Got done a bit earlyer than planed, hope you will enjoy.

Chapter 18 - Rage of mothers

Riin's POV

Asperd Isle - Fall, Bottom of the Asperd Mountain Range - The forest queen's lair.

00:50:55

Scary! Scary! Shit… leave me alone, you crazy overgrown ass ugly spider! She has completely lost it! She is screeching and hissing like a mad, swinging her front legs around without caring around the broken one. Foul smelling drool is being sprayed all around the place as she is turning her head around looking for me. The left side of her abdomen is leaking a ‘fine’ dark green substance all over the floor. I need to bring her down way faster, than she is dying now, her one bone front leg was ripped off completely when she smashed it into the floor in an attempt to hit me, now it's laying back near the entrance, not that she seems to notice it at all.

Wait!... I need to kill her faster and she is missing her one front leg… heh-haha, I can use that! I just need to avoid her drool long enough for me to get the leg, if it's that, I'm sure that it can price her chest part… erm area… head? Fuck, why can't you just be a normal spider lady! why do you have to be an overgrown egg laying poison spitting ugly thing!

I dodge a large dose of drool and jump under one more crazy attack, but I'm quite sure that she is no longer attack me, just the whole area… zik zarking in between her wild attacks, I make it to her stump of a leg. Up close, it looked almost like a sword… heh, well why not use it like one than. Grabbing my knives I slice of the last part of ‘real’ looking spider leg, the bone comes up and forms a natural ‘handle’ where the link with the rest of the legs should be. Sweet, just got myself a sword, and a cool looking one at that!

You have obtained [Forest Queen's Claws -Left]!

Type: Sword

Subtype: Vain Sword

Material: Spirit Bone - Queen

Oh it has a name, oh well, here I come you ass ugly bitch! I get the type but the subtype… later. With a much larger weapon in hand I stuff one of the knifes in my belt. I leap back just in time to avoid a strike with her other bony front leg, dodge to the left I make my way towards her backside, a few intense minutes tick by as I dodge and jump like a crazy person to avoid her attacks and that darm poisons drool that she is spitting all around. Making it to the back I jump onto her fat ass and make a run towards her head area, as I run up I'm slicing her back open with her bone sword, karma… how it works out sometimes. As I make it to her head I swing like my life depends on it - and it does! - bringing the sword in contact with her head, it cuts clean true her shell, her big body spasms a few times then falls to ground unmoving. Ahh I did it! Hahaha I'm alive!

you have slain [The Forest Queen] by vanishing the queen you have gained 700 experience, by clearing [The Forest Queen's Lair] you have gained a bonus of 100 experience!

In the mass of spider that I'm standing in I can't help my to grin like a madman, I mean I just killed a dungeon boss or something like that if the message is anything to go by, heh. Ah that reminds me I better head back towards father and the camp, - before he wakes up. Grabbing the other bone sword from her, not like she will need it anymore anyway, I'm now armed with two cool looking swords.

You have obtained [Forest Queen's Claws - Right]!

Type: Sword

Subtype: Vain Sword

Material: Spirit Bone - Queen

---

[Forest Queen's Claws - Set] detected, applying starts bonuses:

Added + 1 [Dexterity]

Added + 1 [Strength]

00:14:35

I strap the swords on my back using some of my shirt, now it's time to hurry back to the old man, as I begin my sprint out of the cave, I remember that weird looking egg, it will make for a great omelet! taking a detour I run to pick pick up the egg.

You have obtained [Queen Spider Egg]!

Huh, well guess it's going to be a high quality omelet, heh. I run out of the cave with the egg in one hand and a knife in the other, you never can be too careful in the forest. After a while I can finally see the rocky hills where the little cave that we used for our camp is, finally! Man I'm beat, I'm really out of form… then I hear a horrifying sound!

I turn the hill and come face to face with a sight more terrifying than that spider queen… the sight of a grown man crying like a baby.

“F-Father!”

He looks up with tears down his face and snot running down into his beard, his eyes become big and even more teary, it's horrifying on a whole new level of horrifying.

