Two stories below, the dwarf shouted. No words, just a primal yell. The sound echoed through the hollow chamber, up among the swaying husks of his long-dead kindred. He swung his arms, and the massive arachnid was deflected, skittering off in a different direction. Its legs flailed and it caught itself against the wall.

Dark blood spattered the rough stone.

The creature reared back and hissed, fangs bared and front legs clawing at the air. It was the kind of terrifying sound that you never wanted to know spiders were capable of making.

The dwarf stumbled back, hood falling from his head. His broad, double-sided axe was dripping blood. The weapon was almost as tall as he was.

I struggled uselessly, the spider silk ropes tight, sticky and hard as iron around my body. I had barely an inch to maneuver, my muscles tense and straining and doing absolutely nothing. Still, I wrenched at my bonds, feeling raw muscular might pouring through me. My Strength, in fact. My muscles were hard and bulging, and I knew I was stronger than I’d ever been. It was strange, such an abrupt transition. Like in the past few moments I’d suddenly packed on enough muscle to account for several months of daily gym visits.

But no matter how hard I pushed, the silk bounced back.

In fact, it sprang back tighter than before.

“Shit!” I cursed softly. I glanced around wildly, eyes wide.

To my left, four or five feet away, the curvy figure of my fellow prisoner. She was stirring, head lolling, muttering softly. All around us, the hanging dead. Their sightless eyes and sunken mouths gaped out into the dark with empty horror.

I’m so not down for that.

Abruptly, something flitted across my vision.

I narrowed my eyes.

There it was again!

A shape fluttered between the suspended corpses, dodging this way and that in the deep shadows, weaving among the spider’s larder. I heard a shout echo up out of the murk, the chittering hiss of a massive, enraged arachnid. I set my jaw and ignored them.

I squinted. Concentrating, I heard the swish of gliding wings.

The fast-moving creature was coming closer, too swift for me to identify. It was small, agile, wings flapping now to keep it aloft as it dodged left and right. If we were playing 20 Questions, the shape would be somewhere between the size of a toaster and a breadbox. Not that anyone has any idea how big a goddam breadbox is.

This was the last thing I needed. A giant mosquito to go along with the giant goddam spider. But then the creature shot into free air and spread its wings, buffeting the air and coming to a halt. It landed awkwardly, hooking its small, curved claws into the chest wrappings of a nearby corpse.

The cocoon swayed under its weight and the thing squawked, fluttering and securing its hold.

It was feathered and furry. Its tufted ears swiveled my way as it turned its head like an owl and affixed me with a pair of big, black, beady eyes. Its short beak opened and it let out a soft coo.

Hungry? Curious? I wondered, trying to identify the animal. Not another bug, thank god. What the hell do you want?

I focused, trying to match the strange creature to anything I knew from back home. It was impossible to classify. However, I was rewarded with a small text box that blinked into existence above its head.

Microgriffon

Level 0 Animal Companion

I blinked.

Animal Companion, I thought. No… There’s no way…

“Webster?” My hushed voice was shocked.

But the creature simply chirped in response. It eyed me calmly.

My mind raced. Could it really be…?

“Webster,” I hissed. “If you really are some sort of… helper creature, now…” I hesitated. “How about a little help with these?” I jerked my chin down at my bonds. That beak looked sharp enough to do some cutting.

Cheep. The microgriffon blinked at me, ruffling its long tail feathers.

Shit… I thought. Useless. Maybe I was wrong.

A screech split the air and my gaze twitched down below. I craned my neck. The huge spider was forcing its smaller opponent back, menacing with its massive, swinging forelimbs. The dwarf was obviously holding his own. His axe sliced heavily back and forth through the air, flinging blood with every swing. But even my amateur eyes could see he was tiring.

“Ooph!” I grunted as something barreled into my chest, then winced as tiny pinpricks of pain pierced my skin.

There was suddenly a furry, beaked face close to mine. The microgriffon cooed loudly, its beak opening and closing right in front of my nose. This near, I could tell that it was actually far sharper than I’d realized. Sharp enough to peck out my eyes, easily. Or even slice into my bare, vulnerable throat.

