Rynu wandered through the forest in a daze, covered with the ash from the fires that had destroyed his home. He stumbled and finally decided to rest on a stump, sitting down and sagging, setting his head in his hands. He had no more tears- they were all dried up. So instead he just sat there motionless, trying not to think of what had just happened.
He felt something touch his rear and jumped in shock, looking down into the stump to see a small black snake slithering around inside.
Oh Gods it hadn't bitten him, had it?" Rynu put a hand on his rumb, but felt no bite marks. He looked down in the hole of the stump, watching the snake coil in on itself before rearing a small black head, its eyes closed tightly in the bright sunlight.
"Gods, it's a…" Rynu reached out carefully to the small basilisk, touching her head with two of his fingers. The creature let out a small hiss and tilted its head in confusion, leaning into the touch for a moment before hissing again and wrapping itself around his hand. Rynu froze as the basilisk wound its way around his arm, its body hugging against his skin tightly as it wound around and around, until its head rested on his shoulder, the tip of its tail in his palm.
"You're a lot smaller than I thought." Rynu said thoughtfully, figuring the length of the basilisk could only be about three feet long. "I thought basilisk were a lot bigger."
The serpent stuck its tongue out into Rynu's ear, making the boy squirm as it tickled.
"Alright, then you must be a hatchling, but…" Rynu turned his arm over to look the basilisk over. "Are you a girl or a boy?"
The basilisk reared its head, flashing fangs in protest.
"Alright, alright! How about you just answer me- uh…. Are you a boy?" Rynu said hopefully.
The basilisk stayed still, still resting its head against his shoulder.
"A girl?" Rynu said uneasily, sighing when the basilisk raised her head and hissed loudly.
"Alright then. A female basilisk." Rynu said, still hardly able to believe he was really holding a basilisk. "But where did you come from? Did you have an owner before?"
The serpent laid its head on his shoulder sadly, her body drooping in depression.
"Alright, you did. I don't see why anyone wouldn't want you though. I love basilisk." Rynu said, looking her over again. The small wings that sprouted from her back flapped happily against his shirt. Her eyes were still closed, clenched tightly shut as if she were afraid to open them.
"That can't be comfortable to keep your eyes shut." Rynu said, looking down at his black tunic- it was in tattered ruins, one more rip wouldn't hurt it. He ripped off a long piece of the shirt from around his waist and tying it around the basilisk's eyes. She raised her head and tickled his cheek with her tongue, slithering up his arm to rest around his shoulders.
"At least I'll have you." Rynu said softly, running his hand along the basilisk's scales. He walked further into the forest, trying to find his way to civilization.
He looked up in surprise as a dark unicorn stared at him from a clearing up ahead, her eyes bright as she watched him for a moment. She whickered in confusion, walking over cautiously to inspect him.
He didn't know what to do. He had never seen a unicorn before, but he had heard stories that they only came to people with pure souls. Then why did it come to him?
The unicorn walked forward, keeping her distance from him as she inspected the basilisk around his shoulders. She whickered softly, tossing her head to the south.
Rynu tilted his head in confusion and looked in that direction, seeing nothing but trees.
"I don't know the way." He said desperately, looking to the unicorn for help.
She snorted and nodded slightly, starting to walk in that direction. Rynu glanced at the basilisk wrapped around his shoulders and walked after the unicorn, hoping he wasn't going crazy and imagining things.
The unicorn stopped in front of a road, looking down at it and snorting slightly. She looked back to him and nodded to the right on the road. Rynu looked in that direction, his eyes wide with shock as a light unicorn ran toward them, making the dark unicorn whicker happily. He slowed and stopped near the dark unicorn, looking at the boy in surprise.
The light unicorn whickered softly to the dark, glancing to Rynu before continuing to wave his horn. Rynu had the feeling they were somehow talking about him, but he had no idea how unicorns could possibly talk. The dark unicorn finally snorted and turned around to him, nodding to the light unicorn, who faced back toward the way he had come from. Rynu stepped forward, smiling weakly in thanks to the dark unicorn, who nodded her head in farewell as he follows the other unicorn toward the city in the distance.