Beneath Shadows and Secrets

♔ 𝔉𝔦𝔣𝔱𝔶 - 𝕰𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 ♔

♔ 𝔑𝔦𝔯𝔞 ♔

Teeth scrape my back, and I bite down on my scream as I roll backwards, bringing Urani with me, and push him into the beasts mouth with a hard kick of my feet. It forces the basilisk to recoil, and I take the opportunity to roll from beneath it, crying out at the agony of the open wounds over my shoulder blades.

Its a white, blinding heat, dizzying almost, but I focus myself, pulling the sword from Urani's sheath before he disappears into the mouth with a sickening crunch of bones.

My eyes are shut as I run behind its head, heaving a breath as I jam the sword into its neck. It screeches , hissing as it fights to dislodge the weapon, but I am already taking advantage of the leverage. Hoisting myself to its back, I pray that Disanye and Calix can hold off my brother and Zaire enough for me to not be their target.

I scramble towards its head, fingers curved deep into its scales to keep myself upon its back as it thrashes, the force of it curling back my nail beds.

With my body curved around its horns, I wrestle for my last arrow, jamming the iron point deep into its remaining eye, pushing past ever resisting layer of sinew and muscle.

I can barely hold myself on the beast as it wails, throwing its head around in agony, attempting to knock me and the arrow from it. It is with a growl of perseverance I hold myself on there, each limb wrapped around its largest horn, chin ducked to avoid the whiplash it is bound to give me. It shows no sign of settling, spinning around to chase the noise of the fighting four, and I am at its entire mercy as I watch it approach.

"Disanye!" I screech, and she spins at the call, baring no mind as she tosses a knife in my direction. A long blade with a small handle, spinning so quickly I barely have the time to duck and avoid it. It beds itself into the hide beside me, and I brave unwrapping an arm to yank it free.

Poisonous crimson blood spills from the open wound, bubbling with the venom that courses within it. I lean forward, peering into the bludgeoned holes where its eyes once sat, barely disguising my shiver of disgust as, for the first time, I look at its face.

Ghastly. Two slits for a nose, and a mouth larger than any of its other features. Teeth that curl upwards, lethal spikes that warn me to keep my balance else I face being impaled. It is covered in blood, that of its own and the competitors it has devoured. The arrow shaft inches upwards, and I know it is trying to find me.

In its blindness, it does not see how I bring the blade down at the soft point between its eyes. The blade sinks, almost to the hilt, and I bare all of my weight on to it until it twists upwards.

The basilisk roars, but I persevere, and I feel the bowing resistance of the last layer of protection until the blade pierces its brain. The beast flops to the ground, the thudding impact enough to quake the trees.

I bow atop it, panting, relishing in the horn that blows. My back burns with agony, calf and arm too, but all I can think of is how how quickly I must heal before the third task tomorrow. How could it get any harder than this?

The fighting stops, all four of them allowed to live another day, however short it might be. "My knife, made fae." Disanye orders, and I glower at her before I pull it free. She comes close, bracing herself against the basilisk's head, and then holds out her other hand for the knife. I barely hear the whisper. "I am going to step down from the competition."

"Why?"

"Because I do not think I can kill you, as much as I might want to." My eyes narrow. "When these cuffs are off, my song will be returned to me. I can make it so others have the same catharsis. That will send you straight to the final task."