In the moment I saw the beast fly through the air towards me, the rush of adrenaline seemed to slow down time.
I was able to feel it rushing through my body.
My senses felt hightened and I for some reason could also feel the consciousness of the beast as well, his focus on me.
The jump would be too short.
The realization hit heavy, the monster would not stumble over the edge and trying to roll under it would mean being crushed to death.
Instead, I dashed sideways to avoid being pushed over the edge myself.
The basilisk crashed into the ground and turned, ready to finally end what it had started.
We were close to the edge, but that wasn't enough.
The monster was aware of the abyss next to us, so baiting him into it was impossible.
Behind the basilisk, I could see Thessa.
She had turned around and stood now only a couple meters away.
Hesitation flashed in her eyes, she had no reason to interfere.
I had to make her leave:
"Run! Run to the bridge!"
But she didn't move.
The basilisk had again assumed a low stance, gathering strength to catapult itself onto me.
The beast seemed confused. It probably smelled someone else. But turning so close to the edge was dangerous with such immense size.
He lunged forward.
I tried to roll away from the edge, but it was just a blink of an eye to late.
The head of the basilisk hit my side and shoved me down to the ground.
As the basilisk head rammed into my side, something seemed to shift, his body plummeted down and weirdly slid over the ground.
I could feel how the basilsiks senses faded, focus drifting off.
I tried to struggle back to my feet, the basilisk was already fully conscious.
'What the hell just happenend? Why did the monster pass out? And why can I...feel...if its awake or not?'
This had some meaning, some relevance for the fight, it was my window to victory, the small chance I needed.
I could still feel exactly how focused and aware the beast was, and even where his consciousness was located. This was presumably the spot where the beasts brain was located. The spot sat slightly behind his neck, in the upper chest.
But that didn't help me right now.
I would not be able to harm him directly, I had to trick him.
But with what just happened, it wasn't hopeless. It was possible. And possible had to be enough.
I crawled back to the edge. Getting back up wasn't possible.
I could already see the monster getting up on his hind legs. He would turn me into stone. Not looking would probably lead to him simply crushing me.
The basilisks rips pulsated outward again. I closed my eyes. It was the only way.
With a last surge of power, I threw myself against the hind leg of the monster.
Again, I felt as the monsters mind buckled and in the next second, his body, which had towered into the air to expose the beasts deadly underside, swayed and fell.
The beasts lower half slid over the edge and plunged into the abyss.
The basilisk was dead.
Exhausted and relieved, I sank into the short carpet of moss and grass below me.
'What the hell just happened? I guess it doesn't matter. All that matters is that I survived.'
Thessa appeared in my vision and knelt down beside me, suprise clearly written in her face,mixed with something else, something I couldn't interpret:
"How did you do that?"
"I really don't know. It was like I could...feel his mind, his consciousness, I know it may sound crazy."
———
Half an hour later, we set out on our way to the bridge. The sounds of the forest had returned, confirming our thesis; the sheer presence of the basilisk had brought silence over the forest.
A shudder ran through my body.
There were more important matters right now. The tower.
We had now reached the bridge, leading to a great gate.
The wall was not one great, but rather put together from many smaller segments.
The color reminded of sandstone.
The gate itself amd the bridge both loomed over us like something out of another realm, constructed by giants. They were decorated with reliefs of diverse szenes, showing warriors fighting giant foes, adventurers conquer surreal mountains, priests holding back the very stars.
"Shall we go?"
Thessa looked at me expectantly.
"Yeah, let's go."
And as we stepped fokt on the ethereal bridge, the gigantic gate wings started swinging towards us with a grinding noise, revealing behind it, the inside of the tower.