I flop into the scratchy sheets of my rented bed and let out a long groan. It's becoming quite obvious, I can deny it no longer, I am dumb. Apparently the yellow coin that I have been using as the cheapest denomination was in fact ten times more expensive than the silver coinage. So that poor old lady that I was forceful with was just trying to help me out and I pressed on. At least that poor barmaid helped me out and I think I own this room for the foreseeable future. It looks like it costs 8 copper per night and with 2 gold I paid I should be here around a month.

I distract my self loathing with the wonders I saw today. A sprawling multilayered city with the first signs of industrialization, as there seems to be new looking brass pipes zig-zagged across some more affluent homes. But what my mind's eye focuses on more than the rest is the magic. The floating sparks paused in the air shines bright in my heart, for the first time in several years I feel something grip my heart and not let go. I want to, no I need to learn. I fall asleep dreaming of bending nature's laws around my hand, and using my modern knowledge to accelerate this world's growing technology.

I spend the next two weeks with a similar routine; I wake up, moan about all my soreness, have breakfast, take water to a bath, change my bandages, loiter around the craftsman district observing the magic caster, get lunch from the bread lady, explore more of the city, go home for dinner, and attempt to emulate the magic.

Along the way I noticed a few followers. At the craftsmen district a few kids will sit with me. It seems that my ambition of being a mage is a childhood fantasy as the kids look at the wizard with the same fervor I do. I also seem to stress out the wizard because he seems to check his back more often now. Sorry sir but I need to know how magic works and no amount of reproachful glares will stop me. My dinners are no longer alone as well, accompanying me is a girl around my age. She has roughly chopped black hair that is always tied up and typically wears dark blue baggy clothes. The most striking part of her is the constant look of annoyance and irritation she has. That may be my fault however. I must have piqued her curiosity because a few days after I started my routine she joined me and attempted to communicate with me. I have picked up a few words of the language, well mostly profanities so crude I see patrons cringe and barmaids blush. But I learned the basics of yes, no, and bathroom. I say goodbye and head back to my room and start my magic practice. This involves a variety of mental and physical exercises. I first attempt to mimic the gestures that the mage used, then I attempt to visualize lines into my body, then I try a hundred different visual and mental tricks. Circulating magic, breathing magic, absorbing it through the air, moving it with my nerves, and even resorting to shouting "menu". I sigh, another failure I don't feel a hint of power or see any glowing. Maybe you do have to get a tattoo and that's why it's so rare. I need to learn more of the language and ask.

The next day I follow my same routine but I decide to stay out later exploring the city. I actually have a really good sense of direction and once you understand how this city works it's even better. It seems this city consists of main arteries that are higher up with enclosed lower portions that loop back within itself. I bet if you looked at this city from an aerial view it would look like the underside of a lily pad except more lopsided and an extra layer of arches over the top. In one of the more empty clearings I see some kids playing with a rubber ball, not just any kids but the same ones from the craftsman districts. That's weird that there is rubber in this climate, eh most likely trading or magic. I'll figure it out when I learn the language. They call me over and I gladly join, if there is one thing you can trust in the world it's kids. They are mostly a good judge of character and they have yet to grow jaded.

These damn kids betrayed me, I eye my opponents six kids versus me and in game of dodgeball I go through all the effort of teaching them and this is the thanks I get. I dodge another throw aiming at my groin and retrieve the ball. I grin now to show them what I got, I wind up and unleash a throw using every part of my body to generate a perfect shot. All the kids stay still as the ball soars in between them. Defeated I fall to my hands and knees shocked by being out played and ganged up on. My exaggerated display is interrupted by the impact of the ball off of my head. I watch as the parabola of the ball flies across the square into an alleyway. I get up and join one of the kids in retrieving the ball.

