Death. Death was left in their wake. Death was what invaded their home. Death was what they ran from.
Click burned through much of whatever fueled their Skill as they dragged the other spiders back to their home, behind the safety of the white pillars and overhanging webs. It was the only hope they had of escaping death, after all.
The [Spider Army Commander] took their place at the top of their web megastructure, flanked by a group of hunters and a few curious web spiders. Down on the dungeon floor below, the new intruders came in droves, cleaving through any and all monsters that threatened them.
Beetles were kicked and crushed beneath hammers, bats were shot down mid-air by flying arrows or arcing lighting that chained between them. And the [Dungeon Hounds]? Their fate was the most grizzly. Limbs cleaved off with precise sword strikes, heads smashed in with heavy-handed shield bashes, and burned to ashes with unforgiving fireballs.
Of course, Click had no idea what any of these weapons were. To the spider, they were novel creations that brought death with an efficiency that could not be comprehended. The [Spider Army Commander] sat still as they took in the power of these terrible instruments, piecing together what they did and how they did it.
Swords made the most sense, essentially being elongated fangs that were sharp on the sides as well as the tip, so that they could tear from any angle. Arrows were a little more complex, but still could be pieced together unlike the monsters below. A thin and hard material with a sharp, fang-like end would be given enough force to pierce through its target. [Ambush Trapper Spiders] could launch their webs like that, but if they could do the same with something sharp, it would hurt a lot more. And finally, there was the magic flying through the air. Click had no frame of reference for them, and in fact didn’t even know what fire and lightning were, other than that they were very dangerous.
The [Spider Army Commander]’s mind was ablaze as three different instincts and desires gripped and pulled at them. An external sensation told them to fight, while their fear told them to run away and hide. But their curiosity won out. The spider simply observed and learned.
That didn’t last long, however, as the horde of intruders killed off every monster that came to greet them and made their way deeper into the cavern.
“Glad the dungeon response for so many of us coming in at once brings them all out! No need to go searching for a fight, it all comes to us! So that should be about it for this floor, aye?” shouted the man at the front. Compared to the fourty or so others, he was short and stocky, but held himself taller than anyone else. His body was covered from head to toe in a thick, glimmering material that put everyone else’s weapons and armor to shame in its luster. He heaved up his hammer and settled it on his shoulders with a bored grunt.
“No, sir. There’s still the spider colony.” The woman who was with the first trio that entered the cavern answered him. She and the other two had quickly made their way to the larger group after they’d entered and the monsters’ attention was diverted.
“What are you blathering on about ‘spiders’? I’ve nary seen one attacking us!” the Dwarf shot back.
“That’s… the strange thing. Over there, by the edge of the cave, there’s a colony of [Dungeon Spiders] that didn’t attack us when we walked by them. But…”
“Feh, if you’re not going to spit it out, I’ll just have to take a look for myself.”
The short intruder slowly trudged his way over to Click’s web while the spider continued to watch in awe. It wasn’t like there was anywhere the spiders could flee now.
“By Dhevos’ beard!” the Dwarf exclaimed. “I wasn’t expecting something like this on the first floor! A complex [Dungeon Spider] colony with a singular web! These things are supposed to be as selfish as a Dwarf is with their booze, how did they manage to build this thing and share?!”
“So they’re a threat then! Let’s start smashing!” exclaimed another member of the raid party. He was also one of the original trio.
“Mmh, nah. Too much trouble. If they didn’t attack you or us, then they’re not under the effects of any compulsion and likely not even part of the Dungeon. If they wanted blood, they would’ve already tried ten times over. Couple of spiders probably wandered in the last time this damned place was active, and decided to settle down and have kids. Wouldn’t call it good real-estate, but it seems to have gone surprisingly well for them.”
“But they live here, don’t they? I say we take a swing anyway-”
“No.” The stocky man said forcefully. “Killing them wouldn’t do anything to put the dungeon back to sleep, just shed innocent blood.”
Three of the intruders in the back suddenly shook, but settled themselves down before anyone else noticed. But not before one of them let out a shout. “They’re monsters, how can you say that?!”
“Dhevos asks his followers to beat out the imperfections of the world and themselves on the anvil of hard work. What, pray tell, would killing a couple of spiders who are minding their own business do for the world?”
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He was answered by silence.
“Very well then. Alright, lads, I’m calling the first floor clear! We need a few scouts to stay up here in case there’s any unexpected activity while the rest of us continue down to sing the Dungeon a lullaby. Any volunteers? We only need a single party’s worth.”
The men and women behind the Dwarf shifted, trying their best not to garner their leader’s attention.
