LAVA CAT CRUISE SHIP
Chapter Fourteen
Happy Fri-YAY, cool cats! (Hot cats? LAVA CATS!)
It’s time for another chapter of Lava Cat Cruise Ship. As always, you can catch up on the previous chapter here. Or, if you’re new, start at chapter 1 here. Also, ICYMI, the full ebook is available for download to paid subscribers!
Let’s get to the saber tooths and cruise ship chaos! Me-OW! 🐯😱
FOURTEEN
Eidon hit the water with the force of a Mack truck, his gut slammed by the incredible velocity so that he couldn't breathe when he resurfaced, sputtering and kicking against the waves.
The sea was warm -- like dropping into a frothing vat of salty sweat.
An angry groan force Eidon to look behind him -- the Smilodon.
It thrashed at the water, its ginger fur clinging to it's framed so that Eidon could better see the cords of it's neck, the muscle of its jaws. The creature's massive paws tore at the waves as it swam toward Eidon. The creature hadn't finished with him yet.
And it was positioned between him and the Silver Queen.
Eidon swam, as fast as his legs would carry him, away from the creature, away from the ship. He had to put distance between himself and those razor fangs before it was too late.
Eidon paddled wildly, his arms aching from the effort but it was no use, the beast was gaining. Eidon remembered the wet paw prints he'd seen with Franklin and Celia on Cloud Deck. The Smilodons had all swum these waters to get to the Silver Queen. Eidon had no doubt it could get to him with a lot less effort.
And then an eruption.
To Eidon's right, a geyser of steam exploded out of the water, shooting skyward with a deafening hiss. He watched with wide-eyed terror as a red glow of lava spewed up threw the steam, drops of molten rock raining down.
Eidon dove under the waves, trying to avoid the fiery downpour, his exhausted lungs screaming for air. He kicked back for the surface, taking a hungry gasp of rotten, poison air as the creature behind him let out a furious roar.
Another geyser went off to the left.
The ocean was a mine field. And Eidon was stranded in the middle, a monster at his back .
Eidon risked a second glance behind him -- the creature wasn't phased by the eruption -- it's glowing eyes narrowed on Eidon, a fierce determination behind them that told Eidon exactly how much the creature would enjoy chewing his bones.
Eidon had to keep swimming. Swim fast. Swim hard.
Fire and brimstone rained down, and Eidon dove again. Looking up through the water, he could see the creature above him, the obsidian claws on it's gigantic paws swiping through the waves, waiting to catch him when he surfaced.
And then the Smilodon dove.
Dove for Eidon.
He kicked to get away as the creature shot towards him with unnatural speed. This was it. The beast would catch him. And Eidon would be torn limb from limb.
He braced himself for the impact -- but the creature flew by as if Eidon wasn't even there, a trail of frothing bubbles and red glowing behind as it plummeted to the bottom of the ocean.
The Smilodon had been hit by debris from the geyser.
More falling globs of molten red sailed by Eidon, plunging into the deep. He had to move, had to swim, before he was hit the same as the creature.
Unable to hold his breath any longer, Eidon clawed toward the surface, taking another gulp of air as more globs of lava fell around him like carpet bombs. He couldn't stay out here. He couldn't avoid being hit much longer.
The hull of the Hydra was close -- it was the only shelter within reach and Eidon lunged for it, splashing frantically, fighting through the waves with everything in him. His muscles screamed from the effort and his heart thundered behind his ribs.
At last, he reached out his fingers, skin burning on the hot metal hull. He inched his way along the Hydra, the deck too high and the sides of the boat too smooth to climb. Finally, towards the back of the ship, where the Hydra clung to the melting iceberg, Eidon was able to use what was left of the ice to boost himself up, his feet finding the nearest porthole to use as a step. He kept climbing, remembering as best he could how Celia had scaled the Silver Queen. He'd seen her do it twice, seen her ascend deck after deck without so much as a drop of sweat to show for it. Each time it had looked effortless. But for Eidon, the struggle was more than he could bare. His limbs shook from the effort, his body too exhausted to go on. But he had to go on. He had to seek shelter, get out of this war zone before he ended up at the bottom of the ocean same as the Smilodon.
When he finally reached the deck, he scrambled on his hands and knees as the vessel rocked violently in all directions, the frothing sea threatening to break the whole thing apart. Eidon found shelter beneath a massive metal crane, more lava bombs raining down around him.
Safe beneath the metal rigging, Eidon collapsed, his body shivering from exhaustion and terror. He listened, his cheek pressed to the floor of the Hydra, to the sounds of the world exploding around him. What was happening? It was as if the ocean floor was spewing bile and venom in an effort to obliterate Eidon and the Silver Queen from the surface of the Earth. Why? What had they done to deserve this? He was too tired to think, to make sense of the situation. Too tired to worry about Franklin, and Celia, alone on the Silver Queen facing the rest of the creatures by themselves. Too tired to understand that he was on his own now, on a dead ship that could sink at any moment.
All Eidon could do was close his eyes and let sleep carry him away.
Thanks so much for reading!
The next chapter of Lava Cat Cruise Ship drops next Friday. But if you are hoping to find out what happens next, you can become a paid subscriber and download the full ebook! Paid subscribers can also access the ebook for Zombie Shark Highway, as well as exclusive blog posts, digital downloads, tutorials and more!
