Chapter 11

“All packed Anon?”

“I only have two pairs of clothes.”

	True to their word, the elves had risen bright and early to see me and the Marrics off. Apparently Oreath’s remote location meant that a long hike through the wilderness was necessary to reach any human settlements. Your worldly possessions were stored safely in a rucksack, along with several days’ worth of rations and a canteen.

	Arsofina, Lady Irin, and Lythris had all come out to say goodbye. Captain Stellora was also present but was watching from a distance with a smug sneer. You knew many other elves in the city shared her sentiment, even if they were more discrete about their opinions of you. Oreath was sick of you; it was time to move on. How could You blame them? You did bring a literal army to their front door and blowup their front door.

Pyritta hoisted the last pack onto her shoulders.

“Alright, we’re all set then. We should get moving before it gets too hot.”

“Yeah…”

There was an uncomfortable silence.

“Thank you all for saving me. I owe you all my life. I would have died in the forest if it weren’t for you.” you said.
Arsofina smiled. “You’re welcome. It was… exciting to have you here.”

The comment struck deep. These people had taken you in, and you proved to be a burden to them. Now it was time to leave and you were powerless to repay them in any meaningful way.

“I really enjoyed hearing about your culture! If you ever decide to write any books about your world, I’ll be sure to read them!” said Lythris breaking the tension.

“Do not fret about what has transpired here, Anon. There was no way you could have known what was to come.” said Irin. “And after all, it was you who repelled the horde from our fair city in the end.”

Stellora gave a frustrated snort.

“I know it must feel as if you have been a discourteous guest, but we could never turn down someone in such dire need. We were happy to have you. Your journey from these lands will more than suffice as recompense.” said Irin.

She was really something. Wise, caring, intelligent… it was no wonder the people of Oreath were so reverent of her.

“Everyone… thank you.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of him!” said Halitt.

“And we’ll be sure to send a full report of his world! You’ll be the first to have it.” said Pyritta.

The couple began to walk towards the forest.

“Fair thee well Anon. Whatever trials are to come, I wish you fortune.” said Irin giving a small bow.

“Be safe out there ok Anon? I’m not going to be around to save you anymore, so you better not die.” said Arsofina.

“I’ll try not to.”

She gave a weak smile and a little wave. Turning to follow Pyritta and Halitt, you stepped through Oreath’s gate for the last time.

~~~~~~~

“Hurry up Anon, we want to get to the stream before nightfall!”

How the fuck did they move so fast? It hadn’t even been a full day and you were already being left in the dust by some middle-aged professors. Not that you were exceptionally athletic to begin with.

“How much further?”

“Just a few miles!” said Pyritta cheerfully.

Great. At least the sun was beginning to go down.

“So this amulet, how does it work? How come I can understand what you say when you refer to distance?”

“It’s a mystery. What did you hear when I told you how far away the stream was?”

“You said it was a few {miles} away.”

“Interesting! Despite our measurement systems being unrelated, the amulet can still get the point across.”

You give an affirmatory grunt. All you could muster after a long day of questions.

“Don’t worry, not much further now.”

~~~~~~~

	Food and fire certainly made traveling through the woods much more enjoyable. The three of you sat around a small campfire eating a soup that Halitt had prepared. Now was a perfect time to learn more about this world.

“So…” you began “the monsters of this world, where are they located?”

Halitt and Pyritta stared at you and glanced at each other.

“Everywhere really, just very spread out. Why do you ask?” said Pyritta. She appeared to be a bit uncomfortable with the questioning. She was making minimal eye contact and seemed more interested in her dinner than answering you.

“Just curious. And they’re all female? The demonic energy made them all into succubi?”

Halitt’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about demonic energy?”

“Oh, the elves told me.” You lie. Clearly this was a sensitive topic.

Halitt and Pyritta resumed eating in silence. You cringe internally at the fact that you probably just killed any chance of a good conversation for the rest of the meal. Maybe you should ask about something else.

