Arachna Gray

Chapter II: Light amongst the Webs

In the stalk of the night (if it even is night), I ponder over the questions that may fonder in my mind. That may accumulate in the nightly lit sky, where I may see the spider's silky webs. You were there instead, you were there to light up my lonely night, my days where I would only stare at the spiders. I only had you in my life and I will find you, Samma!

The rune-tilted walls that were well smitten in spiders and dust, I walked those halls in search of my Samma. Though they spoke about the tales of Arachna, about her conquest to rule the land with the spiders that only remain to stalk their prey, to stay in the shadows and strike when their victims come to them. She is the God that many worships, though their religion has faded with time. Though they may have corroded into history, we have found their remnants once more to ensure that we can learn more about their past. We acknowledge the spiders and love them with all of us.

"When we were once lost, spiders found us. Or we had found them and learned their way to hunt, to live life, to become one with the silky smooth way of vitality." I read one of the scriptures that were written along the wall, though most of them were written in a language that I could not understand. There were some that I could.

I found a bundle of young spiders who were feasting upon a dead fly. I kneeled before them. "May I ask anyone of you where you may find their way out of here?"

None of them had answered my question. Maybe I couldn't talk to them since they're not used to my presence or they speak in another language that is older than the one I've learned.

"So none of you speak Spansilk, huh?" I inquired from them, though I knew that they didn't understand me. I've always used my natural language with a hint of Spansilk within each word for it may make it easier for them to understand me. In the far distance, I could hear bones clattering whilst I traversed the halls. I was trying to find some clues on where to leave, and where the next exit is.

I wandered the halls, and upon finding a door that had a shield wedged underneath its doorknob. Removing the shield, I attempted to open the door and was greeted by the sweet scent of rotting meat corroding the room and those who entered.

"Well, that's fun!" I sarcastically remarked to myself.

I took a step inside to see where the stench was eroding from and encountered a dozen sleeping bags still in a row, all bloodied and having bodies within them.

On one of the walls here, it read: "The Queen halted before man, spoke words in a language known to spiders exclusively. She gave us powers known to none, yet she demanded the blood of mankind in return. A sacrifice we made. One we will make again."

Quietly I backed up to exit the room after reading that. Amid my departure, a loud growl echoed in the room. I peered over to see a limping corpse making its way toward me, its dead blank eyes staring into my soul. Running out of the room, I closed the door shut. Taking a couple of steps back from the door behind me I heard a bowstring being released. I peered behind me to catch a glimpse of an object flying in front of me. Piercing the wall beyond me was an arrow!

My body quickly took over, fear coursing through me. Diving around the nearest corner, I was met with several skeleton creatures who bore clothing of their past selves. Tattered, torn, withering away with dust. In their hands they held bows, arrows nocked. Their empty eye sockets stared at me seemingly, although I wouldn't ever be aware of such.

The creatures aimed their bows at me, firing, I ducked behind the corner in response. The arrows flew past me, striking the wall ahead. A door being pounded on resounded in the halls. I knew where they were coming from. I quickly ran past the door to find another way out, another pathway. When the door slipped out of view, it slammed open. The echoes of footsteps and growling, the putrid smell of rotten flesh. My eyes glued ahead of me, the runes next to me, the spiders crawling around me. Yet I continued to run.