A Bit of Peril is Always Fun
Overhanging branches shifted above, choking out the sunlight and sending a shiver down Eskall's spine as she walked just behind Kiremor. Thick webs entangled themselves between the trees, their trunks covered in green moss with dozens of mushrooms clinging to the bark.
"Gods, doesn't this place just give you the creeps?"
Kiremor shook her head, ducking quickly to avoid yet another mess of leaves and sticky web. "Not really, it's just gross. If we do this job right, though, we should be able to get out of here before dark."
"I hope so," Eskall mumbled, immediately detesting the thought of having to spend the night in the undergrowth, staring up at dozens of webs large enough to encase even the bulkiest of Firran.
The two continued weaving their way through the thickening forest, flinching every time a stick cracked under their paws, ready to draw their weapons at any moment. Eskall's clawed hand rested on the pommel of her sword as she sniffed the air nervously. It smelled wrong; as if the very air itself were sick with the forest's decaying flesh. They were getting closer to their targets; the giant spiders' nest found only in the farthest depths of the valley.
"Wait," Kiremor raised her hand, stopping Eskall in her tracks. Reaching a sleek, black furred arm out to pull some brush aside, she peeked through the opening, her ears flattening against the back of her skull. "We're here."
Eskall bounced anxiously from foot to foot, her sword singing softly as she drew it from her sheath.
"So now what? We charge in and hope for the best?" Eskall whispered.
"No," Kiremor hissed, walking to a nearby tree and leaning her back against it. She pulled her staff out, fingers drumming over its carved skin as she thought. "Our task is to kill a mother spider and all her spiderlings. I suggest we-"
Her words were cut short as an enormous spider, with a speed rivaling that of a grown Snowlion, lowered itself from the tree above and grabbed Kiremor with its spindly legs.
"Kiremor!" Eskall yelled, charging forward with sword raised.
Kiremor screamed and struggled to free herself from the spider's grasp, but the monster lifted her with little effort, escaping up a thick stream of web and back into the safety of the tree. Eskall's sword bit into bark just inches below its fleeing, bloated torso. A menacing growl escaped her lips as she yanked the sword free and sheathed it, digging into the tree with her claws.
"If you don't give her back to me," she screamed, "then I'll come up there and gut you personally!" Fed by the sudden rush of adrenaline, her muscle-laden arms and legs carried her up the tree faster than she thought possible.
"Eskall!" Kiremor screeched from above, her voice becoming muffled.
"I'm coming!" she shouted, redoubling her efforts. Clambering from branch to branch, her breathing came in heavy gasps as the weight of her sword and shield began to wear on her tiring body. Suddenly her claws dug into web as she reached up, and she hastily pulled back. Stopping to gaze around the trunk to the opposite side of the tree, she gasped.
The spider was resting in the center of the largest web Eskall had ever seen, its engorged body weighing down the fine silk as it bent over what she assumed to be Kiremor, spinning sheet after sheet of web around the wriggling form. Muffled screams emanated from the white-encased body.
Standing up onto the thickest branch she could find, Eskall drew her sword and roared, lips pulling back to bare sharpened fangs. The spider paused, its multifaceted eyes swallowing the new Firran with hungry interest.
"Give Kiremor back to me," she snarled, clawed fingers tightening around the turquoise sword. The spider remained frozen for a moment before suddenly dropping its wriggling package and scurrying across the web toward her.
"Oh shi-" Eskall breathed, ears flattening in fear before she jumped and grabbed the next highest branch, scrambling up. Just as the spider reached the tree and began to spread its thin legs to climb up to her branch, she swung the sword, connecting with its black, mottled flesh. A loud hiss filled the air as it retreated in a flash and positioned itself back into the safety of its web. A stream of pearly liquid oozed from the new gash as it regarded her, curved fangs working furiously beneath its beady eyes.
"Yeah!" she shouted in victory, raising her sword and preparing to strike a second time. "Just try that again, see what happens!"
A putrid smell wafted from the web, filling Eskall's nose. She coughed, covering her face with a striped forearm. Smoke began to rise just behind the spider, and Eskall spotted Kiremor's body, magical flames eating away at the thick casing of web as her arms and legs struggled to stretch free of it.
"Don't stop!" she yelled as soon as her face was free, "Keep it distracted as long as you can!"
The spider turned its attention back to Kiremor and she froze, momentary terror writ across her face.
