The Tower of Passion

After nearly a quarter-hour of calming Liddy down, the gnome started talking about herself.
"I'm not that fancy" She started. "Mam did fishing, mum did weaving. Our village was similar to this city- bit closer to land, bit warmer water, but a reef village. Much smaller though." Fiona blinked.

"You called your mothers 'mam' and 'mum'"
"Yeah. They got different accents."
"So 'mam' says 'mam'?"
"No, that wouldn't make any sense. Mum says mam"
"What?"
"So when mum talks about mam she says mam. And vice versa. Otherwise, I'd just get confused" Liddy shook her head. "Anyways. There was a monastery, and I went. I'd summoned Timmy when was young, I kept training, swimming, and fishing with mam. Turned 20, then I went to the tower. Some friends have gone - I heard from one a few months before I joined, Taddy, she's on floor twelve last I heard!" Liddy was sat looking a bit awkward.

"Sorry, I'm no queen or anything. I just.. Just trying to do good. I miss mam and mum though." Liddy looked down for a second, an uncharacteristic frown on her face for just a moment, before it was wiped away. "But I hope we can see Taddy! You'd love her Fiona"

Fiona smiled. "Hopefully we can meet her!" Liddy nodded. "We should - she said she wasn't planning on leaving the village on floor 12 for a while so... Hopefully we can catch up!" She looked at Fiona. "Either way I should be able to contact my sphere, we might not have enough gold on floor 4 but... 8 or 12? Will you talk to mam & mum?"

Fiona smiled at her friend, she was so excited. 

"How about you Fiona. Tell us about your sphere." The big silver eyes and quizzical face of her friend made Fiona feel a bit sad, and even Qae seemed very interested. She didn't know what she could tell them - she needed to talk to Ina again. How bad of an idea was it to tell people she's transcended?

"It's... I had a pretty boring life. Mostly stayed at home, doing formulas and paperwork." That seemed close enough to the truth. "I... I didn't really speak much to my family, saw them a few times a year." Realizing how sad her life sounded she looked up though. "I did have some friends though. A best friend. Spoke to her every day, we shared everything." Again she wondered how she handled it. How she was doing. She felt awful still, Annabelle having seen her disappear like that.

"Your sphere doesn't have communication hubs yet right?" Fiona shook her head no, her expression forlorn. "Any chance she would be the next to cross over to the tower?" Another head shake. There was no way. Fiona knew about Annabelle's situation and even if she had the website - no chance. And who knew if every dildo sent her here? 

"Oh I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sure you miss her very much." Liddy gave her friend  a hug. "We will make it to the top. You'll see here then."

Fiona smiled, nodding. She truly missed her friend, but Liddy and Qae made it bearable. As she tucked herself into her sleeping bag, the warmth of the brazier against her back she was grateful. This adventure was scary, and strange - but she'd be lying to herself if she didn't admit to having a great amount of fun. That she was, against all odds, enjoying not being in her little flat for once.

Fiona dodged out of the way of an enormous tentacle, slamming hard into the ground sending dirt and debris flying every direction - a scratch on Fiona's arm, joining multiple light cuts from this last fight.

The morning had been hectic. Breakfast. Break down camp. Jota Nel wasted no time leading them through the city. The detail of the carved coral towers, the streets and homes - abandoned now, but Fiona saw some merfolk coming out of hiding. Starting to tidy up the rubble.

Before long they'd left the smaller barrier and got into the still dark part of the city. Jota Nel lead them down steps, further and further into the depths to what looked like a large arena. And in the middle, the last Brazier.

And this fucking guy.

Fiona rolled to the side, keeping her hammer tight as her shoulders hit the stone floor, as an oversized fist, followed by another tentacle slammed into Qae's shield, suddenly appearing were Fiona had just been. Teeth gnashed against the metal.

