To Kill a Cocktrice by Brady Solomon ‘18

To Kill A Cocktrice by Brady Solomon ‘18

There was a hesitant-sounding serious about this? It wasn’t like him anyway?” knock on the door. Jurian was to care about much except money, “Damn. Weasels are apparently impressed. A person being hesitant to beer, and fighting. immune to its stare. What about a knock was simple, but it took skill to “They don’t exist?” said Günther, mirror? It might turn itself to stone if make the actual noise sound hesitant. fuming. “Well, that’s good. Maybe it sees itself in the mirror, or at least He opened the door––hesitantly, you could tell that to the one that just attack its reflection until it’s tired.” because someone who was unhappy destroyed my house.” “Oh, I can get a mirror. That’s easy.” enough about seeing him to knock • • • “Good. Make sure the reflection like that was most likely someone he Jurian had never really believed is clear––and find some weapons too. didn’t much want to see either. He in cockatrices. Sure, there were some I don’t know if we can trust all these looked outside. He shut the door with magical creatures out there; he’d tales. When you’ve got what we need, very little hesitation at all. never forget the night the phoenix meet me back here.” Günther was standing on his had flown over his village, just after • • • doorstep. Jurian didn’t know what he his father had died. But cockatrices Jurian returned a short time wanted, but whatever it was, he could sounded too far-fetched to be real; later with a crossbow and a book. find someone else to bother. It had just because a snake or toad decided Günther was waiting for him with a been nearly a fortnight since Günther to raise a rooster’s egg didn’t mean greatsword and pike. A mirror rested had broken the Wymond family sword it should grow up to be some sort of against the wall next to him. and he still hadn’t been able to find draconic abomination. “Good, you’re ready,” Jurian said. anyone who could fix it properly. The giant winged rooster-lizard “We need to get the mirror in front But… he’d looked troubled. squatting on the rubble of Günther’s of the cockatrice without looking Anything serious enough to concern home and eating his neighbor was at it or getting too close––oh! I did a man like Günther was worrying making him seriously doubt his some research while I was gone––” he indeed. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt previous beliefs. held up the book, “––and as it turns to see what he wanted. Besides, he “Okay, so maybe they do out, pretty much everything about could always just turn him away. He exist,” Jurian said to Gunther. They a cockatrice is deadly. If there’s any opened the door, hesitantly, again. were crouching behind a short wall part of them that isn’t venomous, “What do you want, Günther?” he a stone’s throw away from the it’s poisonous or otherwise toxic, asked, sighing. cockatrice. “In that case, the first step so try to avoid its beak, talons, tail, “You, uh… you know about would be to avoid all eye contact. If wingtips, spit, saliva, or breath. Good monsters, right?” Günther asked as he some of the other stories are true, luck out there.” scratched the back of his neck. that thing could turn you to stone “Hang on just a minute, kid,” Researching magical creatures just by looking at you––so don’t get Günther replied. “First of all, was a hobby of Jurian’s, and most of up for a second peek!” He grabbed calm down. This isn’t one of your the village knew it. He’d probably Günther’s tunic and dragged him back storybooks. That thing over there been to every hut in town looking below the wall. killed two more morons while you for new books on the subject. “I read “It’s eating my pig!” Günther were gone; the idiots were trying get about them, yeah. What’s it to you?” wailed. underneath it or something; I don’t “Do you know anything about a “Better it than you,” Jurian know for sure, because it took them dragon with a rooster’s head?” replied, although he was starting to out before they were fifteen feet from “Rooster’s head… cockatrice, doubt it. “Now shut up and let me it. Secondly, what the hell makes you probably. It could also be a basilisk, think. Okay… do you know if anyone think I’m gonna go out in the open, in depending on your source. Why do in this village has a weasel? A living front of that monster, to set up your you ask?” one,” he added. Most people in the stupid mirror?” “How do I kill one?” Günther asked, village would shoot anything, so long “Because it’s now eating your disregarding Jurian’s question. as it moved and had more hair than cow, and I doubt it’ll stop there.” “I’m pretty sure they don’t exist, Günther or his friends. Günther considered this. “Fine, so… you don’t, I suppose.” Jurian “Why the hell would I know that? I’ll do it. But you’re gonna need to was confused. Why was Günther so And what do you want a weasel for, make a distraction if it starts heading