The small animal hung off my bonds, four clawed feet hooked into them and stabbing my naked chest beneath.

“Come on…” I muttered anxiously. I stared into its eyes, seeking a hint of… Intelligence? Loyalty? I didn’t know.

The microgriffon stared back. Then, abruptly, it ducked its head. I felt a tugging at my collarbone, a soft snip-click sound of the creature’s beak going to work on my thick bonds.

I felt a rush of relief. It understood! “Yes, Webster…” I muttered. “Yes!”

But I didn’t know if my small, winged ally was going to be fast enough.

I looked down, saw that the dwarf had been backed into a corner. I could hear his mighty grunts in the still, cold air with every swing. The spider was waiting just out of reach, several of its front legs hemming in the dwarf and the rest coiled underneath it. Ready to pounce.

They were almost directly below us, now.

Snip-click. Snip-click.

With all my strength I flexed my shoulders and arms, trying desperately to break free of the weakened ropes. Nothing. But for the first time, I felt some give in the sticky silken strands.

Snip-click. Webster the microgriffon adjusted its grip, wings fluttering and blocking my vision for a moment as it clambered down my torso, slashing at the cocoon.

Another strain. I knew the veins were bulging out of my neck. It felt like my chest was going to burst. It wasn’t that I was desperate to help the dwarf. Nor, unfortunately, did I think I could do much for the half-awakened woman swinging nearby. I just needed to get free so I could make a run for it. And if the dwarf went down before I could escape, I didn’t have a distraction.

Sssnap.

It was a sensation, more than a sound. The sudden freeing of my upper body as the weakened ropes parted under a brutal surge of primal strength. My pumped-up shoulders were shrugging free and Webster squawked indignantly as my entire cocoon swayed wildly.

I hissed as the animal’s claws dug deeper into my flesh. But I didn’t care. My hands were free, ripping and tearing the ropes away from my torso. I wasn’t stunned, now. Hadn’t just fallen hundreds of feet through the darkness. Wasn’t begging to die. The sticky silk that had defeated me in the spider’s web had been stronger than this, certainly.

Or maybe I was just stronger, now. I wondered when my shoulder and back had healed, because my bunching, powerful muscles felt no pain as I tore at the cocoon. My hands were nimble and lean, and on one of my fingers I saw the dull shape of a ring. It was dark, almost black against my skin, a twisted band of iron loops pounded and wound, into and around one another.

Snip-click. Webster resumed.

I didn’t wear a ring, but it tugged at my memory. Wait…

Before I could think about it, I was tugging the band from my finger. My heartbeat thundered in anticipation. My fingers were abruptly empty. Then, in my fist, the heavy black shaft of a six-foot war spear.

Thorn.

The name resonated in my mind and I grinned. It was a brilliant, brittle, battle grin. I knew where I’d felt this sensation before on my lips. On the hunt. My eyes twitched down below, past the scrambling microgriffon who sliced at the rope around my midsection. I could see the panting warrior, bald head sheened with sweat in my colorless vision. I could see the bristling, wounded monster, hissing its terrifying scream as venom dripped from dagger fangs. And, of course — because why would anything in my life ever be easy? — I could also see the second massive spider that crawled quietly down the wall behind the oblivious fighter.

Crap.

“Behind!” I bellowed without thinking.

The dwarf spun, eyes snapping up, seeking through the gloom.

The spider before him twitched, scuttling forward.

Snip-click.

And, in that instant, the strands of silk around my legs parted. With a yell that was part surprise, part fear and part devil-may-care, demoniacal war cry, my body fell forward, tearing free of my bonds.

I dropped headfirst toward the melee below.

My vision narrowed to a single point. This was insane. The grip of my spear was hard in my clenched fist. I fell like an out-of-control Olympic diver, my body twisting and trailing shredded silk behind. I had no time. Breath flowed in through my nose. I braced for impact.

Only then, time slowed…

I was suddenly extremely conscious of it, the echo of my yell bouncing off the stone and slowly filtering into my ears. The vehicle-sized arachnid rearing back to pounce. The flanked dwarf’s eyes widening as they flicked from the spider on the wall towards my plummeting figure.

