[Quest] Along came a Spider

by **Hwyn** on September 27th, 2016, 9:51 pm

Along came a Spider

Spitting a tuft of webbing out of his mouth Hwyn squinted at Sayana. If she was being snarky that at least told him that there was no longer a spider in his immediate vicinity, locks of blonde hair poked out from the cocoon as Hwyn wriggled out of his prison. Fixing his prismatic gaze on Sayana he replied to her sarcasm with a stuck out tongue.

"More like it follows me around everywhere I go.... but it hasn't killed me off yet."

Continuing to wriggle hwyn managed to widen the whole and get his shoulders out then his arms. Wincing Hwyn pulled himself out of the cocoon entirely and looked at the long gash across his ribs where the spider had got him, it was long but not terribly deep, he'd gotten lucky. looking back Hwyn opened his eyes for a moment and looked for the spider. the webs about him were dark and vibrant where the spider had been their moments before, but the spider had fled rapidly, ot so the fractured and disorienting ribbons leading away from the roof of the building would lead him to believe so. Blinking away the magic Hwyn frowned.

"It's gone... you don't think it'll come back do you?"

Walking to stand next to Sayana Hwyn followed her gaze into the distance. I was a pleasant evening, or it would have been if not for the chaos below, humans scattered below like scared ants beneath a great boot. people ran and panicked as soldiers organized, What to do with himself though? He could go hide... but frankly he almost felt safer up here, perhaps he could just defer to the older woman for the time being.

"Hrmm, not something we'd have ever seen in Syliras is it"

Hwyn mused out lud to himself as much as he spoke to Sayana, trying to clm his own nerves with his sense of humor, he was a bit sore thanks to his short tussle with the spider but he'd survived so far. Thr question was, where to go from here though. the sounds of people rallying against the spider followed the chaos of people fleeing for their homes, it really was a problem. Looking at the remains of the cocoon Hwyn had a semi-smart idea, or what he thought was one. Wrapping the webbing about his midsection Hwyn covered his wound with the web's before tying it off, they were strong enough to hold pressure on the wound, a unique makeshift bandage to say the least.

'Hey Sayana... do you know where that thing came from? It was like... one moment I was there in the bazaar... and Miss Eva was with me.... and then a spider was on me.... Oh no.... I Hope Miss Eva got away..... but... I.... I don't know what to think...."

Looking out over the city Hwyn frowned, just what exactly was going on in this city? Wasn't Ravok protected by a god? Would a god let this happen to his people and just idly stand by?

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

by **Sevris** on September 28th, 2016, 7:16 am

Sevris eyed the others with a quick glance and saw the strangest couple of people participating on this mission. It seemed even with all races, Rhysol attracted believers.

Grutrals apprentice attended to the non-citizens but when it came to Sevris he simply said, "I was instructed for you to just show up. Each of you will be informed more of the situation upon arrival early morning as the sun rises. Do not be late."

With that he did his job and took off. Sevris turned to greet those who would be joining the Stryfe on their journey. That was when the chaos started. What Sevris believed to be just a small scuffle in the marketplace turned to people running away from something in quite the panic.

It seemed augmented but he heard the voice of someone powerful. Sevris decided that this type of problem best left to the Soldiers to handle. He would greet himself more formally to the group when they next meet. Sevris also turned to leave towards the temple of the Black Sun.

by **Evarista** on September 28th, 2016, 4:35 pm

The heartbeats scattered on the streets below, attempting to flee; some armed and aggressive ones were still on her trail, but the difference in mobility made their attempts at pursuit seem laughable. The only danger were the bolts and arrows whizzing past, or even ricocheting off her legs and chitin, but her sloped armor, along with the oblique angle and distance of the shots made them unable to penetrate. The heartbeats were all within her reach, but not within her interests. No, her attention was consumed by the pressure rapidly building in her abdomen, a mitosis of monstrous momentum unraveling inside. She had to find a place to give birth. However, for better or for worse, she would not be given an opportunity to do that.

