Myth and King

If a new a race of creature appears would they win against human or lose and become a new resource to be exploited.

Friendship is Magical

Charles' eyes were wide open when he wakes up, he was in his room and it was dark, his toe was freezing and he pulls it inside the banket. His breath was normal but his spine was shivering, he tries to sharpen his ear and eye trying to found why he suddenly wakes up but there was no noise or figure hiding to get him yet something had wakened him. Finally, he looks at the ceiling, a spider, big as his chest, it’s eye was lifeless staring at him, while its legs moving and slowly descend to his chest.

Charles freeze, his mouth open and close, a word was desperate to come out.

“Mommy.” He whispered but he was screaming inside his mind, the spider was big as his chest, it’s a smooth body build like an assassin with subtle fur around its eight legs. Where are you he mom, aren’t you supposed to protect me, his mother room only separated by the wall if he screams loud enough she would hear him.

While he was trying to call for help the spider had arrived at his chest, his body was shaking. He flexes his hand and toe but he never dared to move any more than that. Its many eyes were staring at him, his breath was short and he could hear the bed creak when the spider slowly walk to his face. He was sure he already crying at this point, he just woke up and he already welcomed by this monstrosity, it reminds him of the night terror when he was smaller except he didn’t want to check it by being bitten. The spider had moved so close he can use its eyes as a mirror and he can saw the reflection of- oh wait, he can’t because of its fucking dark, there almost no light in the room because he didn’t close the shitty window.

“Mommy.” Charles called his mom again, praying that some miracle would wake her with his tiny little whisper but alas it’s was too late, the spider with leg sharp as stilettos had moved, touching his neck and he’s dead.

…

…

Charles can’t handle the suspension and opened his eye the spider still there.

“Ca- Can you go away.” Said Charles politely, even though the spider had barged into his room he was still being polite after all his mother raise him as gentleman and Charles had close up look at its fang but the spider didn’t have the intention to go.

The unfortunate boy had bathed with cold sweat while the spider stays at his chest like a nightmare machine. He finally calm his heart, maybe the spider just wants to share a bed with him, he had incredible comfy bed and blanket, it’s not like he had a phobia with a bug but when giant spider slowly descends into your face you would traumatize. The spider still stays in place and he finally checks this encounter as a night terror. What kind of spider barged into a human house just so it can sleep in a bed. When he was ready to close his eye, the spider moves again, turning around until it's butt facing a small table beside his bed.

Woosh.

White thread shot from its butt, catching Mr. Paddy in its blue trunk.

Charles body was trembling while he bit his blanket and staring at the spider. Not Mr. Paddy, he just innocent Plushy, the valiant elephant had to protect him until he learns to walk but he still remembers Mr. Paddy deed. The spider holds Mr. Paddy and he couldn’t do anything but watch as the spider weave the thread with elegance and professionalism, it’s start with one leg than two until six of them work in harmony to seal Mr. Inside perfectly oval cocoon.

Why don’t you just eat me, do you have to use intimidation, you psycho. Was this necessary. Thought Charles, the spider then stares at him again, like it tries to convey a message to him but unfortunately, he didn’t know what the spider want.

It moves its leg and touch his temple, Charles almost closed his eye but if the spider going to pierce his head he was going to stare it, he flinched when he feel pricked in his head but the spider suddenly jump back looking at his temple where he feels blood slowly trickle, it jump and move before it pulls a thread and making an emergency bandage and place it on his head. Charles frowned, he touched the bandage and becoming braver as he pulls his leg so he can sit comfortably and watch the spider.

“It’s not that big.” He takes a closer look at its leg, it was smaller than his pinky so he didn’t need bandage but it made him more sure the spider didn’t come here to hurt him, the fact he was injured probably because the spider didn’t know human skin way weaker than a monster.

“What do you want.” He asked. The spider didn’t answer him because it can't speak but it tried to communicate. First, it gives him poor Mr. Paddy then it points at itself, Mr. Paddy and Charles.

