“SJ, WAKE UP,” Dave screamed inside her head. “WAKE UP YOU USELESS ORC LOVER.”
SJ vaguely sensed a voice in her head shouting at her but could not make out the words. Her mind was foggy, and she felt strange, as though trapped. Slowly, she began to recall what had happened to her. Panicking, she opened her eyes. Her arms, legs, and wings were pinned.
“At last,” Dave’s voice echoed in her mind. It did not sound normal.
“Why do you sound distant?”
“Probably the venom it injected you with.”
“I thought you said I couldn’t be poisoned?”
“It is not classed as a poison. It is a special skill that some predators have, and as it is their normal attack for disabling prey, it is allowed.”
“You could have warned me,” SJ replied groggily. As she became more aware, she realised that white spider silk strands surrounded her. “How do I get out of this cocoon?”
“Good question. Do you still have your claws equipped?”
“Yes.”
“You could try and cut through the strands with them. They are very sharp, after all.”
“I can’t move my arms. They are pinned and hurt from where they are pinned.” SJ could feel one of her arms being pressed across her chest, and the other was twisted behind her back.
“Umm. Looks like you are going to be spider dinner then.”
“Really! That is all the advice you have?”
“What else do you expect me to suggest?”
“I don’t know something useful, perhaps.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s all I have. I have enjoyed our brief time together and look forward to seeing you when you are reborn.” Dave’s sombre voice replied.
“I am not dead yet! Stop making out that I am going to die.”
“It seems like you will, though?”
“Stop being such a pessimist and think.”
“What would you like me to think about?”
“HOW TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS COCOON.”
“Okay.”
Silence.
“Dave?”
“I am thinking.”
SJ could not see. The cocoon was not allowing any light in, even if there was light. Suddenly having an idea, she would have kicked herself if she had not been strung up in a cocoon. Focussing, she began to shrink to her miniature form. The pressure slowly released from the strands, and her arms and legs became able to move as she shrunk to her six-inch height. She still couldn’t see, but at least she could move slightly now. The sticky strands holding her did not crush her anymore.
“Now that was a really good idea,” Dave said excitedly. “I wish I had thought of that.”
SJ sighed deeply. “I am still stuck inside this cocoon, though.”
“Yes. You can now use your claws to cut yourself free from it.”
SJ reached out, feeling for one of the strands in her miniature form. Their texture reminded her of glue sticks from school, and as she pulled her hand away, she could feel the thin, sticky strands coming with her. The strand no longer felt like a strand but more like a thick rope used to anchor huge ships.
“These strands are huge now, though. They are not going to be easy to cut through.”
“It is not as if you have anything better to do now.”
“Sometimes you really do not say anything very helpful.”
SJ began to work her blades back and forth on a strand. The gluey substance pulled and resisted her blades. Persevering, she kept going, slowly using a sawing action. It was no good, though. The strands were too thick and strong for her blades to damage when she was in miniature form.
“This is not working,” SJ said, getting panicky again.
“That is a shame.”
“A SHAME? IT IS A CATASTROPHE!” SJ screamed in response to Dave’s lackadaisical reply.
“See you in the white room then.”
“WILL YOU STOP SAYING THAT?!”
“I am just being honest. If you can’t cut yourself out, eventually the spider will return come along with its acid, burn through the cocoon and then suck your insides out.”
“What did you just say?”
“The spider will return, burn through with its acid, and suck your insides out.”
“YOU GENIUS,” SJ shouted excitedly.
“Why, thank you... What? Am I? I am confused. Are you being sarcastic again?”
“No. I mean it.” SJ replied, and as she did, she retrieved the bottle of spider’s acidic venom from her inventory. It was difficult in the dark, but she managed to work out the shape of the bottle and then pulled out the stopper that was holding the liquid inside. Slowly trying, she shouted in joy as a single blade managed to fit inside the neck of the bottle, and she withdrew it, carefully directing it away from her. She pushed it towards the strand and heard a sizzling sound.