A vaguely familiar and intrusively powerful heartbeat approached with uncanny speed, propelled over the rooftops as if shot out of a catapult. The aggressive vibrations it exuded were alarming enough to make Evarista turn around to face it, while raising one leg in preparation to swat the incoming aggressor out of the air. The heartbeat was too fast. Before she could bring her claw down, the heartbeat was in front of her, diffuse shape materializing into a human figure. The woman's milky white eyes met her beady red ones, and the heartbeat reached out to touch her. An unexpected wave of calm washed over Evarista; a sense of complacency and indifference, even towards the growing activity in her belly, even towards the armed heartbeats closing in below.

The sudden serenity evaporated as quickly as it set in, blown away completely by a much more powerful emotion erupting from within. No, it wasn't just an emotion, it was a real, physical eruption of the pressure within her, a pressure her body had too quickly become too small to contain, a roiling concentration of life finally freeing itself from its confines and being unleashed unto the outside world. For a moment, she felt like a deflating balloon as a myriad of tiny legs skittered over her and hugged her closely, seeking protection. Her children, sired and carried by herself alone. This autonomous creation of life, owed to no one but herself. A spit in the face of order, and a spit in the face of nature. The final step in her revolution was complete.

The heartbeat before her was a nuisance. Once frozen in place by its touch, Evarista brought down her talon-tipped leg, grazing the air mere millimeters from the priestess' face as the woman dodged just in time. The spider couldn't understand the words of the priestess, and she wasn't interested. The other heartbeats reacted to the priestess' voice dramatically, some fleeing, some taking positions to stand their ground, and some preparing to attack. Evarista wanted to laugh at them all. Everyone around her, including the priestess, suddenly appeared pathetic and insignificant to her. In their arrogance, the heartbeats have tried to control something that could not be controlled, a cosmic force beyond humanity, beyond the priestess, perhaps even beyond the god she worshiped; a god that styled himself the lord of chaos.

That was the god's great deception. Deception of his people, deception of his followers, deception of even his most trusted allies. The god would know better than anyone that chaos accepted no master. Evarista could see this, because she gazed at chaos from the inside. She was a tiny droplet from a boundless sea of entropy, falling down into the ordered world. Wherever chaos stepped, the contract between logic and reality was cancelled, and no amount of magic, power and stratagem could manipulate this fact. The priestess has attempted and failed, and Evarista had no intention to chase or fight her; her punishment was to be someone else's task. Instead, the spider turned its attention to the heartbeats that remained blow, within her reach. The vulnerable backs of the retreating ones didn't stimulate her hunter's sense. Her main drive was not food, and it was not even the protection of the young clinging to her back, it was an unnatural drive to spite the heartbeats and their attempts to tame what could not be tamed, as if a directive given by a force greater than anything here.

Feeling like she was carried by a whirlwind, Evarista galloped across the rooftops with a scarf of silk trailing behind her, until the reached the cusp of the City Center plaza, leaping down at the soldiers who stood there. Her momentum was so great that the armored human bodies wouldn't even slow her down as she flew at a collision trajectory towards them. There have been many soldiers pursuing her up to now, and they would have been able to close ranks and defeat her easily, had they remained prepared. However, Aemeli's command has completely thrown them into disarray. Some dashed to the Temple, some into the streets, some hesitated and were left behind, out in the open. The few that were actually prepared to fight were too far apart to reach the monster as it attacked anything with the vibration of vulnerability, a vibration her instincts could not ignore. Using the silken scarf like a massive whip, she struck at anyone within reach; the tip of the weapon gained enough momentum to crush bones as it made a sickening whizz in the air. It didn't need finesse, it only needed force, and right now, that's what she had in excess of.

This was the first time she had directly attacked anyone. The aggressive motions felt uncomfortable and uncanny, like her body was not meant for them, and admittedly, it really wasn't. She wasn't a mundane spider sitting in a web, and the heartbeats weren't butterflies. This conflict was not even supposed to take place, but the chaotic energies that coursed through her willed it, and she could only obey to the best of her ability. The silken whip was a bizarre adaptation, unprecedented, unpredictable, and unnatural; she didn't even know where she even got the idea, and her movements to wield it arose from strange instincts she wasn't supposed to have. However, she was happy for it, as she didn't enjoy the prospect of strutting up to an armed heartbeat and fight them closely and fairly, as they were much more dexterous and deadly than her. Her talons, long and sharp as they were, would only strike those who could no longer defend themselves, should they fall prey to her cheating techniques. Yes, she was going to cheat, confound and bamboozle. It was not directed at the heartbeats, but at Nature, her real enemy; the actual enemy she was fighting right now.

