How long has it been? Narati wasn’t sure.
He couldn’t think straight when his priority was to keep breathing so that he wouldn’t suffocate. The web layer covering his nose was thick, but still breathable, albeit difficult. His lungs burned just to take in air.
He started to regret trusting Tulis after experiencing what they were doing to him. The giggles he could hear were clearly at his expense. He writhed in vain, unable to scream, and he couldn’t breathe properly. It reminded him of his slavery, and it started to cause him to panic.
Just before he lost his mind, he felt his lungs being filled with fresh air. The webbing layer was gone, followed with the loosening of the web wrapping him. Then suddenly, light filled his eyes, followed by the most unusual face greeting him as he recovered from the darkness.
“Narati! Forgive me, this isn’t supposed to—”
Narati’s panicked state, followed by the monstrous arachnid face, caused him to scream and, without warning, violently throttled the first Mygalean he saw. The helplessness of his situation, followed by the torture he endured, caused him to relive the nightmarish days of his childhood, one where everything was cold, depressing, and lonely. One where he gave up.
Before he could do much damage, another Mygalean subdued him. Using her extra appendages, she held Narati in place while twisting his arms behind him.
“Do not resist!” barked the Mygalean. “Or I’ll break your arms, Fa’ar!”
“Enough, sister!” demanded the Mygalean Narati throttled. “Can’t you tell how distressed he is?!”
As if proving the Mygalean right, Narati did not stop struggling. In fact, he was panicking and was unable to think straight. His trauma started to take him over until he slumped over. The Mygalean holding him released his unconscious form.
“Who has the right idea torturing him on the way here?! He’s the queen’s guest, not a prey!” said the Mygalean angrily.
“Her guests do not need to get themselves comfortable, Tulis. You know Fa’ars cannot be trusted, yet you still think he’s going to solve all our problems,” retorted the Mygalean subduing Narati.
“All you did is make us the distrustful ones. Just look at what he did to me.” Tulis rubbed her throat. “His grip is quite strong. And you may not see it, but his eyes are full of rage. Murderous rage.”
The other Mygalean scoffed. “No different than everyone else, then. They will change their attitude soon enough, sister.”
Tulis sighed. She knew she couldn’t convince the others to trust Narati, or any outsiders for that matter. To them, what Narati did was proof that the command given to them was wrong.
But they couldn’t disobey the queen’s orders.
Tulis demanded that she be left alone with Narati. The other Mygaleans obliged, albeit reluctantly. Tulis could understand. She returned to them after not reporting for almost a month without so much news except a personal report to her queen. When she mentioned Narati, the queen became intrigued by what he did, and demanded his presence. Tulis did not expect the Mygaleans assigned to retrieve him would do what they usually did; kidnap him in the middle of the night while teasing him. She bet they did not expect Narati to become panicked and started throttling the first Mygalean he saw, regardless of their appearance. In her experience, they would be too terrified to do anything and started running once they saw a spider.
An hour later, Narati regained consciousness. This time, he did not see the familiar-looking arachnid face, at least until he looked to the right and saw the Mygalean calling his name. The Mygalean enraged him, but before he could do anything brash, Tulis held out her hands and her appendages.
“Narati, I know you’re angry,” said Tulis. “But I did not expect them to treat you so harshly.”
“I considered you a friend, Tulis! Mi tanem!” said Narati angrily. “I can’t believe you betrayed me!”
“I am not! Tulis, please, don’t agitate my sisters. They don’t trust outsiders, especially an angry one.”
“I don’t care! You broke that trust first! I have all the rights to be angry! Who in their right mind think near-suffocation is the right thing?! Huh?! And you dare to justify it as my fault?! Me? The one bound in a web?! Don't try and make this a trust issue, because you are clearly the ones causing it! Say something, spiders! Try and twist my words again! I swear I am going to burn this forest down if you dare! I had enough of being the one at fault!"
Tulis was stunned, especially after his voice cracked and he started breaking down. The cocooning clearly traumatized him in such a way that the calm and well-meaning Fa’ar was replaced by an angry, betrayed Fa’ar who threatened to be violent. Tulis could tell that some of the Mygaleans started to regret what they did to him. Others could not care less. In fact, Tulis knew they would focus on his threats to justify their actions, just as he had been taunting them with. Somehow, seeing this from a traumatized Fa'ar made her disgusted by her own sisters. Somehow, Narati managed to made her realize her mistakes.
Narati’s ranting and cursing got the breaking limit when some Mygaleans shot webs to subdue him and forced him to kneel, specifically one that tied his snout to shut him up. Tulis also had enough of her sisters’ indifference of Narati’s plight, but before she could say anything, she noticed a figure in red dress. She immediately kneeled, knowing who she was.
Narati also saw the same Mygalean. She was slightly bigger than Tulis and taller than her, but she looked similar except for the red tips of her appendages, arms, and legs. She had a belt with a red hourglass symbol holding her red dress in place. She exuded a regal aura, one that clearly made the other Mygaleans bow in respect.
