The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo (Books 1-3)

Webs of the Arachna Chapter 2- Webs

~Chapter 2- Webs~

         "What did you think you were doing?!" Valr shouted.

         "You can't just let people get away with evil things," Jirro muttered, leaning against a wilted tree, not bothering to look at him.

         Valr groaned, "You might be the champ back in the Lands of Ralosia, but the people here are far stronger than you're used to."

         "I'm sure that commander has to be one of this world's strongest," Jirro rationalized.

         "I doubt it. This world is full of powerful warriors like that," Valr explained, "We should pick up the pace, especially with the militia around. Don't want to to be caught out at night either. The animals become more active then."

         "I'm sure we could survive out here at night," Aero remarked.

         "... I'd rather not test it."

         The three boys came to a large, wooded area. The trees there were thick, with black bark and blue leaves. Jirro could see strands of webs in the trees, some of them thick enough that they appeared like tightropes.

         As they journeyed deeper into the woods, many vibrantly colored Focus Lights filled the air, illuminating their way and reflecting off the bark of the thick trees.

         As Jirro passed through the foliage around him he asked, "Valr, does everyone in the Lands of Ranuulo know how to use Focus?"
         "Just about. If nothing else, people know how to create Focus lights. It's pretty essential here."

         "I'm sure they know all sorts of different Focus techniques here. Ujiic created some sort of Focus Ring, and I've never seen anyone do that," Jirro posited, already thinking about how he would beat him if he came across him again.

         "That's true, but there were techniques in the Lands of Ralosia I never saw here. Like that Focus Barrier you use."

         "I can teach you how to make a barrier if you teach me some techniques from this place," Jirro bargained.

         Valr smirked, "I'll take you up on that!"

         While Jirro and Valr spoke, the wide-eyed Aero was distracted by a series of Focus lights bunched together in a peculiar manner. He approached them.

         As soon as Valr saw what he was doing, he panicked, "Don't touch that!"

         He spoke a moment too late, Aero touched it, and a burst of webbing exploded from beneath them. Valr managed to fly into the air in time, but the others were ensnared in the thick webs of the trap embedded there. Jirro struggled to get out, but the cocoon of webs which wrapped around him were strong.

         "Dang it Aero! You can't go touching everything. I told you it's dangerous here!"

         Aero wriggled in the web cocoon he found himself and glared at Valr, "How would I know it was a trap? You should've told me!"

         Valr shook his head, "Ugh, just give me a second. I'll get you both out."

         Valr glided down to Aero and began to tug at the cocoon he found himself in, seeming to know how to weaken it.

         Jirro calmly asked, "So, did the people who live here make that trap?"

         "Yes. The Arachna left that web trap. It deters animals and unfriendly folk. Everyone living here would know how to avoid the traps."

         Valr continued to tug at the cocoon Aero found himself in while Jirro patiently waited to be freed. He heard rustling in the distance and trees around them began to crackle violently. Jirro looked up and saw a mass moving through the wood towards them, one that's height matched those of the trees there. Whatever it was, it had to be at least 10 meters tall. Trees started to topple over as it drew near.

         "Valr! What is that?" Jirro shouted, fear in his voice.

         Valr tugged the last strands of the cocoon enwrapping Aero and freed him.    The large figure cut trees down with ease. It was a large green creature with many thin limbs, arms that looked like sickles, and pitch-black eyes devoid of emotion. It used its arms to chop down part of a tree that nearly fell on Jirro.

         "A mantis..." Valr muttered, sounding terrified.

         Aero punched the air and a red burst of light emerged from his hand and struck the creature. It winced before screeching and lashing out with its bladed arms.

         Jirro frantically tried to break out of the cocoon he was trapped in while the mantis was distracted by Valr and Aero. The two jumped between tree branches to avoid the creature, firing Focus bursts at it to repel it.

         The mantis saw Jirro struggling and maneuvered its many thing legs towards him, ignoring Aero and Valr's shouts.

         Jirro flexed every muscle in his body, and a blue light emanated from around him. With a shout, he used Focus to dispel the webs away from him. The mantis brought down its sickle arm and Jirro barely jumped out of the way.

         The three boys fired Focus Bursts at the mantis while maintaining their distance, but nothing seemed to seriously hurt it. The mantis furiously swiped its bladed arms through the trees, and the boys jumped around to avoid its wrath.

         "I got an idea!" Aero proclaimed, firing another Focus burst at the creature from his perch in a tree, "Draw it towards me."

          Jirro and Valr drew close to Aero and chided the Mantis along. Then Jirro saw what his plan was. There was a series of Focus lights bunched together near them, just like the one that held a web trap.

         They drew the mantis near the lights, tricking it to walk directly into them. Another web trap was triggered, and a burst of webs shot out around the mantis, creating a cocoon around it. 

         The boys smiled as the mantis was ensnared in the webs, relentlessly struggling to try and escape, but even this massive creature couldn't get out.

         "I can see how those traps would be useful," Jirro remarked, "Nice thinking Aero!" Aero nodded with a smile.

         Valr said, "Let's get moving. We should be close to Petri's clan in the woods."