Mythos: Last Stand

  Chapter 12 — Close Calls

  by Caide Fullerton

  Four Humans and one Mimic watched on in horror as the Basilisk sniped its prey out of the sky, killing it in one fell swoop. It had looked almost effortless; the Basilisk’s face didn’t have much range of emotion, but if Jackie were to ascribe one to it, it would be boredom.

  The massive monster slowly stomped its way after its prey, not noticing the minuscule presences of its spectators.

  Jackie looked down, forcefully stilling their shaking hand. The Basilisk was exactly what they’d feared it would be—an impassable obstacle.

  The others had come to similar conclusions, it seemed. Strade and Helena both watched the monster leave with wide eyes and gritted teeth. Sam was slackjawed, driven silent in despair. Lii had it the worst, her entire body shaking in fear as she stared blankly after the retreating monster. Though she’d seemed cowardly at first, she’d proven to be remarkably brave against the Kumori and Kuzumade; it seemed this was her limit.

  Somehow, seeing her in that state was the part of this situation that upset them the most. They reached out to embrace the Mimic, pulling her head against their chest and idly stroking her hair as their mind raced.

  ‘Impassable’ this obstacle was not. Terrifyingly powerful, sure, but it had simply walked away. Theoretically, nothing was stopping them from just making a sprint through the jungle and hoping they escaped the Basilisk’s territory.

  Something like that couldn’t guard the edge of the world. There had to be more.

  ‘More’ was certainly the right word for it.

  The rumbling began only moments later. The thunderous sounds of the Basilisk’s footsteps had engulfed the jungle, but the beast had only continued to walk away from them, its footfalls becoming ever-quieter. The new sound was closer.

  It came from all directions.

  The earth shook as dozens of ancient boulders awoke from their slumbers, revealing themselves not to have ever been boulders at all.

  Naturally, there wasn’t just one Basilisk. There were many, and they were condensed into a much smaller space than Jackie had expected even in their worst estimates. They counted at least half a dozen massive shapes lurching through the distant jungle nearby; those were just the ones they could see well enough to count.

  This was the impassable barrier that guarded the edge of the world. Once one Basilisk awoke, it would awaken its neighbors in turn. The simple chain reaction converted the jungle into a hellscape of lumbering shadows and imminent doom.

  And they were stuck right in the middle of it.

  The group was crouched down amid a cluster of trees, but it wasn’t exactly the best cover, especially from all directions. It was only a matter of time before one of the beasts spotted them. Against a single Basilisk they might have stood a chance in combat, but against the entire herd? They were as good as dead the moment they were found.

  Jackie: “Don’t do anything drastic,” they whispered coarsely, not speaking to anyone in particular. One wrong move here could spell the end for everyone. They needed time to think. They needed a plan. They needed—

  The crash of thunder snapped them out of their train of thought. The thunder was not actually thunder at all, but the footfall of a nearby Basilisk. It was about to walk right past them, mere feet between it and their hiding spot.

  For the first time they could remember, Jackie froze up. Not just physically, but mentally. A Basilisk was already upon them. How had it gotten so close so quickly? How hadn’t they noticed it?

  Was this how they were going to die?

  The monster dragged itself forward. A large grey eye stared out from one side of its head. It looked right at the group as the beast trudged onward. Its iris was foggy and unfocused, as if it was looking right through them.

  And then it was past them. The Basilisk stomped on, not paying them any mind at all.

  Jackie blinked. All at once they realized they’d forgotten to breathe, and that they were squeezing Lii so tight it hurt their own arm. They released her and inhaled shakily, watching the Basilisk’s long, armored tail slither past them.

  It’d ignored them. The impassable obstacle walked right on by and paid them no mind.

  It couldn’t possibly be that easy, could it? That the Basilisks simply didn’t care about Humans enough to bother with them? That wouldn’t make sense. A good number of the Heap’s inhabitants were of a similar size to Humans or smaller, not to mention sharing the same humanoid build. The Basilisks would make poor wardens if they just let most of their prisoners past scot-free.

  No, it hadn’t ignored them. It simply hadn’t seen them in the first place.

