The rocky mountains gave way to mountains and hills covered in green. The stone ground became dirt and grass and brush with tall trees reaching towards the sky in every direction. The canopy wasn’t dense and Jake could see for several hundred meters but the landscape was certainly different. Jake was forced to walk in a winding path to avoid overly thick brush. Draws and streams fed the low lands with plenty of water, forcing Jake to watch his step lest his boots get soaked or lodged in mud. Birds chirped. Insects buzzed. Small animals scampered about. A stark contrast to the desolate lands he’d come from.

Because of all the debris and resistance, his pace slowed dramatically. Jake was forced to walk with more focus and frequently checked his compass to keep himself oriented. Though he doubted there would be any large threats here, he kept his wits and frequently scanned his surroundings. Every so often, he stopped to listen and check around him. All of this dragged on his mind. By the time night came he likely hadn’t traveled far in comparison to before, and he was exhausted. The temperature hadn’t changed too drastically and the canopy kept the sun off him. Yet, he still sweat plenty.

The boy found a small open area to convert into a camp for the evening and created a large hut out of rock and dirt, closing himself off from the outside world for the night. While he slept, he traveled to the Library to continue his study of the Elven language. He also performed a map check. He found his relative location on a world map and consulted with one of the fairies as to a good route to take. Without accurate travel instruments, Jake was going to be forced to use topological landmarks, mental distance tracking, and a general direction to keep himself on track.

Thus far, doing so had kept him moving in the proper direction. However, it had been easy to do because of the open terrain. Now that the forest was in his face and there would be a plethora of obstacles, Jake wouldn’t be able to walk in a straight line. The mountains and tall hills would give way eventually to smaller rolling hills and the forest would become a dense mess. Spotting the sun consistently would be difficult and he would need to put more attention on his feet to keep himself from tripping over everything. His compass would become his friend from here on.

Thankfully, the terrain was to his advantage. The rocky mountains gave way to a green range that would continue to funnel him west. Several caves were known to dot the area and he would pass one soon. It would act as a halfway mark through the green mountains. Once he was through, pushing directly west would eventually cause him to run into a large river. If he followed it north, he would run into a village at some point. It would be on the far side in the middle of a fork where two other rivers met, but that was his goal for the time being.

The trip just to get to that town was going to take several days. At least another fifteen to twenty at a slow pace. If he raced or used magic, he might be able to shave that timeline down but there was no need to rush. This was a marathon of a journey, not a sprint.

At least, that’s what he first thought. After just the first two days of trudging through the thick terrain, Jake was worn out and annoyed. The constant fight against everything trying to grab at his pants was irritating. Every vine, twig, bush, and tree root seemed perfectly placed to catch his feet and ankles. He found himself cursing more often and regularly tore through the thickets in order to get free. He couldn’t tell when but at some point he pulled out his sword so he could slash his way through some of the thicker bushes. If things kept up, Jake certainly considered just using magic to jump over it all.

By the time he finally reached the cave, Jake was on the verge of just burning the entire forest down.

“Restraint. Restraint,” he repeated to himself. Jake sliced through another thicket of brush and shouldered through, forcing his way out of the forest and into the mouth of the cave. It was large and open, with plenty of space for him to stretch and relax in. Built into the side of the northern mountainside, the cave provided plenty of safety from the sun without being abysmally dark inside. Though, it was much deeper than he expected. From what he saw on the map, Jake thought it to be something rather shallow. Instead it stretched well beyond his line of sight.

“...And it’s not empty.”

Along the walls and on the floor, Jake noticed several silvery threads. Silk. They only started about fifty meters deep, beyond the reach of the sunlight and well inside the maw of the cave itself. Judging by their placement and distance from the cave, they were placed in a defensive manner. They were similar to Jake’s alert spells and would warn the occupants of trespassers. Trespassers who were committed to going inside.

Jake couldn’t detect any living creatures in the vicinity, though, so he felt it safe to assume the threads ran deep into the cave. Whoever was watching them likely did so from a very, very safe distance. Another detail that Jake picked up. A defensive warning network placed so deep to only pick up intruders who had hostile intention, with a sentry beyond sight and sound that could give such early warning that a proper defense could be formed. A defense that was likely to be multi-layered with several ambushes in place, or potentially one large ambush performed to encircle and kill.

He narrowed his eyes and stared down at the lines of silk, then scanned the cave again. The threads only lined the lower portions of the walls and the floor, not the ceiling. The occupants prepared only for intruders who could walk. The threads were thin and placed mostly out of sight, with a few done to draw the eyes and be openly visible. Threads meant to say ‘Stay Out’.