Monkey-Megalodon. That's what this guy was. Why did he have tentacles? Fiona didn't know, local spice. Similar to the Monkey-Squid from the day before, but with a lot more teeth and far less squishy.

And far larger.

Absolutely towering over them, grey scaled with dead eyes the massive shark head full of teeth scraped against Qae's shield. Fiona burst in from the side, hammer smashing face,  to barely any effect. Other than the dead, round eye suddenly focusing on her. Rolling to the side, a tentacle struck out where she had just been before circling around to hit Qae.

Fiona had learned her [Lost in Passion] was a once-per-dungeon and not a once-per-day and now they were fighting this thing raw.

Well, raw-ish as Big Liddy, her buff recast this morning flash in with her [Spirit Step] and grabbed the probing tentacle, visciously pulling it with one hand, the other punching it with her long claws.

The giant shark roared in pain, and a massive fist flew towards the gnome - Qae still holding the rest of the creature back with her shield.

Fiona spun around in an arc, and met the fist with her hammer. Fistbumping a hammer went about as well as one would think, the shark pulling back its ruined hand.

Suddenly the creature pulled back, and Liddy came with it attached to the tentacle flying across the arena. Screaming Fiona rushed after it, Qae quick on her heels. Fiona felt something strange, her body not moving faster but everyone else felt... slow. Liddys arms waving in the air in slow motion, as the Monkey-Megalodon opened its jaws behind her ready to chomp down on the enlarged gnome. 

Speeding across the field with the help of Qae's [Accelerate], as Liddy was about to meet the sharp teeth, Fiona's hammer met the sharks jaw smacking the mouth together, crunching cartilage and teeth in a force of violence, blood splattering out its mouth as Liddy crashed into the creatures nose.

It rocked backward, falling over as tentacles reached out and tripped Fiona, the berserker crashing into the ground.

But Liddy had landed on her feet, and leapt onto the creature as it flailed on its back, sharp claws stabbing into its torso and neck, as fists and legs were flying. 

As Fiona and Qae caught up, the creature was swiftly finished.

Standing over the massive creature the three of them looked at eachother, and Fiona started laughing. They were all exhausted, and while none had serious injuries they all had bruises and cuts. Liddy joined in, and even Qae smiled.

"Lets get this thing lit, finally" Fiona started walking over to the Brazier - somehow still standing, its surroundings shattered - as her friends followed.

Qae blew her soft blue flame, and the sea lit up.

Fionas eyes went wide as the daylight bubble extended, further and further covering the entire city, going past the air bubble, its safe light showering the entire reef.

Jota Nel approached the party, who had now sat down unceremoniously around the brazier. 

"Thank you climbers, I have no words." She bowed deeply, Fiona feeling a bit awkward.

"It's ok we... it's fine. Anyone would have done it." Saying they had to do it to climb the tower felt... wrong.

"I have boons to offer - for my fellow Queen, take this - I implore you to open it when you have left our city." She handed Qae a large parcel wrapped in seaweed.

"For the big little monk - take these. They seem made for you." She handed Liddy a pair of chakram, sharp circular blades with handles from carved coral in the middle. Liddy squeaked and immediately started jumping around with her new weaponry, flipping and kicking around the arena.

"As for you, berserker, Queen Qaerlyz said I should ask to see your class sheet?" Fiona was a bit surprised and looked over at the dragon queen, who waved a hand, suggesting she do it.

"Uhm... [Berserker of Endless Passion]"

Jota Nel took a moment to look, before her eyes went wide.

"Oh. I see." Fiona was a bit confused as the merfolk looked...  bashful? Before making a decision. 

"I believe I can provide you a boon, if you will have it." She took a breath. "My... I am... uhm..." why was this woman so shy? Did she have a weapon for Fiona.

Steeling herself, Jota Nel finally got the words out.

"My creature designation is [Merfolk Witch Queen - Dungeon Boss]. I can... I will help your... ability. If you wish."

Fionas eyes went wide, and her loincloth bulged.