Trevor and Lorna stood on either side of the door with their keys in the lock. They had tried to open one lock at a time but had found that both keys needed to be turned at the same time.
Billy stood on front of the door with Su Li and Yuki behind him, their weapons ready.
He nodded, and the keys turned. The door slid downwards slowly with a loud grinding noise. Billy looked over the top as it moved to see only a wide tunnel ahead.
They walked down the tunnel with Trevor and Lorna flanking Billy. Billy could see a fluorescent glow at the end of the tunnel. The ground was not sloping downwards. When they reached the end of the tunnel, Billy found himself looking at a massive cavern. The trail wound downwards around the perimeter, and it was impossible to see all the way down.
Long stalactites hung from the ceiling, their needle-like points beading with slow-falling droplets that echoed faintly in the unseen depths. A faint, eerie luminescence pulsed along the walls, casting reflections on the slick stone. The air hummed with a strange stillness, as if the cavern itself were holding its breath, waiting.
Billy felt uncomfortable talking. He just pointed with his war-hammer. The others nodded.
Moving as quietly as they could they followed the trail down. A few times a member of the party slipped only to be caught by a colleague. The slimy stones were treacherous which had worried Billy if they had to fight.
The descent seemed to last forever, but eventually the glow brighten,d and they could see the bottom of the cavern looming. Lorna went ahead to scout while the others rested and had some water. It was not long before she returned.
She held her hands up twice and mouthed the word twenty.
Billy assumed that meant these were yuren too. They had already discussed their plans for this situation and quickly got into a wedge formation with Lorna at the front, flanked by Trevor and Yuki standing a little behind, and then followed by Billy and Su Li.
Billy felt a little strange being at the back, but he knew he would be quickly engaged in battle.
The cavern opened into a wide expanse. Fortunately, there were large rocks for them to hide behind as they surveyed the area.
Little pools of water dotted the cavern as well as plant lif,e including carpets of moss and the delicate reed-like fronds of mysterious blue and purple plants. This was the most alien looking place the Billy had ever seen.
At the back of the cavern, they could see a tall green pillar in front of which was a large wooden chest that was bound and embossed in gold. Next to the chest was the largest yuren that Billy had ever seen. He was carrying a large golden trident like a god of the sea. This was clearly the dungeon boss. In front of the boss were about twenty yuren of various sizes. Each carried the usual wooden spears except for two. These two were almost as tall os the boss yuren. They had long spears – of significantly better quality than the ones born by their brethren - and had chest-plates made from an unknown material.
So, a boss yuren and two mini-bosses.
They had discussed their options in such a situation. Given that they did not have a dedicated tank they opted for fighting a more open battle. Basically, their battle plan consisted of the tactic to hit hard and fast. They wanted to kill off as many of the weaker yuren before the boss engaged.
Lorna looked back at them as if assessing their commitment. She held up three fingers, then two, and then one. And then she was sprinting forward with the rest quickly following.
Billy kept his pace to Yuki’s who was ahead of him in the wedge. He saw Su Li keeping pace on the other side. She had a strange smile on her face and her knife was already whirling, almost shaving Trevor’s neck as it passed by.
The yuren were slow to react, which they took full advantage of. Lorna hit first with her multiple strike skill. Before the yuren could ready their spears, two of them were lying on the floor, clutching wounds in their bodies.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Yuki’s staff was a blur as she hit the yuren. Even though they had had a few moments to ready themselves their defence was useless.
Billy only had a moment to marvel before following. Mana synesthesia and sense movement combined to give him an easy understanding of where everyone in the cavern was. He moved to the left to give Yuki room to work and then proceeded to take out the yuren one by one.
He could sense the growing agitation from the back of the cavern. The more powerful yuren stood out clearly to his senses. He could sense yuren dropping lifeless to the ground form Su Li’s whirling blade attack. Mana flowed around the other three too, but he was not sure what skills they were using.
Billy flowed through the yuren – heading for the first mini-boss. The mini-boss lunged at him as the last yuren between them fell to the ground. Billy felt the attack more than saw it and slid to one side. The tip of the spear grazed his shoulder. Billy grabbed halfway down the spear shaft with his free hand and struck with his war hammer, hitting the hand of the yuren.
