Ashley and Oak sat against the tree, pondering their next move and allowing the reality of their situation to soak in. The night had grown quiet and the gentle rustling of wind high up in the branches was the only sign that the world was still in motion.

Oak spoke first: “I saw a green light shoot up just over that way. There’s a cliff that we’ll need to find a way down, but that might be where the others landed.”

Ashley nodded absently and ran her blood-crusted fingers over the blade of her ax. The blood on them had started to dry, making their skin uncomfortable and itchy. Oak opened his mouth to speak again but paused at a strange sound. It sounded like hissing or scuffling. He couldn’t quite make out what it was but Ashley heard it too and jumped quickly to her feet.

The two of them shared a glance and walked to the thick brush it was coming from. Ashley raised her ax and Oak did the same with his flail which was still partially tangled. A shadowy mass moved in the brush and seemed to raise a head toward them. Oak raised his flail, ready to smash it over the beast when Ashley stepped in front of him.

“Max? Is that you?” She asked softly.

Max looked up between dark locks of hair, her makeup bleeding down her cheeks, “I’m so sorry,” she murmured between sobs, “I tried, I really tried. I just couldn’t,” she said, holding her bow gingerly in her hands.

“Calm down, it’s okay, you found us, we’ll be okay. Now what’s wrong?” Ashley asked, reaching out a comforting hand but then drawing it back at the sight of the blood crusted on it.

“I heard you screaming, I was close so I ran over, but then I saw the wolves and the way they came at you… I just froze with fear. I didn’t pick this class because I wanted to be helpful, I just didn’t want to fight. I thought this could keep me away from all that. But you almost died…” she said, breaking into more sobs.

Oak felt awkward and out of his depth but Ashley knelt next to her and reassured her in a soft voice, “It’s okay, given the option, I don’t know if I would have wanted to fight either. We were just thrown into this world moments ago, none of us knows what’s going on and certainly none of us asked for any of this,” she made to say something else but was cut off by a whirring sound and a bright light shining through the trees.

A ball of light shot up into the sky and then burst into bright flames. It came from the direction of the cliff and Ashley and Oak shared a glance before breaking into a run. Oak charged ahead but Ashley hesitated as she pulled up Maxine and forced her to come along.

Oak broke out near the cliff and slid to a halt, gazing out over the forest below. A trail of smoke snaked up into the sky where a small, smoky cloud sat. The trail dipped down below the trees but appeared to originate from an opening in the tree canopy. The other two caught up and Oak pointed to the smoke.

“It’s gotta be them, it was just like the last two but it looks like a different skill. The first two were green,” he said, glancing down below and surveying the cliff. The view gave him vertigo and he drew back, “We need to get down there somehow but I don't see an easy route.”

Maxine trailed behind Ashley, still looking shaken up and disoriented. Ashley strolled up to the edge and peered over, surprising Oak at her brazenness. She leaned a little further out and remained hunched over the edge for a moment, “There’s a tree pretty close to the edge, it has pretty dense branches we might be able to climb down.”

Oak stared at her incredulously. Did she actually mean to jump off a cliff into a tree? Oak looked to Maxine for support and saw the dread on her face. “Maybe we could look for another way…” Oak said cautiously, “It’s just a long way to fall if we miss.”

Ashley didn’t miss a beat, “We can use that to climb down.” She said, pointing at Oak’s flail-whip.

Maxine gulped audibly and Oak stuttered before speaking, “U-uh, we could… I just-” he looked over the edge and felt a shiver run down his spine, “Maxine, your thoughts?”

She paled and shifted uncomfortably, “Um, I’m with him, this seems unnecessarily dangerous.” she said.

“It’s fine, I’ve made jumps this big before,” Ashley said nonchalantly. She peered over the edge again, “Although, maybe not this high.”

Oak and Max shared a glance and Ashley rolled her eyes, “I’m just saying, it seems like an unnecessary risk when we could find another way down… probably.” Oak said with uncertainty written on his face.

