A/N: Monstrous spiders! Yes, yes, this is my favourite chapter so far!
it seems I know a little bit too much about spiders… Spider anatomy names used in this chapter :
*Chelicera- The main section of the jaws (sometimes filled with venom) that connects to the tip- the fangs
*Cephalothorax – the front half of the spider where all its eyes and legs are. Its stomach and brain in this 1/2
*Abdomen – the second half that shoots out webs and houses the heart and lung-slit.
BioWare own everything! I'm just playing in their dragon and darkspawn-filled sandbox.
Chapter 6 - Thee Queen of Arachnids
A bloodcurdling screech reached Hawkes ears.
"What in the Maker's name was that?!" she asked herself out loud, as she hurried to the window of the bedroom to look for the source of the noise. "Looks like… a spider" She answered herself unsurely, squinting at the massive beast moving through the trees.
Her eyes seemed to instinctively jump to her brother falling to his knees and that white-hair elf turning himself into a living shield before slaying a smaller version of the huge creature that was charging towards them from the east.
She blanched, lead filled her heart and stomach. A absolutely ginormous Queen spider was coming for her brother and her elf.
Golden orbs frantically searched the room for one of her brother's weapons. Of course she had no idea how to use them, but if she could get to them before that beast did…
Her eyes fell on a set of daggers and the battered shield in the corner. Perfect. She swiftly picked it up and made a move for the doors when a pair of glowing hand prints on the stone caught her eye.
A puzzled expression covered her face. Lyrium. It has to be but how- ? No, Hawke thought, it can't be. No one but dwarfs can get near the stuff without going completely bonkers….
No time to figure out how that got there right now.
She bolted as fast as her legs could carry her.
The ginormous raging Spider Queen and 5 of her lieutenants came into view. She clambered over the pile of her children's corpses letting out another screech that seemed to be a command to sick her lieutenants on the trio of boys.
The Tevinter side-skipped the chelicera* the size of human arms of the first lieutenant, and landed a double Pommel Blow to it at the same time as the Warden to each side of its 'face', the Swordsman then swooped in and divided the critter at its centre.
The second spat its sticky web at the elf's feet, holding him to the ground. When it reared up to sink it's fangs in, Alistair swung his sword and sliced off one of the chelicera and Carver glided in front of the elf and crammed the blade up through the creature's mouth, brain and out the other side.
The third screeched as its many eyes were sliced open by The Grey Warden but continued to attack more aggressively than before. One of its flailing limbs kicking Carver's sword a distance away from him, feeling extremely exposed and vulnerable he pressed his back against the elf's and tried not to hyperventilate –if I live through this these flaming spiders are going to haunt my dreams for the rest of my life! "Swordless!" he rasped.
"You're not supposed to lose that y'know" Leto chuckled, his back vibrating through the leather of their armour which was strangely calming for the blue eyed human. "Can you get my feet unstuck?" he asked as he cut off one of the lieutenant's legs "There's a dagger in my right- Arrgh" he howled as jaws chomped down on his hip. "boot."
Said dagger was in the youngest Hawkes' hands in seconds, and being driven multiple times through one of the chelicera a second later making the creature screech and let go of elven flesh.
He dropped onto his hands and knees behind Leto both to provide a bit of balance for the elf while he fought against the creature and to keep himself hidden while he worked on removing the web. The web was rather difficult to remove, so thick and sticky the blade hardly cut through it. He got one foot mostly free of its slimy prison as the third spider dropped inches from his face splattering him with blood.
He desperately tried to shove down the scream and bile crawling up his throat. 'Conquer you fear or die, Carver'
Leto kicked his left foot free of the thick white goo.
"Make a run for your sword" Alistair commanded, dragging the raven haired human up roughly by the shoulder and shoving him in the direction of the sword, he staggered half-crawling over to it.
"Queen incoming!" Leto barked, trying desperately to tug his other foot free. "Venhedis!"
"Carver!" Hawke shouted, hurling the shield at him as hard as she could and shooting a Spirit Bolt out her hand when it didn't look like it was going to make the distance. "Catch!" He turned just in time to have the wooden shield knock the wind out of him as its curved face slammed into his stomach and chest.
The Queen screeched angrily at them for killing its children. It reared up on its four back legs before charging at Leto, the elf has just freed his feet in time to roll beneath her. In the creatures momentary confusion of where its prey had disappeared to give the elf a perfect opportunity to land a Back-Stab to the abdomen and Alistair hacked off one of its left legs.
The fourth and fifth lieutenants descended on them from the Queen's back.
The Queen flicked Alistair into the tree nearby as if he weighed no more than an ant.
The group was split.
Shit.
"Hey!" Hawke screamed, she drew in a breath, focusing and shooting a Spirit Bolt at the ginormous hairy beast.
