As night fell, the camp began to settle in. The support personnel finished their tasks and preparations for the morning movement while the leadership gathered around the campfire. It had been a long day, one full of concern and stress as tensions bubbled over the events within the spider den. If the report was correct, there was a force within the den that could no longer be contained or handled by normal means. A threat that was capable of defeating an entire raid party as well as two of the better mercenaries in the territory. Based on the facts provided and the lack of survivors, the Guild would have no choice but to increase the danger rank of the den.

However, there was a serious asterisk that now needed to be applied to the request. The den was being marked for protection by that looming force. Should the Guild attempt to move on the den again, there was a very present danger to the villages in the area. If Eric was truthful about his encounter, then his survival was both a mercy and a message. Stay out or be slaughtered. This raid party had been composed of several B-Rank adventurers. If they couldn’t subdue the den, then the local forces as a whole would be unlikely to do so without additional support.

The Guild had a difficult decision to make. One that would need to be passed up through proper channels to be discussed by the powers at be. For now, the best course of action would be to suspend operations in the area. At least until a decision could be made as to how the handle the den. Thus far, the spiders hadn’t threatened the village nor had they made any attacks on livestock, travelers, or outposts and forts. Though, that was likely due to the steady supply of food in the form of adventurers. Once those food sources ran dry, what would the den do?

The Guild Representative, Rei, gnawed on his thumb as he considered the possibilities. From what Eric had shared, the spider den had no intentions to attack human settlements or infringe on occupied territories. They had largely remained defensive, solely protecting themselves from adventurer incursions. Yet, Rei presumed that things would change in the near future. One those food stores emptied, the spider den would need to search for food elsewhere. While there was plenty of wildlife between here and the nearest human outpost…

“How long will they last…?” The Elf muttered, his eyes narrowing on Eric’s report.

“Rei?” He must have spoken a little too loudly, as one of the others called out to him.

Rei sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, internalizing the issue at hand. He couldn’t discuss this here, nor could he let these adventurers worry unnecessarily. Until the higher ups provided them with a plan of action for the future, he would have to keep his personal assumptions to himself. For the safety of the Guild, the village, and these people. He’d have to trust Eric’s word, along with the word of whatever sent that message.

“And to think, I’m trusting a monster. How unsightly.” Rei adjusted his glasses and then tucked the report away into a sealed folder, closing it off and then packing it away.

“How is your brother?” Rei looked across the fire towards the twins. The mercenaries who had been hired to fight the Broodmother. From what Rei had heard and what their registration cards said, they were supposedly A-Ranked. More skilled and experienced than any other adventurer in the frontier this far south.

Eric raised a thumb as he looked over at his brother. Clyde was laying against the same log Eric sat on, staring off into space with a conflicted expression on his face. He’d awoken an hour ago after sleeping all day long, recovering from their fight. From what Eric shared, they were beaten pretty badly against the enemy. The fact that they weren’t killed was both a miracle, and terrifying.

“What kind of monster lets adventurers live…?” Rei couldn’t understand the thought process of letting the twins live. Other than giving Eric the opportunity to send along an ultimatum, it was unheard of. Monsters were thoughtless creatures, beasts with no cognitive thought. They did nothing but hunt the Council Races who advanced into their territories. They weren’t as terrifying as the Maedra but Monsters could be just as powerful and intimidating. Dealing with them was always a pain.

There was evidence of monsters developing communities and working together, but such occurrences typically applied only to demi-human races. Never with actual Monsters. For a spider den to relinquish the twins, out of all of the other adventurers who had entered, was baffling. A calculated decision, even.

“Wait, were they released on purpose?” Rei’s eyes widened as he looked up in the direction of the den.

If the creature was powerful enough to exterminate the raid party so easily, it wasn’t hard to presume they were strong enough to choose who to spare. By comparing the strength of the adventurers, it wasn’t impossible to consider that the twins were released specifically because of their strength. A show of force, in essence.

“I can beat them. I can leave them on the edge of their lives and openly choose to spare them. Anyone else you send will end up the same.” Was the underlying message. Not just for the Council Races to stay away, but to show that if the Council Races continued trying to subjugate the den, it would all lead to the same outcome.

Rei clenched his jaw. A level of cunning that Rei couldn’t wrap his mind around. Incredible. Fascinating. But would the Guild Masters see it the same? Would they be able to understand the severity of this?

“Eric, Clyde.” Rei looked at the twins, his expression souring. “This creature, this monster you faced down there.”

Clyde didn’t move, but his voice was sound. “It wasn’t a monster.”

