#basilisk!host

Sorting through the objects in Host’s nest was a monumental task, due to the sheer amount of them. “I’m sure I’ll read all about it in the journal,” I started, “but I’d like your opinion, too: is this nest a normal sort of thing among nagas?” “The Host supposes so, as it’s quite comfortable. Though, he’s never been particularly social, so he probably shouldn’t speak for all nagas…” I nodded, as he picked up the stuffed zebra I had fallen onto this morning. “That one’s a keeper!” I exclaimed.

“The Host sets it on the pillow fort pile, asking King what she thinks of it so far?” I checked over it. “So far, we have three blankets, a few cushions, my pillow, and about eight stuffed animals.” “The Host believes this will be satisfactory for fort construction. He sets up the pillow as the base, then sets up the cushions for walls…” I smiled, climbing up into the fort as Host set the stuffed animals inside. “This is looking pretty cozy!” “The Host nods, suggesting King read her book while he finishes up the fort…” I sat against the stuffed zebra, cracking open the journal to the beginning. “Alright, I’ll be in here if you need me!”

Moments later, he draped two of the blankets over the top, the fabric catching on what appeared to be absolutely nothing to give the top a nice, high ceiling. I frowned, looking up. “I can’t see to read this way…

“The Host peers his head into the fort, telling King to stay put.” He puffed out his cheeks, cupping his hands to his mouth. I sat up, eagerly awaiting what was so important that he had to stop talking. I gasped as he opened his mouth and breathed out a puff of tiny stars, like a handful of fireflies. They floated up into the ceiling of the fort, illuminating it perfectly. “The Host thinks this will be satisfactory.” I reached up and grabbed his hands, grinning excitedly. “That was so cool!”

“The Host chuckles, lifting King up slightly. He knows what frustration can come when a good book gets interrupted. Now-“ He was cut off by a low grumble coming from the entry. “Host, are you home?” The voice was strange, weirdly echoed, as if two voices were speaking instead of one. It definitely didn’t sound like a regular cave echo.

I perked up. “Who-“ “The Host raises his voice, telling his guest that he will be there in a moment. He then lowers his voice again, telling King to stay here, and stay quiet. He will be back as soon as he deals with the guest.” He clenched his jaw again, slithering back out of the room and down the hall. I sat back in my unfinished fort, opting to read while Host talked to whoever was at the door. For all I knew it was a royal guard with a few tricks- if it was someone I would be safe to meet, Host would surely introduce us. I cracked open my book- maybe I could at least figure out what kind of monster they were from context.