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The alleyway is darkened by the setting sun, but I can vaguely see the white ball and it is in the hands of a beautiful young lady, and an adorable eight year old girl stands next to her. Her and her daughter or sister must have been walking through, the young boy is happy and starts talking to the pair. Something that distracts me other than the lady's indescribable beauty is that they both have the same glowing lines indicative of magic. I stare at the lines they split the face in half and surround their silhouette. White lines radiate from their chest and crisscross in a circular pattern forming a spider web. I haven't seen a full magical marking since the rabbit as the wizards tend to be prudes and not show skin whereas these girls--. Wait? Why are the lines going over the clothes? When I realize that something is wrong from the bottom of my heart my brain snaps into place like an optical illusion being explained leaving no room for the original interpretation. In front of us, standing vertical with its limbs splayed are two massive spiders. One larger than a man, the other bigger than a child. A crude effigy is printed on the underside of the spider's abdomen while their pedipalps hold half a face each. Those same pedipalps quiver in anticipation flashing their fangs and the small spider holds out a ball and says something. Realizing what is going to happen I grab the young boy's coller and throw him back. At first he gives me a hurt and betrayed look then like a candle it melts into a look of deep horror as I feel a pinching in my left shoulder followed by a pleasant numbing sensation. Turning around It seems I've been bit. I see the face of the young girl split in half, fully revealing the large fangs and multiple eyes of a giant tarantula-like spider.

I watch the kid run to safety as I am wrapped up and dragged further into the alleyway, then into the sewers, then a cave. It may be the neurotoxin but I actually feel so much better than I have the past two weeks. I have no aches or pains, all that is left is deep worry and regret. This is the outcome of making friends even with children you will be driven by loss and lose yourself. I could have escaped, I didn't owe that child anything but my body moved on its own. If I am lucky the venom will quickly numb my entire body and I'll die in my sleep. I am dragged into the parlor and hung on a web. Hanging around are several webs and two more people, a young kid and a grizzled old man. They are surrounded by a smooth layer of silk with bulbous protrusions. Then movement. I watch as the protrusions on the old man writhe and spasm, I watch in horror as those bulbs, no eggs hatch.

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He's late, I peer at my food then at the door. That sorry waste of mothers milk is late. And to think that today would be the day I take him to the headquarters and then get some actual profitable work done. At least his company isn't as bad as I thought it would be, it turns out people are good listeners when they can't speak, and good secret keepers. I am glad I got some revenge yesterday for all my inconvenience. I somehow convinced him to say, "For the prices I pay I deserve company tonight." to the barmaid. The enjoyment doubled when the barmaid stood there shocked and I pointed at the manly barkeep. The subsequent slap and the look of betrayal will fill my mind with mirth for weeks to come. My mental revelry is interrupted by the front door slamming open. There stands a small kid face full of fear and eyes full of tears.

"Dad, DAD! They got him." One of the patrons looks back and calmly replies, "Who got who buddy, it's ok I'm here." The kid reply is muffed by the strong arms cradling and half sobs him but I pick it out. "Asher, the spider people got him." The fathers reassurances and placating words are drowned out as I process this information. Spider people? Hexathvir's harry taints wouldn't dare travel this close to winter. It could be a monster but the adventures, guards, and Boss keeps the streets clean almost nothing slips by that, not unless they are magical. Well it's not my problem I just had to recruit him not keep him safe. If I leave now I can get ahead of th--

"Well that's unfortunate isn't it Sonja your new recruit is going to die. I wonder how the boss would react. Hmm I'm sure you'll be fine." Suddenly sitting in front of me is best what I can describe as a rat. Oh he is human, but with his crooked nose, overbite, sunken eyes, and forward posture every mannerism and facial feature screams "rat". "Oh Mordin, it's so hard to notice you without your litter. A kiss ass like you must be overly concerned what boss thinks." Anger flashes in his eyes followed by a smug sense of superiority. "Say what you will, at least I am not going into a mimic-spider nest. I wonder.. A man that big I bet he would provide plenty of nutrients for several generations and survive the first feeding. I can imagine it now; him tied up in a web with thousands of tiny spiders slowly draining him week by week until he is finally allowed to die."

Heaven's forsaken Pits! Of course a suckup like him would know what those are, and if the boss didn't care about one recruit dying he certainly cares about an infestation. I stand ignoring the victorious look on Mordin's misshapen face and approach the child.