Eric’s eyes shot open and he hurriedly flailed at his brother. Rei blinked and the others froze.

“What?” Rei mumbled. “What do you mean it wasn’t a monster?”

Eric continued to flail and tried to get his brother’s attention, but Clyde stared straight ahead. He wasn’t going to lie. No, Clyde acknowledged his loss to that man, that other Apostle. Out of respect, he would never turn away from this moment.

“It was a man. One man.” Clyde huffed and looked down at his right hand. He clenched it, testing the strength in his muscles. Still weak.

“A Battle Mage. Or, as you Elves call them, a Sword Singer.”

Rei’s eyes widened.

A… Sword… Singer?

Darkness greeted Jake when his eyes parted. Tension across his body, accompanied by a steady chill, promptly reminded him of where he was and of his recent activity. His muscles were incredibly sore. Several points across his body had lingering pains. His head hurt. He felt dehydrated. While much of his pain had subsided, his discomfort was very, very prevalent.

“Fuck,” he mumbled, groaning as he stared into the black of the Arachkin den. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t want to exist right now. If he could, he would force himself to sleep again and let his future self once again deal with another moment of awakening. Because right now, he didn’t want to.

The floor shifted beneath Jake, alerting him to the fact that he wasn’t laying on stone anymore. From the comfort and sticky sensation, he could tell he was in a web of some kind. Likely a bed that the Arachkin had put him in.

“Is living unsatisfactory to you, child?” Rey’ra’s voice tickled at Jake’s ear. She was nearby but he couldn’t see her. Not without mana in his eyes

He huffed and closed his eyes. “Are you going to tell me I should appreciate it more?”

Rey’ra chuffed and he could hear her feet tap against the stone as she walked. “No. I have dozens of others to save that advice for.”

Jake lay in silence for a few moments, then forced himself to sit up. His body creaked and pain seared through him. His injuries had hardly healed and the soreness was only inflamed by his sudden movement. Yet, he couldn’t lay around all day. He had many miles to cross still and wasting time here would only extend his time away from home. If he stopped for several days at every location he visited, this trip would take ages to finish.

The man forced himself to his feet and he carefully stepped off the web to the floor. As he did, he tested his mana flow. He checked the tension, felt the storm of power in his core, and wiggled his fingers as he stretched the tingling sensation beneath his skin. His mana source hadn’t refilled the basin yet but there was enough to assist in the recovery process. Not enough to heal everything. He would have to take things slow for a bit.

“All is well?”

Jake channeled mana into his eyes and the den expanded around him. Rey’ra emerged from the cloak of blackness only a short distance off to his right. “Well enough. How is your brood?”

“The children are fine. Shaken but they will forget in a day's time. The older ones are still tense and are mourning the loss of their siblings.” Rey’ra sighed and lowered her head. “I feel this will be the first time they can truly do so. It is a privilege that I hope they take advantage of.”

Jake pressed his lips together, pausing for a moment before deciding to ask. “How attached are you to your children, Rey’ra?”

The Arachkin Broodmother’s fangs tapped a few times. “An odd question.”

“I mean nothing by it, just curious. There are a lot of you, and I would think it difficult for you to keep track of every child.” Jake made his way to his ruck and set down on top of it, using it as a cushion to relax on. As he did, he began moving mana around within himself to initiate the healing process.

Rey’ra chuckled and similarly found her web, nestling into it to make herself comfortable. “Indeed. That is why we typically do not name our children. One Brood alone may produce fifty to over one hundred. It all depends on how many survive.”

Jake mulled over those numbers as his eyes scanned over the walls, the webs, and the floor. He looked at all the various groups of Arachkin scattered throughout the den. A large family, one constantly in danger, trying to live their lives in this hole of a place. Never to see the sun lest they find themselves attacked.

That was no way to live. At least, Jake thought so. It was the same for the Oryx. So deep beneath the surface. In this cold, dreary place. Surrounded by stone and rock, unable to see the rise and fall of the sun or hear the singing of beetles and birds. No rustling of leaves, no crunch of soil. No touch of the sun’s heat. Jake would like to have given them an opportunity to change that way of life but right now he had no way to do so. So long as the surface races feared the Arachkin, things wouldn’t change. Even if he helped move them to a different place, they would be hunted eventually.

Sighing, Jake leaned forward onto his forearms and interlaced his fingers. Gripping his hands together, the man stared down at the floor, mulling over what he could do. A futile thing that he was aware of even now.

“Something the matter?” Rey’ra spoke up after leaving Jake to his thoughts for a short time.

