Festering Darkness

A Failed Mission

The forest leaves crunched under our feet as we crept forward. It was a simple mission, find the nest and destroy it. It took us a week to find it, following the traces of spider web and dead animals, their blood sucked dry. We watched the nest for days, wanting to make sure no adult spiders patrolled the area. We had already killed nearly forty of them between attacks on the way and the few that were here and we waited for more to show.

But none did. I motioned for six of the soldiers with me to take one side as the other six and I took the other. We would surround it and take it on my signal.

I waved a hand and the soldiers fanned out around me. Two of them took to the trees and we continued forward. I watched the grounds, praying there will be no movement from within. If the babies had hatched, we might not stand a chance. There will be hundreds and though baby venom isn't as powerful, too much of it can be more dangerous than an adult spider.

I had asked a healer about it once and she said it had something to do with the corruption in their core. They had darkness in them and that darkness was most powerful as babies because they had yet to come into contact with the light. I took a breath when I saw no movement and raised my fingers to my lips, giving a piercing whistle.

We moved forward, swords drawn. The two archer's bows creaked as they pull their arrows back. I led the assault, entering the dark, web spun nest. The musty air filled my nose and the darkness blanketed my eyes. I blinked, still moving, trying to see where the eggs were.

White balls, each the size of a fist covered the floor and the walls. I stabbed one, pulling up my sword to be rid of it as the web held it in place. I used my foot to be rid of it. Then stabbed the next one. My soldiers followed my lead and we quickly made our way towards the back, careful not to miss even one.

Then the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. We were being watched. A breath caught in the back of my throat. I stood, not bothering to wipe the egg from my sword and swallowed. Before me, red eyes gleamed in the dark.

I raised my sword. "Spiders!" I called and ran my blade through its eyes. It shrieked and then fell at my feet, its legs curled under it. I stared at its body. It wasn't an adult. It was too small.

I looked to my second beside me. Amras' eyes grew wide as we both realized what that meant. We were too late.

"Retreat!" I called and we began to back out. But we were too late. The baby spiders swarmed us, quickly covering the hole of the exit and blocking out all light that might have helped us. Only small beams of the sun made it through the sheets of web.

We formed a circle to cover each other's backs, but they dropped from the ceiling too. They tried to shoot webs but were thankfully too young to do much damage there. So instead they closed in around us.

I held my sword out before me, striking the first one to come close enough. It screeched like its dead counterpart, shriveling up on itself as others crawled closer. One landed on Amras and he fell with a cry. I turned to him and kicked the spider off him. It didn't budge so I pulled my dagger out and stabbed it. Its cry was washed into the cry of the others as the rest of the soldiers took up the fight as well. I reached down and grabbed the spider by the back of its neck, picking it up and throwing it at another incoming one. Amras laid there in a daze, white foam trickled from the corner of his mouth. I cursed and then helped him to his feet.

"Thank you," he wheezed. He stood on his own and killed a spider who tried to get revenge for its sibling. I turned back to the fight at hand.

Panic as lost in the chaos of battle as I stayed near to Amras' side. I didn't trust his compromised strength.