A shiver ripped through the Basilisk's length, and it let out a shriek that tore the very air.
It flailed and thrashed, a last-ditch attempt before death. A sword buried in its skull, driving deeper with every jerk, and Brutus hung onto its hilt with every shred of strength he had.
Instead of just dying, the serpents writhing only intensified. Brutus's grip was close to failing him, his boots skidding across the scales, and his fingers slipping along the blood-slick handle.
Then the beast began to coil its body upward, as if to hurl itself from heaven and crush the human clinging to its head.
Brutus rose high into the sky, seeing the figures of the Warden and Alicia fade.
"Not happening," Brutus growled through clenched teeth. He locked both hands around the sword and bolted his feet to the scales, muscles knotting and straining as he punched the sword down deeper, to its very hilt.
Another great shiver ran through its body, though it felt different— final.
Its ascent slowed; its coils stiffened. And for a heartbeat, the massive creature hung suspended in the air.
Then gravity reclaimed it.
The corpse began to drop, slow at first, almost gentle. But the weight built up speed, which caused the wind to whistle lightly in his ear... a whistle that swelled to a howl, then a deafening roar as the world rushed to meet them.
The ground closed the distance at an inevitable pace.
Brutus braced for impact and gritted his teeth. 'This is gonna hurt...!'
The impact hit like a meteor. A thunderous boom shook the desert as the Basilisk slammed into the cracked stone, carving a crater of clay, dust, and blood.
And at its centre, Brutus lay pinned under the serpent's massive head.
A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, accompanied by blurry vision and barely intact consciousness.
A tremendous pressure pushed the blood out of his legs, 'shit... I need to... get out.
Through the dense dust, a lone figure sprinted toward him. Brown hair, breathing heavily.
"Alicia...?"
His ears still rang.
Through his hazy vision, he saw her mouth speak words that he couldn't hear.
"I-I can't hear you..."
Warm hands cradled the sides of his face, steadying him, coaxing his senses back.
"Bru- can you hear me?" Her voice broke.
"Almost..." he groaned.
"Are you okay?" She asked gently.
"Yeah... Im fine, if you ignore the massive snake head crushing my legs that is."
"Okay, let's get you out from under there," she giggled. relief woven into the sound.
Another silhouette appeared behind the settling dust, this one clearer—distinct, unhurried. The Warden.
He trudged over to the corpse and gave it a light kick, confirming its death. He turned to look at Brutus. "Hmph, persistent brat." He mumbled.
"Uncle, we need to get Brutus out from under the body." Alicia urged.
Silently, the Warden placed his boot on the body, and with a grunt, he rolled it across the ground, relieving the pressure on Brutus's legs.
Brutus got up to his feet with Alicia's delicate support. "Thanks," he murmured.
The Warden glanced at Brutus and moved to walk past, but Brutus felt an impact on his chest. Looking down.
Brutus found his sword in his hands.
"Don't die. It would be inconvenient." He grumbled.
Brutus blinked, unsure if that counted as praise. Coming from the Warden... maybe it did.
Warden walked up to inspect the Basilsk's skull.
Still leaning on Alicia, Brutus glanced at her. "So? Not too bad, right?" He prodded.
She looked down, a gentle smile tugging at her lips.
"You know you couldn't have done it without me, right?" She giggled.
"Oh come on~ Can't you just praise me a little?" He teased.
"Fine, fine, you did well." She shook her head.
Suddenly, the Warden came back into view, stopping in front of the Basilisk's corpse.
"I'd advise you to stand back." He said flatly.
The two exchanged a glance, then hurried several paces back.
Once again, the Warden sank into the lai stance.
A subtle hum buzzed through the air as his sword began to emit a ghostly blue glow.
Brutus held his breath as the pressure built, a force that seemed to thicken the air around them.
A tremendous pressure filled every fibre in his muscles.
The blue glow brightened, again, and again, until it felt like it couldn't possibly intensify any further. And then, like before, the Warden released it, letting loose a terrible blade of light.
A single stroke tore the Basilisk's underside open; the shockwave nearly blowing Brutus off his feet.
Once the dust settled, inside the fresh cut made by the Warden, A faint glow illuminated from within.
"Is that..." Brutus said, dumbfounded.
"Its soul-core." The Warden answered. He dug his hand into the wound and yanked it free.
He held it in his hands, a head-sized, beautifully amber-glowing marble.
A simple "Wow..." escaped Brutus' lips. "How much would that thing be worth...?" he whispered to Alicia.
She was as mesmerised too, taking a moment to respond. "I... I think about a hundred thousand gold."
Brutus dropped his sword to the sand. "That... that's enough for both of us to pay the entrance fee..." Brutus squeaked.
"Yeah..." Alicia confirmed.
The Warden turned to look at them. "This is mine." He said evenly.
Alicia and Brutus blinked in unison, "What...?" Their voice thinned.
"What? If the kid wants his own. If the brat wants one, he can carve it out of his own kill."
"How... exactly am I supposed to kill a monster this this on my own?" His voice quaked.
"How did you kill it today?" He replied.
"By stabbing it in the head?"
"Then that's how."
Brutus' jaw dropped. "But im nowhere near strong enough to do that on my own..."
"Then let's get to work." He said flatly as he turned to walk away.
Brutus froze, dumbfounded. The smell of blood filled his nostrils.
The Warden paused and turned. "What are you waiting for?" Then turned away again. "Let's go."
Brutus snapped to move, "Y-yessir!" A smile curled his lips.
"And Alicia, too." The warden added.
She immediately straightened. "Yes, uncle!"
...
The two eagerly followed the Warden back to the cottage. Smiles plastered across their faces.
"Sir Warden?" Brutus piped up.
The Warden didn't even look back, just grunted.
"Can I ask what that blue glowing blade attack you used is?"
The warden stayed silent for a second. "It's a swordsman's 'will to cut the world'. "
Brutus blinked, "The what?"
"All swordsman has a will," Alicia chimed in ", even pipsqueaks like you."
"Pipsqueak-!?"
"A swordsman's will is the manifestation of their conviction. Their resolve, their instinct, their purpose. All condensed into a force that can contradict reality, and carve their truth into the world." She explained.
Forgetting her previous remark, Brutus asked. "So... Sir Warden used his conviction to cut the Basilisk's impenetrable scales?"
"Yes. That's exactly what I did," the warden answered. "The Serpent's scales were impenetrable, so I cut my truth onto them."
"And that truth being...?"
"My truth of the scales being softer than paper."
Brutus simmered on those words. 'A conviction to carve their own truth onto the world?'
"How would I go about attaining that will, Sir Warden?"
The Warden paused. "How am I supposed to know?"His tone suggested he knew exactly how."Also—just call me Alistair."