The visible threads would deter those who weren’t interested in tangling with the makers and there were enough in sight to make even a tougher individual think twice. While the less visible and harder to catch ones were placed to catch the fools here on purpose. Individuals sent to hunt the occupants.

“Seems I’m not the first adventurer to stroll in here, then,” Jake mumbled as he ran his fingers over the rocky floor. He looked for footprints or marks, then walked back towards the entrance of the cave. As he looked around, he noticed several places where fires had been made. Traces of ash and scattered rocks. Larger rocks that had been used for seats. Threads and clumps of fur. Remnants of individuals mending their clothes, likely torn from the journey to the cave.

Jake walked to the mouth of the cave and turned to face inside, his eyes staring into the dark maw. The evidence was clear. Adventurers had been here before multiple times and had likely tested the owners of those threads. And each time, they’d failed. How badly was uncertain but Jake was willing to bet that several had lost their lives here. Even so, time and time again their parties returned. For what reason, Jake was also uncertain. If he had to gander a guess it was probably because the occupants here were a serious threat.

“This far out…?” Jake scratched at his side as he thought back to the map he’d looked over. This was a several day trek from any semblance of civilization, in every direction. Whatever was here wasn’t a threat to anyone but the local wildlife. Attacking a village or town was out of the question.

Which meant this was no typical threat. Or, it wasn’t a threat at all. In the case of the former, the creatures inside could cross the terrain quickly and threaten a wide area, explaining the lack of settlements. If it was the latter, then they were hunting it for sport. The occupant was a prized entity, a target of sorts, and its head would probably fetch a price for its capture.

Jake sighed and placed his hands on his hips. “I should stay out of it,” he spat, knowing full well what would happen if he walked inside. This would lead to a fight either way. A fight with the inhabitant or a fight with adventurers if they were wandering by at the wrong time. He would be forced to pick a side of that happened and after his track record thus far, Jake was unsure who’s side he’d take.

…

Jake stepped across the strands of silk and planted his boot firmly on one of the more obviously placed ones. It vibrated beneath his foot very subtly, as did the other strands that he conveniently stepped on. The mouth of the cave faded behind him as he walked into the rocky space. The light dimmed as the sun’s rays failed to reach too deep and eventually, Jake funneled mana into his eyes to trigger his night vision. He expanded his Sensory magic as well to cover his immediate bubble as well as to his front and rear, ensuring the occupants wouldn’t get the jump on him.

Call him curious. Call him stupid. In the end, it was neither that drove him forward. The silken strands were Arachkin in nature, woven by spiderlings. The larger, more noticeable strands were woven by an adult. Which meant this cave wasn’t just a home, it was a nest. A brood lurked here.

And there was a certain someone who mentioned a brood to the west.

Eyes wide, breathing steady. A calm and clear mind, Jake walked slowly into the cave. His eyes shimmered blue, radiating power as he scanned the darkness with his night vision. His Sensory magic stretched around him, covering his immediate bubble as well as fifty meters ahead and behind. The world of the dark, empty space lit up and Jake walked as if the sun itself was shining in behind him. Bold, without fear. Even as he purposefully stepped on the strands of silk lining the rock. His nostrils flared every so often as he sniffed at the air. He paused briefly, listening for movement beyond his sight. His eyes searched every crevice, not leaving his protection to magic alone. Every detail, every piece of evidence, his mind processed and fed to him.

The further he walked into the cave, the more apparent the fighting here became. More scratches on the walls from swords. Burn marks, cracks in the rock, old splotches of dried blood. Remnants of a struggle on both sides. Strips of fabric, chips of armor, shattered steel. Left behind likely on purpose as deterrents. Done to show newcomers that this place was not for the faint of heart.

Adventurers who came before you perished without fail.

Continue, and you will join them.

Jake tapped his canines together as he stared down at half of a sword, or a sizable chunk of one. He then knelt down and plucked a piece of armor off the floor. He checked its composition, ran his fingers over it to see if there was rust or some trace to show its age. Aside from the slickness of moisture, Jake couldn’t see anything else. Which meant these items were fresh. How fresh was uncertain but their owners died within the last week or two. Maybe the last month?

He set the metal back on the floor and stood up, continuing down the tunnel into its depths. Along the way the evidence of prior battles continued to provide him plenty of warning to return to the surface. He ignored them all, strolling along as if they weren’t there. Until the silk strands came to an end.