Except for Narati, who simply glared at her. One of the Mygaleans, assuming that Narati was insulting the Mygalean in red dress, was going to put the Fa’ar in his place.
“No, it’s fine, Atash,” said the one in the red dress. “This is entirely our fault for not treating him like a guest.”
“My queen, you do not need to—”
“I protected you from the terrors of the outside world, but in doing so, it turned you into the terror itself,” said the queen. “We do appear monstrous to many of them, but not to this Fa'ar. His actions are caused by our betrayal to his trust on my general.”
“But—”
“If this Fa’ar’s antics repulse you, I suggest you leave us. This is your queen’s order. Leave us.”
The queen’s order made the other Mygaleans leave her, including Tulis. She noticed this and said, “Except you, general.”
Tulis obliged and stayed.
The queen, without hesitation, traced her chitin-covered fingers on Narati’s snout before putting her finger on his lips and said, “Shhh. Do not struggle, mousey. I am not your tormentor. I am their queen, and I take full responsibility for what they did. My sisters are wary of strangers, you see, but they never had to deal with a stranger who immediately became violent instead of terrified by our appearance. I can easily tell that you have gone through much worse than witnessing our form. My sisters can't understand that. We have not had a former slave as a hostage, after all.”
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Narati was still unconvinced, but his glare softened.
“And thus, as a show of trust, I will be honest with you. You will be my hostage, but you will be treated as you should: a guest. I am their queen, and I must set an example to my sisters. So, how about that? Let me start with removing this muzzle.”
The queen did not hesitate to cut through the webbing wrapping Narati’s maws together. The Fa’ar did not want to be angry, but what he endured could not go away that easily. In fact, it only made him guarded, even if the Mygalean with red tips on her appendages assured him that she could be trusted.
“Tulis,” said the queen. “When he has calmed down, explain everything the best you can. In time, he will be cooperative enough for us to make a deal with his friends.”
“My friends? What have you done to them?” demanded Narati.
“Nothing. I did nothing to them,” said the queen confidently. “I ordered them to bring you to me and only you. They will come and rescue you, but I won’t give you back.”
“You’re being awfully honest,” said Narati.
“Only to a certain degree, Narati Vasra,” said the Mygalean queen, her tone turned cold. “We do not have to follow your whims. There is a limit to hospitality, especially for a hostage. Rant like that again, and you will see how your words mean nothing to us. Your past is your past. Like you said, we broke your trust, but you do not have the means to back that up. Harm anyone else, and you will see how much our patience can be spread before it became too thin. Mark my words, Fa’ar. We have gone through the ages. Whether or not it can compare to your suffering is irrelevant."
The queen walked away without ever looking back. Somehow, her thinly veiled threat made Narati realize how stupid he was. Even if he was angered by their betrayal, he was still going to lose. They clearly knew what they were doing. Narati was already ensnared in their web like the prey he was.
Letting out a defeated sigh, Narati turned to Tulis and said, “You owe me an explanation.”
***
Aranis read the letter given to her intently. The dark-skinned elf’s expression turned to that of concern, which did not escape Raine’s observation.
“So, you know where this Forest of Fear is, then?” asked Raine.
“I do, but let me ask you something, if I may, N’Dari,” said Aranis. “Where did you meet the Mygalean?”
“The same place Narati saved me. She was a fellow prisoner of Asran’s,” replied N’Dari.
“And you prefer to keep your meeting with her a secret,” said Aranis. “Because you want to protect her.”
“Is it wrong? Just because they are spiders, it doesn’t mean they mean harm.”
“Except now they do. They specifically targeted Narati. For what?”
Raine pondered about this question for a while before he concluded.
“He’s an outlier,” said Raine. “A beloved, friendly Fa’ar who gained the trust of one of them. And since we are going to throw everything away just to save him….”
“We played right into their hands. They are as deceptive as they were years ago. Very impressive.”
“Impressive how? They got our friend in their hands!”
“But they will not harm him. If they do, they lose their bargaining chip. So will we if we delay. Are you prepared to travel, Raine?”
“I travel light. Been that way since I started bounty hunting,” said Raine. “I’ll ask Jonas to take over and we’re set to go.”
“Good. The Forest of Fear is close by. Meet me by the western gate when you are ready.”
Raine nodded, and proceeded to do what he said he would. He visited the mayor’s office to find his deputy, Jonas, working as hard as ever, again proving that the man was far more capable to be a mayor than Raine. This started to make Raine wonder if they only wanted him to be the mayor for his charisma and not his administrative skills. Granted, charisma and persuasive skills were as important as the administrative and management skills, which was the reason why Jonas was better described as a co-mayor.
When Jonas caught sight of the red-haired man with cat ears, he approached the man and greeted him.
