Stepping through the shadows was not an unpleasant experience for Old Cob, although it forced him to relive the darkest hour of his life. (Can you really call time spent in the Black Hole life?)
Out of the three most ancient beings in the Spiral he was the chaotic one, a harbinger of destruction, yet he had a duty - keeping the Light forces in bay. It was, in a way, a game.
Until the Raven grew tired of it, and the game of balance turned into a fight. And while he was using all his Shadow tricks, it never occurred to him how far his foe was willing to go.
She betrayed him, trapping the Spider in the pit that would be his prison for the next few thousand years. Grandfather Spider thrashed against the walls, struggling to break free, but in his weakened form he could only do that much. The more he fought, the weaker and more tired he grew, and finally the Spider fell into sleep.
His slumber was not a peaceful one; memories of the fierce battle haunted him, and his thoughts turned darker, vengeful. Even in this state, he was powerful enough for those dreams to create forces of darkness and chaos - Shadow creatures - and send them throughout the Spiral. One day, he knew, there will be enough of them to overcome the Light and set the Spider free.
The Spiral itself seemed to know that it wasn't right, that something was wrong with the Light's counter-force. It hummed in his ears, reaching through his twisted dreams to tell him of times when Shadow will grow stronger, forcing the Light to bring a particular person, the Chosen, to this world. As prophesied, the Chosen - a child of Light and Shadow - would find the Spider and open the prison. When the time will come, the world will be ready for the Shadow's reign. Once he united with the Chosen, the Spider will bring an era of chaos to the Spiral.
The way it was always meant to be.