The soldiers were not the most delicious target. There were several small heartbeats in the streets near the Center. She could hear them from this distance precisely because of their vulnerability. They stood exposed, out of their protectors' reach, crying as if to taunt and invite her. Their high-pitched wails were a deep satisfaction and she approached their helpless forms, beset by a building anticipation. The way their voices cut off of filled her with elation as her jaws crushed their skulls, soft contents sliding into her maw. A shower of their nectar rained over her back; her first gift to her children. Their mutilated limbs adorned her talons like jewelry as she crawled up on the roofline again, tender flesh melting off the bone by the teeth of her young feasting upon it. The young that grew before her very eyes.

Yes, with this blooming conception of new life, the heartbeats have slid down in the food chain, but that was less important. Much more important was the realization of her boundless contempt; a proxy of the contempt expressed by chaos.

Amidst the mass of thoughts, emotions and instincts, the was only one thing she clearly wanted to do. Her legs took her again towards the marketplace, the roof of a particular building, where she had left a particular something. And that something was no longer alone. The heartbeat she wanted to return to was joined by another, a stranger. An interloper. A thief.

Evarista would not be stolen from.

by **Bartholomew** on September 30th, 2016, 3:39 am

Now this was the greatest honor Rhysol could ever bestow upon Bartholomew. In the near future, when asked in preschools and religious gatherings who brought the new Voice to Ravok's doorsteps, they would say Bartholomew Dicey's name.

He could not wait for this new task to begin and wished for them to leave sooner. Patience was a virtue to Bartholomew, but he was still young, and when he felt a want for something he surely went for it, like a true man in his youths. Sadly, he could not push time forward, nor persuade the Ebonstryfe to start the voyage sooner. So all he was forced to do was stay patient.

Before he could think of possible activities to past the time before the rendezvous, one of the other volunteers brought something to his attention.

“ Why are those people yelling so much?" The man questioned with a little bit of frustration in his tone. "I can barely hear the sounds, yet it frustrates me. ”

"The noise is very odd," Bartholomew admitted. "The people of Ravok are normally docile during the day. Something must be up." The young Dicey's conjecture was only intensified when he suddenly heard the bells ring from the temple.

1, 2, 3, did it sound; then 4 and 5. By the fifth ring Bartholomew was shivering with fear. "We need to leave now," the young Dicey said to the other volunteer, the one who mentioned the yelling. "5 rings can mean nothing good. We must leave, hurry!" Bartholomew grabbed the man's arm, not realizing that his entire body was shaking. He readied himself to make a run for it, then stopped when he noticed something that sat on top a building close to his location.

WAS THAT AN OVERSIZED SPIDER?! The young Dicey was about to head into full panic mode when he looked over at the thing. The soldiers that once surrounded the temple quickly raced towards the arachnid, preparing crossbows and bolts. Although, some hesitated when they noticed Ameli stand next to it.

Many thoughts raced through Bartholomew's head, most questioning what a Druvin had to do with the arachnid monster. Immediately after Ameli touched the spider, a billion babies poured from its rear. The sight was truly horrific to see and made Bartholomew want to vomit. Child birth, a very sacred act among human beings, never seemed so disgusting than when performed by this monster. The newborns swarmed on their mother, but the mother barely seemed to acknowledge their existence. Food was its priority, as it fell down and attacked soldiers and civilians.

For a moment, Bartholomew looked angrily at Ameli, uncontrollable fear turning to rage. She'd defended this creature before, saying that it was needed by Rhysol, but what were her thoughts now as she witnessed the beast feast among her people? What great things could possibly come from monsters that distinguished everything Rhysol loved as foes? This beast laid waste to Ravokians and murdered! It represented true chaos, as it could not be controlled or predicted, which was the sole reason why Bartholomew wanted it away from the city.