“If there are demons, there must be a divine counterpart, right? Something like a god, a Chief God or something?” you ask, trying not to sound too knowledgeable about the world.

“Yes, there is actually. In fact, she is exactly as you name her, the Chief God. She rules over a small pantheon of gods, and had been fighting the Demon Lord in all his or her forms since the dawn of time.” said Pyritta. Strange, she didn't look all that reverent of Her. Her smile was forced and her answer sounded suspiciously rehearsed.

“But it isn’t as polar as it sounds.” said Halitt. “The Demon Lord is reported to be a benevolent and wise ruler by her followers, and the Chief God is known for her swift and brutal justice. Many would say that the Chief God is more cruel than the Demon Lord. Monsters themselves are quite kind. It’s actually a- YAH!”

The man’s monologue was cut short as something caused him to leap into the air. His bowl clattered to the ground spilling its contents into his lap.

“What’s wrong?” you ask.

“Oh? What? Nothing, haha, nothing. Must have been a bug or something, haha…”

You look over at Pyritta but she was staring daggers at her husband.

“That being said, you should stay away from monsters.” Said Pyritta through gritted teeth. “I’m sure that if you encountered any it would cause all sorts of PROBLEMS.”

“Oh, yeah. No, no problem. I’ll make sure to avoid any if I see them.” you say. Were monsters really such a taboo for these people? If they were why did Halitt acknowledge that monsters didn’t kill people?

Probably because they were educated. The common peasant may not have been able to see through the Order’s propaganda, but a university professor of anthropology and human histories would probably be able to pull away the curtain.

Once again, it was up to you to save the conversation.

“Where are we going exactly?”

Pyritta turns her attention back to you and regains her cheery demeanor.

“It’s a lovely little place called Stream’s Edge. A small town, but so quaint and cozy. I’m sure you’ll love it there!”

“And it’s safe?”

“Very safe. The guards are very well trained.” Said Pyritta.

“The slavers too.” added Halitt.

“Slavers?”

Oh right. Slavery was a thing now. Though from what you remember, monster ‘slavery’ was quickly overturned as soon as the new master was alone with his slave. It also meant that even married monsters might try to catch you to make a quick buck.

“Was slavery not very common on your planet?” asked Pyritta.

“No, it wasn’t. It was viewed as an abhorrent and unforgivable practice. The only people who practiced it were uncivilized nations, crime lords, and buisness owners who forced people to work for them without proper pay.”

“Oh, is that so? So you must not think very highly of it…” said Pyritta. You stared at her and she squirmed in her seat.

“Like I said, only rapists, murderers, and sociopaths practiced it. It was one of the worst crimes in my opinion.” you said.

A drop of sweat rolled down Pyritta’s forehead.

“Well, we don’t see too much of the slavers anyways, ha ha. And besides, they really only go after the monsters that are invading human territories.” said Pyritta.

“That’s true. We only see them in town on rare occasions, and the monsters they do capture are all nasty and violent!” added Halitt.

“I see.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Why don’t you go get some sleep; you’ve had a long day!” said Pyritta.

“And another long day tomorrow.” said Halitt.

