Chapter 25
In which Narlafayn ventures into the Sea of Spores and has an unexpected conversation.
Narlafayn remained at Haibane's camp for several days, going out to hunt with them daily. Ryonai had taken the job of ridding the land of Lizardmen upon himself, and performed the duty with surprising ease. Vuylay would disappear frequently, always returning pale and ragged looking. She would not say what was ailing her when asked, however, and Narlafayn began to feel frustrated at what her friend was not telling her.
Terebel was constantly trying to get Narlafayn's attention. It seemed that his interest in her was furthered the more she ignored him, and part of her was pleased by this. He used every trick he could in an attempt to woo her, but Narlafayn brushed them off in amusement.
As the days wore on, Lavinia and Mune became moody, and would stand for hours gazing north. Narlafayn found out from Amari that Cesa had disappeared nearly a month prior to visit the Grand Mother Tree's remains in the Sea of Spores. Such a trip should've been quick for her between porting to the Ivory Tower from Oren and back, but they hadn't heard from her at all since her departure. They were camping there at her request, so she could find them easily after she finished talking with the Grand Mother Tree.
According to Mune, she and her sisters and Amari had all been recruited into Haibane the past year. Terebel was a wild card who came and went as he pleased, choosing not to join the clan despite constantly associating with them so he could infiltrate other clans to flirt. She said they weren't very active for a clan-yet. Ryonai was extremely good at coming to their aid when they needed escorting to a land of monsters vastly stronger than themselves, though.
A surprisingly good leader despite his carefree attitude, on the eve of the fifth day since Narlafayn's arrival, Ryonai announced that they would be setting out for the Sea of Spores the next day in search of Cesa. They used Gatekeeper scrolls the next morning, and paid the Gatekeeper in Oren for a transport to the Ivory Tower. Narlafayn paused for a moment to stare at the tower in wonder, as she'd never seen it before. It was a tall tower set inside of a crater, and bleached a pure, shining white. Amari seemed to know many people there, and spoke with them briefly before Ryonai ushered them out and towards the Sea of Spores.
"If you get tired, I'll carry you." Terebel said brightly, walking at a brisk pace to keep up with her. Narlafayn gave him a skeptical look as she pushed some large-leaved plants aside. They were plowing through a dense forest; the ground covered in ferns and elephant eared plants that Narlafayn had never seen before. A cool breeze blew from the mountains to the north, making Narlafayn wish she wasn't wearing her Mithril any more.
"I'll be fine." She said blandly, glaring at a plant as it snagged the heel of her white boots. Terebel made a frustrated noise and threw his hands in the air.
"What do I have to do to get your interest? Stand on my head and recite poetry?" he suddenly asked, exasperated. "Stop picturing it." He said flatly as she giggled.
"I'm just not the type to fall for Dark Elves any longer." Narlafayn replied airily. Walking near her, Vuylay glanced over her shoulder at her with large eyes.
"Huh? I thought you were all for Dark Elves?" she asked, shocked. Narlafayn cringed and then sighed, realizing that Vuylay had never known about Deathswalker.
"Stuff happened and I realized that Dark Elves just want to get into your pants, that's it." She shrugged.
"And the problem with that is…?" Vuylay asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know that's what being a Dark Elf is about." She said casually.
"So sayeth the spinster." Terebel mumbled. "Before we did it, you said you'd only slept with one person before me." He rolled his eyes, not noticing the looks of horror from both Narlafayn and Vuylay.
"Terebel…" Vuylay said through clenched teeth as Narlafayn gave her an annoyed glare.
"Yeah, that really just cut your chances there. See ya." Narlafayn said quickly, waving her hand lightly as she walked away from them.
"What'd I say?" Terebel asked innocently, blinking in confusion. Vuylay wrapped her arms around his neck and put him in a headlock.
"You IDIOT. Never, EVER tell people that I slept with you!" she snarled. "Especially Narlafayn!"
"What's the big deal, I thought you said that's what being a Dark Elf is all about!" he said, his voice strained as she squeezed.
"Narlafayn is different you idiot! She's too naïve, she doesn't get that so I tease her about it constantly, I didn't mean it!" she hissed. She released him and took a calming breath. "You probably ruined your chances with her now. Might be wise for you to take off." She said with a glare, walking away from him. Terebel stared at the ferns by his feet with a frown as he rubbed his neck, his thoughts unreadable in his expression.
"All right, we rest here for a few hours and then head in." Ryonai announced to everyone early morning on the third day of travel. They wearily dropped their packs to the ground and gratefully sat. Ryonai had pushed them since leaving the Ivory Tower, not letting them stop to rest for long until the Sea was in sight.
Narlafayn had always heard about the Sea of Spores from the Magisters in the Elven Village, but this was the first time she'd ever seen it. A magical barrier erected by humans glowed with its own light, trying to prevent the spores from spreading. To the dismay everyone, however, the spores were already taking root outside of the barrier in the form of large toadstools, not even magic was strong enough to prevent the Sea from growing.
She approached the barrier slowly; her eyes large, and peered through it into the land that once belonged to the Elves. It was white, like snow inside, and seemed to have a heavy fog covering the hilly landscape. Strange, spider web like silk covered what was left of the plants, and Narlafayn could hear the cry of drakes from somewhere in the distance.
"Odd, is it cold in there?" she asked Lavinia as the Wizard approached her. Lavinia gave her a skeptical look and patted her on her head in a condescending manner.
