In a clearing somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, a flash of fire heralded the sudden appearance of a man, a snake, and two birds.
Once Shawn had steadied himself, he surveyed his surroundings. Realizing they were not far from the Acromantulas' central colony, he gave Fawkes a meaningful look.
How did this Phoenix know where I wanted to go?
Then he understood. The care of the elderly could be rather hard to bear.
Shawn did not dwell on it. The Acromantulas were hardly an important secret.
He placed Purple Shadow on the head of the Basilisk, who was already drooling. After a moment's thought, he spoke to her.
"You should be able to understand human speech, and I can understand your Parseltongue, so we don't need to keep using Parseltongue to talk. Oh, right, what's your name?"
The Basilisk had been drooling over several trembling Acromantulas in the distance. At Shawn's question, she hissed a reply.
"Hiss, haa, sss, hiss. (My name is Tina. Eat, eat. Hungry, hungry.)"
Shawn paused at the feminine name. So this was a female snake. Then he said with amusement,
"Tina it is, then. All right, stop holding back. Go eat."
The Basilisk had long since run out of patience. She shot toward the Acromantulas, which had already collapsed.
Purple Shadow, who had been standing elegantly atop her head, lost balance and nearly fell. After spreading wings to steady up, Purple Shadow angrily pecked at the bright red crest on the Basilisk's head.
All the Basilisk wanted right then was to eat, eat, eat! She paid little attention.
Those collapsed Acromantulas had not been frightened by Shawn, the Dark Lord. It was simply that Basilisks were their natural enemies; their legs went weak at the sight of one.
The Basilisk was small at the moment.