“No, it’s definitely not,” Blessing admits. “I wish it were.”
“What kind of creature makes webbing that thick to anchor a door?” Lynx cocks his head.
“Darkstar Spiders.”
“I thought those were extinct,” I point out.
“Nope,” Blessing corrects me. “They migrated to the mountains, but it’s their venom that’s toxic to us and dissolves our defenses, killing us.”
Oh my!
“What’s causing them to attack?” Knots asks, observing the webbing above.
“We don’t know. I’ve been here for centuries, but the attacks started a few months ago. We lost our leader, Goshen, during our second fight when he was trying to close the latch,” Blessing explains, pointing up. Embedded in the webbing, there’s a latch that looks like it just needs to be cleared and pulled down. What’s the big deal?
“They coated the webbing and the stone around it with their toxins. We can’t get close,” Blessing answers my unspoken question.
“Um, am I missing something? What kind of spiders are we talking about here? I doubt those webs came from a daddy long-legs.” Rez cocks her head to the side.
“I don’t know why those dads have long legs, but these guys only have eight,” I tell her.
“It’s a type of spider on Earth,” Blessing explains. “And no. These spiders are nothing like those on Earth. These stand at least five feet tall and have suckers on their abdomen that they use to carry their food back to their lairs. Lately, though, that’s how they have been taking our eggs. They have a humanoid torso with two arms that can wield weapons and fight like any warrior. You might be able to picture them more clearly as Centaur Spiders.”
“Oh.” I swallow the lump in my throat, and before I can ask another question, a piercing shriek rings out through the room, making my ears buzz.
“Ahh! What is that?” I yell.
“Darkstars!” Blessing yells, running to the entrance and slamming his stone hand against a button I didn’t notice as we came in.
A stone slab slams shut in front of our exit, and my jaw drops at Blessing as he turns his pleading eyes onto our group.
“Our Fates are now tied. Please help save my clan.”
Awww Fuckle Nuts and Busy Bees. We’re gonna help, aren’t we?
CHAPTER 27
A Sticky Tarzan
Rez
“Well, since you asked so nicely.” Lynx’s sarcasm isn’t missed on anyone as I spin around and turn my sights upwards, where my vision blurs for a moment.
Fuck. Not now. I don’t need to die when people are counting on me,I plead. Blinking furiously to clear my eyes, my stomach drops as a chill runs down my spine, and I take my first look at theseDarkstarspidersdescending upon us. I don’t think a horror movie could do this monster justice.
“Pincers!” I yell at Blessing. “You completely forgot to mention their body-sized death clappers?” I shriek as I watch one snap their clawed appendages, swinging gracefully and spinning from an alabaster web like they are the star in the Cirque du Soleil aerial act.
Whatelsedid he forget to tell us? Okay, Fates, I take it back. You can step back in and help. We might need it.
I pull my weapons and look over my shoulder at Blessing once more, since we have no choice but to fight.
“Any particular way we need to kill them?” I might as well make sure we get this right the first time.
He rips a long metal spear off the wall and gives me a determined look.
“No, just stab until they stop moving.”
“Got it, hack away until they are pieces,” Lynx nods, before turning into a smaller version of his Manticore so he doesn’t take up the entire room. He doesn’t wait and already moves to the back of the cave, into the shadows, to pray on an unsuspecting spider as it comes down the wall into reach.