"That's not snow, those are spores." She said. "That fog isn't fog either, but spores being released by the fungus inside. It's what makes people sick." She explained, her brow creasing in worry.
"Is it going to be safe for us to go in there?" Mune asked, joining them. "Aren't we going to get sick too from breathing that crap in?"
"I've been in there a ton of times and I came out just fine." Terebel's voice came. The three girls turned to look at him, each wearing an expression of annoyance.
"That's saying a lot." Mune said, deadpan.
"I'll see if I can sacrifice something to make fabric strips for us to breathe through." Lavinia suddenly said quickly, grabbing Mune by the arm and hauling her away.
"Want me to help?" Narlafayn asked hopefully, taking a step after them.
"Nah, you stay here." Lavinia called, already halfway back to the camp. Narlafayn sighed in annoyance and turned back to stare out into the Sea once more, hoping that Terebel would walk away as well.
"Listen... I'm um...here to…apologize about…" Terebel began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. Narlafayn made a noise in her throat to interrupt him.
"No need to apologize. Its in Dark Elf nature after all, is it not? I don't really care who you sleep with." She said icily, not looking at him. Terebel came to stand beside her and peered at her face curiously.
"If you don't care, then why do you sound so jealous?" he asked honestly, no sarcasm or mirth in his voice. Narlafayn turned to look at him quickly, her face skewed into anger.
"I said I cared less about your sexual escapades and I meant it. Don't think you can just move on down the line with Vuylay's friends after you've had your fill of her. I don't play that way." She snapped. Terebel blinked in surprise as she turned back to the barrier, seething through her nose.
"Wow, what Dark Elf did you wrong?" he asked. Narlafayn cast him another hateful glare and turned away from him, stalking towards the circular building that served as an entryway into the Sea.
"I don't think I have anything more to say to you. Leave me alone." She said indignantly. Stubborn until the end, Terebel jogged to catch up with her and matched her pace with his. She gave him a swift glare before speeding up her pace of walk, which he was quick to match. Her patience at an end, Narlafayn skidded to a halt and faced him angrily. "What do you want from me? Just to bed me so you can move on to the next girl that fits your fancy? Or perhaps you'd like to add me to a multitude of 'lovers' so you won't be lonely when you traipse from town to town?" she snarled.
"Ouch." Terebel muttered, frowning. "That's a little harsh."
"I'm right, aren't I?" Narlafayn continued quickly, her voice coming out quicker and cracking with tears. "You just find one girl that you like, sleep with her and then move on, never to talk to her again unless she has something you want, or she was a decent lay or..."
She was silenced as Terebel leaned down and caught her in a kiss. Remembering herself, Narlafayn attempted to pull away quickly and smack him, only to have him catch her hands and wrench them down, and kissed her again. He pulled away slightly to look at her through half shut lids before kissing her again softly, releasing her hands to cup her face.
This is like...the party. Narlafayn thought, her knees suddenly feeling weak. Remembering how it all started with Deathswalker, Narlafayn's eyes snapped open and she pulled away quickly. "No!" she managed to get out. The whimsical side of her began to scream hysterically at her logical side, and Narlafayn found it difficult to walk away from him. He caught her wrist and pulled her back, her foot catching in the tall grass and tripping her. She fell onto his chest, and he gently sunk to the ground, holding her.
"What happened to you? Who hurt you this badly?" he asked, hugging her gently. Narlafayn stared into the grass for a moment with large eyes before crying like a child, not realizing she'd been holding back tears in the first place.
"Why are you pursuing me like this? Why don't you just move on? You can get any girl you want, why keep trying with me?" Narlafayn responded, not wanting to tell him that much of herself yet. Terebel sighed and released her, obviously not satisfied with her question as an answer to his question. Narlafayn sat back on her knees and wiped her face, sniffling loudly.
"I'm not sure why myself; maybe I just like the challenge." He shrugged, suddenly shy. "But I promise, even though I like the ladies, I'm really a nice guy." He said, leaning his head down enough to catch her attention. Narlafayn regarded him without expression for a moment, and then took a breath. She shifted her knees so she faced him, and placed her lands on her lap.
"Fine then, here's a deal." She began. Terebel sat up straight, giving her his full attention. "If you can go a month without flirting with someone, I'll respond to your affections. However," she held a finger up, and his eyes grew large, "if you're caught flirting with someone during that month, I'll add another one to it. If you're caught flirting after I've agreed to respond to your affections, then I'll retract it and we'll start over from square one." She finished with a satisfied smile, and Terebel stared at her as if she had stomped his favorite puppy.
"Do you even realize what you're asking? I'm a healthy Dark Elf with a healthy interest in girls! You're making me become a monk!" he exclaimed, incredulous. Narlafayn's smile turned thin and she patted his cheek in a curt manner.
"If you want me that bad it shouldn't be a problem." She stated. "Just get one thing clear; when I like someone, it's for good. And I don't share. At. All." She stood up and brushed the grass from her legs, all trace of sadness gone from her. "If it's too hard for you, then fine, just say so. I've been perfectly fine without a man in my life for quite some time now, and I can continue as such until I'm ready to settle down." She walked away from Terebel and towards the circular building with a bounce in her step, and hummed lightly as Terebel sat in the grass making choked noises.
"Fine, I accept your challenge." Terebel said, standing up. Narlafayn glanced over her shoulder at him, and raised her eyebrows in surprise to find him staring at her in pure determination. "Just one request though..." He began, inching towards her, "...Reward my good behavior?" he gave her a puppy eyed look, and Narlafayn couldn't help but giggle.