Ashley walked over to where the tree met with the cliff face. She looked over and motioned Oak and Max over to her. They walked over slowly as Ashley looked around and formed an idea. She grabbed the flail-whip off his hip before he could protest and strolled over to a tree near the cliff. She tried to extend the chain but it caught on one of the many knots. She looked up at him with a flat stare, “Seriously?”

“I was working on it, I just… got a little distracted,” Oak said, motioning for it back.

Ashley sighed, “It’s fine, I’ll get it,” she said and worked at the knot, setting it loose with practiced ease. Oak knelt next to her and picked at another knot, Max joined in and they had it untangled in moments.

Ashley stood up, wrapped the ball around a tree, and secured it tightly. She carried the rest over to the edge and tossed it off. About 12 feet of chain dangled over the edge with an extra foot or so for the hilt. Max and Oak just stared at her, frowning.

“What? The first sturdy branch isn’t too far down. We could honestly all jump it but the chain will give some added security. I’d go first but I should stay back to undo the chain, you guys can catch me on the branch.”

Max and Oak’s eyes widened more than they already had and they both seemed to wonder if Ashley really believed they would do this. Ashley smiled reassuringly at them and placed her hands on their respective shoulders, “Trust me, you guys will be fine. If you want to play it safe, you could climb down the chain and then just swing over,” she said casually.

Oak peered over the edge again. The cliff extended for a long way in either direction, at least as far as he could tell. Moreover, the branches of the trees did seem unusually wide. He shook his head and wrung his hands. The next words that came from his mouth were as much a shock to him as they were to Maxine.

“Okay, I can go first, I already climbed this cliff once. It’s not so bad,” he said, fear written on his face.

“That’s the spirit!” Ashley said cheerily, “I’ll show you a good way to hold the chain, just let us know when you get down there.”

Oak gave her enthusiasm a flat and slightly disgusted stare. She helped him to the edge where he sat and wrapped the chain partially around himself. He gave the chain several strong tugs to be sure it was solid and gave Ashley and Max a nervous smile. Ashley smiled brightly back at him while Max gave him an uncertain half-smirk. Oak angled his body so he sat partially over the edge, tension pulling on the chain already.

“Here goes nothing,” he said, pushing himself off with one thrust. He threw his body forward and, in an anticlimactic motion, slid a couple of inches down. The chain held him firmly and he eased his grip with one shaky hand. His body clung to the wall and he reached out an uneasy leg to grip the stone surface.

The tree branch was positioned a few feet to his left and about eight feet below him. He eased his way down, trembling, hoping his sweaty hands wouldn’t fail him. When he got to the level of the branch, he started moving to the side with his feet. The chain clung to the edge of the cliff but jerked as it caught on a rock. Oak thrust his right hand out reflexively and clung to the cliff wall. His lungs sucked in air rapidly as his heart pounded in his chest. The chain broke free from the snag and loosened in his other hand. He threw his left hand onto a hold and clung desperately to the wall. The rest of the chain loosened around his body and swung away.

Oak tried to reach for it as it swung back but couldn’t quite reach it. It dangled in the air, clanging occasionally on the rock. Oak’s body shook and he tried desperately to get his legs under control. His feet had been on a relatively solid lip but his fingers clung to thin holds. He saw a rock jutting out to his left, near his abdomen in the direction of the branch, and slowly moved his left hand to it. It had a much better profile and easier grip, so he crouched and moved his right hand to the same stone. The branch was still a little below him but only a few feet away.

He shifted his feet as he muttered, “I swear Ashley, if I survive this…” He put an explosive amount of force into his legs and he pulled himself with his hands. His body lunged out from the cliff wall and the void between the canopy expanded below him. His feet fell short but his abdomen collided with the branch and he clung to it with all his strength. He dug his nails into the bark.

Oak’s breath came in rapid heaves as adrenaline pulsed through his body. He hoisted his legs up onto the rough bark and let his body release its tension as he lay on the branch. Ashley’s face poked over the ledge with a concerned look on it.

“Did you make it?” She asked.

Oak wheezed out a shaky “Yeah” and raised a thumb in the air.

“Okay, get ready to help Max, I’ll get her tied up,” Ashley said.

