Proving Beast Quinotauros

Kevin thrust his sword forward, hands clenched around it in an iron grip, straight toward the most vulnerable point he could see: the creature's humongous nostrils.

The sword plunged in, sinking halfway to the hilt.

Quinotauros roared -- the noise itself shaking the hall, sending a few pebbles skittering down the ramps and causing the teenagers to wince -- and whipped its head backward. Kevin, surprised, clung for dear life to his sword as he hurtled into the air, his arms screaming under the strain of sudden motion.

Trent let loose a profanity, edged forward, and stopped as the beast stamped its feet -- not wanting to get too close to its flailing hooves. David looked back over his shoulder, did a double-take, and skidded to a halt.

Quinotauros threw its head side to side, jaws snapping, trying to dislodge its unwanted guest. The whiplash wrenched one of Kevin's arms out of its socket with a painful pop, and launched him across the room to the beast's left as his tortured muscles gave up. He slammed into a wall hip-first with a solid crunch, cutting off his shout of pain, then tumbled onto a pile of old shadow bodies and rolled to a stop on the floor.

Quinotauros bellowed and shook its head again, finally dislodging the sword in the same direction. It flipped end over end, hit the wall at an angle, and ricocheted sideways to come to rest in the middle of the floor. The bullfish let loose a more ominous rage-filled scream and started turning toward Kevin, legs circling around the edge of the pool.

"Oh, Jesus," Trent swore, lifted his spear, and charged forward. "Hey, ugly! This way!" He flicked his weapon forward, its blade cutting lightly into Quinotauros' right shoulder.

The bullfish growled and whipped its head toward the new source of pain. Trent danced backward. "Yeah! Over here!" He jabbed again, but his blade skittered off the thing's armored cheek. "David -- go help Kevin!"

"Already on it," David called, sprinting toward his fallen friend. "Kevin!"

Kevin, eyes closed in pain, was already digging into his pocket with his good arm. "I've got a potion," he said through clenched teeth. "Go get that thing."

"Me?" David asked, horrified. "Go hit --?" He stared at the hulking form's lopsided duel with Trent and gulped.

The beast lunged forward, and its massive jaws closed inches from Trent's face with an ominous snap. Trent backpedaled ungracefully, and his back slammed against the wall.

"Shit!" David said. "He's cornered!" He looked down at his staff, back at the monster, and forced his legs forward. "H-hang on, Trent! I'm coming!"

The beast opened its mouth to attack again -- and its face receded as its front hooves skidded backward. It pawed at the stones with a surprised snort, but continued to lose ground. It dawned on Trent that Quinotauros' jump forward had left its hind legs over the pool, and it was falling back into the water.

Grateful at the reprieve, Trent scrambled off to his left. Quinotauros bellowed, hind end thrashing back and forth.

"Look out!" David yelled.

Then Trent saw it: Quinotauros' fish tail was gaining traction in the water, and its backward slide had stopped. Trent yelped and threw himself to the ground, just as the bullfish surged forward, head lowered.

With a thundering smash, Quinotauros' armored skull hit the stone wall, square in the middle of a large geometric mural of green and grey stone. Stone gave way, cracking and collapsing with a colossal rumble, and the room heaved and yawed. David staggered and fell, clinging to the damp stone beneath his feet. There were several sharp cracks from high above, and seconds later, a rain of fist-sized rocks smacked into the floor all around them.

Trent held his breath, not daring to move, on the floor just feet away from the beast. It backed up a step, shook fragments of rock from its head, and swung its head back and forth, snuffling and snorting through its bloody nose.

"Hey!" Trent heard David shout from the other side of the monster. "Eat this!"

David had stood and dashed over to the bullfish's rear end, where its hind hooves were tenuously clinging on the edge of the pool. He shifted his grip to the very bottom of the staff, swinging with all his might between the thing's bovine legs.

There was a soft thump, then a surprised yelp. Quinotauros jumped, all four legs leaving the ground. David, almost dropping his staff, scrambled backward -- slipping on the wet ground again but quickly picking himself up.

Four hooves hit the ground with a single crash, sending another cascade of pebbles showering down. Quinotauros threw back its head, bellowing an aggrieved battle cry, and staggered sideways, turning toward David and Kevin.

"Shit!" David said, wheeling and sprinting.

Kevin pushed himself unsteadily to his feet, letting the empty potion bottle roll away to drop into the pool. His arm lifted of its own accord, and suddenly wrenched sideways, shoulder clicking back into place. He silently gasped, squeezing his eyes shut, then seemed to steady. He looked around -- at David fleeing past him, then at the bullfish lining itself up for a charge, and Diune's sword lying on the ground 20 feet behind him. He whirled and ran along with David, making a beeline for the downed sword.

Quinotauros crouched and sprung forward, head lowered, hooves thundering. Kevin snatched the sword on his way by, nearly catching up with David. "Left!" he shouted, looking over his shoulder as they sprinted on, and veered toward the edge of the pool.

The blind bullfish's straight-line charge was taking it closer and closer to the wall as they circled the room, and quickly, inevitably, one horn stump smacked against the stone. Its head bounced back, but its momentum kept the body moving, and Quinotauros skidded, hindquarters swinging sideways, body colliding with the wall. It staggered as a cloud of dust flew out from the impact, and Kevin and David gained ground.

Trent picked himself up, grabbing his spear, and started charging after the beast. "Guys! Run for a ramp!" he shouted -- and then saw that Quinotauros had just passed one. Kevin and David would have to run halfway around the room to escape without dangerous doubling back. He inwardly cursed -- but an idea flashed into his mind, and he ran onto the incline, hurtling upward on legs conditioned by years of competitive sprinting.

The bullfish charged again. Kevin and David, screaming, again veered inward -- and Quinotauros thundered into the wall, front leg clipping Kevin as it passed. He fell, sprawling, and his sword skittered away along the floor.

Sensing Kevin's presence, the monster paused, swinging its head back and forth, questing for his scent. Kevin rolled backward to the edge of the water and tried to pick himself up. He saw Quinotauros' head rear back for a strike, and his eyes widened --

And then Trent, screaming, launched himself off of the ramp crossing behind the bullfish, spear held vertical.

His body hurtled toward the monster's head, and he wedged a foot against the spear's crossguard. Its point plunged in just behind the rear edge of the silvery head armor, and the impact of Trent's body sent the unbalanced Quinotauros toppling toward the ground, where it hit nose-first with a wet snap.

Quinotauros staggered back upright, screaming in pain. Trent lost his balance and his grip, and slipped off the monster's head. The bullfish swung its head sideways, jagged horn end catching in Trent's chest, slamming him into the wall amid several sickening cracks.

"Trent!" Kevin cried, standing up and scrambling away from thrashing hooves.

Trent fell to the ground behind the monster, which staggered and collapsed onto its side on top of him, uttering a terminal bellow as its body spasmed. It kicked its legs in the air, tail flopping, heaved one final breath, and lay motionless against the wall, the spear still protruding through its brain.

"Trent!" David yelled, breathing heavily, sprinting toward the fallen beast.

"Oh god," Kevin said, white-faced. "Oh god."

---

News: Merry Christmas to my readers that celebrate it! I got you a present -- a cliffhanger.

LoH will not update Friday -- let's call it a holiday break. I'll be away from my computer for most of the day for a family holiday gathering, but if I get the chance, I'll post a short story from the "Writing Quicktakes" challenge to my standard journal, baxil. (Edited to add: "Escape From Below." Enjoy!) And maybe create the "Characters" page! (Sneak preview: Aside from the character info, everyone gets their own icon. Oooh ...)

Regular updates here will return Monday 12/29.