“Would you ever consider living on the surface?”

Rey’ra’s fangs clicked together as she laughed. “No, my child. We would not.” She raised her head a little so that she could peer out to see all of her children. “This den is enough for us. It’s peaceful, safe, and quiet. We hunt when necessary but this place gives us protection from those who wish us harm. On the surface, such protections wouldn’t be guaranteed.”

A spiderling crawled over to Rey’ra’s web and stumbled up into it, crawling into the reach of their mother. Jake watched the baby cuddle up to Rey’ra and nestle in beneath the broodmother. At that moment, Jake understood. This place wasn’t a prison for them. It was the best option. Spiderlings were tiny and weak, susceptible to attack from any and all predators. Within this den, those predators were non-existent. So long as the older children remained alive to protect the tunnels, the spiderlings would grow without concern.

Jake nodded. “I see,” he mumbled, turning his head away to stare out at the brood again.

Watching the brood, Jake found himself thinking of the Twins. They had entered together, fought for one another, and left leaning on one another. Their trust in each other was unbreakable and their dedication to each other was similarly commendable. For the brood, the sense of family and belonging between them all was also very clear to see.

“Family, huh…?” Jake mused. His hand naturally raised to his collar. His fingers found his necklaces and retrieved the pair of crystals. As he sat and recovered in silence, his fingertips rubbed over both Chul’s Crystal and his Mother’s gift.

Not wanting to test his luck in the forest, Jake waited in the Arachkin den for another cycle of sleep. Rather than force his body to a breaking point, he acknowledged the need for a break. Food, sleep, and plenty of time to cultivate his mana to recoup his losses. Ensuring he was ready for the next leg of his trip was just as much of a priority as speed. If he moved too early, wounded and tired, his progress would be greatly stunted. Overall, doing so would only end up hurting him more.

Three days passed before Jake was finally ready to move again. Even then, he felt off. Nagging pains, bruises, and soreness were just a few of the annoying aches that he couldn’t seem to shake. While he could focus his magic into them, Jake didn’t want to let himself get too comfortable. Using the same thought process as keeping his ruck weighted during his initial training with Darius, Jake forced himself to deal with the little injuries. In doing so, he was reminded of how feeble his body could be at times.

Rey’ra and much of the brood looked on as Jake made his final preparations. He checked his weapons, ate a final meal, circulated his mana, settled his clothing and then shouldered his ruck. He had consulted a map within the Library the prior evening to orient himself and kept his compass handy for the trip. He had moved directly west up until this point. With the open, barren desert behind him and more landmarks coming into play, Jake would be able to move more accurately and would need to utilize the natural and manmade passages to keep himself on track.

Thus, he would move in a slightly more north direction rather than directly west. He’d walk for an estimated ten days in search of a large river. From there, he’d then follow it north until he reached a fork in the waterway. That leg should take two to three additional days. In the center of the fork was expected to be a human village. This village would be his resting point. From there, he would restock and try to either find transportation north, or continue to walk along the road on his own.

A grueling trek, as traversing the forest was expected to be a slow and painful process. Moving through the thick vegetation would slow his progress extensively and force him to burn both energy and calories significantly more than before. Keeping himself from fatiguing and burning out would be a constant struggle and ensuring he remained moving in the proper direction would be similarly rough. His biggest fear was walking in a massive circle.

“Are you certain?” Rey’ra had already asked multiple times whether or not Jake was comfortable leaving. And every time, his answer was the same.

“Yea. I can’t stay any longer.” Jake had burned enough time sitting on his ass already. Any longer and he would risk burning through too many supplies. His food was limited as it was and reaching the human village as soon as possible was a necessity because of that. If he ran out of food beforehand, he’d starve. After waiting for three days here in the den, eating and wasting food, Jake was already organizing his food for rations. Even with the jerky he’d made in the mountains, Jake needed to make up two meals somewhere. Hopefully he could snag something fresh along the way.

“I see. Then, I wish you safety and success in your travels, Apostle. May Lady Rastua watch over you.” Rey’ra smiled and bowed her head in appreciation, an act that Jake reciprocated.

He lowered his head to her, thankful for her hospitality. “Thank you, Rey’ra. I’ll make sure that the adventurers uphold their promise to leave the den alone.” Jake cinched down the straps of his pack and then adjusted the weight to be centered on his shoulders. Comfortable, he turned and made for the exit. He followed behind a pair of large Arachkin brothers and bid the others farewell. The spiderlings waved their little legs and several of the older children watched with soft eyes.

