My body pulsed between waves of heat and then cold as I rested on the rock. I was sure that I went in and out of sleep a few times, the injuries on my body alternating between sharp pain and then numbness. What I was sure of, however, was that the pain had begun to subside.
I was almost surprised that my plan had worked—that something I had done actually had an impact. And though I was still scared about the task ahead of me, I had the sense that maybe I could do it too.
“You are leaving, now,” Zolreya said, no doubt noticing that my breathing had changed.
“We’re leaving,” I replied and sat up to look at her.
“You … do not have to,” Zolreya said, pulling away to wrap herself in her arms. “I know that you were wounded and helpless when you told me that you would. And you’ve helped me already with my … pain.”
It reminded me that something odd had happened in the water—something beyond just sex. I wanted to ask her about it, but I knew I was barely keeping up as things were. Anything else would have to wait until we were out.
I shook my head and replied, “You saved me … and you didn’t have to do that.”
“I’m not ....” Zolreya started to say, before the weight of her words seemed too much for her. I couldn’t imagine the pain of being forgotten in a mine like this for however long she had been down here.
I clenched my jaw.
In truth, I didn’t feel any courage. I just knew that leaving her wasn’t an option. I braced myself and worked to stand on my feet. While my body was shaky, it did manage to support me after a few moments. I retrieved my armor and clothing and donned them.
I then knelt and cradled Zolreya in my arms bridal-style. Fortunately, she was only a little heavier than Daava. And while I didn’t have the advantage of carrying her on my back, I knew I could make this work, at least for a while.
Zolreya grimaced as I carried her; she seemed frightened. Still, her blue glow helped me find my footing as I followed a rocky trail back up into the higher portion of the mine.
We soon reached the top, to a narrow mining tunnel I didn't recognize. That made sense; the current had to have dragged me quite a ways. Instead of stalagmites, the skeletons of animals lined the ground.
“I … thought they had made it,” Zolreya said, her tone fragile.
I trembled, and a wave of uncertainty hit me. Escape had been one thing when I had thought that even animals had outwitted the boners. But that they had died … it made me feel afraid for both of us.
“It’s alright if-” Zolreya began to whisper.
“No … I can do this,” I said, knowing that my certainty was 100% fake. I didn’t know if I could do this. However, neither staying in the cave nor abandoning this person were options to me.
I began to move through the tunnels.
I could hear the sounds of movement from up ahead. Going into my own headspace, I tried once again to engage my magic. This was a challenge now that I was not in the throes of passion like before.
However, I focused as best I could and tried to remember back to my previous transformations. Of being in the milking stall with Hyrranesus, of being grabbed by the tail by the minotaur version of Daava, being ridden as her mount. I then tried to imagine what knew sexy situations might arise in the future … maybe of being in the barn again, surrounded by other students also being milked.
Gradually, I felt my tail begin to grow out again. My breasts swelled slightly. But these were not what I needed. What I needed were ...
“Lilly!”
The sound of my name echoed in the cavern. It was distant, but I thought I had an idea of where it was coming from. I picked up my pace and continued to march towards it. Adrenaline beginning to pump, mercifully helping me avoid the growing tiredness in my arms.
“I’m here!” I shouted as loudly as I could.
“Lilly!” repeated the voice, this time sounding frantic. They had heard me!
Trying to follow the sound, I wound my way through several more tunnels. Until I finally saw the glow of sunlight further down the way! For just an instant, I felt hope that I was going to be free!
Then, as if on cue, a skeleton stepped from around a corner—blocking me from where I could hear the others still calling my name.
I wasn't sure what happened in my brain at that moment. It felt like waves of one-tracked desperation crashing in all at once. I needed to get to the other side of that tunnel. In my mind, nothing else mattered at all.
The boner stared at me for a moment, a dusty skeleton like the rest, a little taller, and with small horns over its eyes.
Horns.
It crouched, opened up its arms, and let out a guttural screech that filled the cave.
I half-expected my legs to carry me in the opposite direction as I ran for my life. However, even a little cow could only be cornered so much. I bellowed tonally, lowered my head and charged. Forcing myself to imagine Daava riding me.
I felt a sharp sensation in my forehead. I didn’t have time to even consider it before I collided with my attacker.
There was a sound of shattering, a slight weight that hadn’t been there before, a sharp clawing and burning in my back, and then light as I found myself in the next chamber of the cavern.
“Lilly!” said an intimately familiar voice.
It was Daava, red-eyed, and with streaks of wetness that had muddied the dust on her face.
My body trembled and, for a moment, threatened to give out. Retroactively, all the terror I had just faced and all the pain from the current began to hit me. I felt my eyes began to burn, as I became lost and small again.
Guilt swelled inside of me.
It was only as I lowered my head a bit that I realize that part of the boner’s rib cage was stuck to my head. I couldn’t imagine how I looked at that moment.
Daava ran towards me … as well as Mystery and Faublien. They all threw their arms around me.
Almost as an afterthought, Faublien grabbed the ribcage stuck on my horns and tossed it to the side. He sniffled, looked at me, and said, “You’re being kept on a tight leash from now on. I’m not supposed to have this many emotions over a freshman I’ve met for barely even a couple of days!”
“I second that,” Mystery said and shook their head in exaggerated annoyance. They wiped their own face. “I’m not losing the best roomie ever to some stupid cave.”
“I also agree,” Daava said, sounding quite hoarse. I imagined that she had not stopped shouting since I’d fallen. Finally, she looked at our new companion and asked, “And who is this?”
