"Why are you following me?" Skarlet grumbled in annoyance, Amethyst was smiling as she pranced along beside Skarlet. Aiko was quiet like normal but she was holding Skarlet's hand desperately like a small child. A deep sigh escaped from Skarlet's lips. Her gear had been ripped to pieces by Alastair however it was made with magic thread, so a little mana pushed through it caused it to mend itself.

"Cause we're worried about you of course!" Amethyst exclaimed aggressively.

"I'm just gonna hunt for a bit though." Skarlet complained to Amethyst.

"Last time you just went to hunt for a bit you nearly died, remember the Wolf? Also you just got mugged in an alley so yeah we're coming with you." Amethyst was firm, there wasn't much playfulness in that declaration. Skarlet wanted to protest more but soon gave up, Aiko finally let go of Skarlet's hand as they encountered a group of goblins. Aiko leaped forward and worked side by side with Skarlet to disorient and kill the goblins. They couldn't put up any resistance and Skarlet was pleasantly surprised as anytime she let an opening show Aiko would cover for it so neither got hurt while fighting.

I. . . I've never fought with allies before, it's kinda nice. She thought subconsciously when suddenly a smell passed her nose on the wind. Demon spiders, they shouldn't be this close to the town though. Skarlet began to lead her party towards the smell at a brisk pace.

They moved quickly and quietly for a while, the look on Aiko's face made it clear she could also smell them.

Skarlet slowed her pace, ahead of her was a rock face. There wasn't a mountain here more like where the ground dipped on one side and rose in the other. You could walk around the side and climb a steep hill to stand on top of the short cliff. The cliff had an opening, looking a bit like an old mine shaft. Skarlet approached and raised her palm, "Spirits of fire, Grant me light, flame." She chanted the fire version of illuminate from light magic. A small flame lit from her hand, it was about the size of a torch. She couldn't see that far down and was about to head inside when a hand grabbed hers.

"No, we have no idea what's in there. We should tell the guild about it." Amethyst was deathly serious. And Aiko also nodded causing Skarlet to sigh.

"Fine, go tell the guild I, um I'll watch the entrance." Skarlet was back to peering down the path inside.

"You better not step one foot in there, promise me Skarlet!" Amethyst grabbed her hand. They were both staring at her. Skarlet frowned, but soon let out a deep sigh.

"Look, ok, I promise I won't go in the cave! Just go tell the guild and stuff. I'll just, Hunt some more goblins around here." Skarlet promised, while looking at the cave still. Amethyst sighed before turning and dashing into the forest, Aiko stared at Skarlet a bit longer before dashing away as well.

Skarlet watched them leave before, turning towards the cave once more.

"Wouldn't hurt just to take a peek."

Skarlet made her way down a sloping entranceway, she pushed a bit more mana Into her flame and it brightened. Allowing her to see a bit better, the walls were old cracked stone bricks, empty torch holders hung on the walls. She was standing in a fourway junction, the entrance behind her. Skarlet frowned at the spiderwebs around her, they were big and cast caged shadows on her surroundings. I'll just head straight for now, Skarlet thought as she stepped forward into the first room.

The room was dimly lit by the fire's flickering light, it was covered in webs, causing her to spend most of her time cutting through them. She noticed several masses of web, after a bit of investigation she discovered that the room was small. There was the scent of death and dried blood, Skarlet put her hand to her nose as she inspected one of the masses. As she cut it open she had to stop herself from puking. Damn, shoulda known it'd be a decomposing corpse. Fuck. Skarlet cut open a few more web masses, she collected three small pouches of money and a green jade dagger. It looked interesting, it wasn't sharp but had text engraved on it.

Skarlet chanted a fireball spell before setting the room ablaze. She got down on her knees and laid her hands in prayer.

"May you rest in peace." She prayed as the bodies burned before getting to her feet and stepping back into the crossroads area. The fire behind her made the small flame in her hand practically useless. To the left there was a broken wooden door that hung off its hinges, to the right was open. she then decided to go right. With her flame still held up like a torch she stepped into an open cavern-like room with pillars holding up the ceiling. It was dark even with the light from her fire magic, she chanted quickly before tossing an array of fireballs into the area lighting up a majority of the room. That's when the dread set in, she was surrounded by thousands of spiders about the size of herself while a massive spider was crouched at the far end of the room. As she lit up the area, the Lord spider made a loud screeching sound, like it was roaring at her.

