Chapter 1: The creation of Demon Weapons- Black Blood?!

Arachne's POV

921 years ago…

"Medusa! Come quickly!" Excitement surged through me as I looked down at my work. Test tubes and liquids of all types, boiling and steaming inside their beakers, spread out along my desk (it was more like a platform, really; it was big enough to fit at least ten regular-sized people), which was positioned in the corner of a rather large, black room inside my new(er) fortress, Baba Yaga Castle, founded for one purpose – as the only place that I could find refuge in to do my experiments. "I've found something!"

My younger (but only by about 100 years) sister appeared next to me, her face twisted into a wild smile. "Oh? Show me, Arachne!" Despite still being so young, Medusa had a knack for science – in fact, some witches would argue even better than I am. After all, she'd had a good 50 years to practice with me as her mentor. If anything, she's well on her way.

"What did you find? Come on, I haven't got all day you know! Which one are you working on?" Her eyes sparkled as she crossed her legs, letting her vector arrow tail hold her up.

"Black Blood." I said proudly. "I think I've finished the prototype!" Black Blood was our newest experiment. We wanted to make a substance that was in some manners invincible. I knew we still had a ways to go, but this was a start.

I held up a petri dish, filled with a purplish substance. The Black Blood. My Black Blood.

Medusa's smile widens. "Did you test it yet? Please let me do it, Arachne. PLEASE." Her voice pleaded and her eyes filled with tears. Fake, of course. My little sister had a knack for looking for trouble, and she had long ago perfected the art of guilt tripping. I have long since become immune to it.

"No."

"Pretty please? Oh, come on Arachne. I was the one with the ideas… But if you insist…" She turned, got to her feet, and slowly – very slowly – scooted away from me. I sighed.

"Come here." I didn't want any trouble with her today; it was big for both of us. We'd been working on this project for about 20 or so years so far. Since Medusa herself was only an infant.

"Yay!" She rushed back towards me and gave me a death-grip, one leg in the air. I smile and gesture to the table, bowing in mock as I do so. She responds by curtseying and walking elegantly towards me, holding out her hand. I took it and guided it to the Blood.

We do this sometimes, showing our hate of human aristocrats by mocking their movements. It is those humans whom ordered the mass murder of witches. Hundreds of witches that we knew have been murdered within the span of 15 years. That is why Medusa and I are developing this weapon. We refuse to stand down to those lesser than us.

"Arachne?" Medusa said, leaning over the petri dish, "Did you add any other blood to this?"

I'm not surprised by this question. It's witches blood that enhances any type of technology; be it organic (like the Blood) or industrial (like some automatic weapons created by myself and other witches). Either way, even a small drop of a witch's blood could make even the simplest weapon deadly. Which is why the murder of witches is so crucial; if any government organization gets their hands on a dead witch, then they have the ultimate advantage over any enemy.

"Of course I did." I replied, holding out my hand to show her my own webs wrapped around it, surrounding a gash the size of my middle finger.

"That's a big cut. You made it very powerful; anyone could sense it." She looked from the Blood to me and back again. "Would you mind if I tried to use some of mine?" I nodded, closing my eyes and letting my webs re-bandage my cut, which was throbbing.

My head buzzed when I opened my eyes again, but I began to find that normal. Others told me that when I open my eyes right after that, they appear to be webbed and black. But it fades after a few seconds. As the Gorgon sister, it is necessary that I expand my powers to their maximum, so I must accept it for what it is.

I heard Medusa gasp. I jolted my head towards her, to find that the Blood is spilling over the edges of the dish. Her face was twisted into a look of horror. "I swear, Arachne, it was only a drop!" Medusa's arrow tail was out, catching the overflowing substance. "Quickly, I need a beaker."

It's rare that I listen to my younger sister, but this was for my own benefit. I grabbed a beaker and let the Blood drip from the tip of the arrowhead and into the beaker.

"Are you sure?" Her blood is powerful. I will have to watch out- just in case.

"About what?" The Blood calmed and settled back into the dish.

"Exactly how much did you add?"

"It was only a drop." Medusa held out her hand which, sure enough, was almost complete unscathed except for the faintest sign of a cut.

Then how could your blood be that powerful?!

"Arachne… your eyes…" I could hardly hear her, as my head began buzzing louder than I'd ever experienced before.

And then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. I regained my senses and found myself on my back. One of Medusa's vector arrows held me only inches above the ground.

A strange sensation overcame me then. It was like the buzzing in my head, only milder and it spread throughout my whole body. I didn't know what to think anymore.

Medusa was at the desk, about 20 feet away, working on something that I couldn't see. Her head was back, but tilted at an angle so that I couldn't make out what was happening. I can't show any weakness to my little sister.

"What are you working on, Medusa?" I made my voice as steady as possible, but there were still the slightest signs of a tremor. The tone of my voice shifted slightly after every word. My whole body vibrated, sending odd sensations through me that I could not recognize.

I expected Medusa to mock me for my odd voice. Instead, however, she remained uncharacteristically quiet. No – she was serious. But something still wasn't right. "Medusa?" She wasn't listening. "What are you doing?" I asked again.

Hesitantly, I stood up and crept over to her. I sneaked a glance over her shoulder; immediately, bile rose into my throat. I stumbled, throwing my body in the other direction – any direction but towards Medusa. I sprinted for the entrance of the room without looking back. My head began to hurt again.

The room suddenly seemed much bigger than I last remembered. Circles. Why do I feel like I am going in circles?! I looked down at my feet, which were gliding on thin air. Beneath them were large, black arrows. Vector Plates. I was, in fact, moving in wide arcs according to the position of her Plates.

I was on the verge of crying out, screaming for help to no one, when the worst pain I'd ever felt took over my whole body. It felt as if I had been stabbed in every place, and then burnt for good measure. The last thing I saw (or remember seeing) were two glowing red eyes, their pupils black slits, staring straight at me.

Reaching out for my soul.

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