[WP] You are a part of a group of monster hunters. You don't wield any weapons though, no you're the bait.

...

So I just have to stand here?" Julius asked, shifting nervously on the balls of his feet. The air was chilly in front of the mineshaft, almost turning to frost as he rocked back and forth with unease. "That's it?"

"Yup, basically. I mean, obviously run away when it gets closer." Lars replied, tying down the last of the ropes and netting. "Boss says that the monster might come this way if the others scare it down the tunnel." He grunted, pulling the rope taunt. "If you're here when it comes this way, it'll charge right into the trap."

"But what if it breaks through the rope?"

"I doubt it will, this rope is tough." A hand swatted the length, thrumming it loudly. "Anyways: That's why I'm here!" Lars thumped his chest as he proudly raised a cheap looking leather bound sword. "It's not a full moon or nothing, but I'm still pretty strong."

"Do you think a sword will work on basilisk?" Julius eyed the weapon with suspicion. "I thought their scales were really thick."

"I... Well I think it should. If I can't poke it in the scales, I'll just get it in the eye." Lars drew the blade with an exaggerated motion, tiny specks of rust dotting the greased steel blade. "Trust me Julius, the Boss and Sola are professionals. I've helped them hunt monsters loads of times. Goblins, Ghouls, Boss even killed a Yeti once."

"It's not that I don't trust you Lars, it's just..." He thought about it, uncertain. "What did the boss say about the monster?"

"He just said snakes are stupid, and told me not to let it bite anyone." Lars frowned, carefully putting the sword back in its sheath. "He said that would be bad."

"Right, bad... Right, okay. That makes sense." Julius looked down the dark tunnel, hands shifting on the torch he'd been given. He realized now that he didn't have the slightest idea what to do with it. It didn't seem like a very useful tool to have when fighting monsters. "Just don't get bit."

"Yeah, their bite is super venomous." Lars continued. "Like, not only are you dead if you get bit- you're in pain for hours first, and then your body slowly melts, like a big blood puddle- from the inside out."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I guess not even the best Church healers can save you. You're totally dead."

Julius stared into the distant darkness, rubbing at the cold sweat on his forehead. "We can do this. No big deal. We can do this."

"See? That's the spirit!" Lars laughed, slapping Julius on the shoulder before walking back towards the tunnel's exit, jumping up on to the boulder beside opening and out of sight. "Just let me know when to cut the rope, don't forget the signal."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Two whistles, right?" Julius imitated the tones, raspy noise jumping to the air and echoing down the cavern.

"Yup, that's it." Lars' voice echoed distantly. "Be careful not to fall or anything on your way out though, it'll eat you."

"Oh... right." Julius murmured, once again rocking back and forth on his heels. The torch he'd been handed seemed a tiny and pitiful thing in the dull light of the underground. A toothpick for all the good it might do him. "Right, just don't fall, and don't get bit. Simple."

Quietly, he waited in the dark as anxiety crept in along the shadows of the darkness further along. Anything could be down there, deep within the earth. Things with glowing eyes, and sharp teeth. Creatures that live deep in their ancient dungeons, disturbed by acts of men breaching their long separated boundaries between the life above ground, and below.

"Simple."

Distantly, way off in the cavern Julius heard shouts and booms echoing along the walls and tunnels. Cracks of distant thunder and magic rattling loose dust and stone, followed the screech of an angered beast.

It was terrifying. Julius nervously swallowed the growing lump in his throat, hand gripping the torch as its flames flickered and smoked. He would be alright, Lars had said so. All he had to do was let the monster see him, and run away.

Just let it see him, and run away.

"CREEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee..." The horrible screech pierced his ears, much closer than before. Sounds of scales crushing stone were prevalent now, an heavy rolling thunder that seemed to overshadowing the crashes of magic and spell behind the monster's approach. It sounded huge.

Watching the distant tunnel, Julius wanted to run very badly, but the creature still wasn't in sight. If it didn't see him, the basilisk might take another turn and escape deeper into the caverns.

The rumbling approach continued, growing louder, and louder still until it was the only thing Julius could hear- overwhelming even the thumping blood in his ear.

Suddenly, fire and light began to flash, casting terrible shapes and contrast in the darkness as flames exploded along the rocks. Far off and down the tunnel, a serpent's form appeared, first in shadow, then in menacing scales of deep green and scorches: Wild eyes searching ahead as the creature was harried by the abuse soaring through the air behind it.

"H-Hey!" Julius waved his tiny torch, smoke fluttering out above his head as he shouted. "Hey, snake! Over here!"

Another explosion rocked the stones as the snake coming around the bent to set a pair of glowing purple eyes in his direction. Its tongue flicked hungrily, distress and anger forgotten and replaced by a more primal urge.

"OH gods have mercy." Julius whispered. It was gigantic. More than gigantic, it filled up the mine-shaft's tunnel, wide coils sweeping up over stone and rails with ease. "I can do this. I can do this."

Julius!"

He heard a distant voice as he waved his torch, grabbing the snake's attention as it turned towards him, now slithering upwards towards the exit. Was that the Boss shouting?

Julius!Run!

It was! It was the Boss, just like Lars had said- everything was going to plan. Must be.

RUNAWAY!"

What was he shouting though, orders? The snake was still pretty far off, now that Julius thought about it. If it looked large now, he could only imagine how big it would be when it got up close... Maybe they were going to try and bring it down early?

He stared at the trap, then back towards those hungry purple eyes in the darkness of the tunnel. Beside that beast's approaching figure, the ropes and nets set about the ground around Julius looked like fishing wire. It was probably too big to turn around.

The nagging feeling of unease twisted itself into dread.

RUN!

The Boss shouted again, just barely out of earshot as the basilisk crushed over stone, rock and dirt. Was he saying to run?

RUN!

He was, wasn't he? The Boss was telling him to run. That didn't make any sense. The monster wasn't at the snare yet though, it might escape. Scared as he was, there was sill a job to do.

"Julius! We really fucked up! Run!"

Oh.