"oh hell no!"

Luke had just arrived to where the guards and a couple of other people are fighting the spiders and by God there is a LOT, hundreds just like the guy said, there must be at least a few dozen of Them in the open, he can see the rest slowly filtering out of the forest, it Made him shiver, he had never seen that many spiders in his life, not to mention these are the size of big dogs.

"Luke!"

"AAAA! oh... It's just you"

"Here take this"

Vina gave him his Axe, for some reason it felt heavy in his hands.

"We're fighting?"

"Of course! We're being attacked!"

"But-"

"Really? Afraid?"

"uh..."

"Hey! We need every help we can get here!"

She gave him an angry look and looked into his eyes waiting for a response.

"...."

"*Sigh* alright fine, you can stay here and not fight, but if things get dire i don't want to see you just stand here ok?"

"A-alright i'll help... Later"

"Heh..."

He watched as she approached the frontline and fired at the horde, the guards had formed a wall of Shields to prevent the spiders from just flooding in, some still come ls through of course, ones that go through are quickly dealt with by people waiting behind the "wall" other combatants that has a bow or anything ranged are firing into the horde to thin it out but it doesn't seem to do much as more and more are coming from the forest.

It was a fight of attrition, and worst of all the spiders are winning, the spiders seems to have gotten smarter somehow and attacked the people holding the Shield wall instead of going straight for the people that are waiting behind it after climbing over, they need to thin Them out fast and what could possibly-

He realized something, his Axe might be the only thing that can help right now and it worried him, the first time he fought the spiders there were only a few and he had to fight Them, he can run on this one, but that's just plain wrong now does it?

"God damn it! Why spiders?"

"Hey! Watch out!"

"Huh?"

He didn't get to see what happened, but one thing is clear, they got in, the horde of long creepy legs and soulless Black eyes got in, he watched as everything turned to chaos as shieldsman Went out of formation due to panic letting even more to flood in and unprepared fighters scrambling to get into position, he aimed at the horde with his Axe and prepared to fire, but find himself unable to do it as his hands shake uncontrollably out of anxiety, this convoy is either going to be consumed or suffer heavy casualties and all because he couldn't control himself, he opened his eyes and Saw one of the spiders coming towards him, we wanted to fight back but for what? He's way too Frozen in fear to do so.

Just as he was thinking about what these freakishly big spiders is going to do something flew by him, a streak of green and red, it struck the spider in front of him so hard it was partially buried in the earth, with some of the body parts such as the legs seperating and flying in all directions from the main body out of the sheer force of the hit, then he realized what it is, vines, thick, green and heavily decorated with razor Sharp looking red thorns all over it.

He looked behind him and Saw Eryn, standing on top of the carriage with her hands in the air, it had a faint glow to it, he turned his attention back to the battlefield and found the fighters that was swarmed by the spiders is now being protected by a dome Made from same Vine that is now ravaging the horde of spiders, it moved in a whip-like style, taking out dozens with each hit, the vines themselves are growing out of spots on the ground, it was impressive.

It didn't take long, the horde was thinned to a point where the previously overrun fighters can get back in action and repel it even faster, by the time Luke gained the ability to move again the horde was long repelled, leaving cheering fighters, happy families, Eryn passed out with a smile and a very... VERY angry Vina.

----~----

"I'm sorry"

Vina didn't reply, she just growled at him from a distance, he had gotten a really long and loud earful after the battle, at one point the guards had to even restraint her to stop her from scratching his face off, she was tending to Eryn who has passed out from excessive mana use, she's awake now but definitely weak, she can't even lift a finger.

"I thought i can trust you..."

"Look i-"

"And you just stand there like a coward? Where is the usual reckless and fearless Luke i see before huh?"

"..."

"There are Times to be brave and to be afraid Luke, i get it... You were afraid, but that right there!"

She pointed to the mass of spider corpse and Giant vines right next to the convoy.

"was not one to be afraid in! Especially when lives is at stake!"

"..."

Stolen novel; please report.

"Seriously! Why don't you use your Axe? It could have helped! And you..."

"Vina calm down, it's not his fault"

"Oh yeah it's not! But do you know how many people are either injured or near-death because of his actions?"

"..."

"The convoy just ran out of the cure for poison and there still a dozen people yet to be treated! This would not have happened if..."

"I know! I know! I admit it! I'm afraid! No that's not right... I'm way more than afraid, i... I'm sorry"

"Say it to those poor fighters who got swarmed, bitten and almost rolled up and dragged in cocoons for food!"

