Archived Story

Spiders Lair

Shoku's eyelids fluttered open, revealing a haze of dust and debris. The air was thick with particulates, and her eyes stung from the grit.

A ragged cough tore through her chest as if her lungs were rebelling against the dust-laden air.

She inhaled sharply, but it only worsened the coughing fit. Her body convulsed, struggling to expel the irritating particles.

Through tear-blurred vision, Shoku saw Draxum's figure, his face set in a grimace.

To her surprise, he held up the crumbling debris with a latticework of vines, shielding them from the worst of the destruction.

Draxum manipulated the tendrils, coaxing them to lift the boulder. As the debris cleared, he grasped Shoku's shirt, pulling her trembling form to safety.

Without hesitation, he swung her onto his shoulder, her weakened body sagging against him.

A stabbing pain flared in his side, but he ignored it, his endurance honed from years of experimentation.

A grim satisfaction spread across his face. The destruction confirmed one crucial fact: his 13-year-old experiments had succeeded.

The lab lay in ruins, its secrets spilled into the world. The insects carrying the transformative ooze had escaped, dispersing into the unknown.

Draxum's eyes gleamed with calculation, weighing the implications.

Draxum's gaze shifted, tracking the approaching forms of Huginn and Muninn, his two Demons of Fortune. The diminutive creatures flapped their wings, their high-pitched chatter filling the air as they bypassed debris.

Their irrational banter—discussing the finer points of moonlit snacking versus sun-drenched scavenging—was a comforting familiarity amidst the chaos.

Draxum turned, passing Shoku to the gargoyles. Her coughs had subsided, replaced by ragged breaths.

"Huginn, Muninn, take her," Draxum commanded, his tone crisp.

The gargoyles obeyed, effortlessly lifting Shoku into the air. Their leathery wings beat in unison as they vanished into the shadows.

Draxum's focus snapped back to his plan. The lab's destruction was merely a setback. He mentally recalculated, adjusting timelines and resources.

His eyes narrowed, strategizing the next phase. The ooze's release had altered the landscape, presenting opportunities as well as challenges.

Shoku navigated the vibrant streets of the Hidden City, where magic pulsed through the air. Spells crackled and shimmered, casting an ethereal glow on the cobblestone roads.

Above, majestic beasts soared, their wings beating powerfully as they alighted upon hovering rocks, suspended in the sky like celestial islands.

Mystic creatures of all sizes wandered, each absorbed in their own pursuits. Lanterns swayed gently, casting warm, golden light onto the sidewalk. Fireflies danced, their soft glow illuminating the path.

Despite the passing years, Shoku knew this route intimately. She noted the subtle changes: the slight decay etching the stone's edges, the resilient shrubs sprouting through the cracks.

As she reached the end of her path, her paw pads skidded to a stop. She turned, her hand grasping the familiar door handle.

Stepping across the welcome mat, she entered the cozy sanctuary. The door creaked shut behind her, enveloping her in a comforting scent of home.

The warm aroma of incense, old books, and simmering tea wrapped around her, soothing her weary soul.

Shoku returned from the medbay, her battered body a testament to the lab's destruction. Bruises and cuts marred her skin, but Draxum's gaze barely acknowledged her injuries.