“What a clever idea I had. I agree I am a genius.” Dave said.
SJ ignored Dave and continued to work on the strands. It took her a long time to recoat the single blade continually, but slowly but surely, she started to cut her way through. The cocoon seemed to be several strands thick, and after what seemed like an age, she felt no resistance against her hand as she pushed forward.
“I think I am through.” SJ began to work her way downwards, increasing the size of the hole. Again, it took an age, but as she cut a larger hole, she began to force the top part of her body through and slowly pulled herself free, clinging onto the sticky outer substance of the cocoon. It was pitch-black, and she had no idea where she was.
“Any ideas where we are?” SJ was panting from the effort.
“I can’t see, sorry. My visibility is also restricted by light. Even when it brought you here, it was pitch black.”
“Damn. I hoped you could tell where we were.”
She was still stuck to the side of the cocoon and did not know if she was in the air or on the ground. She called one copper from her inventory and, holding her hand out, dropped it. Listening carefully, it took less than a second for the copper to tinkle against the ground below.
“I am in the air.”
“Well, it is a good job that you can fly then.”
“I am not sure I can.”
“Why?”
“My wings are covered in the sticky glue from the web.”
SJ turned, facing the cocoon, and tried to move her wings. She could feel the gloopy pull of the sticky glue between them as they separated. If she could have seen it, she was sure it would have looked like glue she had often played with between her fingertips as a child. She was fascinated by the sticky feeling and the strands they made.
“That is not going to work.”
“How many seconds did the coin take to drop?”
“Less than one.”
“Well, why don’t you grow large again?”
“Why do I keep forgetting about my size all the time!” SJ exclaimed with exasperation.
She thought about being large. As she did, she felt the strands pull at her as she stretched and broke from their sticky hold. Eventually, when she was full height, she pushed away from the side of the cocoon as best as she could and fell a couple of feet before hitting the ground. Not knowing how far it had been meant that she had not been ready for the impact, and she groaned as the force shot up her legs, feeling the pressure in her lower back. Taking a moment to gather herself, she stood up straight. The gluey substance coated her, and she grimaced at the sensation.
“I wonder where she is?” Dave said.
“Who?”
“Your level 7 spider friend you made.”
In all the panic of escaping the cocoon, SJ had completely forgotten about the monstrous spider that had captured her. Spinning in panic, she could not see the pitch dark, even with her improved sight. She had realised that it only helped outside in the evening when a natural light source was available. Pulling a torch from her inventory and her flint and steel, she needed to get light. Again, it took her a while before managing to light the torch. The immediate relief she felt from the brilliant glow and flickering flame was immeasurable. Taking in her surroundings for the first time, she discovered it was no longer in the crypt but a cave. The rough-hewn walls appeared naturally formed. “Where am I?” SJ asked, frowning.
“Looks like a cave.”
“Oh, why thank you for stating the obvious almighty all-knowing one!”
“More sarcasm. My baby really is growing up.”
SJ could not help but smile. She had started to get used to Dave and his annoying comments. SJ rubbed her sticky hands on her dress to clean them, knowing her dress would self-clean. Calling her waterskin, she took a long pull from it before returning it to her inventory and taking stock of her situation.
“We need to find a way out,” SJ said.
Sweeping the torchlight around the cave, she could see two tunnels leading from it. Neither looked very inviting, and each had a strand of web running along its ceiling.
“I wonder what the web is for?”
“Probably an alarm system. You do know how spiders identify prey in their webs, right?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
Several strands also ran across the cave’s floor, and SJ carefully started to step over them, not wanting to catch one and cause the giant spider to return- not until she had figured out how she would deal with it.
“I can’t believe that spider was a level 7.”
“Was a little high.”
“A little. It’s almost twice my level. As you have said before, fighting a creature more than two levels higher is hard, but three!”
“Yes, I agree. However, if you can find its weakness, you can take advantage of it and hopefully beat it.”
“How do I find its weakness? It was massive, much larger than the other one.”
“What do spiders not like?”
“Normally fire.”
