7. When Is It Okay To Kill?...
Sorry for the long gaps in between updates, It's been hard lately between work and muse ^^; hope you enjoy.
As the wind blew, the strands of spider silk danced on the air currents like an eerie ballet accompanied by the undertone of whispering breezes making Link force himself to not shiver from the haunting sensation of this wide open place that was so devoid of anything but earth and spider silk. The entryway disappeared behind him as the tunnel arched and curved into the hard earth but there was no lack of light, if anything the whole area seemed to be illuminated by the light reflected off the spider silk itself. With the sounds of the wind drifting through the gorge very few sounds actually reached Link even though he was sure the spiders were skittering across the rocky walls below.
Link made his way further down the twisting path before coming to a sharp corner bending to his left deeper into earth while patches of webbing could easily be seen around the edges. Expecting an ambush Link readied his shield in front of him knowing that the space would be too tight to make reliable use of his bow. Carefully he walked around the corner with his sword prepped before jumping to the side facing directly down the path where a great, menacing... nothing was there. Link slowly lowered his shield confused but shrugged as he looked at the webbing that covered the walls of the tunnel, all of his training made him sure that he would've been attacked but it seemed that he was wrong.
"Better safe than sorry I guess..." Link commented under his breath as he took a step down the path when he heard a rustle from above him. "Fuck.."
Reacting as fast as he could Link raised his shield above him and braced it with his body ready for the impact but underestimating the weight as the blow took him to the ground. A screech rang off the walls as Link blinked the light from his eyes after hitting the ground and while he knew he was fighting spiders he hadn't quite known what to expect, the arachnid that he held away from his face by his shield was at least half the size of shield bigger than the shield and its long legs slid off the back side of the iron shield unable to get a grip while it's mouth dripped green slime and snapped at his face while it's red eyes glared at him fiercely like the creature was created specifically to kill him.
Another close snap shocked Link out of his trance and he let go of his sword and grabbed hold of his forearm before pushing hard with the shield as his voice rang through the passage way. With his adrenaline on high, Link lifted the spider from his body and to the side smashing it against the cave wall and splatter it against the hard stone beneath the thin layer of webbing before rolling away and grabbing his sword coming up in a crouch. The spider's legs twitched as they either stuck to the wall or laid upon the ground around the edges of the crimson and lime green splatter mark.
"Had to be fucking spiders..." Link muttered while wiping the green slime from his cheek knowing it was most likely venomous so he made sure to keep it away from his mouth before wiping it on the spider silk. With a silent realization Link looked at his shield and growled seeing it was now dripping with the goo of the spider he had slain, His gaze looked from the wall to his shield to the silk covered wall and almost pressed the face of the shield against it to try and wipe it off but stopped before it could touch it thinking it would be better to wait rather than testing the adhesive of the webbing.
Now that he knew they attacked him from any angle Link became more aware of the ceiling as he made is way down the dark path feeling it curve back around in the direction Link had entered the caves from. However as he went deeper Link expected less light but it became brighter instead and he could see why as he entered the next sector of the cave system. The area he had entered was a large chamber with the right hand side of the room forming a funnel of glittering white spider silk that seemed to lead across the gorge to the other side.
However he couldn't stare for too long as the rustling returned drawing Link's attention to the rest of the room finding spiders pouring out of the walls and filling the area. Probably ten spiders just like the others had filled the area around Link while four others dotted the wall but those ones were different from the ones that were on the floor. The ones on the wall had a set of longer legs that almost looked like antennae as they laid back along their bodies. Link didn't have much more time to study them though as the first spider on the ground attacked him leaping through the air at him.
This time Link was ready though as he brought his sword up in a sweep cutting through the spider and sending it flying back while staying alert. Although a sudden whistling sound caught his attention as he looked up toward the wall spiders. A wad of webbing was aimed straight for his face however it seemed to splatter a few feet to his right. His teleportation seemed to have saved him again as the spiders took a moment to find him while one was half covered in the particularly sticky webbing now stuck to the earth. The wall spiders were spinning balls of silk into their long legs and from what Link could tell were then throwing them at him like a catapult.
