Chapter Thirty-Two: Fanged and the Furious

  The group huddled together, their breaths forming ghostly plumes in the now frigid air. Jace’s hands trembled as he summoned his cleric rod, the Moonstone Shard in his other hand glinting ominously in the pale light. Dex spun his rapier, the silver blade slicing through the darkness as he shifted his stance. Alice’s eyes were wide, but she held firm, her Shard glowing against her determined expression. Ell pulled a sword from her inventory, the amethyst Shard transforming into a heavy necklace around her neck. Behind them, Thistle’s form grew towering and sturdy.

  For a heartbeat, time stood still.

  Then, the silence was ripped apart by a sudden rustle in the underbrush. From the shadows, a monstrous undead spider scuttled forth, nearly half their height, its cracked and decayed exoskeleton reflecting a sickly gleam. Eight eyes, glowing with malevolent light, fixed on the group. With a screech that pierced the night, it lunged forward, a hideous blur of speed and malice.

  Dex was the first to react. His rapier flashed as he darted toward the spider. “I’ve got it!” he shouted. His blade struck the spider’s thick exoskeleton with a sharp, metallic ting, but it merely glanced off, leaving only a shallow scratch.

  Jace raised his cleric rod, channeling energy through the Moonstone and striking with a determined thrust. Alice focused her Shard, sending bursts of blue energy at the creature, but the spider shrugged them off with ease.

  “The joints!” Ell shouted. “Go for the joints,” her assessment magic revealing the spider’s weak points with a faint violet glow. She stepped forward, her sword gleaming with the power of her Shard, and struck at the spider’s thin, whip-cord tendons between its legs and body. Dex followed suit, his blade finding purchase in the vulnerable spots. The creature hissed in pain. Thistle, now a towering giant, moved to the rear, ready to defend against any threat.

  The spider screeched, its frantic movements creating a cacophony of horror. It lunged at Dex, its fangs aimed for his throat. Dex parried just barely, his face a mask of concentration.

  A glancing claw swiped at Ell, tearing into her arm. She grunted against the pain but kept up her attack.

  Jace cast Soul Mend, reaching out and touching Ell, his energy knitting together the minor wounds of his friends. Alice, gathering all her strength, unleashed a concentrated blast of sapphire light that struck the spider directly in its eyes. The creature reeled back, its screeches reaching a fever pitch as it thrashed in pain.

  Jace’s voice cut through the chaos. “Hit it again, now!” he shouted. Ell’s heart pounded, a mix of fear and determination, as she channeled her Shard’s power. With precise, fluid movements, she lunged at the spider, her sword guided by the pulsing light of her amethyst Shard.

  The spider, now a frenzied blur of legs and fangs, fought back with savage desperation. Its exoskeleton cracked and splintered under the relentless assault, dark ichor spilling onto the ground. Thistle, with a roar that echoed through the forest, brought his massive fists down on the creature, shattering its body in a final, earth-shaking blow.

  Thistle shrank back to his normal size, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. “Can only hold it for a little bit before I gotta recharge.”

  The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the ragged breaths of the Travelers. They stood among the remains of the spider, the air thick with the stench of decay and the faint, lingering glow of their Shards. Breathing heavily, adrenaline still coursing through their veins, their smiles were thin and fleeting—victory was a transient thing in this hellish forest.

  Then, a sound like bamboo rainmakers filled the air. They stood frozen, trying to process the noise—a sound few had ever heard. It was the eerie clatter of a thousand skeletal legs racing forward, echoing through the forest like a macabre symphony.

  From the shadows, the horror emerged—a swarm of undead spiders, pouring forth like a black tide. Their green eyes glowed with rage, casting a sickly light over the forest floor.

  “Run!” Jace’s voice sliced through the growing dread, sharp and urgent.

  The group turned and fled, their feet pounding against the damp forest floor. Dense foliage seemed to close in around them, vines and branches clawing at their clothes and skin as they sprinted through the underbrush. The air was thick with the sound of skittering legs and snapping twigs as the swarm pursued.

  Ell led the way through the dense forest. “Keep moving! Don’t look back!” she shouted. Dex was close behind, his rapier flashing and slicing through the overgrown foliage.