  Jackie: “They have poor eyesight,” they whispered again, catching the others’ attention—what little of it wasn’t still laser-focused on the Basilisk, anyways.

  The realization was a glimmer of hope that rebooted their systems. These monsters weren’t unbeatable. They had a weakness, just like anything else. A weakness they could exploit.

  Sam: “Poor in what way..?” He gulped down his fear, posing a question as he looked around for other Basilisks; thankfully, none were nearby.

  He raised a good point, though. “Poor eyesight” was too vague; they needed to know exactly what was wrong with it. Was it blurry? Were they colorblind? Perhaps they relied on a sense completely different than typical sight?

  They could rule out anything that might’ve allowed it to spot them, obviously. It didn’t sense heat. The first Basilisk had also been able to aim up at the Caltrop, and it moved around without crashing into things. It was safe to say, at the least, that it could make out basic shapes.

  The Basilisk had only attacked once the Caltrop started to flee. Was its vision based on movement, then? Or perhaps something functionally similar, like being able to picture vibrations? That would make sense, as the group didn’t exactly blend in with the green and brown of their hiding place.

  There was just one thing about this answer that bugged Jackie. The first Basilisk to awaken had, in turn, awoken all the others nearby. They were pack hunters—well, perhaps not that well-coordinated, but they seemed to live in large groups, at least. For such large monsters capable of dishing out such heavy damage, wouldn’t their poor eyesight lead to tons of friendly fire?

  They found it hard to believe the creatures would last long if they were constantly one wrong move away from killing each other. There had to be another piece to the puzzle, something they were missing.

  They felt a light tap on their shoulder. Putting a pin in their thoughts, they looked up to Sam, then followed his gaze off to the side, in the same direction the second Basilisk had come from. In the distance, a third shadow was looming, its footsteps already audible. It was coming the same direction.

  The group knelt down and clustered more tightly together, the ground beneath them shaking as the Basilisk approached. The thunderous sounds reached their apex as it passed right by them, and then, just like the last, it was gone without even a glance down at them.

  Was it following the same route as the previous one?

  Jackie blinked, a conclusion clicking together in their mind. To avoid attacking each other, the Basilisks moved in set, predictable patterns.

  They could only see prey that moved, and they patrolled set routes.

  That was enough for them to work with.

  Before putting their plan into action, Jackie waited for a third Basilisk to pass them by, ensuring that the pattern they’d noticed wasn’t just coincidence. Its movements almost perfectly matched the last two creatures’ footprints. Then, like the others, it was gone.

  Jackie: “They can’t see us if we stay still, and they’re patrolling set routes. As long as we determine what those routes are, we can slip past in the gaps between each patrol.”

  Lii: “Wh-what if one does see us..?”

  Jackie paused to think. “We run really fast. Find anything that could be used as cover and hope it doesn’t step on us. If we’re still, it might not notice us again.”

  Their backup plan was laughably bad. They only hoped they wouldn’t have to implement it.

  The operation began after the next Basilisk passed by. Jackie could only see the faintest hints of shadows further south, so there was a good distance between them and the next path the monsters patrolled. Once the nearest one was past them, the group swiftly cut across the jungle and to the next cluster of trees. This continued, slowly, carefully, cutting from one hiding spot to the next as they trudged southwards.

  Now that they knew what to look for, Jackie could make out the paths of the Basilisks’ movements. Thick lines cut across the environment, devoid of trees or any large debris. Some, like the one they’d started just beside, were well-defined, the paths currently in use; there many other that seemed to receive less use. Perhaps the paths they took shifted over time, or perhaps these had been carved out by lone Basilisks abandoning the main routes to chase after prey?

  Before long they were crouching behind a small ridge of trees right before the next Basilisk path. The first had been behind them; this one they would actually have to cross.

  The next Basilisk passed before long. The smoke pouring from its mouth crystallized the dirt beneath it, forming a thin sheet of stone that proceeded to get obliterated when the monster’s feet stomped down on it.

  The group shot past behind it, and made it safely to a cluster of trees on the other side.