The warning system suddenly stopped, for no reason in particular, which caused Jake’s internal warning sirens to flare. He checked the area immediately for some form of trap or trigger for something, but found nothing. Just more rock, more empty space. Not a soul in sight either, neither friend nor foe. He also noticed that there weren’t any more traces of fighting or scattered debris from fallen adventurers. Beyond the silk, the way was clear. Which meant the guards had fallen back to alert the nest. This was where they waited.

Jake nodded and knelt to the floor again, checking the ground for any trace of those guards, or guard if they stood alone. From what he could see, the strands collected into three different spots. One to the middle, one on each wall. Three guards at a time were positioned to watch the entrance then.

Picking up, he strode forward and kept his eyes open. He sniffed at the air again and noticed a change. Not a smell of rot but a musky and pungent scent. Decay was mixed in, yet it wasn’t as prominent as Maedra. There was also a hint of sweetness to the scent, one that made Jake keenly aware of who he was dealing with. If it wasn’t for the silk, that familiar scent was what settled his thoughts. So much so that he felt a smirk on his face. A brief one.

Jake intruded into the cave only another twenty meters before his eyes picked up the first sign of movement. A small shift in the floor, a subtle adjustment from something lurking just beyond his night vision. Catching the detail, he immediately stopped. Looking forward, Jake opened his eyes and pushed his Sensory magic forward. Doing so caused several bodies of magic to illuminate, their mana sources flaring like pulsing hearts. And, reflecting their sensitivity to magic, the creatures slunk backwards quickly. Skittering back to the edge of his magic in an attempt to avoid detection.

“Oh…?” Jake muttered softly, noting their experience with magic. If they were familiar with detection magic, then he was not the first to use it. Their reaction timing to it was almost natural and nearly perfect. What they didn’t know is that he could see their eyes flicker in his night vision.

Now, what to do…

He crossed his arms and settled onto the heels of his feet, uncertain of how to proceed. He’d confirmed that they were Arachkin and that there were quite a number of them. Maybe eight in total that were juveniles, two as long as him already, and a handful of much smaller babies beneath their feet. Likely there to either help or eat after he was killed. They were experienced in fighting Adventurers and knew how to react to magic. He could fight them to a standoff but that might risk injuring them. He might get hurt as well, as fighting to just defend would restrict him to just using his swords. If he was overwhelmed, they’d just use their venom and paralyze him. Trying to converse with them might work but that was assuming they could speak back. If they would at all. Even if he tried to negotiate, they might attack him anyway.

Shrugging, Jake placed his hands on his hips. Well, he could always change to fighting later if need be. “I can see you. All of you.” He shouted into the tunnel, using Beast tongue first.

The brood remained still.

Jake wiggled his nose and continued. “I’m looking for a certain Arachkin broodmother. I’m not sure of her name but she might be a sister of a friend of mine. His name was Chul. Chul E’tana.” He paused, watching as the Arachkin shifted about. The larger pair looked at one another for a moment. Their fangs chittered, then they looked forward again. “I met him in the Ravine. He told me his sister was this way and I wished to meet her.” Jake raised his hands from his waist in an attempt to show that he wouldn’t fight.

“I can wait here if you like until you can get someone who might be able to speak to me.” Jake offered them an option of mediation. If they were willing to talk, he would stay put.

A few of the Arachkin shifted about again and Jake could hear their chattering. Whispers of confusion. A mix of those wanting to just kill him and others who wanted to get someone older to speak. In the middle of it all, the larger two of the brood stayed rather silent. Then, one stepped forward.

“Brother-” The other large Arachkin chirped, reaching forward to try and stop his kin. However, the bold young adult Arachkin continued to walk.

He ignored the veil of Sensory magic coating his body and walked midway to where Jake stood. There, he stopped in the center of the tunnel. He looked oddly familiar with how he stood but Jake didn’t say anything. He remained stoic, waiting to see what the Arachkin may do.

“You speak of our Uncle, but how can we trust you, Human Adventurer?” The Arachkin’s voice bellowed into the tunnel, a low and deep rumble of contest.

Jake placed a hand on one of his pack’s straps. “May I?”

The Arachkin’s eyes squinted for a moment, then he nodded. With permission, Jake dropped his pack to the floor behind him. He then shed his cloak and rolled it into a ball at his feet. Then, he pulled the sleeve of his left arm up, drawing it all the way to his shoulder in order to expose the mark etched into his skin. The Mark of the Arachkin, evidence of Lady Rastua’s blessing. Feeding mana into the mark, the red eyes of the spider shimmered to life, revealing that it wasn’t a fake.

In response, several of the Arachkin in the back chirped and began to whisper. The large young adult hissed and silenced their chatter.

“Remain here, Human.” The Young adult turned away and walked back to his kin. After an exchange of words, he stepped past the lot and disappeared into the tunnel.

