#[ the stalwart sword; it would hurt us both to have been wrong. ✑ ankita & alwin. ] risingretribution.

[passionfell]

don't make eye contact, whatever you do. -alwin for ankita

"I know what a basilisk is. Don't go in there."

His experience doesn't come practically; Ankita has read about several of the larger predators that make their homes in the short strip of temperate land between Peshykor and Xanntash. Basilisks are to be avoided, especially by someone of Ankita's constitution; he can barely withstand an attack from a smaller predator that doesn't turn its victims to stone.

Basilisks are deadly things. Petrification notwithstanding, Ankita has heard how strong their bite is.

For a fraction of a second, he thinks about it. His bones crunching under the jaw of a basilisk, easy to snap and break. There is little skin on his bones, but Ankita knows he would make for a satisfactory meal nonetheless due to his size—especially for creatures for whom the specifics of what they're putting into their body doesn't really matter all that much. Or maybe he'd get lucky, and survive the first bite. But then the second would kill him, or he'd die later from their venom or the bleeding.

Alwin could save him. Alwin has the capacity to heal others. But Ankita doesn't know that he would, if it came down to it. He doesn't know that Alwin would put his safety over charging in and securing the kill.

"We can't fight them," Ankita says. "One or both of us will die. They haven't heard us yet."

The daunting snap of the Basilisk's jaws over recently petrified stone brings to mind a trap clamping shut over the legs of a hare. Ankita can feel himself there, too. He just isn't fortunate enough to be the sort of animal that a druid would stumble along to help, or the sort that can effectively run away. 

The crunching of stone pulls him out of his memories. He still feels like a hare surrounded by hidden traps, too helpless to know what to do about them.

"They follow instinct; their petrification is a tool for hunting and not a tactic of aggression. We need to worry about ourselves before we can begin to think of what they might do to other people. You're stronger than me, but you're not that strong."

portal 2. / accepting.

[passionfell]

TAGS ; ANKITA CULATHENE

[ the scholar. ✑ ic. ] ankita. [ the mournful moon & the sickly owl. ✑ visage. ] ankita. [ where do i run to keep my peace? (nothing killed under my claws). ✑ isms. ] ankita. [ hurried thoughts of home; no solace from the unrelenting sky. ✑ aesthetic. ] ankita. [ a mirage in the desert (a choice left unmade). ✑ lore. ] ankita.

[ actually there's a difference between a labyrinth and a maze. ✑ crack. ] ankita. [ why should i fear you specifically? a strong breeze could kill me. ✑ dash games. ] ankita.

[ the stalwart sword; it would hurt us both to have been wrong. ✑ ankita & alwin. ] risingretribution. [ a book and a blade (there is power in you if you learn to wield it). ✑ ankita & lilstele. ] deityleft. [ the strongest i've ever known (you'd be well within your rights to tear it all down). ✑ ankita & ragna. ] spiteriisen. [ magic in a pretty lie (a lionheart is a fool; a coward is alive). ✑ ankita & avelin. ] spiteriisen. [ silence in memoriam (we are as we are; half a life can still be lived). ✑ ankita & hauk. ] spiteriisen. [ the creaking of a voiceless door (your life is yours alone; i promise you this). ✑ ankita & kaeli. ] spiteriisen. [ a choice and a killer (if you're not dead; why do i still hear your ghost?). ✑ ankita & esfaan. ] spiteriisen.