“Are you finally gonna tell us, then?”

“Tell you what?”

“What that thing is?”

“Ah.”

Telhari brought down his blade one final time, slicing cleanly through the thick musculature of the creature’s neck. It’s blood, having not yet fully thawed from the freezing temperature, barely ran from the wound. Telhari gripped strong to the underside of the jaw on both sides, twisting it left and right to loosen the remaining sinew and cartilage. He then pulled swiftly, finally dislodging the creature’s head and neck from its body.

Watching on with morbid curiosity, Marybeth and Ellis gagged slightly at the sound of tearing viscera. Telhari let the head fall to the ground, landing with a thud at his feet. He reached into his pack and pulled out one of the blankets that he had used only a few hours ago to keep himself warm. He felt the fabric between his fingers, before finally throwing the blanket over the creature’s head and tying a knot to create a makeshift rucksack. He braced himself and swung the sack over his shoulder. He then turned to Ellis and Marybeth.

“This…” he said as he gestured with his head to the massive, scaly body dripping with thawed ice, “Is a basilisk.” He took a second look. “A fairly large one, at that.”

“Basilisk? Ain’t never heard of it.”

Telhari started walking away from the cave.

“That doesn’t mean it isn’t real. In fact, there are plenty of things you’ve never heard of that are just as likely to kill you.”

They hurried after him.

“Well, you’ll teach us how to kill ‘em first, right?” Ellis asked.

“Teach you?” It had been a great many years since Telhari had played the role of mentor— and never to human children.

“I am not sure that I could be your teacher.”

“What!? Why not!?” Marybeth asked.

“Yeah, we are good learners! Ain’t we Mary?”

“He’s right sir, we’re very good indeed. A man of your skill should find it easy to train us.”

Telhari knew by now that Mary was savvier at discourse than Ellis. She frequently adopted honorifics and proper grammar to the best of her ability when trying to achieve some end. But even so, Telhari was no simple man.

“Even if I had the patience and time to train you both, I am forbidden to do so.”

“Forbidden? Who says?”

“My people forbid it.”

“Well, that’s bollocks!” Ellis whined. “Who are they to tell you what to do?”

“The cultural bearers of my ancestral heritage.”

“Well…whatever that means, it’s still bollocks. Ain’t it, Mary?”

“But Master Telhari, surely they trust you enough to let you do as you please?”

‘Master’? These brats are already acting like they’re my apprentices.

“Unfortunately, I have already lost their trust…”

Mary looked with concern at Telhari and a sadness came over her.

“That’s perfect then!” Ellis cried. “Now you don’t have to worry. Since you already pissed ‘em off, you can just do whatever you want!”

“Ellis!” Mary slapped him in the back of the arm.

“Ow! It’s true, ain’t it? Ain’t that why he’s all the way out here to begin with?”

Oh?

Telhari smiled.

“You are correct.”

“See! Told you Mary. So don’t go hittin’ me when I’m right.”

She ignored him.

“Where is your family from, then?”

Telhari did not answer right away.

There was no doubt that in her mind this was a simple, courteous question. In human society, it is common to inform others of one’s rank and the position of one’s family, often to boast of upbringing and economic status. But humans live sloppy and prideful lives. Their imprint on the world is as unstable and boisterous as they are. Telhari and his people were different. They lived solitary lives, content to keep to themselves and to their own kind.

Telhari decided on an answer for Marybeth.

“My people live in the west.”

“The west? Like, Brin?”

“No, Ellis. He’s from beyond the mountain…right?”

“Correct.”

“Beyond the mountain!? What’s it like!”

“It is spectacularly beautiful, though I am of course partial to it. The land here has its uniqueness, but there is not much else besides what you see around you. The West has many different lands, each with their own wonders to behold.”

The two were captivated, watching Telhari speak with wide eyes. He felt silly being the center of attention like this.

“Anyway,” he added, “As we were discussing before, about the Basilisk. I suppose that I can at least help educate you regarding it.”

They nodded in approval.

