I continued training in silence for some time. I cast a few glances at Velariah while throwing ‘punches’ at the wall. She was eying me with great interest… a little too much, maybe.

I placed my front set of legs on the wall and observed them. A thick layer of smooth chitin covered them. I imagined they should be fairly sturdy and resistant against quite some attacks.

Shame there was a certain troll that managed to smash one to pieces, though…

I was lost in thought as I observed my own legs in front of me.

Weaponize my legs, right?

If I was going to use them to stab, I could possibly add literal weapons to them.

I created something of an idea in my mind. The last segment of my leg was about fifteen centimeters. I could add something like a knife that would continue where the second to last segment ended. That way, I could use my legs to stab with a weapon while curling the last segment inward and I would still have the functionality of the claws at the end in case I needed to pass over rough terrain.

The idea sounded good in my mind. I wondered how the execution would be.

“Lost in thought again?” The elf’s voice came as I concluded my thoughts.

“Yeah, I keep learning about this body. It requires more thought than one would expect.”

“Hah, no kidding. Don’t worry, though. You’re doing a great job at it.”

“Thanks, Vel.”

I should get some kind of target dummy. I wanted to get a proper indication of how much force I could use to strike targets without hurting myself.

I sighed. “The number of adjustments I have to make… it’s so much…”

I was probably going to have to put quite a few hours into training. It soured my mood.

Velariah carefully stepped out of the hammock and made her way to me.

“You have plenty of time, or so I’ve heard. I’ll help you explore whatever you need to know to survive.”

“Thank you, Vel. Are you sure you should be getting out of bed?” I asked.

“Well, you’re not in it. It makes it far less appealing to stay in it.”

“Always the charmer.” I smiled as she got closer.

I knew she was going to lean in to kiss me. I wasn’t the only one that was predictable. When she did, I quickly lifted her and pinned her against the wall with the four legs I’d been using for practice. My hands were on hers and I interlocked our fingers.

“El, so aggressive.” She said softly. She didn’t seem to mean that in a negative way at all.

“You should be in bed, young lady. I need you in top condition tomorrow.”

“Make me.” She said defiantly.

“Hmmm, I guess I could web you to the wall. Would that be comfortable, you think?” I said as I moved my human torso against hers.

I would have never imagined myself talking like this, let alone talking like this while involving the spidery abilities that I seemed to possess. What has this elf done to me?

“You tease!” Velariah laughed.

“And what are you going to do about it?” I said as I kissed her deeply. She didn’t say another word, even after I broke the kiss.

“That’s what I thought,” I said. “Let’s get you back in bed, shall we?”

“Actually, I need to use the toilet first. You mind letting me go?” She asked.

I let go with my legs, causing her to land on the floor with a soft thud as her feet impacted on the floor.

“I’ll just go check on Elly in the meantime then. You want anything to drink, eat?”

Velariah shook her head. “I’m not that hungry. Some water would probably be good.”

“I’ll get some, then.”

I exited the room and started my search for Elly. She didn’t appear to be in the kitchen. I opened the door leading upstairs and called her name.

“Yes, Miss Elania?” The maid called back.

“Could you get some water for Velariah from the kitchen for me please?” I asked politely. “Also, is Gray upstairs?”

She nodded. “Yes, he is. I’ll be there in a sec.” She called back.

I decided I’d leave Gray with Elly for a while.

I started to think about things I could do until the next day. The bath came to mind again. I would love to get this blood out of my hair. I so did not like my hair dirty. Maybe I should get a helmet to go with the rest of my armor.

I was adding things to my shopping list again. A helmet, vambraces, leg armor. My list continued to grow, but I didn’t want to use my money until after I’d done the inherity ritual.

That added another thing to do for today. I could still get some spools of silk ready for sale. I imagined I’d find those in Velariah’s pack. I hadn’t seen her get anything out of it yesterday.

Elly walked downstairs, acknowledged me, and entered the kitchen.

