“Aren’t you curious?” Iris asked.

“About the Gods? Not really.” Sasha sat back against the sand. “I mean, if they aren’t really gods, it doesn’t change much. We still get our weapons. We still get to do…Whatever it is grads do.”

“And it doesn’t bother you at all that we don’t know that either?”

Sasha shrugged. Maybe it would have if there was anything she could do about it. But there wasn’t. Whether she believed, didn’t believe, was bothered, or wasn’t bothered, it didn’t change the facts of the matter. She was going to get a weapon at the end of the semester. The only other option was exile.

“Sometimes I wish I could be as simple-minded as you, Sasha.”

“You callin’ me stupid, sulky?”

Iris smirked. She sat up on the beach, hugging her knees close while they both watched the setting sun. The light on the water always made Sasha feel at peace. Like she was home. If the so-called Gods did exist, she could only assume they reincarnated her from some kind of deep-sea fish. Maybe an electric eel.

“Sasha,” Iris said.

“Hmm?”

The wolf snickered. “It’s time to wake up.”

Sasha jerked to a torrent of water dousing her face. She gasped, her whiskers dripping. She didn’t see the reflection of the glass in front of her. Or the crack. And scents were coming in from all around her, most of which she didn’t recognize. What the- Where am- She tried to move, but her body didn’t respond, arms and legs locked close. She looked down to see a length of chain running from her body to the floor.

No. The ceiling. She realized with a start that she was tied up and dangling upside down.

“Wakey wakey, panther,” a gruff voice said.

She looked up, seeing a person standing in front of her. A weasel. His brown fur and thin frame were so similar to Mr. Erin she almost mistook him for her liaison a second time. But then she spotted the scar on his cheek. The patch of white fur just under his chin. Their signals may have felt similar, but whoever the man was, she knew he was no weasel she knew.

“Hello there, love,” he said. “I wouldn’t try anything if I were you. Dyré gave me permission to take little pieces off if I wanted. And I’m thinking that pretty little tail of yours would make a nice trophy.”

She glared at the man. Whoever he was, she could only assume he’d been responsible for her missing helmet. He and whoever else had chained her up. She remembered feeling lightheaded. Seeing the world swirl around her. Gabriella.

“Where am I?” Sasha asked.

“Nowhere you’d no, hun. Not unless you made some enemies in a past life.” The weasel smiled. “I take it you don’t know who we are, do you?”

“Beyond the fact that you kidnapped me? No, not really.”

She scanned the man over. He had a brown coat draped over his body that reeked of cologne to the point Sasha wanted to pinch her nose. He dropped the bucket he’d been holding, unsheathing a dagger from his side and pointing it her way.

“Then you’re in luck,” he said. “The Madame loves to talk. Speaking of which. Don’t be so rude, little lady. Say hello.”

As he said that, the small room they’d been in lit up, the walls suddenly becoming translucent glass. Sasha gaped at the sight of a wider room spread out just below her own. The walls shined like gold. Jet black strings hung from the ceiling, athians hanging from them and staring back at her.

As did the rest of the people Sasha could see below. Her gaze lingered on the little girl she spotted at the head of the group. Gabriella smiled back at her, a white-gloved hand stroking the top of her head.

“Sasha the Panther,” the weasel said. “Let me introduce you to the Pirates of the Black Web!”

To his call, several voices rose below her. So much so both rooms shook with echoes. They stomped their feet on the ground in unison, the cascade of noise reaching its height as the weasel waved a hand at the woman sitting behind Gabriella. A tall kheprian in a shimmering white dress.

“And introducing our illustrious captain,” he said. “The Black Death herself. The beautiful Madame Dyré!”

The cheers all rose louder, all directed at the spider woman who rose from her chair, red eyes shining with pride. Another rush of déjà vu overcame Sasha. The kheprian raised all six arms into the air as the pirates chanted in unison.

“Spider Queen! Spider Queen! Spider Queen!”

Dyré’s gaze met hers. The so-called Black Death snapped and the translucent chamber opened up.

Sasha felt a jolt, the chain extending and dropping her through the floor, barreling below. She stopped inches from the glistening floor. Crap. She looked up to see all the pirates kneeling down. Even the weasel, who had floated down like a feather, landed already in position.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

Dyré stepped away from her throne, walking up to Sasha and staring down at her.

“Hello, dear child,” she said. “Sasha correct? Sasha the Panther?”

Sasha bared her fangs, ready to bite if necessary. Much to her surprise, she felt the tension in her arms release. The chains broke away, Sasha falling head-first to the ground.

Or at least she would have if not for the hands catching and lowering her gently.

“There,” Dyré said. “Apologies for the rude welcome. We had to be sure you were indeed Elisia’s chosen.”

Sasha looked up at the spider, who placed her upright, stepping backward. She offered her a hand, of which Sasha considered whacking away for the briefest of moments before she remembered the many humans, athians, and islander-like people watching her. She hesitantly took the hand, Madame Dyré helping her to her feet.

“Elisia?” Sasha asked.

“You are her chosen graduate, are you not?”

“I…I’m a graduate, yes.”

