Gale pulled away from me slowly. I brought a finger to his eye and wiped a tear away. My heart ached, and my hand lingered with a light touch on his cheek before I stood up. My stomach rolled. I forced away the urge to vomit, trying to banish the memories of the visions I’d seen. After my concern faded, I felt somewhat awkward as I looked at Gale. I recalled the butterflies I’d— he’d felt when looking in my eyes. My hand rose to them. Were they really that pretty? 

There was time for that later. I had a feeling, but seeing it, feeling it directly was another matter entirely. I grit my teeth. Gale should have been able to tell me himself. This Demon General… how disgusting. Rage roiled in my stomach, violent as a fishing boat in a storm. He had violated us, soul and body and spirit. I was going to kill him.

I looked at Mirabelle. She had a deep gash on her left arm, but thankfully it seemed she hadn’t been struck by the hallucinogenic venom. My hands glowed as I washed away her wounds. “How can we track him without Henry?” 

“We cannot,” She said, “The device he carried and his skill in reading it would be difficult to replicate.” 

Gale stepped forward. “I think I can.” His voice shook.

We looked at him. Mirabelle frowned. “How-so?” 

He raised his hand, casting a verdant glow. Right! Navigation magic! He smiled. “I think I can track him now that I’ve met him.”

Mirabelle’s eyebrows raised. “Impressive! Could the same be done for Henry?”

He nodded. The glow shifted and a shower of green sparks fell to the ground, before scattering towards a direction as if blown by the wind. We followed it, warily watching our surroundings. I saw now why a healer was so vital for this mission. How many people could be connected by Atrax’s power? Two? An army? I was suddenly glad there were so few of us. I couldn’t imagine the feeling of terror and strain that feeling the emotions of ten thousand others living through their worst nightmare could bring. What a terrifying power. I wondered which visions were mine and which were Henry’s, if he connected to us at all. 

“Mira,” I said, “The illusions I saw. Most of them were Gale’s, except one near the beginning, but it cut off quickly. Why is that?” 

She looked over her shoulder. “His power is so dangerous precisely because he can link the thoughts and feelings of multiple people together. You realized it was an illusion nearly instantly - but Gale, I assume, couldn’t. You freed yourself, but were still connected to Gale. Had you not, your mind would have been assaulted by whatever vision you had mixed with his.” 

My face paled. We continued in silence. It wasn’t long before we came upon Henry. He was leaned against a tree, holding a piece of wood the size of his forearm. It was cradled in his arms against his chest. He was rocking back and forth, crying, comforting the piece as if it were a child. In his neck were three different barbs. I rushed over, pulled them out, and casted cleansing magic on him. His eyes rolled back, and he lolled to the side. 

Mirabelle grimaced. “His mind has been ravaged. He’ll be asleep until daybreak, at least.”

“Do we leave him?” Gale asked. 

“We may have to. Fighting Atrax while ensuring his safety would prove…difficult.”

She grabbed a few fallen branches from nearby and covered his form. We looked at each other. Her expression, usually austere, showed slight signs of panic. Things were going far from plan. 

“Track him,” She finally said, “We’ll do what we can.”

Gale nodded. We followed his spell, lightly creeping through the woods. I refreshed Alter Sight when I felt it was necessary; clouds passed over the moon, obscuring most of the woods in an inky blackness. Gale led us to a small clearing, of which in the middle was a tall tree. It was so heavily wrapped in webbing that it looked like a colorless cotton candy. Mira’s lips pressed into a thin line. “A trap, no doubt.”

“Whatever it is,” I whispered, “He dies tonight.”

We stepped into the clearing, weapons and guards both raised. The clearing was eerily quiet as we walked. Even the wind seemed to hide in fear. The grass, which grew as high as our calves, rustled as we stepped through it. Something whistled through the air behind us, but a glance from Gale erected a glowing glyph mid-air, blocking it. Aspis! We looked towards the direction of the noise, but empty space greeted us.  ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

How were we being attacked? My eyes couldn’t pierce through the foliage, despite the cat-like irises. If only I had heat vision. Wait, could I? I cast Alter Sight on myself. Immediately, my vision became that of colored blobs, casting Gale and Mirabelle in vibrant hues. Another whistle, another shield from Gale. My eyes flickered towards the direction, but I saw nothing. 

Damn, even now? Were spiders cold-blooded? I was about to curse under my breath when something in the grass caught my attention. From a cold spot I hadn’t noticed, something stretched out in the grass. It was as if a human hand grew from nowhere, reaching towards Gale’s ankle. I gasped and quickly kicked at it. 

A tarantula the size of my face flew from the grass, and underneath it, reaching from its stomach grew a human hand. My blood ran cold. Ah, fucking spiders! I hate them!

A cold voice rang out from a direction different from where it had landed. “You can see me?”

Gale shot a wind blade, cutting all the grass in front of him down to the dirt. The voice chuckled. “Clever.” 