"If you think you can handle little rewards here and there, fine. I can go by that." Narlafayn agreed, smiling at him.
"Reward me now?" he asked hopefully, taking on the aura of a puppy wagging his tail.
"Denied." Narlafayn stated, turning away from him. His shoulders dropped and he began to pout. "Pouting won't make me change my mind, I'm immune to you." She said without looking.
She stepped cautiously into the circular building and gazed up at the ceiling. A magic circle, one more complex than she'd ever seen before glowed on the ceiling and on the floor right below it. Just beyond that was another door that led into the Sea of Spores itself, little fuzzy specks of fungus floating into he building like snow.
"Shouldn't we wait for Ryonai and the rest before heading in?" Terebel asked, peering in around her. Narlafayn squinted, movement in the distance catching her attention. She stepped into the circular building just as Terebel was lifting a hand to stealthily feel her chest, and he snapped his fingers in disappointment.
"There's someone in there." She said, curiosity prompting her to take a closer look.
"Yeah, there are lots of Drakes and Giant Mushrooms wandering around in there." Terebel stated, raising an eyebrow. Narlafayn shook her head, still squinting into the sea, hoping to see it again.
"It was more bipedal." she murmured.
"There are zombies in there too of people who died when the Elves turned that land into what it is today." Terebel offered with a shrug. Not paying attention to him, Narlafayn took a deep breath before stepping out of the circular building and into the Sea of Spores. "Narla!" Terebel exclaimed, shocked that she'd go in without some sort of protection over her face. "Oh geez." Terebel panicked, and began searching his armor for any stray pieces of cloth. He found a handkerchief that some girl had given him after an encounter, and silently thanked himself for not throwing it away. Holding it to his mouth and nose, he silently cursed as Narlafayn was already fifty yards away from the safety of the barrier gateway, and barely visible in the spore fog. Drawing one of his dual swords, he held it in front of himself protectively as he ventured into the Sea after her.
Narlafayn looked around the Sea in wonder. It was silent as death in there, like the Elven Forest had been after the first snowfall of winter. Faintly she could hear Drakes call each other, and the rattling breathing of the rotted trees that had come to life with the Elves magic.
It was impossible to tell that she were breathing in spores, as they were so tiny and soft it was just like breathing normal air. Larger spores that reflected the dim light were kicked up from the ground as she walked, and floated through the air like dandelion fluff. There was grass beneath the spores, but it was dry and crunched slightly as she walked. Overhead there were giant roots which gnarled and twisted their way across the land. These were the roots of the Grand Mother Tree that the Elves used to live within. Now mushrooms and toadstools of all shapes and sizes grew from the wood instead of leaves.
Craning her neck back, Narlafayn began to follow one of the roots as it climbed higher, trying to find its source. "Narlafayn!" she heard Terebel call. Feeling strangely compelled to venture deeper into the Sea, she ignored him, and began to jog across the hilly ground towards wherever the root was taking her. A figure jumped out from behind a boulder and swung two blades at her. She dodged them easily; her eyes open in surprise as it seemed the person was having a hard time wielding them. Her attacker collapsed a second later, supporting himself up on the swords.
"Celleriant?" Narlafayn asked the Light Elf kneeling on the ground before her. His blonde hair still cropped off at his chin and still dressed in the blue armor she remembered him in from before, the Swordsinger known as Celleriant wearily lifted his head to look at her.
"Do I know you?" he panted weakly. Narlafayn kneeled in front of him and helped him sit upright.
"Of course you do, I'm Narlafayn, remember? We had...er...quite the adventure in the Maille Lizardman Barracks together?" Celleriant squinted at her, as if it were hard for him to focus. Sweat beaded on his face, which was the color of ivory. He was very obviously ill, but it was hard to say if it were the Spore sickness, or if he had just had a bad fight with one of the giant spiders that roamed around there. "Nevermind remembering me now," Narlafayn dismissed as Celleriant's face grew more and more frustrated as his mind couldn't seem to recall her. "I'm looking for an Elf named Cesa. She has kind of pinkish whitish hair in two thick pigtails...she likes to talk to trees like you."
"Her name is Cesa?" Celleriant suddenly asked, looking at Narlafayn with shining eyes. "She won't speak much to me, she says that the Mother Tree needs all of her attention." he said sadly. "I've been trying to protect her while she trances, but it's getting harder."
"Take me to her." Narlafayn urged, helping him to his feet.
"Narlafayn, what are you doing? You're going to get sick!" Terebel said, finally catching up to her and grabbing her by her arm. "Let's get out of here, Ryonai and the rest are probably wondering what happened to us…he might be pissed to find out that we came in without them." He tilted his head at Celleriant curiously and asked "Who's this?"
"Neither of us is in his clan, we don't have to do anything he says." Narlafayn stated simply, helping Celleriant walk. "This is Celleriant, he knows where Cesa is."
"That doesn't matter; you're still going to get si-woah, really?" Terebel asked in surprise. His voice came through the handkerchief he held to his face slightly muffled.
Narlafayn looked up as Celleriant lead them towards a tall, thick trunk, all that was left of the Grand Mother Tree besides her roots. Where it once had branches now were just spiked pieces of lumber, giving it a very demonic, frightening appearance. Seated against its base, pale enough to make her silvery pink hair seem bright, was Cesa. She had her head drooped weakly against the ridged bark of the trunk, and circles so dark that they almost looked like bruises graced the underside of her eyes. Her eyes large, Narlafayn handed over support duties of Celleriant to Terebel before darting over to her.