“October 13, 2056. I had the sheer luck of stumbling upon King Dark of the Duality Clan. They’re a beautiful beast: a double-headed dragon! They have intense blue-and-red shimmers around them- that’s light being shredded on their scales, if I’m correct.” I doubted that that was what was going on, but it was interesting nonetheless. “Their left head is Celine, and their right is Damien… The two of them together, as Dark, seem to share a hive mind to some degree. Both heads speak in unison, giving their voice a strange echo. They don’t seem to like humans; according to an old legend, a king from a faraway land invited Damien, Celine, and some other guests to a lavish party at his castle…” ~ “The Host slithers into his living area, glaring into the darkest shadow in the room and asking Dark what exactly they think they are doing in the Host’s home?” “I would like your help. It’s come to my attention that a human has run away from the Southern Kingdom’s castle… a human who was betrothed to the prince. If we were able to capture this human, and promise their safe return, we might be able to gain something from the king…” “The Host is unsure where he fits into this, he mutters as he coils his tail around himself.” “Let me borrow your sight. If I can trace the human’s choices, it shouldn’t be hard to locate them.” “The Host’s powers don’t work like that, and Dark knows it-“ “Unless you have an object that belonged to the person you’re looking for; I’m aware. I do believe this ring will do the trick. I found it in the forest, very close to the southern castle. It seems to be a royal engagement ring- a nice treasure for my collection, true, but if it belonged to the royal, it could surely lead you to them.” “If Dark would like to be so intrusive about the royals’ affairs, perhaps they should marry the prince themselves and leave the Host out of it. The suggestion obviously his a nerve with Dark, as their heads suddenly convulse, screaming loudly. The scream echoes down the halls, and the Host wonders if anything outside of the burrow has heard it while Dark regains his composure.” “Why must you be so difficult about this?” “The Host replies that Dark’s plan to ransom the missing royal-“ “I never said that I would ransom them, Host-“ “The Host interrupts Dark’s interruption, pointing out that it was heavily implied. Now, will Dark leave on their own, or will they be forced out?” “I will leave on the condition that you at least attempt to locate the human.” “As Dark holds out the ring to the Host, he begrudgingly accepts, and a vision flashes before his eyes… He sees a long line of rulers having owned this ring. None of them are quite happy, he notes- But he does see the human in question running away from the castle. The human realizes her freedom, and she rips the ring from her finger; her bond with it is severed by the intensity of her intention. As she flings it away, she declares within herself that it belongs to whatever picks it up. As such, the location of it’s owner is in the Host’s burrow- they’re standing directly in front of the Host, and are about to be kicked out.” “You cannot kick your king out, you know. Can you not see anything else of them?” “The Host declares that this answer must be so unsatisfying that Dark is shocked speechless- they find they will no longer be able to open either of their mouths until they leave the Host’s home. They glare at him intensely, as he gives them their new ring back, and congratulates them on their find. Dark takes it, but deep down they understand that they have overstayed their welcome, and so they leave.” “As the Host heads back to his nest room, he wonders why he doesn’t just seal Dark out of his home, then he remembers doing so would be about eight kinds of treason… But would getting kicked out of the Duality Clan really be an effective punishment?As he muses this, he senses King leaping back out of his way...”

(No cool art for this one, sorry! But I love writing this so here we go!)

I awoke comfortably, warm, and with fuzzy memories of what had happened the previous night. I felt calmer than usual. Perhaps the dread would kick in later.

I pressed the thick blanket off of myself and looked around, seeing nothing until I turned my head and saw a giant face next to me. I recoiled, unsure of what to do. My memories kicked into overdrive- oh, yes, the naga from last night. It was his coat I had been using as a blanket.

I looked around. The naga- I’d already forgotten his name- had obviously carried me to his sleeping chamber, as I was resting on a nest of soft pillows, blankets, and what appeared to be gigantic plushies. Despite the colorful surroundings, I worried over his intentions- perhaps he wished to keep me around as some kind of pet... or something more sinister.

I slipped down from the pillow, landing on the shoulder of a stuffed zebra. I wondered why he owned such a thing. Maybe he didn’t care what was in his nest, as long as it was soft.

I crept under the zebra, quietly sneaking around to catch my bearings or an escape route. I quickly began to realize that while the naga could just trundle over everything, I had to work to move forward. Planning my steps could only get me so far on such uneven surfaces.

He was coiled completely around my immediate area, though I saw a hint of promise in the basilisk spines along his back. They seemed to puff up or lay flat, which could help me get up over the wall of tail around me.

As I studied the floor in front of me, the naga grumbled under his breath a little. I whirled, watching him as he stretched his arms out and pushed himself up. Suddenly he was a lot bigger, and probably completely aware that I was awake. My suspicion was confirmed when he sniffed the air, and he turned to look at me.

“The Host says good morning to the small girl, and apologizes for any panic he may have caused. He suggests not attempting to use his tail as a ladder.”

I stood my ground, but but barely. “I can assure you, all I wanted was to explore your burrow.”

“The Host wishes to clarify that he foresees the girl falling off and harming herself, which would mean she would have to spend more time in close contact with him.”

“You foresee it.” I said. “In a psychic way, or in a threatening way, like, ‘if you climb up my side I’m going to knock you off’?”

“The Host means it in a psychic way, unless the girl would like to push the matter.”

