Chapter 8

Hari was writing in a roll of parchment when she heard her basilisk entering the cave.

"Mama! I'm back!"

The witch put down her quill and carefully put aside her work. She left her "room"—an offshoot chamber from the main cave, and saw the basilisk curled up and tail tip wagging near the large fire that illuminated the cavern in muted orange and red. "Ren. How was your trip through the woods?"

The basilisk lowered her head. Her black scales were gilded gold in the firelight. "It was not that exciting," Ren replied nonchalantly. "I saw the usual. A lot of trees. Some bears and a few deer."

Hari caught a glimpse of something near Ren's mouth. She reached out her hand towards the basilisk. Her fingers came up red. She looked up. "Ren, did you already eat?"

The forty-foot basilisk hesitated, looking away. She remained silent.

Hari's brows furrowed. She sniffed at the blood on her fingers, then sighed. "Ren, look at me."

In response, the basilisk curled into herself further, tucking her head into her coils. Hari shook her head, then climbed up Ren's body, easily reaching the base of her neck; although her scales were smooth, Ren's coiled posture made it easy for Hari to find purchase. "Darling, look at me. Please? I'm not angry," Hari ran her fingers down Ren's neck soothingly.

Ren peeked out, cloth-covered eyes visible. "Promise? I've seen you angry before Mama, you were scary! Even the Baron went white as a sheet, and he's a ghost!"

Hari couldn't stop from laughing. Ren was already twenty years old, but that was still very young for a basilisk. In human terms, Ren would be like a four-year old. "Ah, but that was different. And you know I can never be angry at you like that my dear."

Ren uncurled a bit, enough so that her head was now just a few feet above Hari's head. "Sorry, mama."

Hari tilted her head. "What for, darling?"

"I…I bit two humans," Ren confessed. "But! But they were bad humans! And I didn't eat them!"

"Alright," Hari patted Ren's neck. "Tell me everything."

Ren told her how she was watching seven bad humans attack one human. She described how the single human took their attacks straight on, and how his sword crackled with lightning almost like magic. But he did not see that two of the bad humans were going to attack him when he was not looking, and Ren thought that was not fair, so she decided to help.

Hari made a humming noise. "Describe this one human to me, Ren."

The basilisk did as she was told. Hari raised her eyebrows. "You saved Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Is that his name?" Ren's dark tongue flitted in the air. "You know him?"

Hari nodded. "You did very well, darling. I am proud of you." She stroked the small scales underneath Ren's chin. The basilisk almost purred. "Where is he now?"

"Sorry mama, I left him there after I helped him. He conjured a snake so that it could give me his message, but the snake said something else, too." The basilisk set her head down right next to Hari, who continued stroking her scales gently. "He said I was a special snake. He called me an empress. What's an empress?"

"Something like a king, but grander," Hari answered. "He called you an empress?"

"Well, he called me Emerald Empress." Ren paused for a moment. "I am not emerald—you showed me what emeralds are, mama, and I'm not green! And I'm not an empress, or a king."

"Basilisks are called the king of serpents," Hari answered her. "Maybe that was what the snake meant?"

Ren made a noncommittal noise in her throat. "He told me I was welcome to visit the Ryuchi Cave, and that I would be an honored guest if I ever went there. Mama, what is the Ryuchi Cave?"

"Possibly it's the home for the snakes like this messenger," Hari answered, wondering how Sasuke could have conjured a snake. She closed her eyes and focused on Sasuke's soul. Ren did not wander far from the cave, so he should still be nearby.

Imagine her surprise when Sasuke was nowhere near. In fact, he didn't even seem to be in the same country any longer. "I thought nobody could Apparate in this world?" she mused aloud. "Death?"

Death emerged from Hari's shadow again. This time, he did not possess a mortal's body.

Ren's head rose. "Hi, grandpa!"

Death turned his hooded-face to the basilisk. "Hello, young one." He bowed his head slightly to Hari. "Mistress. Magic is not known in this world. Apparition is not possible."

"Are there ways in which they can travel almost instantaneously?"

"Yes."

Hari sighed. "Sasuke is no longer in this forest. Probably not in the same country."

Death's black cloak rustled HariHlike dry leaves when he moved. "If his objective is still to hunt Ren, then he will be back here."

"I was thinking the same," Hari mused, "but I have no idea when he will be back." She ran a hand through her wavy dark hair. "In any case, I will need to go back to the office and hand in my weekly report to Gloome. Can you watch over Ren while I am gone?"

"Can't I go with you mama?" Ren peered down.

"I am sorry, darling. But I will be back in time for dinner today."

"Promise?"

"Of course, hatchling. I promise."

Hari slid off of Ren's body and dusted her robes. She walked to the wall near the back of the cave, where a familiar stone archway stood, runes glowing. Death had explained that the Veil in the Death Chamber was not a device for execution; it was a gate to other dimensions, and only the Master of Death could properly use it without risk of losing his life. The Veil was as old as the Hallows, and just as powerful.

