Alright everyone here's another chapter for you all I hope you enjoy it I know the last one was kind of heavy this one moves things forward a little with some action. But guys I've actually been working on a few other projects as well as my own novel but Trust me when I say I will finish these storys This one in particular... still Im excited about one of the projects I've been working on hopefully I'll be able to share it soon. but Im sure you all just want to get on with the story so here it is everyone but as always
Read,Review,Enjoy \(^.^)/
Chapter 75: Another Step Forward
Waking to silence Skyler sat up to find the fire dead and Jade nowhere to be seen. Looking around she noted that the camp they had was left relatively undisturbed despite the darkness that surrounded her…still something felt wrong. The hair on her arms and neck lifted and her heart began to race…scanning the camp again is when Skyler realized that Asha wasn't here either…
Slowly she stood from her spot careful not to make any noise, she could feel herself being watched. Taking a deep breath she willed herself not to panick to fight and defend her self…slowly she inhaled again trying to get a read on the scent of whoever is watching. Her blood began to rush when realizing there were in fact many watching her…focusing on her hearing she waited with baited breath and then she heard it the slightest movement from above followed by the quietest of chittering…
With out much thought Skyler felt her magic rise and shot out blue flames upward, the flames lighting up the darken cavern. She found herself surrounded by dozens of spiders some of them a pale white…
They screeched both from pain and light, and Skyler sent more and more to keep them back. More screeching came and Skye summoned a ring of flame to help keep back the spiders that had crawled on the floor. Despite the moving legs and eyes she searched trying to find a sign of Jade and Asha Then she caught sight of a cacoon and cast her flame at the arachnid that held it.
It fell with a loud thud but wriggled a bit, looking back up torward the attacking spiders Skyler let loose a warning growl to the ones closest to attacking… they skittered back and so she threw out her blue flames sending them running off back into the darkness. When she was sure they were far enough away Skyler ran to the now squirming and rolling cacoon. Ripping it open she was met with and unfamiliar face…
"Oh thank the Mother for you're help stranger!" He exclaimed moving to free himself from his silken prison.
"Whats a Gnome doing here being dragged around by spiders?"
He blinked in surprised at the question only to rub at his neck sheepishly, "Traveling Im afraid. My party and I were ambushed on our way to Merchant's Peak."
"Merchants Peak where is that exactly?"
"Heavens girl don't you know where we're at now?" Skyler shook her head in answer. "Oh well we're in the Silken City."
"Silken…City?"
"Goodness do you not know the History of these roads? Or Are you an uplander?" Her confused look gave all the answer he needed. Then he paused looking at her as if hadn't been looking at her the last few minutes. Skyler backed away giving a glance to the lit cavern around them noticing the falling pieces of burnt webbing floating from above. She turned then moving quickly to pack the small camp.
"Your eyes-"
"I know what I am, and it's far from what you're going to say or think." She cut him off as she shoved her bedroll into her pack.
"Wait where do you think you're going?"
"To find my friends…they were keeping watch while I rested."
"It's no use, if the white spiders have taken them then they're already lost…we would be better off heading east there's an outpost there."
She whirled on him eyes narrowed, "I'm not leaving with out my friends. This isn't the first time I've dealt with giant spiders." She paused stepping toward the Gnome. "Why would these white ones be any different?"
"I take it you were raised up on the surface?"
She nodded.
"Those are Horned Widows girl, they're armored and their bite vicious…their stinger alone would be enough to kill a man that's not including their venom. What do they teach you up there?"
"Nothing apparently."
"Are you mocking me?"
"Look who ever you are, I'm sure you'd very much like to be on your way so go but I'm not leaving these damned tunnels until I find my friends."
"Malvim my name is Professor Malvim." He sighed, "I'm afraid I won't make it on my own. I know these passage ways-"
"Then lets hurry doesn't matter what kind of spider we find a spider is still a spider." Slinging her bag Skyler took in a deep breath focusing on the acrid scent above…then she focused more on Jade's scent…it reminded her of fresh pine on a cool winter day, though faint it was there and she followed where it went.
Taking off in full sprint Skyler realized she had to slow for Malvim, she turned to look at him deciding it would probably be better to carry him. He of course resisited the idea of being carried like a babe but settled after her argument, soon they were off at a steady pace Malvim telling her of the dangers that apparently lurked here, where these path's led and so on.
Following Jade's scent soon became easier as it grew stronger, though there was anger and frustration in it. They came to a tunnel its arching entrance covered in webbing thick darkness covering what lay inside. However before entering shuffling came from their left and Skyler set Malvim down handing him her pack (more like tossing), he moved to stand behind her and Skyler readied herself for a spider.
Instead what she faced with was a familiar set of eyes that mirrored her own in color, "Asha" the young dragon lifted her head but stay in a defensive stance. She sniffed at the pair momentarily and Skyler noticed the dilated pupil and the glaze in those eyes.
"She's been stung with the paralyzer…. Be slow, she won't know friend from foe." Malvim whispered.