“Old stories say that the Basilisk is the snake-like offspring of a rooster’s egg, that was hatched by a toad.”

“But hang on,” Ellis cut in as he scrunched his brow. “Roosters don’t lay eggs?”

“No, they do not.”

“And why would a snake hatch from a rooster egg, anyway?” Mary wondered. “That’s crazy!”

“These are legends surrounding the creature’s origin. But—”

“So, they’re liars then?”

“But…” Telhari cut back in, “As is the case with most legends, there is some truth to them.”

“What is it really, then?”

“I cannot say the exact origin of the creature. There are many fell places in the world where creatures of any kind may spawn and change and grow beyond the sight of Elfkin or men, but I have my theory…”

He paused to make sure they were still following.

“The creature at one point was related to a rooster…or more accurately, some bird-like creature.”

“Then why ain’t it got feathers?”

“The oldest legends say that the basilisk used to whither the land with its breath and kill with its stare. These accounts likely recalled the poison emitted by the creature and its ability to paralyze to a near-death state. Like what happened to you.”

Ellis shook his head.

“Don’t remind me…”

“It is likely that the creature, over the centuries, was chased away from its original home, forced into the mountains and secluded areas as human’s began to spread out and grow their settlements.”

“And they killed it with those flowers?” Mary asked.

“No. They likely killed it with weapons that were available to them — swords and spears and so on— but the oil from the plant helped them stave off the effects of the poison long enough to kill or wound the creature.”

“So, how’d it go from a chicken to an ugly snake-thing?”

Telhari thought on it.

“Well, if the creature retreated to the mountains…it may have sought refuge in the caves where humans wouldn’t chase it. It’s possible, that after many generations of living in the pitch black, it started to adapt— changing its body to better suit the environment.”

“It can do that!?” Ellis gasped.

“The creature, according to legend, was part snake. If the snake-blood of the creature became more dominant, then it could change into a form more suited to cave living. Being trapped in darkness would also explain why the creature was blind and could no longer see.”

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“But it had those wild eyes?”

“They may have once been able to ‘see’ as we think of it. But after so much time, they must have transformed into a specialized organ, used for only hunting.”

“It’ll get you all distracted by how pretty the eyes are…” Mary reasoned.

“And then…BLAH!” Ellis threw his hands onto Mary’s shoulders, scaring her from behind. “It’ll get you!”

“Essentially. The eyes will distract long enough to allow the poison breath to take effect. After that happens, the creature will feed. ”

Telhari caught himself. He peaked over his shoulder to check on the two of them.

“Well not with us!” Ellis said loudly as he punched the air in front of him. “Bloody thing didn’t stand a chance!”

Telhari let the beginnings of a smile threaten to show, before ultimately biting down the urge and returning to his neutral frown. The trio continued on their path through the woods, toward the city of Edge. In time, the dense tree cover around them started to thin.

“Telhari?” Marybeth asked.

“Hmm?”

“Why would they say it was ‘wolves,’ if it was a Basilisk?”

Telhari clenched his jaw.

“That is a good question.”

He had been wondering the same thing since he arrived at Malendar’s Edge. Why would someone lie about wolf attacks? What’s more, the Basilisk itself had grown to enormous size, most likely as a result of feeding on so many victims.

“Hey, Mary?” Ellis asked.

“What?”

“You don’t spose it was the Basilisk that got all them kids?”

Telhari stopped.

“Come on, Ellis. What would them kids be doin’ all the way out in the woods?”

Telhari approached them both, suddenly.

“What kids are you referring to?”

There was an urgency in his tone that made them hesitant to answer.

“Th-there was some missing kids from in town,” Mary admitted.

“Who told you this?”

“One of the watchman. He said some kids had gone missing recently and he was tellin’ us to make sure we found our uncle.”

“Uncle!?”

“Er…well we sorta told him you was our uncle, so he wouldn’t be suspicious…”

“I see.”

Telhari turned at once and continued at a faster pace down the hill towards the city. The farmlands were now becoming visible through the tree line.