"Cesa…Cesa open your eyes." Narlafayn commanded, putting her hands on Cesa's cheeks and moving her head to face her. Cesa's head rolled weakly on her shoulders like a broken doll's. Narlafayn felt a lump rise in her throat; Cesa had Spore Sickness, and she had it bad.
Cesa made a raspy noise in her throat and opened her eyes weakly. "Narla? Are we in heaven?" she asked, her voice tired.
"Not quite yet, but you look like talking to the Mother Tree wore you out quite a bit." Narlafayn smiled, relieved that Cesa could still talk.
"Nonsense…she'll never wear me out, she's quite interesting." She replied, her own weak smile pulling on the corners of her mouth. She looked up as Terebel approached with Celleriant, and her smile dropped. "Why are you still here?" she asked Celleriant. A slight blush tinted his gaunt cheeks, and he let out a sheepish chuckle
"I couldn't leave you unprotected…I know how important it is for people like us to speak with the Grand Mother Tree." he said, his voice sounding just as raspy and tired as hers.
"Oh Shilen help me, what a pair you guys are. I'm surprised you're not dead yet." Terebel groaned, rolling his eyes. He helped Celleriant sit next to Cesa slowly, and then stood, shaking his head. "I never understood tree-huggers." he murmured.
"One of us needs to go get the group." Narlafayn thought aloud.
"What do you mean 'one' of us? I'm not going anywhere without you, I don't trust you to stay put anymore." Terebel grumbled. Cesa giggled weakly from her spot by the tree, her head rolling against the bark again.
"Narlafayn was never good to stay put." She slurred. "S'good to see she hasn't changed."
"You have the protection on your face to make a trip back and forth; I've already inhaled enough spores to where I might start showing symptoms any second now." Narlafayn said seriously, looking at Terebel. "I promise, I'll stay put with them, they need someone to protect them." She promised. She thought for a moment then added slyly "I'll give you a reward for good behavior if you do." Terebel's eyes widened for a moment, and then he glared at her.
"How the hell did I get so whooped so fast?" he grumbled as he turned away from her. "If you're not here when I get back then I get to pick my reward!" he said loudly over his shoulder as he walked back towards the barrier gate. There was a moment of silence in his wake before Cesa and Celleriant began to snicker.
"Rewards, huh?" Cesa giggled. "Can I tell Mune about that?" she added, surprisingly wicked despite her sickness
"Shut up you." Narlafayn glared, prompting more snickers from the pair.
"How long have you been together?" Cesa asked some time later. Narlafayn had begun to pace around them in agitation, worried at the amount of time it was taking Terebel to return with help.
"What are you talking about?" She asked only half paying attention. She paused as a large coin sized spider dropped down from one of the web-covered plants. She stomped on it without hesitation before returning to her pacing.
"You and that Dark Elf, you seem really close." She answered with a friendly smile. Next to her, Celleriant's head had drooped, and he faded in and out of what Narlafayn hoped was sleep. Narlafayn stopped walking to stare at Cesa with large eyes, unsure if she heard her right.
"I'm not 'with' anyone right now; he's just latched on to me for some reason." She responded in irritation. She kicked at the ground, sending little fungus spores into the air. "Where the hell is he?" she grumbled to herself. Her head had begun to pound, but she wasn't sure if it were from the spores or just from agitation.
"You're holding yourself back; I can tell he intrigues you." Cesa said warmly, her voice fading. "You're just scared." Narlafayn stopped pacing again to fire back an acidic retort towards her, but closed her mouth as she found she had fallen asleep as well. Her head leaned against Celleriant's, and Narlafayn smiled thinly at the cute picture they made.
Another coin-sized spider dropped down, this time from the Grand Mother Tree, and Narlafayn lifted her foot to crush it before it landed on the Elves. There was a sudden squeal that echoed across the silent land as the spider crunched under her boot, and Narlafayn turned her head swiftly towards it.
"What was that?" Celleriant asked, his voice slurred. He looked down at his arm and suddenly let out a cry of shock. More coin-sized spiders were emerging from the plants around them, and crawling on him. Narlafayn batted them off smoothly and smashed each one effectively.
"What is this?" she asked, stomping roughly on the arachnids. "Where are they coming from?" One the size of a small dog suddenly crawled out of a hole at the base of the Grand Mother Tree, and raised its two front legs in a similar attack fashion as its larger cousins and squealed. Just as it darted towards Cesa's arm, Narlafayn stabbed it through its head, pinning it to the ground. There was another squeal across the land, and suddenly everything began to shake, as if there was an earthquake.
Just as Narlafayn withdrew her sword from the still twitching spider and turned away from it, there was a whoosh of air, and something that felt like a tree trunk slammed into her abdomen. She was flung nearly fifty feet through the air, and landed on her back, her side clipping a boulder.
"MY BABIES!" a hissing voice cried. Narlafayn pushed herself to her feet holding her stomach and froze at what she saw. A woman, no, a spider-woman similar to Nerupa who lived in the Elven Forest stood near the Grand Mother tree and gently scooped up the impaled spider. Narlafayn could barely think, as the spider-woman had to be over a hundred feet tall. Narlafayn herself barely came halfway up her shin.
Celleriant was shakily pushing himself to his feet, one of his swords drawn. "Stay put you idiot!" Narlafayn shouted as he held the sword up protectively. The spider-woman squealed again and swung one of her arms, building momentum to hit him. Drawing her own sword, Narlafayn ran forward shouting, and drove it as far as she could into the leg of the spider-woman. She squealed and flung Narlafayn away again. Narlafayn rolled to her feet as quickly as she could and began running blindly, trying to lure the spider-woman away from Celleriant and Cesa. The ground began to shake as the spider-woman chased her, squealing loudly.