I continued my thoughts and planning. We were at about forty-six gold at the moment. We were going to need sixty in total, give or take. If I just did seven spools right now, I could probably conserve my strength a bit. I’d also be able to skip eating a ton tonight. I could then do seven more at my earliest convenience and be done with it, potentially more if needed. I wondered when the Grandmaster would be arriving.

How late was it anyway? Damn, I wanted a watch.

“Here you go, Miss Elania,” Elly said, walking out of the kitchen with another canteen in her hands.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Thanks, Elly.” I thanked her and walked to the bathroom door.

I knocked. “You done yet?”

“I am. Come on in.”

I did just that. I entered, closed, and locked the door behind me.

Velariah was sitting in the hammock, slowly dangling her legs over the edge.

“Ugh, I’m bored.” She said. “Tired and bored, but I can’t sleep. You ever had this struggle?”

“Too many times. Though back in my old world, we had something like that television thingy I told you about, but it was small enough to hold in your hands. It was an ideal device to kill time… which is exactly what a lot of the population did.”

Velariah shook her head. “You other world people are crazy, you know that?”

“Heh. Wait until you get to know what other things you could do on that thing. You could even play Yahtzee on it.”

“Wait, what the-? How does that-? Never mind, I give up.” She threw her hands up in the air, completely giving up on trying to understand.

I grinned. “You could even use it to talk to people on the other side of the world.”

“My head hurts! Stop it!” She said with a grin.

“Tee-hee.”

I walked up to her, put my pedipalps on her shoulders, and handed her the canteen. She was at an ideal height for me, sitting on the hammock, like that. She drank some before closing it again and putting it behind her.

“We could play some rounds of dice, if you want to kill some time,” I spoke.

“El, you make me want to do other things entirely if you stand before me like that.”

“You’re such a temptress, Vel.” I smiled.

“You know what is tempting?” She asked.

“Tell me.”

“Taking a bath.” She smiled. “With you, preferably.”

“Vel!” My face flushed red, I could feel it.

I wasn’t against the idea. I just… I didn’t know…

“Aw, my sweet, shy spider is embarrassed.” She said softly. “And here you were being all dominant moments ago.”

I looked down in embarrassment.

“You okay, El?” She asked.

I nodded.

“You could really use that bath, you know? You’ve glanced at the tub multiple times now. Your hair is a mess and I reckon your legs will need a proper scrubbing too.” She ruffled my hair as I was still staring at the ground.

“Only if you’re okay with it.” She continued. “I’ll keep on my underwear if you want to.”

I nodded again. “I think I would be more comfortable with that.”

Why?

Why was I such a wuss?

I loved her, for god’s sake, and she loved me back.

Why was my mind making this into such a big deal?

“Only if you’re okay with it, El. I love you, I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” She still had her hands in my hair and stroked it affectionately.

“It’s okay,” I said softly again before looking back up and into her blue and green eyes. I immediately felt my fear melt away…

“I love you too, Vel.”

She dragged me in for a kiss, completely obliterating my worries.

It was only natural to do this, right?

I let her go and walked over to the compartment cabinet to retrieve the sponges and towels. I deposited them in the sink before taking my shirt off.

“Besides.” Velariah continued. “This would be a great way to spend time. I’ve come to know you need quite a bit of time cleaning yourself.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” I said sheepishly. “You have no idea...”

“I guess I’m about to find out soon.” I cast my gaze over at the elf and saw her smiling.

“You should have seen how I cleaned my butt last time. It was quite the sight.” I chuckled.

“Now I’m curious.”

The bit of humor served to relax me further. I brought the last of my legs forward and grabbed one of the sponges.

“Okay, so.” I said as I held the sponge against my ‘foot’. “I strapped this sponge to my leg with silk and then used it as a broom to reach all the way behind me.”

Velariah burst into laughter.

