Episode 51
The knights and I were going door to door, persuading villagers to lend us their chickens.
“Lend you… chickens? What on earth are you talking about?”
An old woman eyed us suspiciously. She held a chicken tightly in her arms.
The chicken, as if sensing its fate, looked at us with anxious eyes.
“To stop the basilisk, we need the sound of a rooster’s crow.”
I explained seriously. Nathan, standing beside me, nodded and added:
“We promise to return the chickens safely. No harm will come to them.”
But the old woman still stared at us with deep suspicion.
“Safely, huh? What if they get mixed up with someone else’s chickens?”
“We’ll come up with a way to keep them separate,” I said, forcing a smile.
“I heard if you look the basilisk in the eye, you turn to stone! What if my chicken becomes a rock? How are you going to compensate me for that?”
“We’ll compensate you,” I replied.
We had no intention of harming the chickens, and the knights would protect them throughout the mission to make sure no beasts got close.
“Really?”
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“Of course. If your chicken turns to stone, we’ll turn the stone into gold.”
The voice came from behind me. I turned in surprise—it was Antonio.
Some of the knights cleared their throats awkwardly, and the old woman clicked her tongue in disbelief.
“Hmph. Just return the chicken in one piece. Don’t bother with the gold.”
In the end, the old woman lent us her chickens—but only after naming each one and making us promise to remember them all.
“This one’s Red, this is Snowflake, and this is Fluffy. You got that? Remember their names!”
“Yes, yes. We’ll remember!” I replied quickly, cradling the chicken in my arms.
After finishing the rounds, I bought brightly colored ribbons to distinguish the chickens—red, yellow, blue, even pink. I tied one around each chicken’s neck and thought to myself:
‘This should reassure the villagers. They won’t have to worry about their chickens getting mixed up.’
The chickens, now wearing ribbons, looked oddly proud. One even glanced at its reflection in a window and let out a triumphant “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Once all the ribbons were tied, I gathered the chickens and addressed them in a solemn tone.
“Listen carefully, all of you.”
I looked around at them.
“You’ve been given an important mission—to defeat the basilisk. You’ll be fighting alongside the knights.”
[The knights! We’re allies!]
The chickens suddenly cheered.
[Wait, chickens—do you even know what ‘ally’ means?]
Polka, sitting on my shoulder, asked in confusion.
The chickens went quiet for a moment, then one tilted its head.
[No idea, little sparrow. But it sounds awesome!]
I chuckled and shook my head. Even if they didn’t understand big words, their enthusiasm was undeniable. Taking a deep breath, I began explaining the details of the plan.
“All right, just follow me quietly. Once we reach the location, we’ll hide together. Don’t make a sound until I give the signal.”
I raised both palms in a motion like flapping wings.
“When I do this—everyone crow at once. Got it? We have to freeze the basilisk in place.”
The chickens nodded seriously.
[Anything for you, our master!]
Their unwavering loyalty left me speechless for a moment. I hadn’t expected this level of dedication. A strange warmth filled my chest as I made a silent vow:
‘I swear I’ll get all of you home safely.’
People might not realize it, but birds do have expressions. And I could read them.
Each ribboned chicken wore a look of determination.
The one with the red ribbon stood proud like a general going to war. The yellow-ribboned one’s eyes sparkled with resolve. The pink one… tried to look serious, but came off more clueless than brave. Its cuteness nearly made me laugh out loud.
‘This is exactly why I can’t eat poultry.’
I thought to myself. These tiny creatures were just too good.
“All right, let’s move out. I’m counting on every one of you!”
With one last encouragement, I led them forward. The chicken squad followed silently, ribbons fluttering as they walked behind me.
✦
A silent night in the forest of Marcana.
Moonlight barely filtered through the leaves, swallowed up by the darkness. The trees loomed like enormous beasts, hiding in each other’s shadows.
It was as if the wind had long since abandoned the forest. The air was cold and heavy. Every breath felt like it might freeze my lungs solid.
And yet, it was midsummer.
The knights wore cold, metallic armor to conceal their body heat. The same armor they had refused to wear at the royal palace because it was too uncomfortable.
Funny how the thing everyone hated turned out to be so useful. Life had a way of surprising you.
“The miasma is intense.”
Youngest knight Edric murmured, barely audible.
It wasn’t even that cold, yet the chill was unmistakable. The goosebumps crawling across my skin—this had to be the miasma’s doing.
And there, standing at the center of the forest, was Antonio.
Wearing a black blindfold, he seemed to glow in the darkness.
A faint red aura rose from his bronzed skin, his magic pushing his internal temperature to the limit. The shimmering heat that radiated from him looked almost like a physical aura of combat energy.
The forest remained silent. But it wasn’t a peaceful silence.
Even the faintest rustle of leaves rang out sharply. Then came a sound from somewhere in the trees.
A rustle.
Then silence again. Not even a bird chirped. No small animals moved. The forest felt like a massive trap, swallowing all sound in its depths.
I tightened my grip on the shield.
Sweat beaded in my palm but cooled instantly in the frigid air. I caught a blurry reflection of myself in the mirror mounted inside the shield—but I didn’t look at it.
Instead, I stared into the darkness beyond it.
Then—there was a sound.
Shhhk… shhhk…
Something was scraping against the ground.
I held my breath instantly.
The sound grew closer. It wasn’t the gentle rustling of branches in the breeze. It was deliberate. Swift. Something small and lithe—but radiating overwhelming pressure—was cutting through the forest.
Cautiously, I angled the mirror toward the direction of the noise. And finally, I saw it through the shadows.
The basilisk.
Its size… was small.
Slightly larger than a regular rooster. But the presence it emitted didn’t match its body.
Black scales covered its snake-like lower half, glistening in the moonlight. Its eyes radiated a chilling darkness, like it held the void within. Even seeing it indirectly through a mirror made my muscles tense involuntarily.
At the opposite end of its serpentine body was the head of a rooster.
The rooster’s head moved as if it were alive. A red comb, a sharp beak, and glowing eyes—scanning its surroundings like a separate creature. From its beak came a strange, eerie sound.
“Kee-eeek.”
It was a grotesque mix of a rooster’s crow and a serpent’s hiss.
The basilisk began slithering slowly toward Antonio. The snake’s head stayed low to the ground, while the rooster’s head raised up high, scanning the area. The forked tongue flicked, and drool dripped from its jaws.
I clutched my shield tightly and kept my eyes on the mirror.
But then—another sound.
“Shhhk… shhhk…”
It wasn’t alone.