Large tarantulas began to emerge as she ran, and Narlafayn held up her shield to block their blows. Her sword was still lodged in the leg of the spider-woman, and Narlafayn cursed at how stupid her plan was now.
A slow-moving zombie wearing tattered Elven clothes of a traditional design wandered ahead of her, dragging a heavy sword. Thanking the luck of it all, Narlafayn grabbed it as she raced past, the zombie's arm tearing off and going with it. Shuddering inwardly she plucked it off as quickly as she could and tossed it over her shoulder. It smacked into the face of a tarantula, the finger going through one of the spider's eyes and causing it to squeal and roll.
Now armed once more, Narlafayn pushed herself up a hill and skidded to a stop, her sword ready. She gasped as she panted, noting in dismay how air didn't seem to reach her lungs properly any longer. The spider-woman and her children approached her slowly, and it suddenly occurred to Narlafayn that they were laughing in a strange way, by how their hissing squeals had changed. Feeling air blow by the back of her neck, Narlafayn turned around slowly. Her eyes widened and her sword dropped from numb fingers as she realized she had raced right into the spider's nest.
A large, thick spider web covered a cave hole that Narlafayn could only assume once led into the Elven Forest, from which dangled suspiciously human-shaped food cocoons. The most frightening part of it was not the spiders that emerged slowly from the rocky mountainside around the web, but the Riba and Raikel gathering around her.
Riba and Raikel were two kinds of spider-creature that were rare in the world. They were the product of Elves being fused with spiders be it intentionally through Giant's magic, or accidentally, as these were, through forbidden black magic. They stood half the height of the spider-woman on four pointed legs, and a sickly, fur covered, human-like body jutted from the center of these legs. Their heads resembled Nerupa's, and their arms had been replaced by trembling, short wings. Riba were the female of these creatures, Raikel were the male. Narlafayn looked around herself fearfully as the Riba, Raikel and tarantulas gathered around her closely. Her scream was cut off just moments after it left her throat, and all became dark.
"Dammit!" Terebel cursed loudly. He punched the trunk of the Grand Mother Tree angrily.
"That's my line." Ryonai said icily, sheathing his sword. Vuylay, Amari, Shizuka, Mune and Lavinia stood around him, all wearing matching expressions of distaste. They all wore strips of fabric around their noses and mouths, protecting them from breathing in the spores.
"Where is my sister?" Mune asked angrily, grabbing Terebel by his collar. "What have you done with her, slime?" she snarled. Terebel jerked himself from her grip roughly and glared while adjusting his clothes.
"They were here when I left them; don't get your feathered panties in a twist." He grumbled. Mune growled loudly and launched herself at him. Lavinia caught her around her waist and hefted her back, surprisingly strong for her size. "I told her to stay put, why can't she just stay put." Terebel glared, glancing around their surroundings. He didn't seem phased by Mune's attempted attack.
"I don't think she would've moved Cesa if she's as sick as you say she looked. Narlafayn may be absent-minded when she gets a case of curiosity, but she wouldn't leave a sick person behind without any protection." Vuylay stated, rubbing her arms. "Trust me, I know all about her wanderlust." She added grimly.
"Ryonai …there's blood here…" Shizuka announced with a tearful expression. Ryonai approached her and peered down at what she knelt near without expression.
"It looks like they were taken." He said, standing straight once again. "I think I know where they might've ended up then."
"Where?" Mune asked. She stopped struggling against Lavinia, and turned to face her Clan Leader.
"Orfen's Nest." He answered with a dark glare. "Narlafayn's not at fault this time, but that won't ease up the chewing out I'm going to give her when I find her." He stalked past the group and motioned for them to follow him.
"No respect for your elders I see…" Amari said in a light voice.
"Age has nothing to do with it, she acted irresponsibly." Ryonai snapped, not looking at him. Amari held up his hands slightly to show that he wasn't looking for a fight, and Ryonai sighed heavily. "Let's go, the sun will be up fully soon and I'd rather not be in here when the trees get hungry."
Narlafayn sat in a void of white light, looking around herself curiously. She had her knees drawn to her chest and hugged them. "Am I going to have a dream about that bright world again?" she asked no one, looking down. "I hope so; I want to see that guy, if only to hear his name again." She sighed, blowing a few strands of hair from her face.
The white suddenly turned black as if someone pulled the white from under her, and Narlafayn stood up quickly. She was no longer naked, and wore the black armor that she had worn in the vision she'd seen in the Orc Village. As she turned around, she saw a black-haired woman leaning over a blacksmith's smelting pit and reaching into it. She pulled something from it, whatever it was too tiny for Narlafayn to see, and cupped it tenderly in her hands as if she were carrying water. She walked gracefully towards Narlafayn and then through her, as if Narlafayn were but a ghost. Narlafayn turned again to follow watch her, her eyes widening as the woman approached a great red dragon that let out a purring noise as she passed.
"Take me there." The woman said to the dragon in a voice as smooth as water. The scene melted away and replaced itself with one of a silvery palace full of light. In a room slept a white-haired light elf, a girl barely into her teens. Narlafayn's brow furrowed slightly as she found the girl familiar, she just couldn't place how.
