The Tower of Passion

Fiona approached the gazebo. As soon as she got closer, she heard a soft susurration from the orb. Ushering her closer, Liddy fell into step with her, the two feeling some sort of reverence. This was a sacramental ground, even Liddy could feel something. The noise getting louder, the words nearly making sense. 

The noise nearly overwhelmed them as they stood in front of it, the soft green orb's patterns swirling and flowing. The women looked at each other, then as one placed their hands on the orb.
Something overwhelmed them, the weight of the ocean pushing on their shoulders as the voice echoed in their heads.
"Child of a foreign sea... Child of the blue planet." Fiona nearly panicked then, but Liddy hadn't seemed to notice.
"I implore you, the Dark Depths are overtaking us. Light the braziers, defeat their champions." The voice almost sounded like waves crashing inside her mind. She didn't know how long she could handle the overwhelming, all-encompassing sensation.
"I know this is a lot for your minds - please, make your way through the grand reef - Light the brazier, it will lead the way. Help us. Our fate depends on you" Imagery of a colorful reef, creatures - merfolk, Fiona would call them, in a great underground city attacked by hundreds, thousands of creatures like the one behind her.

The orbs suddenly went dark, the swirling stopping, and Fiona's mind felt clear. She looked at Liddy, who had seemed on the verge of tears. 
"They...I know it's not my sphere. I know it's not my village." She took Fiona's hand. "But it's so similar to my sphere - I could see my family living in that reef village. We have to save them." Fiona felt for the woman. She wasn't sure if the people in the dungeons were real, but she could see the emotion on Liddy's face. She had felt so at home here.
"We wi-"

A crashing noise brought them back in. Fiona's head whipped around, and Qae's tower shield was shaking after the impact from one of the Monkey Eels.

Wait - one of them?

A second noise as the Paladin dodged out of the way from a second one of the creatures, that had climbed up over the edge of the cliff and launched itself at her.

"Focus on the new one" Qae shouted, as her sword waved towards what Fiona presumed had been the statue. A deep purple glow of arcane glyphs surrounded it, and it suddenly slowed. Qae easily avoided its strikes as she focused on the second, faster creature. Shield blocking attack as she struck in with her swords.

"Let's GO!" Liddy let out a roar, Timmy reappeared and Fiona felt the spirit creature's initial buff, seeing Qae receiving the same almost stumbling as she was faster than expected. Grasping her hammer, she charged in. She slid past Qae, the dragon woman sidestepping to let her pass, moving her shield and creating an opening for her. Her hammer swung in a wide arc, slamming into the creature's knee, as Liddy, nearly flew above Liddy, her claws raking the creature's scales, leaving deep gashes of black blood.

The creature staggered slightly after their initial barrage, but it would need a lot more to take it down. Qae was holding its attention, prodding it in the face with her sword. Trying to bemore annoying and frustrating than damaging - grabbing its attention every time it looked towards her party members. Fiona was impressed, the Paladin positioned herself well, avoiding every attack, looking, parrying, and creating opportunities for her two party members.

She grinned, her laugh bubbling up as a familiar smile was plastered onto her face. Fiona darted back in, her hammer swinging wildly. Liddy flickered around, jumping off the creature, Fiona, Qae's tower shield, and anything else she could get purchase on. Fists flying, legs spinning. Fiona flexed her muscles, planting her legs on the ground, and pulled the hammer through her swing with all her might, landing it directly into its kneecap. An earth-shattering crunch rang on the clifftop, as the monkey eel let out a terrifying roar, its head swinging towards Fiona - Qae unable to distract it.

As it was about to bite down towards Fiona, Liddy launched herself off Qae's shield again, flipped in the air with Timmy floating behind her, and kicked the creature right in the side of the face. And then she disappeared, reappearing above the creature.

Fiona blinked, confused for a moment before she remembered. [Spirit Step] Liddy was clever.

