“What kind of trophy you want to be?” Skreetha pressed Adira. She did that from time to time when she grew bored during the walk. The huntress was easy to toy with. The arachne could not help but harass the girl to get her most bellowed meal, the emotion of fear and despair. Adira was happy to serve it. “When you no longer needed, what you want me to do with your body?”

Seeing the girl’s angry scowl arachne pressed more.

“I think having your skull pierced by glaive. I can use it to mark territory.”

“Shut up or I'll put your skull on my glaive.”

“Oh? I would like to see that.” The arachne tested the girl with her gaze. Adira lost her resolve quickly. She did not know how to answer the provocation. Instead, she walked away from it, hoping it would pass. Skreetha would not allow that. The Master of Lies pushed the girl towards the edge.

“Did your parents not teach you how to stand up for yourself?” The monster smirked. Now the huntress could not back away. She activated the Godslayer ability “Odium Steps” and rushed at the arachne.

Having had enough, Adira decided to kill the creature and face the consequences. The monster would not even blink before the girl cuts her open. However, to defeat a naive girl Skreetha did not need to blink or do anything else. Adira got tangled in a web in front of the beast. As soon as she got caught the trap pulled her away from the ground. The girl jerked in the air but got herself even more wrapped.

The radiant beam shot to the sky where Adira was tangled. “Sky Crusher”, the spell that was supposed to slice through everything around her, did not work. In the end, the huntress was forced to give up and conserve her mana.

“Nothing can break this thread.” Skreetha gloated with triumphant confidence. Salgos forced Adira to explain how her class worked and show what she can do. So now she was at a major disadvantage against the arachne. The monster knew her every move.

Skreetha tied Adira’s arms to her torso and launched the girl down the hill. Deeper into the forest. Galen shouted, but the huntress could only hear her body pummeling the ground and branches breaking under her, painfully stabbing into unprotected parts of her body.

What the girl did not know was that the venomous monster could also poison the air with her pheromones, attracting the monster around her as she wished. When Adira hit the bottom, a group of flame tigers was already stalking her from the trees.

They were surprised the prey would be served to them with such convenience. Standing at the top, Skreetha looked at Adira helplessly crawling on the ground. They crept closer. The tigers were on alert for what the girl could do. Even mindless monsters were cautious about a meal served so easily.

One of the young ones pounced first. The girl kicked it to the side, the attack had begun. Another one jumped over Adira, reaching with its flaming claws at the girl's face. The huntress barely managed to put a knee under it. Its jaws clicked in front of her face. Its claws tore into her shoulder, burning the flesh. The radiant beam of “Sky Crusher” tore the beast apart.

The others felt wary after seeing one of them die and changed tactics. Tigers began circling around Adira, looking for an opening. Seeing a window another one jumped and slashed her head, cutting the girl's ear and leaving a huge wound over her head.

The young huntress could not afford to waste any more mana. She was waiting for an opportunity to escape with a quick jump using “Odium Steps.” However, that was not necessary. Galen was quick to react. A couple of arrows felled the nearest tigers. Realizing the hunt was not worth the risk the others quickly retreated into the forest.

“Release her now.” Galen was already aiming his bow at Skreetha. The monster smiled. She slowly leaned on her back legs, raising herself twice the height of the man. Her front legs perked upwards, preparing for an attack.

“You already lost once. What makes you think you can threaten me now, human?” The confidence in her voice unsettled Adira. Skreetha stared at the archer. For a brief moment, arachne broke eye contact. Her eyes flicked to the side and then returned to the hunter. The webs over the huntress slid from her shoulders like a silk dress. “Besides, I am not doing anything.”

Adira burned with anger. Seeing the arachne careless demeanor the girl rushed forward, crying in rage. She was ready to end the monster here and now. “Odium steps” propelled the huntress forward just enough to reach the monster.

“Stop.” An irresistible voice made her freeze before she could do anything. The command broke into her mind and quelled any attempts at disobeying. Even Adira’s rage was unable to resist it. Galen felt the same way. Salgos looked over the scene, making sure everybody complied. “You do not threaten my subject, humans. I won't be breaking your fights again. Quit stalling the march. Otherwise, I will make you move myself.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Yes. Move, humans. Do not disobey our Lord.” Skreetha could not hide her smug. Adira walked past the arachne, drilling the monster with her gaze. One day she will find her revenge on the monster.

Galen led them through the roads least traveled. Dangerous monsters hunted in these regions. Not many people were able to cross these paths. He had his own selfish reasons for going this way. The man hated to travel through Verdania. Instead, he moved over the mountainous paths that avoided most of the cities. Still, they need to find one eventually in order to search for the Flying Island.