“Riin Trovarar! Where in the worlds have you been!”

His voice booms out, but the only thing I see is snot flying about. Hmm, how to deal with this...

“I have been keeping the fire going so to keep honoured father from falling ill, after father passed last night.”

That was as close to the truth as I will get, just hopes that he buys it.

“I...I passed out? But…”

I have no clue as to what he is mumbling about. At least dry of some of all that snot off! It's really disrupting to look at you know?

“Father I found an egg, we can make some omelet. I'm sure father would feel better after eating some.”

Father stares at the egg I'm holding forward, for a long time a the while his eyes keeps on growing in size.

“B-Boy! Where did you get that egg?!”

Hmm, where… where… oh well.

“A cave just up the trail while I was looking for water for father.”

“A cave… You went into a cave…”

He seems to be loose it, glad I'm armed, but it's sad if I have to drop the egg, I really miss omelet.

“What were you thinking!”

He is full on yelling now, yet he has not moved from the beds, still sitting against the wall. Mumbling to himself, words even I can't hear.

“So, do father not like omelet?”

He looks up at me with big eyes.

“Boy! That egg is a [Queen Spider Egg] that is not something you make food off! How, by the gods you got hold of it without meeting the queen is a m-”

He stops himself as his eyes look over my shoulders. His eyes grows in size once more, truly amazing if you ask me. He drags a hand thru his hair.

“Boy… is that… a… set of [Queen's Claws]?”

Hmm… better play it safe.

“Huh, [Queen's Claws]? Ohhh, father knows what they are?! I found them next to the egg. Are they' good? They look really cool right?”

His face somewhat relaxes, then he starts to smile then full on grinning like a mad and then he blows into a full on laughing mess. While he is laughing I have sat down, my leg is killing me, I really overdid it today, with all that jumping around I'm going to be sore for a few days to come. Amazing how much that man can laugh… and so much snot in that beard…

I have gone over and grabbed some smoked meat, as it seems like the egg is not eatable, what a shame, really. As I'm chewing on my fourth price of smoked goodness, father finally seems to have cleaned down, at least he starts to talk again.

“[Queen Spider Egg] and [Queen's Claws], for you to gain them both is truly amazing, boy!”

Hmm, is that so?

“Oh, are they special, father?”

“Yes, very much so, boy.”

He gets up from his seat, I slowly take hold of the knife still hidden in my belt. He walks over and places a hand on my head… ruffling my hair around… fucking…

“I will tell you about them on our way back, boy. For now we need to find a suitable yew tree for your first bow! Than we are heading home, I'm sure Elisa is worried about us.”

The way he says it makes me feel worried… We walk a few miles along the mountainside looking for a suitable mountain yew that is of the right age. An hour into our walk and we finally find a yew tree, that father likes, he brings out his axe and gets to work cutting the ‘branches’ that we need off the tree.

With the work done, we set our sights at home, starting the two day walk down the mountain range and though the dense forest of Asperd.

“[Queen Spider Egg], is also a [Familiar Egg], when one uses mana and infuses it on a [Familiar Egg], one can gain a [Familiar] that is bound to one's shard, it will obey one's command if it can, they are truly amazing creatures, [Familiars] that is, you are lucky, boy. [Familiar Egg] are rare to come by, they require a few conditions to be met before they come into existence.”

Hmm, obey my commands huh, well I guess that can be of use, even if it's a spider.

“[Familiar Egg] are created in a [Lair] or dungeon, depending on where you are from, but it's all the same in the form a creating a [Familiar Egg]. The [Lair] must hold a [Queen] and a handful of proctors. If the [Lair] is home to a [King], a [Familiar Egg] can not form. To think that a [Lair] was this close to our home, it's truly a freighting thought to think, but if you say that all the [Lair] had where the egg and bones of a defeated [Queen], than another [King] or [Queen] must have slain her…let's hope that it has traveled up the mountain, and not deeper into the forest.”

