Jaguar was the leader of Panther House. A lithe and lean man with an easy smile, but an aura of impending danger, ready to pounce. His second was Tabby, a bookish woman, tall but willowy, with soft brown hair and spectacles before her orange eyes.
The last four Houses I didn’t care as much for, but I still knew the names of the leaders, though, not their seconds. The enigmatic Lady Tanuki of Tanuki House, with dark eyes and fair hair. The massive Lord Grizzly of Grizzly House, a mop of dark brown hair on his large head. Everything about him was… oversized and dangerous. Then there was Lord Spike of Porcupine House, an odd-looking fellow, rake thin, with a wide grin. Last was Lord Maverick of Maverick House. He was a large fellow as well, a bit rounded of muscle and with an easy-going nature, often talking to his second, a severe-looking woman who never replied.
“Would… Legs and Auwei, spider avatar, please come to the testing grounds!” the herald called out and my heart leaped with excitement while my stomach held a cold ball of fear.
Don’t worry, do what we practiced and planned, and you’ll be well. You can do this, Legs. Auwei’s words of encouragement helped to calm me, but only a little.
“You can do this!” Blackclaw said as I rose.
I’d sat in the top tier, since we’d been allowed to sit anywhere, as I’d wanted to make a special entrance.
I kicked off my shoes and jumped up onto the half-wall at the inner edge of the tier.
“Here!” I called out. I quickly touched my belly-button, then the pillar next to me, then… I began walking down the wall.
I’d made sure to sit next to one of the massive pillars that supported the inside ring, so I could walk down that, without having to jump over the gaps of the tiers below mine.
The trouble was… I was heavy. Auwei and I had been practicing this last night and this morning in my room at the Golden Rose, but this was far different from when I’d crawled along the ceiling back at Silverveil. I’d been on hands and feet then, supported. But walking down a wall without using my hands meant my upper body was sticking way out from the wall and it wanted to bend, pulled down. So, I walked — very carefully, making sure one foot was solidly placed before moving the other — down the wall, trembling not only with fear, but with the effort of my muscles straining to keep myself straight. And when I finally reached the stone yard I was shaking violently, but I’d made it.
I came to stand at the center of the yard. There were various strange objects around the yard, some large and awkward, some shaped like people, for the testees to use to demonstrate various abilities. I had already demonstrated my primary ability: wall-walking. The only others I knew of so far were jumping and my spider silk. I had attached a piece of silk to the pillar up at the third level and grabbed that now, pulling myself up a little, demonstrating that I had the silk — it was otherwise very hard to see unless you caught a flash of it in the right sunlit angle — and how strong it was.
Letting myself down, I separated that strand, then put my hand over the small hole in my dress, quickly filling it with a ball of webbing. I threw the webbing at a human-shaped “dummy” in the yard. It hit low on the “man’s” face, covering the mouth and nose and a bit of the neck.
“Bloody…” I whispered; eyes wide. It only occurred to me in that moment that such an attack could be fatal, if my opponent couldn’t get the webbing off in time, they’d not be able to breathe. That is not what I had meant to show, only that I had the “web-throwing” attack.
Don’t worry, you’re doing very well, keep to the plan.
I was shaking violently still, but I made my way back over to the edge of the inner ring and… leaped with all my might. I actually didn’t know how far I could jump. I hadn’t fully tested that. So, I was just a little shocked — I may have let out a terrified scream — as I passed well up, out of the theater, to perhaps double or triple its height.
I flailed wildly as I then began to fall.
Don’t worry, I’ll catch us, Auwei said, sounding only slightly less terrified than I was.
We landed on the roof of the theater in a crouch, springing up to our feet.
“Oh!” I breathed. “I…” I hadn’t thought I’d land so lightly.
It only makes sense that if we are able to jump that high we will be able to land from that height.
“Oh,” I said again.
Or at least, that’s what I was hoping. I caught Auwei’s hint of relief. She hadn’t been certain.
I’m glad you were right!
Me too.
As calmly as I could, I walked back down the inner pillar to my seat. Several people had risen, rushing to the edges of the inner ring to look up and seemed relieved to see I was well. I smiled and nodded to them. Returning to the half-wall where I’d started, I bowed to the Nobles.
Looking at the nine of them, most did not seem particularly impressed. But then… they hadn’t for anyone else either.
I took my seat again and deflated into a puddle of anxiety and fear-tears.
“Are you well?” Blackclaw asked as her name was called.
I couldn’t speak only nod weakly.
She smiled and rose, taking the stairs down to the yard.
