“You’re up. Can you track Tasha’s scent?” said Grizmar with his deep voice to Kael.

Kael nodded sharply, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air around him. “Yeah, I’ve got it. Her scent’s faint, but it’s there. Looks like they brought her pretty far. Follow me and stay close. The paths here are winding, and I don’t want anyone getting lost.”

Without another word, Kael began to lead the way, his movements smooth and deliberate. He kept his nose low, sniffing the air, his tail swaying as he moved through the tangled forest of webs.

Grizmar’s voice carried a authoritative tone over his heavy footsteps. “Everyone, stick close to him. No one wanders off.”

Lila, perched on the edge of my pouch, hesitated for a moment before speaking up with a soft and uncertain tone. “U-Um… if you need me to use Pathfinder to help… just let me know. I can guide us.”

Grizmar turned his massive frame slightly, his gaze landed on Lila . His expression softened immediately upon looking at her.

“Ah, so the little one wants to help, huh?”

Lila crossed her arms with a dramatic huff. “Yeah, well... just because I’m small doesn’t mean I’m useless!”

Grizmar chuckled, the sound deep and surprisingly kind. “Didn’t mean to offend, little one. Just not every day you see a gnome down here or in general. Most of your kind stays out of these messes, and for good reason.”

Lila tilted her head, curiosity lighting up her big eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re tougher than you look,” Grizmar said, giving her a respectful nod. “If you’re here, then you’ve already proven you’ve got more guts than most—unless, of course, you’re being forced into it." he added, taking a glance at me.

"if we need your help, we’ll be sure to let you know.”

Lila beamed at the unexpected compliment, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “Thanks… I think.”

I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but notice the stark difference in how Grizmar treated her compared to me.

With her, he was warm, almost like an older brother doting on his little sister. With me? It was like I was an unwelcome guest he tolerated out of necessity.

It stung a bit, but I couldn’t exactly blame him.

Still, watching Grizmar interact with Lila was like seeing a completely different side of him. It was almost… endearing.

“Stick close to the little one,” Grizmar added, his gaze flicking to me briefly. “She’s a more important comrade than you might realize.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything that wouldn’t sound defensive or bitter. Instead, I focused on following Kael, who was weaving through the tangled web-covered forest with precision.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Leon,” Lila whispered from my shoulder. “Is it just me, or is he really nice for someone who looks so scary?”

I smirked, keeping my voice low. “It’s just you. He’s been glaring at me like I'd steal his lunch money.”

She giggled softly. “Maybe he’s just not used to humans. I was the same until i met you.”

“Maybe,” I muttered, though I wasn’t entirely convinced.

Kael expertly navigated through the labyrinth of webs. Every rustle, every faint movement in the corner of my eye felt like the precursor to an ambush.

And, of course, I wasn’t wrong.

A sharp clicking sound echoed from above, and before I could even process what was happening, a spider lunged down from the canopy as it plummeted straight toward us.

“On it!” Fennel yelled, darting forward with agility. His claws extended with a faint glow, slashing upward in one fluid motion. The spider split in two before it even hit the ground.

“Another one coming in at 2 o’clock!” Kael shouted,as he pointed toward a shadow moving rapidly along the webs.

Grizmar was already ahead of it. With a thunderous roar, he raised his massive tower shield and slammed it into the incoming spider with enough force to shake the ground. The creature crumpled under the blow, its legs twitching before going still.

I stood there, watching the two of them clean house. It was impressive, but it was also mildly infuriating.

Every spider they took down was experience points I wasn’t getting. Sure, it made things faster, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was throwing experience point away.

Grizmar focus was entirely on the path ahead. “Let's keep moving,” he grunted. “We’re not stopping for every stray spider.”

As we advanced, the environment grew even more oppressive. The thickened into more dense, sticky walls, forcing us to zigzag through narrow openings.

The ground beneath our feet felt soft and spongy, coated with layers of decayed leaves, dirt, and web.

“What is this place…” Lila whispered.

“It’s like walking into the set of some horror movie,” I muttered back, trying to keep my own nerves in check.

Kael sniffed the air again, his brow furrowing. “We’re getting close. Her scent’s stronger now.”

Grizmar tightened his grip on his shield. “Stay alert. If this is the nest’s perimeter, we’ll be facing more than just stray scouts.”

We pressed on. The path Kael led us down began to slope slightly, the terrain becoming uneven and treacherous.

“Leon, duck!” Lila hissed suddenly, tugging on my ear.

I dropped instinctively as another spider leapt from the shadows. Before I could react, Fennel’s clawed hand shot past me, raking through the air and catching the creature mid-jump. It screeched as it hit the ground, lifeless.

“You’re welcome,” Fennel said with a wink.

“Thanks,”

The deeper we went, the more frequent the ambushes became.

Kael called out positions and directions, his sharp eyes and nose catching threats before they could fully emerge. I stayed close to Lila, my slimes at the ready, but there was little for me to do. The others were simply too fast, too strong.

Finally, after a while, we arrived at a massive cave-like structure.

The entrance was a gaping maw framed by jagged rocks and tangled webs.

The webs here were different—thicker and denser. They crisscrossed the entrance like a barricade, daring anyone to step inside.

The size of the entrance was staggering. It was as tall as a two-story house and just as wide. I couldn’t even begin to fathom how large the interior would be.

“Here we are,” Kael said grimly, his voice low. “This is it. The nest.”

Grizmar stepped forward, his shield raised as he examined the entrance. “We’re going in. Stay close, and don’t touch the webs if you can help it. Kael, keep an eye out for traps.”

Fennel cracked his knuckles, his claws extending. “Time to save the damsel in distress, huh? Let’s hope she appreciates the effort.”

I glanced at Lila, who looked just as nervous as I felt. “You okay?” I asked quietly.

She nodded, her small hands gripping the edge of my pouch tightly. “Yeah. Just… don’t let anything eat me, okay?”

“Not planning on it,” I assured her, though the knot in my stomach told me this was going to be anything but easy.

As we stood before the entrance, preparing to step into the heart of the Arachnid Weblands, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was going to be one of the most dangerous things I’d ever done.