“Anything else?”
“They are not fans of water, but I need a fire hose to dampen something that size down.”
“They don’t exist here in Amathera. People just use magic instead. It is much more reliable, and there is no need to look for a hydrant.”
“How do you know about hydrants?”
“How do you think? AI cinema, of course.”
SJ just shook her head, “Which tunnel?”
“Flip a coin.”
That was not actually a bad idea, taking one from her inventory.
“Heads left, tails right.”
Flipping the coin, SJ caught it in the same hand and opened her palm.
“Right, it is.”
SJ was amazed at her dress as she began to pick through the strands. Its previous sticky state was already fading. The self-repair enchantment it held also kept it clean. Holding the torch out before her, she began down the tunnel. Ahead of her, she could hear water, and as she worked through the tunnel, it got louder and louder. She could now see a light ahead. She continued forward until she came to the mouth of the tunnel and looked out to the rear of a waterfall. The water thundered into a pool. Looking at the falling water, she could see daylight on the other side. Walking around the pool’s edge, SJ headed for the light.
Reaching the far side, she walked through the wall of water, the torch being dowsed as she did and found herself standing at the side of the mountain. She had seen the waterfall from afar and knew roughly where the town was. Looking towards the lake in the distance, where the waterfall continued its journey as a river, the scene from here was amazing, and if she hadn’t just walked out from being spider food, she would have appreciated the beauty more. The waterfall spray created a rainbow in the sun’s bright light.
“At least we are out of the spider lair.”
“Yes, but the quest won’t be completed until it is cleared fully.”
“I know, but I can go and prepare now rather than being strung up in a cocoon.”
SJ could see the town in the near distance, and the spider must have carried her quite far to where it had deposited her cocoon. Glad to be out of the tunnel and the crypt, SJ began the journey back towards town.
Reaching the outskirts, she headed straight back towards the church. There must be a service on as she could hear singing from inside. It piqued her interest. Considering there were so many gods in the world, she could not fathom what they could be singing about. Walking to the entrance, she saw a sign on the door.
Today’s Service is for the God of Healing – Cristiol
“I guess they do services for different gods.”
“Yes. Clerics have a special skill allowing them to pray to all gods.”
“That makes sense. Does that mean they can get boons from all the gods?”
“No. They are restricted to their primary choice. Otherwise, they could become ridiculously strong. Having a cleric able to get boons from every god would cause chaos in the world.”
“Or good?”
“Not all clerics are lawfully aligned. There are several Chaotic Evil clerics. Herbert the Oppressor is one of my favourites.”
“He sounds friendly.”
“Does he? I thought he sounded quite nasty!” Dave sarcastically responded.
“I won’t disturb the service while it is running.”
“You could go and ask for healing once it’s over?”
“That is not a bad idea. I am doing the cleric’s work, after all.”
SJ slowly pushed the church door open, the soft lilt of the music and singing sweeping over her. She felt a strange, calming sensation as she stepped inside. The pews were not full, but there were still quite a number in the congregation. The cleric stood by the altar, leading the service. She walked in and took a seat at the back of the aisle.
She sat listening to the service, which reminded her of the services she had attended as a child. She had never really been religious, but her mum and dad had wanted her to attend a Catholic pre-school, so she had had to attend church regularly growing up. It brought back memories of her Sunday mornings getting all dressed up before going. That was the only thing she enjoyed about it, and the free juice and biscuits afterwards.
The service lasted a while before it was drawn to a close, and slowly, the worshippers began to filter out. Once they had all left, cleric Lythonian returned inside and greeted her.
“I see you are back already. Is the crypt clear? I haven’t received a message.”
“Not yet, I am afraid. There is a rather nasty spider in there that I still need to deal with.”
“Oh. I see. Did you need anything?”
“I could use some healing, if possible. I know it is cheeky to ask, but I want to get back down there and finish the job, and I will have to wait otherwise.” SJ pulled the sleeve of her dress up, showing the green-tinged wound on her arm caused by the acid.
“Of course, I can help with that.”