“Alright, I’ll just pitch my tent over here then. See you in the morning.”

~~~~~~

	You lay in your tent looking up at the fabric canopy. Sleep eluded you; there was something about this journey that rubbed you the wrong way. It seemed like Pyritta and Halitt were trying to keep many aspects of this world under wraps. But why? Maybe this was how humans behaved over here. But the more time you spent with them, the less they seemed like ordinary people. Something about the way they both glanced at you. It was an almost predatory look, but hesitant as well.

	Being a meal-ticket wasn’t such a bad fate, so long as these two just wanted to live off the royalties of the books they wrote about you. But from the looks they gave you, especially when they thought you weren’t looking, you suspect that you won’t be signing biographies for money in this world.

	The faint sound of a voice rose above the natural ambiance of the jungle for a moment. It was Pyritta’s voice. Just a piece of garbled noise spoken in a language you couldn’t understand.

	You roll over and take the amulet of articulation out of your pack. Stepping out into the cool night air, you wander into the forest near their tent to relieve yourself. From behind a tree, you can make out a heated conversation between Halitt and his wife.

“-annot know about monsters. What were you thinking!” said Pyritta.

“He has a right to know, he’s going to find out eventually.” said Halitt.

“We need to know how dangerous he is. You may not be able to tell what we’re dealing with, but I can. He’s going to-“ Pyritta’s voice cut off.

Silence. Only the chirping of insects and the wind rustling the leaves of the canopy could be heard

You could hear them whispering to each other, but it was inaudible. You could hear the sound of canvas moving.

“Anon?” the tentative voice of Pyritta asked in a hushed tone.

Shit. Thinking quickly, you stuff the amulet into your pocket.

“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry I was going to the bathroom.” you said, now back to speaking English.

You can see Pyritta’s silhouette move through the tent flaps and take a few steps towards you. Her features are impossible to make out in the dark.

{“Oh, it is you. That’s a relief. Did you… hear anything?”}

It sounded like a question. “I don’t understand.” you say. Some of the first words that you had taught the elves and later the professors. It sure came in handy.

{“No amulet hmm? Never mind then.} Gued Niket.”

With that she shuffled back into the tent. You returned to your own bed, and thought about what you had heard.

~~~~~~

As you awoke, you let out a groan of exhaustion and frustration. Sleep had eluded you for most of the night, but not because of any nefarious implications based on what you had heard.

Shortly after you had returned to your tent, the couple had begun about of loud and passionate lovemaking that had gone on for what felt like hours.

Crawling out of the tent on all fours, you see Pyritta and Halitt happily humming away as they prepare breakfast. How do they do that?

“Guhh mornan Anon!” said Pyritta.

Grumbling, you pull out your amulet and slip it on so as not to have to endure an entire breakfast of broken English.

“Did ya sleep well?” asked Halitt.

“Yeah. Like a rock.” You answered.

Pyritta and Halitt glanced at each other.

“I’m sorry?” asked Halitt.

“I said ‘like a rock.’” you reply, this time a bit more harsh than you intended.

“Anon, rocks don’t sleep in this world.” said Pyritta quietly.

You almost choke on the biscuit you were eating. It takes a few moments of coughing and laughing to clear your throat enough to talk.

“They don’t on my world either. It’s just an expression meaning that I slept well.” you say.

The duo instantly brighten and laugh as well.

“How fun! Extra dimensional human sayings!” said Pyritta.

The three of you talked and laughed at some of the more bizarre human sayings. Soon, you were back on the trail.

~~~~~~

You marched through the forest behind Pyritta. It was midday by now, and you were starting to get a bit hungry.

“Hey Pyritta, do you have any jerky in your pack?” you asked.

“Sure, here.” she unslung her pack from her shoulder and pulled out a piece. Turning towards you she held it out to you. You reached out to take it, but it fell from her hand.

“Whoops, oh well. It’s still safe to eat, right?” you ask picking up the morsel.

Pyritta was staring into the woods behind you. The color had drained from her face and she was completely focused on something behind you.

Turning slowly, you attempt to see what has your guide so spooked.

Nothing.

“Pyritta” you whisper, “What is it, what do you see?”

She stands motionless beside you. Halitt appears next to her and unsheathes a machete. You all stand there for a moment in silence.

When Pyritta finally speaks, you actually jump a bit.

“I must have been mistaken. I just thought I saw something. Come on, let’s keep moving.” she said in an uncharacteristically stern tone.

	Halitt begans to move again, but this time Pyritta gives you a little push. You begin walking after Halitt with Pyritta now behind you. The pace Halitt is setting is much faster than before. Now you’re actually a bit scared. Even if this is MGE, you didn’t want to just be jumped by the first thing you see. What if it was a monster you found disgusting? The image of a giant slug crossed your mind and you shuddered. Good thing you had magic now. As long as you can see something coming, you stand a good chance of escapin’ a rapin’.

“Anon, one thing that I neglected to tell you is that you must refrain from masturbating.” said Pyritta.

“I know.” you reply. You had relieved yourself a few times in Oreath, but after learning the nature of your new surroundings, you decided it would be prudent not to leave heaps of spirit energy lying around to attract every monster in a five-mile radius.

“Beca- wait, you know?” asked Pyritta.

“Yeah, semen is the source of spirit energy. It would be a beacon for all the monsters nearby.”

“Did the elves tell you that too?” asked Halitt. You couldn’t tell if his tone conveyed genuine curiosity or sarcasm.

“No. I know that semen contains spirit energy. You said that they were all part succubus, so I figured they would be attracted to semen.”

	This time there was no response. The mood was now dour and tense. You looked behind you to see how Pyritta was reacting. She had fallen a few paces back and was looking over her shoulder. You turned your attention back to Halitt, who was now leaving you behind with his newfound celerity. He hadn’t sheathed his machete.

