“Actually, Vel...”

I ran my finger over her burn wound and saw her grit her teeth.

Yep, she was acting tough again.

“I’m not going to leave you with that. It seems to hurt you, and I’d rather not have a scar on your unblemished body.”

She didn’t seem to know what to say. I took hold of one of my pedipalps and created a small wound with one of the claws in one of my index fingers, drawing a few drops of blood.

Regenerative Blood, apparently absurd, and yet effective too.

Velariah smiled slightly as I smeared some blood on her wound. “You’re too kind…”

“I just don’t want you in pain...”

“It’s... cold. It feels kind of nice… refreshing...” She said as I worked.

I finished covering the damaged skin with my blood and kissed Velariah again. “Now we can get to work,” I said with a smile.

I walked over to the tub and leaned on the edge as Velariah fetched her spools. “You think Dworag will have the helmet finished tomorrow as well?” I asked.

I opened my side eyes to see Velariah grab a pillow, which she used to sit on before touching my spinnerets gently.

“I reckon he will have it done, yes. The way he acted… I feel like he wants to fix his work.”

I took a moment to focus on the kind of silk I wanted to create. Water-resistant threads were soon slowly pulled from inside me.

“He couldn’t have known I’d grow these extra eyes, though. It’s not like the product was broken when I got it or anything.”

“Well, you know Dworag. He has taken a liking to you. I also think that Steelthread of yours is something he is very much looking forward to using.”

“I gotta admit, I’m quite looking forward to it myself.” I paused for a few seconds. “I’m starting to get a bit worried about the leg armor idea. It seems my carapace gets stronger through each evolution. Will I at some point still need armor? Will it grow stronger than steel?”

“I imagine it will. It would surely save a bunch of money if it turned out to be unnecessary. If only there was a way to test how strong your natural leg armor was… I mean, I could hit it with my sword, but if things go wrong... you know?”

“I’d lose a leg… again.”

“Maybe the Steelthread would be ideal for it,” Velariah said. “I imagine you could wrap it around your legs quite easily, or have Dworag try to make something with it.”

I thought for a second. “Having plated armor would probably be too much of a hassle anyway. Imagine all the measuring that would need to be done.”

Velariah chuckled. “Likely.”

“I wonder what he will come up with regarding the weapons,” I said.

I had something of an idea in my head that resembled the idea of a ring bayonet. A strong ring around one of my legs, above the final segment, could be great. I did not want the possible blade to extend past my feet or I’d have trouble walking. I’d have to retract the final segment of my leg and then stab or slice.

I guess it was close to the Wolverine idea. He balled his hands into fists before slashing too, after all…

I chuckled. “We’ll have to sell this silk today. I wonder if we can get extra for it being fresh.”

Velariah laughed. “Dunno. I can try, though.”

I allowed myself to relax while she worked. I had all my eyes closed and was thankful I was able to. Relaxing like this was a thousand times better.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Velariah said after a while.

“I am.”

“Silly El.”

“I’m a spider. What can I say? We make webs, you know? Who said I couldn’t enjoy it?”

“Heh,” She chuckled. “I guess I got to learn that the hard way the other day.”

“Shut up. You enjoyed that.”

“Tee-hee.”

I smiled while she continued. “You know, I am wondering if I could create anything like what Minia made. With some pillows, I imagine it could be quite comfortable… It’s kind of like a sleeping bag.”

“Wouldn’t your legs be a problem?”

I shrugged. “Dunno. I kind of don’t want to ruin your bathroom though...”

“It’s your room now, El. You can do whatever you want. If you want to make this your nest, go ahead.”

“Nest, huh?” I grinned.

“I have to admit, the idea of it is quite...”

“Unnerving?” I suggested sarcastically.

“More like the exact opposite.”

“Don’t tell me this is another one of your fetishes.”

She remained quiet.

“Why am I not surprised?” I grinned.

“Hey! I got a spider girlfriend. I’d like to experience all the benefits that come with it!”

I laughed. “Alright, then. I’ll make you a nest one day.”

I had a terrible joke enter my mind. “At least Elly won’t have to clean the spider webs.”

Velariah chuckled. “It would be a shame if she did.”

We remained quiet for several minutes before Velariah said she was finished.

“How much do you have?” I asked as I stopped my silk production.

“Ten spools. I reckon we kind of want to stick to that amount.”

I nodded. “You’re right. For some reason, I’m still not drained or hungry. I’m curious how much of a reserve I built up when I ‘ate’ that Borer.”

“Quite a bit, it seems,” Velariah replied.

I turned around and took Velariah in for a hug while she still sat on the pillow. “How is your chest doing?”

“No idea. Why don’t you have a look?” She asked with a sly smile.