  The operation repeated in this way for a long while—hours, perhaps. They’d spend many long minutes carefully observing the Basilisks’ routes, wait for the perfect opening, then move together to the next hiding spot. It was slow, but it was working.

  Progress became slower the further they went. The soil and brush were giving way to rocky crags and cracked clay, which meant far fewer hiding spots; they might be able to just stand in the open, but Jackie didn’t want to risk it. The different paths the Basilisks took were also becoming much closer together; it was to the point they were starting to have to account for two different Basilisks passing together before they could move. To top it all off, the group was exhausted. They couldn’t exactly rest or eat more than a quick snack in the midst of this madness.

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  It wasn’t all bad, though. Jackie could see their goal ahead. They seemed to be atop a cliff, and they assumed that the cliff itself served as the definitive boundary between the Forgotten Heap and the rest of the world. All they had to do was reach it—well, and find a way down with everyone alive.

  A Basilisk passed, and the group crossed to the very last cluster of trees. An expanse of flat, scarred rocks stood between them and the cliff’s edge, one almost completely barren. A few lone trees made desperate stands against the lack of soil; the lack of leaves made it clear they’d all lost long ago. It was probably only by pure luck that they hadn’t been trampled by a Basilisk.

  Speaking of those, they were the densest here by far. They patrolled from both directions, often passing right by each other. After watching for a good twenty minutes, Jackie concluded that there would never be an opportunity where they’d be out of sight of all of the monsters.

  How did this environment possibly support so many of the damn things, anyway? Perhaps they didn’t actually need to eat to survive, like Carrions? A thought for another time; it wouldn’t help here.

  Jackie: “We’re gonna have to make a break for it,” they whispered. “We’ll wait for an opportunity where the ones that’ll see us are as far away as possible, then book it straight for the cliff edge. Lii, can you get us down safely?”

  The Mimic gulped, already wilting under the pressure. “H-how high is the fall..?”

  Jackie: “No clue.”

  Naturally, that didn’t help her confidence at all. “Um, I-I could become something like a parachute and carry someone down safely, but it’d be hard to do it for everyone at once. If we all jump at the same time, the b-best I can do is slow the fall.” She stuttered her way through an explanation, earning her a pat on the back from Helena.

  Helena: “Could we climb down instead? Like, you become a rope attached to the top of the cliff, we all slide down, and then you reform yourself at the bottom of the rope?”

  Lii paused to consider the idea. “Th-there’s a limit to how much mass my body can be made up of when I transform. If the cliff is too tall, it might not reach the bottom.”

  Jackie: “And by the time we figured that out, it’d be too late to change plans. We’d have to suck it up and fall the rest of the way.” They rubbed their chin, pausing the conversation as a Basilisk passed them by. “How long can the rope get?”

  Lii closed her eyes as if thinking intensely, then remained that way for a while.

  Strade: “You’ve got no clue, do you?”

  Lii: “I’m sorry…”

  She deflated again, but Jackie shook their head, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  Jackie: “It’s alright. What’s the biggest thing you can make? We can use that as a reference.”

  Her eyes lit back up a bit. “R-right. Um, I guess… an automobile?”

  Jackie blinked. “A what?”

  Lii: “Eh? Y-you know, um, like a carriage without horses?” And before Jackie even replied, “You don’t know what a horse is, either?”

  Jackie: “Nope. Maybe just transform?” They suggested, then quickly added, “Into the rope, not a horse.”

  Lii nodded, and in the blink of an eye her body lost all color and texture. The shape condensed into many coils, which fell to the ground all at once as they gained the color and texture of rope. It pulled itself into a neat pile and then began rapidly extending, the rope spinning in tight circles as it grew more and more coils.

  They had to take a few pauses as Lii extended to the maximum length, taking no chances with the passing Basilisks. Now that they were actually seeing it, Jackie doubted if the practical showcase was actually that helpful; all they could tell at a glance was that this was a very large amount of rope. They found it hard to imagine it could possibly not be enough.