When the monster finished its feast, it turned on its heels and made way towards another direction. Bartholomew took it upon himself to follow, but from the ground and not the rooftops. Keeping up would be strenuous, as the city of Ravok connected by bridges, all at very inconvenient places. It was like a maze that Barth had to race through, and each bridge he crossed would either have him closer to the monster or further from it. However, every path he took was one that would definitely lead him towards it.

by **Vladislov** on October 3rd, 2016, 2:34 am

The Symenestra appeared to have been given some kind of recognition because shortly after the public announcement, a robed individual scurried over and looked at the pale-skinned creature. The man was smaller in stature but he had an air of superiority about him that left no room for a pause in his gait. He presented his message and waited a moment as if to take in the sight before him. The foreigner professing fealty to Rhysol seemed to displease the apprentice. His face revealed as much. The two soldiers behind the lanky fiend didn’t seem to react much to the threat made by the apprentice. Vladislov had a sneaking suspicion that neither would mind an invitation to see such a thing. Too bad they were all going to be disappointed.

The stranger in the city lifted his hands slowly and with the long fingers tipped by black claws, he peeled his hood back to reveal his pale skin and white hair. The stark contrast was shocking to the messenger and the gasp he made verified as much. Racism was not something that was foreign to Vlad but it didn’t mean he was immune to the throat-tearing rage that came along with the experience. The bottomless onyx orbs peered without restraint at the apprentice while the thin, pale lips of the spikerkin curled at the edges just a bit to create a sneer. In a soft voice, Vlad spoke while his left hand snaked out to take hold of his documents; most likely some form of instruction for the scheduled rendezvous. “I understand more than the average spider…” Once he had secured his papers, the thief leaned forward at the apprentice. To the man’s credit, he maintained his posture against the taller figure. “When I succeed, I’ll look to tend to you.” With a wink, he took a step back and slipped the documents into his cloak.

The Symenestra turned quickly towards the temple but ran into the soldier. His hands combed the man’s body amidst the full contact. He grasped what felt like a bag full of coins but rather than just take it, he loosened the leather cord instead and pushed himself back up to stand on his own accord. The soldier shoved him further away where the second Ebonstryfe member, the one who had struck Vlad, put an elbow into the frail back. This one really hurt the Symenestra but he relished in the pain and forced his legs to cooperate despite wanting to buckle. The door was opened and the unruly youth slipped back into the shadows. He would return to the damp, dark tunnels of the Hole. He had training to do but it was possible that he would learn by being practice dummy. Just as the door closed, a coin purse slipped from a belt and clacked against the elegant but stoic tile floor. Hiding a shy smile, the sandaled feet of the Symenestra kicked it across the floor into a corner of shadows and dust. He would return for it when Leth was high and the guards had changed shifts.

by **Sayana** on October 3rd, 2016, 11:01 pm

Sayana watched as Hwyn spat out the spider silk, then strode over to assist as he wiggled out of the rest of the cocoon. Almost like a protective mother figure, she wordlessly pulled the silk away from his body. For a moment she caught a flash of colour in his eyes. Bright pinky red, but in less than a tick it was gone.

“It might come back… or it might not.” She spoke, without indicating her thoughts on the matter one way or the other. Instead, she was distracted at where the spider had gone, and tried to scan chaotic streets and buildings for it. Soon she saw the creature scamper up another wall and she locked her gaze upon it.

“Not something seen in Syliras. But Alvads wouldn’t blink an eye… until it started mauling them.” She didn’t look at Hwyn as she spoke, clearly preoccupied with watching the path of the spider. From below she heard an authoritative voice speak up loudly against the creature. Excellent. Soon it would get captured or killed, then she wouldn’t need to worry about keeping Hwyn safe. Not that she had been keeping track of Hwyn or trying to ensure the young human’s safety. But now that they were both up on this rooftop... Doubtless she was feeling at least somewhat protective.

