Ascendants: Tides of the Morn

Chapter 12

(A picture of Ludovica Romano, the Herald of the Prophets. Here comes chapter 12!)

The half woman, half spider screeched at the sight of us, showing horrifyingly sharp teeth.

"Intruders... Creeping in my webs. Pulling... Ripping! Invading!" The woman's voice came out as an appalling, shrilling squeal. It sends shivers down my spine as she stalked closer.

Leonide watched the creature but I was more concerned with the thousands of spiders that seem to react to the creature's voice. The moved along with her and hissed aggressively at us when she screamed. Almost like they were under her command. The spiders were rather also rather large in size, though they were closer to a normal size that the creature who towered above us. Though they were still larger than any spider I had ever seen or heard of not to mention the creepy face of a child on their backs. The face moved and showed the emotions of the spiders. That was not something you would find in nature.

"The spiders..." I tried to alert Leonide but I went silent when the woman's eyes shifted to me. Leonide tried to cover me from her gaze but the woman merely climbed the walls and looked down upon us.

"Children... MY CHILDREN! They are helpless.... Like you, so small and tender... Were you abandon a child?" She shifter her words from screaming to whispers in mere seconds and left me wondering if she was sane. Her eyes were shifting as well. Almost like she couldn't focus on the environment.

"Are they Daemons?" Leonide asked with as much neutrality as he could muster but I could hear the slight concerned underneath the façade.

"Yes... No.... I gave birth to them! My little children... So wrong... So helpless! I needed to help them. Make them into Daemons" the woman muttered and I frowned as I watched her. She almost seemed to grieve. What was going on?

"What's your name, Signora?" I tried to ask the woman. She started to gnaw at her own fingers as she pondered my question. Her blood dripped from the ceiling and left a trail along the floor as she paced along the wall and down to the floor.

"My... Name... What was my name? I... Had... Have a name. Yes! I do... The little creatures, with their tender flesh and horrid weapons... They called me Arachne!"

"Arachne? In Greek mythology, she was a skilled weaver from Colophon, in Republic of Turkey, who challenged Athena and her hubris led her to be transformed into a spider," I muttered to Leonide who snorted.

"Humans and their stories. She was born like that. Not transformed."

"Does it matter?" I asked sarcastically as we tried to back away from the clearly deranged woman.

"Not really."

We both halted as the spiders started to swarm us from the behind. The cut of our access to the exit.

"Leaving? YOU ARE NOT ALLOW TO LEAVE!!! No, you are not. My children are quite famished. They need to grow strong and clever so I fed them the little creatures but my children didn't grow strong or clever. No..." Arachne muttered and looked tenderly at the spiders before slowly turning her gaze towards us. A smile crept onto her face.

"Maybe something stronger... More tender! Yes, that might work... No, IT WILL WORK!!!"

"I do not like what she is implying," Leonide muttered and pulled out a strange looking, curved knife with the symbol of his order. He cut his hand and blood started to drip but instead of falling it started to float around him.

"What will that do against thousands of spiders?" I befuddling asked.

"Not much, but it will get their attention. You run and get help while I distract them," Leonide muttered silently to make sure it was not overheard by Arachne who spouted nonsensical drivel while pacing. She didn't even notice us and I had a feeling that the next time she does, we will die.