This close up, and with Billy holding the shaft, the yuren could not use its weapon effectively. Billy hit it three more times before it hissed and let go of the weapon. Billy threw the spear behind him. He was about to stride forward when a wave of water smashed him from his feet, carrying him ten yards backward until he hit a rock.
Billy rose, cursing and spluttering. He had sensed the wave of mana coming from the boss yuren but had been too slow to react. He spat out another mouthful of water. The mini-boss had regained its weapon and was stalking towards him.
Billy could sense that the Yuki and Trevor were dealing with the last of minor yuren. Su Li was kiting the other mini-boss while Lorna was dodging blows from the boss. He knew he needed to just hold this mini-boss while the others hit the boss.
This time the mini-boss’ attacks were more probing – using the length of its weapon to its advantage – as it tried to pin Billy down. Billy dodged and back-tracked pulling it away from his friends. Yuki had now engaged the boss while Trevor went to help Su Li out who was slowing down out of fatigue.
The mini-boss put on a burst of pace and its spear flashed three times. Billy tried to block or move away, but was too slow. Each attack hit him in the chest. Fortunately. The mini-boss was slow to follow up as the attack seemed to have drained him. Billy but back at the pain and surged forward. The yuren back-tracked in surprise. The peak of Billy’s hammer smashed into its arm and it dropped its weapon. He followed up with the back of the hammer cracking into its skull.
The yuren fell back but Billy did not relent. Blow after blow hit the yuren. Billy concentrated on accuracy rather than power. He aimed for vulnerable areas.
The yuren lifted its hand, which started to glow blue. Billy just stepped to the side as a blob of water flashed forward. He then charged forward, knocking the yuren to the ground. It did not take long for Billy to finish it off.
He staggered to his feet puffing hard. He could see that Su Li and Trevor were near to finishing off the other mini-boss.
It was Lorna and Yuki who were struggling the most.
Droplets of water circled the head of the boss yuren. Suddenly one of the droplets formed into a spike and shot forwards. Billy could see from the blood on their clothing that both of them had been hit several times already. Yuki, in particular, was limping and could only block as the trident struck out. Lorna was trying to circle the boss, but every time she was intercepted by a water spike.
Billy ran forward. His stamina was low, but he knew he just had to tip the scale. He kept Yuki in front of him until the last minute when he stepped to one side and leapt forward. The trident was already striking out at Yuki. The boss was unable to step aside the hammer crashed into its head.
It staggered back, droplets of water falling to the floor. Lorna pushed forward this time and her spear struck three times into the boss’s neck. The boss did not fall to the ground despite the blood now flowing from its neck.
Billy and Lorna struck again. The boss retreated. It’s body started to glow blue. Billy surged forwards, but they were all knocked off their feet as a wall of water pushed outwards from the boss in all directions.
Billy forced himself to his feet. He now saw that the boss was now longer breathing. He did not look injured at all.
“I am not letting the ugly, bloody merman win,” Lorna said.
By now, Su Li and Trevor had defeated the other yuren.
“Together, then,” Billy said.
As one, they surged forward, pushing aside their tiredness and pain. The yuren’s trident flashed forward to be blocked by Yuki’s staff. Her staff caught between the prongs and she twisted and pushed down. Su Li’s two knives flashed forward, hitting the eyes of the yuren with a sickening sound. Lorna’s spear once more struck into the yuren’s neck. This time she just kept pushing, forcing the creature backwards until its back hit the chest.
And then Trevor’s mace and Billy’s hammer crashed again and again into the creature. They gave it now time to recover. Blow after blow hit the yuren. Billy could no longer feel his arm. He just kept hitting.
Eventually, the boss yuren dropped to the ground.
It was over; they had won.
They all lay on the floor,r panting and looking at each other in disbelief.
A few days ago, Billy could not have imagined them being able to do this.
“Who wants to open the chest?” Trevor asked.
Billy’s lips parted in a sigh as he slipped into healing meditation.