“But not enough.” The voice rang behind my ears. I was in the midst of turning when something pierced my side. I gasped. I looked down, and the long leg of a spider pulled itself from my stomach, each hair like a barb as it ripped out. I stumbled to the side and casted healing magic. I spit blood from my mouth and my vision wavered. Pain like a searing hot iron radiated from my stomach. 

“ARIA!” 

Gale rushed to my side. I waved him off as I felt the skin stitch together again. He couldn’t afford to lose focus because of me. 

“Focus!” Mirabelle shouted. She darted forward and managed to slash the figure as I healed, barely catching his form with the tip of her spear as he faded into the grass again. Blue blood dripped from her blade as she eyed the surroundings. 

Gale’s face twisted in anger. He began shooting wind blades wildly, tearing the grass from the root around us. The form of the spider was revealed, and it began to writhe as we saw it. 

“I was tired of playing these games,” It said, “I will give you the honor of witnessing Atrax, Fourth Demon General.”

The spider raised its body, showing its stomach. From it, two human hands opened it like a ziplock bag, forcing its body out with uncomfortable squelches. His body was covered not in mammalian hair, but the stiff moving barbs that covered a spider. He stood naked, but nothing was there, instead looking like skin colored armor. His body was separated at joints, like a carapace covering a human manikin. As he stood, four spider like arms emerged on each side of his back, one of them still red with my blood. His four red, gleaming eyes settled on us. 

Mirabelle charged. Without the grass impeding her movement, she flew forwards, hair rustling behind her. She used her body weight to bring her spear sideways in an arcing slash, but Atrax deftly stepped away from it. Mirabelle pressed the attack, releasing a flurry of attacks from each direction. Each strike was countered or dodged, leaving Mirabelle panting.  

I touched Gale’s arm, using Enhance Attribute on his speed, and we rushed forward. He soon outpaced me, and supplemented one of Mirabelle’s strikes with an overhead slash. Atrax raised one of his spider-arms to block it, but the sword sliced straight through, followed by an arc of blue blood.

Atrax hissed and pushed backwards with all his might. From his mouth, a stream of webbing shot forth. Gale raised his left hand and a rush of wind magic met the incoming projectile. He had given it a spin, disrupting the web’s momentum, casting it to the side. 

I rushed forward and casted Enhance Attribute: Strength on Mirabelle. She sprinted forwards, using her body to give a piercing strike towards Atrax’s chest. Her spear tip melted through his blocking spider leg, meeting his abdomen. A crack like porcelain rang through the air. He hissed in pain, before gripping Mirabelle’s spear with both hands, and used his legs to pierce towards her. She dodged two, but the third punched through her leather armor into her shoulder. She cried out in pain and let go of her spear reflexively.

I rushed forwards, Gale at my side. I reached out, and Gale’s wind blade protected me, forcing the incoming spider leg to block instead. I touched Mira and casted my healing. It took her a moment to recover.

Gale stepped forward, holding his blade with both hands. Sweat dripped down his face. Atrax sneered at him, though he was panting. 

“Human. Run while you can, I may spare your life.”

Gale swallowed. “Heroes don’t run.”

He raised his sword above his head and brought it down with all his strength. Two spider legs crossed above Atrax’s head, blocking the blow, and the others converged to deliver a fatal strike. 

“Then die a Hero’s death,” Atrax said. 

Time slowed as the arms approached him. My mouth opened reflexively, but a brilliant glyph appeared in front of him, blocking the blow. Atrax’s eyes widened in surprise, and Gale pushed more force into his attack. His sword cut clean through, leaving a trace across the monster’s chest. Atrax stumbled back, but his armor held. He chuckled, but the shake in his voice betrayed his thoughts. 

Mirabelle, now fully recovered, stepped up beside Gale, spear back in her hands. Atrax looked between the two of them, his eyes settling on me. A wicked grin fell across his face. He rushed towards me, catching the others off guard. 

“No!” Gale shouted. 

I barely had time to cast Minor Protection on myself before Atrax had his hand around my throat. His fingertips clawed into my neck, drawing blood. My breaths came out in gasps, and he lifted me from the ground. Pain surged through my body as I was held aloft, barely breathing. 

“Put her down.” 

Atrax laughed. I felt his spider limbs lightly stroke across my face tauntingly. This bastard, using me as a hostage? No. No I wouldn’t let him. I wasn’t a heroine, I wasn’t a saintess, and I certainly wasn’t a damsel in distress! I raised both hands and gripped his wrists as hard as I could. I used Enhance Attribute: Strength on myself, and with all of my power I kicked into his chest. I ignored the ripping, tearing pain from my neck, ignored the cracking, the welling blood, and kicked. I kicked until my feet were raw, and with a sudden breaking sound, Atrax’s chest carapace broke open. He dropped me in his surprise. 

His lapse in attention was an opening. Mirabelle and Gale rushed forwards simultaneously, both throwing their strength into one final push. 

Their blades pierced straight through his chest to out of his back. Blood spilled from his mouth, and he took a step backwards. He looked down in shock. One hand raised, lightly touching the blades, before it fell limply to his side.