SJ had been down to a quarter of health after the large spider had stabbed her, putting her to sleep, and since waking, had only returned to a half. Her acidic burn slowed down her healing process. The cleric began to chant a few words, and a soft white light appeared around his hands. He slowly placed his hand on SJ’s shoulder, and she felt the healing flow into her. It felt like being dipped in warm water, seeping through her body from the top of her head to her toes.
She watched as her health bar steadily rose until reaching maximum again.
“That felt amazing! Thank you so much.”
“Not at all, my child. I am here to help, especially those who help the church.”
“I don’t suppose you have any thoughts on how to deal with a giant spider. The first was a level 5, and this is a level 7.”
“In my day, when I used to adventure, salt water was a good deterrent.”
“I had no idea.”
“Yes. Salt is poisonous to spiders. Normal water annoys them. Saltwater poisons them.”
“Thank you so much for the information. That will be really helpful.” SJ replied excitedly.
SJ rose from the pew and walked from the church.
“I need to make some salt water.”
“Yes. But what will you do, throw it at it?” Dave asked.
“I need to think. I would prefer a spray, but I’m unsure how to make one here. Let’s head back into town and see what we can find.”
SJ walked past many stalls, this time only looking for food vendors. She had not paid them attention before, and now she was amazed at all the varying cuts of meat, vegetables, and fruits available. She eventually found a spice merchant. A half-orc stood rearranging some of the containers. So many different spices were available, most of which she had never even heard of before.
“Can I help you?” The half-orc asked in a deep tone. He looked old, from what she assumed, with deep wrinkles covering his slightly green-toned face and sprouting a white moustache that rested on either side of his protruding tusks, one of which was missing its end.
“I hope so. I am after salt.”
“Which sort?”
“I have no idea. I just need salt to poison a spider with.”
“Oh, I see. Well, then, rock salt is the best way to get rid of those little pests.”
“This one is not so little.”
“How much do you need? I will need to grind it as well.”
“Again, I have no idea, unfortunately. I need to make a strong saltwater mixture and find a way to dispense it.”
“Umm. Let me think.” The old half-orc turned and began rummaging underneath the stall. He came back up with some small, thin bags. “These may do the trick. You say it is a big un?”
“Yes. It is huge. Not sure of its full size, but it spun me around like a toy.”
“Oh. I see. Haven’t seen one that size since my wandering days in the forests of Lejia. Nasty buggers they were. Always stashing food for later. They don’t like fresh meat and can leave you hanging to rot.”
“I got the sense of that when it cocooned me.”
“You are lucky to have escaped then. They often inject you with venom.”
“It did, but thankfully, it only knocked me out. Apparently, poisons don’t affect me until level 5.”
“You say you are not even level 5 yet and are going up against a spider that size! You are braver than me.” He replied, with a shocked look on his face.
“I need to complete my first quest.”
“Your first? You could have picked something a little easier.”
“It sounded interesting, and I want to reach level 5 as soon as possible.”
“Well, once you have finished the quest, if you come and see me, I may have a job for you to do. It won’t be as exciting as giant spiders, but I pay a fair price, and it will be an easier experience for you.”
“That would be fantastic. How much do I owe you for the salt and the bags?”
“Did you want me to mix it and fill the bags?”
“That would be even better if you could.”
“I have five bags, so with salt and filling them, say eight coppers.”
“No problem.” SJ pulled eight coppers and handed them over to the half-orc. “Can I ask your name?”
“I am Stanley.”
“SJ. Nice to meet you, Stanley.” SJ said, smiling.
“And you. I will need some time to grind the rock salt, so if you have anything else to do, you can come back in a while.”
“I am feeling a little hungry, so I will call in at the inn for food.”
“Oh. If you are heading that way, could you drop this off with Floretta?”
“Floretta?”
“Yes, the cook. She is the best in town and always comes to me for her spices.”
“Sure.”
Stanley bent, picked up a small box of spices, and handed it to SJ. SJ took the box and headed back to the inn.