"Hey!" Eskall yelled out, batting her sword against the tree and sending waves through the web. "I'm still here!" Reluctantly turning back to her, the spider rushed forward, slamming itself into the tree. Impossibly long legs reached for Eskall and she swung her sword haphazardly. Its limbs darted in and out of her reach, testing her swing and speed. She slowly backed up, reaching a hand out to the trunk behind her for balance.
"How. Much. Longer?" she panted, ducking as a limb swung for her head.
Kiremor grit her teeth as she painstakingly removed herself from the sticky, burning web. "I'm almost free."
"Good, cause I don't think I can last much-" the air rushed from her lungs as one of the spider's legs caught her in the stomach. She bent over a branch, heaving, barely able to raise her sword in time to deflect another blow.
"Eskall!" Kiremor's magical flames suddenly burst forth with renewed vigor, the black fire spreading hungrily from her hands. The web around her, eaten away to nothing but threads, gave way under her weight, and she plummeted.
Thin, whip-like threads of web snapped around the spider. Feeling its footing slip out from underneath it, the spider reached out for the tree's branches, its weight snapping branch after branch as it scrambled for holds.
"No," Eskall heaved, forcing herself to stand, "you don't!" And with a guttural snarl, she plunged her sword into the spider, the turquoise blade slicing between its numerous eyes.
She smiled grimly as the spider's limbs twitched uncontrollably around her, poison dripping freely from its fangs in its final death throes. Eskall yanked the sword out and its legs curled around its engorged body as it tumbled from the tree, landing with a sickening flop on the ground below.
Regarding the spider's body, she saw a jet of flame and electricity suddenly scorch the air below her.
"Kiremor," she said with a proud smile. Peering through the remains of the spider's web, she saw dozens of smaller spiders attempting to surround her twin. Eskall winced, pain sprouting from her ribs; the blow she had received from the spider was catching up with her. Planting herself down onto a thick branch, she sheathed her sword and admired her twin working below. Kiremor's movements were dizzying. Spinning the staff in wide arcs around her, she jumped and spun, magic flying out and turning the spiders around her into sizzling black lumps. The queen was dead, and all that was left was to finish off the small fry. The smell of charred flesh reached Eskall's sensitive nostrils and she gagged, quickly covering her nose with a paw; Kiremor could be at least a little more considerate of the way in which she killed things.
The flow of seemingly endless spiders crawling up from the depths of the forest finally began to slow. Kiremor stalked through the trees below, meticulously finding and eliminating the last few spiders which had survived her initial onslaught.
"Hey Kiremor," Eskall called down, grimacing when pain flared up through her ribs from the effort.
"Eskall," Kiremor looked up, her tensed shoulders relaxing as a relieved smile spread across her lips. She sent a last glance about her before slinging her staff over her shoulder and beginning to climb up the tree. Scraps of bark rained down to the ground as her claws dug into the trunk, her lithe body making quick work of the height. She perched herself on Eskall's branch. The two regarded each other, their fur covered in twigs, debris, and bits of web still clinging to them from the fight.
"If only our parents could see us now," Eskall grinned, her voice raspy. She clutched involuntarily at her ribs.
Kiremor's relief evaporated, concern writ across her face as she reached for her twin. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"Hey, come on, it's nothing," Eskall waved her away. "Besides, I thought you would have taken a bigger beating than me what with falling from the height you did. How'd you manage that, anyway?"
"Magic is good for more than just killing things. Let's get you down from this tree. We need to see what's wrong with you and get you healed up," she sighed. Her emerald eyes flicked to Eskall.
"Fine, fine," Eskall's hands gripped the branches for support as she stood, gasping in pain. Her foot slipped from the branch under her.
Kiremor quickly reached for her sister, arms wrapping about her for balance. She pulled her back to the relative safety of the trunk.
Eskall regained herself. "Thanks," she wheezed.
"No, I need to thank you," Kiremor said, her voice reduced to a whisper. "Thank you for coming for me like that Eskall. I've- I've never been so terrified in my life."
Eskall rubbed a furred knuckle against her sister's ebony forehead. "It's what sisters are for, right?" she smiled a crooked grin. "Let's get down from here before you get all sappy with me."
Kiremor chuckled lightly. "Yes. It's what sisters are for."
"By the way, those were some sweet moves down there with you killing all those spiders," Eskall leaned into her as they began to position themselves to clamber down. "I'd better watch out the next time we duel."
They exchanged glances and Kiremor rolled her eyes, a fatigued smile spreading across her lips.