Wondering what had just hit it, the creature turned its attention on the blonde. "Yeah, that's right! Over here you ugly fuzz-ball!" She smirked, throwing one of the daggers and hoping it hit the creature. "Come and get me"
A distraction! Leto breathed But why is the mage helping me?
The elf and The Warden used this momentary distraction to close the distance between them and the youngest Hawke with a few pained strides. With a shield in their team again and their formation back together the fourth lieutenant fell quickly.
The distantly familiar wave of healing magic lapped at the Tevinter's hip, closing it partly. He hissed, the magic hurt more than the wound itself did.
The battle with the Queen seemed to play out as if time had slowed.
Carver fell onto one knee, smashed his shield against the fifth spider lieutenant. Alistair sent a Pommel Blow to the top of its head. A look passed between the elf and the youngest Hawke, a curt nod and a move that looked like it had been previously choreographed followed. Leto stepped on the Swordsman's risen thigh, up onto his shoulder and over onto the stunned spider.
Somehow knowing what the crazy Tevinter's plan was and Hawke not wanting to see her elf walk right into the deadly jaws. She summoned mighty Spirit Bolt that zapped off two of the Queens legs, putting the spider off-balance, falling forward and face-planted into the ground with an angry hiss.
With her huge jaws filled with dirt she gave Leto that spilt-second of opportunity to make the leap from the lieutenant's abdomen to the Queens 'head' and snatch up her crown in a fluid movement he had the legendary jewels hooked on to his belt.
With a triumphant smirk on his face he drove the long blade of his sword into the flesh and staggered across the Queens now moving Cephalothorax* with his blade leaving a jagged welt in his wake.
Hawke threw the last dagger; it hit the side of the Queens insanely large abdomen. Leto bent to grab onto the daggers hilt as he came to it and slammed his sword into her silky flesh as she bucked underneath his feet trying to knocking him off.
Carver had a fresh wave of adrenalin soar through his aching limbs seeing his best mate dangling off the side of the thrashing monster, he charged towards the Queen with his gore covered sword raised, shouting, "You will not have him!"
Leto tore open two long gashes into the flesh one considerably deeper than the other. He was showered in green-black blood as he was sent clattering to the hard ground with a sickening crunch.
The Queen screeched. It staggered around, turning on its white-haired prey; a malicious glint in its many eyes.
The agony from the multiple broken bones and the burning of blood pumping out of all the lacerations hit him all at once now the adrenalin had ran dry in his veins.
The stench of burning spider flesh filled the air.
The elf struggled to keep consciousness, his vision fading in and out with '5' blurry angry Queens taunting him every time his eyes peaked opened.
The three blades, Spirit Bolt and Lightning Bolt had all came at the Queen simultaneously to bring the mighty beast down.
Bethany raced into the clearing after hearing all the horrid noises the ginormous beast was making. She ran to her sisters side, Hawke summoned the strongest Spirit Bolt she could and Bethany bringing forth a large angry deep red Lightning Bolt. They sent both spells hurtling at the Queens open mouth to sizzle its brain.
The raven-haired human used the daggers still lodged low on the Queens abdomen as foot holds to climb a small way up onto her. He could see the long red-grey heart pulsing wildly through the deep gouge the elf had created with his sword. With a strained battle-roar he put his arm almost shoulder deep inside and plunged his sword into it.
The familiar battle-roar reminded the elf this was no time for a nap. He lifted his blade up lethargically, ignoring his broken shoulder screaming at him, he aimed blindly sliced open its Cephalothorax from underneath as the creature loomed over him, spilling the half-digested goo from the Queens last meal over the ground by his legs.
Alistair raced along its left side taking off the 3 remaining legs on that side so its dying form would fall to the side instead of crushing the elf on the ground directly below it.
"Nothing like a brush with death to make you…..Not like death very much" Alistair remarked, strangled humour danced in his tone.
"'ey," Leto gurgled urgently, blood dribbling out the corner of his mouth. "Elf… dyin' ov'r 'ere"
The eldest Hawke was momentarily torn between wanting to finish the spiders work and beat the elf to death for making her go almost insane with worry or hugging/kissing the elf to death because of the overwhelming relief he was alive.
If Carver's leg hadn't been broken when he hit the ground after stabbing the Queen in the heart he'd have ran over and hugged the elf tightly to his chest while giving him a piece of his mind about chasing after legends. Instead all he could do was army-crawled his way through a few spiderling bodies before collapsing next to the hairy corpse of one of lieutenants, his arm out-stretched towards the Tevinter. "Hang in there buddy"
How was he even still breathing with his left side caved in, shattered shoulder, a large jagged wound on his right side that wrapped around from belly-button to his spine and all that blood running down from that gash on his forehead into his mouth?
"I.. I can't heal him on my own" she cried, clasping her hands together and looking to the sky "Maker, help me."
