Page 27 of The King

Taking inventory, the most apparent inconsistency was that Basilisks did not 'stand' that tall. Oh, they could raise from the tip of their heads to almost halfway down their massive bodies straight into the air, something called periscoping, but the rest of their length had to either be coiled on the ground or at the very least anchored to support that pose.

Pandora’s was not. That would’ve been way too easy and a true stroke of luck. Sadly, neither had happened for Ettie in about four days.

No, the creature appearing before her was not only a Basilisk. There was also some kind of anthropoid or humanoid – something other than strictly human – mixed in there, and it had long dark fur. Staring as O'Baoill's face morphed into the weirdly perfect combination of Serpent and massive Ape, Ettie was almost mesmerized by the way a thick, chocolate brown pelt pushed outward between the iridescent blue scales of the Basilisk's skin.

As one set of long, poisonous fangs grew from her human lateral incisors, a second set, shorter but thicker, extended from her canines as her mouth expanded and lips plumped, turning a dark crimson. It was a Picassoesque sculpture that came to life and something Ettie had to stop before it even started.

Looking for Greer, she found the true Basilisk Shifter right where they'd left her, on her knees, covered in spatters of Pandora's blood with a murderous look in her eyes. Glowing an icy blue, her elliptical pupils pulsed with the beat of her rampaging heart.

Muscles tensed, her spine was erect, her shoulders back, and through the thin cotton of her scrub top, Ettie could see the skin of her Basilisk undulating. The scales on her neck that had only been holographic the last time the Demi-Goddess looked, were now all too real and raised to their full length and breadth.

Raising up, only the length from her knees to her feet touched the floor, the rest of her body rolled and rippled just like the Jesus Christ Serpent Ettie knew a true female Basilisk, a Queen, could move. Greer was also periscoping. No doubt about it. Her body language was screaming her intent to strike, bite, stare, and annihilate her enemy. Completely ignoring the Demi-Goddess, her murderous gaze never left Pandora.

“Watch your ass, my girl,”Eden warned.“I’m not sure if we’re still immune to the dangerous effects of the Serpent Queen.”

“You’re not sure what?”

"Hey! Don't get snippy. You know, as well as I do, we still have silver nitrate running through our veins right along with Pandora's caustic concoction. And we've never come face to face with a Basilisk. Well, not one that was pissed. Therefore, I never asked if we should avoid its venomous breath, its poisonous fangs, or, and this is the most important part, its deadly gaze."

“Well, son of a bitch!”

“My thoughts exactly! Now, for the love of all that’s holy, be careful.”

With her head turning on a swivel, Ettie looked from the Basilisk Queen of Greer Weatherly to the weird combination of Basilisk that Pandora was and… and…

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!”Ettie yelped."She's not only a Basilisk. That crazy O'Baoill broad put Yowie in there, too."

“Oh, my Goddess, you’re right,”Eden breathed, her shock matching the Demi-Goddess'."Oh yeah. Sure. Pandora O'Baoill not only wanted to be an evil Serpent Queen, but she thought mixing a fanged humanoid marsupial, Big Foot's nasty, mean, evil cousin from Down Under who could rip the head off damned near anything, was also a good idea. What in all the hell and hootenannies is wrong with these people?”

"No clue,"Ettie offhandedly answered.“But I do know you sound more like Maggie Mae every day, and that better be all Pandora dropped into her deranged DNA 'cause I'm tired of surprises.”

Time was flying by. On the one hand, Greer was quickly moving towards a fully Shifted, very pissed Basilisk. And on the other, Pandora was becoming well… well… a Basiliyowie? A Yowielisk?

“Who cares?”Eden shouted.“Just stop this crap before it’s too late.”

Snapped back into reality by the screech of the Empress Eagle with whom she shared her soul, Ettie jumped to her feet. Accepting Eden's Magic, long, curved talons extended from her fingertips, and her hands were instantly covered in the thick, scaly, yellow keratin of the Empress Eagle.

Stepping forward, she rose to the full height of Eden's Eagle Warrior Eagle form. Standing seven feet tall, her body surged with the Enchantment of her birthright. The glowing Light of Lugh emanated from her very pores. She would hold back the complete Shift into Eagle Berserker until necessary, but she was ready, willing, and more than able.

Eyes sliding left then right, both combatants were keeping back the final step of their Shift, but the Mysticism of the Beings they held within snapped and crackled as a sweet and pungent metallic odor filled the room. With an audiblewhoosh,a thick plume of smoke pushed under the huge, silver-laced, iron and steel door. A warm, rich, earthy cologne with smoky, powdery, and amber notes filled Ettie's senses, and the image of a roaring fire filled her mind.

“The Wild Magic is here!”Eden roared."It's back, and it's pissed, and it's headed right for Greer."

Spinning on her toes, Ettie never even got to take the first step as a detonation rocked the room, and the massive door blew off its hinges. A wall of dense, acrid smoke exploded, creating the perfect cover as soldier after soldier raced forward. Taking their positions between the partially Shifted Basilisk Yowie that Pandora had become and Ettie and Greer, all weapons were pointed at the Demi-Goddess as the soldier at the apex of the semi-circular formation they had formed to protect O'Baoill barked, "On your knees, Bitch!"

8

PRESENT DAY

"Alright, I think we all know what to do," Sophia rallied after Declan had completely explained his plan for infiltrating Selgair, Inc.twicefrom beginning to end.

Max agreed, patting the Guardsman on the back. “You have done well,Amigo.As I knew you would, you thought of everything and did your best to anticipate every scenario. I appreciate it more than I can express."

“It was my honor, King Max. I tried to be thorough.”

Giving up on the Dragon ever calling him by his name and not his title, Max turned to the side when Juan Carlos added, "Rafael and Joaquin are awaiting orders. Do you want them to stay with Savannah Leonidas, her Pride, and our other warriors, or join us?" Juan Carlos added.

Eyes scanning the room, he nodded at each of his dear friends who had come to his aid. Returning to his Lieutenant, he replied, "Leave them there. The Leonidas Lions need them, and we have more than enough help to bring Bridgette home and punish those responsible for her incarceration."

---