Judging from the trapped spider their webbing was particularly sticky and figured it would be best not to touch it. Now with that in mind Link shifted his position so he could keep the wall spiders in view as the rest of the spiders on the ground had collected themselves and two charged link while hissing loudly. Link raised his shield bashing one of them while sinking his sword forward into the other impaling it while the other flew back leaking green ichor from its broken face. Although another wall spider launched a web ball at the hylian while he was taking on the others. Reacting on a dime Link swung his sword arm toward the wall flinging the spider's corpse off the blade and into the ball making it burst and cocoon the body as it flew through the air to also ensnare the wall spider that had thrown the web.
"Heh how do you like it?" Link called as the wall spider fell from the wall with its heavy cargo becoming helpless on the ground. Next he redoubled his efforts dodging two more web balls with a roll to his right ending in a low crouch with his sword held back and prepared as three more of the spiders rushed him. However From this position he spun his body with a great amount of force slicing through all three of the spiders leaving four left to contend with. Or so he thought, two of them were escaping one through the funnel that link had no hope of following and the other through the pathway leading deeper into the gorge.
"Why the hell are you running?" Link called out feeling confused and a little angry as the last two spiders each circled him trying to pull his concentration from the wall. The tactic was simple so Link understood what they were trying to do and began to step back so he wouldn't have them behind him. Although the familiar whistling sound of the webbing made Link realize it didn't matter if he let them do it or not he'd got caught in the webbing either way.
An annoyed growl slipped past his teeth as he saw the corner he was backed into and quickly though about everything he had on him and whether or not it could help him retaliate against them or not when an idea came to mind. As the spiders flanked him from both sides and the wall spiders fired their webbing Link pushed off of the wall rolling along the ground just in time for the webbing to trap the two spiders together against the wall. In that same instance Link dropped the sword and shield and pull his bow from his shoulder and rapidly notch three arrows while aiming horizontally before finally letting the string go and listen to his arrows whistle briefly before piercing the three remaining wall spiders leaving them pierced their as their life slowly drained from their forms.
A low sigh slipped out as Link rubbed his shoulder feeling the strain of using a sword and shield so much compared to his normal hunting routines. As Link looked around he saw that the dead spiders were dissolving into black smoke like the bokoblins he had killed before. Though there were still the last two trapped in the webbing which Link looked over as he approached while fishing around in his bag. As he stood above the two screeching arachnids Link pulled a bomb from the bag before dropping it onto the mass of wiggling limbs and striking the igniter against the wick watching it start to burn. Link quickly yet casually gathered his sword and shield as he walked away from the resulting explosion that left bits of dissolving spider and scorch marks around the area.
"That was kind of satisfying, not sure what that says about me though." Link mused before setting his gear on his back again when he reached the opposite wall where the dissolving remains of the catapult spiders hung from his arrows. Reaching up Link gently grabbed hold of the arrow and tug it free before returning it to his quiver before moving on to the next repeating the process however as he reached the third he noticed a crack along the shaft and sighed. This time as he attempted to pull the arrow free it snapped making it unsalvageable. "Well can't expect them all to last..."
With a shrug Link pulled his sword and shield free again before heading toward the path that the one spider had traveled down. As before, Link expected to be ambushed down the line given that the entirety of the cave system that he could traverse had no branching paths. Though the further he traveled he began to notice a number of ore veins running through the earthen walls; gold, silver, iron, copper, even coal had patches and lines along the path.
"Guess it makes sense, this place had been a mine at some point, but where is everyone who was captured..." Link wondered aloud as he stayed on his guard following a downward spiral which lead him to a large room twice as big as the chamber above and most of it made up of glittering silver that curved along the walls seeming to encase a stone plate with a crystal in the center of it. While the strange webbing did surprise Link what he saw next was what dumbfounded him. A woman sat upon an ornate web throne her features cast in shadow while the heel of her foot rested on the floor with the spider's squashed head beneath it as its body began to dissolve.
"Wouldn't you like to know?~" A voice like velvet dripping with acid drifted through the air as Link made out a set of lime green eyes and the glint of green lips from a wicked smirk.