The black-haired woman suddenly appeared beside her bed, her hands still cupped. Narlafayn felt a surge of fear at the look the woman was giving the girl, and tried to shout at her to wake her. No sound came forth from her throat, and Narlafayn patted it in shock. The black-haired woman rose whatever she held to her lips and whispered something to it before dividing it, and pouring what she held in one hand onto the girl's chest.
Something that looked like liquid mercury slithered about on the girl's chest like a strange metallic snake for a moment before absorbing itself into her skin. The girl winced in her sleep slightly and shifted, but did not wake.
"Make me proud of you, Appylonia." The woman murmured to the girl before disappearing into the air. Narlafayn's eyes widened and she gasped lightly. Appylonia…the name that Sayha had told Narlafayn to remember…but who is she?
"Ma…ma…" a tiny voice came from Narlafayn's mouth. A tear escaped her eye which was still large, and her lips parted as it traced its way down her cheek to her chin. A dim memory of the same girl, only older, emerged in her mind's eye. Narlafayn saw her looking down at her fondly, and petting her hair gently. She winced before it continued, and the memory faded quickly.
Narlafayn began to wheeze, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. She attempted to put a hand to her chest, but found that her arms were bound tightly to her sides. This panicked her, and she began to struggle against whatever it was that held her. Her legs were also bound tightly together, and Narlafayn strained against the bonds. The world around her faded as she struggled, and replaced itself with a suffocating reality.
Narlafayn found that she couldn't open her eyes, no matter how hard she tried. Something was constricting her entire body, and she struggled against it. Her head pounded, and she felt as if she were hanging upside-down by her feet.
Let…me…GO! She shouted in her mind. She managed to loosen her bonds enough to wiggle her arms back and forth slightly, and did so with gusto, trying to force the rest to stretch more. The back of her hand clipped the pointed back skirt of her armor and she sucked in a breath as a sharp pain shot through it. Blood seeped out of the cut that was made, and Narlafayn felt in shock, the bonds melting away with it. She pushed her arm free and reached up to her face to pull whatever was on it, off.
Sticky spider's silk covered her entire body, and Narlafayn struggled to get her face free of it. She spit as her mouth emerged, and she took deep breaths. She looked up, which was essentially looking down at the ground, and sighed.
"This is great." She grumbled, swinging back and forth slightly. She had joined the ranks of spider food hanging from the giant web. There were six other human-shaped cocoons hanging near her in a perfect line, and a horde of Raikel and Riba standing beneath her, as if guarding the food. Narlafayn tsked and absent-mindedly wiped her bleeding hand across her bound leg. Her eyes shot open wide as she felt herself suddenly slipping out of the cocoon, and looked down (which was essentially looking up) to find that her blood had eaten another hole in the silk. She looked to the side and pursed her lips, an idea popping into her head. A grin that was almost maniacal spread on her face, and Narlafayn twisted her other still bound hand around back to grab her pointed skirt. She shut her eyes tightly as she squeezed the metal, commanding herself not to let go. Satisfied that she had cut into her skin deep enough, she released the armor and began pressing her hand into the silk. Just as it had done on the other side, the silk seemed to be weak to her blood and dissolved. She grunted as she attempted to reach up like a gymnast and grab the silk binding her feet, but found in dismay that she wasn't as limber as she would've like to have been. Sighing heavily through her nose, she frowned, swinging back and forth once again from her movement. Looking around herself, she attempted to formulate another plan, and her eyes lit up as one came quickly.
She began to pump herself back and forth, causing herself to swing like a pendulum. She stretched her arms out as she began to swing closer to the cocooned body next to her, trying to grasp it. Her fingers brushed the sticky silk on the sixth swing, but she came away with only a few strands stuck to her fingertips. Glaring at it, she urged herself into another swing and reached as far as she could as she neared the cocoon. She managed to grab onto it this time, and wrapped both arms around it before she could swing back far. She took a breath for a moment before slowly climbing up the length of the body until one hand gripped the silk rope attached to the cocoon's base. Pulling her knees to her chest, she grunted as she wiped her hand over the silk confining her legs. It released her quicker than she anticipated, and she scrambled to hold onto the cocoon. Her eyes widened as she heard the silk being eaten away, as she had forgotten for that one desperate moment and grabbed hold of the rope attached to the cocoon with both hands. She and the cocoon fell, Narlafayn landing on her feet for a moment before stumbling to her knees and then falling to her stomach. The cocoon landed with a thud, a grunt coming from underneath the silk. Propping herself up onto her elbows, she glanced over her shoulder at it curiously. The Riba and Raikel seemed blind to the fact that two of their food sources had suddenly dropped from the web, and Narlafayn thanked her luck once more.
Crouching next to the cocoon, Narlafayn saw through spots she had unintentionally bled upon that there was someone beneath the webbing wearing Doom armor like what Terebel wore. Panic rising unexpectedly in her throat she began to quickly rip at the silk around the person's head. She tilted her head and frowned as the face she exposed was not that of Terebel's, but a familiar human. She looked to the air as she scratched her chin, trying to recall where she'd met the man whose head she supported before.
"Blonde hair cropped at the chin…" she murmured to herself. Her eyes widened as she recalled her first visit to Talking Island several years prior, and she looked back down. "Gatz!" she exclaimed, shocked that she'd find Sir Collin's nephew in such a place.
Gatz winced with her voice and stirred, groaning lightly as he slowly opened his eyes. "Don't shout, it's making my entire body hurt." He said in a raspy voice. He blinked once at her with heavy lids before shooting upright with large eyes. "You!" he exclaimed before groaning and putting a hand to his head. "What are you doing here?" he asked, lowering his head to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"I'd like to ask you the same thing." Narlafayn said, putting her hands on her hips. Gatz raised his head quickly, his eyes large again.
