The ABC of Fantasy Creatures: B is for Basilisk
I received a box of Night of Rites and Wraiths, the concluding book of The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy yesterday. As a writer I’m supposed to be able to express myself well, yet there is something about holding the three books in my hands which left me without words. The first draft of book 1 takes me back to 2015, which means I’ve lived with these characters’ rumbles in my head for a good 8 years. If anyone in Malta is interested in a hard copy of the trilogy let me know. Print and ebook copies are also available through Amazon.
Now let’s dive into another Fantasy Creature in the ABC series.
B is for Basilisk
The basilisk has gained prominence in recent years thanks largely to the Harry Potter series, however this mythological creature has been mentioned in several texts as far back as medieval times and even in the English Revised Version of the Bible.
The basilisk is supposed to be hatched from the egg of a snake or toad by a cockerel, so that it is generally described as having a mix of reptilian and bird characteristics.
Basilisks are considered extremely dangerous and deathly creatures: they are greatly venomous and those unfortunate enough to look them in the eye die or are turned to stone. In some stories they even breathe out fire.
Basilisks are not easy to kill especially as one cannot look at them, but the odour of weasels is one of its weaknesses. Moreover, a mirror could be an effective weapon as the creature can become the victim of its own gaze.
Basilisks are considered the king of serpents, as the name itself suggests—basilisk comes from the Greek word for king.
I’m tempted to include a basilisk in one of my stories. What do you think? 
Some self-promo!
In the Inner Lands, there are three ways sixteen-year-old Shael can get herself and her family killed—by looking like the enemy; by working with the enemy; by becoming the enemy.
When sixteen-year-old Shael unknowingly helps a mortally wounded thief, he entrusts her with delivering three figurines to the lord of her castle. Too late, Shael discovers that the figurines were stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. And since she cut her fingers on the figurines while handling them, she is now linked to them. Any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh.
Despite her reluctance to aid the enemy, Shael teams up with three Hyllethans to retrieve the figurines and break the connection. Shael is caught in the tussle for the thrones of the two lands. To avoid becoming a pawn—or dangle from a hangman’s noose—she has to regain possession of the figurines and face the unsuspected secrets of her lost past.
Three thrones. Two power-hungry mages. One girl standing in their way.
Exiled in Hylletha, sixteen-year-old Shael longs to return to the land of her birth but her brother Iysel, the new, terrifying mage-king of the Inner Lands, wants her dead. Shael’s very existence threatens Iysel’s right to the throne since she is the holder of the magical Gift of Touch, which is traditionally held by the monarch.
To ensure peace, Theis, the young man Shael loves, goes to Iysel’s court to negotiate the reunification of Hylletha and the Inner Lands under one ruler. But when Shael’s young foster brother is abducted and held prisoner in the Inner Lands, Shael has only her limited knowledge of spellcraft to help her stay out of Iysel’s reach, rescue her foster brother and make sure Theis doesn’t bear the brunt of Iysel’s rage.
Complicating matters further, Iysel has won the unexpected support of their wily cousin—the son of the king of a neighbouring land and an extraordinary mage—who has his own reasons for wanting to get hold of Shael.
The stability of the three realms lies in the balance. Faced by intrigue and betrayal from all sides, Shael must choose between protecting the lives of those she loves or taking up her role as princess and heir to the thrones to safeguard the welfare of the people.
She’ll be crowned queen—if she lives that long.
With her coronation fast approaching, Shael fears the debilitating effects of poisoning resulting from her stint in the dragons’ birthing grounds will make her unfit to rule. But this becomes the least of her worries when her brother Iysel turns up claiming he’s the true King of Hylletha as well as heir to Dragonia. Shael is determined to protect the realms from the merciless mage, but the documents that challenge Iysel’s right to the thrones have disappeared.
Protecting the realms isn’t the only reason for finding the missing documents. Proving Iysel’s duplicity is the surest way of saving Theis, the love of Shael’s live, whom Iysel has accused of desertion and treason.
With time running out, with assassins stalking her every move and her health failing, Shael sets out to unravel the tangled web of deceit and greed ensnaring her and the kingdoms. Unfortunately, the most obvious culprit isn’t always the only enemy.
Dawn of Purple and Grey, Days of Wind and Snow, and Night of Rites and Wraiths (The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy) are available through Amazon.
Till next time,
Caroline
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