As Hwyn began tending to the wounds, Sayana could had sworn she was seeing something unusual happening with the spider. It had effectively stopped, except there were small things suddenly writhing around on it. Then she heard the same authoritative voice call out again. Save this cursed creature? Save it and preserve it in the name of Rhysol?

“Bloody hypocrite!” She cursed under her breath.

But then Hwyn was speaking again. “No, I don’t know where the thing came from,” she interrupted in an irritated voice. “We should get off the roof though. I can help you down. I’ve got arms to spare and the silk is strong.”

She checked the piece of silk she’d used to climb up, and it was solidly strung around the chimney of the building. “Hwyn, let’s go. Whatever happened to Miss Eva is done now. We should get going before… Petch.”

The spider was returning, and quickly.

“Hwyn, get down from the roof top. Don’t climb the whole way. Find a window on the top floor so you can climb into the building and get back on two feet. I can cover for you and distract it, but you’re not safe up here.”

She hoped the young human would listen to her reasoning without much hesitation, because it wasn’t long before the spider had made it to their rooftop. Sayana recalled the hunk of ham she still carried under a low arm, and she pulled it out from the folds of her robe to toss it to one side of the spider. If the creature was simply hungry, she hoped it might follow the juicy meat, and if nothing else be distracted by the sudden movement.

The Eypharian used the couple of ticks she gained, to strip herself of the black robe she wore. Six daggers were soon drawn. Four small throwing ones and two regular daggers. She would have preferred more of the regular sized daggers, since the spindly spider would be a harder target to hit at a distance, but they would have to do.

She faced the spider with a display of weapons, rather like an exotic dance weaving the blades in and out of the air around her. Now that the spider was closer, she could see the little spiders clinging to its mother. Were they poisonous? Was the big one poisonous? She didn’t want to take any chances.

Her mids held the longer weapons, but it was her highs that struck first. Two strikes, aiming for the creature’s legs, then a pair of defensive blocks with her mids. Her lows were not yet engaged, but they were ready if the spider came in too close, or if the spider turned into a true danger and she needed to kill it right away with a thrown dagger.

Despite the display of blades, it was not actually her intent to kill the creature. Most of her focus was on dodging any legs that came out at her or other weapons the spider might have. She wanted to scare it, intimidate it, and prove that it was not worth staying upon this rooftop to fight against her. As for the removal of her robe, Sayana suspected that it would be difficult to get a good look at the fighting taking place on the rooftop. Hence her willingness to be a little more exposed, but with the advantage of using all her limbs.

“You’ve got eight limbs, spider? Well so have I.” She baited as a rush of adrenaline coursed through her. The sense of freedom was exquisite except… once, now twice she found herself losing her footing on the sloped surface of the roof. She needed to finish this off, and quickly.

Reaching at instinct, or what had become instinct, she tugged at the djed within her veins. Continuing to make efforts to dodge the spider beast, she pictured a fiery ring hanging in the air. Then with an intense focus she drew upon a single idea. I need to hide! Forcing the thought outwards, she rained down another few blows at the spider.

For just a tick after the bout of hypnotism, she felt short of breath, out of breath, dizzy and… she had to get out of here. She needed to vanish and disappear. Her last efforts were to grab her robe and fling it around her shoulders. Then she’d swing over the ledge of the roof so that only her high hands held the edge, and finally let go, bracing herself for a harsh impact.

She needed to run and hide.

Credit: Shimoje

by **Crow** on October 5th, 2016, 4:05 am

Through the shadows of Ravok a short elderly man cloaked in a vestige of leather and tattered cloth ran. His long white beard drifted backward from the speed. His old eyes scoured the top of buildings for his target. Wrinkles on his skin seemed to drape from his face. His concealed feet moved at speeds which were incomprehensible for a man of his size and age. With each step, a strange thud similar to the sound of hooves made its way to the wooden docks to the center of the city.