“You ain’t mad at us for lying, then?” Mary asked.

“Not at all.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good…”

Mary pressed the matter no further. Instead, she slowed her pace, falling back in line with Ellis. The two waited until Telhari was far enough ahead of them before they spoke under their breath to one another.

“Something’s up, Ellis.”

“You think he’s mad about the ‘uncle’ thing?”

“I don’t know…” Mary’s mind began to turn. “Come on, let’s not fall behind.”

The two jogged ahead until they were only a few paces behind Telhari once again. Together, they descended into the valley. As they continued through the grass, Telhari looked over the field lands searching for any change.

“That river near the cave supplies these fields with water,” Telhari told them as he pointed into the distance. “The poison from the Basilisk was seeping from the cave into the river. It flowed down the mountain, seeped into the soil, and killed the crops.”

“Are they gonna be alright now that it’s dead?”

“It will take some time, but the fields should go back to normal now that the source of the poison is gone.”

Eventually, the trio reached the main dirt road that ran between the fields. It winded between the hills that sprawled out before them and passed near to the collection of houses where the farmers stayed.

Telhari was now back to near-full strength; and even while carrying the Basilisk head, he still moved with relative silence. However, Ellis and Marybeth were jogging to keep up with his long strides, and they made no attempt at subtlety. Consequently, the sound of their boots and belt buckles made a small commotion as they approached the wooden fence of an adjacent farmhouse. Drawn to the noise, an old man poked his head around the corner of a nearby barn and walked closer to the road to see who was approaching.

Not him again.

The man waved his hand at Telhari and began to walk toward them.

Let us speak quickly then…

Suddenly, the man broke into a run, continuing to wave his hand.

What is he so excited for?

The man continued, picking up pace and heading straight towards Telhari.

Is he… attacking!?

Telhari stopped and drew back his right foot, assuming a defensive stance. He shifted the weight of the Basilisk head and prepared to draw his blade.

“Sir, what is—”

“YOU LITTLE BASTARD!”

The man bolted past Telhari and grabbed Ellis by the collar and held him up.

“Agh!”

“I got you now, you little SHIT! Steal my horse, will you!? I’ll wring yer neck!”

He started to shake Ellis back and forth. Ellis struggled, throwing his weight around in an attempt to break free. Unable to hold him up any longer, the man lowered him to the ground, but kept a tight hold around his shirt.

“Quit strugglin’! I’ll make it quick!”

“Help! Telhari! He’s gone mad!”

“Please, sir,” Mary pleaded with a saccharine tone, “We can explain—”

“You, too! Come here!”

The old man freed one hand from Ellis and reached out to grab Marybeth.

She squealed, jumping to the side to avoid him.

“Get back here!”

The old man kept one hand around Ellis’ collar, pulling him along as he chased after Marybeth. She tried to calm him down, but he continued to grab at her. Together, the three of them moved around each other —the old man grabbing at Marybeth, Marybeth dodging, Ellis trying to break free— as if trapped in some ludicrous dance.

Telhari looked on in disbelief at the sight before him.

“Excuse me…Sir?” he called out. “Excuse me!”

Telhari came upon them just as the man had managed to catch Mary. He held them both in place with his forearms; he wore a look of wild victory.

“Gotcha now!”

“Sir…May I ask what these children have done wrong?”

“What!?”

The old man turned toward Telhari. After taking a few breaths, a look of understanding came across his face.

“Oh…Wait a minute. You’re their Uncle, ain’t you?”

Telhari’s eye twitched again.

“…Yes.”

The old man frowned down at the two children he held between his arms. He then shoved them both forward and slapped his hands together.

“I tell you what! You better have a word with yer niece and nephew, there. If I was a younger man, I’d have cracked ‘em upside their heads!”

Telhari looked curiously at Ellis and Marybeth. They wore their guilt all over their faces.

“What exactly is it that they’ve done?”

“This lot stole my horse from the market and ran off with it!”