Jake gave them one last smile before stepping into the tunnel. He triggered the rune on the base of his ruck to reduce the weight of his ruck and then pulled the straps down a little tighter to his body. During his rest, Jake had pilfered from the pile of adventurer goodies to find himself a plethora of gear, clothes, and equipment to replace what had been used. He found a fresh pair of boots that fit snug, gloves that weren’t tattered, and a cloak that was thicker than the makeshift one he’d been given by Hulgrok. He washed and cleaned two sets of clothes to replace the ones the twins had mangled.

He also found a largely undamaged boiled leather brigandine that fit a little loose but could be cinched down to stay in place. Weapon wise, Jake acquired an additional set of short swords, two additional knives, a large curved blade, and a small circular shield. One that he strapped to the front of his pack. It wasn’t one that he planned on using in combat but after seeing its effectiveness in Clyde’s hands, he didn’t want to stunt the opportunity.

The adventurers had left behind plenty of currency to collect as well, providing Jake with no small sum of change. He wasn’t experienced in what the coins meant, their values, or what currency belonged to what region as there was plenty of variety. However, he made sure to collect enough of everything he could see to give himself peace of mind going forward. With the money, Jake collected what he learned to be adventurer cards, or identification plates. Things that would provide the village with information on the adventurers that had been lost in the den.

To round it off, Jake plucked anything valuable from the bodies. Gems, jewelry, gilded weapons and items. Small trinkets and things that could be sold easily for coins. Enough to fill his ruck’s additional space to the limit and provide him with financial security wherever he went. In doing so, Jake was able to write off one small piece of stress from his plate. A piece he knew would be one of his biggest problems during this journey. It would creep up on him again in the future but for now, he would at least be able to cover his necessities.

“Back to it,” he mumbled to himself, steeling his mind for the return to the monotony of walking. And walking. And more walking. After having to deal with two troublesome encounters already, he fully expected to have a third or even a fourth before reaching the human village. Encounters he really didn’t want to have to deal with, but encounters he would handle as smoothly and quickly as he could.

Above all, he just needed to reach this damned village before his food ran out.

“Apostle.” As Jake and his escorts reached the sentries posted within the tunnel, one of the Arachkin turned to face him. “You have done our family a service we cannot repay. One that has earned you more than a title, to us. My siblings and I all agree. Your friendship with our exiled uncle, your connection to Lady Rastua, and your actions here are all we have needed to see you as family. Should you ever need us, know that we will aid you, as will any other Arachkin brood that we have an alliance with.” The Arachkin exchanged looks with his siblings before reaching to the underside of his carapace. He plucked a bundle of silk that was tucked to his body and passed it to Jake.

A small circular totem carved from a black, dull metal was within the threads. After removing the silk, Jake was greeted with the face of an Arachkin surrounded by several symbols he could not read.

“Our mother did not share it, but Chul’s name is well known amongst our species. Both as a symbol of failure and a symbol of greatness.” The Arachkin’s fangs chittered as he spoke, tapping slightly as he lowered his head. “You gave him something no one else could. A family member who cared not for his name but his deeds. For that, we wished to present you with a gift. It is our family crest, the crest Chul also would have carried were he not abandoned by our Aunts. We hope it proves useful to you should you encounter other families along your journey.”

Jake smiled and then placed the Arachkin Family Crest into his pack, stuffing it into a side pouch. “More than the symbol of Lady Rastua?” He asked with a chuckle.

The Arachkin laughed as well. “Indeed. Though you showed us, there are many who were still skeptical. But, that crest is undeniable. Family Crests are given out only to oldest surviving members of a brood before they leave their home den during the Gathering of Families. Our mother brings back many crests but those who were given them have largely perished in combat with adventurers. This crest will not be missed.”

Internalizing the information, Jake nodded. “Thanks. I’ll keep it handy.”

“Be well, Apostle. May Lady Rastua protect you in your journey.” The Arachkin bowed his head, then the others followed suit.

Jake smiled once more and reached out to rub the Arachkin’s carapace. His fingers rolled through the rough hair and brushed over his hard shell. He gave it a few taps, then started for the distant exit. “I will see you all again. It may be a long time, but I’ll be back. Grow big and strong in the meantime and keep your mother safe.” He spoke loudly over his shoulder, waving as he left.

The Arachkin watched in silence as their Apostle disappeared into the distant light. The one human who had stood with them on what would have been a very bad day, and the man who had fought beside the pride of their family. Jake Furrow, Apostle of the Arachkin. Emissary to Lady Rastua. A man who stood against his own kind for them, a decision they knew could not have been easy. Someone who saved them from the Demonkin and proved himself a capable warrior for the Arachkin.