Apotheosis | 10 | Summer 2018

KEQ 4 .indd 6 4/26/18 2:22 PM my way. Throw some rocks around or all too soon. Jurian barged through but I’d rather not find out. I’ll try to something.” the house’s doorway, Günther in tow. get it to see itself in the mirror, which “Sure. Sure, I can do that. I’d go The cockatrice spread its wings, and I hope will stop it long enough for now, though. You don’t want to wait with a single powerful beat, was you to kill it.” He paused and took a for it to get bored with the cow.” airborne. Jurian released Günther, deep breath. “You ready?” Günther Reluctantly, Günther stood slammed the door shut, and collapsed nodded, silent. “Alright. Let’s go.” and grabbed the mirror. He quietly against the wall. Jurien opened the door and they hopped over the wall and crept out After taking a brief moment to snuck out, as quietly as possible onto the gravel road outside his recover, Jurian crawled over to where with four weapons between them. home. When he was about forty Günther lay. He was breathing, but The cockatrice was slowly prowling feet from the cockatrice, he stopped not very much. Jurian nudged his arm, down the road, evidently searching and gently propped the mirror on a then pushed it, and then, when that for them. Now off to its side, the pair nearby rock, facing the beast. failed to elicit a response, he slapped checked their weapons one last time, He hadn’t made it ten feet when him in the face. and charged out onto the road. the mirror slipped and fell with a In an instant, Günther was on top Günther thrusted the pike at the clang on the gravel. The cockatrice of Jurian, pinning him to the floor. cockatrice’s head as it turned to immediately looked up from what “Hey, hey! Get off me! I just face its unexpected opponents, but was left of its meal. It turned its saved your life, do you realize that?” he aimed too high; the tip stabbed bloodstained beak toward the noise, Jurian yelled as Günther put his fist through the fleshy comb atop the and then, raising its head, it shrieked. back to punch him. Günther paused rooster-like head, and with a savage The sound slammed through for a moment with a dazed look in twist of its neck, the cockatrice pulled Jurian’s head. It seemed to ignore his his eyes, before lowering his arm and the weapon from Günther’s hands, eardrums entirely and go straight for complying. staggering him. his brain, which felt like it had a vice “What the hell happened back As Günther made his attack, Jurian tightening down on it. He covered his there, man? Those eyes––it felt like positioned himself in front of the ears and put his head between his it was staring into my soul, and there cockatrice’s body and held the mirror knees, waiting for it to end. was nothing I could do to stop it,” he high. “Günther, a little help? I need it After just a few seconds and moaned, breaking down. to look my way!” an eternity later, the cockatrice fell “Calm down, Günther. Listen, Günther, recovering from the stagger, silent. Jurian raised his head and it’s probably going to be back soon. grabbed a stone from the ground peeked over the wall. He could see I don’t know where I hit it, but I get and threw it toward the mirror Günther writhing in agony as the last the feeling it’s not too happy with before backing away and drawing his echoes of the abominable shriek died me about it. So get it together, man, greatsword. The rock sailed through away. Finally recovering, Günther because if we aren’t ready to kill it the air and hit the mirror with a lifted himself up––and found himself when it returns, I doubt it’ll be kind metallic ting. The cockatrice turned, staring straight at the cockatrice. enough to give us a second chance.” saw Jurien standing in front of it, The cockatrice stared back. Günther sighed. “You’re probably looked up–– Günther froze. It wasn’t like right, damnit. Well then, let’s stop ––and froze. “NOW, Günther! Go for Jurian had expected it to happen. He sitting around and get ready.” the neck!” didn’t suddenly turn to stone like the • • • And Günther raised the greatsword stories claimed. He simply… stopped, The sun was beginning to set when high, the setting sun shining golden paralyzed by that terrible gaze. the cockatrice returned. Jurian against the blade, and brought it Jurian Wymond had always been and Günther were waiting for it in down on the cockatrice’s neck with the type to think things through the house. Jurian had recovered one swift motion. ahead of time. He liked to form a and reloaded his crossbow, now There was a soft, silken sound as the strategy, a plan of action to rely on slung across his back, and held the sword sliced through the sinew and before he ever made a move. Now, for scratched mirror in his hands. Günther bone of the cockatrice’s neck. For one of the first times in his life, he was leaning against his pike with his a moment, time seemed to freeze. acted without thinking. He grabbed greatsword on his back. Then, ever so slowly, the head of the the crossbow, leapt over the wall, and An elongated shadow stretched across cockatrice fell to the ground. The fired at the creature’s head. the road as the cockatrice landed. massive body collapsed behind it as The world exploded into motion. Moving toward the window, Jurian Günther jumped away. Jurian tossed the spent crossbow snuck a glance outside. It was hard Jurien lowered his arms and dropped aside and ran towards Günther. The to see in the dying light, but his the mirror. “Well, that’s over. That cockatrice staggered back, covering crossbow bolt protruded from the wasn’t too bad, I suppose.” its head with its wing and wailing monster’s left eye. His earlier potshot “Not at all. You did good, Jurien. I in pain. Jurian tackled Günther, had been more successful than he’d appreciate that. Now, what do we do propelling him away from the anticipated; the cockatrice could only with this body?” angry beast. The cockatrice, having see on one side. Jurien thought a moment. “We’ll retreated, began to curl up on itself. He turned to Günther. “We’ll burn it. I doubt it can do any more Jurian grabbed Günther by the arm approach it from the left. Keep your harm now, but I’d rather be safe than and began dragging him back towards distance as much as possible and aim sorry.” a nearby house, to shelter and safety. for the head. Try not to let any blood “That works for me. Let it burn.” The cockatrice began stirring again, get on you; It might not be dangerous, And so they did. Apotheosis | 11 | Summer 2018

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