Welcome to Miror

Kerekes the Drider

Female Main Character x Male Monster (both cis)

There are cows as far as the eye can see, in the barn, in the field, ranging prizewinners to prize breeders. All my life, I have been surrounded by cows. Not that I mind - I often prefer them to people. I have raised many cows on my family's dairy farm, and our products are used in the Miror royal palace, make delicacies in Pirlipat, and grace the homes of many people.

Muffet Farms is known far and wide as the best dairy in all of Miror. It was started when Grandpa Horner was kicked by one of the royal farm's cows, working in the palace dairy. As payment for the accident, he was given the cow that had injured him, and rather than butchering the cow for meat, like most would assume, Grandpa Horner began his dairy farm. He was just sixteen, and now he's eighty and happily sits on the front porch, overlooking the farm he built with his own hands.

Like I said, I often prefer cows to people. My cows are sweet, gentle, and have the most beautiful eyes. I have raised dozens on this farm, taking care of each one until they mature to be milkers, breeders, or sold to other farms. I have a relationship with a dairy in Pirlipat who exclusively buys my cows. I thought we were on friendly terms, but I've come to learn the man who owns it has other things on his mind. His friendliness stems from a desire to join our two farms together by making me his wife. My mother just told me he has spoken to her and father concerning the matter.

I hate it. Mr. Porgie is a fine enough man, but he is not someone I would want to marry, and not someone I would consider husband material at all. Grandpa Horner agrees with me. He's always been a good judge of character, even if people do consider him daft these days. He's never liked Mr. Porgie, and often plays pranks on him when he visits the dairy.

"I'd rather you marry one of our bulls than that fool," he grouses one day while carving a wedge of hard cheese.

"I doubt we'd have much to talk about, Grandpa. But I think me and Mr. Porgie would have even less to talk about." I lean back in my chair, looking over the sprawling landscape of hills and valleys that runs up to the deep, lush forest of the Tulgey Wood.

"Better you marry a bull than shit." Grandpa Horner spits.

I smirk, glad that Grandpa had the common sense to realize Mr. Porgie isn't the man-about-down my parents think he is. I want to believe my parents are considering my best interest, but it feels like they aren't paying close attention to Mr. Porgie at all.

"Oh dear," Grandpa says softly. "What's that?" He points into the distance. The lavender expanse of the horizon is now turning grey with smoke. I grow frightened. The smoke came out of nowhere, and there is so much of it already. "Is there a fire?"

"There hasn't been a fire in Tulgey Wood since the last Jabberwocky hunt." Grandpa's tone is grim. He squints through his glasses as the smoke begins to turn black. "This doesn't bode well for the critters in the woods."

"What should we do?" I look around frantically, but Grandpa takes my arm and holds me still.

"We're too far away to be of any help. I'm sure by now the people bordering the woods are doing what they can."

News about the forest fire spreads quickly. Part of the Tulgey Wood has been consumed, luckily mostly rocky terrain filled with caves and sand traps, although nobody knows exactly what caused it. Unfortunately, it had also been home to a clan of driders who are now rendered homeless. "It's so sad," I murmur as I read the paper. "Where will they go?"

"Who knows?" my mother sighs. "Let's just hope they don't start coming out of the wood and start crawling all over us."

"Mama!" I exclaim.