The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

From Dragons to Picking Flowers part 3

III.

The slime towered over them as they backed away. It wobbled and waved. Folds of its mass undulated over themselves into a swirl of cyans and greens. The creature's body contorted in smooth and odd angles but it maintained its size by extending and shrinking in a rhythmic pile of goo.

"Audrey?" Madoka asked. Should they run? There was nothing but trees and a ridge behind them. In front of them, a massive slime and the crater it came from.

"Well, I don't have a plan," Audrey checked her surroundings. If Madoka had the time to recount all the times this girl did not have a proper plan for things, she would be uncomfortable with the results of her tally. Audrey beamed with a terrifying curiosity. "What a big guy you are, huh? How does an acidic slime work in this world? Is there something it can't melt through? Do you think it's hiding as a big lake from something more dangerous?"

"Focus," Madoka growled. Something inside of its gelatinous mass stiffened and shattered. It was preparing to attack them!

The slime bubbled and something hard burst from its side directly at them. Madoka moved to shove Audrey out the way but she was surprised that the girl dodged already. The attack was headed her way. She should be focused herself, she determined as she narrowly dodged it. A limb of gelatinous mass stretched below her as she jumped. She immediately noticed how high she leapt. Was this the work of Audrey's magic? Or was this her own strength now? Through its translucent turqoise surface, Madoka saw bones crumpled within it.

If it has a skeleton could she slay it like a regular creature? Madoka drew one of her Esmerald swords mid air and prepared for a dive attack. Either way, Madoka gritted her teeth. I will destroy it! She swore.

Air rushed across her face and knocked her hood off as she descended. Her sword felt little resistance as she cut through the slime. Did I get it? Madoka hesitated for a second. The slime oozed and she heard a slick noise as the half from where she cut slid off the bottom half. Madoka leapt back to avoid it. She saw cleanly cut bones in its center as well. They were not a part of it, she realized in horror. They were animal and human bones!

Her sword felt light in her hand. Her vision seared. Pain erupted in her grip as if she was set on fire. The sword was melting and so was her hand!  Madoka screamed as the flesh on her hand began to become consumed by the slime.

"Madoka!" Audrey yelled. "Get back! It's moving!"

Right, if she were to succumb to pain now she will die. Madoka did not want to see that afterlife again so she rejoined Audrey. She clutched her hand and chastised herself for that foolish attack.

"Oh, shit, your hand!" Audrey shrieked. She took out a talisman and breathed in. Those familiar green strands wrapped her hand and sealed her wounds. "So I guess slicin' it won't do."

"T-Thank you," Madoka swallowed her embarrassment from the wound and pulled out her other sword. Her new robe's sleeve was burned completely off. Sorry, Lady Saze, she apologized to the clothing shopkeeper in her head. "Careful, it's moving again!"

The slime bubbled as both sliced parts she cut recombined and seemed to be unharmed by her strike. Madoka steeled herself as she watched its body swell. With a rumbling burst, its body erupted gelatinous coatings of itself that splashed everywhere. The two dove for shelter behind one of the massive trees surrounding them as chunks scorched and melted the forest grounds. Audrey and Madoka peered back at the slime. It rampaged and shook out more acidic artillery but still remained near the crater where they disturbed it.

The whole area became more dangerous by the minute. Madoka stepped over craters of crawling slime which left scorch marks in their puddles as they got a bit further away. Plants and trees dissolved as the monster recovered its missing bits. She guessed that they were unable to split and act separately. The monster slime seemed to use some kind of magic to heal its missing bits.