“And your spirit? The one who gave you that Spirit Tool of yours? Or God Tool, I suppose some would call it.”

She recalled the woman in yellow. In all the chaos of almost dying on Shiny, she’d never gotten the Goddess’s name. If she was a Goddess, that was. Sasha summoned GT, the eyes of the many soldiers narrowing on the weapon.

“GT,” she asked. “What’s the name of your creator, again?”

“That would be Lady Elisia, Ms. Sasha.”

She nodded. Madame Dyré smiled, seemingly aware of the staff’s response. She returned to her chair, her multiple arms falling over the multiple armrests attached. Sasha put away the staff.

“I take it you know me?” Sasha asked. “Madame Dyré, right?”

“That is correct,” Dyré said. “If what I’ve learned is correct, you are Sasha the Panther, the 4th champion chosen by the Goddess Elisia. And you are also the same champion responsible for dooming my least favorite planet to extinction. That alone puts you in my good graces.“

“Good grac- Wait, did you say doomed?” She winced. “Then. Argos is….”

“You didn’t know?”

Her gaze fell. “I assumed they’d last longer than that.” She cursed. Sure the rocks were annoying, but to learn that their world had already been taken was far from good news. Just thinking about how Mr. Erin would react left a bad taste in her mouth.

Those stupid rocks. She shook away the thought.

“So what?” she asked. “Did you kidnap me so I could do that again? Because I don’t make a habit of killing worlds.”

“Oh heavens, no! We… appropriated your support for that very reason.”

She waved a hand and one of the men moved forward. Sasha tensed, claws ready. That was up until a succulent scent ran through her nostrils. The pirates were all carrying shiny metallic trays. When they lifted the lids, her eyes immediately shined.

Smoked tuna. Grilled salamander. Turkey kabobs. At once all the pain she’d felt flooded away, saliva dripping from her mouth.

“We assumed you’d be hungry after your ordeal,” Dyré said. “Help yourself to- Oh. Not a shy one, are you?”

Sasha ignored the spider queen as she went on a primal freezy through the food. All she’d eaten while she was stuck on the ship were the thawed-out rations she’d purchased in Tuptree. Beans and muffins. To see fresh food again after so long. And for it to actually be edible! She felt tears streaming down her water-drenched cheeks. It wasn’t until she’d devoured it all that sanity finally returned.

Crap. Was that poison? She grabbed her throat, expecting to keel over at any time. Nothing happened.

“Are you quite finished?” Dyré asked.

Sasha burped. “Y-yeah.” She wiped her mouth, slightly embarrassed. The pirates brought over water glasses. “You were saying something about not killing worlds?”

Dyré smirked. “I was saying we didn’t bring you here to do that. Quite the opposite, in fact. Believe it or not, but it isn’t just the AIC that’s affected by our universe imploding. Those monsters are frankly terrible for business.”

Sasha guzzled the complimentary water, letting out a loud gasp. “Ah. So what are you saying? You kidnapped me to ask for my help?”

“Your cooperation would be beneficial, yes,” the spider said. “We require a graduate’s assistance, and your name was the first on the list. Of course, if you’d rather not assist us pirates, we’d be happy to deposit you out the nearest airlock. I’m sure with your skills you’d be fine.”

“Assuming you give me my helmet back.”

“We won’t.”

Sasha groaned. Not much of a choice then, is it?

Though the whole destruction of her ship and kidnapping was something she had no intention of looking past, she also knew better than to willingly let herself get killed in some stupid life-or-death escape attempt. Even if helping out pirates sounded like a completely terrible idea.

“Alright,” she said. “Any chance I can go free if I help you?”

“Help me and I can do more than that.” The spider leaned forward. “I am a spider of many talents, my dear child. Talents which have allowed me to make some… interesting connections.”

She flicked a hand, a black web shooting out and landing directly in front of Sasha, who jumped back on instinct.

“I believe this compensation would be more than satisfactory.”

Sasha stared at the dark material. In the center of the sticky substance was a single scrap of paper. A photograph. Her eyes grew as she recognized the blue and black haired fox smiling back at her.

“This is the friend you’ve been searching for, is it not?” the spider asked. “Or perhaps you’d rather…”

Another web shot out, Sasha’s heart jolting as she saw a photo of a white wolf sitting in a meadow.

“Reunite with this one instead?” Dyré finished.

Sasha looked between the two photos. They weren’t the same frames she’d see in Iris’s photographs. Or childhood image for that matter. She could tell that much from the rings on Cici’s fingers. The rapier in Iris’s lap. Sasha found her voice again.

“H-how?” Sasha asked. “How did you get these?”

Madame Dyré smiled. She extended four hands towards the panther, her voice cool and warm.

“Help me, and I can give you everything you need and more,” she said.

Sasha looked from the spider to the photos of her friends. Cici's smile inviting her close. Iris's gaze drawing her near. The pirates around her watched carefully for her response. She swallowed, walking past the webs and over to Madame Dyré’s chair. The spider placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair.

“Welcome to the Black Web, my child. We have much work to do.”

Sasha didn't respond.