  Of course, everyone looked back. A mass of legs and eyes surged toward them.

  “It’s just a game, it’s just a game,” Dex panted, his voice a shaky mantra as he ran. He didn’t seem convinced, and truthfully, neither was anyone else.

  “We need to find somewhere to hide!” Jace yelled, his voice strained and hoarse.

  Ell quickly scanned their surroundings, her eyes landing on a dense thicket. “This way!” she called, activating her Pathfinder ability. A shimmering path appeared, cutting through the underbrush. The group followed, their breaths ragged, the sound of the spider swarm too close for comfort.

  In the distance, a monstrous silhouette loomed, shrouded by the night. Its deafening roar sent shivers down Jace’s spine, igniting a frenzy among the swarm of spiders below.

  A spider leapt from the shadows, its fangs sinking into Alice’s leg, causing her to stumble and scream, the sound of agony piercing the chaotic night. Jace reacted instinctively, barreling into the spider and knocking it back. Thistle quickly transformed back into his massive form and belly-flopped onto the creature with all his weight, stunning it just long enough for them to escape.

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  Jace felt the strain on his Aether, the healing sapping his energy. Each step became heavier, each breath more labored. He cast another quick Soul Mend at Thistle, who was bleeding from his encounter with the spider, a shard of its exoskeleton lodged in his chest.

  “Keep moving!” Jace shouted, casting Soul Mend as fast as he could. Healing energy surged through his hands and into Alice’s torn flesh. It wouldn’t heal completely, but it was enough to keep her on her feet, though she limped noticeably. They couldn’t afford to stop. Not now. Holding her hand as they ran to keep the link, he focused, trying to finish the heal, feeling his aether draining fast, nearly sucking him dry before he cut it off. The wound still refused to fully close.

  The giant silhouette in the distance grew gradually closer, the ground shaking with each thudding step. Jace’s heart raced as he struggled to keep up with his companions, his cleric rod emitting a dim glow from the last of his energy.

  The spiders kept up their ferocious attacks, not trying to kill but to maim, as if they were simply playing with their food. They’d burst from the darkness just long enough to slash and then vanish again, their long legs whipping out with sharpened bones, striking with deadly precision and a sick sense of humor.

  Jace cried out in pain as one of the creatures cut into his side, blood gushing from the wound. He pushed it off fiercely, but his movements grew sluggish and weak as the blood drained.

  If not for his Minor Resistance to Death, he was sure it would have been fatal. As it was, the pain was near unbearable, adrenaline the only thing keeping him standing. He had never felt pain quite like this, not in Terra Mythica. Not since the night Alex went to the hospital. Icons flashed in his view, alerting him to notifications, which he ignored with a flick of his mind. He healed himself enough to keep going, draining the tiny amount of aether he had regained.

  Alice, her leg still injured and stained with blood, hobbled beside Ell. Her sapphire blasts grew weaker with each passing moment. “I can’t keep this up,” she gasped, her face twisted with agony.

  Thistle, bleeding from multiple wounds, had a piece of exoskeleton from the spider he had crushed still lodged in his chest. He was struggling to keep up, so Dex hefted him onto his shoulder. “Never mention this,” Dex grunted, pushing forward with determination.

  Each step felt heavier, the air thick with fear and desperation. The group moved as one, driven by sheer survival instinct. Every breath was a battle, every heartbeat a countdown to the next attack.

  Behind them, the monstrous creature’s roar echoed, a chilling reminder that these undead spiders were not the only nightmare lurking.

  Ell’s sword flashed in the dim light, slicing through thick webs and fending off the scuttling spiders with fierce determination.

  “Just a bit further! We can make it!” Ell said.

  Jace’s vision blurred as he cast another Soul Mend the moment his Aether could handle it, this time targeting Thistle. It wasn’t enough to do much more than dislodge the white sliver from Thistle’s chest and breathe some life back into his eyes, but Jace could see that Thistle was recovering, aided by his own abilities. Jace’s aether was depleted again, and he knew he was running on borrowed time.

