Kapitel 132: - Stone Eyed with a Will of Iron [pt.2]
The Basilisk was taken into the dungeon hold of the Great House, a place where the Master's "experienced" monster experts would dissect the creature, in their attempt to learn why more of these creatures were appearing all over the place.
Lia was present for this operation, watching various men cut into the long and wide body of the beast, its flesh a warm red color while its scales were dyed red with its own blood, as its hide broke more and more blades as they sliced through its skin.
"You won't be able to cut too deep inside."
She said, mumbling her opinion to the Master beside her who watched with an intent interest on the beast. Lia couldn't blame him as he only wished to learn why more of these creatures were appearing in his lands, and what was driving them here.
"It doesn't matter to me how deep we can cut. All I need is answers and if I can get those without needing to tear apart its flesh, I'll be satisfied with that."
"Very well…"
Rian and Lukali were upstairs, choosing to rest rather than observe this…disgusting process. At least that was what Lia thought. She had cut though many monsters now in the past since she came to Morden, but nonetheless, she was disgusted to see a creature's organs and bones ripped from its flesh like they were dirtying the examiner's workplace.
'I feel bad now…'
'Why is that?'
Cain was with her of course, had been since the beginning when she came down here. It was he who reminded Lia of the Basilisk in the first place and gave her the idea on how to kill it.
'It never harmed anyone from what I can tell, and it chose to stay out of reach.'
'Just because it never killed someone, doesn't mean it wouldn't have. It nearly killed you, remember?'
'That was different. We were in its territory, it was only natural for the monster to attack us.'
'...you say you feel pity for how its corpse is treated, yet you continue to call it a monster?'
'Cain, that's not what I meant-'
'I know what you meant. Still, it is best to keep this in mind when you think of pity for this creature. It chose to attack you, no matter the reason as to why, it made the first move. It would have killed you the same way you killed it, so there should be no reason to feel pity for the basilisk for having defended your own life.'
Lia thought about it, recalling the time when she fought against the basilisk back on the overlook. The fog had just overtaken them, they had realized the beast was behind them, and then it stuck like a bolt of lightning from the sky, its voice and roar like the thunder that followed.
It was all too vivid in her head.
***
"Move!"
Lia was able to just dodge out of the way in time for two white fangs as long as her entire body to slam into the ground behind her, kicking up dirt, rocks and roots.
Rian and Lukali dove to opposite sides of one another, allowing the body of the basilisk to slither past them at a speed so quick that Lia could not even see its scales, all of them melding into one single large blur of gray.
The force of the attack sent the ground around the basilisk's body flying, the earth molding itself into the distinct shape of a snake's slithering path. The cart overturned and the driver was flung to the side landing just shy of the cart as it crashed against the ground.
Lia was the first to her feet, running as quickly as she could towards the driver in order to keep him from ending up as the beast's easy target, but the snake's long body dove in between her and the driver, cutting off her path.
The Basilisk was too busy encircling them with its long body to notice Lia or the driver out in the open. So, thanking the small chance she was given, Lia drew her sword from her sheath, raised it above her head and brought it swiftly and strongly down on the basilisk's body.
Sparks flew as Evegallion slid against the pale gray scales, leaving nothing behind in its path. Not a scar, nor even a small scratch against it.
The scales were too tough and now the beast was ready and back again, rising above Lia's figure as she recovered from the attack on the basilisk, her own face having been ricocheted back against her.
She only just met the gaze of the creature, feeling an odd sense of frozen tarot overtake her as their eyes met. She stood there motionless, suddenly realizing why this particular creature was called the Stone Eyed Basilisk.
Meeting its gaze froze you on the spot, leaving you wide open and easy prey for the monster to consume your hole in its wide open maw.
Yet once again, Lia had to praise the gods for just as the monster reared its head back, ready to strike with such swiftness and speed that would put any animal or Hunter to shame, an arrow slammed into the side of its head.
The arrow did little to damage the creature, but it did serve to anger the monster greatly as it reared its head around to face Lukali, who knocked another arrow into his bow, letting it fly as it snapped and broke again the basilisk's touch hide of scales. The monster hissed loudly, like a chilling cool water falling upon a hot steel and iron as its body began to shift around withering and slithering like a worm, it slammed its long and thick tail towards Lukali.
Lia held her breath as she watched the snake's tail slam against Lukali's body, sending him flying as a slight and barely audible gasp echoed out from his mouth. His body slammed against the wooden cart, toppling it over again and Lia was amazed the thing hadn't shattered into splinters at the force of the blow.
But she wasn't willing to risk this chance!
Li turned, raising her blade and bolted towards the driver, her lungs stinging with each step she took, throwing herself forward over and over again, going against her own stamina. She was a breath away now from the driver who covered underneath his own arms, tears streaming down his face.
But the nice things never last as we have learned many a time before for as Lia neared the driver, gaining on her own shadow the basilisk opened its maw wide, as she was just able to catch a glimpse of the beasts two pearly white fangs as they stretched out towards her.
And then suddenly - wham! - wood shattered against the monster's head, splinters flying through the air as the beast doubled back in pain, wood and dust staining its right eye.
"Lia run!"
Rian picked up another crate, having once carried their tools it was now empty and light as a feather for him as he threw it towards the monster, barely missing as the creature slithered out of the way.
Lia bolted again, this time however, she reached the driver just in time for her to turn around and see the basilisk launch itself at Rian, who in his split second moment of bravery, led the beast towards the overlook's edge. There he leapt into the empty air beneath him, the monster's two white fangs laced with poison threatening to stab its way into his back.
"Lukali!"
Lia turned her head swiftly, calling out to Lukali just in time to see the man knock an arrow onto his bow, letting the sharp arrowhead of iron split through the air, a long rope attached to the end. The arrow shot before Rian just in time for him to catch it, digging his hands against one another as he gipped the wooden arrow for his life.
