❆ ❆ ❆ Chapter Twenty Three ❆ ❆ ❆
Tracking the Black Knights
[Snow]
Snow was sitting at the table in the shack. Alone. Aela took away her priming stones and reduced her to housework, aka cooking. Even her training had come to an end. Aela was so hell bent on keeping the seals functioning that she was not even willing to investigate a solution. Snow considered all she knew about this place. The only imminent threat to the seals were the black knights. If she could somehow learn why or how they are weakening the seals. Perhaps she could find some solution to the problem.
Snow took Icebreaker and a piece of parchment and left the shack.
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Snow was on the owls nest. Her intentions were not priming, it was watching. Aela took away her telescope so she had to watch with the naked eye. Good thing she knew the location of all of the tornados and could tell if one was destabilized. Soon enough, a tornado in the distance began flickering.
“There it is.” Snow scratched down on the parchment, time and coordinates. After most of the day had passed, Snow examined the list of entries she had. Based on the time and distance of each entry, the knights were clearly walking to each seal. It was also just a single group, there were never two tornados being afflicted within a certain window of time.
“It's only one group doing this.”
It didn’t take too long to reach the tornado seal of Snow’s estimate. It was the closest one to the infamous spider forest Aela warned her to never enter. Snow was rereading the log she scratched down within one of the trees. According to her calculations, they should be arriving here in a few minutes.
A few minutes passed and the familiar feeling of scorching heat was felt. She was right. Three black knights came into view. They surrounded the tornado and began channeling their black blood into it. As they were doing it, Snow felt the same sense of dread from the angelic town. There was definitely some sort of connection here. When the tornado appeared too unstable the knights stopped their channel and departed into the spider forest.
Snow wasn’t sure if she should follow them in.
“Never, ever, ever go in there. There are killer spiders amongst other monsters that would kill you on the spot lurking in there.” She remembered Aela’s warning about this specific area.
Snow stopped but ultimately decided to enter the creepy forest.
The forest looked like something out of a childrens scary story. There were spider webs all over the tops of the tree branches and spiders crawling up the tree trunks. When she got further in, she heard spider noises and small screeches all around her but saw nothing. She didn’t want to lose the knight’s trail but at the same time she didn’t want to go running blindly throughout this wicked forest. She kept her hand on her sword and her eyes and ears open. Snow cautiously continued her path through the spider forest until she saw the first big spider.
It was the size of a small person. She's never seen or heard of a spider being that big before, it startled her and almost dettered her from continuing onward. She waited and it disappeared from view then regretfully continued on. The deeper she got into the forest the more webs were on the ground until there were actual baby spiders she was stepping over. Snow really had to strengthen her resolve to continue.
“Why does it always have to be spiders…” Snow sighed.
“Why, someone seems lost.” A voice was heard from above.
A massive spider the size of Aela’s shack hovered right above her.
It was a massive spider queen. Her upper body was partially human, with huge fangs protruding from her mouth and eyes all over her body. A member of the insect race? Nonetheless she looked extremely dangerous.
“Hi, my name is snow. I'm not looking for trouble. I am just seeking passage through this forest.”
The brood queen thought for a moment, peering into Snow.
“Hello Snow, It is very lovely to meet you.” She said with a soothing motherly voice. Her presence gave off a serene feeling. The feeling made Snow guilty for keeping her guard up.
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But still, Snow did not drop her tension.
“Snow, why so tense, you don't trust me? You believe me to be some monster?” The spider queen picked up on her distrust.
Snow put her hands up.
“No, no! I've just never seen a half spider half human before. Sorry if I seem a little tense. Everything attacks me on sight here. I am just on edge, I have to be.”
The spider queen dropped from her web and landed on the ground with some grace before arching her body up, her human body, emerging more out of her spider counterpart, glistening before she skittered up to Snow.
Snow instinctively reached for her weapon but quickly stopped the motion. She didn't want to spark an avoidable fight, especially against this huge spider queen.
