping Aryo on the back. He wondered if this was what it had been like for old Rykin, when he had finally made a connection.
“That’s right, kid. Anything we hit, you just hit ‘em more. Just like I’ve been saying. And you got some kills in there too.”
“Humans.” Narsol shook his head in disbelief, offering the young Zephyr a smile. “You share the glory with your comrades, just as an orc would do. I was not taught this by the elders. In truth, much of what I have seen contradicts them.”
“Well, sweetie.” Jental threw a playful arm over Aryo’s shoulder. His face blushed instantly. “I prefer to get my own kills, but if you want to finish my left-overs, I will forgive you.”
There was a slight twinge in his neck as the map inside Tarn’s mind updated. At the far end of the chamber, a pair of doors became visible in the wall.
“Okay now I can see what’s ahead. There’s a campsite through the left door, and a ‘elite’ challenge through the right.”
“We are injured.” Urthin looked across the room. “And we have two members ready to gain a level. The campsite would facilitate both of those options.”
“But the loot,” Bog said. “The Elite should have better loot, and we might need that against Yarex or one of the later rooms.”
“Good points.” Tarn nodded, looking further at his map. He could now see the D1 Camp room above only led to a single other room, its nature blocked for now.
“We have taken much damage.” Urthin frowned as he considered the pair of doors. “A camp might be prudent to allow us healing and leveling.”
“I don’t know.” Tarn looked at the map in his mind, knowing that Urthin was doing the same. “That would cut us off from the elite fight in the farther room. That’s better loot.”
“And higher risk.”
Tarn smiled. He always appreciated this level of discussion with Urthin. Others might take it as being second-guessed, but Tarn never saw it that way. His team deserved to be listened to, and if his own idea was really the best it would survive any challenge.
“We came here to get stronger,” he said, holding his arm out towards the right door. Bog clapped her hands happily, while Urthin nodded his acquiescence. “Time to go kill a boss.”