Despite the circumstances, the hunter grew to enjoy the trip. He and Adira were not treated poorly. The Demigod and the arachne might be demanding and horrible each in their own ways, but they let the two humans eat and sleep. Partially because Skreetha needed the same things. Galen hunted for fresh meat and had time to kill a couple of beasts to raise Adira’s level. He bet on the girl growing strong enough to break them free. The arachne accompanied them everywhere but did not say anything. She also hunted and even shared her spoils with humans.

Each day Adira grew more frustrated and angrier than usual. The arachne enjoyed playing with the girl's mind. There was also Salgos who studied the flow of mana in her body every evening, which made her feel uncomfortable under his close observation. She could not fight against the two powerful creatures. Instead, the girl was venting her anger during hunts with Galen.

The man tried to teach her how to control her emotions, but Adira always turned into an enraged typhoon and charged blindly into danger. She was always getting hurt and grew angrier at herself and her situation. Galen could not reach the reasonable side of the young huntress. Usually trying to talk to her only earned the hunter a wrathful tirade back.

Today’s hunt was no different. The girl barely stopped the bleeding after the fight, they were running out of healing potions. Galen was not able to stop her from acting stupid. However, the worst part was waiting ahead.

“How was the hunt?” Skreetha grinned seeing injured Adira. The monster was waiting for the two some distance back.

“Shut up.” The girl gritted her teeth.

“Oh, sorry, were you the prey again?” Skreetha laughed amused with her wit.

“You don’t know anything, you stupid beast! Shut up or I…” The girl stopped herself. She could not continue. Skreetha would beat her and Galen easily. And the arachne knew that.

“Or what?” The monster's grin spread wider, showing her disturbing set of spiky teeth.

“Adira, come on.” Galen walked in between them. “Don’t waste your breath. She is provoking you.”

“Why are you defending her?” The girl suddenly burst at Galen.

“I am defending you. And I hope you will be more reasonable.” But it was too late to reason with Adira.

“It is all your fault! We should not be here. We could’ve beat her together and escaped. But you decided to side with them!”

“You don’t like being here. Me neither. But stop acting like a child!” The man scowled facing the girl. Skreetha chuckled watching the two argue. She started the conflict, but they were happy to fuel it.

“I am not a child!”

“Prove it.” They pierced each other with their eyes. Galen knew the girl would not back down no matter what he said, but he had to stop her from acting out. “End your tantrum right now, and prove to me you are not a child.”

Adira’s eye twitched. She wanted to shout at him in rage, and at the same time felt like she had to stop this pointless argument. It hurt knowing the hunter was not wrong. But why would he treat her like that?

“Now let’s calm down and move. I want to get out of this country.” Seeing that the girl restrained herself, the man backed down. Adira was still fuming, but now for a different reason.

“How do you always make it about Verdania?” They always had conflicting opinions about it, which was the main cause why Galen sometimes argued with the girl. The more she thought about it, the more she noticed his subtle aggression towards the kingdom. He openly hated the place from border to border. Right now it was out of place. Galen frowned.

“What do you expect me to say?”

“Anything!” Adira threw her hands. “We are walking next to the border of the kingdom. Over uninhabited lands with no settlement in sight for days. Nothing here should remind you about Verdania. Yet still, when I am wrong, you begin to degrade my homeland!”

“This is my homeland too. And I protected it with my life. You know how they repaid me!”

“So now you will side even with a Dark God’s followers, just to be against it. They were right to call you a traitor.” The man gloomed visibly at the accusation. It was clearly a painful topic for him. He did not reply for a while. The air grew tighter around Adira. She spoke hastily. Now regret scratched the back of her throat in an attempt to pull the words back.

“I was trying to survive. That is all.” Galen turned away. He walked back and his heavy steps displayed the weight of the grief weighing on his chest. The young huntress watched him leave. He said something to Skreetha and the monster followed him, leaving the girl alone.

The whirlwind of emotions spun in Adira’s head. Her own anger was quelled by regret. She immediately knew she was wrong. It was important not to confuse the allies with the enemies. A mistake the huntress must fix. Some words could hurt people harder than a weapon. Deciding she must apologize the girl hurried back.

When she returned, Adira found Galen and Skreetha continued talking. The man did not look happy. Clearly, he was interested in what the monster had to say. From the side, it looked like a conversation between two buddies. When the girl saw Galen smiling in satisfaction at something the arachne said, she ran forward, volunteering for the scouting position. At the end of the day, the girl went to sleep without talking to anyone.