385 days until the Arkon Shield falls

Esteemed guildmaster,

Magical examination of the Human Dominion has commenced as planned. Progress, though, is slower than expected. At this stage, only nine percent of the domain has been scryed. I’ve heeded well your warning on the importance of this task and have initiated an investigation to uncover the root cause of the lackluster progress. —Senior Surveyor Wysterl, gnomish explorers guild.

For the most part, the warren’s central tunnel was well-lit, and I sped through it. As I entered the lair’s first chamber, a Trial message opened before me.

You have entered a Brown Spider Warren. Age: Newborn, less than three days old. Designated Owner: the Forerunners. Bound Settlement: Sierra.

The message only confirmed what I already knew. But given the startling presence of the queen, it was nice to see the lair still belonged to the faction. Dismissing the alert, I continued onwards.

The larger part of the warren was starkly empty. It was only when I reached the final chamber that I found the rest of the Sierra squad. Standing at the edge of the entrance ledge, I stared down into the cave.

The two guards hadn’t been lying.

The queen was back. No, that wasn’t right. A queen was back. The creature below was notably smaller than the one we had killed days ago—about half the size. It wasn’t the same spider.

Soldiers were clustered around the creature but transfixed by the sight of the new queen, I paid them little heed. Reaching out with my will, I analyzed the beast.

The target is a level 20 young brown spider queen and member of an allied faction: the Forerunners. It has mediocre Magic, Might and Craft, and is gifted with Resilience.

The tension in my shoulders eased as I saw the spider was friendly. Rationally, I’d known it had to be the case. Still, I hadn’t been able to stop myself from imagining the worst.

Where had the new queen come from, though? And how did she get here? Wrenching my gaze away from the spider, I studied the men and women below.

Eight faces were likewise staring up at me. Judging by their armaments, six were spearmen, and two were scouts. I didn’t recognize any of them, but from their knowing nods, broad grins, and whispered words, I suspected they knew who I was already. Waving to the village’s soldiers, I climbed down the rope affixed to the edge of the ledge.

Time to find out what all this is about.

✽✽✽

The squad’s sergeant met me at the bottom. “Mage Jamie,” she said, the relief in her voice undisguised. “I’m glad the old lady sent you.”

With my attention fixed on the looming spider in the background, it took me a moment to focus on the dark-haired sergeant before me.

She was a large woman, topping my own six feet by a considerable margin, and well-muscled. Her hair was braided in a single plait that fell far down her back, her spear was sharpened, and her armor—for all that it was shoddy murluk leathers— was well-maintained. A capable soldier, by all appearances.

“Jolin didn’t send me, sergeant,” I replied.

“Call me Giselle.” Her brows drew down. “And what do you mean the commander didn’t send you?”

My eyes darted to the spider behind the sergeant. Its presence was hard to ignore. The creature’s head was buried in the ground. Searching for something?

“I’m only passing through, on my way to the nearby dungeon,” I answered absently. “I don’t intend on staying long.”

Giselle’s frown deepened, but she didn’t say anything.

My gaze slid to the young queen again. The creature had begun to dig. Her legs working vigorously, she showered us with sand and grit as she burrowed into the earth. Remarkably, this action didn’t serve to draw even a single backward glance from the sergeant. Unable to stay silent myself, I blurted out, “What is she doing?” And where the hell did she come from?

Giselle shrugged. “No idea. She showed up yesterday. Gave us a good fright too. I’m not ashamed to say we nearly fled in terror.” The sergeant shook her head ruefully. “Things only calmed down when one of the scouts thought to analyze her, and we realized she was ours.”

I nodded slowly. The soldiers appeared to have grown used to the new queen in an impressively short space of time. In their place, I wasn’t sure if I would be as unruffled as them. “How did she get inside the warren?” The two guards surely hadn’t let her in through the gate.

“That’s the thing,” Giselle said, “she appeared out of nowhere. One minute the chamber was empty, the next she was here.”

“Really?” I murmured. “She didn’t dig her way in or something?”

Giselle shook her head. “One of my soldiers thought he saw a flash of light a moment before her appearance.” She tugged at her plait. “If I had to guess, I’d say the queen was teleported in.”

Interesting, I mused. I could only assume the Trials was responsible, and this was how it went about repopulating cleared lairs and dungeons. “What’s she doing now?”

Revulsion flashed across the sergeant’s face. “See for yourself. Though I warn you, it’s not pretty.”

I glanced at the sergeant curiously, but she refused to meet my gaze. With a shrug, I stepped through the ring of fascinated soldiers and up to the creature’s side.

