A Sinner’s Chance

I pushed through the webs that crossed across the stone tunnel and deeper into the Arachne's lair. It took me some time to walk down the passageway to find the main room, one that made my heart tighten with longing and nostalgia. While not exactly the same this large cavern had a close resemblance to the place I had spent my first five years of life.

Large amounts of webbing had been used to make a hammock of sorts as well as a spot to store food, a place to eat, among others that were needed to maintain a certain standard of living. However, while it was true that it was only a similar space, there was really only a single area that was vastly different to what I remembered the area would have been like when I was a child. In a small alcove that seemed to have been dug out, there rested two thin and long wooden boxes were placed on the wall as if they were objects to worship and since I didn't know what was inside them, perhaps they were sacred artifacts, or some other symbol for whatever religion the Arachne lived here practiced.

I wasn't sure how long I had waited, but I'd instructed the girls to cautiously make their way towards me. Both Arya and Steria were able to sense my position vaguely, just as I was able to do with them. If they ran into any trouble I needed to know so I could try and rush there, though I dearly hoped that they wouldn't run into any complications, the Forest of Darkness was more dangerous than I had thought and I wasn't even sure how deep I was into it.

As the more time passed the higher both my anxiety and nostalgia flared. On one hand, I knew nothing about this Arachne, and the girls were in constant danger, yet I was surrounded in the soothing and nostalgic atmosphere of the youngest years of my time in this world. A time when everything had been simple and I didn't have to worry about anyone or anything aside from my mother. There was a part of me that wished I could just go back to those times, but I was really just trying to distract myself from the grave reality I was currently facing. I should have done more research, talked to people, or have just asked Alcrem about it. He probably wouldn't have helped, but on the off-chance that he did, I would have been so much more prepared and likely wouldn't have been screwed over by two Lesser Trolls.

To be fair, Lesser Trolls were pretty high on the power ranking from the Adventurer's Guild, while actual Trolls were classified as A-Rank calamities, almost at the same level of a Black Dragon. Their innate healing and massive amount of strength already made them extremely difficult to deal with, so such a ranking was sensical. I could only hope that they were anomalies and that it wasn't the entire forest that was this way, otherwise, there would be very little chance of making it to the center, let alone being able to find where we were supposed to go.

Eventually I heard the sound of hard carapace against stone, slow and leisurely at first, but the steps soon sped up as they began to become closer and closer. As Ashara hadn't talked much about other Arachne I had tried not to make any assumptions about what this one would look like, but I was still off guard as she entered my vision.

Unlike Ashara and myself whose carapace was black and was similar to a black widow's, this Arachne was closer to a tarantula. Short bristly brown hair covering her exoskeleton before transitioning into a light olive skin at the waist. Her figure was well-built, like that of a warriors, making her seem much larger than Ashara who had been closer to an hourglass.

As the figure of this Arachne implied she didn't even speak as her eyes settled upon me and a long glaive swung for my neck. I had been expecting an attack as I was an intruder so I quickly bent backwards as the glaive passed over. "Wait." I shouted in Arachneren just as the Arachne had prepared for another swing, causing her to pause and look at me quizzically.

"An Elf that speaks the language of my people. Interesting." the Arachne spoke as the glaive that had once been wound up for a strike suddenly shot out, its blade stopping before my throat. "Tell me, how did you manage to learn? I'll make your death quick and painless if you do."

She was overbearing and I felt like she didn't give much room for quarter. Thankfully she was giving me a chance to speak as I didn't particularly want to test how good my regeneration and death avoidance powers went. "I am related to an Arachne." I said making sure to present not only my carapace but also producing some webbing. "I was raised with my birth mother here in the forest until I turned five, when she suffered due to my awakening. I was then found by a wandering group of humans who took me in unaware that I was the child of an Arachne."

The glaive at my throat trembled as I spoke, the Arachne's expression darkening. "How long ago was this? What was your mother's name?"

I was thankful that her mind had changed from immediately killing me. "About a decade and a few months. My mother called herself Ashar-" I was suddenly cut off as the glaive moved back rapidly before being thrust forwards. I braced for the sensation of the glaive piercing into me only to her a sharp clang as the glaive passed to the side of my head and buried itself in the stone.

The Arachne was trembling as she looked at me, a mix of disbelief and hope written upon her face. Her voice was soft and barely audible as she muttered a single word. "Vell?"