A rough and slow voice erupted from his throat “So this is what all the commotion is about. What a lovely creature.” He worked his way through all of the panic, the fighting, and attacks on soldiers. A few who had recognized who he was seemed to be encouraged instantly. They defended him with their lives and were inspired. For he was an elderly man of status favored among the Ebonstryfe. He was one that taught many of them about Rhysol and one that seemed to empower them in Rhysols honor. A preacher that during the darkest moments of their lives offered relief. He was a man of God.

As he approached now much slower and without a single heavy breath, he carried a staff with a delicately carved sun on the top of it. With great resolve, he raised the staff up and addressed the situation as a flurry of blades attacked at the creature. He noticed the courageous woman as perhaps one of the most determined assailants against this beast.

“Do not fear my child. You have no worries. Every fear in your heart will be addressed at this moment.” The man looked into the child and saw her fears. He received images and hints that she was desperate for acceptance within the city. Afraid at every turn that she would be discovered. Her fears were addressed almost instantly as the curse worked its way through her mind. She was completely open, removed her cloak, and showed her true self. An Eypharian. Her eight arms would almost be as much of a surprise as the spider was, but hardly anyone cared as the spider had already shocked most of everyone who had gazed upon it.

The Black Sun did not hold prejudice as most of the city did; they knew that potentially anyone could be the children of Rhysol. Anyone was allowed to serve their dear god. As the man slammed his staff into the roof, he added to the curse. “There are no beasts in the eyes of Rhysol. You are all beautiful creatures worthy of his touch…” A great sense of calm and determination would befall Sayana and those nearby to consider the spider as brethren. One worthy of Rhysol’s touch, but the elderly man knew that Rhysol was gone. He had to protect the city from the impending doom that was enacted by power hungry Druvin.

His voice once again croaked throughout all of the chaos. “Rhysol would never allow those not entirely devoted to him to befall such misfortune.” Suddenly everyone that witnessed the death and the disaster of the event would feel as if the entire event was a divine intervention by Rhysol himself. The single curse placed among those that could hear, it was empowered by every phrase. The preacher was a genius when it came to this.
Even the creature would feel a sense of belonging to the people in the vicinity. Meanwhile, not too far away Aemeli scoffed at the elderly man. Although the older man’s words only added meaning to her previous words.

With the combined attempt of hypnotism towards the spider and the curse enacted upon the area with the aid of the elderly man’s exceptional staff… the spider would envision one of its worse enemies; fire. With a heightened desire to save her children, she would flee.

As Sayana attempted to fall from the rooftop from her exhaustion the elderly man turned and performed a strange feat. A single arm elongated and reached out to her grabbed onto her and lifted her up back to the rooftop. “Now my children of Rhysol, come forth and let our God show you what he is capable of.”

~Thanks to Aladari Coolwater for the template

by **Hwyn** on October 6th, 2016, 4:56 pm

Along came a Spider

Sayana was short with him in her responses, but he hadn't expected less standing behind the intrepid woman standing behind her Hwyn surveyed the chaos, it was utter madness below people ran and screamed as soldiers tried to rally into some semblance of a cohesive unit, blood flowed in the plaza and children screamed and Hwyn was powerless to do thing about it. But as Hwyn was watching the chaos ensue the spider returned, Sayana standing between him and the spider tried to protect him from the monster yelling for him to retreat. Bu what kind of person would he be to leave a Freind behind?

Pulling the shortsword from it's place on his thigh he stood Behind Sayana circling to the left slowly read to flank the spider.

"Sayana, I'm with you.... so... so you can c-count on me!"

Getting ready to charge with sayana to attack Hwyn tried to stop his hands from trembling, his whole body shook like a leaf as the spider approached and when Sayana moved to intercept Hwyn shakily moved with her. As violence was beginning to ensue however Hwyn heard an old man shout behind him, and an Arm stretch past him to grapple Sayana and pull her back to the roof.

For a one solitary moment it felt like hwyn's whole world had fallen silent, the desire to fight left him when the man spoke, the desire to fight faded from him, but it was replaced by something else, a splitting pain and confliction, his mind was telling him things were ok but.... they weren't.... nothing was..... okay.... Holding his head in his arms Hwyn cried out an agonizing wail as if his very soul was being torn.