Oak rose on trembling legs and tried not to think about the long fall beneath him. The chain snaked back up the cliff and jingled as Max was wrapped up in it. A moment later, a trembling hand slid carefully over the cliff and two shaky legs followed. Max stared over the edge, the color having long left her face. She took several quick breaths and eased herself over the edge. She clung to the chain as it took on her weight and paused before finally looking down.

A shaky and timid voice called out from above, “O-okay, I’m gonna start coming down.” Max said, her fear evident.

Oak shifted to find better footing and bent his knees slightly for balance. The branch was a couple of feet across but, being so far up, Oak felt he was standing on a balance beam. Max shimmied down the chain, much slower than Oak had, and eventually got down toward the end. She paused to look over at Oak and get her feet situated.

Oak reached out his hand to her, “Just swing over and I’ll pull you in, I’ve got you.”

Max looked at him, worry in her eyes, then shifted her feet toward him. She started to walk along the wall when her foot slid out, sending her leg swinging out over the drop. She clung desperately to the chain as a shudder ran down her body. She took a deep breath, planted her feet, and then took off in a clumsy run along the wall. She sprung out at the end and flew toward Oak who caught her forearm. Her momentum nearly tore him off the branch and he had to hook a foot around the edge of the branch to hold himself on. With his free arm, he grasped a thin branch above him and used it to pull her in.

Max let go of the chain and clung tightly to Oak who shifted and pulled his foot up quickly to regain balance. Max never let go, she breathed heavily as she held onto him and Oak could feel tears soaking his shirt. He patted her back briefly and tried to pull away gently. When she stepped back, Oak looked up the cliff and called out, “Okay, we’re both down, your turn!”

“Okay, step back and get ready,” Ashley called back. The chain disappeared over the ledge and Oak and Max waited as the sound of softly clinking metal filled the air. When Ashley didn’t pop over the edge, they looked at each other with questioning glances. Oak shrugged and opened his mouth to speak when the sound of clinking chains and ruffling clothes grew louder and a dark form ejected from the cliff.

Wood cracked and strained as Ashley’s weight crashed down onto the branch. She collapsed with the fall and propelled herself forward, stumbling as she did. Her foot slid out but Oak and Max were there to catch her. The blunt side of her ax, secured to her back with Oak’s chains, slapped Oak in the face.

The three of them stumbled on the branch and moved toward its wider base. A basin formed at the base of this branch, collecting a pool of water, rich with green life and algae. Large swaths of moss covered the bark of the tree and made the surface slick. The bark had thick grooves in it where a myriad of insects doubtlessly resided.

Oak peered over the edge, searching for the ground far below from between the many large branches. The closest branch was still a good ten feet down from where they stood. Ashley looked down as well and appeared far more confident than Oak felt about the climb ahead of them.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Right, the bark has nice, thick grooves so we shouldn’t have problems climbing down. Let’s just take it one branch at a time,” Ashley said casually.

Oak stared at her, “Sometimes I wonder if you were raised by a pack of feral wolves, or maybe mountain goats. Even so, they seemed to have forgotten to instill a modicum of fear in you.”

Ashley gripped the bark and planted her foot in one of the grooves, “Nah, I just grew up with older brothers, mean older brothers. Had to adapt,” she said casually “and I’m afraid of snakes, if you must know, so you’d better pray there aren’t any up here.” Then she hoisted herself out onto the bark and began to expertly climb down.

“Snakes? Huh, seems a little cliche,” he said quietly enough for only Max to hear, “Guess she’s a real Indiana Joana.” Max just stared at him, unimpressed, “What? Indiana Joana, like-”

“Oh no, I got it the first time,” Max said and Oak deflated.

“I guess I’ll take up the rear this time,” he said with a sigh.

Max crept out over the edge with shaky feet. She planted them in the same holds as Ashley and followed the other girl with far less grace or speed. When she got far enough out, Oak followed her, stepping carefully onto the thick bark and balancing his weight cautiously.

Oak had spent some time at the local climbing gym with Grey where he learned a few basic techniques to ease the strain of climbing and use his weight to his advantage. He was thankful for this but now, standing over a hundred feet above the ground, he felt far less confident in his form.