“Brother, will he really stop the Adventurers from coming?” One of the sentries asked, his eyes not leaving the entrance.

After a few moments of consideration, the Arachkin escort sighed. “I am unsure, but we can hope. Trust in the Apostle, brothers. It is what Uncle Chul would want.”

The morning after Eric and Clyde’s return to the campsite was a silent one. Individuals trudged through their tasks, mumbling and eating quietly in their much fewer numbers. The only two who concealed their negative emotions were the twins. Having packed light and with no desire to hang around the depressing atmosphere, the two promptly collected their gear and left the group. A small contingent of adventurers had come for security purposes so they would handle the task of escorting the support personnel back to the town.

The twins had no intention of doing more than what they were paid for. Though they had failed, the fee to hire them would be enough to cover their expenses for a few days. They would need to hurry back to the village and pick up another job or two to cover their traveling expenses before they could move on to the next location. If necessary, they might look into another local bounty.

“Ah- that stings.” Clyde winced as he took an odd step. Pain seared through his legs, sending a sort of domino effect up through his muscles, his back, and into his shoulders. Every step hurt and he found it hard to stay focused on walking. Even with Eric’s staff to support him, he felt like a cripple.

Leaning on the stick for support, Clyde caught Eric staring at him, concern plastered all over his face. “Quit it with that,” he spat. “I don’t need your pity.”

“Not pity. Worry.” Eric signed.

Clyde rolled his eyes. “Don’t need that either. Let’s go.” He really didn’t need his brother hounding him. They got their ass whooped, that was one thing. He didn’t like it but he could accept it. But Eric’s constant sad puppy face and pampering was something that would piss him off if Eric kept it up. Clyde didn’t want to deal with that for the next twelve days of waddling through the forest.

Eric tapped his brother’s shoulder, then his hands moved. “Think we’ll see him again?”

Clyde coughed. “Fuck, I hope not. I really don’t want to deal with that magic bullshit again.” He groaned. His body ached just thinking about it. That magic of his was stupid. There should be a rule or something against it.

“Yes. It was very impressive. I wonder how he did it…” Eric scratched at his left wrist, his thinking tic getting the better of him as he began to mull over the magic Jake had used on them.

“Don’t waste your time.” Clyde huffed as he stepped over a fallen tree. “Whatever it was, it’s not something you could replicate very easily. I wouldn’t even know where to start with it.”

Eric pursed his lips as he followed his brother over the log. “What element do you think?”

“Element?” Clyde snorted and shook his head. “Eric, he didn’t chant. He didn’t have a staff or any kind of medium for his magic. That shit was popping up in mid air. No sparks for those flames. No pools where those water spells were coming from. He even moved the fucking floor. Add in the healing and whatever else he was enhancing himself with and you’ve got a mage who can use practically every element.”

Clyde shoved the staff into the ground as he stepped over another few large branches. “It probably combined elements or something. I don’t know, but it definitely wasn’t just one.” Once across the branches, Clyde stopped to extend a hand to his brother.

Eric quietly sighed and accepted the help, climbing across as Clyde provided balance. “True. Again, impressive. A Five Element Caster. Only Dragonkin and Myr are so skilled.”

Clyde huffed and continued his walk, letting Eric get ahead of him so they could continue talking. “Must be nice having Lady Ferynith as a backer. If I had known that from the start, I wouldn’t have waited so long to use the Veil.”

Eric smiled and laughed. Though, no noise escaped his throat. “Even if you had, I presume the result would be unchanged.”

“Oh? You don’t believe in me now?” Clyde grinned and poked his brother’s pack with the staff, nudging at him playfully.

“I do but he would have reacted the same. We might not be alive either.”

“True…” Clyde agreed, sighing and shrugging.

Due to the previous fighting, both sides were worn down before they had put on their Veils. Thus, Jake’s magic didn’t have the strength that it would have if they elected to go Veils out from the start. They had played on even ground due to the simplistic style of fighting and the Twins had been able to almost gain the upper hand. If they had started with Veils, Jake would have crushed them with his magic. That was certain now. Even with those fire and wind spells of his, the fight wouldn’t have been pretty. Of all the outcomes, this was the best one for the pair.

“I want cinnamon rolls.” Suddenly, Eric signed something random.

Clyde blinked, then a broad smile crossed his face. “Yea, so do I.”

It seemed a dessert was in order. One to celebrate the survival of a deadly encounter.

Well, at least they wouldn’t have to see that bastard again.