Which would explain why nobody could make sense of it, until Hari came along.

As if in response to her presence the Veil glowed brighter, pulsing pale green like a heartbeat. Hari touched the archway and whispered the spell that would activate the Veil and bring her back to the Death Chamber. The Veil hummed in response, and glowed brighter.

Hari looked back at her basilisk.

"Be good, Ren! Listen to grandpa, alright?"

"Yes, mama!"

The basilisk and Death watched the Mistress of Death step through the Veil in a bright flash of light, then was gone. Ren drooped to the floor.

Death reached out a skeleton hand and patted the basilisk on the snout. "Do not be sad, little one. She will be back."

"It's just very lonely without her."

Death sat down beside Ren's head. "I see you have made your first human kill."

"How did you know?"

"I am Death. I know these things." Death stroked her head. "Why did you do it? I know that my Mistress has told you not to harm humans."

"I did it to protect another human. There were many of them, and only one of him. The fight was not fair, and they were going to kill him."

"Nothing in life is ever truly fair," Death intoned. "But you killed for a reason you believed was right. This is better than killing for the sake of it. Was the Mistress angry?"

The basilisk shook her head. "She said she was proud of me. But she wasn't proud for the killing, right?"

"You are correct. She was proud that you decided to help protect someone."

"She said I saved Uchiha Sasuke. That was his name."

If Death had eyebrows, they would have risen to his hairline. "Really now. That is an interesting development." He patted Ren. "She did not tell you to find him?"

"No. I found him by accident."

"Wonders truly never cease where Hari is involved," Death mused. He chuckled. "Once again I am proven right in choosing her."

"Grandpa, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Why don't I have a papa?"

"You will have to explain more, young one."

"I mean, I've seen mama's friends. They are mated, and they are happy. Mama says she is happy just to have me, but I think she will be happier if she has a mate?"

Oh dear. Death shifted uncomfortably where he sat. "Where did these thoughts come from, Ren?"

"I watch mama sometimes. I see her face go all sad when she sees pictures of Hermione and Ron together."

Death sighed. "Ren, you know that Hari is my Mistress?"

"Yes."

"And that means she will never age, and she will never die. Back in your home world, nobody is like that, except her."

"Yes, I know that. She told me. That is also why I will not die, because when she hatched me I was bonded to her. That is why I have her colors, and not look like other basilisks."

"Let us say Hari chooses a husband. They get married, be happy and have kids. But Hari does not age, and does not die. Her husband and children meanwhile, will all grow old and die."

The basilisk shuffled closer to Death. "Oh. I did not think of that. But she will still have me?"

"Yes, she will. But the love she has for you is different from the love she will share with her husband."

"If that kind of love hurts so much when one of them dies, why do humans get married?"

"I am told that this kind of love gives such profound happiness that it is worth the risk."

Ren's forked tongue tasted the air. "I still don't understand."

"That is fine, young one. You have all the time in the world to learn." Death stood up. "I will leave you here for a moment."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to harvest five souls that are now wandering around nearby. Oh wait, six souls," Death corrected at the end, feeling one of the rogue shinobi die from blood loss. He shook his head. "The reapers of this realm are not doing their job properly. I will bring this up with the Mistress once her task with Uchiha Sasuke is complete." He left via the cave entrance, scythe in hand.

Ren watched him go. She settled in to wait, but Death was already back after a few moments.

"Did you find them?"

"Yes, I did." Death sat on a chair that Hari conjured beforehand, and looked around. Hari had done a good job of making this cave livable: there were several carpets on the rough stone floor, and throw pillows in profusion on one side of the large cave. The center was lit by a roaring fire, controlled with magic. There was a small table and chairs on one side, and near the end where the Veil was, is a large nest made of several blankets and furs – Ren's nest.

"You said six souls. One was still alive?" Ren asked.

"Yes. He had his hand cut off. I presume this was Sasuke Uchiha's doing. He was unconscious when I arrived. If he doesn't do anything about that wound he would bleed to death like his companion."

"Did you see Sasuke Uchiha?"

Death shook his head. "I felt traces of summoning magic, but not much else."

Ren looked at Death. "Uchiha Sasuke was pretty strong for a human."

Death nodded. "I believe there are only a handful of people who are stronger than him, or that could best him in a one on one fight."

"Is he going to die soon?"

"If Hari does not do anything, then yes, he will die soon."

Ren's head lifted from the floor. "Mama is going to help him?"

Death nodded. "He is beset by phantoms. Hari must destroy the phantoms, or Sasuke Uchiha's soul will never find rest. This is one of her responsibilities as Mistress of Death." He turned to Ren. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just curious."

Death stared at the basilisk for a moment. Ren was never interested in humans other than Hari and her friends, because humans tend to scream in terror at the sight of the basilisk. Very well, let the basilisk keep her secrets. He had a feeling this would prove to be highly entertaining anyway, so as usual he will just sit back and wait. His Mistress often made things interesting, and this was no different.#

A/N: This story updates every Wednesday. Feel free to leave a review after reading!