I processed that for a few seconds. “You’re psychic... did you foresee us meeting, then?”

He reached down, carefully holding his hand out to me. I saw no choice but to hop on- he didn’t seem very interested in harming me at the moment. “The Host may have seen it once or twice, but it was a highly unlikely event.”

I had even more questions for the Host. “How does that work?”

“The Host decides to take this conversation to the dining room, as he is sure the girl is hungry and would likely enjoy a cup of tea. He tells her to think of a spider’s web: whenever two threads overlap, an event that affects the future takes place. Does the girl understand so far?”

I nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I think. So for us to meet, there were a lot of very specific threads that had to be crossed?”

The Host glanced down at me. I couldn’t tell for sure, but I thought I saw a hint of pride in the parts of his face that I could see. “This is correct.”

I smiled. “But you didn’t see my name, or you wouldn’t be calling me ‘the girl’.”

“The Host chuckles, stating that that is not how it works.”

“Of course it’s not.” I rolled my eyes. “Name’s King- Yes, that’s really my name.” I said, as he gave me a sideways glance. 

We reached the kitchen, and the Host deposited me on his kitchen table. “Surely King will not be dissatisfied with waiting there?”

I looked up, suddenly aware of how huge he was. It occurred to me that I wasn’t quite sure how to address him. “Yes, Mister… The Host.”

“The Host turns to glance at King, telling her that there is no need to be so formal. ’Host’ will suffice. He then proceeds to focus his attention on breakfast, asking if King would like some bacon? Or would she prefer toast, or both?”


I thought for a few seconds. “Both is good.”

He smiled. “Both it is, then. May the Host ask what King was doing last night, running wildly through monster territory?”

I frowned. “I thought I told you already. I was escaping an arranged marriage to the prince.”

The Host nodded. “Allow the Host to rephrase the question. Why specifically did she choose monster territory? Surely she could have gone a thousand other places that would be safer.”

“They’ll find my engagement ring in the dirt.” I said. “And then the king will be forced to assume I died somewhere.”

“Or a dragon will take it, and kill several men in the process.” The Host pointed out.

I nodded. “It’ll be impossible to justify for very long.”

The Host nodded back. “They’ll be forced to give it up very quickly. But then what will King do?”

I slumped over. “I’m not sure... I didn’t really plan to make it this far.”

“The Host frowns, finding the thought quite defeatist... nevertheless, he suggests she find somewhere safe to stay, at least until the royals give up their pursuit.”

As he turned around to present me with my (accidentally enormous) breakfast, I saw a slight smile on his face. “Are you suggesting,” I chuckled, “that you want me to stay here?”

“The Host sees this as the best possible plan.” He said, clamping his mouth shut before he could narrate the soft blush rising to his cheeks.

I giggled. “Which I should believe, because you can see the future.”

“That is correct, the Host confirms.”

I broke off a piece of my toast. “Did you, by any chance, foresee that I can’t eat all of this?”

“It is the Host’s turn to chuckle, as he points out that as a naga he is mostly stomach.”

I leaned away from him, slightly alarmed. “Meaning what exactly?”

“The Host leans forward on the table, taking a moment of amusement in King’s reaction, before reassuring her that he could never harm her, and he would be happy eat what’s left of her food when she is done.”

I nodded, watching him carefully. “Oh, okay. Thank you, Host.”

I perched on the Host’s shoulder as he showed me around his burrow. Due to the nature of my stay, he had decided to show me around so I wouldn’t be surprised by anything later on, especially if he left for some reason.

“King is of course familiar already with the kitchen, and advises not attempting to use the fireplace without the Host’s supervision. Should the Host leave, say to hunt, or for... business, he will try to provide ample snacks for King to eat; within her reach of course. He would gladly take suggestions.”

I nodded. “That’s reasonable. Maybe a cabinet at the floor level that can keep whatever you wanna put in it?”