Luke looked down to the cold dirt and kicked himself mentally, he screwed up big Times, there is no escaping the consequence this time around.

"Can't believe all those confidence you showed just to be a ruse, coward"

"Vina! Calm down, he said sorry"

"No, she's right"

That got him a curious look from Vina though she is still angry, as for Eryn she still shows her innocent curiosity despite looking like she Will collapse again if she breathe a little too hard.

"I've been a coward my whole life, back on earth i just stay in my room all day, and everytime i go to work i try to make it as short as possible, i've never been brave enough to try something, so when i got here... I want to change, to be better, i feel like i did... But now i know i haven't, you're right, it was a ruse, to hide the fact that... I'm afraid, and it's all because of some spiders like you said... And as a result, someone is hurt, i'm sorry"

He was tearing up again, he couldn't help It, those things is the only thing in life he was truly afraid of, and now it almost costed him lives of people and vina's trust.

"Can you tell us why you're afraid of spiders?"

"Huh?"

He looked up to see Eryn with a sympathetic look on her face, Vina is still visibly angry but he can tell she had a bit of that look as well.

"Well... How do i start, it's horrifying to say the least and downright traumatic if i think about it"

"Tell us"

"Yeah, tell us how you became a coward"

"Vina!"

"When i was a kid, i was incredibly stupid, like some 0 IQ stuff, i found a spider nest full of eggs when i was a kid and... Stupid young me thinks the spider eggs are some fun white ball to play with"

"And?"

"Well, as a kid i Like to... Ugh God i can't"

"It's fine we won't judge you"

"Sure"

"As a kid i like to put stuff in my mouth..."

Silence... Both Vina and Eryn seems to finally realize where this is going, they looked at each other with worry and looked back to Luke who is holding his breath.

"I PUT A FUCKING SPIDER EGG IN MY MOUTH AND IT EXPLODED!"

"..."

"THOUSANDS OF THEM! IN MY MOUTH! SOME CRAWLING OUT, SOME GOING DEEPER, I WANT TO SCREAM BUT..."

"..."

"I END UP SWALLOWING THEM AND THEN I SQUISHED THE ONES MY HAND AND THEY ALL COME OUT AND CRAWL ALL OVER MY BODY AND I PUT MY HAND IN MY MOUTH TO GET THEM OUT BUT MORE JUST GOT IN AND I SCREAM AND SCREAM AND..."

"L-"

"AAAAAAAAA"

"Calm down! Calm down!"

Vina got up and and hugged Luke who is hyperventilating like a leaf blower, venting does shit apparently.

"Calm down... Calm down... Ok i'm sorry that was my fault, i shouldn't have been so mad, sorry!"

He was breathing heavily, he calmed down slowly but still said things that is going to be in her head for a while.

"I-i-i can feel Them, i can still feel Them, thousands Tiny legs on my tounge and all over my body and my throat, the soulless eyes that stare into me as they climb up my eye, the feel of Them getting into my nose and all over my hands... That awful taste in my mouth as i crushed Them with my teeth trying to get them out, as their blood mixed with my drool... No one heard my Scream for minutes, i just like there helpless as they crawl Freely on My body, ugh! God..."

"Shhh calm down..."

"No no no no no no, get me out! Let me go!"

"Hey! Calm down..."

She looked at Eryn who had a horrified look on her face, luke's description definitely got her, and to be Honest it got her too, she can't imagine such things happening to her right now, not to mention he experienced it as a kid, she feels bad now, that was such a horrible thing to happen to someone.

She got up and carried Eryn to their carriage with Luke in tow, still shaking and talking gibberish, when they arrived she can hardly try to sleep as she worried Luke would do something drastic if she did, so she stayed up all night right next to him sitting outside the carriage, calming him down in the process.

----~----

Vina woke up on top of the log used as a seat around the campfire and looked around, normal like before, everyone is still recovering... Wait...

"Luke!"

She had fallen asleep without knowing it and left the poor man alone in the night talking gibberish about spiders, she desperately look around for him but stopped when she realize he was right next to her, sitting, still in the same position from last night, he was staring at the Burnt camp fire like a Hunter to it's prey.

"Luke? Are you... Okay?"

He looked at her with an expression she had never seen on him before, utter and primal fear, he seemed to calm down as he realize it's her.

"Oh hey, yeah i'm fine"

"Good... Sorry for calling you a coward, what happened to you is... Awful"

"It's okay... You're not wrong"

"Still... It's not something you can forget easily, your words from last night is still on my head you know, it send chills down my spine"

"Heh... A bit too detailed huh?"

"A bit"

"So what now?"

"We continue of course..."

