Fear Among The Shadows

Chapter XIII - Poisonous Whispers

"Don't look it in the eyes!" Letitia shouted as the basilisk rose from its slumber. Its body uncoiled and it kept going up, up until its head almost brushed the ceiling. The light didn't reach that high, so the only things visible to them were its eyes, glowing a faint, pulsing green. But they all avoided looking directly at them, keeping the creature in their peripheral vision. Nobody moved. Not them nor the creature looming above them. It merely observed, watching, waiting, understanding that they would need to leave and then it could strike, knowing that the taste of fresh meat with the hope of escaping was the sweetest kind. Letitia's hand crept towards the belt hidden under her tunic, loaded with knives, and her twin daggers. Eric slyly focused on the dirt beneath and around the basilisk, thinking that they only needed to keep it occupied until they got a safe enough distance away, then he was sure he could bring the cavern down on it.

Adilah was paralyzed. No, she had not looked into the basilisk's eyes, but she was paralyzed nonetheless. This was a being who hadn't been possible in her world. She was never meant to deal with such a creature. It let out a low hiss and she was reminded of the fangs and teeth that she had just been close to, pictured them easily puncturing her skin with their sharp points, sinking into her flesh, infusing her body with venom. Of course, she was going to die. She didn't even have her sword - only a meager little dagger that she hadn't even pulled out yet. Even so, how could anyone, anyone at all, dream of going up against such a beast? Then, she looked to the others and alongside the fear, she saw the sheer determination in their eyes. They did not want to die here, tonight.

Eddie looked to all of them,

"We were tasked to return this venom to Lord Jonathan and we are going to do it. May The Brave One infuse us with courage, The Wise One with cunning, The Pure One with hope, The Corrupt One with motivation and may The Just One ensure our afterlife be fair. Wait for my signal."

What signal? thought Adilah. Just then Eddie lifted his light and willed it to grow to its brightest.

"NOW!"

The flash of light blinded the basilisk, causing the creature to bellow and hiss, a sound that pierced the darkness and their souls. It was not as bad as its eyes but close enough. Unfortunately, Eddie's light also blinded them temporarily, preventing them from doing anything.

What was the point of that? Too soon, the light faded back to a dim glow, running out of the magic it worked on and they could see once more. In the split second before the basilisk regained its bearings, Eddie had pulled the dagger out of Adilah's sheath and shoved it in her hand and yelled, "RUN!"

Without hesitation, they turned and sprinted as Eric refocused his mind on the ground beneath the basilisk and hardened it around its scales, hoping that that might slow it down a bit. Alas, it did nothing as the beast brought its tail in front of them, trapping them in a circle with no way out. They felt, rather than saw, the creature's body looming over them, its head poised to strike, ready for the killing blow and the sweet taste of dinner (or was it breakfast by then?). It opened its mouth letting its hot, rotten breath waft onto them and let out another terrible hiss. This time it did its work. Because this time Adilah -poor, stupid, curious Adilah- looked up.

Eyes that shone. Eyes that burned. Eyes like acid, searing through the layers of skin, flesh and bone, entrapping her body in their grip. Eyes like daggers plunging deep, deep into every part of her soul and her mind until there was nothing left to her but them. Eyes.

It must have been the strangest sensation, my dear reader, for Adilah to be prisoner inside her own body. Her mind alert, but her body numb to all. She tried and tried desperately to order her body to do anything at all, to move, to twitch, to just relax its clenched muscles, but to no avail. And soon enough, her mind followed, falling victim to the paralysis, turning her thoughts sluggish and slow, making it hard to asses the situation, make a decision, form a coherent thought. Through the heavy haze, she thought she saw the creature loom over her, preparing to deal the killing blow. The paralysis and her own helplessness, tugged at her, both working in tandem, unhealthily agreeing that she should just give up. Give in. If she should die, what better way than when she was numb to all pain that could be inflicted onto her?