Beauty wasn't able to visit Obsidian till the weekend. She left early in the morning with a packed lunch like she usually did when she wanted to study by herself and went to the path marked by stones and roses he had shown her. She walked into the forest, unsure of what she would see in the daylight. The trail in the lush grass a reminded her of carpet because it was soft to the touch and different kinds of flowers made such beautiful patterns it would have caused even the finest Persian rugs to be jealous. Colorful butterflies flitted back and forth across the landscape between the trees and birds sang from their perches. She noted the branches high above crossed over one another and barely let sunlight in, which kept the forest cooler during summer and gave everything around her a mystical appearance. Nothing looked dangerous, but she stayed on the path since Obsidian had said she wouldn't be harmed as long as she didn't leave it. The interwoven foliage spread out into a clearing that looked almost exactly like a dinning room apart from the fact that the table was a long and flat rock and places one could sit were logs or stumps of old trees with moss on top of them. She beamed when she saw Obsidian step into the clearing, his appearance not as startling to her now.

"Hello, Beauty."

"Hello, Obsidian. It's good to see you again."

He smiled. "Likewise. I'm glad you came and used the path to enter."

"I like to keep my promises. This is a beautiful meadow."

"It certainly has it's charm. After a few thousand years of simply running around as a beast, I came to the conclusion I should start taking care of my domain instead of taking advantage of it. Rocks were nothing but play things to move to desired locations. Nature took care of the rest, not really needing encouragement from me for the most part. Would you like a tour?"

She nodded eagerly and climbed on to his back when he crouched down. She looked around as he walked slowly, one step of his massive paws equal to about twenty or more of hers. To the left she saw another more narrow path, the trees so thick that even less light got through the canopy. "Where does that go?"

He paused mid-stride and changed course. "I will show you, but you must promise never to come here without me."

"I promise." She covered her mouth when she realized there were glowing eyes watching them from beyond the path and something massive was what really blocked out the sun, not the trees. Two eyes the size of dinner plates appeared in front of them, along with the shadowed outline of a serpent's face. Fangs the size of Beauty's arm glinted in the shadows and the mere sight of them sent shivers down her spine.

"Why if it isn't the Beast come to pay me a visit." A female voice hissed. "And he brought a friend."

"This is Beauty, Naga. I wanted you to meet her just in case something happens to me. Someone will need to protect her."

Naga's face got closer till Beauty could see shimmering blue scales and a feather-like crest at the top of her head. "A basilisk? Protect a human in this age? I will agree for your sake, Beast."

"A basilisk?" Beauty couldn't take her eyes off of Naga's face, especially her luminous eyes the color of seaweed around her tell-tale reptilian slits. "I never knew your kind was so beautiful, but then again you're the first one I've met."

"Such a silver tongue for one so young. I look forward to getting to know you better, Beauty."

"Likewise."

Obsidian smiled and walked back out of the darkness with her. "It is good that Naga likes you. She has dealt with creatures far beyond my skill. Even as a beast, I am no more invincible than she."

"But if you both can be killed, surely it isn't easy to do so?"

"Technically you are correct, but we still bleed the same as humans. Naga is less vulnerable with her armored scales and her ability to kill with just a look, not to mention her venom which is deadly to most. I made you give me your word to stay on this path unless with me because I am sure you noticed Naga wasn't the only one in that dark part of the forest. Naga's mate and their children dwell there, along with spiders big enough to eat a man. Demons can be found there too, though they generally stick to the caves and pitch-black woods beyond Naga's domain because Naga has been known to eat them when the mood suits her."

Beauty suppressed a shudder. "She's big enough to eat just about anything. You really think I can trust her if anything happens to you?"

Obsidian was silent for so long she thought he might not answer, then felt his shoulders shrug under her. "Naga is certainly dangerous, but she has never given me a reason not to trust her. I pose the same dangers to you and yet you came back of your own free will. Why do you believe I won't harm you?"

"When you said you'd no sooner crush a rose, I felt your sincerity. With Naga I couldn't tell, but perhaps that's because I was mesmerized by her appearance."

"Snakes have that affect on your kind, especially the older and more powerful ones. In ancient times, it wasn't uncommon to find them as guardians of royalty or those who won their affection. Wyrmkind have always had a soft spot for the race of men, so haven't eaten them nearly as often as literature would have you believe."

A thought occurred to Beauty as they came to another clearing big enough to be a ball room. "Naga was your guardian once, wasn't she?"

He looked back at her with a wolfish smile on his lips. "You catch on quickly. Unfortunately, even a basilisk cannot protect you from an enraged enchantress whose advances you've turned away. Apparently every man before she encountered me had fallen victim to her wiles and I being the last male in my family, found myself cursed to be in a form she said women wouldn't love."

"Sounds like she didn't know that love is about looking beyond physical appearances into the other's heart."

"I doubt the enchantress knew anything about love." He sounded almost sad as he settled on the grass. "Let alone it's existence. You hungry?"

"Yes, I brought a lunch."

"I will rest while you eat." He closed his eyes as she climbed off and settled next to him with her basket and ate as she heard his breathing slow to a peaceful rhythm.