I happily obliged and raised her shirt, only to see the wound completely gone. All that was left was some of my dried blood which could easily be washed off.

Velariah looked down at the wound as well. “Damn, El, your blood really is special.”

I let her shirt fall down and gave her a kiss. “Thank you, Vel.”

“For what?” She seemed like she didn’t know what I meant.

“For accepting me… all of me. I never imagined I could live, let alone have this much fun, as a half-spider.”

She kissed me lovingly as we embraced each other. “No need to thank me, El. I truly love you. I’ll gladly accept and explore everything there is to know about your new self together with you.”

She made my heart race with those sweet words of hers. I replied by wrapping my front two sets of legs and my pedipalps around her frame before kissing her again.

I then hugged her tenderly for several more minutes.

I wished these moments could last forever.

“You wanna do this for the rest of the day, or what?” Velariah asked. I wasn’t sure if the question was serious. I simply nodded in response.

“Well...” She paused for a second. “There’s not a whole lot we can do until dinner. We still have plenty of time before shops close… Why the hell not?”

“Thank you, Vel,” I said as I put my upper hands in her hair on her shoulders.

I cuddled her with my eyes closed and simply let the warmth within me grow as time passed. I forgot about all worries that were in my life and seemed to forget about the ones that I would have to deal with later, too.

This elf was a drug…

“El?” Velariah’s voice came after a long period of hugging.

“Hm?”

“I need to pee.”

I chuckled. “You totally ruined it.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Velariah said softly.

I let her go, stood up, and left the room, giving her some privacy.

When I entered the dining area, I could see nobody there.

Odd.

Where had they gone off to?

Elly entered the room from the kitchen, and saw me looking around.

“The others have gone out, if you’re looking for them.”

“It’s fine,” I replied. “I think Velariah and I will head out for a bit soon as well.”

Elly nodded.

“Is Gray upstairs?” I asked.

“Nira took him for a walk.”

“I see.”

“Can I help you with anything, Elania?”

“Uh, some water would be nice, thank you very much.” I smiled at the maid.

She nodded again before entering the kitchen and returned with a glass of ice-cold water, which I quickly drank before placing the glass on the table. I then made my way over to the hallway to equip my armor.

It didn’t take long before Velariah joined me. She brought her pack with her.

“Eager, aren’t you?” She grinned.

I shrugged. “I figured I might as well.”

“Where are the others, by the way?” She asked as she started putting on her own armor.

“Elly told me they were out. Apparently, Nira has Gray with her.”

“That doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

“They do seem to get along pretty well,” I said with a smile. The thought of them together was just too cute to not smile at.

Velariah had a smile on her face for the rest of the time she spent equipping herself. When she finished and fastened the belt of the pack around her, we headed out.

The clouds had mostly disappeared and the sun was shining brightly again, which was a welcome change compared to earlier. My mood was lifted almost immediately. Velariah reached for one of my hands and held it, forcing me to lower myself, so she wouldn’t have to hold her arm in an uncomfortable position.

“It warms my heart to see you happy, El. I hope you don’t mind being put into this comparatively low-technology world.”

“I don’t,” I said as we walked towards the tailoring shop. “Sure, there are some times that I get bored, those gaps would quite easily be filled in my old life, but I’m still happy to be here. Besides, I didn’t have you back on Earth.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

We reached the tailor and Velariah let go of my hand to enter the shop. It didn’t take long for her to walk out again.

“El, you have no idea how jealous I am of your ability to make money. Twenty gold within an hour is quite insane.”

“You want me to turn you into an Arachne as well, or what?” I asked with a grin.

“I don’t know. Can you?”

Wait, was she actually serious?

The grin on her face told me it was a joke, but I couldn’t help but sense some kind of seriousness in her voice.

I shook my head. “Of course I can’t. I don’t know if I’d do it, even if I could.”

That was quite the ethical dilemma. I hated those.

I decided to quickly change topics.

“We’re at like, forty-seven gold now, right?” I asked.

Velariah nodded. “More than enough for a new weapon of high quality. I’m looking forward to seeing you use it.”

“I’m a bit hesitant. I know it’s going to be good, excellent even for my style outdoors, but I’m not going to be able to train it much before heading out.”

“It’s a sword on a pole,” Velarah stated matter-of-factly. “Against goblins, and possibly trolls as well, it’s as simple as just making sure you have a good grip on it before running it into their bodies.”

“Think four arms will be enough to have a good grip on it?” I chuckled.

“I reckon it’s plenty.” She smiled.

We reached the weapon shop and halted before it. Velariah turned to me and asked me what enchants I wanted.

“Hum, what would happen if I put nothing but piercing enchants on it?”

“That...” She looked at me with large eyes. “Could actually turn out quite nicely, considering the way you intend to use the weapon.”