“That is so you. I love it.” She took a moment to recover her breath. “I’ll help you with that this time so no worries.” She smiled.

“Thanks, Vel. I appreciate the help.”

“How do you bathe anyway?” She asked. “I imagine there’s quite a bit of dirt coming off your legs.”

“There is. I have to drain the water multiple times to get rid of all of it. After I’m finished cleaning, I usually relax for a while after filling the tub.”

“What a hassle.” She commented before jumping out of the hammock.

She started taking off her clothes as well, leaving not much to the imagination as she stood there in her underwear.

She was so beautiful…

“El, you’re staring again.”

I quickly turned around to turn on the faucet and allow the water to reach its desired temperature.

“Don’t worry. I don’t mind it, El.” The elf said from behind me.

She walked up to me with a sponge in her hand. “Shall we get started?”

I nodded, far more confident than before, and stepped into the massive tub. I took off my bra and allowed Velariah to delight in the sight.

“You’re beautiful, Elania.” She smiled as she took off her own and joined me in the tub.

“So are you...” I said softly.

The elf’s beauty rivaled my own. At least the parts where I was still human, that was.

She plugged in the stopper and allowed the water to rise to allow for easier cleaning. She held her sponge in the running water before moving it into my hair to start cleaning out the dried blood.

I lowered myself to the bottom of the tub to allow her easier access. My height was the same as hers when she was on her knees like this.

Velariah couldn’t resist planting some kisses on my lips while she cleaned my body. My heart started working overtime again, and my legs went weak. I doubted I could even raise them at this point.

My pedipalps seemed to be the least affected and I used them to hold on to her back while she did her work. I took the other sponge and started cleaning her back as well. She seemed to enjoy the touch just as much as I did, I could read the joy in her eyes and beautiful smile.

She rinsed the sponge multiple times and ran her hand through my hair, as well as the sponge, foregoing simple cleaning and just turning it into shows of affection and love. I mimicked the movements she did to me and cleaned her hair as well, although I could put more hands in her hair than she in mine.

“Shame you only have two sponges,” I said after some more kisses. “Imagine what I could do if I had four.”

“Hm. I’ll make sure we have more next time...” She said as she started cleaning the chitin where my human body was connected to my spider parts.

“Even this part about you is beautiful.” She said, observing the area where my flesh started fusing with chitin. She ran a finger over it causing me to giggle.

“That tickles, Vel.”

She then kissed me below my belly button, forcing a smile on my face.

“Hmmm, temptress indeed.” I let out.

She then proceeded to scrub my front, slowly she made her way up, all while kissing my smooth skin.

“Vel, the longer you go on like this, the less likely I am to believe I’m the first person you’ve been with.”

“It’s true.” She spoke softly. “El, you’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on, in both body and soul. I can’t help but let my emotions lead me on. I’m not an expert with this, but do you like it?”

“I do.” said softly. “You’re beautiful too, Vel.”

She smiled and pulled in one of my legs. She started scrubbing it gently, undoing it of dirt and grime.

The feelings I experienced as she did that… felt unimaginably good. Far better than when I did it myself. I had my eyes closed and simply enjoyed Velariah’s touch. She was making a good case to do this more often…

She was on it for a while. Eight legs did take some time, even if she was able to reach them better than me.

When she finished my legs, I heard her unplug the stopper, the rising water had gotten fairly dirty already, and bathing in dirty water seemed to be desirable for neither of us.

“I can see what you mean,” Velariah spoke. “That’s messy as hell, and we haven’t even started on your butt yet.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Don’t be surprised when I take some time in the bathroom next time.” I told her.

Velariah got back to kissing me gently as the water drained. I didn’t want this to stop… I was completely lost…

I washed her front while I had my eyes closed, without paying too much attention. I simply let my hands and sponge run all over her, exploring her body and curves.

I didn’t neglect cleaning her long ears too. As it turned out, they were sensitive. She giggled slightly as I ran the sponge over them.