  Jackie: “That should work. If not, we can try to have you create a foothold lower down and extend the rope from there.” They spoke, then tried to think of any potential complications ahead of time. “You can still hear us when you’re an object, but will that ability stretch across all of the rope?”

  The pile of rope condensed and assumed the shape of a girl once more. “It should.”

  Jackie: “That’s our best bet, then. Is everyone ready to run?”

  They exchanged glances with everyone, receiving mixed reactions at best. This was it—the final stretch before freedom.

  All they had to do was sprint past a couple of very large lizards.

  A Basilisk passed close by, trudging its way to their left. About ten seconds later, another one passed, a full Basilisk-width away and heading the other direction.

  Their thunderous footsteps grew gradually quieter as the monsters continued their patrols. In the far distance, Jackie could make out the next Basilisks starting to approach. All five members of the group lined up at the edge of the treeline,

  Jackie: “Go!”

  Signaling the start of their sprint with a hushed shout, Jackie leapt into action along with their companions. The five of them shot across the rocky expanse of the cliffs.

  They were about a third of the way across when the distant Basilisks noticed them. They let out fearsome growls, and the two nearer Basilisks slowed their marches to turn and see the group.

  When they were about halfway across, four Basilisks were charging them. Metallic clicks rang out as one of the distant monsters began filling its maw with smoke, the other three charging at full speed.

  The Basilisks were surprisingly fast, but their bodies were large and unwieldy. They’d reach the cliff before the monsters reached them. The real problem was the one staying distant. Earlier, Jackie’d watched a Basilisk petrify a flying monster with pinpoint accuracy, so their current distance didn’t matter; if it finished charging before they escaped, they were done for.

  Two thirds. Lightning began to crackle along the distant Basilisk’s scales.

  They needed to do something. Jackie opened their mouth to speak, but—

  Lii: “I’ll handle it!” Her voice shaking, Lii called out to the others, beating Jackie to the punch.

  Three fourths. Lii shifted to be between everyone and the distant Basilisk. The monster opened its maw, releasing an eruption of smoke which it then sucked back down its throat.

  Lii: “Everyone sto—!“ She called out, but her voice was drowned out by a sudden explosion of sounds before she could finish.

  A flash of blinding light swept across the clifftop, rending the world still. Everything it touched was petrified, and so the Humans’ journey came to its end—such a thing did not come to pass this day.

  The Humans slid to a stop as the light hurtled forth, and for just a brief moment the searing white ceased. An obstacle stood between them and petrification—a simple stone wall.

  Time seemed to stop as they each gazed at the obstacle beside them. The roar of the Basilisk’s beam dissipated, and there the wall stood, a stalwart defender which had suffered the ire of the Basilisk’s petrification in their stead.

  But, naturally, the wall’s true form was not a wall. It lost its color and shrank, leaving only a thin coating of stone along one side as it became a girl again. All at once, the others remembered there were monsters on their heels and resumed their sprint.

  They reached the cliff edge. They could see lush jungle far below, a good hundred feet down at least. The thunderous footsteps of the Basilisks cried out just behind them as Lii initiated the plan. One of her arms shifted into a sort of metal spike with a large ring attached—a climbing piton. She dove into a baseball slide right over the cliff’s edge, striking her shifted arm into the stone behind her. The motion brought her to a sudden halt, leaving her dangling over the edge of the cliff.

  Then came a deafeningly loud crack.

  Two Basilisks closed in at around the same time, but they dared not approach the cliff’s edge. Instead they slammed their front legs into the ground together, shaking the earth beneath them. The cliff itself replied with the aforementioned sound as a fissure carved itself across the rock, fully encircling the group.

  Smaller fissures were birthed form the first, criss-crossing the ground beneath the group’s feet. The monsters backed away as the cliff began to collapse, the great fracas of an avalanche filling the air. The victims’ words were drowned out amid the sound, but if anyone could have heard them—

  Jackie: “Shit.”

  Sam: “Oh.”

  Helena: “Damn it!”

  Strade: “Fuckin’ lizards—!”

  Lii: “N-not again..!”

  —they would not have been impressed.

  ? ? ?