The three of them made it down to the next branch and took a break there. Oak examined their path to the next branch and noticed something on the bark of the tree. A vine that seemed to be tied to the bark only a few feet from the branch. It wrapped around the tree and seemed to go down to the next branch. He pointed it out to the other two and they hurried over to check it out.

“That’s oddly convenient. You think someone put it there?” Ashley asked curiously.

“It’s tied with a knot, so it must be,” Max chimed in.

“Maybe it’s sturdy enough to use, we should check it out when we pass by,” Oak said.

The three of them began their next descent, Oak leading this time. When they reached the vine, Oak planted his feet and found a sturdy hold with his left hand. With his right, he tugged on the vine. It felt sturdy and more like a treated rope than a vine. It pulled out about a foot from the tree but then grew taught and held firm.

Cautiously, Oak leaned out from the wall, holding onto the rope still with his one hand. He relinquished more of his weight onto the rope and it held. Soon, he let go of the wall with his other hand and gripped the rope tightly.

“It seems safe. If this goes all the way down, it’ll speed up our descent considerably.” He said, starting to walk himself down. The other two carefully shimmied over to the vine and joined Oak in his descent. Using the vine, they were able to get down to the next branch in almost half the time.

The vines continued down the tree and guided their way toward the bottom. When they had climbed about halfway down, they took a longer break to catch their collective breaths. Oak stared out into the canopy, his eyes squinting in the dark light. More vines seemed to be tied between branches out in the canopy. At the end of the branch they stood on, sat a large round mass.

Oak nudged the others and drew their attention out toward the edge of the branch, “There’s more vines out there between the branches and something weird down there near the end.” Oak said, pointing at the mass.

“Not just this branch, the others have them too, look,” Max said, pointing down at another branch which also had a mass growing on the end.

Oak tried to start counting them when a scratching noise came from the edge of their branch. They all turned quickly as a shadow moved in through the darkness, climbing over the lump on the far end. A rhythmic clacking sound moved with the shadow, growing in volume as it stepped closer and closer to them. As the figure drew near, they could just barely make out some of its features.

The creature was semi-bipedal, using its two legs to walk but crouched over, using an arm for stability. In its other hand, it held a staff, the source of the clacking. It was an ornately carved staff with bones and talismans hanging from it. On the creature’s face sat a bone mask from some kind of canid creature. Its skin was a dull gray and outlined the shape of the creature's ribs and protruding spine.

It tilted its head curiously at them, staring with black, glossy eyes beneath the mask. Oak and Ashley grasped their weapons while Max clung to the trunk. The creature shook its staff gently, releasing a musical clacking sound. It looked at them, as if waiting for a response. When they gave none, it opened its black, cracked lips and let out a shrieking cry. It shook its staff violently, making a loud, chaotic noise with it.

The three of them shared a quick look and Ashley screamed at them, “Get down, quick!”

Before any of them could get to the next vine, more voices joined the cries of the first. Scuffling sounded from above and below them and Oak looked back to see multiple shadows sliding down the vines between branches. He looked back the way they came and saw more of the creatures running down the trunk, using the same vines they had only far more effectively. The creatures could effectively run on the trunk and were closing in on them quickly.

The first creature charged them and Ashley slapped it off the branch with the blunt of her ax. The creature howled as it plummeted into the abyss. She swung her ax around, her eyes glowing red, and chopped down on the vine twisting up the trunk from where they had just come from. The vine swung free, sending several creatures howling into the night. Several of them still clung to the bark and climbed down with practiced ease.

The three of them quickly crammed onto the next vine and began their rapid descent. Before they got more than a few feet down, one of the creatures grabbed onto the vine and cut at it with a sharp blade. Ashley caught a glimpse of this and her eyes went wide.

“Hold on tight to the vine!” She shouted, wrapping her arm up in it. The other two followed suit and not a moment too soon as the vine snapped away and dropped them into a free fall. When it finally snapped taught on the other branch, it swung them violently forward. Their stomachs lurched as they swung under the next branch down. The force of three people’s weight swinging in the one remaining hook strained it and it snapped away from the trunk of the tree.