Sensing my presence, the queen paused in her furious digging. She pulled her head out of the ground and stared at me with eight shiny black orbs that were devoid of warmth. The spider’s fangs were wet, dripping with a sticky yellow ichor.

A slim limb was sticking out of her mouth, too.

Urgh.

I recognized the appendage. It was the leg of a spiderling. Gingerly leaning past the behemoth looming next to me, I glanced into the hole the queen had been digging, finally suspecting what she was about. Sure enough, I spied a dozen or so broken eggs at the bottom.

The new queen was killing her predecessors’ offspring.

Alrighty, I thought, stepping back hastily. Seeming to dismiss me as no threat, the queen shoved her head back into the ground and resumed her grisly work.

“Gruesome, isn’t it?” Giselle asked, rejoining me.

I nodded mutely.

The sergeant shifted from foot to foot, not saying for a moment. “Jamie,” she said eventually, “I know you said you’re only passing through, but…” She fell silent again.

I glanced at her. “What is it?”

Giselle blew out a troubled breath. “I am glad you are here. We could do with your help.”

“My help? Not with the queen, surely?”

The sergeant shook her head. “Not with her. But with what she seems to have attracted.”

My brows furrowed, not understanding, but I waited for her to go on.

“A pack of fire maggots showed up last night, not long after the queen herself appeared,” the sergeant continued. “The creatures slunk around the outside of the warren and even sniffed at the entrance, but thankfully they didn’t find it.”

“Fire maggots?” I asked, startled. This was the first I had heard of such creatures. “And you think they are looking for the new queen?”

The sergeant tugged at her hair again. “Why else would they be here? We’ve been based here for five days and in all that time, nothing has troubled us. Our scouts certainly didn’t uncover any signs of fire maggots in the region. Then yesterday, the queen arrived, and almost immediately, the maggots turned up. I don’t think it is a coincidence.”

I pursed my lips, thinking over Giselle’s words. Her suppositions might just be correct. Creature champions did seem to attract attention, and young as she was, I had no doubt that the new queen was a champion with her own core.

“I’ve requested reinforcements from the village,” Giselle went on, “but I don’t think they will arrive before tomorrow, and I suspect the maggots will be back tonight.”

“Where are the creatures now?”

“My scouts tracked them to a cave a mile away. The creatures appear nocturnal. They were asleep at the last report.”

I nodded. “How strong are the maggots?”

“There’s at least eight of them. All are over level thirty.”

I winced. I could understand now the sergeant’s reluctance to deal with the threat on her own.

“I hate to impose, but if you could stay the night, it would relieve me greatly. I fear we will lose the lair otherwise.” Giselle stared at me hopefully. “Will you stay?”

I bit my lip. “I’m sorry, sergeant, I can’t spare the time.”

The soldier deflated.

“But,” I went on, “that doesn’t mean I won’t help. Let’s go bag some maggots.”

The sergeant’s eyes widened. “What? You mean right now?”

I smiled. “They’re sleeping, right? Then there’s no better time than now.” My gaze slipped sideways to the queen. “And we better take her along.”

✽✽✽

Somewhat to my surprise, Giselle did not object to my plan. In fact, she seemed excited about the whole thing, which for some reason, didn’t make me feel any better.

An hour later, me, the entire warren guard, and the spider queen herself were gathered together at the top of a rocky valley, looking down at a darkened cave entrance. Bringing the queen along on this venture was a calculated risk, but I suspected she would’ve been in more peril if we left her behind alone.

Thin wisps of smoke wafted out of the cave’s interior as if something inside was burning—or generating lots of heat.

“They’re all in there?” I asked in a low-voiced whisper.

Martin, one of the scouts, nodded. “Yeah. We spotted at least eight inside.”

Eight was a lot, but I was sure I could handle the maggot pack with invincible and fire ray. Still, it would not do to underestimate the creatures. From their descriptors alone, I assumed the maggots would be resistant to fire damage—how resistant I had no idea yet—but unfortunately, dragonfire was by far my best means of attack.

I really need to learn more spells. That would take time, though, and time was in short supply right now.

“How do you want to do this?” Giselle asked.

I scratched my chin in thought and surveyed our forces again. “The two scouts can stay here and fire down with their bows on the maggots. Have the spearmen form a cordon around the entrance. As close as they can get, but,” I warned, “make sure the maggots aren’t alerted to their presence.”

The sergeant nodded and glanced at the spider queen hovering at her back. “And her?”

I pursed my lips as I considered the creature. On the way here, Giselle had filled me in on a few more details about our new ally that she hadn’t thought to mention earlier. The queen, it seemed, was able to understand simple vocal commands and follow them without question.

Unfortunately, it was only to Giselle that the spider would listen. The sergeant was the first person to have approached the creature, and according to the Trials the pair had bonded together. For all intents and purposes, the spider queen was Giselle’s companion now.

I wondered if all the lair’s future creatures would also undergo the same bonding, and if so, what it would mean for the composition of Sierra’s armed forces. Would the village end up with a specialized spider company? That will be a sight indeed to behold.

“Have the queen anchor the center of the cordon,” I said. It was not on an idle whim that I’d brought the beast along.

Primarily, I hoped to use the spider as our tank. I, better than anyone else, knew precisely how formidable a creature a spider queen was. If things went wrong, the creature would be ideally suited to soak up damage from the maggots.

There was another reason, too, although it was more in the nature of an experiment. I had not missed the fact that the queen was only level twenty, three whole ranks weaker than the one I’d faced off against days ago. I was curious to see if our new queen would advance during the battle.

From what I had learned from the Trials Infopedia, I knew that most Overworld creatures were not like players—they did not gain experience and advance the same way we did—but the spider queen was no ordinary beast.

I was sure she was a creature champion with a core of her own. I was hoping that would make her different. If the queen could gain levels directly from combat, her value would increase exponentially, and finding out if this was the case was worth the risk of using her in battle.

“Where will you be?” Giselle asked, interrupting my musings.

My gaze fixed on the shadowed cave mouth. “I’m going inside.”

✽✽✽

I took my time, descending to the bottom of the valley. The loose rocks on the slope made slipping all too easy, and with my hobbled left foot, my balance was precarious even at the best of times.

Forgoing dignity and ignoring the watching soldiers, I went down on all fours and shuffled backwards down the slope. Despite the ungainliness of my approach, I managed the trip without mishap.

Reaching the valley floor, I unstrapped my staff from where I had stowed it across my back and approached the cave from one side. As I neared my destination, I braced my back against the left wall of the rocky slope and slowed my advance. The entrance was a few yards wide and still dark.

Nothing stirred as I drew nearer.

I inched closer. At the lip of the cave mouth, I paused. Giselle, the spider queen, and the other spearmen had descended in my wake and formed a loose half-circle a short distance from the entrance. Above them, at the top of the slope, the squad’s two scouts had drawn their bows.

My gaze met Giselle’s. She nodded back. Her people were ready.

Keeping my movements slow and deliberate, I peered around the edge of the cave entrance. A Trials message floated into view.

Your skill in sneaking has advanced to level 2.

Dismissing the alert, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the gloom. The cave was long and narrow—about twelve yards deep and only a few yards across. It is really more of a short tunnel than an actual cave, I thought idly. At the far end, a heap of gleaming shapes was piled high.

The fire maggots.

The creatures’ bodies were thick and elongated. Their skins were translucent white, revealing veins and organs that glowed a dull red beneath. The maggots were intertwined together, making it difficult for me to tell their actual size or numbers. Yet, there was no doubt the creatures were large. Each worm-like body was thicker than my own torso.

Perhaps, I’ve underestimated the danger. I hesitated, wondering if retreat was the wiser course. But we were already in position, and the threat the maggots posed would have to be dealt with, whether today or tonight.

Best to deal with them while we retain the element of surprise. Reaching out with my will, I picked out one of the sleeping creatures to analyze.

The target is a level 31 fire maggot. It has meager Magic and Resilience, mediocre Might, and no Craft.

My lips turned down. The creatures had magic too. And from their glowing innards, I could guess what form it would take. Best to do this carefully. Revising my plans, I decided against entering the cave.

I activated night vision and, as silently as I could manage, inched my way to the center of the cave mouth while keeping my eyes fixed on the maggots.

No reaction.

Lowering my staff, I touched the tip to the ground and cast sinking mud. I wasn’t sure how effective the mud would be against the maggots, but if it slowed them down even a little, the spell would have been worth the effort.

Underfoot, the ground rippled, and a cone expanded outwards from my Focus nine yards into the cave, stopping short of the maggot pile. A heartbeat later, the rocky ground was transformed into bubbling, sucking mud. Grabbing my staff in a two-handed grip, I braced it horizontally before me, readying myself for the inevitable reaction.

A heartbeat passed. Then another.

Hmm... I lowered my staff warily. Despite the appearance of the spelled ground, the maggots hadn’t stirred. It seemed like creatures’ slumber was deeper than I expected, but there were no further preparations I needed to make, so after a slow, steadying breath, I pointed my staff at the maggots and began casting fire ray.

Forming the spell in my mind, I infused the casting with lifeblood and mana. When the casting was charged and ready, I hurled it into the cave. The summoned dragonfire burned a line of gold through the darkness and hit the pile of maggots squarely. Unbidden, a Trials message unfurled in my mind.

Spontaneous analyze triggered by attack. You have uncovered a fire maggot Trait: Warmed by Fire. Fire maggots are immune to all forms of fire-based magic.

For a drawn-out moment, I stared in wordless shock at the message. Immune? Really?

My frozen posture didn’t go unnoticed by the soldiers. “What’s wrong?” Giselle called out in a loud whisper.

“I can’t harm the bloody things!” I yelled back, not attempting to be quiet myself. The pile was writhing. Despite my dragonfire doing no damage, it had awoken the maggots.

Now what? I wondered, my mind racing. With my dragonfire nullified, I was useless, or nearly so. I can always try pummeling them with my staff, can’t I? Scowling, I dismissed the errant thought. Was it time to retreat?

If I cast invincible, I could hold the maggots’ attention long enough for the others to escape. As for myself… my gaze was drawn again to the uncoiling heap. Judging by the speed with which the creatures separated themselves, retreating wasn’t an option for me.

“Get back!” Giselle ordered.

I glanced at her over my shoulder.

“Let us handle this,” the sergeant said grimly. “Your magic may not be able to hurt them, but our spears surely will. Their hides look thin enough to puncture.”

Not waiting for my response, Giselle waved her people forward. She wasn’t wrong, I realized. The spearmen were better equipped to deal with the creatures than myself. But the danger they will be exposing themselves to…

My gaze flew back to the cave. The maggot pile had fully deconstructed into individual creatures, giving me my first clear look at the maggots. My face twisted in disgust. The monsters had no eyes, and their maws were lined with jagged teeth. They looked like blind worms.

Giant, magical worms. And far more deadly.

The maggots’ innards had begun pulsing, and with each beat, the light radiating off them grew ominously brighter. My eyes narrowed. It couldn’t bode anything good. The maggots, ignoring me standing in plain sight, had lowered their heads to the ground and were sniffing at the spelled ground. They seemed wary of it and hadn’t advanced yet. But I knew, sooner or later, they’d get over their uncertainty.

We didn’t have much time left.

I took a quick count. There were thirteen of the creatures—five more than I’d bargained on. The maggots had us both outnumbered and out-leveled. Damnit. I was liking the odds less by the minute. C’mon Jamie, come up with a plan. How—

Giselle tapped my shoulder, and I spun around. The sergeant was clutching her spear in a white-knuckled grip. Her face was pale too, and her gaze was fixed unerringly on the maggots. She is staring her own death in the face, I thought. Still, her voice was firm when she spoke. “Get back,” she barked again.

I swallowed. I had no better solution to offer than her plan and had to stomach the soldiers bearing the brunt of the maggots’ attack. With a curt nod of acknowledgment, I began slipping to the side of the entrance.

Then paused as inspiration struck.

“Use the queen!” I shouted. “Have her block the entrance. If we can keep maggots bottled up in the cave, we can make their numbers count for nothing!”

The sergeant’s face was set in a hard line, and she gave no indication that she’d heard me. Nonetheless, she hastened to comply, motioning the queen forward. Given the spider’s size, she filled nearly the entirety of the cave mouth. I blew out a relieved breath as the queen flowed into place before the maggots could begin their advance.

Improvising further on my plan, the sergeant positioned half of her squad on the spider’s right, and the rest on the left, before waving the two scouts forward. Given our new positioning, the archers would not be effective from that far out. Figuring out what my role in this battle would be, I shuffled to the queen’s rear. Leaning down, I took a moment to peek beneath her body and recheck the cave.

The fire maggots had begun their advance.

Glowing brighter with every passing second, the creatures were wriggling through the mud. “The maggots will have some sort of fire attack!” I yelled, realizing belatedly that the spearmen might not be aware of this fact. “Be ready to shield yourself.” If you can.

Muttered oaths and bitten-off curses were my only response. Jerking upright, I planted my feet and began my preparations. After my first blush of panic had passed, I realized the battle’s outcome would still heavily depend on my own contribution. I might not be able to hurt the maggots, but it was still up to me to keep everyone alive.

Or as many of them as I could.