Fire in Their Eyes [M]

[DragonSong]

She nodded slowly. "If you're sure, Ser." She clucked to Darkmoon, urging him up alongside Storm. "Lead the way, then."

[Lowen Thorn]

"Attention everyone!" Foggy called out to his men, rounding them up around him. "Good work today. It was with the combined forces of all of us that these deadly beasts were stopped before they could reach the city. You may not know it now, but you saved a lot of lives today. Thank you."

His eyes scanned over the troops he assembled with pride. "With that being said, I am going to take one more look around before heading in, but I will do it without you. I want you all to go home to your loved ones. I will not hear of anything else."

His men shot each other quizzical looks, and hesitated to disperse.

"Dismissed," he said with finality, and they finally began to clear.

Turning back to Aya, he grinned wearily and said, "Okay, it's done. Are you ready?"

[DragonSong]

She took a breath. "As I'll every be." She summoned up a slightly forced smile and nodded to him, stroking Darkmoon's neck. "I follow you, Ser."

[Lowen Thorn]

Foggy simply nodded and turned toward the forest entrance. "We won't go far," he said through a heavy breath. "Just enough to confirm that the threat is over."

With a quick whisper in Storm's ear, the two dashed into the forest with Aya and Darkmoon in accompaniment.

[DragonSong]

Aya nodded, squeezing gently with her legs to urge Darkmoon forward.

His gait hopped beneath her. He wanted to fly. "Easy," she soothed. They had to keep pace with Storm.

[Lowen Thorn]

After moving through the forest for several minutes, he pulled Storm to a stop, spinning his head in every direction for any signs of movement. Nothing yet. Maybe there were indeed only two, but he needed to be alert.

"Aya," he said giving her a glance. "Do you want to talk about what happened back there?"

[DragonSong]

The young woman suddenly jerked her head up at the sound of her name, having been drifting in her own thoughts. She cleared her throat and blinked at him.

"I-- um, how do you mean?" she hedged carefully.

[Lowen Thorn]

"The basilisk," he reminded her absolutely. "You stared right at it. Yet, here you are."

[DragonSong]

Aya shook her head. "No. I mean, I must've just glanced to the side of it or something. There's no way it's possible I just..."

[Lowen Thorn]

Storm moved closer to Darkmoon just enough for Foggy to place his hand on the woman's shoulders. "Hey. I'm sorry," he said with a breath. "What's important is that you're still here to sho-"

His words were cut off by the sound of slithering rustling through the grass, and a long, deadly hiss. Glaring off tot he side, he saw it coming.

The last basilisk.

[DragonSong]

"Shit!" Aya quickly dropped her eyes, and Darkmoon jerked away from Storm, wings flaring in a territorial display as he neighed a warning to the reptilian creature.

[Lowen Thorn]

The basilisk moved closer before sliding off behind nearby trees, though still visible in Foggy's peripheral. It moved in a quick, more precise manner as it attempted to circle around the four of them. It was definitely smarter than the last two.

Great.

"Aya, if I distract it can Darkmoon attack from behind?"

[DragonSong]

Eyes still downcast, she nodded quickly. "Yeah, he can do that. You should probably hurry though," she muttered, the slow, creeping shiver of a hunted animal working its way up her spine.

[Lowen Thorn]

"Right," he said quickly as he rolled off of Storm. "Storm! Go!"

As Storm darted to the side, Foggy ran right in front of the creature's path, eyes just below it's gaze. He swung his sword around fiercely and called it, "Hey! Over here!"

[DragonSong]

Aya and Darkmoon shot off, curving back to circle around the basilisk. The girl just barely felt confident enough to raise her eyes as it whipped around and hissed at Foggy.

"Now," she whispered to her mount, and the draquus charged forward, snaking his head down to grab the creature by the back of the neck.

[Lowen Thorn]

Without hesitation, Foggy lunged forward and drove his blade through the basilisk's skin. The beast hissed from the pain coming in two directions, before whipping it's head around to attempt escape.

"Almost there!"

[DragonSong]

"Steady, boy!"

Darkmoon bore down, refusing to release the squirming creature.

[Lowen Thorn]

Withdrawing his blade from the creature's skin, Foggy drove it into it once more, this time going straight through one of its eyes.

With another heinous cry, the basilisk flopped to the dirt, and Foggy stood next to it trying to control heavy breaths.

"Fucking right," he muttered, mostly to himself. He gave Aya a huge smile. "Great job!"

[DragonSong]

Aya smiled shakily in return. "Y-you did it!" she exclaimed, a little breathlessly.

Darkmoon whickered low in his throat and gave the basilisk one last good shake, then tossed the body away.

[Lowen Thorn]

"We did it," he corrected her with a grin. "You are truly amazing, Aya. I'm glad I hired you. Don't worry, there will be a great reward for your services."

He whistled for Storm and the horse trotted his way back over to the soldier. After mounting, he looked to the girl and said, "We should report back now. Are you good to ride?"