You have learned out [Familiar Egg]’s and [Lairs], [Dungeons] as some countries calls them, you have gained + 2 [Wisdom]

You have gained the skills [Knowledge: Lairs/Dungeons] and [Knowledge: Familiars]

Our trip home continues towards home, as father teaches me about the [Familiar Egg], [King] and [Queens] that guards the [Lairs], that I have ‘acquired’ the egg form, not that he will ever know that is was not another [Queen] or [King] that killed the creator of the egg but me, his own son. Never telling him that, ever. On our last day of the trip home he stares long and hard at the bone swords strapped on my back, he then makes a deep sigh, huh?

“[Queen's Claws]... The weapons of the [Lairs] keeper, A spider keeper will have two kinds of weapons of a [King] keeper of the [Lair] it will have small but very sharp bone ends known as [Kings Knives], a dagger type weapon, they come in a pair of four. While has a [Queen] keeper will wield the bone weapons known as [Queen's Claws] a sword type weapon, that comes as a set of two.”

Father smiles as he look as me.

“What they have in common is that they are a weapon subtype called vain. - ”

I listen more carefully now, I really need to know about this.

“The [Vain] subtype lets one use magic in combination with the sword or poison arts, the bone swords are also called, [Spirit Bone], they are living swords, so to speak.”

You have learned about weapon types and a subtype, you have gained the skill [Knowledge: Weapon subtypes], [Spirit Bone] type added to database. You have gained +1 [Wisdom]

Ah, and to think the old man was this smart, who knew. We are on our last bit of tour before we hit home, who knew that one could miss a person's cooking so much as I do right now… ah, life , how funny you are.

Elisa's POV

Asperd Isles - Fall, Herbalist’s Hut.

Gone.

They are gone, that is the only thing going through my mind as I sit there looking out at the forest. First it was that they were late for dinner, Raval promised me that they would make it back in two days time for the evening meal. But as time went by and their meals grew cold, I started to worry. So I waited up, waited for them to come into the garden, smiling and apologizing for making me worry so much, but they never came… The tears keep falling down, what shall I do, I can't seem to get my body moving. The numbness I'm feeling is so, so strong. So, I wait, sitting here with table ready for dinner, all that is missing is my family, my love, my c-child. Oh! my poor sweet innocent little baby boy!

Light come from the garden as the sun set. My tears are now that of happiness as I run out the kitchen and slams the front door open, running towards my love,my child. I embrace them in a tight hug, I'm never letting go, never ever ever letting them go!

“Mmm-Mo-Mother! Can't breathe, I can't breathe!”

Ahh, the sweet sound of my little baby. How I missed them, my sweet, sweet child!

“Dear, you are killing him…”

Killing him… Killing --

“WHAT? WHERE IN THE WORLDS HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?!”

They are both starting at anything but me. Arrr, no you don't!

“GROUNDED!”

“YOU ARE BOTH GROUNDED! GO!”

Riin’s POV

She is standing there in her nightdress stomping the ground and pointing towards the house. Grounded… what the hell is that? I mean I know the term ‘you are grounded’ but does that mean I have to stay in my room? Does it even hold the same meaning here? Ahh, and I so wanted to rabbit stew!

“YOUR ROOM’S NOW!!”

Guess that's my answer, man woman… Shit, crazy woman, the hell is wrong with her? Was this what father was worried about? I can see why. Well I guess I can use some rest my leg is really killing me.

“Goodnight, mother”

She gives me the crazy eyes, so I more or less run to my room, what? no way I'm dealing with one more bat ass crazy woman anytime soon, I will just let this one go, I think she was very worried about us, but who knows, women are very weird creatures after all.

I sit in my room, listening to mother yelling and crying at father and much to my horror, father seems to be crying too… hell man, grow up will you. I start to get ready for bed and have just taken of my pants, as the door flies open, amazing that it's still hanging by its hinges. It's not that I'm a shy person but anyone would be surprised to be jumped in like that, while almost naked… much to my displeasure, I tell you. Not that I get a chance to get some cloth on.

“Oh! my sweet baby!”

I'm bear hugged by mother, and it seems that she is not done crying, yet…

“Oh, sweetly Raval told me how brave you were! I'm so proud of you my baby boy!”