She thought about what happened yesterday and shuddered a bit, luke's story last night had her imagination wild about what would happen if the spiders did manage to drag her away and- it clicked on her, the attack was... Unusual, spiders usually go hibernate when it's nearing time for winter, why would something that looked a battalion just attack Them?

"Hey Luke..."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think... Yesterday was weird?"

"Yesterday is one of the worst day in my life so i'm not sure"

"No no no not that, those spiders usually go hibernate at Times like this and spider attacks in general at least from what i heard from the guards last night is rare... Do you think..."

"I don't know, i..."

He slammed his hands into the log and fumed, scaring Vina a bit with the sudden change in behavior.

"That witch!"

----~----

"That mage!"

Sylvia cursed as she scouted the result of her plan, it had been ruined by that elven, if only she wasn't there, it would have worked.

"Cheap nature mage!"

She grabbed a trunk of a tree and squeezed, it broke into splinters under the force, it had been her way of calming herself down lately, because every attempt to eliminate the pest seems to just not work, she had even tried to sneakily poison the convoy's food supply yet every single one fails, and that pest had the audacity to hit her with a lightning bolt two days ago when she was about to strike, she was lucky she was still strong enough to maintain her cloak otherwise she would have been shot out of the sky.

She looked at the wound caused by the bolt, she had healed it but she can still feel a slight but constant pain coming from it, it was irritating and worst of all, testing her patience, she looked back at the convoy through the Trees and try to came up with a plan, but couldn't come up with one, blatantly attacking would Mean the entire convoy would see her, which Mean more witness to eliminate, it's not like she can't do it, nor does she care about how many, she just feels like it would be an unnecesary burden.

She was about to fly away again when she felt something tug at her feet, it was a Vine, it had stuck itself to her talon, annoyed and not wanting to make the physical effort to untangle it she lifted her hand and looked at the ground, it cracked and out of it a small amount of molten metal come floating out, it hardened into a Blade that is still red hot and with one Swift move, cut through the vines like hot knife through butter, and she flew away still cursing at the apparent luck this one target seem to have.

----~----

"It must be her, it can't be anyone else"

"Even if it is her, what can we do about it?"

Said Vina to Luke as they followed along their carriage as the convoy started moving.

"Well... Nothing, but still, remember that firework thing i did?"

"The one that Made you into a babysitter?"

"I didn't do it on purpose, i misfired into the air and it exploded, i don't know why, i thought maybe i did something on accident but now that i think about it... It must be her, she's following us!"

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but my instinct tell me that it is"

"Well your instinct had been right so far i don't doubt that, but... Should we warn the guards?"

"No don't, it's gonna cause a panic, they feel safe in the town but here? They're just gonna be afraid at all Times and people Will notice"

"If she follows us, then the entire convoy is in danger"

"Yeah, God damn it, she always complicate things, the first part of the convoy is going to depart into the next town today right?"

"Yes, the city is the last one"

"Less convoy means less guards, which means a braver Sylvia... I don't like where this is going"

"I don't either, atleast if she does attack..."

"Hmm?"

"There would be less death"

Luke hate to admit it, but Vina was right, especially now that he has seen Eryn in action, if she was that powerful he can't imagine what Sylvia would be like, a casualty would be damn near unavoidable.

"There needs to be a Miracle if we want to get out of this without any problem"

"Do you think Eryn Will stand a chance?"

"Maybe, but she's our biggest asset against her, and just relying on her won't work"

"So now... It's just another waiting game? Are we just gonna wait for her to make her move and risk the entire convoy?"

"I think so, it's not ideal, but it's the only choice we have"

"Fuck, you already learn how to use your wind rune right?"

"I did, you haven't learn a lot for the swiftness one right? I think you should continue now"

"Well... There is going to be some dissapointed parents, but i'll take that over dead ones"

"If she is going for just you now, the convoy is safe, don't make radical moves, stay calm, pretend everything is normal, if we can bait her out without risking everything, it would be ideal"

"Yeah, hey look the first batch carriage is departing"

"Well, that's good news..."

"Hey... I'm still sorry for not helping yesterday, you got swarmed, it was my fault"

"Don't be, after what you said last night, i understand now, some people just fear something"

"What is your fear?"

Vina didn't want to answer that one, it was probing into her past and she still doesn't want to talk about it.

"A bit too early?"

"Yeah"

"Hey, you want to watch more movies tonight?"

She laughed, at such a moment luke can still offer her entertainment.

"Yeah sure, but please not the fish one"

"Hah no... We're gonna something more of your style"

"I can't wait then"