“Her name is Zolreya,” I said, a little embarrassed that I hadn’t introduced her yet. “She saved me after I fell and ... helped me with my magic so that we could get out.”
Zolreya gave them each a small nod, seeming a bit uncomfortable.
“Thank you so much, Zolreya,” Daava said and nodded back at her in a way that seemed particularly significant. “I look forward to us all getting better acquainted. But first, let’s get the hell out of this taint of a mine.
-O-
The journey out of the cave was mercifully uneventful. We walked in silence along a path that Mystery led us down. Daava did not elect to ride me. Instead she just held my hand as we walked. And Faublien took my place in carrying Zolreya.
I did occasionally see Daava stealing glimpses at the various wounds and bruises left on my body. While closed because of the magic, there was no missing where gashes had been in my hands and foot. The skeleton had also left some claw marks in my ribs when I’d gored it.
Sure enough, we eventually exited the cave.
As soon as I saw sunlight, immediately made a solemn oath to never enter another cave or mine if I could help it.
Instead of returning to the road, we walked in the opposite direction—to where I could hear the sounds of gulls and waves crashing. It was about a half-mile before we reached the beach.
Despite my newfound issues with water, I elected to carry Zolreya the rest of the way myself. I made my way along a rocky shore until I was waist-deep in the ocean. From there, I released Zolreya, and we just stared at one another wordlessly.
“I can’t believe I’m finally free,” Zolreya said, and gave the first smile I’d seen since I had met her.
“I can’t believe I’m alive,” I replied, the exhaustion of the day wearing on me. I felt a gurgle in my stomach, which I tried to ignore. “Where will you go now?”
“I will deliver our offspring to my people,” Zolreya replied.
I nearly choked on nothing, and I tried to reply, “Ou-our…” A slight pain hit my gut. Now, it was impossible for me not to think about what had happened in the cave. My mind began connecting the dots between our union and what little I knew of seahorse reproduction.
“It’s … what I was worried about happening before,” Zolreya said, glancing down at the water shamefully.
I had so many questions—the biggest being, how in the hell my post-HRT body could even fertilize anything.
Before I could ask, Zolreya pulled my clothing aside, and I felt a stream of something like soft bubbles begin to escape me. Smoothly, with just enough pressure to make my eyes widen and my body shudder.
I looked down at the water and saw was looked like the sort of goo that frogs deposited their eggs in. I guessed it was some sort of embryonic sack.
Sure enough, little blue eggs filled it.
Zolreya gathered these eggs close to her and then looked down at the water.
"When will they ..." I began to ask, not sure I wanted to know that answer.
Zolreya shook her head. “If they manage to hatch, it will not be for a long time. Long after you or I take our last breaths.”
The thought of this filled me with an unexpected sadness, which was especially confusing given how new the information about even having offspring was to me.
I looked into her eyes. “Thank you for saving me, and for … well, everything else.”
For the second time, Zolreya gave a small smile. She finally looked up to face me. “I would like to see you again, some day.”
I nodded, “I would also like that.”
Zolreya moved forward to envelop my lips with her own one last time. Then, she pulled away, gathered our eggs, and sunk under the water.
I watched for just a while, hoping to see her breech or rise up over the surface majestically. When she didn't, I was reminded that she was not a mermaid, and that seahorses didn’t do water tricks.
So waded back to shore.
When I returned, Daava was waiting for me. She hugged me and said, “I was so scared I lost you.”
I hugged her back, bittersweet tears softly flowing. Hand in hand, we walked back up to the rocky outcropping where Mystery and Faublien awaited us.
We all walked in relative silence, back toward the road that had brought us here. Right as we were about to reach it, we spotted Caid, Bubbles, Freja, and Boros. They all seemed out of breath, like they had been running for a long time. They were all very sweaty and had to catch their breath before speaking.
“Glad we … caught … you,” Caid said, finally standing up straight. “Whatever you do, don’t go into the mines. We were poking around in the nearby town and found out that the dark lord has assembled-”
“An army of boners?” Faublien said, crossing his arms. He didn’t seem quite angry, but his sass was out in full display.
“You …” Caid said, a little stunned. “Did you all find them?”
“Defeated them, sweet thing,” Mystery said, and rested their mace—with bits of bone still wedged in the grooves—onto their shoulder.
The other group all looked at one another, exchanging confounded glances.
Caid shook his head and said, “That’s incredible! We’ve taken out a few of their armies so far, but it’s slow work. It would be so great to have help with-”
Daava lifted her free hand up at him. “Not interested.”
Caid’s brow furrowed. “But … the Dark Lord poses a threat that could-”
Faublien made a show of pretending to think about the matter. “Kinky sex classes … or a gross adventure against generic evil overlord, number 3084. Yeah, that’s a big nope from me too.” He winked at Boros as he tossed his lasso over his shoulder for good measure.
“But the fate of this world-” Caid tried to say again.
“Not our thing,” Daava said and pulled me along with her. “Best of luck, though!”
I shrugged at the other group, their mouths all slightly agape. As pleasantly as I could, I added, “Uh … have a nice day?”
Mystery joined us, but then called over their shoulder, “But we’re still up for that double-date! Call us!”
Choking a little from awkwardness as I tried to speak, I managed to say, “Y’all are the best.”
Mystery wrapped their arms over mine and Faublien’s shoulders so the four of us were all walking together and then added, “We all are.”
