Act 21.
The Basilisk has been around in tales and writings, since the time that man started drawing symbols in clay.
The Queen’s Champion writings have references to the Basilisk which I believe to be one of the earliest if not the first known representations of these creatures.
I believe that this creature did come out of the first sightings of the Asp and the Cobra. During the story’s move from continent to continent, the two were combined to form the Basilisk creature.
The crown (or sometimes cock’s comb) on top of its head was probably related to the markings found on the hood of the Cobra. Both are poisonous as is the Basilisk, and the Basilisk is described as a snake like creature.
As to why I believe these references to be the earlier kind, is that many attributes of the Basilisk in the writings of Pliny the Elder and his contemporaries are not in the Queen’s Champion documents.
The Basilisk in the tales is indeed described as being large and snake like. It has the crown on its head, and can spit venom (like the spitting cobra can). Its blood is also considered to be poisonous if it contacts the skin. However the stare of the Basilisk does not kill the victim immediately and it does not have the withering touch that later tellings attribute to it. So it can live and hide in vegetation whereas in later stories it is said to live in rocky, dead ground.
Needless to say that it shows up in these tales to add a bit of suspense and colour to them.
Queen’s Champion PP. 345.
Margaret grabbed a couple of sets of bows and arrows, passing one to Linda.
"Remember what I have told you about the Basilisk?" asked Margaret.
"Yeah." said Linda. "Watch out for the spray and keep the blood of my skin."
"Our armour may afford us some protection." said Margaret. "But I am not taking any chances. And neither should you."
"Don’t worry." assured Linda. "I don’t really feel like dying today."
They entered where the guards had last seen the escaped prisoner and his captive.
These grounds were much wetter than the rest of the grounds around the castle due to the nearby river that tended to overflow here around this time of year.
They grew rice in the parts that stayed below the water line all summer. Keeping the surrounding vegetation cleared because of the creature that inhabited this area.
So long as you did not enter after dark, you did not bother the creature and it did not bother you. It was a good balance that everyone was willing to go along with.
Unfortunately, the assassin did not know of these unwritten rules and now after the sun has set, he has gone into the creatures territory.
"Oh well." thought Linda. "I wasn’t planning on getting any sleep tonight. At least this is something to do."
She giggled at her own sarcasm, eliciting a look from Margaret.
She calmed down and kept her mind on the task at hand.
Margaret had brought a torch to look for signs of where the two had gone. He would probably see the light but there was little choice since there was no other way of tracking them.
The two warriors hopped they would find them before the Basilisk did.
A roar could be heard in the distance.
"It’s awake." said Margaret. "But not yet too close. We may get out of this."
"How fast can it move?" asked Linda.
"I don’t know." said Margaret. "That’s the problem."
Linda spotted something.
"Over here." she told Margaret.
The vegetation was recently broken. The ground around was too wet to keep footprints as water and mud immediately filled in the depression when the foot was removed. But he had a struggling woman with him and it was she who was probably leaving the trail.
The two women smiled at each other and took off after their quarry.
As they moved deeper and deeper into the wet lands, Linda felt more and more uneasy.
She had always been a little claustrophobic as far back as she could remember. It had been especially hard the first time she had gone off on her own.
She had found a small room that some sleazy landlord would let her stay in, in exchange for her favours, as the people here would call it.
There had not been any electricity in the one room apartment, and the blackness had felt like it was crushing her. She had not slept a wink that night and made sure to find some candles to light the place the next night.
It was dangerous, but at least she had been able to sleep. Besides at that time in her life she couldn’t have cared less whether she had lived or died.
Now on this moonless night walking into vegetation that was making it even darker, and with only one small torch lighting the way, she was becoming uncomfortable.
She concentrated on keeping her breathing steady.
Suddenly they heard a noise as of someone trying to cry out but being muffled.
They turned in the direction of the sound.
They could see more broken vegetation and now they could here the sounds of a struggle.
They moved forwards and broke through to an open area that had a harder ground and there in front of them were the two they were looking for.
Margaret threw the torch straight into the ground so that it stood straight up, thus freeing her hands.
She and Linda had their arrows notched quickly and aimed at the assassin.
"Careful." was all he said.
He had his left arm around the Princess and his right hand held a knife to her temple.
"We don’t want anything to happen to her, do we?" he said.
"You wouldn’t hurt her." said Linda.
"No." he said. "But you can’t get me because you may hit her, and that would cause bad relations between you and her daddy."
"So why don’t you just stay here while we go off together." he said.
Linda and Margaret looked at each other, trying to come up with a plan.
At that moment the Princess decided she had had enough.
Quicker than anyone would have thought she could be, she slammed her foot into her captor’s.
He cried out and loosened his grip.
She grabbed his arm and forced it off of her, putting him of balance.
She stepped away from him and two arrows pierced each of his shoulders.
He fell crying out in pain.
The two warriors went over to the Princess.
"Well done." said Linda. "That was very courageous of you."
"I was tired of having his grubby hands all over me." she said. "Thank you for coming after me."
"It was our duty." said Linda. "Now we must get you to back quickly before... Princess are you all right?"
The Princess’s eyes had gone wide as she stared over their shoulders.
"There is something behind us, isn’t there?" asked Linda.
The Princess only nodded her head.
"I don’t suppose it is men form the castle?"
The Princess shook her head.
"It’s the Basilisk, isn’t it?" asked Linda with a resigned sigh.
The Princess nodded her head.
"Great. Just great."