Congratulations! You have activated your first feat. You’ve chosen the feat: Incredible Focus.

You have 3 seconds at ¼ speed.

Use them wisely.

12…

11…

A tiny, ornate counter appeared in an upper corner of my vision, ticking down.

10…

My feet, I realized, were still wrapped together. My cocoon had simply split, my weight too much for the weakened strands. My back stung where I’d ripped free from the sticky rope.

9…

I realized I felt as comfortable upside down as right-way up, but it was less than optimal for landing. Instinctively, I arched my back and my body flipped forward. Gravity dragged me down as slowly as a fly through amber but my movements were free and easy. In my hand, I felt the spear Thorn begin to spin.

8…

I gripped the haft in both hands, the glittering, foot-long spearhead angled downward.

7…

I braced for impact.

6…

And then time lurched and sped up, as though some part of me I wasn’t even aware of had flipped a switch. I spun head over heels in a perfect somersault and landed, my silk-entwined boots smashing down on top of the eight-legged horror with a satisfying crunch. The heavy war spear slid down through the creature’s swollen abdomen with a snick, my weight and the momentum of my fall all concentrated in a single, razor-sharp point.

The huge spider screamed, a sound louder and more terrifying than I ever could have imagined. It spasmed as my weight smashed its surprised body down into the stone floor. I heard the snap of shattering chitin armor. Behind me, a guttural roar and another hissing spider cry. Which I ignored. I’d just have to trust my momentary ally to take care of business.

The spear wrenched free, a fountain of dark blood and gore spraying in its wake. Under my feet, I felt the monster try to rise. Its many legs skittered and shoved at the floor. It was trying to buck me off, to push itself back up.

But it had no defenses here. I was in the many-eyed creature’s weak spot.

I shifted my weight and thrust again, driving straight down, the broad, flat blade slicing between my feet. In one movement, I cut through the final cords that bound me from calf-to ankle and pinned the monstrous arachnid to the floor by its thorax. It jolted once more, legs spasming on the stone floor, but six feet of steel and iron through the brain put it down.

I spun, wrenching my spear free. A notification tried to flare across my vision but I dashed it away with a silent swipe of my thoughts. Not this time.

The dwarf was hard pressed. His shoulders heaved with exertion but the huge axe whirled dangerously at the creature poised above him. His massive, predatory opponent clung to the wall with several of its legs and probed with the others. Its twin, dagger-lengthed teeth were bared, dangerous.

I’d forgotten, somehow, how huge the spiders looked from below. My body wanted to freeze up, curl up, shy away.

No. It was my inner Survivor. Don’t freeze. Run. My eyes flicked to the gaping tunnel mouth, where the dwarf had first emerged.

No. Another thought. I remembered, now. It was the decision I’d made when I’d decided to stop that bastard dwarf from raping the green-skinned girl. Don’t run. I’d been a coward before. I’d given up on the people that mattered most. Not just once, but over and over. Not again. Fight.

Dancing forward, boot heel grinding across the dull eyes of my downed foe, I lunged. The broad spearhead lanced over the dwarf’s shoulder and took the monster right under its hooked fang. The blade didn’t sink deep, but the unexpected strike made the spider rear back, scrambling. The dwarf’s axe smashed into an anchored leg.

The monster scrambled, lost its grip on the wall. It fell forward, hairy bulk twisting around my spear and landing on one flailing set of limbs. Another thrust, this one desperate, instinctive, trying to keep its awful, reaching legs away from me. The creature toppled onto its back.

A glittering sweep of steel across my vision.

The huge axe split the spider’s abdomen wide open in a spray of dark blood and slimy innards. I felt a speckle of liquid across my face. A final hiss and the creature’s legs curled up against its body. One stuck out at an odd angle, smashed sideways. One was missing, stump trickling blood.

The dwarf and I stared at each other across the body of our downed enemy. Chests heaving, eyes wide, bodies tense. I didn’t want to breathe, didn’t want to make a sound. If I made a sound, I might start something.

And if something started, I would have to kill him.