In free fall, Oak reached for his flail to whip around a branch. When his hands grasped it, his legs jolted and buckled into his chest. His legs let out a snap and his back slapped into the ground, bouncing him up once and then collapsing in a heap. Ashley and Max landed with him, one of Ashley’s legs slamming his side and dislocating a rib.

Oak reached up slowly and grabbed his last health potion. He drank it quickly and braced himself for the ensuing discomfort.

Above them, the tree danced with movement as the creatures howled in victory. Some peered down or crawled closer to see if they survived. Ashley moved to get up but Oak grabbed her.

Ashley, who was the first to drink a potion, was sobbing over the broken form of Max who was losing consciousness, “You need to take your potion!” she said frantically in a low voice.

A portal opened up near Ashley and she pulled one of her own vials out. She tilted Max’s head back and poured it gently down her throat. Max tried to cough but the fluid forced its way into her body. She jerked and heaved and then the potion got to work. Her wounds started to mend, her chest cavity, which had caved in partially, filled with air and ribs snapped back into place. The discomfort was painfully clear on her face as Ashley pinned her body to the ground, minimizing her movement.

The creatures watched on from the tree, unable to make out the three people in the darkness. Oak’s wounds hadn’t finished healing by the end of his 10 seconds and he reached slowly into his pocket for the half-drank vial. To his surprise, the vial was still intact and he released the stopper to drink some.

Ashley whispered over Max and she opened her own inventory now, pulling out another vial to finish her healing. She drank half and gave the other half to Ashley who drank it and healed the rest of her wounds.

Once healed, the three of them looked at each other and each nodded. Oak pointed his finger down toward his feet, which pointed vaguely in the direction they had seen the flair. Ashley signaled a countdown with her hand at the end of which the three of them sprung up and sprinted into the forest.

A shrill scream cried out behind them and a chorus of clacking bones and talismans sounded above them. Objects thudded into the ground and the trees around the three of them as they began to weave serpentine patterns between the trees. Claws scraped on bark overhead and shadows swung and zipped across vines.

Something sharp cracked against Oak’s shoulder and bounced off, leaving a gash behind. He stumbled but kept running. They weaved in and out of trees, unsure if they were even headed in the right direction any more. The ground exploded next to Ashley and had her tripping over her own feet. A flash of light pierced through the night and caused bark to fly up from the tree it landed on. The creatures had started casting spells at them, lighting up the forest and causing a cacophony of sounds to erupt beneath the canopy.

Something massive and dark hurried past the three of them with a low beat of feet. The creatures screamed above them but the sound of their cries grew further away. Oak threw a glance over his shoulder and saw a lumpy mass being bombarded with spells and projectiles. Other similar forms crowded in and by the light of the many spells he saw what they were.

“Spiders!” he yelled out, “It was a massive spider, run faster!”

Max and Ashley needed no explanation as they redoubled their speed. The beating sound of spider legs on the ground and in the trees sounded all around them. Two giant arachnids accosted them between two trees and the three of them skidded to a halt.

The spiders reared up their pedipalps at each other and flashed their fangs. They clashed in a disgusting show of legs and fangs, lunging violently at each other. The three humans slipped behind the creatures and continued their hasty retreat.

They thundered through the forest, dodging web and fang alike, when the distant sound of cries echoed into the forest from their left. Oak pulled up and switched direction, grabbing Ashley’s hand and praying Max would see and follow.

The three of them burst out into a clearing, their legs beating into the earth nearly as fast as their hearts pounded in their chest. A clump of bodies clustered in the middle of the clearing and all turned to the trio, weapons and staffs at the ready.

“Oak! It’s you!” Grey exclaimed, jogging toward them.

Oak collided with the boy and they tumbled to the ground. He could barely breath now and was heaving in air, “Behind… spiders… trees…” he said, panting and waving a hand toward the forest.

“We know, there’s a giant spider and centipede in the forest somewhere. Caine already had a run-in with them,” Grey said casually.

Oak shook his head but couldn’t get the words out. Ashley spoke for him, more coherently for her part, “No… there’s more of them… a lot more. Giant spiders swarming the forest and crazed little people up in the trees. They attacked us and drove us into the spider-infested forest.” she said, pausing to double over and catch her breath.