Charles sit there for several seconds trying to understand what the spider want but he didn’t understand it wants, unless the spider want him to be inside a cocoon, like Mr. Paddy he didn’t understand why the need to ask permission and god, why it came in such time, he didn’t have fresh mind at this time.

Yet the more he observes the spider, the more he felt he knew the answer, the fog in his mind becomes clearer, the memories were rising and it reminds him one time he locks his cousin inside the toilet, the desperate screaming and cry for help just like the memory of the spider trying to rise and finally remembered who the spider is.

He remembered the sun that warm his skin, he wears a green shirt and yawned while rubbing his eye, the ground was slippery thanks to the rain on the previous night, he could smell the dust and the cut grass. There were still few people who woke up and Charles walk toward a wild garden beside his house, there wasn’t any specific thing to do in here besides the fact that he saw a small animal on the ground, desperately trying to move and hide. He kneels down and saw a small moth, he knew the difference between moth and butterfly but most importantly the time they wake up, he knew moth was nocturnal, which mean there was a very high chance it would being eaten if he didn’t take the moth to the safe place. The small moth fluttered its wing on his palm, it was so tiny and Charles realized dew was stuck in its body making it hard to fly.

He then. Think- what would label him as villain if his friend know, he walked toward the garden where a cassava plant has grown, between the brown branch there was spider web, it was one of the spider webs he could see closely and there was big shock in his heart when he found the web wasn’t symmetric like the book draw and told him, instead it was crooked in the top and stretched liked cloth. A small spider was hiding in the branch hiding in the shade, Charles kneels down and observes the moth in his hand and with his finger, he places the moth in the web of death.

The fate of the moth wasn’t important what more important was finally found the spider identity.

“I feed you once.” Like understanding his word the mutated spider nod. Charles finally relaxed his body, all his tenseness gone he was practically drowning in his bed.  He sits again and tries to move his hand toward the spider but naturally the spider back up but he moved a bit forward and the spider did the same, his hand hovers above the spider and finally, he touches the spider. Both surprised with each other touch, touching the spider head like touching a precious gem, it’s smooth and cold skin feel like he just unearthed a beautiful treasure while the spider surprised how much warm a human palm can make.

The spider seems to comfortable with his touch and moves closer while the human smile and rub the spider head with care. Charles feels something special, he always heard the classic tale about human friendship with an animal that stays true and grows stronger during the Calamity, normally it was house pet like dog and cat but he doesn’t see a problem with this beautiful creature.

“You look so plain,” He said, the spider who he realized pretty smart for a mutant for being able to understand human speech really well, raise it two legs and move like a horny peacock, he smirks seeing it’s antic and said.

“It’s a good thing. You’re a killer, the more people ignore you the easier it is to stab their heart.” He pats he spider again and calm the silly animal.

“I’m going to sleep and made sure you fix Mr. Paddy.” Charles turned around and closed his eye and felt the spider move besides his face and pat his head before it jumps from the bed making the click-clack noise with its leg and moves under his bed.

#

Waking up, the sun was shining through his face so was eight eye monstrosity. Charles trying to calm his beating heart and patting the spider while pushing it at the same time.

“Good morning,” He said to his new pet or roommate or friend- Charles didn’t really know how to define this relationship, Mutated monster sometimes just an upgraded to super pet, a puppy could be sized of truck but they still like to play and chasing its own tail, a cat could shoot lighting but it would still scared with water. It becomes complicated when it was a wild animal, you can’t just go into the wild, spot the coolest animal or plant then yeah, that’s going to be my monster. Unless you had something to keep it docile then you would become a warning tale to a child and butt of the joke in campfire stories.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

In partnership with a monster, respect is the bare minimum.

I will just need some time to get used to the spider, he thought.

Now he can see better he starts to observed it body more closely, he remembers the small spider, its previous size was the size of his thumb if it’s leg had been cut, its skin was brown and it had turned into a very dark shade of brown. Looking at the spider body Charles found the biggest change was its size and there are a lot of things he could guess from that, one its prey had gone bigger and it had no difficulty in hunting since he didn’t see an extreme mutation besides its size.