"Is Sharmin with you?" he asked, not masking the hope in his voice. Narlafayn gave him a pitying smile and shook her head, feeling guilty at the disappointment the youth showed with this news. Narlafayn helped him to his feet, and he began glancing around the nest area. "Where's my spear…" he murmured to himself.
"Spear nothing; we've got to figure out how to get the rest of those cocoons down. I think my friends are up there." Narlafayn said, looking up to the line once more. Gatz followed her gaze and squinted as if the light hurt his eyes.
"Oh yeah…Koyori's probably up there too…" he said airily. Narlafayn lifted an eyebrow at his aloof attitude.
"You seem worried." She stated sarcastically. Gatz shut his eyes into a thin line and shrugged, his answer neither confirming nor denying her sarcasm. The ground began to shake beneath them and they both spun around wearing matching expressions of fear, recognizing Orfen's approach. The rumbling caused the Raikel and Riba to squeal and scatter, and one of the cocoons ropes snapped. Gatz noticed and raced forward to catch the body before it hit the ground, and fell on his side as the weight dragged him down.
"You're not Koyori." Narlafayn heard Gatz say after he cut the silk from the person's face.
"That's Cesa." Narlafayn half introduced, seeing Cesa's hair before her face. "Is she alive?"
"Yeah, she seems kind of sick though…" Gatz said, pulling the silk from the rest of her.
"Good, keep her safe." Narlafayn said, clenching and unclenching her fists as she braced herself for Orfen's appearance.
"Huh?" Gatz blinked, confused. "I hope you don't think you can protect us, your Mithril armor won't protect you at all from her. She'll pop you like a pimple!" he exclaimed. Narlafayn didn't answer, and shifted her feet until they dug an inch into the soil.
Orfen climbed the hill and made a beeline towards them, her body language giving away her anger at finding them loose. A squealing tarantula darted forward from between her legs and dashed towards them. Without thinking, Narlafayn raised a hand and caught one of the tarantula's legs as it was stabbed down at her. The blood on her hand smeared over the tarantula's skin, and Narlafayn took a step backwards as the Tarantula began to roll in pain, its leg suddenly decaying at an accelerated rate. Narlafayn stared at her hand in wonder for a moment before raising it again in preparation for another attack. She didn't understand why her blood was affecting the spiders like that, but she wasn't going to pass up a weapon when it was presented to her. In the back of her mind she recalled Vlad asking her about a blood condition, but she tried not to focus on it.
Orfen came to a stop and stood at the other end of the nest clearing. Tarantulas gathered around her legs, but she hissed at them every time they tried to dart forward. "Are they scared of you or something?" Gatz asked, holding an unconscious Cesa to his chest.
"Ambika…you have returned." Orfen said in a hissing voice similar to that of Nerupa's. Narlafayn looked around herself curiously before realizing Orfen was speaking to her.
"Who?" she asked, not lowering her hand.
"The god of Chaos came to tell us himself of your coming a hundred years ago, I had forgotten." Orfen continued, ignoring her question. "Have you returned to your master? Is the end in sight?" Narlafayn's eyes dotted with her questions, and she shrugged at Gatz who gave her a questioning look.
"Uh…yeah, I need to go return to him now…." Narlafayn began uneasily. "And I need to bring all of those cocoons up there with me as um…an offering. Mind cutting them down?" Orfen tilted her head at her as if considering her request.
"To whom are you taking them to? The god of Chaos does not desire such an offering. Do not rob my children of their food." Orfen stated. Well that didn't work. Narlafayn thought flatly, shutting her eyes for a moment. Narlafayn opened her eyes again and stood up straight, taking on an indignant air.
"I'll take these cocoons now. I assure you more food shall come to you to replace it. You won't even know its missing." She stated, thrusting her nose in the air like she'd seen the people of Heine do to her.
"Narlafayn!" Terebel's voice came from over the hill. Oh God… Narlafayn thought in panic. Orfen turned her head towards his voice just as he and the rest of the clan came into view. "Holy shit that's a big ugly lady." Terebel stated his eyes large. "Nice shaped body, but I ain't that desperate to do a hairy chick…"
"Food swap agreed. You may leave now Ambika." Orfen said. She swung her arm out in a wide arc and cut the remaining three cocoons from where they hung. Gatz raced back and forth like a circus performer trying to balance plates, attempting to catch all three. He was knocked flat on his back by the first, and the other two plopped on top of him in succession.
"Oh yeah, Koyori's in this first one." He grunted, trying to push the bodies off of him.
"What did she mean, 'food swap'?" Vuylay asked. There was a moment of silence as the members of Haibane awaited Narlafayn's answer, when Orfen suddenly let out a loud, commanding screech. The dozens of tarantulas from under her feet suddenly went stampeding towards Haibane, whom all screamed in unison and went racing back the way they came.
"That…can't be good." Gatz commented as he cut the silk off of the remaining cocoons. Koyori sat up groggily and looked around, not quite awake yet. Celleriant lay next to her as Gatz cut, coughing as he tried to pull the webbing from his mouth.
Desperation creeping into her chest, Narlafayn made a whimpering noise in her throat and glanced around the nest area. Just inside of the cave, behind the large spider web, was a pile of weaponry. Spying her sword amongst the glinting metal, Narlafayn dashed over to it and thrust her hand inside of the sticky silk to pull it free.