~~~~~

	Dinner and camp were set up as the sun began to vanish beyond the horizon. At the moment you were helping Halitt prepare some stew with various provisions. Pyritta was walking around the perimeter of the camp allegedly collecting wood. You get the feeling that her slow and deliberate walk around the camp was not truly to collect kindling. As she walked, she would move to the other side of certain trees and pause for a moment before moving on. Halitt watched her wordlessly as she meandered around the tents and fire pit.

When Pyritta was behind a particularly thin tree, you could see a brief flare of red light. It was instantaneous and dim, but recognizable in the fading light of the late day sun.

“What was that?” you ask.

Halitt leaps to his feet and raises his machete. Pyritta leapt into the circle with a tight roll and takes up some sort of martial art pose.

“Where is it. What did you see.” said Pyritta. It was a question, but the tone she used was flat and cold.

“I didn’t see any monsters, I just saw the glow from behind the tree and wondered what you were doing.” you say in a calm voice.

Pyritta stiffens. “Oh, that? I was just collecting wood. You must have seen the sun behind me.”

“No, it wasn’t the sun. You just used some kind of magic on that tree didn’t you?”

“No, you’re mistaken! I didn’t use magic.” insisted Pyritta.

“Can you use magic?”

Pyritta opens her mouth as if to answer, but shuts it quickly. She looks over at her husband who makes a subtle nod towards the forest.

“Excuse us a moment.” Said Halitt.

	The pair of professors step out of earshot and begin a heated argument. You can’t eavesdrop this time; their guard is still up as they know you are wearing your amulet. After a few minutes, they returned to the fire. Pyritta fidgets for a few moments before clearing her throat.

“Ahem. Well, yes Anon, as a matter of fact I can use magic. But only a little, itty, bitty, tiny amount that isn’t really good for anything.”

“Were those wards you were putting up? To hide my presence?” you ask.

Their jaws drop and they stare at you for an uncomfortably long time.

“How do you know what a ward is…” asked Halitt softly.

“You said there was no magic in your realm.” said Pyritta.

	Shit. You can’t let on exactly how much you know about this setting. All you need from these people is magic training so that you can go out into the world and find a wife. Knowing how the order treated monsters, telling others about your insatiable desire to copulate with the sworn enemy of their god was probably a one way ticket to the guillotine. Good thing that you could just tell any lie you want as long as it involved your world. In this case, you could even tell the truth.

“In my world, magic wasn’t real, but it was thought to be real in ancient times. Many magical concepts from my world are bound to have parallels in this world. We had curses, wards, sigils, charms, and spells, but they were just fantasy. I just guessed what Pyritta was up to based on the pattern she was making around the camp.”

Their eyes narrowed.

“I see.”

“How interesting.”

Clearly they were not satisfied with your answer.

“So you know a bit of magic, can you teach me?” you ask.