Kill me now… I got tears and snot down my back, just end me already, this is fucking disgusting… not that she seems to notice my discomfort at all.

“S-So brave…”

And so the crying continues… here I am standing in my underwear, getting hugged by mother, while her tears and snot slowly, painfully so, makes their way down my back… It's moments like this I wish I had my knives at hand. I'm interrupted from my thoughts by mother high pinch half scream or is it a cry… I can't tell, really.

“Sweety!! What happened to your leg?!”

Huh?... ahh…fuck my life, so much right now…

“A spider-”

And that's as far as I get in my explaining, and earshatteing yell breaks out from mother, and if I didn't know better, I would say that she is in a state of fucking fury right now… where the hell is my pants! I need my knife!

“RAVAL!!!”

My poor ears! Christ woman, control yourself, will you!

Father's steps is heard as he is running up the stairs, as he comes crashing into my room, his eyes is looking for any treats, no need to look that far man, she right in front of you. I'm more or less ripped out of her hug and spun around so my front is facing father, hell is loose…

“What is this? You said it was safe out there! Raval!!”

And… more crying. Father follows mother's finger as she point to the front of the burn scar that is covering up the stab wound form that darn spider. His eyes grow is size, opening and closing his mouth for a while, before he seems to find his voice again.

“Riin!!”

What, don't put the blame on me man, it was you who wanted to go hiking, in a spider infested forest at that! Not that I'm ever going to say that, no way. Time to use the ultimate weapon! Doggy-eyes!

“B-but, father was ill! I had to get water, I didn't want father to die!”

Mother is now looking at father, ha! Take that old man!

“Dear, are you okay?”

Her voice is once more the sweet and caring one that I'm so used to.

“I'm fine sweetheart, I just passed out, I guess the stress got me…”

He drag a hand thru his hair and sighs, he walks over to me and mother and kneels down, then he looks straight in my eyes… shit.

“Boy, I'm sorry I failed as a father”

Huh? Failed, what the hell is he on about, did I hit him too hard?

“Oh, dear you can't blame this on yourself, you were passed out.”

Mother walk over and hugs father… he looks…broken…

“Father… did not fail… father is a good father, always happy and I don't care about the wound… Father is good…”

Words that seems to be stuck in my throat, words I swore never to speak, but this is not him, this is not that man, that monster… I can do this, this man took care of me even when I did not want him near me, he was always trying to make me laugh and showing me how much he cared for mother and me. Yes, this is not that monster of a man. I can say it, just this once.

“I love father!”

Raval's POV

The boy's left leg, has a rather large burn wound, that is covering the middle of his thigh, a spider Eliza said, a spider wounded my little boy, while I was not there to protect him, I have failed… I have failed my family!

“Boy, I'm sorry I failed as a father”

I'm fighting to hold back my tears and I know my voice is shaking, but right now I don't care! Our little boy, he had to bare the pain of such a wound, he too young to know that kind of pain, and to even close the wound with fire, how much did he suffer?

“Father… did not fail… father is a good father, always happy and I don't care about the wound… Father is good…”

He seems to want to say more, seems lost deep inside his own mind, Eliza is looking at him, holding a hand over her mouth to cover up the sound of her small cries, as tears stream down her cheeks.

We stare at eachother, out sweet little boy has never been one of many words, but when he did speak up his words always held a deep meaning and understanding of his surroundings, many times too much for his age, but we love him! So it is our pride to take of him, and now it is our pride to listen as he try to speak words that seems unfamiliar to him. His deep in thoughts, after a long time he looks straight at me.

“I love father!”

Ahh, I now know the meaning of life… The pride I feel, I feel invincible! I can't keep back anymore, I embrace both him and Eliza in a hug. We sit like this, for a while, on the floor kneeling and hugging our sweet boy from each side off, who seems a bit lost in the middle of our crying mess. His eyes grow big for a second, as it seems like he forgot something.

“I love mother too!”

We laugh, while hugging him tightly.

“I know, sweetie, I know you do”

That night we fall asleep in his room, while hugging our precious son tightly.