"The Hunter's Banquet" - two part short story

Finally, took me long enough to finish something. This is a two-part short story I started in late December when I was gunning to be included in a published heroic fantasy anthology, but I knew I wasn't going to hit the deadline so I just kinda dropped this for a while. However, I'm proud to say I have part one done and will hopefully complete part two in the next week or so.

Enjoy, and please criticize as necessary




The Hunter’s Banquet



Part 1


Through the dense Bashir Jungles sailed a wooden craft, making its way down one of the many rivers that snaked through the lush region. Onboard was a party of twenty; all men, all varying ages from as young as the teens to as old as fifty. Nineteen of them worked tirelessly to ensure that their boat would glide properly on the thin stream, all in order to avoid striking a fallen tree, a jutting bank, or some of the larger branches that dangled from the canopies. The trip was hardly grueling, nor did it move at a break-neck pace, but keeping complete control of a vessel in such narrow confides required great effort from any deckhand.

The only one that didn’t labor to maintain the craft’s course was Vaanen Golric, perhaps the most esteemed hunter in all the wild lands of Beniland. He was a fearless, totally poised man, and he had to be in order to make it out of all the perilous journeys he experienced while searching for the highly prized game. But Vaanen did not hunt for deer, wolves, or bears; he hunted for creatures far larger and far too dangerous for one man and a single bow.

In his fifteen year career, he and his various companies had brought down beasts the likes of Bay-Serpents in the Dellos Gulf, Wyverns in the Spire Mountains, Boreal Ogres on the Northern Tundra, even the giant spiders that dwelled deep within the Taelrock Caverns. It was with those kinds of monstrosities that Vaanen built his reputation as Beniland’s single greatest hunter, while bringing himself fame and wealth that no amount of Twelve-Point Elk could ever create in a lifetime.

As the rest of his party toiled with the ship, Vaanen stood on the uppermost deck of the bow, staring intently at the jungles ahead. He could see very little beyond the walls of rain-soaked trees, but among their leaves and branches were a multitude of animals; birds with multi-colored feathers, snakes whose bodies stretched for more than twelve feet in length, even a few spotted cats that seemed to be waiting to pounce on their prey at the forest floor. Such exotic creatures would fetch fine prices in some of Beniland’s larger marketplaces, or make for fantastic trophies in a personal den as Vaanen had done with some of his smaller kills.

But such game was pocket-change compared to what he was after in the Bashir Jungles. He had never ventured into this region of the world, but he knew of a beast which dwelled beneath the leaves that land him untold fame and fortune. Many warned against this particular quest of his, saying that even he was too inexperienced to hunt within jungles. Others told him stories of titanic monsters that he would never stand a chance of bringing down should he encounter them. They were said to be creatures so large, so dangerous, that they preyed upon the likes of the beasts that Vaanen killed on a regular basis.

But no myth or tale of any sort would keep him from finding and slaying a legendary Thornback Basilisk.

“Umm, Vaanen?” he heard a call from behind him. He turned around to find Nathon Mossa, his most trusted associate of three years, hurrying along the decks towards him with a compass and parchment in hand.

“Yes Nathon, what is it?” Vaanen pleasantly asked, an oddly warm smile forming on his scarred face.

“I just thought I’d let you know what kind of progress we’re making” Nathon answered as he unfolded a map, and adjusted his glasses, “We passed by the Cerulean Waterfall no more than an hour ago, and as long as the measurements on here are correct we should be making it to the delta very soon. That would mean that we’d make it to our destination in…”

“Two hours” Vaanen interrupted with a smirk, “Trust me, Nathon, I may not be as familiar with these jungles as I am other regions of the land, but I spent quite some time mapping out this journey before we set sail.” Nathon was speechless for a few moments as he shrunk back, quite embarrassed.

“Sorry, boss” he weakly responded, “I probably should’ve figured that.” Vaanen chuckled a bit and set his hand on his partner’s shoulder.

“No need to apologize, my friend” he reassured, “I’m glad to hear you’re on top of things as usual. As you’ve probably learned over the years, there’s quite a bit more to these hunts than merely finding the beast and taking it down. A lot planning and strategizing involved, and you’ve yet to fail me.” Nathon smiled somewhat incredulously at the compliments.

“Well thanks, boss, but I still question just how necessary a bookworm like me really is on these things” the much less confident man argued.

“Let me put it this way, Nathon” Vaanen began, “I’ve been in this hunting business for fifteen years, and I’ve had at least five or more assistants just like you. I swear it on the head of that Griffin we got last summer, I’ve bagged the best, and most numerous game in my entire career while I’ve had you on board. With the other guys, there would be only one two significant kills during their tenure. You, on the other hand, have made every hunt a success, all thanks to your preparations.”

“Well jeez; I guess you might be right” Nathon said, the young man practically beaming, “I really appreciate hearing that, boss.” Vaanen now patted him on the back.

“And you know what I appreciate? Having all of our weapons accounted for and organized before we start tracking” Nathon was already off and running towards the store room barely before Vaanen finished his statement.

“I’ll be right on that!” he answered back as he raced down to the lower decks.

