It felt like Snorri was floating in the deep darkness of unconsciousness for days before he had any feelings of physical sensation. He felt smooth rock beneath his feet as slowly his senses returned, his nostrils filling with the scent of burning metal. The vast cavernous space of Arracop’s Lair came into view with the web of chains stretching high above him. Arracop’s vast form stirred somewhere high above him, and Snorri turned and tried to move himself forward to be able to meet the spider as it descended towards him. He was abruptly jerked back into place as something massively heavy pulled at his right arm, letting out a metallic clinking. Snorri hissed in pain as he swung his head towards his right arm.

Masses of chains hung from his right wrist, embedded through the flesh of his forearm, the colossal weight holding him in place, pinning him to the chamber floor. He could do little but watch helplessly as Arracop’s hulking form descended to the floor and clicked towards him on its gigantic arachnoid legs. “You did well, my daddy," Arracop hissed with pride as he approached. "So well, I had of course hoped for slightly different timing, but the less you have fulfilled our bargain," The spider hissed down at the gnome. Raising a long, sharp leg to gesture to the chains. “I have granted you a glimpse of my battle to allow you to achieve this. but now you must choose which of my boons you will keep.” The spider said it in an almost proud voice. "Wait, what do you mean, boons? I was using the combat skills that I unlocked wasn't I? "Snorri asked about the weight of the chain, beginning to tear at the flesh of his right arm.

“Over the course of our bargain, I have been granting you three boons. I can, however, only bestow one of them upon you permanently, at least until you are strong enough to learn them as skills.” The spider explained in a slightly annoyed tone. Snorri gritted his teeth at the pain of the weight of the chains. “What are my options?” He managed to spit through his teeth as he pulled on his right arm with his left, trying to shift some of the weight of the heavy Greek metal that made up the chains. Arracops fang clicked for awhile in response before the spider stretched out its long metallic legs before replying. “The three boons I offer you are as follows: Firstly, I could grant you the boon of iron skin; this would allow your body to grow an almost impenterable cord that no arrow could peirce. Secondly, I offer the Boon of the Spiders tongue, which would allow you to speak and understand all of the languages I myself can speak. Or finally, Icould grant you the boon of great sight, allowing you to see as I see the world.”

Snorri mulled over the spider options. The carapace was an instant no-go. Looking up at the metallic spider’s chittering armour, it was too easy to imagine how painful a similar armour would feel exploding from his skin. He also didn't fancy the feeling of his eyes growing from two to two thousand over any space of time, whether it would allow him better vision or not. Coming to the end of his train of thought, Snorri looked up at the vast spider, making eye contact with thousands of blinking eyes. "I'll take the boon of all speak," he finally answered the spider. Arracop’s fangs clicked as it hissed with delight. “Very well then," the spider hissed. “May our relationship be long and fruitful, my dear." The spider hissed lovingly.

Snorri hissed in pain as his right arm broke out in sudden, seething pain. He snapped his head to where the massive chains hung from the link embedded in his arm as the smell of burning flesh reached his nostrils. The metal of the chain began to heat up more, getting hotter and hotter. Snorri screamed as the metal turned from its dark greenish colour to a dark red. Pain seared through his mind and body as the metal glowed still hotter and turned orange and yellow. He was vaguely aware of the spider having retreated across the chamber slightly, and the metal of the chains began to glow white and lose its form. pooling on the chamber's stone floor. His screams finally stopped as the last of the white, hot metal dripped away from his arm. His eye widened as he extended his right hand, only to find a lump of burnt flesh where his hand used to be.

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The pooling metal on the floor began to swirl, writhing in shades of yellow and amber as it cooled, slowly forging itself into the shape of a tiny gnomish hand. the exact same shape and dimension as the hand Snorri had just lost to its molten fire. The hand finished forging itself as it threw the air towards him, attaching itself in place at his lower wrist, his hiss of metal being quenched. Snorii flexed the fingers of his right hand. The metal hand’s flingers flexed. Arracop reared up on its rearmost legs, letting out a laugh, “Most pick the armour you know.” The spider giggled as what remained of the liquid metal began to glow with heat again. All Snorri could manage to say was a mumbled “What do you do?" before the molten metal rushed from its place on the floor, flowing the air it poured into his mouth. He let out a scream in pain, but all that reached his ear was a gurgling sound as the darkness rolled in again.

**********************

Buulk, the Dawrvic Ranger, looked at where the mankidd lay sleeping beside his campfire. After rescuing the creature from the goblin spider rider, After he had dispatched the goblin beast, he just about recalled his hammer before the door had slammed shut. The mankid had collapsed, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Once the creature had slipped into the stillness of unconsciousness, still clutching the hilt of its dagger-like sword in its hands, The dwarf had carried it down the mountain to where he had made camp.

For three days, he kept the sleeping creature alive with a mixture of water and honey, as well as doing his best to treat the creature's left eye, which had begun seeping a nasty-looking mixture of pus and blood. After the first two days, the tiny creature began to show signs of recovery, and Buulk had permitted him a moment of relaxation when suddenly the creature began to scream in its slumber, flailing back and forth, its sword swinging wildly through the air attached to its wrist by a chain. Buulk summoned his hammer from where it lay by the side of the flickering campfire. The creature's eyes flickered open, and it looked furiously up at him. “Heyy little guy,” she said gently. "You're still injured, so it would be really stupid to try to fight me.” The creature blinked up at him with wide eyes. Buulk knew it was in use. There was no way the primitive mountain creature could understand him. As the creature sat up and grasped for its sword gingerly, Buulk gripped the shaft of his hammer. The creature met his gaze again.

Buulk stared guiltily at the little creature. one swift swing, and he would crush it like a bug. “No sudden moves, Mankidd,” he said, as if trying to calm a wild bear. The mannkid looked him dead in the eyes once more, as if in sudden understanding, and then did the one thing he had never expected. It opened its mouth to squeal its high-pitched squeal at him, but the sound that came out wasn't the usual sound the mankidd’s made.

Snorri blinked up at the giant, his stomach grumbling. “Got any food?” He Groaned. The giant dropped his hammer in shock.