The dead rose glacially. Every movement cracked ancient, dead wood. Anath and the goblin still clutched each other.
The two pushed away from one another as soon as they realized what they were doing. Anath scanned the room. Two lines of beds were on either side of the long hall. It looked like it was once a dining hall or a ballroom, but someone had converted it into a hospital. Atop each bed was a corpse made of wood and bark. Small roots wrapped and bound them to the beds and the floor.
The first of the dead had snapped its roots and fell to the ground. It crawled forward at an alarming pace.
Anath scurried back from it, then noticed the goblin had dashed toward a nearby door. The door was built as part of the wall. Not a hidden door, but a polite passageway that didn’t want to intrude.
Follow the goblin, or contend with the dead? A loud crack drew her attention; one of the dead had snapped its head in her direction. Knot-like eyes looked at her from a face decorated with a moss-like beard. Goblin it is, definitely goblin.
She, Anath was sure it was a girl, struggled with the door as she approached.
“I swear, spider, if you attack me right now, you will regret it.” Anath felt heat flood her face.
“I am not a spi-” The closest corpse fell from its bed and scurried toward her. She screamed and covered her eyes.
The spider took over. She could feel its movements, jabbing and stabbing toward the corpse. Each impact was the same as when she climbed a tree.
[You have defeated - Corpse Wood, Level 2. Experience Gained.]
She opened her eyes and peeked through her fingers. The corpse’s head was a pile of wood chips. It had stopped moving. A scraping noise caught her attention. The goblin had opened the door, was through, and was trying to shut it behind her.
Anath scurried toward it.
“Go away! Find your own escape.” The only other exits Anath saw were through many shuffling corpse wood.
“Please, let me come with you!”
“No.”
“Please?” She used her best cutesy voice. The one that almost always worked on her father when she was younger. The goblin rolled her eyes, her expression masked by the cloth she wore around her head.
“Fine. But you owe me.” Then she was gone. Anath tried to open the door, but time had warped it out of shape. Panicked, she went into her status void.
“Skitter, climb, run! The dead are not safe. Go, go!” The spider was frantically running in circles. She ignored it and put her two growth points into strength.
When she exited the void, another corpse wood was right in front of her. She screamed and the spider lashed out.
[You have defeated - Corpse Wood, Level 2. Experience Gained.]
They might not be strong, but that didn’t mean she shouldn’t be scared of those unnatural monsters. She focused on the door again. This time, she was able to scrape it across the floor a few inches. She threw her weight into the door to open it further, scraping it across the floor. Something slammed against it, rattling the frame. Anath gasped, squeezed through, and it was shoved it closed as the corpse wood struck again. Another thud cemented the door back to its closed position.
Then she was in darkness.
Moving along, she felt either side of the wall with her hands. It was a thin hallway, barely wide enough for one adult. A servant's passageway? The goblin was nowhere to be found. So, she moved forward cautiously.
“Don’t try anything funny, spider.” Anath’s breath caught. The goblin was right behind her. How? She had been in front of her a moment ago. She prevented the spider from striking back. Then, she moved forward in the dark.
“M… me?! You were the one who attacked me.”
“You were going to ambush my brothers. Don’t play stupid.”
“I was not! I was going to make sure Hunter was safe… oh no!” They stopped.
“What?”
“Hunter, Elly. I hope they're okay.”
“Focus. We need to get out of here first. Then you can go find your friends or whatever.”
They walked at a slow pace. Anath didn’t want to trip or run into any surprises.
“Move along, spider. You're too slow.”
“I’m not a spider!”
"Could've fooled me.”
“I’m not! Besides, it’s too dark to see.”
“I can see just fine.”
“Then you can go ahead."
“And leave my back to you? I’m not an idiot. Do you have any biotrait points or something?” Anath did. But she always felt awkward using them. She felt as though every biotrait spent sent her further and further away from being human. Lately, she had needed them just to stay alive.
“I am not going to spend any more. I’m already too much of a monster.”
“Girl, you either are or aren’t. And you are. Just get on with it; we don’t have time for this.” Anath scowled in the dark. The goblin was right.
“Fine. I guess my eyes are already ruined.” She entered her status void. “Stupid goblin.” She added under her breath.
“Hobgoblin.”