“Hey, Raine, good timing,” said Jonas. “I need your opinion. We still need a power plant to simplify the process of lighting the whole town, but everyone agreed that pre-war tech will not suffice. Now, someone suggested that we used pure magic sources and I believe we can use something called the saturation pool.”
Raine, remembering that they were still trying to find a way to power the town more efficiently, temporarily put aside Narati’s situation and said, “Saturation pool? What’s that?”
“It’s elven in origin, so Aranis might know something about it. We basically turn the reservoir in the forest into something more. Instead of just water, it can be the reservoir of saturated mana. We can then install aqueducts throughout the town independent from the sewers where a water purification system can be installed in the cistern. The whole project may take several months to complete due to needing to hire a team of reputable experts, so I’d appreciate if you can approve of this.”
Raine was not the kind of person who would approve a relatively big project like that on the go. He had several questions.
“How about the budget? Making something so unusual is not going to help our coffers, you know.”
“Believe me, it’s much cheaper than procuring pre-war techs from one of those industrial havens.”
“We are talking about elven tech, aren’t we? I don’t think they are going to make it easy for us, bud. They are not Aranis’s folks, that’s for sure.”
“That’s not a problem,” said Jonas. “Thanks to you and Aranis, of course.”
“I don’t remember having a talk with them.”
“But you have made quite an impression. Ever since you slay the dragon, your deeds have been heard across the Valley. In case you are wondering, it was Aranis who asked their opinion about the centralized power source. All we need now is your permission.”
Impressed, Raine said, “At least we have one problem out of the way. You sure you don’t want to take my office?”
“I might. If I have an ego for it. I am more comfortable doing things behind the scenes than being the face, Raine. This is not to imply that you’re a figurehead.”
“Pretty sure you’re implying that I am.”
“No, you’re not. If you are, you would simply sit around doing nothing.”
“Except I want you to take over for me today, and possibly for the rest of the week,” said Raine. “I’m sorry, Jonas, but I need to go with Aranis.”
Jonas wondered about it and said, “Go with her for what?”
Raine then proceeded to explain everything that transpired that morning to Jonas, who gasped in surprise when he realized who was involved and what happened.
“Which is why I must be the one bargaining for Nara’s return,” said Raine. “I have my ways with words, as you said. They might appreciate my position as mayor to make things easier. Aranis knows about the captors, so she will help. Will you be able to deal with things here while I’m gone.”
“Absolutely, Raine,” said Jonas with confidence. “Don’t worry. Just bring Nara back to us.”
“Oh, and did I tell you about the Vox in my office? It’s a brick with runes carved on it. I want you to bring it to Sil so she can ask for updates regarding Karkas. Given their history together, she would appreciate it. I also need an expert in magic-based ailments to update us on his situation. I am not going to lose another friend.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Nara will come home. I’ll make sure of it,” said Raine. “And yes. The saturation pool’s a good idea. We can use the existing infrastructure while also making sure that we don’t ruin the environment. I don’t intend to expand the Wasteland here. But what’s the drawback?”
“Light pollution,” said Jonas. “High mana concentration in water is not a health issue, but it caused a side effect of causing the water to glow bright enough to be disruptive.”
“But that could make Dragon’s Rest more appealing. Imagine this. Water light strips. How cool’s that?”
“It’s very bright. And it’s blue. Not warm at all.”
“One problem at a time. We’ll think about the problem once we get this power source installed and functioning properly. Start with planning for the aqueduct and piping.”
“Got it. Bring Nara home.”
“I will.”
The two excused themselves. Jonas went into Raine’s office to take the Vox with him while Raine went out of his office into his home, which was near the western gates and towards the fields outside. It did not take long for him to take what he needed for a short trip, though he soon realized that he had no swords. N’Dari had not settled in so he did not have time to forge one for Raine. Not that he could, now that Narati was not available.
But that did not mean he would use his fists, even though he could.
Raine went into his storage room to find the weapon he had been meaning to use but decided not to; one of Jacques’s specially made revolvers. Narati possessed the other half of the twin which he never used due to its weight and unwieldiness. Still, he taught the ratfolk on how to use it in case of emergencies. Raine could see the other half of the pair sitting on a display in Narati's apartment. He decided not to use it and stick with the one given to him. One gun was enough.
The revolver was well-made, with a silvery finish metal that made it reflective. The metal had a special property to absorb and convert mana into bullets, which was very useful in an era where bullets were scarce. He could use the gun for a while, at least until he could buy a good sword, specifically one with materials that could maximize the effectiveness of his enchantment spells. There was nothing wrong with buying a good sword, especially now that he was in the Emerald Valley region.
After reminding himself that he should consider buying a proper sword, Raine put the revolver in its holster and walked out of his house carrying his trustworthy bag, one that had been with him since the start of his journey. Excited, but also reminding himself that his main priority was Narati’s safety, Raine walked to the western gate, where Aranis, carrying her bow, had been waiting.
“Ready to set off?” she asked.
Raine nodded, then walked out of the gate into the green plains of the Emerald Valley, into another adventure.