The spider queen lowered her spider body to the ground and her human body leaned in close to Snow.
“Wow, you look just like her.” The spider queen smiled in remembrance.
A friend of her mother maybe? If so, then maybe this would finally be a stroke of good fortune for her.
“Do you know my mother?”
The spider queen nodded her head. “Yes, I do. However it's been a while before I’ve last seen her….Do you mind if I?” The spider queen was reaching towards Snow’s face with long, sharp nails. The motion also brought forth a small wave of small spiderlings that were approaching from all directions.
This was “danger” in every sense of the word. What was she just doing standing here? This spider was clearly trying to eat her. Snow didn't know what to do. She was about to just quickly slash out, she couldn't take a chance. The spider queen seemed genuinely nice but her body was telling her the opposite. Snow was frozen like a statue. She didnt know what to do.
Snow forced a smile while the spider queen’s fingers ran through her long white hair.
“Such beautiful hair too, I'm jealous… Lovely, Yes.” The spider queen’s fingers slid across her face, “Ah, also cold. Just like her.”
“You never told me your name, spider queen.” Snow asked, rather uncomfortably.
The spider queen seemed to just be enjoying the moment before revealing her name,“My name is Alliria.”
“Nice to meet you Alliria.”
They both made deep eye contact for what seemed like an eternity.
Alliria’s face became serious like the facade was up.
“You should leave, only despair lies beyond my domain. However, if you still wish to proceed, be wary of my sister, Xilla. She lives on the other side of the forest. She will kill you. Without a doubt.”
Alliria crawled away before ascending one of the trees.
The spiderlings that had been bolstering around Snow were still approaching until a loud hiss was heard from the queen and they all scattered away.
With Alliria’s granted passage, Snow fortunately did not have to deal with any spiders. She arrived at the end of the spider forest and discovered what was on the other side; a huge dark castle. The castle looked ancient and was positioned on the edge of a huge cliff leading into the swamp biome. On the castle walls she saw two black knights standing guard. As she was watching them someone came out the brushes behind her and grabbed her, pulling her back into the spider forest while covering her mouth.
“What are you doing here!?” Aela whispered while holding her down.
“mhmg!” Snow couldn’t breathe or talk, until Aela let her go. “I was following them-”
“Shush! Lets go, now!” Aela commanded and dragged Snow away.
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Snow was back in the shack, sitting in a chair while Aela was scolding her.
“I told you, never go in there and not only do you go in there, you follow the black knights straight to their base?! Do you have a deathwish?!” Aela was pissed off again.
“What do you want me to do? I'm trying to solve this seal problem we are having!”
“By walking to their base? Through the spider forest? Presenting yourself on a platter?! Are you trying to feed them energy?! You know that’s what they do right?! They eat us! Suck you dry like a leech! At least the spiders will make you feel good, those guys would make your existence worse than hell!”
“I can take care of myself!” She yelled back at Aela.
“No you can't! You are just a kid! A child who is in way over her head and pushes her luck to no end!” Aela shouted back.
“I never asked for this, I never asked to be here. I should have taken that portal and gone back home the first day I met you!”
“Congratulations, now you are thinking straight. Yes, that was the stupidest decision you have ever made.”
She could have gone home that first day and avoided all of this hardship. Aela wasn’t even grateful for her staying and helping. Absolutely no appreciation.
“You know I thought you were different, but I see now that you are the same as the rest of the adults. I helped you. But all you do is lie and use me. you can work and live alone for all I care. I am not going to stay here and be belittled for trying to help someone as bitter as you!”
“I'm using you? You mean how you are using me as some replacement for your mother? Maybe if you drop those mommy issues of yours and gain some focus, you'll stop being weak.”
Snow shot up from her seat, and began gathering her gear in a resentful silence. To which Aela crossed her arms.
“Goodbye, forever.” Snow took whatever gear she had and stormed towards the door. Aela didn’t stop her.
“Attempt to break a seal and I will kill you myself.” Aela gave her last word in.
Snow slammed the door behind her.