"I would actually, where are they and are you responsible for all of these pests?" Link responded to the woman as she slowly rose to her feet and stepped over the spider making it burst into black smoke before she walked into the light cast form the web wall behind her. For the most part her body was humanoid which caused Link to step back confused. However it was the green eyes. Lips, and partial skin tone that grabbed his attention seeing a dusky green shade of green covering her hands and up just past her elbows looking like long gloves. Her torso was covered in a black corset pressing her generous rack up to present it proudly along with her porcelain white skin. The corset extended up to create a collar and a gossamer cape which flowed down to her mid thigh while also connecting to a belt and cod-piece around her incredibly wide hips and crotch accentuating her femininity. Down along her long legs were similar black layers from her thighs to her mid calf before fading into the same dark green that covered her hands.
"Hehe, you're gonna have to ask nicer than that little one." The woman cooed as every step clicked against the stone making the cave itself punctuate her movement. Her features were beautiful nearly otherworldly as she twirled a strand of her wavy black hair making a faint green tone dance in the highlights. The widow's eyes seemed to rake over him like he was prey and to be honest it felt like he was as those lime green eyes pierced his core.
"I-I... Don't play games with me! Tell me where the villagers are!" Link stammered before his reaction shifted to anger and he held up his shield and held his sword level toward her. The widow simply chuckled as her arms came down to her sides and she seemed to shrink a few inches before stepping towards him again. This time no sound followed her steps while her strut drew Link's gaze to her hips. In that instant she was in front of him with a pleased sound escaping her throat as her fingers danced on the top edge of his shield slowly pushing it down with surprising strength that she made look effortless.
"Oh but I think you'll enjoy my games, they're hot, sticky, wet..." The words dripped like poison and Link felt their effect as his blood pulsed while the widow spun her web. Her green lips spread in a wide grin as she leaned close enough for Link to smell a sickly sweet yet enticing scent filling his head and quickening his breath. While Link's blushing face couldn't see much further than the widow's face and bust, a blade slowly extended from her right wrist just like the 'heels' had vanished from her feet.
~Get back!~ A familiar voice howled in Link's ear as a burst of wind like a tornado burst forth from Link throwing back the widow and clearing the area so that he could breathe without her sensual pheromones poisoning the air. After blinking away the haze Link saw Gale flitting in the air in front of him glaring at the seductress who growled as she stood once more growing a blade from her left wrist while the green bits of her body began to glow from her arms, legs, mouth, and eyes bathing her in an eerie limelight. Gale herself huffed obviously angered but her tiny frame began to waver back and forth in the air.
"Gale? Wh-What.. Are you alright?" Link rushed his words while cupping his hands under the wind spirit as she slowly dipped resting on her knees before looking back at him with an angry expression on her precious face.
~I hate women like her, they're hussies... I'll be okay just knock her out...~ The spirit nodded her tiny head before disappearing as flecks of green light flitting back to his bag. Using her power in such a raw form had to be a massive drain on her so Link understood her need to rest, but he was more confused about how he could see her without the Ethereal Stone. Whatever, mystery for another time, right now he had a powerful, angry, probably venomous Spider-Woman to deal with.
"I don't know what you did, but you'll pay for that." the woman's voice had gone from silk to stone as she glared Link down stepping closer as he saw a glowing green drop fall form the blades that had came form her arms. Her attack was fast, faster than fast, she closed the distance in the blink of an eye as she slammed the blade of her right arm towards his gut but his shield caught and deflected the blow while instinctively rolled his body to get out of her way. However his approach wasn't as fool-proof as he thought and his luck saved him once more as he heard the clang of steel before he saw his blade catch her other weapon. "Luck~"
Unlike the first time however her strength pushed him back hard enough to make his planted feet skid across the stone beneath him. With a deep breath he repositioned himself ready to anticipate her next blow but when he looked up she was gone. The area where she had been gone now had nothing aside from his tracks on the ground. Confused was putting Link's current situation lightly however he realized what was happening just before it happened again. After shifting his weight and position in an effort to jump back a green blur streamed straight down in front of him as he heard fabric tear and his eyes went wide. Rather than pushing her assault the Widow moved back from him in an elegant somersault before stopping a few feet away with a wicked smirk.
However, hat smirk transformed into a sneer.
