Lady Naravie Greyson

The flight to the Weaver’s Den was quick. I landed at the edge of the Silk Forest and placed a hand on the knot of strands Odessa had woven to allow me to reach out to her. It took several minutes but eventually I heard the telltale rumbling in the distance and I saw Odessa striding along the webs in the distance. She smiled as she reached me, lowering her upper body to be as close to me as she could.

“I didn’t expect you to return so soon. How did it go?” She asked, eyes full of hope.

I blushed as I reached out to her mind and focused on the time I had spent with Sophia earlier. She could see our conversation and… everything that came after. I saw her face flush as the memories washed over her and she wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace. She pulled back just enough to look me in the eye before her lips found mine and this time I didn’t resist. I pulled her in and by the time we broke contact we were both flushed and struggling to catch our breath.

“I’ve been around for quite a while and I’ve never had someone kiss me like that.” She whispered with her forehead pressed to mine.

“None of them have loved you like I do.” I replied as a small laugh escaped me.

“True, most of them ran at the sight of me. And yet you stayed.”

“I did. You do weave some beautiful patterns. Who else could I ask for clothes?”

“Well I’m glad I’m so indispensable to you. What did your Mother say?”

“She said you could come with us. But I have to be the one to carry you and if we get into any trouble I am to flee with you. I agreed.”

She didn’t say anything else but she pulled me tighter into her hug and lifted me off the ground before she set me on her back and began skittering through the silk covered forest. It was a path I was well familiar with at this point, I had started picking out landmarks and I could probably find my way to the Den without aid at this point. Speaking of the Den it was a hive of activity. Odessa’s sisters were used to me at this point and where they had been shy before now they lounged about and greeted me as Odessa entered. Thalo, the one who had gone to speak with Mother when we had visited the first time, was chopping something on a countertop and I was fairly certain I saw a Boar pelt flattened out against it.

Thalo was a Tomboy, she didn’t care for weaving like most of her sisters but she was a skilled hunter and a wonderful cook. She had made stew during one of my visits and it had been wonderful! I had spoken with her a few times and found that she was the eldest of Cavari’s Daughters and she had been the one to arrange for her sisters to visit the Tavern in the valley, her partner had been the founder and their children had carried on the business. She supplied them with meat and forageables when they were struggling for coin, which meant she had become a very skilled hunter.

Thalo looked up as Odessa set me down and she skittered up to look at her Sister. She must have seen the look on Odessa’s face because she knelt down and gripped my shoulder with her primary set of arms. I felt the point of her knife against my chest.

“I won’t stop her from going with you, but if she doesn’t come back I will be hunting you down. Understood?” She whispered, pressing the knife just enough to make me feel the tip press against my skin.

“I won’t let her get hurt. And I’ll make sure she comes home.” I replied, doing my best to not breath to deeply to avoid the knife point.

“Good. I didn’t think you would but I just wanted to be clear on that. Wouldn’t want to hunt down such a cute little Dragon.” She let out a small laugh as she returned to her work.

Odessa was watching over my shoulder as I let out a breath and she had her arms crossed as she watched Thalo return to her table. I wasn’t quite sure of the face she was making but it was a mix of annoyance and anger. She watched her sister return to work before she led the way deeper into the den where we stopped before a massive set of double doors that had to have been sized for Cavari herself. Odessa knocked on the wooden door and after a moment it opened to reveal the Weaver Matriarch. She eyed the both of us for a moment before inviting us in. I followed Odessa as she entered and Cavari crossed the room to a large desk where she held a flask of red liquid. In the lantern light it had a faint glow to it, and it swirled even as no one touched it. Cavari didn’t look at us as she spoke.

“So she agreed then?” Her voice was rougher than it had been in the past, and I could hear the strain in it. She had been crying.

“She did.” I replied softly.

“You will protect her. And you will not seek out danger.” It wasn’t a question as she pointed to me and then Odessa in turn, still not looking at us.

“Yes.” We both replied in sync.

“You will return here. Safe and sound.”

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“Yes.” Odessa replied as she took a few strides forward to place a hand on her mother.

“I cannot lose another. Not when…” She trailed off as her voice gave out and I could hear the sound of quiet sobs escape her.

I knew they had lost one of Odessa’s sisters in the past few years. Cavari viewed each of them that were lost as her own failure. She reached out to hold Odessa’s hand in her own. The one they had lost recently had been only twelve and they had found only pieces of her in the woods. The Humans who had killed her had taken the Human half as a grotesque trophy. From what I had heard from Odessa, Thalo had returned the favor. Hunting each of the men down when they dared to return to the forest.

Cavari stifled her sobs and turned, holding the flask in her hand. She gave Odessa a sad smile and looked at me.