“What?”
“I’m a hobgoblin. Or you could call me Zuss. At least, until you backstab me.”
Anath selected the night vision mutation for her eyes. The darkness brightened slowly. She still couldn’t see far in front of her face; everything was silhouettes and shadows. A shape appeared in front of her. Hanging in the air was a bulbous body with eight wicked legs.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Anath screamed and staggered back into Zuss.
“What? More dead?”
“Sp- spider!” she said in a shaking voice. A hand snaked out of the dark and grabbed the spider. Anath watched with horrid fascination as Zuss brought the spider to her mask, slipped it between folds of cloth, and ATE IT.
“No more spider. Now go.” Anath stared at her slack-jawed. Her mandibles hung limply at the side of her mouth. Then she started to laugh. “What is it now?”
“You… just ATE it. Like that!”
“It was all right. A bit bitter. Tongues a bit tingly.” The two of them moved at a slightly faster pace.
“You are crazy. I’m Anath, by the way.”
“Well, you're weird. What even are you? Half spider but scared of them… embarrassing.”
“I’m a human. But… I have spider traits. Something called a variant.”
“Oh great. Another one. My brother is a variant. He won’t shut up about it.”
“Hey, here’s another door.”
They pushed it open; this time, it swung open easily, and they stumbled out into a small room.
It was full of furniture that Anath couldn’t quite make out in the dark.
“Here,” Zuss handed her something. A lamp. “I’d wish you luck, but you punched me in the face. So… fuck you, I guess,” Zuss turned to leave.
“Wait!”
“What?”
“Don’t leave me alone! There are monsters out here.”
“Anath, you are a badass spider-human thing with four blades on your back. You’ll be fine.”
“Please?” She widened her eyes and pouted.
“For the love of… FINE!” Zuss scampered atop a table and sat down. “Two targets for the monsters are better than one, I guess.”
Anath fiddled with the lamp. It was a candle holder with a half-burned candle still inside it. Then she scavenged around until she found some old cloth that was brittle and stiff. She cut it into strips, then used her knife and a spider leg to start a small fire in it. Using that, she lit the candle, then stomped out the fire she had started.
Despite the small flame, she could see every detail of the room clearly. Night vision was a big difference. It was a small washroom. Bundles of ancient cloth, a large bucket to wash them, and a layer of sludge-like water at the bottom. Knickknacks and bottles sat on shelves.
“So, what is your deal, anyway? Why did you come to this place?” Zuss asked conversationally.
“My friends and I needed a home. I saw this place and… well, it was a mistake.”
“Well, we got here first. Finders keepers.”
“Is it just you three?”
“Yeah. You said friends, but I only saw the ogre. Who else?”
“Elly. She’s a worm.”
“Oh. We have a cat.” Zuss hugged her knees. “I hope they are okay. They usually need me to get them out of trouble.” Her eyes crinkled into a smile. “Or to get them into it.”
“Let’s look for them! I’m sure they're okay.” Zuss nodded, then hopped down from the table.
The two of them crept out of the room into a hallway. Dust gathered near the walls. This hall was wider than the previous one. The building was made primarily of wood planks. Natural log-like trim gave the interior a cozy, cabin-like feel. Anath noted small holes at the top of the walls and wondered what they were for.
”We need to get outside; that’s where I last saw Dag.” Anath nodded.
They picked a direction more or less at random. A constant rustling sound and a distant banging noise were their only companions.
A line of snow on the ground ahead hinted at the open window before they saw it. It was small, but not so small that the two couldn’t squeeze through. Roots covered the edges of the window. They invaded the house like creeping mold. Seeming to crawl over the walls, floor, and ceiling.
“C’mon,” Zuss muttered as she started to crawl through.
Then the roots came alive. They wriggled like tentacles and wrapped around the hobgoblin. They grabbed her arms and legs and wrapped them around her throat. Zuss struggled and cried out before the roots tightened on her throat.
Anath cried out and rushed to help. Then she hesitated. She didn’t know this monster. And it WAS a monster. The hobgoblin had put a knife to her throat and then kicked her in the head. Maybe… letting her die would be the best? She had begged the hobgoblin to not leave her a moment earlier… why did she do that? Was she scared?