Jake did as told and remained in place. As he waited, he sat down on his pack and made himself comfortable. He stared at the group of Arachkin in front of him, watching them as they returned his gaze. Familiar scents tickled his nose, bringing back fond memories of when he’d first began this life.

Suddenly, a larger set of sixteen eyes appeared out of the dark. Jake instantly felt the hairs on his neck stand on end and he felt his mana flow tremble. Out of instinct, Jake felt his arms flex as if everything in his body screamed at him to grab his weapons. He clenched his jaw and fought that urge, instead meeting those leering eyes with a harsh stare of his own. Of the sixteen, two switched colors and stared into his very soul.

Then, the brood at the edge of his sensory magic was pushed away, herded back by a powerful set of legs that seemed to fill the tunnel. The massive figure stepped forward out of the dark, not hesitating to enter Jake’s detection zone. An Arachkin that filled the tunnel, radiated magical power, and exuded a presence of danger and strength. Smaller in stature but not lacking in ability. She stopped mere meters from him. Close enough to overwhelm him should the moment come. Yet, Jake remained seated on his pack, his hands laced together in front of him. A sign that he was not here to fight.

“Who are you, Human?” She stood over Jake, her large jaws chattering with a mix of restraint and anger as she loomed over him.

Jake clenched his jaw and reached into his shirt, slowly. He ran his fingers over the two strands of cord and found the one sporting Chul’s crystal. With a tug, he pulled it free and then held it up into the air for her to see. Her eyes widened at the sight.

“I am Jake Furrow, a friend of Chul E’tana. I met him in the Ravine and he became a friend of mine. A dear friend who I cherish dearly. If not for him, I would not be here today.” Jake spoke clearly and curtly, careful of his words. “He mentioned his sister and that he sent her west. I happened to be passing through when I came across evidence of Arachkin at the entrance of the cave. I’ve come to see if she is here. An Arachkin by the name of Rey’ra.”

“And if she is not?” The Arachkin spoke with a low tone, her body lowering as she leveled her eyes with Jake’s. It caused her legs to flex and brought her fangs rather close to him.

Jake didn’t flinch. “Then I will leave and continue my journey. If you know of her, or where she is. Tell her that her brother has passed and that he did so well. His one regret was not being able to help her more.”

The Arachkin’s eyes searched his face, scanning his features for any sign of deceit. She also looked into his mana flow itself, careful of his magical ability. After what felt like forever, she finally pulled away. And Jake let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“So, Chul is dead. Did he die in the Ravine?” She asked, her tone softening.

Jake nodded. “He did. A Maudraga bested us when we fought it.”

Her body heaved, as if sighing as she took a few steps back. “I warned him that the Maedra would be his undoing. To think he finally met his match…” She muttered, lowering her eyes for a moment. Then, she looked at Jake again. “You said ‘we’. You fought with my brother?”

“Not fully, but I was with him during the fight.” Jake raised his right hand, showing the scar from where Chul had pushed him off. “He died protecting me at the Dragon Vein.”

The Arachkin tapped her fangs before her eyes softened further. “I smell him on you. Your mana is much like his as well. I presume that is not by coincidence.”

“It is not.” Jake grabbed onto the crystal and gripped in. “Chul passed his mana source on to me, entrusting me with it. I’ve lived my life so far trying to meet his expectations, trying to meet his praise. It hasn’t been easy but…” Jake paused, pressing his lips together for a moment. He looked down at his fist as he swallowed a lump in his throat. “...but that's all I can do. I know he would be angry if I gave up after that.”

The Arachkin stared down at him, her eyes once more looking him over. “That Maudraga. Did you avenge my brother?” She asked with a voice of ice.

Resolute, Jake nodded. “I and two Dragonkin found it and slayed it, along with every other Maedra within the Ravine.”

Her head bobbed, content with his words. “Then you have my appreciation, Adventurer. For being a friend to my brother and for doing what I could not.” The Arachkin turned away from Jake, walking towards the depths of the tunnel. She stopped at the edge of his Sensory magic and lowered down to her brood. She spoke to them and used her front legs to corral them, shooing them away and back into the tunnel.

“Come, Human. We have much to discuss. I wish to know more of my brother, and also of that interesting mark you have on your shoulder.” She looked over her shoulder towards him one last time before stepping away, leading into the tunnel.

Taking that as his cue to follow, Jake grabbed his cloak and draped it quickly over his shoulders. He then snatched up his pack and hurried to catch up. He passed between the two young adult Arachkin, ignoring their gazes as he followed their broodmother down into the tunnel.