"Insufferable brat..." The Widow hissed as Link checked his body and felt where she had struck him, his tunic had been torn but her blades had glanced off of his chain mail and the realization that he hadn't been poisoned made Link breathe a sigh of relief before focusing his gaze back on the Widow just as she zipped out of sight. His gaze followed her rapid movement as she jumped just before he heard a familiar whistling noise once again and quickly dived to the side avoiding a splattering ball of off green webbing. A smirk now played across Link's face already knowing how to dodge the web balls as his cerulean gaze met her emerald glare.
"What's wrong? You don't like when your prey fights back?!" Now that Link could tell her style he could plan for a counter attack. She made a dismissive grunt before holding her arm towards him and firing a stream of webbing just past his head anchoring it to the ground behind him. After a quick glance he chuckled lightly before looking back towards her.
"You can't even hit me no- oh shit!" Link's cocky chide ended as quickly as it began, the Widow was mere inches from his face to the point he could see the gleaming reflection of her face on the blade, and then he saw the throne and heard the impact a couple feet to his left. Link knew this was the effect of the magic now as he felt his energy waver a bit however he didn't have time to drop his guard as he heard the angry roar from the woman as she glared at him her gaze filled with hate as Link saw that she had broken the blade on her left arm and it was now dripping the glowing green venom.
"How could a brat like you learn magic?! You're nothing! Worthless!" Her roars echoed around the cave as she charged link seeping across him with her blade though Link barely managed to block it with his shield getting knocked back again as she opened up his guard with her savage strength. The blow alone made him stagger but she didn't rush him this time her approach was slow powerful and deliberate as she closed in on him making wide strikes in what seemed like an attempt to toss his shield away.
"I don't know either! It's really starting to scare me!" Link yelled back at the Widow but her eyes narrowed and she made a particularly more powerful strike finally flinging the iron shield away with a long dent in the metal.
"Magic scares you?! Magic!? Not the murderous arachnid that can move five times faster than you, hit five times harder than you, BUT YOUR FUCKING MAGIC POWER IS WHAT SCARES YOU!?" The widow roared as her breathing became more erratic and uncontrolled her voice alone drowning out the sound of his heavy shield clattering across the ground.
"Well... When you put it like that... I guess I'm scared of you too, a little." Admitted the hylian however that was the final straw for the Widow as she screeched and lunged for him driving the blade straight through his heart. However the moment she lunged Link jumped to the side to his shield as she stumbled her fierce eyes looking to Link as she moved to jump at him once more.
But she couldn't.
"You... How... How could you do this?!" This time Link had played her pride and anger to his advantage as she realized that he had lead her to fall into the web trap she had fired at him moments before. Now her legs were bound by the webbing and Link stayed out of her reach as he set his sword in its sheath before pulling his bow from his shoulder and readied it in his shield hand ready in case of some attack he hadn't seen coming.
"Underestimate your quarry and you become the prey, second rule of hunting." Link spoke low while reaching back to pull an arrow form his quiver, one stained black from one of the spiders he had shot.
"Tch, what's the first rule? Don't forget your bow?" The Widow spat at Link to which he shrugged while looking at her.
"Yeah actually that is the first rule. Now are you going to tell me where the others are or do I have to kill you for nothing but a rough fight and a dent in my brother's shield?" The question was earnest and in truth Link would probably end her here regardless, he couldn't let a monster like her continue what she had done her and every other spider in this gorge were a threat.
"Oh, is your brother one of them? I can't promise we haven't already eaten his sweet blonde self." The Widow snickered making Link shake his head in disgust. Although it was that moment that she swung her right arm toward Link. He reacted as quick as he saw it and fired his arrow into her arm sinking in along the blade. Once more the Widow's howls echoed through the chamber as she recoiled and clung to he arm which had swelled considerably and Link could see thin strings leaking from around the wound. It seemed he managed to keep from getting webbed once more even if it was at cost to her body.
"Tell me already!" Link shouted growing impatient as he drew another arrow and stared her down feeling annoyed and angry as his emotions stirred within him for reasons he couldn't quite understand. Sure he was trying to save them but he had no reason to, he didn't know them they probably couldn't help him. After a moment Link banished the thought unaware of the glowing triangle on his left hand hidden by his shield.