There was also new information, there was... Charles rubbed his head and sigh whether he accepts it or not there was something deeper between them after last night. It made him dive too deep inside his mind, working his brain until he feels his head hurt.

They had developed a bond that was the conclusion but what is the bond, can’t you qualitative a feeling. They said Monster could develop a strong bond with a human especially if they met before the big change. Charles always skeptical about this, isn’t this just symbiotic, isn’t monster who work with human had a higher chance to survive, didn’t they say two head always better than one but now he was in that position he can’t deny it, there was bond, no matter how abstract it is and he could confirm by the fact he knew the spider is a female.

Even though he didn’t know how to differentiate male and female spider, he absolutely sure the spider was a female and if he checks the information it would be true. Charles sigh, if only he knew about the monster he wouldn’t have this headache but there was so much information the higher up didn’t publish not because he thinks they had malicious intent maybe they did but Charles know it was because most information, about King, Myth, and Monster was just hearsay, an information who may or may not come from real person and there still many things they didn't know about them, forget about research they just barely made a safe settlement and solve basic problems like food and water.

Chitter.

“Oh sorry.” He said, watching the spider click her fang and give the clean Mr. Paddy to him. He rubs the spider head and jumps from his bed, the time was past six, so he still had time to prepare for his first day.

The spider bounce from the bed toward his back and climb to stay around is his shoulder and oh boy does it feel like a giant spider climbing your back and breath in your neck. He only shivered for three seconds and made a mental note to get himself used because he was sure the spider would be his constant companion.

“We should name you and I already think a good name.” Said Charles, standing in front of the sink, his grey hair had a bad case of cowlick and his skin become more toned making him more standout from the rest of the family, well older family. He was Peace Era Children, born after humanity settled with the Calamity. The earth his parent born and the earth he was born was incredibly different, no one in their older family had hair other than black but if you look at Peace Era children you will find much variety, a human may not have drastic change like the monster but there was change.

“Do you like Beatrice, it was Old Britain name and I think it fits you.”

“Chitter.” Beatrice clicks her fang, he could feel she don’t care whatever he name her. She bigger but she’s still animal, thought Charles.

He took the toothbrush and start cleaning his teeth, Beatrice was in his back, her eyes were staring at the mirror and he start teaching Beatrice about the bathroom, this is sink, this is water, this is human hygiene, while he was teaching the spider who purposely try to creep him by refusing to blink, question start to pop in his head. Why did she come back, it had been three or four years since that day, did she need him, surely it wasn’t food if she could survive three years without his help.

Of course, he could consider Anima theory, that united between human wit and animal strength is a step toward perfect being, meaning you get stronger by creating a bond with mutant but why him. He was just an ordinary boy, he was a bit smart and his family was middle class, he was sure where they weren’t big shot that fallen into grace. The point is there so much better candidate than him, either in power and connection.

Whatever it is, the answer probably in Calamity.

He spits and looks at Beatrice.

“You want to be with me right,” he asked, Beatrice, move its mouth and start spitting out thread again and tied to his wrist while the other end she tied to one of her legs now they are connected but why he felt he was the pet in this situation.

Charles shrug and decide to stop trying to think too hard, he couldn’t answer why she choose him but they had stuck with each other. Talking about theory were much theory why it happens and he always leans on the scientist side. They lay the blame on Myth for why the Calamity happens, even if the existence of Myth ridiculous it is what they found as the primary reason for the change in earth geography and the birth of the Mutant.

He walks out of the bathroom and holds Beatrice in his hand, she was heavy but still bearable. Then he put him outside the bathroom.

Click.

He looks down at the spider who stop the bathroom door.

“Beatrice, you understand human speech, I hope you understand human bath too,” He said tried to push doors but the spider insists in getting in and start to push the door.

“You didn’t need to watch you pervert.” He said, pushing with all his might but he knew he was losing to some goddamn spider.

“A moth.” He pointed at the window ad the spider fall to the oldest trick. He slams and locks the door then starts undressing and showers with scratching and chittering noise on the door of his bathroom.