  Everything hurts. That was the first observation Jackie made as their vision flickered back on. They were in pain, definitely sore and very bruised, but nothing important felt like it was broken.

  The world around them was dark and wet. They realized some sort of fabric had fallen atop them and quickly bundled it up and tossed it aside. They were on the forest floor, amid the dense jungle at the bottom of the cliff.

  They were sprawled atop something large, soft, and springy—a white rectangle that’d fallen awkwardly into a sort of trench. Sam, Strade, and Helena were all nearby, either on the same object or fallen right beside it. The same fabric that’d fallen over Jackie blanketed each of their bodies as well.

  Jackie dragged themself over to each to check their breathing. All positive. They were banged up from the fall, but everyone was alive.

  Thanks to the object below them, no doubt—to Lii. The edges of the mattress that made up her body were severely torn, blood leaking from every tear like a wound. Jackie and the others were practically drenched in blood, but it wasn’t form the mattress—it was from the colorful fabric that now laid atop it. Something Lii had used to slow their fall? Whatever it was, it was full of holes, and each one translated to a painful wound for the Mimic.

  Jackie: “Lii?” They leaned down and pressed an ear to the mattress, whispering. “Lii, can you hear me?”

  Nothing came in response. Did she not want to transform back with everyone on top of her? Or had the blood loss knocked her unconscious? Could she fall unconscious while she was an object?

  Could she die while she was an object?

  Jackie grimaced; they knew the answer all too well. They’d been lucky never to have to fight a Mimic directly, but Al had given them advice in the case they were forced to. Naturally, that advice was “smash them while they’re an object that can’t fight back”.

  Jackie: “Damn it,” they muttered, their voice choked. Were they… crying? It’d been years since they’d done so, since they’d really broken down and cried. But, no, that was the appropriate emotion here—Lii might be dead, and if not she was hurt badly.

  That they had to remind themself of that made their stomach twist. They raised a hand to wipe away some tears, then decided against it.

  A footstep drew their attention away.

  There was a figure there—a person, standing just before the trench they’d landed in. They were dressed in light armor—a metal chestplate, pauldrons, and greaves over black cloth, the edges of each piece decorated with splotches of fine yellow detailing. A helmet, the sort that framed their face between metal bars, cast a shadow over their expression; short, flat extensions on either side of the helm granted some protection to the long, pointed ears behind them.

  In the figure’s hand, pointed down at Jackie, was a sword. Double-edged with a basket hilt, the blade’s polished sheen was marred with fresh blood. Extending from the hilt alongside the base of the blade was a short, rounded shape—a barrel, one connected to a trigger placed halfway up the hilt.

  Jackie stared, motionless, up at the figure. They placed a finger on the trigger—

  And then there was a second figure. They dove out from the shadows and slid between Jackie and the first, merely the silhouette of a thin man with three swords at his belt, one much longer than the others. At his intrusion, the first figure angled their arm up, aiming their weapon at the man’s head, and—

  Bang!

  The unfamiliar sound of a gunshot pierced Jackie’s ears, causing them to flinch. The man was struck in the head, the bullet going clean through and leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The man’s blood splattered across Jackie and the others.

  And then, paying no heed to the hole in his head, the man stepped forward and drew the longer sword from his belt. In a single motion it left its sheath and drew a wide arc in front of him, and in the next moment the figure toppled to the ground.

  The man remained still for a moment, in the low crouch of a completed slash. Then he rose and flicked his sword to the side, scattering blood off it and onto the foliage before tucking it back into his sheath. Looking over his shoulder at Jackie, he spoke,

  ???: “I’m guessin’ ye ain’t with them, are ye?”

  Jackie blinked, a bit stunned that he was speaking so casually with a hole between his eyes. “N-no, we aren’t.”

  The man nodded, then turned away. “Then that makes ye one of us. Sit tight, make sure yer friends’re alive. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  And just like that, he slinked back into the shadows, leaving Jackie alone with four comatose companions and one dead elf.

  Mythos's first saga, the Forgotten Heap Saga! I'm proud of you for reading this far, and of Jackie and co for managing to escape the Heap.

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