Skarlet readied herself as the spiders all attacked at once, adrenaline exploded and she reveled in that feeling.

Skarlet immediately swung her sword while beginning an incantation, she sliced through the two in front and with a follow through swing and letting go with one hand she finished by cutting the spider behind her in two.

Skarlet then swung around her hand while releasing mana in the form of fire without condensing it into a shape. Like a medieval flame thrower, she cast a three hundred and sixty degree fire ring that spread outwards. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead as she watched the spider's flee from the flames giving her space.

A sizzling sound caught her attention, glancing at the ground she noticed that a greenish blood was pooling out from the spider she'd cut in half. Steam was rising from that blood and it bubbled. Acid, wait some of these spiders are evolved? Shit, I'll have to be careful not to get hit with that.

Skarlet frowned as she pulled her sword into a readied stance, casting another fireball she held it in her hand. She used the fire to keep the spiders from all rushing at once. They approached cautiously, closing the space around her.

Skarlet's senses reacted and she swung her sword just as a larger spider leaped at her from behind. She sidestepped and cut it in half, watching at the green blood splashed a group of spiders and filled the air with chittering and screeching sounds as they received injuries from the acid. A few were hit in critical spots and died.

The leaping of the larger spider sparked something in the others as several smaller spiders leaped at her at its lead. Skarlet didn't stop moving upon her slash and spun on her heel to cut down one of the smaller spiders leaping at her from a different direction. Though she managed to cut one down and deflect the other, a third sunk it's teeth into her arm before she brought the flame around and burned through its face. Skarlet winced as it fell to the ground and curled up.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The wound stung and throbbed, she groaned as her sword arm was a bit unsteady. Venom, of course. Skarlet frowned as she waved the fire around to push them back once more. She was in a predicament, she could dual cast, however she'd need to drop her sword for that. To cast a healing spell she'd need an open hand. She was using one for combat and the other for the flame. And dropping either would get her killed.

Skarlet continued to deal with the constant attacking as it slowly wore her down, but all the while she was slowly pushing herself towards the entrance. She'd racked up bites on her arms from the occasional group attacks. Her vision and body cognition was getting worse, and due to that her injuries only continued to rack up.

Suddenly a new attack came her way, it was a spiderweb, it grabbed her leg and yanked. Skarlet instantly lost her balance, a second spider leaped from behind and she struggled to avoid it. Pain ripped through her as teeth sunk into her neck, she could feel the venom pouring in. The flame exploded as her mana concentration failed and granted her burns on her hand and up her arm. Skarlet scrambled for her knife before stabbing it into the spiders face.

"Aarg, shit!" She exclaimed as it let go but a green blood dripped into her shoulder and down her back. A burning sensation flooded her senses as her skin boiled and melted. She was being dragged while her body was loosing control, the venom was paralyzing. Skarlet stabbed her knife in between the cracks in the stone as the spiders crowded in, she managed to stop the spider from pulling her deeper.

Using her last bits of strength, she sliced the web that was dragging her. And with her mana she formed a wind spell, compressing air inwards until it popped. Skarlet was sent flying towards the exit. She smashed into the wall at a high speed, not that she felt it. She'd lost consciousness mid air, and her body was fully paralyzed anyways. Her sword was lying on the ground and soon as the thousands of spiders started moving towards her it disappeared from view.

Like all spiders, these monsters didn't eat their prey out right, they paralyzed it, then saved it for later consumption.

~

Aiko skidded to a stop in front of the cave, she frowned deeply, then a sigh slipped from her lips as she verified that Skarlet had entered all by herself.

"Damn, so she went in afterall. She definitely has a knack for trouble and bad decisions." Amethyst whistled with a bit of admiration, though her usual smile and happy go lucky attitude was mostly absent.

Aiko looked at her friend and then the man beside her, he was an older fella. He was tall with greying hair and a muscular frame. He carried a large shield and a short sword.

"No, we're not going in there, what kinda idiot just walks into a spider's den?" The older man drew a line in the sand, he was a part of their party as well. And he was their tank, a man with the strength and equipment to take heavy hits while supporting the other members. His name was Garth, and he was pretty strict and careful, you kinda have to be like that to be an old adventurer like him.