Nodding Skyler lowered cooeing at her young friend, "Asha come…its me Skye"
Asha sniffed again taking a step forward seemingly recognizing either her scent or voice which ever it was Skyler was happy for it. When close enough she scooped her up and hugged her close feeling the light tremble… "It's okay…it's okay…I'm here."
Asha cried and chittered between growls but Skyler held her close before turning to the gnome watching. "How long will this last?"
"Letting her sleep it off is best."
Nodding Skyler settled Asha at his feet petting her head softly, "Watch her."
"Wait…you're not seriously thinking about going in there are you?"
x-x-x
Finding Marie down in her workshop Hermione watched her work momentarily before clearing her throat making her presence known.
"Yes?" the older witch asked neither looking up nor stopping in her work.
"Is it true?" She began, "About those that live outside Ministry Laws? MACUSA?"
"It is though most would tell it nonsense to think other wise. Even to this day there are those that follow the old ways though now it more like a badly kept secret to those that know where to look."
Walking over to the table Hermione chewed her lip nervously unsure of how to precede. She has many questions of course but not the time to learn everything she wants…and coming to be mentored by Marie she has well learned that asking the wrong questions will get her no where. "I suppose it shouldn't be so hard to believe…after all everything that I've learned so far as been turned upside down…" She paused then a slight chuckle bubbling to the surface. "The history taught us is bias but looking for truth means learning things we might not like."
"Very wise thought…but is it the truth or answers you're looking for?"
"Truth….no matter how much I might not like it…"
"And why is that?"
"To understand the truth will help to understand myself."
Marie stopped then turning to face her pupil, thoughtful look about her features though her eyes black storms of knowledge coming forth followed by understanding. Putting the mortor and pestal down Marie walked over toward the middle of the room snapping her fingers summoning two chairs and two books one a tome covered in dust, another wrapped in weathered paper. "Come and sit with me."
Moving to take a seat Hermione watched as the tome opened before them to read, the page opened to her and she found herself faced with a picture of a young woman with glasses not much unlike herself, beneath it the name Evelyn Stone, the page beside it a quick summary on her life. "My father has this same picture in his study…" Hermione mentioned dragging the tips of her fingers along the moving picture.
"She's no older then you in that photo."
Brown eyes scanned the page noticing the date…if she hadn't known what she did of wizarding society then she would have suggest the date upsurd and impossible but knowing the lifespans of wizards and witches well…it made sense.
"This was taken after the second war…" Marie hummed, "She was very adamant in returning home."
"Wasn't she on the frontlines?"
"Many times, but her last mission she was sent here to help stop the war from spreading across the sea."
Nodding Hermione asked what she had wanted since finding out, "What makes the name Stone so precedent?"
Instead of answering Marie turned to the next page and Hermione gasped watching as both pages blank at first started filling in with a family tree not unlike the one she had seen in Grimmauld Place. Brown eyes widened in shock at the names of the people in her family line all through her grandmother… "But this can't be true…can it?"
"It is common knowledge little lion that victory is so often written by the victors… though it's often forgotten that history is always rewritten…retold by those who weren't there to live through what transpired and so the truth is hidden…the truth of our world is hidden…its written in the very blood of your kè ou . "
"History is a set of lies agreed upon…" Hermione whispered looking up to her mentor.
"So what are you going to do?"
Taking in a deep breath, Hermione looked to covered book. "Whats that?"
x-x-x
Taking a deep breath Skyler kept moving knowing she was being watched and tracked the entire time, but she couldn't stop now she was getting closer to finding Jade. The chittering no longer quiet as to the arachnids there was no need she had walked in to their home… The lycan's scent mixed and bled through the decay of this place so Skyler followed it suredly until coming to a sight she still couldn't quite believe despite everything she's seen in her life.
Jade casting spells while dodging and diving away from a spider that was four times the size of the temple guardian. A pale white in color with horns along the center of its body, the horns smaller then expected but its armor twice as thick. The guardian spiders tried their best to help what Skyler could only guess whas their queen and didn't hesitate to jump into the fray when they came up from behind the half witch. Blue flame burst from her hands and she summoned a ring to keep the bulk of the warrior spiders back.
"Asha?"
"Safe…we need to get out of this nest."
"If you can keep that up we can make a way out."
"That won't stop her from trying to kill- move!" Skyler pushed Jade as a long armored leg came down trying to pierce them. Pinned to the ground Skyler used her strength to push the leg off of her chest, as Jade sent a spell out hitting the queen spider on her underbelly. The large arachnid reeled back with a pained screech backing away from them; Skyler now on her feet sent a stream of blue flames to keep her back.
"We need to get out of here or kill her!"
"Killing her will scatter her horde….I can keep her contained with my fire but you need to pierce her butt that's where her heart will be."
Looking to each other they settled on that and acted, Skyler summoning more flames encircling the queen and burning away any webbing she used to try and make an excape upward. Jade try as she might had to keep the spider's eyes off her in order to get underneath.
Summoning a javelin of ice Skyler tossed it to keep focus on her sending the flames right after. Another screech as the giant spider reeled on her hind legs and Jade moved in only to fall back when the stinger was used as a defender.
"Her venom is lethal Jade don't let her get you!"
"How do you know that?!"
"Lets get out of here first."
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