“Is that true?” Telhari asked them.

“Well, yeah…” Mary admitted.

“But we only took it so we could get to the cave before you!” Ellis chimed in. “We was gonna give it back after we— oh…”

Ellis’ voice faded.

Telhari watched him bite his lip.

“Ellis. Where is the horse?”

“We…kind of lost it.”

“You lost it?”

“Well, it wasn’t our fault!” Mary added, coming to the rescue. “You see, we tried to take it all the way to the cave, but it wouldn’t go. Probably cause of the poison in the air. So, we tied him to a tree and we was gonna come back for him, but we had to stay and watch over you while you was recovering.”

Telhari raised his eyebrow at her.

She continued.

“But when we finally went back to check on it, he must have chewed through the rope cause he was gone…” She looked over at the old man. Her eyes began to glisten. “Please sir, we was only trying to save our—”

“Shove it!” He shouted, cutting her off. “Only reason I ain’t wringing both your scrawny little necks right now is cause Gregor had caught the beast grazing out back in his field yesterday morning.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “Then I spose there’s nothin’ to be angry about?”

“Mary. Both you and Ellis owe this man an apology.”

“We owe him a kick in the gut after chasing us down like that—”

“Ellis,” Telhari said with a stern voice as he crossed his arms. “Apologize.”

Ellis shoved his hand in his pockets and stuck out his chin. Mary broke first.

“I’m sorry sir. We was wrong to have taken your horse.”

She waited for Ellis to jump in. When he didn’t, she kicked his foot and shot him a look.

“Ow! Um…We’re sorry for stealing the horse from you, sir. We’re very sorry.”

The old man looked down his nose at the two of them, clearly unsatisfied. Finally, Telhari decided to step in.

“Please. If any damage has befallen your property as a result, let me know the cost and I will pay it in full.”

The old man sighed.

“No harm done in that regard…” He had more to say, but he stopped as he looked at Telhari. “Fella, I think you’re bleeding!?” He pointed to the ground at Telhari’s feet. There was indeed a pool of blood gathering in the dirt, but it wasn’t Telhari’s.

“What? Oh, no this is…”

“We killed a Basilisk!” Ellis said. “Wanna see it!?”

Ellis turned to grab the sack from Telhari.

“Ellis, enough…He doesn’t need to see it.”

“What the hell are you on about? It’s a legend, that. No such thing as a basil—”

Before he could even finish, the knot Telhari had tied was undone by Ellis’ tugging, and the head of the basilisk plopped onto the dirt.

“WAHHHHHH!”

At the sight of the creature’s head, the man fell down and crawled backwards. Overcome with fright, he jumped to his feet and took off, continuing to cry out as he bolted down the road.

Well…that’s one way to get rid of him.

“Are you happy now, Ellis?” Mark asked him.

He gave her a cheeky grin.

Telhari bent down and covered the head once again, tying the knot extra tight this time.

“What am I going to do with you two…”

“Hey! Ellis is the one who scared him!”

“Yeah, but you thought it was funny.”

She tried to stifle a smile.

“No I don’t.”

The two shared a laugh as they continued down the road toward the city.

Once inside the city, they managed to make their way with minimal issues by keeping off the main roads, save for the occasional passerby who gawked at the blood-stained sack Telhari was carrying. Their contract had been signed and ordered by the Lord of Malendar’s Edge, and it was to him that they must go to receive their reward. After little more than an hour had passed, the trio finally reached their destination. Rising above them was the stone wall that guarded the governor’s office and, beyond it, the Lord’s keep.

Telhari made eye contact with the watchman guarding the gate.

“Halt.” The man then thrust the blunt end of his polearm into the ground. “What business do you have with the Marquess?”

Telhari fished around his breast pocked with his free hand and pulled out the old parchment.

“We’ve come to collect our reward from Lord Thistletwat.”

The man read the parchment to himself, then glanced at the blood-stained sack. He shifted uncomfortably.

“That’s the wolves?”

Telhari sighed.

“Not quite…”