"You really think I'd give them up so easily?" The Widow grinned which made Link uneasy as he leveled an arrow at her heart and hoped her anatomy was human. Although with his focus on her he failed to notice the hulking presence behind him that had emerged from the web wall. It wasn't until Link had seen a thick green liquid fall from overhead landing on the Widow's legs as it melted away the webbing. In a panic Link released the arrow letting it fly straight through her heart with a wet thunk, at point blank range the arrow had no problem piercing through her sternum and heart.
"What the hell was that?" The words came free before Link could think as he quickly turned around while reaching for another arrow but what he saw froze him in his tracks. A massive golden scorpion stinger hung near the roof of the cave as it spanned back down the tail that was extended over the front of a gigantic armored scorpion that seemed to be laying on the edge of an opening in the chamber, as large as it was Link guessed it barely fit the scorpion. As Link made eye contact the creature began to laugh before speaking openly its voice gravelly and ancient as if it was tripping over sounds it would make in another language.
"That was hilarious, I have to admit it's good to be free." The monster said as it seemed to stretch, the armor plating rattling like a series of haunting bells. It's massive claws snapped creating a noticeable wave of force from where it had happened while Link stared unsure of what to do or even what it was talking about. The scorpion seemed to notice his confusion and made a gesture toward the corpse behind her. "She summoned and sealed me here long ago before the earth was split."
"As thanks I will spare you and give you the treasure that was sealed within this place long ago." The creature responded and the crystal in it's head gleamed as it reached into the webbing around it before pulling out a metal chest and dropping it before Link kicking up dust. Link was now particularly dumbfounded. "Now then I have an army to organize and a kingdom to destroy."
"W-Wait what are you talking about?! I'm looking for the villagers from Kakariko!" Link wasn't sure what to do or say taking in the information about what had happened as he looked at the chest, the scorpion, and the corpse that wasn't turning into black smoke.
"Human, I am Scorgoh, the lord of the Gohma species. I am granting you a pardon, take that filthy human, the treasure, and leave." The tired edge of the monster disappeared as the eight glowing eyes upon its face began to glow green casting an eerie green light from the crystal lodged in its forehead.
"H... Human?..." The words slipped from Link's lips as he looked at the woman behind him the spider features having faded leaving her covered in rags akin to an old robe. A green ichor stuck to her lips having escaped her body laying in a pool beside her next to the crimson one that had flowed from around the arrow impaling her heart. The realization of what he had just done hit him like a brick as he crashed to the ground, his bow and shield clattering away from him.
"No... No! NO!" The hylian's cries echoed through the room as he slammed his fist against the stone ignoring the pain while the grief burned his nerves. She wasn't a monster! SHE WASN'T ONE OF THEM!
He had killed a human woman who had probably gotten in over herself and tried to seal the damned scorpion after realizing she couldn't turn his power against them. Hot tears ran down Link's face as he felt torn in his heart, he had to kill her or she would've killed him right? RIGHT?!
What else could he have done?... Die so she would live?... Did he deserve to die now that he had taken the life of an innocent?... His throat choked his breath as felt the hot liquid reach his hand and his gaze slowly found the crimson pool through his tears. As he saw her it seemed as if time was recapturing the essence that had been corrupted and prolonged while her body had begin to dissolve into dust. Link could barely understand what was happening as even the blood on the floor dried to dust and fell away. His mind was moving a hundred miles a minute as he slowly sat up looking at the dust as it begin to catch on the breeze weaving through the spider silk and he arrow that had pierced her fell to the ground with a light clatter. Was he really a murderer? Or did he give peace to someone who hadn't been in control for a time longer than he could imagine...
After reaching over to grab the arrow he slipped it into his quiver while letting out a quaking breath. She would've killed him if he hadn't killed her there are just times when its kill or be killed...