"I feel stupid, we shoulda made her come with us. I already knew Skarlet was a risk taker but, this isn't really a risk it's. . . Damnit we can't help her, sorry Aiko." Amethyst was pouting, her ears drooped and her tail was dragging. Though she soon perked up, like she noticed something. Garth frowned as he knew what this meant, Aiko and Amethyst communicated like this all the time. Basically Aiko had just conveyed something that surprised Amethyst who soon opened her mouth to respond. Though before she could Aiko drew her weapons and dashed into the darkness.

"Damnit!!! Aiko you're suppose to be the logical one!" Amethyst complained, though it didn't take long for her tail to rise as she soon was smiling. Amethyst banged her first against each other, "You know what, you're right, waiting patiently by while a friend is in trouble really doesn't suite us!" Amethyst then dashed inside, Garth was left speechless for a moment before he hardened his face and followed.

"Damn kids." He grumbled as he disappeared into the tunnel, striking a torch as he went, the bopping light source soon vanished into the darkness.

Aiko kicked open a wooden door, it was barely hanging from it's hinges and with the force of her kick it went flying into the room. She then stepped inside, sniffing, she frowned as there was no blood. There was, however, an Altar in front of her and a Statue that seemed to be set up for worship. Though most of this was crumbling and full of wear and tear. An old dirty rug lay on the ground, it was dusty and freyed. Her eyes scanned all of this before she turned around and left. This room wasn't where Skarlet was, she then glanced into another room, it was black. Like a fire had spread eagerly before running out of fuel and trying to eat the stone walls. The last path was directly in front of her, but before she could enter it footsteps rapidly approached from the slanted entrance.

Amethyst skidded to a stop when she finally saw Aiko, "No need to worry any longer, I am here, hehe." Amethyst struck a pose for a moment before getting more serious. "found anything?"

"No, an empty room and a room that looks like someone set off an explosion." Aiko replied, "I was about to check through there." Aiko pointed to the last doorway.

"Don't forget about me." A gruff voice spoke up as the crossroads lit with the light of a torch.

"Didn't think you'd come Garth." Amethyst slapped him on the back happily, though Garth just nodded.

Aiko then turned and stepped into the room, she could see quite well with just the light from the torch. An animals night vision worked by amplifying natural or existing light. So even though the torch was minimal amplifying that existing light allowed her to see rather clearly. A sense of dread overcame her as she saw the massive spider at one end of the large room. Her eyes quickly scanned around as she tried to find what she was looking for, and then it finally landed on something slowly being dragged across the cracked floor of the ruin. Skarlet! One of the spiders was dragging her and she wasn't moving.

Upon their entrance the majority of the spiders in the vicinity turned their attention to the newcomers, Aiko and Amethyst quickly leaped forward. Almost as if they could read each other's mind, they moved with synchronized actions. Aiko defended and pushed back the spiders while Amethysts quickly grabbed Skarlet and threw her over her shoulder.

They both leaped backwards as Garth jumped forward and slammed his shield against the ground just as a spray of green blood splattered against it and began to boil, Garth winced as he watched a hole slowly open in his shield but they were already moving backwards once again.

"There's so many of them." Amethyst exclaimed as she smashed her fist into a spider and sent it sprawling backwards.

"Amethyst stay behind me, as someone who fights with their hands you're disadvantageous here, if you get bit you'll be just like Skarlet!" Garth ordered, Amethyst responded by dejectedly moving behind her teammate.

Garth and Aiko worked together to defend as they slowly moved backwards, Amethyst did her best to protect Skarlet from anything that passed through her two companions. Skarlet looked ragged and had a dangerous looking wound around her neck area that was bleeding and caked in green solidified blood.

As soon as they passed the doorway Garth wedged his shield into it and then they turned and ran.

The group stumbled out of the cavern and moved a short distance away, Amethyst set Skarlet down gently and began to assess her wounds.

"She's lost a lot of blood but not a fatal amount, she's got the venom running through her veins so she's paralyzed. She's also unconscious, it's moments like these but I really wish we had a mage in our party. Aiko, potion please!" Amethyst diagnosed quickly before asking for a potion, Aiko removed one from a pouch at her waist and Amethyst poured it over the wound in Skarlet's neck.

"The venom won't be cured with this, however, it's not a fatal venom just a paralysis and will likely wear off in a day." Amethyst lamented the fact they didn't have a mage once again. A simple cure spell would fix it.

"Come on, let's head back to town." Garth got to his feet and led the way. "One of you is gonna buy me a new shield." He said seriously, Amethyst could tell he was annoyed.

"Hahaha, of course, of course."