“NO!” shouted Pyritta. Halitt clamped a hand down on her shoulder and scowled at her. Her own hands flew up to cover her mouth. “I mean, I can’t. I just no so little about magic, I’m really not qualified to teach you anything.”

“Not even a simple ward? I might need that to keep myself safe from monsters.”

“No Anon. That’s final.” she glared down at you. You weren't used to seeing her this angry.

	You mutter an apology and go back to preparing the stew. How much more of this could the three of you take? For all their jubilance, the professors were very mistrustful of you. And now you knew for certain that they were deliberately hiding information from you, you no longer trusted them. What were they hiding? Why was it so taboo to talk about monsters? Why was Pyritta so insistent that you not learn magic?

The three of you toiled away in silence, the resentment towards each other growing.

~~~~~~~

	Night fell on the tiny camp. There were no carnal noises emanating from the other tent. In a way, you miss the way the couple’s lovemaking drowned out the noise of the forest. Any way you cut it, it was spooky. The knowledge that at any moment you could be dragged out of your tent and dragged off into the wilderness never to be seen was enough to keep sleep at bay. With a sigh, you roll over and exit the tent to empty your bladder.

Approaching a tree, you undo your fly (just a button in this world) and relive yourself. As you finish, you redo the button and let out a yawn.

	As you open your mouth, a silvery streak flies out of the darkness. A warm, wet sensation fills your mouth as something lodges itself at the edge of your throat. The slime dangles down your chest in a grotesque tail that leads to the wad in your mouth. You gag and reach up in panic to pull the foreign body out of your mouth. But as you reach up and grasp the wad of goo, your hands become glued to the paste. As you tug and grunt, a single thought distinguishes itself in the panicked turbulence of your mind.

This is spider silk.

	Craning your head back, you look up just in time to see another rope of webbing descend upon you. This time the silk forms a loop over your head, adhering itself to your shoulders and neck. With a jarring tug, you leave the ground and fly skywards at a dizzying pace. Frightened as you were, all you could think about is how strong this woman must be to haul you up this fast.

	Contrary to what Hollywood would have you believe, just sticking a piece of cloth in someone’s mouth was not very effective. A good scream came from the throat. Just wrapping a bandana around someone’s head with a little clasped in their teeth was about as effective as using a pencil as a deadbolt. But with the wad of sexy string™ in your mouth, all you could do was wretch and gag. Whoever this was, they certainly knew what they were doing.

“Ahh, there you are my little treat.~”

The hair on your neck stood straight up. The voice was just above you, though you were twisting to much in your bindings to get a decent look at your captor.

	With a final jerk, you sail up and over a large branch and into a thick web hammock. Your back is now securely attached to the tensile fibers. The faint sound of chitin on bark sounded from above, growing louder and louder until a hulking mass was standing before you.

“Ooh, just look at you. I’ve been waiting DAYS for this.~ To bad that bitch saw me, otherwise I'd take that gag out and let you scream properly.” she said. Her voice was husky and deep; oozing condescension.

	You struggle to free your hands from the wad of silk sticking out of your mouth, but only succeed in gluing your elbows to the mat. You don’t know if you could use magic like this, and there was no way to find out. If you could cast some sort of spell without using your hands, you risked tearing the webbing and falling to your death. Your hands were stuck to the gob of webbing in your mouth, meaning that any spells cast from your palms would just hit you in the face. You would have to think of something else.

The arachne lets out a little giggle that would have been cute had she not been trying to sexually assault you.

“What a strange being you are. “No magic in your realm,” “in my world magic wasn’t real,” ”how do you know about magic…” could you really be from another world? I was skeptical at first, but looking at you now…” she scuttled forwards and grabbed your chin “you are a truly unique specimen. I haven’t ever heard of a human that looks like you. Perhaps those idiots you are with are not as insane as I believed them to be.”