“That’s what I thought, too. I have to admit, I’m slightly disappointed with the effects I’ve seen so far. The one I feel has the biggest impact is the block one that Draco and I have in our shields. I can’t say I’ve felt the difference the others made much.”

“While that might be true...” Velariah started. “In combat, it’s the little edges that can mean the difference between life and death. I’m sure you noticed a huge difference when we fought those trolls in the forest and the time you fought one before that. That flimsy spear you had when I found you was hot garbage.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right, but weapon quality probably did most of the work there.”

Velariah shrugged. “As I said, it’s the little things. Let’s see how triple piercing damage will work out, shall we?”

I nodded, and Velariah entered the building, a hefty pouch of coins in her hands.

I looked around the village while I waited for the elf. This massive tree in the center never ceased to amaze me. Its size and beauty were simply… out of this world. It easily matched a sequoia tree in height.

For some reason, it seemed to be more… magical than on other days. I couldn’t explain it. I got the feeling from looking at its leaves dancing in the wind.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Velariah spooked me with her voice. I didn’t have my side eyes open so I didn’t see her approach.

“Oops, didn’t mean to scare you. Sorry about that, El.”

I nodded. “It truly is beautiful.”

“A gift from Velineri,” Velariah spoke softly. “Have you noticed anything odd about it?”

I nodded. “I was just wondering about it. It feels… more magical… I can’t put it into words. There’s something there that wasn’t there before...”

“Hopefully, we’ll be back soon after leaving for that quest. You’ll find out why this village is called Dawnleaf.”

“Huh? Is there something happening?”

The elf nodded. “Our yearly village celebration in honor of our goddess is coming up.”

“Is that why you’re in such a hurry?”

“Yes. I’d like to not miss it.”

She stared at the tree for a good minute or so. “You’ll love it too. It is magical. If you think the tree seems off already, wait until you find out what happens when the tree reaches its magical peak,” She said softly.

“You seem to be looking forward to it.”

“It’s impossible to compare it to anything else, El. It’s truly beautiful.”

She seemed lost in thought when looking at the large oak.

“Thanks, Vel. Now you got me all excited too,” I said with a smile.

Velariah hugged my side. “I really want us to be here… together.”

“We’ll make sure we’re home in time,” I said, as I returned the hug.

“Was Coldanus up yet?” I asked, after a while of staring.

“He was. He promised to get it done by morning. He actually seemed kind of excited to work on this. He did charge the full forty gold, though.”

“I did not expect anything less, to be honest. At least I know his work is good.”

“It’d better be, with those prices,” Velariah chuckled.

“Hmm,” I replied. “Is there anything else we need to take care of before we leave?”

“I don’t think so,” Velariah replied. “Draco was going to take care of supplies and some tents. We just need to hope Dworag is finished tomorrow to pick up your helmet and then this new weapon. Unless I’m missing something, I daresay we are about ready.”

“In that case,” I started. “What will we do until dinner?”

I looked at the sky. The red glare of evening had not begun to set in yet… or was it barely starting? Anyway, there’d be some more time to kill before dinner and sleep.

“No idea. Do you have anything you want to do?” She asked.

“Actually...” I thought for a second. “There was a thought that crossed my mind earlier. You know how I first came up with sticky silk by simply thinking about it? The same thing happened for the water-resistant and fire-resistant versions. They were on my inherity sheet after I already discovered them. The Steelthread appeared before I tried making that. It appears to me as if there are two ways for me to learn new types of silk: thinking about their properties, or finding out about them with an updated sheet after evolving.”

“And you just thought of a new type you wanted to try? Is that where you were going?”

I nodded. “Correct. I was thinking of creating highly-elastic silk. I imagine that could be quite useful for certain types of clothing, and perhaps a few other applications too...”

Another thought crossed my mind. “And I may just have thought of a way to improve my bathing experience.”

“Oh, now I’m interested,” Velariah stated.

“I’m going to need that vessel thingy that I talked about. You know, something like a hollow disc of iron with small holes in it. It also needs to have an opening where you can push water into.”

“Sounds easy enough for Dworag to fix. Let’s place that as the next order for him tomorrow when we visit him. I’d hate to disturb him now.”

“Fair enough.”

“Let’s go home, then. I’d love to see what you’re capable of, regarding your silk. Do you have anything else in mind that could work?”

“I’ll try to think of more things. I imagine if I can at least create something with the properties in mind they would evolve when I do, right? I mean, just look at how much effort I had with the fire and water-resistant silk at first. The latter is now a breeze for me.”

“Do you think you can color it?” Velariah asked out of the blue as we started our walk back to the mansion.

“Hum, that would be quite something, wouldn’t it?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

“It is,” I replied.

I thought about the possibilities on the way home. Maybe this ability was far more flexible than I had initially thought?