Vaanen had to chuckle once again at his assistant’s enthusiasm for their work. As he mentioned himself, he had associated with several different men over the years that filled the same role as Nathon did in his hunting parties, but not one of them came close to matching Mr. Mossa’s zeal and diligence. Even though he was a smaller, much less athletic man than Vaanen, or any other hunter they traveled with, he was a key factor in why they’d always find their intended beast in a timely fashion and have the necessary resources to bring it down.

To Vaanen, it was no surprise that he lasted so much longer than the previous assistants.

* * *

Just as it was estimated, their boat reached the delta in two hours time, and after finding a suitable bank to anchor at, they brought the ship to a halt. Before landing, every man gathered the weapons and tools they would personally need for the hunt, so there was very little in the way of stalling by the time they found their destination. While a few of the deckhands stayed back to look after the craft, Vaanen, Nathon and eight hired hunters left the wooden vessel to began their march into the Bashir Jungles in search of the Thornback Basilisk.

Once thought to have completely left the jungle terrain in favor of the dank caves below, several sightings had been reported over the last year, the rumors quickly being carried into the bars and taverns of Beniland’s towns. Such stories immediately grabbed the attention of big-game hunters, as the Thornback Basilisk had always been regarded as one of the kingdom’s most dangerous beasts. Its size- easily greater than that of any warhorse- made it a sure threat to all who would be daring enough to try and kill one, but it was what dwelled within the creatures’ very maws that made them so frightening.

Coating the dagger-like teeth and serpentine tongue was a thick toxin so potent that merely its touch could decay. Plants would wilt almost instantaneously under its presence, while the flesh of just about any living being would burn gruesomely upon contact. Should the Basilisk ever manage to lock its jaws onto its prey, the unfortunate victim would have its entire body ravaged by the devilish venom as it flowed through every last vein. It wouldn’t be a prolonged death, but it would be an excruciating one; one that undoubtedly was one of the worst that something could ever experience in all of Beniland.

Such a fearsome monster would naturally be a target for a hunter like Vaanen Golric, if only for the pride that came along with overwhelming the deadly Basilisk. But there was far more than just the glory involved; a significant amount of wealth came with the successful kill. In the reptilian’s case, much of its body could be harvested and sold at ludicrous prices, including its scales, claws, bones, and even the vile saliva found in its mouth. Between the armories that could make breastplates out of the hide, the weapon smiths that could forge blades from its nails, or the alchemists that could brew unthinkable concoctions with its venom, the Thornback Basilisk would nothing short of make Vaanen’s purse bulge once he finished the job.

However, there was equally as much, if not more worked involved in actually finding the beast as there was in slaying it. Tracking an animal was always a difficult task for any hunter, but to do so in the vast, thick Bashir Jungles required significantly greater attention to detail. Vaanen, having never journeyed into the exotic region, was finding it very difficult to come upon any kind of trail for the Basilisk. None of his hired hunters had experience with the terrain, either, but unlike their employer they grew impatient while they spent a good two hours treading across the jungle. While Vaanen was able to tune out the incredibly humid climate, his crew voiced their displeasure from it on more than one occasion, and a few questioned the entire hunt in general given the difficulties in discovering signs of one specific creature.

Vaanen tuned all of that out as well, and in time he was able to prove the legitimacy of the quest when they finally stumbled upon a set of tracks heading towards a rushing stream. In the soft mud of the bank lie some eight fresh footprints of a massive beast, with claws larger than a knight’s shield and nails longer than a hunting knife. Then in between the marks was a long divot, as if something had been dragged behind whatever walked into the water; no doubt the Basilisk’s tail.

The party crossed the creek and dove deeper into the jungles on the other side. As they moved along their eyes scanned the ground for more footprints, and although they spotted a handful during their trek, other signs began to pop up around them. It seemed as if they were following a path of demolition, with endless plants either trampled or even ripped from the forest floor. Consistently they found indication after indication that some huge animal had made its way through their location, the last of which being what Vaanen almost immediately surmised as the reptile’s venom. Across a small collection of charred fern leaves were traces of a grayish slime, which gave off heat even as it lay dripping from the destroyed shrubbery. After eyeballing it for a minute, Vaanen took a steel-mesh gauntlet that Nathon carried with him and picked up some of the gooey substance. Almost instantly when it touched the glove, the reaction made an audible sizzling sound, and Vaanen was forced to remove the gauntlet and discard it amongst the devastated ferns. Yet, for nearly half an hour his thumb, index and middle fingers throbbed.

Such a volatile sample meant that the beast was surely close, as even its deathly saliva would begin to cool off over time. After that discovery the group hastened their march through the jungles, knowing that their monster was nearby. As they did so, destroyed branches and bramble became even more apparent amongst the growing number of tracks left by the Basilisk. What turned out to be another hour’s worth of walking seemed to pass by as mere minutes to the anxious hunters, who knew that they were hot on the trail of their prized game.

That hour of walking concluded when they came to a small clearing, and found a Thornback Basilisk feasting.

