"Dag!  What sorcery is this?"  Haygen clutched Icefang in a vice-like grip, the blue leather wrap on the handle squeaked in submission.  The double-bladed ax seemed to hunger for glory in contrast to the wielder who gazed in wonder at the serpent of water.  He had never seen the likes of this creature.  It seemed entwined with terror and beauty as its head coiled so high it blocked the setting sun.  At one angle, its watery body shined in a brilliant blue, a shade darker than the sky.  At another angle, the greens stood out and an edge of foam appeared on the top of its head and edges of its gaping mouth.

"Wess!" cried Kayla.  "Wess!"  She held her staff poised for combat.  The first thing that came to her mind was fire.  Would it harm such a beast made purely of the lac?  She had no time to think.  Years of dungeon crawling made her revert to her favorite spell.  She rubbed a bit of coal on her hands and screamed her mystic words, "Arsonas Rundalla!"   The flaming red ball flared from her hand with such ferocity it scorched the sleeves of her robes.  The spell connected and the reaction blinded them all.  Steam poured from the serpent's wound, but it did not have the effect the Wizard hoped for.

"Form up!" The Dwarf commanded over the chaos of the fight.  He saw the reaction from the fireball and murmured a request to his deity.  A beam of sunlight pierced the clouds and struck the flowing body of the monster and it buckled in pain with a grunt.

Wess tried to kick and stroke his way up out of his watery deathtrap, but to no avail.  He found the monster's grip far too strong and it pulled him deeper and deeper to the depths of the lac. He could only hold his breath and keep turning and twisting to try and break free from the hold.

The serpent slithered towards Kayla and it bit down hard on her leg as she tried to dodge out of its way.  The serpent found the wild She-elf too feisty to hold on to, and it let her loose.  Kayla grunted through the pain and stood to further challenge the beast contemplating her next move.

The monster's lunge at the Wizard brought its giant, tubular body right into Haygen's path and he swung Icefang down trying to cut it in half.  To his surprise, bricks of ice burst from the gash and the serpent flinched, letting go of a howl that echoed across the surface of the lac.  With surprising speed, the Barbarian then cut an angular path sending more ice chunks to the muddy embankment.

"Kayla!" Yelled Haygen.  "Ice!  Ice!"

The drowning Assassin felt the tension of the serpent's grip slacken.  Not one to waste an opportunity, he kicked and paddled as hard as he could for the surface.  He could see the light of the sun, but it seemed so far away.  His chest burned and ached as he gagged on thin streams of lac water that forced its way into his mouth and up his nose.

"Graaah!" Otis brought his shield to front and charged the beast with his warhammer.  He brought his weapon down on to the watery form and the large square head smacked with an enormous SLAP!   The lac monster responded with an echoing wail of pain.  Otis smiled. "We're killing it!"

Wess finally broke the surface of the lac and spewed out foul water.  He thanked the gods for the fresh air in his lungs until he saw the chaos happening around him.  The Faeling took in the scene watching the monster attack his friends.  He sneered.  Like a sneaky pirate, he slid his long Elven dagger from its sheath and clamped his teeth down on the blade and swam to the body of the monster.    

Coiling its body, the serpent tried to wrap around Haygen.  The big Barbarian wouldn't fall for it, though, and sprung out of the creature's path with deft agility.  He rolled into a practiced tumble and readied his ax as the attacker recoiled.  The monster then took a swipe at Otis with its flowing neck as it reeled back. The strike connected and the Dwarf went flying to the mud, his hammer sent sailing out of his reach. Otis groaned in protest, dazed from the slam.

"Enough," Kayla said between clenched teeth.  The Wizard reached back into her leather belt pouch and produced a small, clear crystal.  Holding it gently in her hands, she reached back into her memory for a first-year incantation.  The cold arcane words felt foreign to her even though her master made her memorize them.  In the heat of battle, she paused for but a second before recalling the spell.  She intertwined her fingers and said the words carefully. "Draconis Hewglacius!" 