Even while his body still shuddered he climbed to his feet and gathered his shield and bow setting them back on his person. His blue gaze shifted to the chest that the scorpion had dropped but now it seemed the monster was gone having crawled its way back through the hole it was stuck in. Link's eyes narrowed as he felt hatred boiling within him, it was that thing's fault he had to kill that he had to take someone's life, that he silenced everything she had ever been and ever would be. A breath akin to a growl slipped out as he went over to the chest kicking it open to see what looked like a clawed gauntlet roll back and forth.
"...The hell is this?" The blonde mused as he picked up the weapon turning it over to see a handle within and a spool of chain coiled behind the claw and under the plate of the gauntlet was etched words spelling out, as far as he could tell, 'Claw Shot'. With a shrug Link slid it down over his right hand and secured the strap before swinging it curiously but it seemed more like a bludgeon then any kind of effective claw weapon.
"This is treasure?..." After a moment of inspecting the item Link simply sighed and couldn't help but squeeze the handle balling his fist however, he happened on the trigger mechanism firing the claw out at an incredible pace as it sank into the cave wall before pulling Link over to it. Luckily enough he caught himself just before impact and braced with his other arm as he hit the wall. "Shit okay... This will be useful."
Before leaving the huge chamber he looked towards the hole that the scorpion traveled through and debated trying to shoot through but he thought better of it considering how far up shit creek he would be if he couldn't make it all the way across. With a silent shake of his head he headed back up the spiraling path he had came down in the first place. His eyes now clear but red as he entered the room scorched by his bomb didn't look any different including the walls and roof as he cautiously made his way to the middle of the room seeing the ore veins much more clearly now with the way the sun managed to refract through the webbing.
Now Link stood at a crossroads, he could leave and tell them he got as far as he could leaving the villagers to their death. This wasn't his problem to begin with so he didn't owe them anything but... He couldn't just leave innocent people to be killed if he could stop it form happening. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he stretched and rolled his shoulders.
On that note Link looked across the thin tunnel of spider silk that extended out over the gorge and connected to the other side which gave Link an idea, a bad one but an idea nonetheless. With his free hand he reached back into his bag and retrieve a bomb and the igniter snapping it to light the fuse before hurling the bomb as hard as he could into the funnel making it catch on the webbing getting stuck halfway through as the fuse burned down.
"Fire in the hole!" Link called out just as the bomb went off rupturing the silk tunnel and sending bits of spider thread everywhere as the explosion open up his way to the other side. Where a wall glittered with light, gold light, with a smirk Link raised the clawshot and fired across the gap watching it sail through the air before sinking into the soft metallic veins and he felt the pull instantly leaping off the edge off the stone and sailing through the air before the clawshot lost its grip and retracted to the gauntlet leaving Link to roll across the stone floor rather than lamming into the wall this time.
"Well that could have been done better..." Link muttered before rubbing the shoulder he had landed on as he stood up and looked around at the chamber he found himself in now. The entirety of the cave this time was covered in spider silk and along the wall was three columns and ten to fifteen rows of cylindrical cocoons. The site alone made his stomach turn as he ran over to one and pulled an arrow from his quiver stabbing it into the silk cutting down it. He was right, within the cocoon as a boy in farm clothes with silk strands sticking to him.
"Hey... Kid wake up..." Link said quiet but rushed while shaking the boy to wake him and slowly his eyes opened they were dull and lifeless as the boy reached up towards Link and grabbed his throat. Reacting on instinct the blonde punched the teen in the shoulder before stepping back causing the teen to move back with the force of the blow but he leaned back forward against slowly climbing out of the cocoon towards Link.
"What the hell what are you doing?" Link called out to the bot but he seemed too far gone as he made his way closer and that's when Link saw it, a black arachnid was attached to his head and glaring at Link. Somehow it had to be controlling the teen but Link couldn't tell how and it wasn't important, given how slow the teen was while being controlled Link raised the clawshot and aimed for the black spider firing and smashing the puppet master in an instant and making the teen fall to the web covered ground.
"That much is done... but the others..." Link shook his head trying to think before he finally got it. He bent down and picked up the child holding him over his shoulder before taking aim at the side of the gorge he had come from and again fired across to traverse the gap. As he reached the other side he laid the boy against the wall next to the way out. Link hoped that when he woke he'd go get the villagers but that seemed to be about all he could hope for now. Using the clawshot to travel back across Link to the pod chamber where he silently analyzed the pods.