Getting on his school uniform, Beatrice hissed and spitting at him then she starts to hug his leg and refused to let go making the activity wearing cloth become challenging again since he was three. He tries to dislodge the spider but he the only thing he could shake is the water in his hair. Walking down to the kitchen, he hears the radio being played in the kitchen with a loud volume.

“...Ehh, you can cook frog that way.”

“Of course you can, that why we make the show Eating Whatever You Find - Post Apocalypse. Even with just sharp wood, you can cook an animal that just outside your window.”

Charles walk to the dining table and pour himself a glass of milk and toast with orange jam.

“Are you nervous." Said her mother from the kitchen. "You shouldn't be, you know, it just high school nothing so different from middle school.” Charles didn't try to pay attention instead holding the knife he slowly and perfectly with utmost balance using the secret grand technique to evenly spread the jam.

“We could always call the psychiatrists.” Charles who was ready to bit the toast stop.

“What.” He stops the toast from entering his mouth and look in the kitchen.

“Oh honey, I mean you talk to her again, I thought you already stop that.” Charles trying to think what her mother mean, he never gives her strong reason to send him to a psychiatrist and he was sure her mother still didn’t know the existence of Beatrice, yet. “They said it was just a phase,” Her mother said peeking her head from the kitchen.

“Talking to an imaginary friend-” She said seeing her son face while holding her cheek.

“I don’t talk to her again.” He sad finally realizing where the conversation is. He bit into his toast avoiding her gaze. “I was talking to Beatrice and She was real.” As he said that, Beatrice who previously hiding under the table jump up and greet her mother.

In hindsight, he should expect this.

“Kyaaah, a spider, a spider, kill it.” His mother starts screaming as soon poor Beatrice- never mind the spider started baring her fang toward her mother. Where did she get the bug spray, that was quick. Is that necessary, piercing hole in the table didn’t help anyone.

Charles was biting his toast while the house became complete chaos, he could smell of citrus from the bug spray and Beatrice started to shot thread everywhere, did she have to intimidate her mother. He rubbed his head and intent to ignore this drama until her mother pulls out a match and place it in front of the bug spray, he drops down and still holding the toast and his glass of milk, roll away from the citrus smelling flamethrower, the house could burn but he wouldn’t pause his breakfast. He stops once he reaches to the safety and decides to stay on the floor, is the dining table really necessary, you only need mouth to eat, chair and table only luxury when you are eating.

Finally, the neighbor can’t ignore the ruckus inside the house. Though whoever choose to intervene was an idiot since instead of knocking, the person breaks the door and rush to the kitchen. It was the Uncle next door, Mr. Door since he knew how to fix thing though mostly it was a door. With a blue shirt and half tied tie, the uncle comes barging with a gun and a brown-haired monkey wearing a bandana, his orange toast was almost finished meaning he was ready to act.

“What wrong, what-” The Uncle stop asking once he saw a big spider in the dining table without asking he take the gun and aim it at the spider, Charles finish his milk and toast then smash the glass drawing attention to himself and take Beatrice to his back without sudden movement.

“She mine.” Said a boy with ashen hair, moustache milk and orange jelly in his cheek with a spider hanging n his back, he was standing in the dining room who half burned and half covered with spider thread, a middle-aged man standing wearing one shoe with a gun aimed at the boy and his monkey doing a finger gun to the boy too and the last a woman who seems to escape an asylum holding a bug spray and match and one of the suspects for the destruction.

In summary, it was an exciting morning for everyone.

“Squeeee.” The spider raises it's leg finally catching up what the boy had said.

“Don't squeal you creep.”

“She’s your-”

“My... partner.” Before calamity saying your partner with a spider would get you a weird look and people understanding that you love animal but in this age saying that your partnered with a mutated animal is adopting them into your household or it could mean you want to be the frontier, exploring and fixing the earth with human newest weapon, the monster.

He didn’t give them any time to respond, he kneels on the floor and kisses her mother.

“Goodbye.” Hearing his son word, Camellia feels a hammer just slammed into her heart, she feel if she didn’t stop him now, she wouldn’t see son again in a long time.