Project: TheirWorld - Chapter 014 - Part 2

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Webspinner

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TheirWorld

“Now,” said the voice. “I shall send my spiders to search for you when my web is completed. It won’t take long, so you needn’t go far.”

Given her freedom, Guin decided to go back to where she had seen the little fox. Shuffling through the underbrush, she made her way through the dense, dark forest. It seemed darker than the forest that she had run through to get there; deeper, mysterious. A shiver ran down her spine, and she rubbed at the gooseflesh on her arms that it caused.

“Little fox?” she called out, taking one step at a time. It was hard! Guin’s grew more confused more with each step she took. The atmosphere was thick, as if she were walking against the wind during a hurricane, but the air was deathly still. Turning to look back, she could still see the bright and airy clearing where the Webspinner was - she had not gone near as far as she felt that should have. Is it the mechanic of the instance border? She wondered, looking back into the dark forest. Or…

It was a magical forest. A forest that was said to be the home of powerful creatures - and she was just a child. Level 0. But what about the fox? Her stubbornness egging her on, she pushed forward, calling after the fox.

One step, then another, Dizziness overcame her. The world was spinning. The forest, waves of… what? Spirits - why are there no spirits here? Guin wondered as she felt her knees give out. She struggled to breathe. A flash of green. Lights? No - a pair of eyes glimmered out from a body of black fur. Oh. Guin fell back, clumsily trying to pull herself away from... whatever it was. She couldn’t make out its shape. It was too dark. Her mind was too clouded. Teeth? Teeth.

“H-Hey,” she mumbled, her voice cracking. “T-This is the tutorial… y-you can’t… I Just wanted to help… the little fox… I wanted to help...”

The image in front of her shattered, and the pressure that she had been drowning her broke like a fever in the night. Guin gaped at the little fox before her, whose eyes were glowing like fireflies. With it’s tail between it’s legs, it ducked its head as it’s eyes dimmed back down to black.

“You!” she exclaimed, sitting up. “You did that?”

It crouched low to the ground, ears flat against its head. “Yip!” it went, and bolted again. Guin sighed and pulled herself up. The dizziness was gone, but the air remained unchanged.

“Hmm…”

“Candidate?” A pair of tiny voices entered into her ears, but Guin saw nothing when she looked around. “The Webspinner is finished. Please return to the glade…”

Guin looked off into the direction the fox had gone. Just what was it with the thing? It certainly wasn’t a normal fox - though being from the White Fox Forest, Guin would be shocked if any other animals in it were ‘normal’. She returned to the glade and walked over to the stump where the Webspinner waited. Looking inside the hollow, she saw a new, beautifully patterned web stretching across the stump’s top. Guin had never seen such a thing. The Webspinner quietly observed her handiwork.

“It is done,” the ethereal voice proudly told her. “Before I read you your fate, I will say: Candidate, my fate is only accurate for a period of time. Should you disrupt that fate, than it will change. I shall not read it to you in the language of my forebears, nor shall I tell you the full fate that I can read in my web. I shall only speak of its fortunes, of its paths, and the terms which you may choose.”

The little blue spider seemed to look into Guin’s eyes as she spoke. “You are a Candidate. Before you will lay four paths. There is the path of the solitude in the ancient forests of the North, the path of mystery, through the deep mists of the East, the path lined with gold in the infinite West, and the path of power in the blood soaked South. The fate is yours to choose. The spirits of the wood shall call you master, and those outside the Veil shall hail you as a hero. The path of power shall turn you into a god - for better or for ill. You shall be nothing less than a force of nature. The path lined with gold shall make you richer than the kings and queens of the mortal realm. With these riches, you shall command man and spirit alike by controlling their every desire. The path of mystery…. Even I cannot say what the path of mystery will bring you. And the path of solitude shall turn you into a titan. Never should you fall to an enemy; all that lay before you will be nothing more than a child’s play thing.Unlike many I have met, all paths are open to you. Everything that you do shall alter your fate, now, and in the future. The world is your cradle.”

From what Guin hear, it sounded as if it was highly possible that this was telling her the classes that would be available to her should she continue on this quest line she had found. Excited at the prospect, she smiled and bowed to the webspinner.

“I think you, Lady Webspinner,” she said graciously.

“You are very welcome, Candidate,” answered the spider. “All of the spirits shall be watching you and the choices that you make. As for the owl, Wise, I will not tell you where she is.” Guin’s mouth opened involuntarily as the spider continued, “Instead, I shall send you to those who can escort you to her. It would not be proper for one such as yourself to be un-escorted before Wise.”

Though she wasn’t terribly happy to continue on the wild goose chase these spirits seemed intent on sending her on, Guin nodded. “Who are they, and where should I find them?”

“They are the Three Fools of the Forest: Jeek, Ororos, and Little Lili. Idiots all - but their hearts are good. You can find them to the west of here. I shall mark you map -” There was a ping. “With that, I bid you good luck, Candidate. May the spirits of the forest treat you well.”

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This quest is optional. It can be skipped.>

> > >

This quest is optional. It can be skipped.>

> > >

“Thank you, Webspinner!” Guin bowed, accepting both of the quests.

“It is my pleasure, Candidate - but I might add, there is someone here who has something to request of you - should he have the courage to pursue it?” the Webspinner’s voice ended in a hinting note. “Well there he is!”

“Huh?” Guin turned around to see none other than the little light oranged colored baby fox, quaking in his little dark brown paws, white tipped tail fully between his legs. Gaping at him, Guin knelt down.

“Yip…” he squeezed out. “Yi-Yiiiiiiiii…”

“Be calm, fox child,” communicated the soft voice of the Webspinner. “Speak the words your mother taught you.”

“Yiiii,” he tried again, looking up at Guin with watery eyes. “Yiii-p...Pi-Please… Please help my momma...P-Please - t - they… They… Yiiiiiiii….”

Guin’s brain stopped for a moment before she reached out and pet the small thing on the head. “Hey now,” she said warmly. “Don’t cry…”

“M-Momma…” he whined.