  Suddenly, a clearing appeared ahead, the dense forest opening up to a small rocky outcrop. Pale moonlight illuminated the jagged edges of the rocks, casting shadows over the group as they stumbled forward.

  “There! Head for the rocks!” Ell yelled, her voice cracking with exhaustion.

  The group scrambled towards the rocky outcrop, their bodies battered and bleeding. Reaching the base of the rocks, Jace collapsed against a large boulder, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The spiders followed closely behind.

  Jace swung his cleric rod desperately, using it more as a bat than a focus, striking the nearest spider to keep it at bay. “Climb!” he shouted, his voice hoarse.

  They scrambled up the rock face with desperate effort, helping each other over the rough surface. Fear fueled their frantic climb, the relentless spiders driving them upward. As they neared the top, a small cave came into view, illuminated by Ell’s guiding power.

  One by one, they clambered into the cave. Thistle, summoning the last of his aether and strength, shifted into his massive form. With a determined grunt, he hammered the cave wall and ceiling by the entrance, each blow causing the rock to tremble under the force of his rage.

  The others retreated further inside, their eyes wide with fear and confusion.

  “Thistle, what are you doing?” Alice called out, panic sharpening her voice. But he ignored her, his focus unyielding.

  Outside, the spiders were climbing the rock face, their skittering legs growing louder, echoing like a thousand nails on a chalkboard. Thistle struck again, his fists colliding with the stone in a powerful rhythm. The entrance began to crumble and shake, loose rocks cascading down.

  “Get out of there!” Ell shouted, her voice breaking with urgency.

  Thistle screamed in a feral fury, a raw rebellion against the world as he struck again. His voice carried the weight of all his pain and anger, echoing through the cave like a thunderclap. Despite the obvious aether drain, he held his massive form, every muscle trembling with the effort.

  His roar was a primal cry, filled with defiance and desperation. His eyes burned with intensity, the rage and sorrow in his heart driving him to protect his friends at any cost.

  Dex sprang forward in a blur, diving toward Thistle just as the first spiders came into view. The sight of their glowing eyes and gnashing fangs sent a jolt of terror through him. The rumble grew into a deafening roar as the rocks fell all at once, piling up in booms of stone and dust.

  “No!” Jace shouted, his voice lost in the chaos. He watched helplessly as the cave entrance collapsed, stone after stone crashing down, sealing them in darkness.

  The air was thick with dust, choking their every breath. Coughing and gasping, they struggled to regain their bearings. The silence that followed was oppressive, broken only by the distant sound of stone falling and the occasional screech of the spiders outside. Ell and Jace illuminated their Shards, the dim glow reflecting off the dust and casting everything in a hazy blur.

  Jace, his heart pounding, made himself focus. He forced his recovering aether into his Spirit Sense and peered through the haze. The effort left him dizzy, the energy drain nearly too much to bear.

  “No,” Ell whispered, her voice trembling, eyes wide with fear.

  As the dust finally began to settle and the cloud of smoke dissipated, faint shapes emerged. Dex was dragging Thistle toward them, both alive but battered and bruised. The relief was palpable, cutting through the lingering dread.

  “Oh, hey guys,” Dex said, attempting a weak smile despite the pain. “What’s up?”

  Ell let out a sob of relief, tears streaming down her cheeks. She rushed to Dex, her fists pounding weakly against his shoulder. “Don’t you ever do that again, you good-for-nothing idiot!”

  Dex quickly set Thistle down and wrapped Ell in a tight hug. Neither spoke for a long while, their emotions too raw for words.

  They huddled together inside the dark cave, faces pale and drawn with pain and exhaustion. For now, they were safe from the relentless creatures of the forest.

  The sound of bones scratching against stone outside echoed, a grim reminder of the danger that awaited them. Jace leaned against the cave wall, his breath still coming in heavy gasps. Beyond, the spiders scrabbled relentlessly, their sharp legs skittering across the ground with an insatiable hunger. He could feel their desperation, their relentless desire to capture and consume.

  The group’s weary eyes met in the dim light, a silent acknowledgment of the fragile safety they had found. The cave, though a temporary refuge, felt like a sanctuary in the heart of the nightmare they were living.