“The Host believes that would be an excellent idea. They move on to the living room; if the Host has guests over, they usually stay in here.”

The living room was simple, directly connected to the tunnel entrance. A sheen of magic covered the entrance, as well as a thick blanket of vines.

“The magic keeps humans from entering, as well as exiting. The Host put that spell in place last night, when he brought King inside and didn’t want her running off while he slept; the Host explains.”

I nodded. “That makes sense. For the sake of hiding, you should probably leave the keeping-me-in bit for now.”

“The Host will gladly do so, as he sees good outcomes for her from that decision.”

I wondered how he could be so comfortable with sharing his visions with me- perhaps he didn’t want me to second-guess the idea of being cooped up in his burrow for however long.

“The Host continues on into the hall, passing his bedchamber, as to save that for the end of his tour. He continues on to the next room, which he supposed will be a bit confusing to King.”

The Host was right, of course. The room was almost twice as big as his bedchamber, mostly taken up by an enormous rock. Host could fit his entire self inside with plenty of extra room. Most confusing, however, was the pit in the ceiling with what appeared to be a miniature star inside. The star glowed brightly enough to illuminate the whole room, as well as warming the room like a comfortable summer’s day.

I looked around, connecting the dots. “This is a basking room.” I stated, looking up to Host to confirm.

“The Host... he nods, stating that King is correct. Because of the hunters in the forest, the Host cannot bask outside safely. So he created this room, with all things necessary to bask as he would naturally. The Host usually comes here for a few hours after a hunt, which is generally every few days or so, depending on what the Host can find to eat.”

I smiled a little, seeing the pride return to his face from my guess. “You hunt, you cook... you really can do it all.”

“The Host doesn’t believe that his hunted meals are something King should partake in... but, they do have that cabinet idea, so she certainly will not be without food.”

From that, I decided I didn’t want to know what Host usually ate.

“The Host yawns and continues down, to the final room- his library, possibly the finest in the land. King is allowed to come and go from here as she pleases- the Host already has a section of human books, which is very close to the doorway for convenience. He can also tell that King is completely floored by the enormity of it.”

I was. Books flew from shelf to shelf, their fluttering pages creating a comfortable atmosphere. Ink swirled through the air, sometimes meeting blank pages and filling them with writing. Tiny stars dotted the ceiling, and the whole library was cozy-feeling. I wanted to spend a whole life here, studying books on the monsters of the Deepwood Forest if there were any. I easily could. “Host, where did you find all of this?” I asked.

“Some fall from carriages. Some are sold in monster markets, some are found in the middle of nowhere after their owners meet unfortunate ends, the Host explains as a human book whizzes toward them. He reaches out and catches it, handing it to King.”

I flicked through the pages. One illustration caught my eye- a basilisk-naga, like Host. His eyes were intact, no golden streak, and he was carrying a tree branch like a weapon; he glared out from the page menacingly, as if he could see me even through the picture and was ready to hunt me down. Even so, there was something familiar about him. “This is about the monsters of the forest.” I said. “The Host believes that is a copy of a journal an explorer left behind. Is King interested in it?” I nodded, scanning the page. “Yeah, I am! I’m… really interested in this kind of thing.” I admitted, blushing slightly. “Then the Host would be happy to lend it to her. He turns back, going back to his bedchamber, while King looks through the journal…” I quickly skimmed the basilisk-naga’s entry. The naga in question was a juvenile male, and described as a violent individual despite being observed writing quite frequently. There was also something about his social status among monsters, but I decided I might need some background before I read that bit. The entry itself was dated to before I was born. “The Host arrives at his bedchamber, saying that King may continue to sleep in here, or another bed could be provided if she wishes. Perhaps she could make herself at home in the library, or-“ I laughed, cutting him off. “That’s not necessary, Host. I’ll gladly share a room with you.” He tensed for a few seconds, as a soft blush came across his cheeks. “The Host is… happy that King feels this way. He turns to her, asking if there is anything else she might like?”