"Get them out of here." She commanded, finding her shield amongst the stolen weapons and putting it back on her arm.
"Wait a minute, would you stop trying to take on these monsters by yourself? I'm a Warlord for Einhasad's sake, I can help!" he shouted as she darted in the direction Orfen and her children had gone. She paused long enough to glance at him seriously over her shoulder, and he seemed to recoil a bit at her expression. Without a word she turned and raced down the hill, determined to catch up with them.
"What's the matter, why didn't you fight her? I can get everyone out of here." Koyori snapped, smacking him on the back of the head. He glared at her and held the stinging spot.
"Her eyes Koyori…" he murmured, scooting to the final cocoon. "They were black…even the whites. She's not….she's not normal." He began pulling at the silk, his mouth set in a thin line. He wasn't sure what he saw in Narlafayn's eyes, but for that fleeting moment, he had feared for his very existence.
Narlafayn raced through the Sea of Spores, so focused on catching up with the group that she never noticed the beasts that would try to chase her down before giving up due to her speed. The earth shake that accompanied Orfen as she moved was growing more pronounced, and Narlafayn could hear the Haibane clan as they attempted to outrun her through the sea.
"Dammit, which way leads back to the border?" she heard Mune shout. Narlafayn narrowed her eyes, and felt a strange, hot sensation building in the center of her chest. How dare Orfen attack her friends like that! If she couldn't behave herself then Narlafayn would just have to put a stop to her!
She skidded to a stop on top of a steep hill and looked down into the valley below it. Haibane stood in the center of a ring of tarantulas, Mune, Ryonai and Terebel facing them bravely with their weapons drawn. Lavinia and Amari stood with their muscles tensed, anticipation very apparent in their faces. Behind all of them, inside a small protective ring they formed with their bodies, were Shizuka and Vuylay. Orfen let out a screech, and the tarantulas converged in upon them.
Rage began to build inside of Narlafayn's chest and she screamed towards the arachnids. A fiery burst of energy erupted from her body and tore a line through the spiders, sending them flying in all directions.
"What the hell?" she heard Amari state as the spiders backed away in shock after the blast. "Where did that come from?" Feeling tired all of a sudden, Narlafayn kneeled, trying in vain to catch her breath. Had that many spores collected on her lungs to where she couldn't pull in breath properly any longer?
"Ambika, how dare you destroy my children?" Orfen screeched. "Have I not served the god of Chaos faithfully all of these centuries?" her hissing voice sounded almost tearful, and she turned to face Narlafayn. "I denounce my allegiance to Chaos! My children, kill her and avenge your brothers and sisters!" she waved one long, clawed arm as she spoke, and the horde of spiders changed their target from the clan to Narlafayn.
"Good God won't this end?" Terebel griped as Narlafayn pushed herself to her feet. Her head lowered, Narlafayn ran headfirst into the mass of spiders. "IDIOT!" Terebel shouted, jumping to his feet.
"She's snapped." Amari said, his eyes large. "Does spore sickness make one mad?"
Narlafayn's voice began low, and then crescendoed into a scream as she ran, and she drew her sword. Spider claws came down upon her as she went, cutting through her skin and armor, leaving gashes that almost immediately began flowing with blood. Reaching Orfen's feet, Narlafayn stabbed herself in her stomach in one smooth movement, and flung herself at Orfen's leg. She latched on with all the strength she had left, and clung onto the long hairs that grew there.
"NARLAFAYN!" she heard Terebel and Vuylay shout in fearful shock.
"Sorry…" she whispered, a faint smile touching her lips as her consciousness began to fade. Her hands slowly lost their strength and her grip on Orfen's leg hairs was loosened. Orfen jerked her leg backwards as she stepped away, and Narlafayn fell from her and into a heap on the ground. Stunned silence from both arachnid and mammal alike descended upon the Sea of Spores until Orfen began to squeal a loud screech. Her leg, where Narlafayn's blood had touched it, began to deteriorate and rot, as if it had died. She fell backwards onto her back, her long arms flopping and smacking into the mountainside as she flailed in pain. Boulders were dislodged, tumbling down and flattening many of her children.
"Nerupa, sister! Help me!" Orfen cried, her other arm slamming into the ground and squashing more of her children. The remaining tarantulas climbed over her body and began to eat through what remained of her leg at her hip, trying to detach the limb before the destruction reached her internal organs. Haibane darted towards Narlafayn, and Terebel plucked her from the spore-laden ground to clutch her to his chest.
"Airhead, help me." Vuylay commanded to Shizuka, holding her hands over Narlafayn's stomach. Shizuka gave Vuylay an unreadable expression before looking up at Ryonai, who nodded. She smoothed the back of her skirt underneath her thighs and took a breath before holding her hands over the wound as well. The combined strength of the two healers began to knit Narlafayn's self-inflicted stab wound shut quicker than normal, and she opened her eyes weakly.
"Terebel…" Narlafayn said in a tired voice, seeing him first as her eyes opened. Not saying anything, Terebel gripped her chin firmly between his thumb and forefinger, and lowered his head to kiss her. It was a hard kiss, almost painful, and conveyed the worry and fright that he had felt for her clearer than any words ever would have.
"Don't ever try to be foolishly brave like that again." He whispered, crushing her in a hug. Narlafayn stared weakly into the sky, watching the spores float to the ground like snow. She sighed and shut her eyes, raising one hand to place on his back.
"Un." She grunted her agreement, and shut her eyes in satisfaction.