Theridion did not have many asking her about her work. Which was fair since she hadn’t met another soul besides Brahmin in years. Sadly Brahmin was a terrible listener, which frustrated her further as she had many complaints to make of her chosen position. To be an old lady suddenly taken in to be a caretaker for some odd sanctum out in the Arum forests was not ideal.
Odd trees covered the vast marshland, At the stem of those trees spread out like bowls while the rest of the stem stretched far into the sky. They all emitted a horrid stench as well the ground for miles of the marsh and swamp. Theridion trudged through the wet ground while avoiding the vastly many lakes, heading to the rigid black sanctum hidden among the foggy landscape.
She learned fast in her first time that cloaks and loose clothing was terrible to wear in this environment, weighing her down into the muck and neither did it keep her warm. She had to tear and resow it into tight fitting wraps around herself, from her legs to abdomen and from waist to all six of her arms. It didn’t keep her dry, but it kept her from slowing down and it kept her warmer compared to the alternative. Theridion chittered in annoyance, she could go on about all this. The constant shabbiness of her hut, the constant stank of the swamp, the constant loneliness and how constantly constant they all were. Theridion resigned herself back to the task ahead, now walking across the odd sleek black stone in jarring contrast to the over growing vegetation.
She stopped In front of a set of massive doors with the oldest language carved into them. “Vellum, deshim, sessimin, gul,” Theridion spoke these words with confidence as she spent hours by glow light learning over the old texts Brahmin gave her. She didn’t truly know the meaning behind the words, but the doors obeyed all the same. The doors opened slowly implying their weight even though there was no sound of friction or ache. Theridion walked down the dark hallway as she inspected the familiar amber glow from the pipes, the only source of light. Brahmin still never told her what this unique liquid was, she had made guesses to what it could be until she just assumed Brahmin didn’t know either.
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The further she walked in the more of the warm humid mist formed as she reached the inner sanctum, the massive dome that housed the cocoon. Theridion may have many complaints but this was not one of them, to have a chance of being a maternal figure to something at all despite her age, it kept her going through all this. She walked with a subtle hurried step, only to find the cocoon opened and a creature laying there using it as a blanket.
Theridion stopped cold, her fingers twitched unsure of what she should do let alone if she should do anything. Brahmin always said to be prepared when the cocoon hatched, but it had been years since she first started as a caretaker. Theridion took a deep breath, she hitched a little as she tried to breath out her anxiety. She looked curiously as the creature showed no striking features to explain her species, no abdomen, no wings, no pincers, no antenna. Just a girl with no striking features which in this case was what was so striking.
Without another thought Theridion gently pressed her palm against the girl’s forehead, the girl was comfortably warm. Theridion breathed out relief, the girl wasn’t at either extreme temperature. Theridion then respectfully looked over the girl’s figure searching digitenly for any reasons of concern. She found things of notice, but she wouldn’t make an improper judgment with the girl’s significant enough difference in biology, an improper treatment could be as worse as no treatment at all.
After giving herself time over thoroughly checking the girl’s health, Theridion decided to wrap the girl in the silken cocoon and carry her in all six of Theridion’s arms to her hut. She hoped Brahmin would return sooner this month, for many reasons in hopes of an answer but more importantly for the supplies as she now needed to look after this odd girl. As Theridion trudged through the swamp while carrying the sleeping girl, it did not ease her old bones nor the worries of taking care of a child in such an unwelcoming place. Though Theridion chuckled as she found an odd smile creeping up her face and determination in her step as she walked home.