Bethany ran to Dane's refuge as fast as she could, thanking The Maker her sister and brother were still alive and that fate had lead Wynne to be staying at the Inn for two days before she went on her way back to the Circle. She barged into the room screaming the old mages' name and practically shoving her out the door in her haste to get the Healer to the wounded.
Forgive me, Hawke thought, I found something to give me the strength to me keep him alive. I can't chance Wynne not getting here in time. He is mine. I will not let him die!
Hawke knelt next to Leto, scrunching up her face as stomach goo, spider and elf blood soaked through the material at her knees. She glanced quickly over his battered form, deciding the ribs and hip needed attention first.
She breathed deep through her mouth to avoid the smell of death as much as possible.
"Hawke" Leto wheezed, feeling her mana shifting under the skin he urgently held a hand palm-up to signal 'stop'. "M'sorry. I tried… t'be a good frien' " he babbled deliriously thinking he was surely dying.
An elegant purple-grey skinned horned creature appeared before her and offered her something she couldn't refuse.
Instinctively he tried to shift away, his lyrium scars screaming warnings at him with the sudden surge of magic gathering in Hawke.
She focused, letting the creature of The Fade's magic soar through her, casting a shocking amount of green out of her hands.
His insides felt like they were being barbequed under the intense blast of Hawkes magic. "Stop!" He howled, making an attempt to slap her hands away from him "Magic.. burns. Uggh. Stop!"
She was almost blinded by the light bursting through the skin of the elf's un-gloved hand. "Leto, your hand is…. Glowing" she observed, hissing, and moving one hand to shield her eyes from the intense light.
He sent his knee as hard as he could into her jaw. "Get off me!" The Tevinter grunted, trying to twist his body away from the mage before her hands came back.
He felt as useless as a fish flopping about on land. He whimpered, "Stop, please, Stop!"
"I can't stop." She leaned down to place a kiss to the cut on his forehead. "I'm saving your life you crazy elf," her voice was dark, a demonic undertone taking over her normally light, fun tones.
"Now, stop squirming" She lunged at him, hands forcefully pushing at his chest pushing the broken shoulder into the rocky ground beneath him.
He howled, a strangled, desperate and tortured sound much like the cry of a dying dragon.
Why couldn't I have just died when I had the chance….? Carver is most likely dead of a heart-attack or crushed when the queen fell.. I.. I killed him. After everything he has done for me, I repay him with an early grave.
Carver had clasped his hands over his ears, but that did little to stop Leto's tortured screams from piercing his soul. "Hawke stop it!" Carver screamed hoarsely, "Can't you see that you're hurting him?!"
And Hawke is…. Possessed by some kind of Demon? I tried to protect them, replace what was broken, and help them build a better life with the coin the Crown of Arachnid-oria would bring in… But I've ruined the both of them Leandra will never forgive me if I live through this….
A warm tear rolled over his cheek cutting a path through the blood and grime on his skin. He struggled against the blonde's hold as he felt another wave of magic zapping at his insides.
He heard something moving behind him, he arched his neck, rolling his head back to find a pair of glazed pale blue eyes staring at him intently. Carver?
The raven-haired human pulled himself through another puddle of spider gore, coming to rest before the upside-down pair of green eyes. Elven fingers stretched shakily towards the human, a feather-light touch to the pulse-point of the neck, He's alive.
He's checking to see if I'm okay when he's going through hell? That damn elf and his twisted loyalty complex. He frowned as the hand fell away, the elf clutching at his broken torso instead, a pained moan escaping him as magic assaulted him again. "Don't die on me." Carver whispered urgently to him. "The mighty Tevinter elf is not immortal you know, but you can't let a little over-grown spider beat you."
Leto chuckled wheezily; the loose bones fragment rattling around inside him made him feel like he was a piñata, "I like t'think I am" He tried to create his trademark smirk through his intense discomfort before coughing up blood.
"Knock m'out woul' you?" Carver blinked at him, puzzled trying to decode the elf's gargles. "Please? Arrrgh" the elf's body convulsed inward, ribs re-connecting themselves to the spine.
He rolled his head back to shoot a glare at the Swordsman that said 'If you don't. I will' he threatened silently, started to curl his fingers into a fist.
He'd seen that glare before. "Don't be stupid" Carver huffed, reaching over and grabbing the elbow of the elf, halting the attempt to punch himself in the face.
"Shut up, brother!" Hawke spat at them, the Fade creature sending a Spirit Bolt at Carver's chest.
His forehead dropped on to Leto's skull a pained mewl rumbling his throat at the contact. Dazed from the spirit bolt Carver found himself idly plucking bits of spider gore from the white locks.
The elf made a sound halfway between a hiss and a moan trying to roll his head so he could see what the youngest Hawke was doing back there. His voice a low rasp, " …Wha're you doin'?"
"Trying to decide the best place to land a head-butt. All the good places have spider guts on them though" He mused in a soft whisper as if it was the most normal conversation in the world.
Leto snorted.
Bang!