“That’s nice.” She whispered.

“I knew you’d like that.” I smiled.

The elf removed her hands from my neck and scurried over to the drain on her knees. She replugged it again before speaking.

“Let’s get working on your behind.”

I moved forward and leaned on the edge of the bath with my human torso, my head resting on my arms.

“Go for it,” I replied.

“With pleasure.” She replied.

She started working on my spider abdomen, gently at first, but soon, she had to add more water and force to clean it properly. I couldn’t do anything but relax and enjoy the warmth that was now present in every inch of my body. I was certain it was pure love.

At some point, she positioned herself on top of my abdomen in order to reach everything easier.

“Elania, could you pass me the other sponge?”

“Sure,” I replied, and I tossed the sponge, which she nimbly caught mid-air.

“Thanks.”

She went to work at double the pace. I could feel the water rise again. I judged from that, that she would soon be finished. She finally washed the underside of my abdomen and couldn’t help running her fingers over my spinnerets.

I twitched at first but soon relaxed.

This feeling was the best…

“There you go. All cleaned.”

She drained the water once more while cleaning the last of my carapace between my human torso and spider abdomen. She didn’t miss the parts of my legs where they connected.

She then sat down on the part behind my human body and kissed my neck and ears.

“Hmm, you’re turning this bath into the best experience ever,” I said.

“Anything for my beautiful spider girlfriend.”

“I never could have dreamed of anyone calling me beautiful,” I spoke softly. “Let alone having me feel this way… I love you, Vel.”

“Hmmm,” Was all the elf said as she turned my head to face hers beside my shoulder. She then kissed me lovingly while letting her hands run over my chest.

We exchanged four or five kisses before she moved herself off of me to plug the stopper in again. She was really making this hard for me to resist. I knew she was holding herself back too. I would probably be all hers soon…

“Oops, I missed a spot,” Velariah said as she wormed herself between me and the edge of the tub.

I allowed her to move there without obstructing her.

She took my pedipalps in my hands. “These still need a proper scrubbing too.” She then reached for my fangs, close to the crevice leading to more… private areas. “And then there’s these, too. Let’s start with these.”

I held them up so they would be easier to clean. “Be careful with those,” I said with a smile.

“Beautiful and deadly.” She said with a smile, as she started scrubbing them.

“You can be quite the deadly warrior too, Lady Leafguard,” I said as I kissed her wet hair and forehead.

“I’ll get there,” She looked up with a smile.

I used my pedipalps to hold on to her back as she worked. I started loving these extra limbs. I had so many more I could use to hold on to the person I loved…

“There we go. Now, it’s finally time to clean those cute grabbers of yours.”

“Hmmm,” Was all I could say in agreement, a broad smile on my face.

She cleaned the last bits of my body, then leaned in for a kiss, her arm behind my head as she dragged me down. I ended up supporting her frame with four of my legs as I landed with my torso on hers. My pedipalps were on her shoulders as I was lost in a kiss of love.

“Time to relax.” She simply said and took me in a hug.

I felt her heartbeat through my legs and skin, and closed my eyes as I did what she suggested. She too, completely relaxed as we allowed the tub to slowly fill, lost in my embrace.

We remained like that for minutes. Minutes turned into an hour. The tub was filled, and the only movements I made were to turn off the faucet with one of my hind legs. I was happy I managed to do it without too many issues. I didn’t want to break away from this loving hug.

“I could nap like this. You make me feel so comfortable, Elania.” She whispered.

“Better not to, you might not sleep tonight,” I whispered back.

“Promise me you’ll hold on to me like this tonight.” She said.

“I will, Vel.”

I kissed her again. It was a long and soft kiss. I explored every inch of her lips during it and allowed her to do the same. I never opened my eyes during it, I wanted to amplify the sensations by not seeing a thing.

“Thanks, Elania. I love you.” She made her feelings known once more.

“I love you too, Velariah.”