Dragon's breath erupted from her hands though it was not fire, but ice!  The freezing gas struck the face and body of the watery beast freezing the entire front half of it.  The monster tried to steady itself, but could not adjust to its newly-formed state.  In its confusion, the icy face of the serpent hung in mid air still glistening in the setting sun.  All grew quiet.  Then, it came crashing down into the lac causing another enormous wave drenching the companions.

Wess rode the wave up high and slid down with dagger now in hand.  He drove his dagger into the serpent's body that struggled to pull its head free from the lac bottom.  Over and over the Faeling slashed and thrust his dagger. The body of the beast spasmed and splashed about, yet it made no sound from the barrage of wounds.

"Hail, Wess!" Haygen ran high stepping into the lac and charged the same writhing portion of the monster swinging Icefang back and forth with sides of the ax. Chunks of ice flew into the air with his massive swings and splashed haphazardly around him.

Kayla positioned herself between the injured Dwarf and the downed serpent.

"Cover!" cried the Elf.

Wess and Haygen both heard the strategic command and prepared for what came next.  The Wizard up to her tricks again. Thankful for the rest, they both dove into the water away from the monster.

With a smirk, Kayla let loose another globe of flame, this time aiming at the frozen glacier beached in the mud.  "Fire wins," she whispered. The glacier exploded into hundreds of icy nuggets.

Barbarian and Assassin popped their heads back above water with blades at the ready. However, the only movement of the lac was floating ice debris in an eerie calm.

Otis snapped conscious and his world spun. It came to a stop and he reached for his hammer, but could not get close enough. He tried to stand but found he couldn't move his shield arm.  "Blasted thing is broken."  He cursed to himself.  In the same breath, he muttered a healing word and screamed as his bones were forced back into place.  He closed his eyes nearly passing out again.  Dashing footsteps approached him and his Elf friend smiled down at him. He tried to sit up, but the back of his steel shoulder pauldrons were jammed in the muddy belt of the lac.

"Don't struggle, Otis," Kayla said. "We're here."

"Heh.  Did we win?" asked the Dwarf.

"Yes, Otis," Kayla answered him, resting a hand on his forehead.  She smiled at his jest.

"Eyes up then," said Otis.  "This is when a stalking enemy attacks." Ever the commander. Combat bore that into a soldier.

"Haygen watches over us," she said reassuring him.  "Rest, my friend. I will form the shelter and you can sleep."

"I'm fine by the way," said Wess smiling, coming into Otis' view.  "That was a weird monster wasn't it, Otis?"

"Yes, Wesley.  It certainly was.  I hope to never come across such a creature in the near future."

"I bet there is a lair below, with treasure and—"

"Later, Wesley," the Dwarf cut in.  "Remember that people need our help.  The sun sets.  We can always return."

[][][]

They salvaged what they could from Wesley's Sword-fish and cooked it over a low fire.   The sky darkened to a midnight blue as the orange sun sank below the tree tops.

"There, it's the Slayer," Kayla pointed north. The constellation of the Archer decorated the sky like small diamonds.

"Think we'll find them?" asked Wess.

Otis said, "Yes, but right now my head spins and I need my rest."

"I'm falling asleep just sitting here," said Kayla.

"Let us retire then.  We sleep under the stars. Wesley, you have watch?"

The Faeling nodded.

"Let me conjure up some extra shelter," said Kayla.

The companions rolled out their blankets. Kayla removed a small glass bead from her pouches and cast a new spell.  "Prasidius spherata."  She dropped the bead and a shimmering dome of protective shielding formed over them.  She collapsed as soon as she folded her blanket over herself, weakened from the days' spellcasting.

Haygen and Otis fell next leaving Wess alone to read. He slipped on his magical glasses and pulled an old, thin trap-making guidebook they discovered a long while back at a Goblins' encampment. 

"Where was I?  Right. Part seven. Springs and Gears for Advanced Traps."

Thanks again for reading the latest entry!  You have been so supportive and I truly appreciate it.  I hope you enjoyed this little boss battle.  Please comment and let me know what you think if you have the time. 

Matthew