The Secret Sea - (Chaptered Version)

* 38

I climb down the rocks to a narrow path leading to the lower reaches of the cavern. Creeping forward, I navigate between the pungent shit piles until only a few yards separate me from Bonnacon. There's only one way in and out—every other passage is blocked by toxic waste. My teeth grit so hard my jaw aches. I duck near a boulder while my brain screams at me to turn tail and run. Shutting out my thoughts, I wait for Eve's signal.

"Yeeeee haaaa!"

Eve's signal consists of leaping onto Bonnacon's back from an outcropping high above him. The beast awakes in a fury, its eyes glowing red. Eve grips tightly to the thing's black mane as it begins to buck in a frenzy, twisting in a riotous circle. All I can do is watch in horror.

I clasp my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming as Bonnacon blasts a rocket of dung in a long swath across the far wall of the cavern, completely covering the rocks. Had he aimed his detritus elsewhere, I would already be a sizzling heap of flesh.

"Hurry up!" Eve shouts, her grip on the beast already weakening.

"Hey, asshole!" I shout to the monster as I rush forward between the fetid piles.

Bonnacon stops bucking and stares right at me. "Die, interloper!" he growls.

I wasn't expecting him to speak. "That's it! Over here!" I yell, before turning to run toward the safety of the tunnels.

Bonnacon's hooves shake rocks free from the ceiling, forcing me to leap out of their way as I dash along a narrow path. I don't get far before the vile beast kicks a sizeable chunk of grey-brown waste toward me. I manage to duck the filth, but it blocks my path, forcing me to squeeze against the wall to maneuver around the sizzling pile. I'm too slow and I know it. I feel Bonnacon's hot breath blast against me and I close my eyes, waiting to die.

"Tim! Throw me the horn!"

I unclamp my eyes, shocked I'm still alive. Bonnacon cranes his head upright toward the sound of the shout, having momentarily lost interest in me. While Eve is sliding down the side of the bull's neck, I toss the horn to her with all my might. She makes a remarkable, one-handed catch.

Bonnacon's rage turns into confusion as Eve stabs the keratin dagger into the beast's bared chest. The horn erupts in light and sinks itself deeper toward the monster's heart. I rush toward Eve as she topples from Bonnacon and cushion her fall with my body as best I can. We topple to the cave floor and waste precious seconds wallowing in pain before I pull Eve to her feet. We embrace our adrenaline and sprint toward the tunnels as the immense bull god crashes to its side and thrashes. The cave is collapsing.

"Wait!" I yell. I rush back toward Bonnacon and sink my arm elbow deep in his wound, hoping to recover the horn. Not feeling anything but viscid gore, I give up and tug my arm out, creating a wet sound so revolting I nearly vomit. The demon shits everywhere as it dies, its booming flatulence an unearthly trumpet heralding an obscene angel.

Eve and I rush from the cave as it crumbles, climbing up the side of the cliff as a storm of green gas erupts from the maw of the den. Crushing boulders seal the entrance, entombing Bonnacon for good.

"Why did you go back?" scolds Eve, as we skitter away from the crevasse.

"For the horn."

"It's out of magic, it's useless!"

"We need Bonnacon's blood, remember?" I lift my dripping, red arm in the air. "I thought we could collect it from the shard, but hopefully this will be enough."

"Oh my god, I got so caught up in my bull ride, I forgot," says Eve, looking embarrassed. She fishes around in her sling bag and brings out the pen. The nib sinks into the crimson slime coating my arm.

"Got it?" I ask, watching Eve plunge some plasma into the pen's crystal vial.

"Just enough," replies Eve.

"So nasty." I shake the clotting blood from my arm and wipe it on the rocks.

Eve puts the pen back in her bag. "You were great in there. Are you starting to believe you can do this?"

"I'm not sure...but I believe in you," I tell her. I move closer and we kiss passionately.

"You smell awful," she says, wrinkling her nose.

I laugh. "And how do you think you smell?"

"Like victory! I rode a mechanical bull once at a cowboy bar. It must have helped."

I nod. "Whatever you say, maniac."

Before we can celebrate, a huge shadow passes over us, obliterating the moonlight. We don't even think to run as a monster bird—even larger than Bonnacon—lands directly beside us. The creature shrieks then unfurls a pair of immense wings, revealing its bright orange plumage. It's crested head bends down on a long neck to peer at us.

"You know this guy?" I whisper to Eve. I'm too exhausted to be frightened.

"No!" she says, looking up in awe.