Lost in Translation: A Collaborative Story

Part 2: Halfbloodlycan

Sia's tails twitched nervously as the dwarrow and drow approached. But Mizim had told her he'd be finding someone suitable to potentially tame the beast if it happened to be a spider. A drow was a perfect option for that. And if not, then the rumors of skittering legs and odorous venom were a sign of something far far worse taking over her woods.

Still, Sia held her bow taut until she was sure nothing unpleasant had followed them into the woods. When she was sure everything was in order, she hopped out from her hiding spot and greeted them.

Mizim, who she'd partnered with on a treasure hunt many moons ago, introduced her with a flourish that made her blush. Her tails wrapped around to cover her face until he finished saying her name.

"Miss Sia Silvertails, Fleet Footed Fox, Protector of the Forest, Finder of-"

"Okay, I get it," the drow said, crossing his arms. "You're a child of Thofur, and this fox has many names." He was already losing his patience with the copper shrub who called himself Mizim.

"He's a bit of a grump," Mizim muttered.

"I can hear you, ya know. Can we get on with this quest." He fidgeted with the handle of a whip at his side, the length covered in sharp, fanglike spikes.

Mizim cleared his throat, "This is Ali'zarin...do you have a title you want to add?"

"Ali'zarin, destroyer of people who waste my time."

"Snippy and impatient. Right then, let's go to the root of the problem. And don't worry, you'll get your third of the reward, and hopefully your spider mount, as long as you don't bail out at the last minute."

The deeper they went, the darker the woods became. Branches thick with foliage blocked out the sun and even further in, a fog settled around them. It got so dense, even with her night vision, Sia was having a hard time seeing anything more than a foot ahead of her. She had to use her other senses to make sure the coast was clear before they ventured further.

Behind her, she could see Mizim's coppery red hair and beard taking up most of her vision. And Ali'zarin staying somewhere in the middle. The air around them smelled thick and sweet as though they were walking into a bee's nest. It was the smell of honey.

Ali'zarin stopped suddenly and smiled. "Are we in the area of corruption yet?" he asked.

Sia shook her head, "Not yet. The source is even deeper than this." Sia kept moving, though her limbs were becoming heavy and sluggish, the fog getting thick enough to feel. She stopped when she could no longer feel her feet touching the ground. Her fur was sticky with something, and when she looked down or tried to move her arms, she was tugged up and up into the trees.

When she looked up, she saw long spindly legs pulling her up like a spinning wheel.

"Stop moving!" Ali'zarin snapped. He pulled out and unraveled the whip, keeping his eyes on the space above them. "The more you struggle, the quicker you'll get pulled up." He lashed his whip expertly toward Sia, avoiding her and cutting the threads that pulled her upward.

When she fell a good several feet, Ali'zarin caught her and set her down.

The spider shook its body, clearly furious for its lost meal, and descended upon them, stinger prepped to attack.

Finally, there was something fun to do. Whether they were a part of the quest or not, he would end up with a spider mount one way or another.

"I..didn't-" Sia stuttered, returning to her feet.

"You didn't sense them because they're very good at masking their scent. It smells like a bee's hive because these kind take over the nests of bees. They kill them and move in." Ali'zarin explained. "Not everyone can be a spider expert," he added smugly.

Sia wiped the sticky substance off her and grabbed her bow. She and Mizim stood beside each other, waiting for the spiders to show themselves.