The rope lost its slack, straightening out as the force of Rian's weight on the rope jolted Lukali forward as he struggled to dig his feet into the ground and gain traction.
"Lia! Help!"
Lia didn't hesitate to move, rushing forward from the driver's side towards her friend, leaving the driver to his own fear. She didn't think twice about it though, as she believed the basilisk had now been dealt with. The fear was gone, so why not assume the danger was as well?
She was just able to reach the rope in time before Lukali was taken over the edge with Rian, the both of them pulling with all their might and strength to bring the man made of pure muscle and heavy bone back onto solid ground.
When they finally did bring him back onto solid ground, the three of them collapsed, breathing heavily from the lack of rest and the trouble they had all just endured. Lia was the sorest of them all, sweat pouring down her cheeks and neck as he stared upwards at the sky, catching glimpses of the bright blue color thought the cloud of fog.
"Is it over…?"
Lukali raised his head to rest on his chest, looking out over the overlook for any signs of the monster. But he needn't look long as Lia's voice echoed in his ears.
"No…now run!"
Lia bolted again but this time she didn't focus on one sole direction as she did when after the driver, but rather ran in a random direction. Rian and Lukali didn't bother to argue with her, getting up swiftly as they too began to run in opposite paths from her, rising towards the art.
They had a plan, and they didn't need to say it aloud for each other to guess what the other was doing.
Just in the nick of time as well, a large shadow passed over the wall of impassable fog, before the head of the basilisk flew out from within it, flying through the air as its body twisted behind it. Lia didn't need to turn around to know who the monster was targeting.
No, she had other ways of telling as the beast's body slammed against the ground, causing tremors in the earth beneath her feet as she quickly turned her heel and ran in another direction. The snake chased her and chased her, gaining on her shadow as she ran.
It was all going according to plan until.
"Uwaaa!"
The Driver succumbed to his fear, tossing up his hands as he bolted towards the nearest clearing he could see in the fog, attracting the attention of the basilisk as it sharply turned away from Lia, the driver already in its sights.
It was fast, quick and nimble as it pulled apart the ground beneath it, ready to feast as it opened its large and wide maw for the driver of the cart to fit snugly inside.
'Ha…curse my life and luck.'
Lia activated [Drifting Winds], quickening her steps as she bolted towards the driver, appearing to her friends as though she was chasing the snake, something so mad they could hardly believe their own eyes.
"Rian, Lukali, get ready!"
Lia's voice reverberated across the air, warning the two of how little time they had to get ready as they scrambled to lift the weapon from the ground and mud it had sunk into.
The snake opened its mouth, its two white fangs dipping with poison as Lia dove in front of it, pushing the driver and herself out of the way just in time for the beast's teeth to tear apart the mud and earth beneath them.
The monster, now enraged beyond its own belief, reared its head up high, looming over the two figures on the ground, opening its mouth to swallow them whole.
But then it saw Lia smile in the most unlikely of circumstances. She was near death, he could kill her with barely a second thought. So why? Why was she smiling?
The beast got its answer soon as Lia's voice echoed across the air.
"Now!"
The last thing he could see was two men standing down distance away, kneeling next to an overturned cart with a large wooden weapon on their shoulders.
A small makeshift balista.
The only thing the Basilisk could feel then, recalling all the pain he could have felt, disappeared like a wash of cool water over its head, as a large makeshift arrow pierced its open maw and out the back of its head.
***
Lia could still see the death of the basilisk in her mind, it was as clear and vivid as the body before her. Never did she think she could deal with such a monster, even with her friends at her side helping her.
Yet there she was, here watching the corpse of this large and mighty beast that would have threatened an entire town and party of Hunters be cut and dissected into pieces of small bits of flesh and blood. It didn't seem real. Yet it was.
"...Lia?"
It was then that Lia realized the Master was watching her, his gaze must have been lingering on her for several minutes as his face was strewn with worry.
"Ah - um…I'm sorry your lordship. Perhaps I am more tired than I once thought."
"Then perhaps you should get some sleep. Leave this job to us. You've done enough."
Lia considered the offer, believing that sleep would in fact be better for her than standing around doing nothing, but then her eyes landed on Arnold. He stood near the head of the monster, looking deeply into its glazed eyes.
She felt nothing when she looked at him, she felt nothing but a cool and chilling calmness that overcame her.
"I think I'm good. I appreciate the offer but I'll stay."
The Master could see the look Lia had for Arnold before she tried to hide it from him. He sighed silently, wondering to himself whether it was a good idea to have them both working on this investigation.
"You know Lia, if you're trying to be better than him… it's best you stop now. You two could fight and fight for years but I don't think you'll ever be…"
"I know your lordship. I'm not trying to be better than him."
Lia's eyes watched Arnold leave just as the flesh to the snake's head was cut open in half, his presence and aura giving off the tail tell signs of something frightening.
'He's off to Hunt. I guess our kill really put him on edge.'
'The strong respect the strong. He won't while he still sees you as weak.'
Turning back to the Master, Lia spoke calmly and quietly, careful not to edge any of her words with any fierce emotions.
"I'm only trying to keep up."
Suddenly, a voice broke the air around them with urgency, one of the lab men had approached them, his gloves and cloak stained with blood.
"Sir…you better come see this."
The Master gave Lia an odd glance, one she shared with him as they botched let their minds wander.
The lab man led the two toward the front of the head, which had been cut open from the decapitated skull of the snake, its flesh and skin peeled back to reveal a shining, glowing white orb resting just on top of the basilisk's brow.
"....what is that?"
The Master took a deep breath, speaking only when he had the confidence to confirm what he was seeing.
"A soul stone."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein