Xar started to realise that he may have messed up. Really badly. The prison box he was trapped in rattled with each step of the man carrying it. It was a small dimensional box of black with glowing runes on its walls that suppressed his Mark. The experience was quickly making its way up to the top of his most uncomfortable things list, which was admittedly quite small as he'd barely been himself for a week.

Xar clicked his jaws in frustration at the memory of his failed telepathy spell. He'd been so close to reaching out towards the human in his memories, but the space around him had shuddered with force as it had shut all his magic down, suppressing the link.

His legs twitched as a new feeling filled Xar. Anxious/Uncertain his Mark provided, telling him what he was feeling. Another jerk went through the prison and his instincts caused him to freeze as they couldn’t decide whether he wanted to fight his way out or slink away unseen. The darkness of the prison box comforted him, yet he knew the danger was far from over. He was trapped, and bound, unable to properly use his magic.

He took a moment to consider his actions. His first step had been to find a way outside the dungeon. Something that had been easier to think of than achieve. Xar'd quickly found himself lost as he walked around the complex labyrinth of the first floor. But eventually he'd managed to find an exit out into the world.

Despite having seen the outside world from his memory shards before, the experience itself was quite a shock. There were many people that walked around Xar. Not just humans but plenty of other kinds as well. The sheer number of people had made his instincts scream to run and start digging to hide himself. But Xar had persevered. He was the greatest spider, and people would not scare him into hiding.

So he'd quietly walked out onto the streets, carefully making his way around the city. The sights had been quite a bit overwhelming, his Mark sensing hundreds of minds all around him. Each had multiple thoughts going through them, and they all blurred into one single jumbled mess. Xar much preferred the simpler minds of his siblings or other Dungeon-home creatures. They didn't make the world spin around him, after all.

Bearing through the dizzying sensations, Xar had ended up finding an assortment of fruits stacked tall upon a wooden stall, behind which a human stood shouting something. Xar, having located a treasure pile out in the open, had jumped onto the stand. With a particularly delicious purple and green fruit as his first target, he started to eat through the fruits lying around.

A scream had been the first thing that diverted his attention from slurping up the delicious fruit. He'd turned to see some humans pointing at him, and the man behind the counter began to throw him away. In a panic Xar had frozen his arm and asked him to stop.

Xar had noticed the man’s eyes turn wide as he stumbled back with an open mouth. He'd started shouting something as he pushed Xar, forcing him to jump. Soon, people had begun attacking Xar. Then the Magic men came in with their black orb thing. And that is how Xar found himself in his new prison.

Had he been human, Xar would’ve let out a sigh. Instead he simply clicked his jaws, turning around to inspect his surroundings once more. The prison-box shook once again, and Xar noticed that he'd been set down on some kind of table.

Another person walked into the room, and Xar frowned, realising that he couldn't see this person’s mind at all. He sat there, trying to listen in on what the humans were talking about but the suppression magic prevented him from hearing them properly.

After a few moments the box shook again, this time in the hands of the new human that had entered the room. The prison shook slightly as the man took Xar outside. Xar faintly sensed magic outside the prison as the surroundings shifted all of a sudden. With a click the black walls turned transparent and Xar could finally see more than the narrow slit allowed.

A middle aged man stood in front of Xar, his hair thinning in the centre. He poked around the prison, his hands switching the enchantment around for a bit. Suddenly the man froze and Xar noticed a brief moment where the man’s mind opened to Xar’s sight and he saw surprise covering it. “I hadn’t expected to find a Mark here of all places. On a spider as well.”

Xar looked curiously at the man, keeping his guard up, ready to dash away or protect himself if needed.

“You can understand me can’t you? Yes, you can definitely understand me. So it didn’t just give you the mark, but a mind as well.”

Xar felt tendrils that tried to reach into his mind. He swatted them away, and the Man hummed in surprise.

“Mind mage, your mark's ability I assume. You are curious. So very curious. A monster with a Mark, an intelligent one,” the man paused, a faint red glow flashing in his eyes as he spoke in a horribly distorted voice.

The words stung. Unlike the language Xar’s Mark had provided him, this one felt twisted, with a nasal tone to it.

“Not one of us then. Not yet,” the man said, upon seeing a lack of response from Xar.

Xar quietly assessed his surroundings, trying to find a way to break out. The suppression magic still worked in his now transparent cage, and the walls were still present. The room he found himself had magic enchantments in all corners, many tomes and books lined old bookshelves around the edges.

Xar sent to the man using one of his skills, unable and unwilling to form a direct link through his Mark.

“You don’t understand, Xar. I did not bring you here, the adventurers did. What do you think those people were planning to do? What do you think the guild will do to an intelligent monster, much less a mark. Which they would’ve found out about, sooner than later.”

Xar paused, turning to face the man. His mind was still covered in darkness, hidden under a blanket of something. he sent and a chuckle escaped the man’s mouth.

“Or worse. You wouldn’t have been free in either case. No, they would’ve tried to pry your mark out and neutralise you after their curiosity had been satiated.”

The man walked away from Xar, and next to his desk. He began sorting through the files at his desk, going through the pages one at a time. Xar carefully watched the man work as he continued to probe the prison he was in for a method of escape.

“I have an offer for you. Well, not today. Not this soon. But you will have a chance to be free,” the man said. He shifted through the pile of documents as he pulled one in particular.

Xar felt a small gap in the suppression enchantment, a tiny tiny area that was free of the magic. Xar focused his mark on the gap, pushing against it as hard as he could. The cage started to vibrate as Xar used all the strength he had to launch a telekinetic attack.

The prison shuddered from his attack, a crack running through it as the man in front of him stumbled, clutching his head from Xar’s mental attack. Xar noticed a red mark glow on it’s neck, as its skin started to turn dark. The man shifted, its hair growing out and turning longer as its body shifted.

“What have you done? No, Stop— You. Are not. Allowed here.” the creature spoke, his voice twisting as if a dozen voices spoke all at once. It’s form shifted, claws growing from his hands.

Red hair grew from his back, his body now shrinking as a girl stood in the monster’s place, sapphire bright eyes looking at Xar, with fiery red hair. Xar recognised this girl, she had been with the human in his memories. Her friend.

“A spider of all things with a Mark. What a world we live in. Do you even know the value of what you own? Niz is unwilling to kill you, but I have no such problems. I am tempted to devour a spider. I wonder how you would taste. But you are too tiny to be one of us, I can’t-” the girl’s voice broke as her features started to shift again, half her face morphed into a ghoulish face with dark skin and bright red eyes as her voice merged with the other creatures.

“Stop interfering. With my. Work,” one half of face said, and the girl’s face twisted. Something like fear passed through it before the body shifted once more. With another heave, the body pulsated, tumorous growths covering the body before they settled back down into the form of the mage.

The mage clenched his hands, eyes glowing a dark red. “I need to kill her. I can’t leave the original alive with an unknown, unstable form.”

His eyes settled onto Xar as he grabbed the box, wrapping his hand around it. Red tendrils rose around Xar, binding him in place. A scroll burned with magic as something imprinted itself onto his/the box's back by force. Xar felt magic trying to worm it’s way into his mind.

An intense fear unlike any the spider had experienced before filled him. Putting as much power as he could, Xar protected his mind against the spell, deflecting the invading tendrils that tried to bury themselves in him.

“Annoying. But the binding will work, even without absolute control,” the being hissed, as it’s eyes stopped glowing, the mark on it’s neck fading away.

“Stay here for a while. You have plenty of time to think over what to do next,” the man said, walking out as the mage lights turned off, plunging the chamber into darkness.

Xar sat in his tiny prison, as he began to construct another link to the human. He was the greatest spider there was, and no face changing monster would stop him.

Which is why he was Xardhviladrothic, the masterful Instinct-Defier-All-Powerful-Spider.