	You hadn’t been able to get a good look at her before, but you could now see that she was every bit as enchanting as the encyclopedia would have you believe. A sharp, shapely face, flawless porcelain skin, ample breasts, and a head of long, light hair that cascaded down her shoulders as she looked down at you.

She squeezed your face, forcing your cheeks together. “No matter, whatever you are, you will do nicely.~”

Reaching up, she undoes whatever binding was holding up her clothing. Her bare breasts flop out, with her nipples hardening in the cool air.

	She leans down and plants a kiss on your lips. Her slender arms wrap around your neck, gently cradling your head. You thrash violently underneath her, but her spider-half slams down onto you. Honestly, you didn’t hate arachne. Not your favorite, but you had thought about it from time to time. But this was moving too fast for your tastes. You were fine with brutal rape as long as you had an idea about the girl’s personality prior to the event. Even if the encyclopedia did romanticize random snatch and grabs, you wanted to be sure that the girl who was pinning you down was someone you could love, not just lust after.

	“Oh my, such vigor!” she said in mock surprise. She pulls her hands out from behind you and forces you to look at her. Pressing her forehead to yours, she leans in so that your noses touch. Her eyes are just inches from your face. Hot breath spills over your face. You stare back into her cinnabar-colored eyes. Her mouth opens in a mirthful grin, showing of her sharp teeth.

“Keep struggling.”

Don’t need to tell me twice lady.

	You resume flopping about underneath her. She stopped most of her teasing, now only letting out light moans as she rests more and more of her body weight on your writhing form. Fuck, she was getting off just by laying on you.

	Wait, of course! In your panic you had forgotten all about the thing that was going to get you through these turbulent times; an unhealthy amount of knowledge about this world and its inhabitants! Arachne were notorious sadists, and love prey that struggles. So all you have to do is lie still.

Ceasing your spasms, you lay panting underneath the spidergirl. She lets out a little ‘hmm?’ and lifts herself off of you.

“Is that it? How disappointing. We'll have to work on your stamina at home. No matter, on to the main event then.”

Using a lithe finger, she undoes your pants and pulls off of your legs. How she was able to separate the fabric from the web was a mystery. She briefly inspects them before tossing them down to the forest floor.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make a pair just for you when I take you back to our house.~” she said with a smile.

You stare at her from your gossamer bindings.

	She leans in again and hooks her fingers into your underwear. She bites her lip as she eases it down your waist. With a small tug, your cock springs free. You both gasp, her in shock, you from the feeling of the chilly night air coming into contact with your erection.

“I knew it! I knew from the moment I saw you that you were the submissive treat I always dreamed of. Already erect just from feeling my webbing on your skin.~” she says. Her eyes (all of them) are totally focused on your member. You do your best to keep your eyes staring straight ahead and show no emotion, but your breath catches as she reaches out and wipes away a bead of precum from your erection.

“If you really are not from this world, then you may not understand, but you smell absolutely delectable.” she dips the finger into her mouth and shudders her eyes rolling back into her head.

She pulls her finger out of her mouth and pounces on you. “Gods, what a taste! Just how much spirit energy do you have stored in those balls?”

You stare through her.

“Not going to give me a guess? Well then, let’s find out.~”

Keeping her torso near level with yours, she reaches down to your dick and gently grasps it. You stifle a gasp.

“Mmm, that couple down there must have told you that if you don’t struggle I would let you go.” she said giving your shaft a few pumps.

You have to bite down hard on the webbing in your mouth to keep from making any noise.

“But you know what we monsters say?” she leaned in so that her lips were pressing against your ear. “The harder the penis, the bigger the orgasm.”

Your brow furrows involuntarily in confusion. What the hell did she just say?

“It means that people like you, the ones who try to resist and deny  the pleasure…” she tightened her grip on you and began to increase her pace. “Are the ones who are most satisfying to break.~” She gave you a small kiss on your cheek.

You clamp down on the webbing with everything you have. You gulp.