THIS
IS
NOT
OKAY

It hurt it... hurt inexplicably, he didn't know why but the conflicting thoughts the built up agony of repeatedly crushed hopes and dreams from Sunberth to Ravok his life had been a series of disappointments. Looking up Hwyn glared hard at the man Hwyn glared hard his heart full of anguish the man wanted to parade what his god was capable of, wanted to bring Rhysols children together and sure maybe the spider had been some heavenly act dome divine retribution but he'd done nothing wrong yet here he was suffering. Agonized tears rolled from Hwyn's eyes as his fists shook and his chest heaved as his body and mind torn by conflicting hypnotism and curses. first he'd been groped by a molester then Ameilie had assaulted his mind, then a spider had attacked him, and while the events of the day were not all things he consciously understood the curse layering on top of everything else was bending him beyond his limits.

"OLD MAN HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL CREATURES IN RHYSOLS EYES? HOW CAN YOU SPEAK AS IF EVERYTHING IS OK, I HAVEN'T FELT BEAUTIFUL ONCE IN THIS PAINFUL CITY, WHERE MONSTER AND MOLESTERS CAN ATTACK YOU AT ANY MOMENT, HOW CAN YOU CRY OUT FOR PEACE WHEN ALL I SEE AND FEEL IS AGONY. WHO ARE YOU TO SAY RHYSOL LOVES ANYTHING I HAVEN'T FELT HIS LOVE ONCE IN THIS CITY!!!!

WHERE IS MY LOVE OLD MAN? WHERE IS MY BEUTY OLD MAN? IF RHYSOL REALLY CARES ABOUT ME WHY AM I HURTING SO PETCHIING MUCH..."

falling to his knees Hwyn broke into inconsolable sobs... his head hurt so much.. he didn't know if it was self-inflicted or not but he was in agony and the very fabric of his being felt fragile.

"If Rhysol... really... cares.... he wouldn't make me hurt so.... much...."

Shakily looking up Hwyn locked eyes with the old man. He hurt so much, tears nearly blinded him but through the hazy fog of mental anguish he could see the man and his staff, and his mind tried to rebel against the forces that bombarded near futily.

"Is... your god.... capable.... of... taking my..... pain away old man? Is he...?"

Unable to look at the man and the staff any more hwyn hung his head and watched as the blood that seeped from the wound at his side and his tears pooled slowly in front of him, had he opened his wound in his tirade? Looking at his own hand that came away from his side now marred with his own blood, he showed his hand to the man.

"Cause... I don't want to hurt anymore"

Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy

by **Evarista** on October 7th, 2016, 8:00 am

Evarista was rushing too much to notice the flying piece of ham heading for a collision course with her. As she was crossing over the roof where her target was, the ham fell right on her face with a wet smack, covering her eyes and making her pause in momentary confusion. The sweet smell of raw meat invaded her senses as her children swarmed over the newly arrived food to gleefully clean it up. In just a few moments, the ham melted away under a myriad of shaving jaws. Thanks, I suppose, the spider thought as she returned her attention to the heartbeat in front of her.

She wouldn't get much time to dally, since the woman already went on a counter-offensive with her many weapons. Not quite prepared for the sudden close combat, Evarista almost tangled her legs in attempts to deflect the daggers. Her eyes were too dull to follow the blades, but the aerial vibrations gave her enough to work with as she angled her legs to minimize the force of the attacks. The daggers skimmed along the chitin, shaving flakes off of it dangerously. In the split-second windows of respite, the spider couldn't see any way to lunge back without putting her own limbs in danger. How inconvenient.

Very inconvenient indeed. The soldiers below, armed and trained as they were, have been disorganized and vulnerable. They weren't facing her with determination, which is what made them easy pickings. However, now that she came up against someone who was ready to fight her head-on, things no longer looked so easy. Skittering in a circle around the enemy, she looked for an opening to slip her talons through, and lunged several times, but couldn't get past the Eypharian's defenses. Frustrating. Just recently, she felt unstoppable, but it turned out that her control over her body was still rather sluggish. The roof wasn't large enough to back away and use her silk-whipping technique, either. This wasn't going to work.