With a shrug he finally walked up to one while pulling an arrow from his quiver and begin to poked it with his fingers feeling out the shape of those trapped within. Once he had a feel for their body Link plunged the arrow into the cocoon and into the spider controller within each case keeping them from controlling the villagers before cutting open their respective pods. After all was said and done Link had gone through four arrows but all the farmers were safe, for now at least,
"I hope the kid get the villagers down here soon otherwise it's gonna suck to get all of these captives across the gorge all solo." Link spoke aloud to himself looking to two of the paths that branched off from the current chamber. Link had no clue which path to take so he took the one on his right heading into the caves going even deeper into the earth. The walls began to lose their metallic streaks and the webbing fell away, Link could swear he had even began to walk up towards the surface and as he turned a corner he saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
"Well chose the wrong way..." His words echoed briefly off the walls around him as he continued on further until he walked out into the light blinking away the haze. The room he stood in now was about the same size as the Widow's chamber but the roof of it was exposed to the orange sky of dusk and covered in silk. Along the ground here numerous clusters of off-green eggs held together by nets of webbing. In the center of the room was a single arachnid like the catapult spiders from before but this one had a pincer like tail in addition to the two longer arms. The closer Link looked at it he saw that it was holding a makeshift bow fashioned from a branch and spider silk, beside it sat multiple wood arrows with one held notched in the bow itself.
"That's different..." His voice came out hushed as he snuck behind one of the egg cluster's staying low. If these were all more arachnids, the army that came from them would be immeasurable and that was something Link couldn't let that happen. As he stayed behind cover he reached into his bag grabbing a bomb and sticking it to the cluster before slowly moving on to the next and repeating the act until he had set up a total of ten bombs. After making his rounds Link was back at the entrance as he readied the clawshot and ignited the fuse on one more bomb using the sound of the igniter to catch the archer's attention making it quickly turn to fire at Link. However Link fired the claw shot in time to deflect the arrow as it grabbed a hold of the bow and wrenching it away from the archer-no-longer although Link heard the snap of the bow before it reached him. While the chain retracted and brought the shattered bow Link lobbed the lit bob to the spider before turning and running back down the hall just before it went off creating a chain reaction with the other bombs culminating in a massive blast that caused the pathway to cave in sealing it.
"Well... Should've put more thought into this..." Link muttered as he was sealed in the dark of the cave. He made his way back through the cave with his shield at the ready though nothing came as he reached the chamber where he had left the people. The fact that they were still there made him worry but it eased up as he saw that the teen was gone on the other side of the gorge and that gave him some sense of relief as he stowed away the fragments of the broken bow.
"As long as they all get out this won't be for nothing..." Declared the blonde as he started to move towards the path he hadn't taken further down into the tunnels. This time the path declined rather quickly almost like steps as he was wary of the of the green flickering light below. As Link finally reached the bottom of the path and leaned in the doorway seeing that the glow came from luminescent green thread that draped over everything within the massive throne room.
The great chamber looked like something out of an ornate tomb as bits sparkled with gold although the throne itself had been smashed to bits long ago, rather than rushing in Link took his time to try to scout the room from the doorway but he didn't see much else in the colossal chamber. Carefully he stepped in while readying his bow and an arrow looking around to see that most of the ceiling and the far wall was all just like the Widow's chamber. Although now that Link thought about it this was probably the other side to that silk wall however the tunnels were all in the ceiling rather than the wall telling Link that he was deeper underground than he had been in that chamber. However as he looked at the tunnels he saw green lights moving close and extremely fast.
"Shit!" The blonde cried as he ran and jumped away from the door barely getting enough distance before the monster fell where he had been standing, easily heavy enough to make the cavern rumble. Scorgoh stared him down as Link rolled to his feet and leveled his bow aiming it straight for one of his eyes, however it clinked harmlessly against his armored body while slowly stepping closer every step punctuated by the snap of his claws.
"I give you a chance to leave, I spare your life, and you proceed to wipe out my rations and destroy my army!?" The arachnid roared making its eyes, crystal and stinger glow with a lime green light. Link had no idea how to fight something like this considering it had armor armor and wasn't an incompetent skeleton. He couldn't use Gale and he had a feeling bombs wouldn't get him far with that armor which left him with the clawshot, his sword and shield.