Her adroit ministrations stopped, and she hovered her face over yours. She let out a haunting, sadistic laugh.

“What a noise that was! Do you think that I wouldn’t HEAR that? That I wouldn’t see how hard you clench your jaw or how rapidly your lungs draw breath? That I cannot hear your heart hammering away within your chest? That I could not feel your cock twitch and squirm in my grasp as it begged for release?!”

She straddles you again, this time laying on your chest and pressing her breasts into your chest. Fuck those things are soft.

“Let’s make a deal hmm? I’ll forgive you for taking your beautiful, caring, fiancé for such a fool, and in return…” she shifts off of you and takes a few steps backwards, bending down to smother your erection between her tits.

“I want you to SCREAM for me.~”

She begins to pump her chest vigorously. This is just too much for you. With a strangled scream, you resume thrashing and let loose all the repressed vocalizations you had been holding in.

“That’s it, good boy!” she cooed. “Such an obedient plaything~ I can’t wait to drag you back and-“

The arachnid’s wedding vows were cut short as a bolt of red light struck the branch next to her. There was a flash of light and bits of bark showered the two of you.

“What the-?!” The spider dismounted you and fled around the tree.

“ANON DON’T WORRY WE’RE COMING!” shouted Pyritta.

“FUCK OFF WHORE, YOU ALREADY GOT YOURS! LET ME HAVE MINE!” screamed the arachne.

	Another bolt of energy flew up into the canopy. You really hoped Pyritta was lying when she said that she didn’t know magic. If any of the bolts hit you, you would fry. If the web caught fire, you would still fry, but in a much more painful fashion. Certainly a grim situation when falling to your death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you.

	The arachne leapt from the tree and landed deftly amidst the branches of another. Despite her size, she was surprisingly light and agile. As she sidled around the side of the tree she vanished from view.

	The fighting continued for a few minutes. You hoped things were going well for the Marrics. As the sound of explosions and curses carried on, you became aware of a steady huffing and puffing below you.

“Anon, it’s me. Don’t worry I’ll get you out.” said Halitt.

Thank God. You were worried that it was some random monster come to poach you while the others fought.

	Halitt hauled himself up onto the forking branch with a grappling hook and a length of rope. With a few swings of his machete, you were freed from your bindings. Carefully, the two of you separated your hands from the webbing in your mouth. All the chewing and saliva must have taken a toll on the strands, as the ball had compressed to the point where you could force it out with your tongue.

“Come on, we have to move.”

You began to climb down the rope when you heard a shriek from above you.

“SHE’S COMING BACK!” shouted Pyritta.

“ANON GO FASTER!” shouted Halitt.

“I CAN’T! I’M NOT AS FAST AS YOU!”

Gripping the rope with your knees, you attempt to slide down the rope instead of just inching down. It’s only a marginal increase to your original pace.

Suddenly, the arachne appears in front of you from behind the tree. You’re not proud of it, but you screamed in surprise as the monstrous woman rounded the trunk. And boy was she mad.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME?! I’LL RAPE YOU INTO A COMA! YOU’LL NEVER SEE THE SUN AGAIN AFTER I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!” she shouted.

	Her eyes were bulging, and her teeth were grit in determination and rage. She was practically frothing at the mouth. There were numerous cuts on her body and several small burns. She reached out as you dangled helplessly on a thin length of rope. Halitt was too far above you to do anything.

Nothing for it then.

Reaching out with your nondominant hand, you bend the world around you to your will. Force.

	A blue light flashed from your palm, causing the arachne’s eyes to reflect the brilliant light for a brief instant. A tremor shook your body and there was a thunderous boom. The arachne screamed as she flew off of the tree and landed in a heap some thirty yards away amidst the leaf litter. A resounding success, you had managed to not obliterate your surroundings this time.

You hug the rope tightly as the wave of vertigo rocks you. For a minute, you just gently sway with the rope as it returns to rest after being moved by your spell. Silence returns to the forest.

“Anon?” asked Halitt from above you.

“Yeah…”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah.”

You resume your decent down the rope to the forest below.