There wouldn't be much need to consider the next action as a right of fire suddenly appeared in the air, walling off the enemy and forcing her to jump back. A magician. Now that she thought about it, perhaps it was the same magician that roused the crowd against her earlier. And now she was on this roof, trying to take away her precious? Unforgivable. Speaking of the precious, it seems that he was also about to join the fight, but his wavering motions didn't pain his advance as determined. The woman's attention was too focused on herself, which left the other heartbeat vulnerable. If she struck at him now, she could kill him... but she didn't want to kill him. She wanted to claim him.

Keeping away from the fire, she planned a daring maneuver around it, intent on making a beeline for her target and promptly leaving the accursed roof behind. Her thought were suddenly interrupted by a strange voice. As with all heartbeats, she couldn't understand the words, but a strange sensation spread through her as the resonating and intrusive bass continued its monologue. The others seemed to react as well, turning their attention to him. He was offering them comfort in a time of disaster. Quaint.

Her internal mockery came to an abrupt stop as the ring of fire, previously only protecting the dagger-swinging heartbeat, erupted into massive proportions, making her shrink away instinctively. The fire consumed the roof, the streets, the marketplace, the entire city, her entire vision. The armed woman was retreating from the roof at the corner of her vision, but she no longer cared about that. The rising panic was only amplified by the cries of the heartbeat that remained. His pitched outburst, directed at the old man, was laced with pain. Normally, such a display of weakness would simply rouse her appetite, but this evoked another sensation. She remembered the strange shimmering walls and how her fangs sliced his flesh. The crimson aroma still emanated from him. She wanted to eat him, but even more than that, she wanted to protect him. Among the sea of heartbeats, he was the only one that made her feel this way. She wasn't sure why.

There was one things Evarista was sure of, though. She was going to escape this nightmarish scene, and she was going to take him with her. How, though? Vague memories told her that the city was floating on a lake. She couldn't jump into the water, as her children would drown. Swimming to the lakeshore was out of the question. Trying to board a boat and set sail was just as impossible. There was nowhere in the burning city she could hide. All routes of retreat were cut off. All, except one.

Raising her gaze towards the sky, Evarista was prepared to spit Nature in the face once more. Driven by a primal desire for preservation, she tugged the scarf at her spinneret and spun. Spun faster than even before. Spun until there was nothing left to spin with. Her children, understanding her intentions, also spun. A mantle of gossamer unraveled above the spider as tiny spinnerets wove a myriad threads, intertwining with the mother's own. Above the rooftop rose a kite of truly gigantic proportions, submerging half the marketplace in shadow. Evarista was going to fly. Feeling the wind beginning to tug on the silk, she reached towards the crying heartbeat, hugging him with the last piece of silk she had. And she did so just in time.

The huge sail finally caught a tailwind, and Evarista's body was violently flung into the air, tiny legs of her children clinging to her desperately. The abruptness of the motion gave her a seizure, and her senses swam with confusion. The powerful kite lifted both her and the boy as if they were nothing, and carried them upwards. They were left her at the mercy of the wind, but Evarista enjoyed that more than being left at the mercy of the burning city and its dastardly inhabitants. As a last gesture of spite, she unfastened the severed arm that adorned one of her talons, and flung it at the rapidly shrinking figure of the old man on the rooftop. God is protecting the city from disaster? Sure he does, buddy.

Feeling Hwyn below her, she squeezed out a few remaining scarves of silk and wrapped him to protect him against the scalding cold wind, hugging him close with her many legs to avoid dropping him. His heartbeat soothed her, just like before. With him and the children at her side, she was ready to let come what may, as the wind carried her further and further upwards, away from Ravok and its curses.

by **Rufio** on January 30th, 2017, 11:24 pm

g r a d e s

hwyn

▽ :

evarista

▽ :

bartholomew

▽ :

xen

▽ :

vladislov

▽ :

sevris

▽ :

sayana

▽ :

Now I've got the heeby-jeebies!
If you feel I missed anything shoot me a PM.
Don't forget to edit the grade request here -

Open [Quest] Along came a Spider