Back to page 11
-----"Spiders, on the other hand, I've always kind of liked." Sarah says, staring into the webs. "They can grow, adapt, survive almost anywhere. And they're smarter than you'd think. Some of them figure out how to lay traps." Sarah decides she doesn't need to say 'Watch out.'
-----"How is he doing, Sol?" Sarah asks, not looking down at the body.
-----Sol stands slowly shaking his head. He then starts looking around the room for movement.
-----The wolf begins to growl lowly. As everyone looks at the animal, it sniffs the air and looks around as if it detects something. Raven’s eyes narrow and he glances all about ready to fight.
-----Suddenly, back behind them in the other room, comes a rapid tapping sound. Turning, everyone sees two huge forms approaching Seth and the Dread Pirate out of the dark. First a flurry of eight legs on each form gives the impression of huge spiders. At the front of the bodies are raised thoraxes atop of which are distinctive human-like heads. The heads feature big black insect eyes and large fangs project from each side of the mouths. A bizarre hissing noise is given off by the creatures as they move and look down on the two adventurers.
-----"What on earth...?" Sol exclaims with revolted fascination. In an attempt to get through to the creatures, Sol tries to push past the rest of the party. Indeed, it's a rather desperate mix of urgency and base instinct to be polite about it, as the young warrior begins to apologize to his friends as he barges through.
-----Likewise, Raven begins to push forward with the wolf barking beside him.
-----Seth, halfway sensing the young warrior’s approach, jumps back, his eyes large with terror. The thing lunges after him, its fangs snapping on empty air.
-----With a curse, the Dread Pirate draws forth his cutlass and sweeps it up and across in front of him at the other spider thing. The monstrosity backs avoiding the weapon and evilly seems to wait for the move. Striking like a snake before the halfling pirate can recover, the monster’s head comes down and scratches Gimplefwick’s arm with a fang.
-----Sarah manages to duck out of the way of Sol’s barrage and decides she'd better stay in back. Running quickly in her mind through her repertoire of spells she decides she doesn't have a lot that works well on Spider-Monsters. Hurriedly, she casts a simple spell, blowing sand through her fingers towards one of the Spider-Monsters. All the time she is wondering, what could these things be?
-----The monsters seem unaffected by the spell and as Sol and Raven make it to within striking distance, a strange thing occurs. By the light of the torches, the color of the spider things quickly begins to lighten. Becoming paler, the monsters seem to lose their substance.
-----"Excuse me. Sorry..." Sol repeats as he makes his way through his companions. The 'brave' man doesn't even hesitate as he throws himself at the nearest bizarre mix of spider and humanoid, and he whispers quietly as his sword raises and descends. The sword, however, sweeps empty air as the monsters fade and quickly vanish.
-----Again, everything falls deathly silent; then the wolf begins to growl once more.
-----Sarah smacks herself on the forehead. "Serves me right for not thinking," She says. Moving over to Gimplefwick she says, "Here, let me see that." Approaching the somewhat stunned halfling, she begins to clean and bandage his arm.
-----"Dread, are ye right?" Sol barks out, as he settles into a ready stance and begins to scan the room. Without halting his seeking gaze, the rather tense warrior bids, "Okay someone...gimme an idea of what's goin' on here?"
-----Suddenly a rapid tapping occurs in one of the corners behind Rinda. Raven spins just in time to see one of the creatures emerging into the torchlight from behind the huntress. With a savage cry that resounds off the old stone walls, the ranger launches himself at the monster with his short swords flashing.
-----Behind Sol, Kazel hears a noise directly over her head. Without looking, the half-elven girl drops to the floor still holding her torch and tumbles over to the nearest wall. As she jumps up and draws her sword in her other hand, the other demonic creatures lands from the darkness above. Cheated from its prey, the monster looks at Kazel and hisses. Immediately, Sol thrusts in with his Lathanian blade.
-----Across the floor, Raven meets the creature with both of his swords crossing in an X pattern. Both weapons rake across the raised thorax of the spider thing, wounding it and drawing an angry sound from the thing. The wolf bites at one of the insect’s legs but misses.
-----The creature recoils from the attacks and with a blackish fluid seeping from its chest, jerks forward to attack Raven. It misses the fiercely angry hunter as its fangs snap and, within a second, the creature begins to fade.
-----Sol swings his sword high at the other creature. His weapon slams and cuts into the monster’s shoulder. With a low hiss, the spider thing turns on the warrior and bites at him. As Sol steps back to avoid the creature, it too begins to fade from sight. In the next second, the monsters vanish and the silence returns.
Go to Page 13