"If it makes you feel any better I believe I am woefully under equipped for this fight." Link retorted falling back on his sarcasm for his utter lack of any gear that would make a difference in this battle. The irritation of the monster was palpable as it swung its giant claw at him, at this point Link jumped and blocked the claw with his shield getting knocked back along the stone floor with a wince as he watched Scorgoh move closer, thick globs of acid dripping form the end of its stinger and hissing as it touched the armor and stone alike. That gave Link an idea though, after switching his shield to his right arm he grabbed the clawshot and aim around the shield before letting it fly grabbing onto the side of the stinger.
"Puny ant, die like the rest of your ilk." Scorgoh rumbled as it drew its claw back again ready to strike, However Link rushed forward rather than staying on defense as he quickly took off the clawshot and secured it to his shield. Just as Scorgoh slammed its claw forward at Link he dropped to the ground sliding under the claw while hooking his shield in the claw. With the force from Scorgoh's attack it pulled the chain hard enough to rip the glowing stinger clean off its tail sending acid spraying through the air as it bathed Scorgoh's black armor and the stinger itself fell onto the monster's head sinking in a fair amount while knocking the crystal from its place in the black metal.
A harsh screech echoed from the arachnid as it thrashed and pulled at the plates ripping them from its body in rage sending the hissing chunks of metal everywhere. While sidestepping the frantic motions of the monster Link grabbed his gear again before putting some distance in between them using the moment to look around for a way to attack again as the acid finally ended and three of Scorgoh's eyes were left exposed as glowing red orbs. Before Link could even reach for his bow the monster turned and slammed it's tail into him sending Link flying back into one of the walls while knocking the breath out of him.
"D-Dammit that hurt." Link coughed struggling to stay up as Scorgoh closed in on him. Without a better idea Link aimed the clawshot but it was aimed high above Scorgoh in a pitiful excuse for aim as Link pulled the trigger. The sound of chains rushing filled the room before the clawshot sank into the webbing of the ceiling and pulled Link up unable to disconnect from the threads. Halfway up though Link saw the melted crack around where the stinger had pierced the plate of armor covering his head. While he couldn't disengage he could let go and so he did falling directly above Scorgoh.
"This is gonna hurt me a lot more than it's gonna hurt you!" Link called as he positioned his shield under him and slammed down into the stinger with all of his weigh splintering the glowing green bulb but forcing most of it straight through the metal plate shattering it and impaling Scorgoh's head. Before the acid could eat at him Link rolled off of following a short distance to the ground heaving, slowly Scorgoh's corpse began to deteriorate fading into black smoke as a green flame floated up and into the hanging claw shot making it fall next to Link engulfed in green flame.
"...I ain't touching that." Link mumbled while watching the flames flow into the item and at first it looked like it was melting but it was morphing shifting it's shape to a more appropriate one for the power that had now become imbued into it. Now rather than a gauntlet guard there was a pseudo sleeve in the style of a web while the claws had been replaced by a thin wicked looking tri-blade.
"Demonic gear, why not..." Link sighed while grabbing it and slowly climbing to his feet watching as the webbing started to dissolve once Scorgoh was gone. That must have meant that it was done, the people were safe and this spider nightmare was over. With a weak smile Link put away the spidershot and shield before beginning to make his way back toward the entrance however a glint caught his attention and made him stop. Under some of the rubble and discarded metal was the large, sliver-like crystal that had been stuck in Scorgoh's armor. As Link picked it up it felt familiar to him for some reason and the etched crystal seemed more like glass but it didn't matter right now, he needed sleep badly.
With the crystal tucked in his bag Link began the climb back towards the cocoon chamber slowly becoming more tired and weak the further he got until he collapsed in the entryway to the cocoon room. With a trembling hand he reached down pulling up his tunic to see that a shard of the stinger had ate through a small bit of his chain-mail and had stuck into his skin. The veins around the wound pulsed as the venom traveled and Link coughed sending up a cloud of dust before his vision went black.
"well... Fuck..."