“Not surprised, it isn’t glamorous work, especially when you could be bashing in bigger monsters’ heads. But if nobody wants to do it, then-”
“We’ll do it!” shouted a voice from the back.
The tide of adventurers parted to reveal a trio waving back with awkward smiles. At their head was a man in chainmail and a steel helmet that hid brown hair underneath. He continued to wave well after everyone else had noted his presence.
A woman standing next to him nudged the man on the shoulder. Despite the armor, he still winced as she made contact. She had black hair and icy blue eyes, with brownish-gray robes that hugged the armor she wore underneath them.
“Oh, well that’s mighty kind of you three,” said the Dwarf.
“We’re relatively novice adventurers, only been at it for about a year,” replied the third man of the group. He was clad from head to toe in brown leather that hid him better in the darkness than the woman next to him despite her own clothes better matching the colors of the cave. “We’re not ready for the lower floors yet.”
“A year is longer than most adventurers stay alive.” The shorter man nodded. “But with an attitude like that, I’m surprised you were sent along with everyone else here!”
The other intruders shrunk at the comment, thankful for the darkness hiding the guilt and embarrassment that would have otherwise been obvious on their faces.
“We’re actually locals,” replied the smaller group’s lead, the man in the armor. He brushed away some brown hair back underneath his helmet. “We only joined up to visit back home.”
“Oh! In that case, the fine folks at your hamlet are lucky to have you. Alright, stay put here and use your communication piece to reach out if something goes wrong. Don’t pick any big fights while you’re up here either. You’re only to fight the occasional straggler that might try to pick a fight with you, not the other way around.”
“Yes, sir!” the three of them shouted back.
“Alright then, let’s get this over with everyone. Once we reach the second floor, we’ll split in two and clear both that and the third floor at once. And when that’s done, we’ll do the same for the last two floors. Keep with your parties and try to explore every corridor or branching path you can.”
Everyone nodded.
The dwarf continued. “Kill whatever hostile monster you encounter and take whatever treasure you come across. Damage the walls if you have to, make sure the traps in your way can’t be reset, and overall, just mess things up! As an additional bonus, I heard the townsfolk are going to cook up an entire pig for each of us once we’re done! Ha!”
The intruders headed over to the slanted tunnel that held the spike trap, and made their way past it to the next part of the dungeon, leaving the volunteering trio by themselves.
The three stood there, looking at the entrance to the second floor for a few minutes. Precisely at the 180 second mark, they turned over to the web.
Click jumped back at the glare the trio sent the spider’s way. The Dwarf’s presence merely carried danger, but the look the [Spider Army Commander] was receiving held pure hatred.
The three looked down to the base of the web, at the white pillars that made its base.
“So that’s her, then,” the brown haired man stated. “And it only took us a year to come back for her.” He clenched his fist into a ball that began to tremble.
“Hey, we promised we would, Thamus.” The leather-clad man placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “And here we are. United at last.”
“Quintus, that was only half of the promise,” said the robed woman. “The other half was giving Eldia a proper funeral. And being eaten and covered by spiders isn’t what she deserves.”
“So how do you want to do this, Cassia?” asked the armored man, Thamus. “I don’t think a simple run and grab is going to work against these guys. Maybe Plan F would?”
“Nope, we’re not trying that,” replied Cassia. Her icy blue eyes turned frigid while her hands began to smolder. “We’re going to do this slow and steady.” A flame ignited within her palms.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” the other two said and nodded.
Click’s eyes widened as a gout of flame came right at them.
----------------------------------------
“It is with terrible grief that we all stand here today, to say goodbye to Eldia, taken before her time.
Eldia was the daughter of proud parents, a beloved citizen of the Rockfort hamlet, and most of all, Eldia was a friend. Her life was spent helping others. No task was too difficult, whether it be to wash out the barns, or till the soil. To her, it was always a quest; to scour a terrible filth from our animals’ homes, or to help search for buried treasure. So it was a surprise to no one when she chose to become an adventurer.
She was an [Explorer] at heart, and even held the Class. She explored the hamlet and its surroundings, found all sorts of plants and herbs for us to forage over the many winters, including some that saved some of your lives.
But all good things come to an end, and life is sadly one of them. Her adventures brought her to the Rockfort Dungeon, just beyond the hills, where she met her fate. Her friends who journeyed with her risked life and limb to keep her safe, yet in the end, it was she who gave her life to save theirs. They have all said if they had a choice, it would have been the other way. And I believe them. All of us feel the same way.
Her body is still within the Dungeon, but her soul has ascended. Let her bones nourish the earth and feed generations to come. Let peace be granted to her and us all. Let Eldia… be happy.”
-Eulogy recited at Eldia’s funeral, one year ago.