Everyone she had met, in her entire life, had tried to kill her, one way or another. She held no illusions about what the dagger she wielded was originally for. Besides, Zuss was already on a web. Caught like a meal. All she needed to do was wait, be patient, and-
Anath slapped herself mentally.
That… that wasn’t Anath. That was the spider thinking. It was always there. Influencing her, making her think a certain way. To wait, be patient, and let things fall into her trap. To build. How much of her shelter earlier was Anath, and how much was the spider?
Then she remembered Hunter. He was the only one who had not tried to kill her. Even Elly had attacked her at first. The ogre had gone out of his way to save her. He stood up to a REAL monster. She imagined his big, soft eyes being disappointed in her. Not everyone was out for blood all the time. Anath decided she didn’t want to be like that either.
After setting down the candle, she grabbed Zuss’s leg and pulled. That didn’t work. She tried to cut at the roots with her dagger, but it was dulled from misuse. The spider tried to strike, but Anath held it back. She wouldn’t let the spider have its way. It would probably want to spear the hobgoblin and drink her.
Zuss made a gurgling sound. Her skin was losing its warmth, and Anath could feel a chill in her leg. The roots pulsed, as though they were drinking her. Draining her of life.
Anath managed to cut one root, and a second took its place. Tears streamed down her face. Her efforts were useless against them; there were too many.
One of the roots wrapped around her wrist. She ignored it in favor of continuing to pull Zuss free.
Then it began to drain her life. The root coiled tighter, a predator squeezing its meal. A chill gnawed into her bones. It wasn’t normal pain. It was like her body was being hollowed out, warmth stolen layer by layer. Her limbs weakened. Her grip on Zuss faltered. The spider stirred. Not yet. She gritted her teeth. Then she lost her mental hold over the spider.
It lashed out wildly, as it did every time Anath was in danger. The roots cut away from its sharp spikes like weeds. Anath found herself tumbling back, holding onto a now-gasping Zuss.
The roots slithered after them but then stopped. They trembled, reaching out like an addict reaching for their last bottle. But the light of the candle held them at bay.
“Thank you," Zuss croaked, then coughed. “We’re even now.”
The spider saved Zuss. It wasn’t supposed to save people. The spider was a monster. A villain and a danger. It went against everything Anath believed.
“Stupid spider.” She murmured.
Zuss
True Name: Zuss
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size]
Genbloom: hobgoblin [ +1 Str, +3 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Nimble Fingers; Small Size]
Monster Level: 7
Attributes (0/6):
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 8
Will: 10
Charm: 9
Feats:
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [Layered feats]
Ability: Mighty Alacrity
Skills(0/2):
System Aptitude: 1
Deep Shadows: 1
Path Finding [Type: Climbing]
Notable Natural Skills:
Stealth: Apprentice
Climb: Apprentice
Biotraits (1/7):
Base size: Small [Source: Hobgoblin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Mutations: Dark Vision; Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Improved Body Control [Synergy: Improved Balance + Improved Nerve Conduction + Improved flexibility]
Nimble Hands and Feet [Synergy: Nimble hands + Prehensile Feet]
Cold Resistant Skin
Transformations:
Drakeheart Form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
Smoke Aura
Lesser Wings
Pet:
Name: Birdy
Genseed: Cat
Attributes:
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 4
Constitution: 2
Intelligence: 2
Will: 2
Charm: 3
Biotraits:
Lesser Wings
Anath
True Name: Anathema
Soul: Monster/Mortal
Genseed: Human [ 3 Str, 3 Dex, 3 Con, 3 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Standard Size]
Monster Level: 3
[Class] Level: 4
Attributes (0/6):
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 7
Constitution: 7
Intelligence: 9
Will: 8
Charm: 7
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Vile Concoction
Skills(3/4):
System Aptitude: 1
System Assistant: 1
Skill Boosts: Survival (1)
Notable Natural Skills:
Survival: Apprentice
Biotraits [0/3]:
Disease Resistance [Source: Vile Concoction]
Extra Limb (Arachnid), x4 [Source: Variant]
Venomous Mandibles [Source: Variant]
Multi-eye [Mutations: Magnified, Night Vision; Source: Variant]
Hardened Chitin
Other:
Variant: Arachnid Traits