Roland didn't even hesitate as he immediately took off towards the sound of his daughter calling for help. It surprised me to see him switch gears so quickly like that. Most surprising was the look on his face. He had the same look I've seen some of the old guys down in the slums have... right when they realized that they were going to die.

Fear, dread, despair... those were only a few of the emotions I could recognize. Sometimes they were deathly ill, simply couldn't hold on any longer and they knew it. Some were just so weak from not getting enough food, that even the slightest injury could mean death. I've seen it too many times. But Roland wasn't in a situation that was anything like that. So why did the "Look of Death" appear in his eyes?

"Hmph... not that it matters to me," I realized.

With Roland off saving his daughter, I could get away, no worse for wear. I was vaguely curious about what was going on. But if I went to look I'd probably end up right back here again. So, I climbed out of the ravine and started heading back to town. Along the way, I saw just how lucky I was to be alive, already. Roland's fireballs hadn't started any forest fire, but the whole path looked like a fire-breathing monster had crashed through. Pulverized rocks and fallen logs turned to ash. Several trees had large chunks missing and were scorched black.

Whatever the situation was, it seemed it was straight ahead of me. This made sense, since it seemed that Milena had followed us for some reason. It was then that I had to make a choice. I could follow the path and find out what was going on. My other option was to go off the path, skirt around the trouble and just go home.

"Milena, stay behind me! When you get the chance, I want you to run for help!" I heard him yell.

Ah, so that's it. Now I don't have to be curious anymore; it's a monster attack. I could still head home right now. If I'm lucky and the monster kills him, that'll be one less jerk making my life hell. I really couldn't care less if he died. I'd feel bad for Milena, but it's not guaranteed that she'd die too.

"Aargh!" Roland yelled in pain.

"Daddy!" Milena cried out in fear for her father.

But the real question is, would I be able to live with myself? Would I be able to go on knowing that I could have done something, but didn't?

"Tch... DAMMIT!" I cursed as I charged straight down the path.

When I arrived I found Roland and Milena pinned with their backs up to a tree with oversized roots trapping them in place. The monster was a giant oversized lizard of some kind; as tall as a horse and twice- maybe three times as long. A plain old lizard like this shouldn't give a man with Roland's reputation so much trouble. Then I saw what the problem was. Roland's right arm and left leg were turning to stone. This monster was a basilisk.

Basilisk venom has the strange effect of changing the victim's skin to stone. Once their prey can no longer move, it chomps through the stone with it's huge fangs to savor the gooey meaty center like some stone covered treat. Usually the victim is still alive at this point and can only watch as they're eaten alive. A horrible way to go.

Roland was using his left hand to continue casting spells to keep it away, but he was tired from chasing me here and he's not as good at using his left than he is with his right. I spotted his sword on the ground behind the basilisk. It must've swatted the sword out of his hands somehow then bit his arm. I don't know how it got his leg, but that didn't matter.

Before I could talk myself out of it I sprinted for the sword. I snatched it up and hefted the thing up to my shoulder. The thing was a lot heavier than it looked. Well, that and it was meant to be used by a full grown adult, not some kid like me. With no hesitation, I brought that thing down as hard as I could on it's tail.

"SHAAAAAHHHH!!" it hissed in pain as I felt a strong vibration run through my hands and a huge gash was cut into it's tail. That's right, the scales on these things are supposed to be as hard as stone, too!

Before it could whip it's tail away, I lunged forward after it for another chop and took it's tail clean off. It was really pissed now as I had interrupted it's dinner. It turned completely around, ignoring Roland and Milena and turned it's eyes on me with a loud hiss.

"Wha? Fen!? What are you doing here?" Roland yelled at me.

"Saving your ass! What's it look like!?" I yelled back as I took a swing at the thing's face only for it bounce off. The scales on it's face must be harder than the ones on it's tail.

"But... why!?" he asked.

"Can't we talk about this later!?" I asked as I jumped backwards to dodge a vicious double chomp combo. "Try to slow it down or something!"

"I'll help too!" Milena cried as she shot off an icebolt into it's unprotected side. It was at that time we heard a strange crack.

"That's it! Milena, keep that up! Basilisks are weak to sudden changes in temperature!" Roland told her. It's got to be some kind of military anti-basilisk technique or something.

They both started pounding away with alternating fireballs and icebolts. With each combo that landed the cracking sound kept getting louder and louder. The basilisk seemed to be in a lot of pain and was trying desperately to turn around and stop them, but I wouldn't let it. Every time it tried to turn I slashed it in the face with the sword. I had to swing up to reach it and it was really awkward and tiring. Again and again I'd hack away with the sword, while the vibrations running through my hand were giving me blisters.

This kept going on for what felt like forever until the blisters on my hands burst open and I felt blood running down my arms. It had to end soon, one way or the other. I swung one more time and I heard the loudest crack yet. Only it wasn't the basilisk. The sword broke! Half of the blade flew into the air behind me as I stared at the broken lump of steel in my hands, horrified. I quickly came to my senses and dove out of the way as it took one more chomp at me then quickly turned back to Roland and Milena.

The stone had spread all the way to Roland's shoulder and on his leg all the way to his hip was covered in stone. He was completely exhausted and the sigils he was making were much smaller than before. Milena was tired too and could barely stand. They both fired one last volley that smacked the basilisk right in the face. With a huge crack, it's scales split open revealing fleshy pink skin underneath. But it didn't matter, the basilisk began to rear up for the kill.

"AAAAHHH!!!" Milena screamed as her father turned and hugged her with his good arm, trying to shield her from their coming doom.

I don't know what came over me at that point. Everything in the area seemed to turn red. I felt every muscle in my body tense up all at once and before I knew it, I was already in the air with the broken sword over my head. I heard what had to be some sort of beast howling at the top of it's lungs as I sailed through the air. I didn't have time to figure out what it was and oddly, I didn't even care. Every fiber of my being was focused on that thing's neck as I stabbed what remained of the blade deep into it's spine.

Blood sprayed out of the wound as I latched my arms around it's neck and I squeezed as hard as I could with strength I didn't even know I had. It flailed around desperately trying to shake me off, but that only made me squeeze harder. I heard that same beast howl again as I planted my feet on it's shoulders and pulled. Harder and harder I pulled, putting my legs into it; that beast howling the whole time. Then finally blood sprayed everywhere as I ripped it's head off!

The body hit the ground and I bounced off of it, then landed on my back. The head rolled off to the side, it's dead eyes staring at me; blaming me for it's death. Every bit of my body burned with pain and exhaustion and strangely... my throat was sore. Right before I blacked out I realized-

The howling beast was me.