“I know you are your mother’s daughter. Strong and kind. Please, use that strength to protect her. This is the most vulnerable my children can become, and I worry each time it is taken.” She said, speaking softly and slowly.

“I will. I was a servant of the Crown until only a few months ago, I am quite familiar with protecting others. And I promise you that she will return here unharmed.” I said, standing at attention.

“See that she does. Or I fear Thalo will become a Dragon Hunter. Now then child, I know you wish to take it. It will be painful initially. One mouthful will last you for a period of roughly six months. It will make your body human, as fragile and delicate as they are. You will need to be careful.”

Odessa nodded as her mother placed the flask in her hands. Odessa cradled the container gently and looked up at her Mother before she wrapped her arms around the Matriarch in a hug. Cavari returned the gesture and they stayed there for a moment, speaking softly to one another before they parted and Odessa uncorked the flask. I smelled an acrid foul stench come from the glass and I had to resist the urge to gag. Odessa had to contain her urge to do so as well as she brought the glass to her lips and took a gulp. She only just managed to restopper the flask before there was a crack. I looked towards the source to see several of Odessa’s legs were bent at awful angles, pressed against the abdomen of her spider half and curling themselves around her. Odessa let out a screech of pain and I tried to move forward but Cavari motioned for me to stop. She had grabbed the flask from Odessa and taken a few steps back.

A set of pops and cracks brought my attention back to Odessa as I watched her secondary and tertiary arms collapse and fold into her chest. The sound alone was enough to make me wince and I could see tears running down her face as she gripped her torso with her remaining arms. It was an uncomfortable process to watch the spider half of her get pulled into the rest of her and I could see blood pooling on the ground around her, a sickly green color mixed in it. With one final set of pops her back straightened out and she collapsed to the ground gasping for breath, naked from the waist down but sporting a normal human body as far as I could see. Cavari and I rushed forward and the Matriarch began looking her over while I simply held one of her hands in my own, which she gripped like I was the only thing in the world.

“Has the pain subsided?” Cavari asked.

“Yes.” Odessa croaked.

“Wonderful. It seems to have worked with no issues. Congratulations dear, you are human.” Cavari cooed as she pulled back to allow Odessa to stand.

It took her a moment. Even when she had taken on human form in the past she hadn’t had difficulty like this. She managed to brace herself against me and I heard her groan as she leaned her whole weight against me, not much it didn’t even make me shift.

“Everything is spinning.”

“A side effect of the potion. This is a recipe that an old friend of mine and I crafted long ago. It was designed to help them more than me as they travel among the humans more often. We only found it worked on you all after one of your sisters tried it and ended up in human form for a time. She traveled with them for years before she was found and- ah. In any event Cyan and I were once a capable pair of alchemists but its been nearly a decade since they returned to us. I know they visit Ereneya on occasion but it's still been years.” Cavari explained.

“Why is everything spinning though…?” Odessa asked, her speech slurring like she was drunk.

“It's a result of the transformation’s physical changes. Your body needs time to adjust to its new form. It will be like this when you return as well.” Cavari said softly.

“Ugh. Need clothes.” Odessa groaned as she motioned toward the door.

I made the decision that trying to have her walk to her room wouldn’t go well and I scooped her up in my arms. It was a little awkward as she was still quite a bit taller than me but she weighed almost nothing in my arms. It was a quick walk to her room and I set her on the bed while she cradled her head in her hands. Cavari smiled from the doorway and closed the door behind us.

“Getting me in bed already?” Odessa chuckled.

“No, not yet. Not until you can get the room to stop spinning.” I laughed as she looked up at me and her head rocked back and forth as she tried to focus on me.

“How disappointing. I had part of a bag packed if you can grab it. Help me with the rest?” She asked as she laid her head on the pile of pillows that made up her bed.

I kept on smiling over to her as she directed me which clothes she wished to take and which she wanted left. The bag was nearly bursting by the time she stopped responding. I looked over to see her peacefully sleeping on the bed, still only covered by her very loose dress. I leaned against the edge of the bed just below where her hands were lying in front of her and allowed my own eyes to drift shut.

I awoke to someone running a lazy finger along my horn. I purred with delight as they brought a finger to the tip and pulled my head back. I found myself face to face with Odessa smiling down at me.

“Good morning.” She whispered.

“Goo Mornin.” I replied sleepily.

She pecked my forehead with a kiss and looked towards the door.

“You know, its still quite early. And this bed is so empty now that I’m so small.” She said, pulling on me as she scooted into the pile.

I happily climbed up after her and lay in her arms as she pressed up against me.

“So warm….” She mumbled into my neck before I felt her breathing slow to a gentle rhythm of sleep.

I quickly felt my eyes flutter and shut and fell asleep immediatley.