Max had collapsed onto the ground and stared warily back at the forest. Branches snapped and bushes rustled just beyond the clearing. Grey raised his fist, ring glowing on his finger, and pointed toward the trees.

A cluster of spindley legs probed out from between two trees and the large form of a spider slowly crawled into the clearing. This spider was about the size of a car, not including the length of its legs. It slowed its approach as it neared the group of people in the clearing.

“And here I thought you were exaggerating its size. That thing is huge!” Grey exclaimed, charging up a fireball at the end of his arm.

The ball swirled and spun quickly. He aimed it carefully at the creature, which stalked a little closer, and released. The ball of light sprung from his hand and jetted over toward the creature. The spider danced to the side as the fire grazed off its carapace, showering the clearing with flame.

The grass caught fire and the spider quickly moved its body over the flame and thumped down on top, snuffing it out. Its body showed no signs of damage as it stood and turned back toward their group. Haven moved up next to Grey and everyone drew their weapons.

The spider charged and reared its legs and pedipalps at them. Haven sprung forward and thrust his bracers forward. A burst of force issued out from it and blasted the spider back, stunning it momentarily. The entire group paused and watched for a moment until the arachnid spun around furiously and slapped Haven with a leg. The blow knocked him to his back and the spider lunged at him.

Ashley sprung forward, her eyes glowing again, and swung her ax down in an overhead arc. It slammed into a leg joint and nearly sliced through. The spider reeled back and hit her with another leg. Weighing less than Haven, Ashley went flying back into the cluster of people, knocking Mia and Grey onto their backs.

Alex and Hayden glanced at each other, turned, and charged the beast, sword swinging overhead and spear held low for a jab. Oak nearly yelled at them for their foolhardiness but his expression changed from frustration to shock at witnessing their incredible teamwork.

Alex led as the spider swung a leg at his head. He assumed a defensive pose and blocked with his sword, digging the blade into the leg and holding it up. The opening allowed Hayden to duck under and thrust his spear up into the soft abdomen of the spider. It stumbled back and shook off Alex. Hayden lost grip of his spear and was partially trampled by the spider.

The spider limped away a little, taking a defensive position. The group gathered themselves back up and faced the beast. Oak looked around at them and formulated a plan. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Alex spoke up, “Grey, shoot another fireball just below it. Ashley, when it drops, run in and hack the second to last leg off the right side, our right. Oak, get your flail wrapped around that back leg and try to hold it down. Haven when it rears up again, I want you to blast its underbelly. Hayden, Caine, and I will go in for the strike.”

Without hesitation, Grey fired off another fireball which exploded in its underbelly. The spider collapsed over the flames. Ashley ran in and hacked at her designated leg. Oak hesitated for a moment, fear gripping him, but managed to force himself to run forward. He whipped the flail around the leg and used his telepathy to hook the ball under the chain. He threw his weight to the ground and pulled.

The spider reared up its front legs again and Haven rolled under it, thrusting his bracers upward and letting out another blast. The spider’s body whipped back and revealed its entire underbelly. It tried to stumble back but Oak held the chain taught around its hind leg. The three others rushed in. Alex thrust his sword upward into the center of the belly and Hayden positioned himself beneath his spear.

Caine drew his blades and drove them into the abdomen up to their hilts. He began to work his arms wildly, carving long gouges into its flesh. He screamed as he hacked away, “Die, you piece of shit! Die! I’ll kill you and smash your children and your children’s children…”

The spider fell and Hayden grasped his spear. He drove it deeper into the sternum, causing a sickening crack and squelch from inside. The beast struggled against them, whipping its legs around desperately and slamming its body down. Its fangs dangled over Haven and its pedipalps tried to grasp for Hayden.

It dipped its head down to sink its fangs in when a shaft of wood sprung up from between its eyes. A moment later, a second one sprung up from one of its legs. The spider lifted its head and flashed its fangs, opening its misshapen maw. Max drew back a third arrow and let it fly. The shaft disappeared down its throat and the spider strained and finally collapsed. Its legs drew in toward its body and twitched.

The entire clearing fell into a deep silence.