Hello loyal fans still reading my story. I didn't really feel like posting my chapter today after hearing some tragic news, but I held off on writing this chapter for five years and after feeling some inspiration finally managed to post it. I'm also surprised in just two days I wrote more than I've ever written in the previous chapters, and without help on it. Long live Spider Riders and hope you enjoy.
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Duck's rider was right about where Lumen would wake up in. There was nothing he said that made Lumen think he would be put anywhere else than a holding cell.
In this cell he had two different doors: the one in front of him interconnected to long strong bars and the strong bars where he was stuck with another helpless damsel; the first one being him with how hygienic he was.
She seemed to be a girl from a different kingdom, had clean-cut violet hair but with a tiara around it with an orange flower-esque emblem on it, red tunic with intricate light armor white on the top with a blue sash from her midsection flowing down her legs held by a cincture.
Being the womanizer and self-proclaimed ladies' man he was...Lumen attempted to chat-her-up.
"Don't worry. Your king is here to make sure your safe. If they threaten to torture you to get me to talk...I'll sing like a canary so they don't hurt a pretty arm or leg of yours."
She glared at him just like many have before-being rich and famous never worked at picking up girls-but she actually smiled after that searing red fury in her eyes looked intense under the light.
"I'm here because I tried to fight them. If I'd known beating that spider rider would take me here...I'd just turn around and walked away. You go ahead and tell me how your Prince Lumen, how your a valiant spider rider who fought alongside Hunter Steele against Invectid leader Mantid, or other venal attempts at wooing me. If your not a girls type...just be her friend, and all good friends just ask a question about how they can improve themselves."
"Interesting proposition." He replied nonchalantly, even though inside his heart was tangled with his forlorn woe. "Maybe showing you my Battle Spider would change your mind."
She let out a big laugh on that. "You really think your manacle can work in this prison cell?"
He had a big surprise for her, and that surprise would have to be shown later because the door creaked open and two strangers walked in. One was the rider of Duck from the party and the other was a female soldier. Although her eyes were covered by her helm her skin was perfect much like her curves and that was easy to see with her strip on red uniform. She carried spear, daunting but just a prop compared to what was forever clasped to his wrist.
"Prince Lumen, oh thou why aren't you King Lumen yet?" He said in a flippant manner. "I hope your room is comfy."
"It is, and my roommate is delightful." He replied in his forever flippant demeanor.
"Your probably wondering why Corona isn't in the cell next to yours looking at me with that glowering mean look of hers. She's safe, but why put two Spider Riders together when one is trouble enough."
Lumen's sly smile turned into an aghast stare.
"I thought it was only me you wanted?"
"You really think I want a overgrown child who still gets called 'Prince'? Although you have some value the real prize is the honey-color lady sleeping a few stories below you."
Lumen was a downtrodden noble trapped...outwardly. All he needed was to bid his time and wait for Duck's rider to leave.
XXX
It seems not only with training but in speed Hunter and Magma were capable of racing at the same pace. The surly Shadow loped ahead of the reticent Brutus managing to reach Richard first.
"I'm first, Hunter's second, Brutus third, and Magmus fourth." Shadow gloated.
It was met with silence until the giant spiders sank their spindly legs into the ground so their rider's could jump off. First one to approach Richard was Magma.
"Is that behind you the robot we've been chasing?" He asked.
"Why don't you kick it in its shin and find out; too bad it's too big for your feet to touch. Yes we did manage to overcome the robot-Igneous and I-but don't let your guard down. We need to warn your prince about this."
Hunter lowered his head trying to hide the resentment he had for having to greet Lumen like one of his servants. A servant would never win Corona's heart-she needed a warrior to complete that.
He didn't get to wallow in his bitterness; Richard was dragging him to Shadow's back and dragging him on, arms around the young boys' midsection the same as Igneous.
"You two were late so you'll take us back to Arachna Castle." Richard told him.
Hunter was unresponsive, too busy recollecting all his happy moments with Corona so all the bad ones didn't hurt so much while it was Shadow who outstretched his spindly legs before hoping off the ground. This time though Brutus big and short was getting ahead of him, Igneous also holding Magma's torso.
"Hunter? May I ask you a question?"
"A question? Really? Right now?"
"Yes. Your first name is Hunter and your last name is Steele. What is your middle name?"
"No one's asked me that before. It's Rubert."
"Hunter Rubert Steele? You do know that's three six's in your name. Six-six-six...I can see now why some say you were destined to be the disaster of the inner world."
Before Hunter could argue they arrived at Arachna Castle; not by coincidence he asked a question while they were close to the castle the sneaky mentor Richard. In the entrance with all the not as rich denizens, they were scurrying around acting like rabbits chased by dogs. This was weird, and returning Shadow and Brutus to their manacle's didn't stop them from yelling.
"This is kind of weird." Hunter murmured softly to Igneous.
"Maybe their just racing to find an invitation to Lumen's party." Igneous half-joked.
"I think it's more the apocalypse: Lumen finding a lady to get betrothed to." Magma chuckled.
Affixed to the four Spider Riders were the violet eyes of Princess Sparkle-everyone running around her body but not pushing into her. She approached Igneous out of the quartet.
"My brother has been taken, what can we do to save him?"
"We'll find him, Sparkle." Igneous assured her. "Take us to the room he was abducted in."
XXX
Lumen was at a time where he could unleash the full potential of his flirtatious aptitude, however, he couldn't do it while his knight and good friend Corona was held hostage somewhere. Even if he could slither out of his bars the female guard stayed still guarding the only door out of the prison.
"C-Can you please...hold my hand."
His stammering actually brought a bit of commiseration between her and Lumen. She grabbed his hand, naturally assuming he was going to try to make her touch his cheeks. Although, he had another request:
"Can I please know your name?"
"It's..." She had a toad in her throat trying to tell him her name. "It's Briar Quartz."
He tapped her hand. "That's a nice name. Briar Quartz-"
"Birch."
"Huh?"
"My full name is Briar Quartz Birch. I'm embarrassed by it but since we're going to die...you might as well know it."
"You know what I think? Spider...IN!"
Like an axe pike from Hunter or a bludgeon weapon wielded by Magma something big crashed through the wall! Briar Quartz flinched at the sudden collapse of the wall, but her eyes flared with joy seeing that it was none other than Prince Lumen's spider Ebony.
"But how? This room inhibits any rider from summoning their spider!" She exclaimed.
"Yes." Lumen closed his eyes and paced around the room explaining how Ebony came to be. "I knew I'd be attacked at a party, comes with being a royal and a Spider Rider, so I summoned Ebony out before the festivities knowing if I was taken...he would track me down and rescue me."
Lumen's act of course was viewed by the soldier ironically with a helm covering her whole eyes. While she darted out of the room to request help he was squandering on Ebony after leaping through the hole he made in the wall. And now, he stared at her with the bright eyes of freedom twinkling in his eyes.
"Well...are you coming with me? I'll take you as far as you need to go, and then...I'm going back to rescue my friend."
She wasted no time reaching for the princes' hand and pulling herself on the rear, clasping her arms around the smaller boy's torso. Her hands were tight...getting tighter when Ebony's legs let go of the wall and they plummet towards the ground!