The monkey eel immediately snapped back, its maw wide, spittle, and saltwater splattering over Qae's shield. Immediately it launched an attack against its presumed attacker, now limping unable to use one of its legs. Qae avoided hits from the slower creature, using her shield to protect against the claws and maw of the enraged, damaged monster. Fiona, seeing Liddy now falling from above, fists pulled back ready to stab the creature back with her claws. 

Fiona swung her hammer behind her, then put all her weight and muscles into an upward swing. The stone hammerhead crashed into the creature's abdomen just as Liddy landed on its back, claws piercing either side of its spine. 

It thrashed, threw itself back, and roared in pain, giving Qae a moment to reposition herself. Fiona pulled the hammer back and swung again directly into its chest, ribs cracking. Liddy climbed up the creature's back, locking a foot around its throat, and punching it's head.

Qae focused back on the slowed creature, becoming more aggressive. Doing actual strikes and lunges rather than just taunting prods, now that she only had one creature - disadvantaged at that, to deal with. Within seconds the first creature lay still on the floor, and Liddy and Fiona were back supporting their tank. Liddy's flow was clearly full, [Enhanced Flow] making Fiona even faster.

A flurry of hammer, sword, fists, and legs later the two Monkey Eels lay defeated on top of the hilltop, the three women sat exhausted on the ground catching their breath. 

"You two might be meatheads." Qae started. "But that was excellent synergy and combat. I must adjust my appraisal of you both."
"Thanks, you were outstanding. You managed those creatures so well." Fiona said. She was deciding to not return a backhanded compliment with a backhanded one. Liddy stood up, walking towards the gazebo.
"Where are you going?" Fiona shouted after her.
"Lighting the brazier. It's what the voice told us to."

Fiona had nearly forgotten about that and hurried up following her friend. Qae, unsure of what was happening got up, leaving her sword and shield on the floor for a moment, and followed right behind.

"What's going on?" Qae asked, curious.
"There are multiple braziers - we have to light them. That's the dungeon quest" Liddy explained briefly, rummaging for her flint and tinder.
"Let's get to it then." The dragon walked up to the brazier and bent down towards it. She pursed her lips, and let out a soft breath, turning into a little blue flame, that caught on the wet oil cloth left in the deep bowl.
"That... Wow." Fiona said. 
"It's convenient" Qae shrugged. "Do not ask me to light every fire. I am not your lightstick." She said sternly.

As the fire spread from the cloth used to ignite to the coals left in its bowl and quickly roared in the small gazebo, the girls felt a deep rumbling. Something like a horn was sounded, and Fiona looked towards the sun setting over the ocean as the sea split.

She blinked.

A large pathway, leading into a tunnel underneath the ocean had opened - and as she watched, the water rose all the way up to the cliff. Forming steps for them to walk down.

"I was worried we'd have to search for the path forward." Qae said. "It seems not."
"I am...I'm scared of the ocean." Fiona admitted. She looked at Liddy's shocked face. "Sorry."
"HOW? It's BEAUTIFUL." Liddy exclaimed.
"I can't breathe in it. I can drown."
"Oh. I can see that." The sea-gnome didn't seem quite convinced, and Fiona was worried she'd personally offended her, but she quickly wiped her frown away.

"Let's make camp - it's getting dark, and we're not in a rush." Liddy pulled out her bag next to the fire, the soft sound of the Monkey Eels bodies dissolving, like a hiss. Air leaving a balloon slowly started. No one protested, and the three settled down.

"I'll run and grab us some fish." Liddy said. "Do you eat fish?" She asked Qae. The dragon nodded affirmative, and the gnome rushed back down the cliff - not daring to try the water staircase quite yet.

Fiona sat on a small rock near the edge, watching the fire, the sunset, and the stern paladin who seemed to  have no inclination of starting a conversation. Right. This would be fun. At least the battle hadn't given her an erection this time - her body must have become used to the adrenaline.

She felt a twitch.

Fuck.