Elfman was used to people staring at him. He was a big guy, and he only seemed to increase in muscles every year since his teens. No big deal. He'd taken enough rude stares to last a lifetime with his sister. If people made a face, they just didn't care enough to get to know him. And he didn't care one way or another.

Although this time, it wasn't just him they were staring at.

Townsfolk gawked as he passed. Some screamed in terror, others froze in fear. A few even yanked their children into the house and slammed the door. Elfman might have been led to believe they were overreacting, but how were they supposed to know the ten foot long creature slithering alongside him was harmless? He was just glad no one seemed ready to light the torch fires…yet. He tried hard not to look directly at the creature as he made his way through town, the residents giving him a wide berth to reach his goal. Since its eyes were covered by a cloth, he had to steer it with his body, making it rub up against his side, almost up to his hips, and at least as thick as his waist. It was big, like him.

He made his way through town until he came across the biggest (and shiniest) building in town. The sign out front said "Town Hall" so he made his way inside. Immediately there was a panic. The employees running in panic with a large man and nearly as large snake slowly making their way further in. With no open space to freely flee, people took to shouting, pointing, and even fainting. Elfman definitely heard something that he was going to pretend wasn't a window being smashed so some poor soul could escape just a bit faster. He noticed that the creature's low height and girth meant it kept getting stuck in the cramped building. Not wanting to be there any longer than necessary, he opted to pick the thing up and fling it over his shoulder, rubbing its underside to keep it calm. It reacted about as much as a limp noodle, only with added tongue flicks.

The man at the front of the desk–with a plaque with his name and everything–trembled as Elfman approached. "Y-You! Why would you bring such a creature here! Have you come to kill us?! Or even worse, rob us!"

"This is what's been terrorizing your town, right? The basilisk?" At the mention of the name, the man went even paler. "You sent out a job request to capture it for the guilds, remember?"

"Of course, I remember! I remember saying to capture it dead." He waved a finger at the creature, who flicked its tongue at a rapid pace. "That is clearly still alive!"

"Well, I was about to, but…seemed kinda cruel if you ask me. Wouldn't have been very manly."

"What."

Elfman gave the flabbergasted man a flat look. "Yeah, I mean from the description you guys gave it sounded like a horrible monster that stalked the forest…but when I found it, it was just holed up in its den and could barely eat. I think it's pretty old; might be better to just relocate it somewhere."

"But, but! It's a beast! It turns people to stone!"

Elfman scratched his head. True, a basilisk's one defining ability was being able to turn people to stone, but once he actually got the den of the thing…

"It's completely blind. I know they can't turn people to stone unless they can see the target and then will the thing to turn." That was something Evergreen had taught him, an interesting factoid he felt quite proud to retain. "So that problem won't ever happen. And the only reason it tried to bite me was because I was in my beast form." He imagined that the basilisk thought him a fellow creature when he took over a beast soul. Poor thing had shivered in fear even as it clamped down on him. Not that it hurt much. A bit lacking in the teeth and jaw strength department. Either way, once it calmed down and didn't recognize him as a threat, it was clear that it barely left its den, never mind going out and attacking people.

The man in charge didn't see it that way though, as he just backed away further from Elfman and the basilisk. "I don't care! Just get rid of it then! We'll chop off its head if we have to!"

"Hey! You don't have to go that far! Look, it's barely able to move around." He set it down and removed the blindfold he put over its eyes. An unnecessary gesture but one that at least would placate anyone too scared to even glance at the thing. Maybe if he could show them…

The thing's eyes were a milky blue, clouded over and completely unseeing. Normally its most fearsome tool, reduced to little more than two useless organs. "See? You can look directly at it and nothing will…"

He stopped when he didn't hear anything from the man. Had he finally gone catatonic from fear? Elfman glanced over at him and froze. The man was frozen…in stone. His mouth was wide in shock, hands still gripping his seat. The Take Over mage blinked. But how?

Then he noticed something, the creature appeared to be staring straight at the man, unseeing eyes locked on him. Somehow, the creature had turned the man to stone, despite its blindness! Elfin had never heard of such a feat. That would mean the creature was doing it through sheer mental willpower, whether or not it could see the target! Even though it placed him in even more trouble than before, he couldn't help but grin. What a manly snake! Pushing past its limits to achieve new feats!

Then he realized where he was and sighed, putting the blindfold back over its eyes and flinging it back over his shoulder. He murmured an apology and gave one of the few people still on their feet a card for the guild. He was going to go and see if he could get a cure for the guy that was frozen, and of course take the basilisk somewhere far, far away.

But…maybe he'd do one of those things slightly faster than the other.

A/N: This one differs a lot from the original DnD experience. In that campaign, we captured a hydra and rode it into town. Originally I was going to have Elfman do the same thing, but I thought a basilisk might be a little funnier given his experiences with being turned to stone xD If Elfman was living on his own I sincerely think he would keep the thing.