Although their hearts raced and their grins widened, every last hunter fell completely silent once they caught sight of the creature. Vaanen even made a motion for them to stay utterly still, which they all obeyed while taking a few moments to gaze at the massive reptile. It was as huge as the rumors and myths had implied, easily grander than that of any war-horse used by a Knight of Beniland, and it appeared just as fearsome as described. Rows of protruding spines ran down its dark green back all the way to its club-like tail, which shook back and forth as it ate. It was devouring some kind of large, furred animal, quite obviously its own prey. Vaanen at first believed it to be a wild boar, but he couldn’t make it out clear enough, as the unfortunate prey had been disfigured beyond recognition by the Basilisk’s teeth and venom.

While it stood ripping apart and swallowing chunks of its kill, the hunting party began to slowly and quietly get into their planned positions. They split into groups, one moving to the left and the other to the right as they began to create a semi-circle formation around the Basilisk. When Vaanen felt that every man was in the right spot, he gestured for them to continue the process. Around two trees they wrapped a thick rope each, which was then attached to the end of a hooked spike already loaded into a huge crossbow. These darts would get stuck in reptile’s skin due to the curved blade at the bottom of the head, and with their coils being tightly constricted around the trees, the Basilisk would be practically stuck in place until the hunters finished it off.

The entire process took several minutes, even if it spanned across only a twenty or thirty yard distance. The men had to be almost completely silent in order to avoid alerting the beast, and to do so required them to move almost slowly while preparing the attack. Vaanen merely remained in his crouching position the whole time, only taking his eyes off the Basilisk to get a quick glance at how his men were progressing. Most people, even most seasoned hunters would’ve grown impatient sitting all but fifty feet from their intended kill and having to wait for such a prolonged period to make a move; but to Vaanen there was absolutely no feeling of impatience whatsoever, only more time to reflect on the beast he so fervently tracked.

When he was given the signal that his men were ready to begin, however, he wasted no further time. With a nod of his head, the two biggest of the hunters fired the massive crossbows. The steel projectiles rocketed straight at the feasting giant, and plunged into the soft scales beneath his tough dorsal. The Basilisk nearly jumped in place upon contact, and roared violently at the shock and pain. It then began to trash around and try to bite at the hooks, but its effort moved neither the darts nor the ropes around the trees which kept it trapped.

“Move in!” Vaanen called out as a grin widened across his face. Every hunter readied their personal weapon as they stood up and started advancing towards the furious creature, which quickly took notice and turned its attention to them. They maintained the same semi-circle as before while they closed in on the beast, but did so slowly and cautiously as the Basilisk hissed threateningly at them. It was almost as if it had completely forgotten that two metal spikes lodged in its body were keeping it stuck in position, and instead only wanted to maul every last moving thing in front of it.

“Boy, he’s a feisty one alright” one of the men commented, “You’d think being harpooned would tone him down a bit, but I think we just made him angry!” Several of the hunters laughed, completely unconcerned for whatever pain the creature was in.

“We probably did, so I’d advise against any of you moving any closer” Vaanen stated, and stopped advancing, “as you might be able to tell, he’s got plenty of fight left in him.”

“Yeah, uhh…how are we going to do this, exactly?” one man asked aloud, and then backed away when the monster tried to lunge at him. Vaanen raised his crossbow and aligned his sight with the Basilisk’s mouth.

“Just follow my lead, men, this won’t take too long…” he answered with a merciless smile. Knowing he was all but a few seconds from claiming the head of one of Beniland’s most fearsome and rare of creatures, Vaanen took his time to get the perfect shot, one that would either kill it instantly or incapacitate it enough for the others to finish off with ease. He stared at the enraged and, possibly, frightened beast for several seconds, taking in all he could of the Basilisk while it still breathed. “You’re going to make me a very wealthy…”

Vaanen’s muttering was interrupted by a tremendous sound that was like thunder, and amidst a storm of shattered branches, leaves and wind, a gigantic winged creature landed on top of the Basilisk. The creature, which resembled a bat, was easily twenty-five feet high, and had wings that when stretched could’ve easily been sixty or seventy feet across. Black, leathery skin covered its body, and on top of its head were a pair of huge ears that hung behind its skull. Two huge talons sunk themselves into the reptile’s entire body, and with one brief shudder of agony, the Basilisk fell limp within the grip of the significantly larger predator.

Nearly every last hunter froze at the sight of the enormous beast that had suddenly interrupted their hunt; even Vaanen couldn’t find himself to do anything but gaze at it with an amazed look. They had seen plenty of large beasts before in their respective lives, but nothing of this size, and never in an occurrence like this.

Eventually Vaanen broke out of his trance, and found himself in a fit of rage and desperate.

“Kill it! Kill the damn thing!!” he roared while firing a bolt from his crossbow. The arrow found its mark on the bat’s sternum, yet the monster neither winced nor made a sound.

It did, however, take flight, beating its gigantic wings a few times before it was off the forest floor and soaring above the canopies. The ropes which once held the Basilisk in place broke in half almost instantly, and the reptile was carried off into the sky. Vaanen once again found himself in a state of shock, completely unable to make sense of what happened as he gaped at the canopies above him. Just the same, the other hunters were still practically motionless. All except Nathon, who was on all fours cowering behind a log.

“You-you’ve gotta be kidding me…” he whispered.