Chapter 5 : Bloodletting
His means of escape was ready! Now they would be able to leave this nightmare and return to the safety of Settlement. At least, that was Toma's thinking. Reality is rarely as kind, and this instance was no exception to that rule.
Toma looked down and noticed that his body was beginning to take on a faint blue glow. He could feel magical energy flowing from the Return Locket and into his own body. He felt much lighter by the second, the problem was Elise. As Toma glanced down he noticed that the locket only seemed to affect him.
Toma's worst fears were confirmed when blue orbs of light began to rise from his skin, he could feel the sensation of being pulled--even as he dashed through the woods. In a panic Toma dashed forward, pushing himself even farther as he spit the Return Locket out of his mouth. It was no use however, the item had activated and nothing would stop it now.
Realizing that he would be faced with a heart wrenching choice to make, Toma laughed out loud. The idea of how completely and utterly fucked he was now seemed humourous to him.
He glanced back at the visage of the unconscious mage, the one person he cared the most about in this world. It was his way of taking in what meant the most to him for one last time. Toma abruptly stopped and quickly laid Elise on the ground. Without a second thought he removed the Return Locket and placed it around her neck, taking extra care to tuck the gem into her clothing.
"If one of us has to go. I'd rather it's me." He said, as a tear welled up in the corner of his eye.
"You've already saved me from dying inside, more times than I can count. This is the least I can do."
Toma whispered these final words to Elise as he leaned down for his first and only kiss. This, amidst a backdrop of hundreds of spiders clamouring to reach the hapless adventure. As the spiders closed in, Toma watched Elise's body drift upwards in the form of hundreds of small blue orbs. This was the last thing Toma saw as spiders piled on top of him, covering him completely.
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Kelly-Ann was busy tending shop, which meant in reality she wasn't doing much of anything. She sat in the back room, fiddling with several materials that she would use in a potion no doubt. She couldn't help but think about the group of young adventurers she'd spoken to earlier in the morning. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Probably because the group reminded Kelly-Ann of herself.
*How long has it been, since I found myself in this strange world.* She thought. As she reminisced several faces appeared in her mind. People that Kelly-Ann thought to have long since stowed away in the vault of her memories.
She sighed as various other unpleasant thoughts flashed briefly through her mind, and that's when she heard the sound of a thud in the nearby room. She quickly got to her feet and poked her head out of the curtain-covered doorway. She was surprised to find a young woman there, and even more surprised at the state of her. Blonde hair, her milky skin seemed pale and devoid of warmth and she was clearly unconscious. Kelly-Ann quickly rushed over to the young woman and knelt to inspect her.
After a few seconds it dawned upon her -- she knew this girl.
"This is...Toma's .." She lowered her ear to the young girls' mouth to listen to the sound of her breathing. She then reached inside Elise's clothing and lifted the Return Locket which she'd gifted to Toma just a few hours ago.
"Tsk." Kelly-Ann clenched her fist as she inhaled briskly. She allowed herself but a moment of emotion before she set about tending to the young woman who'd been teleported into her midsts.
After force feeding the Fire Mage several mana potions and making her comfortable, Elise finally awoke to a foreign sight.
"Mm. Where am I?" She muttered as she attempted to sit up. Her body felt heavier than normal, making her first attempt awkward.
"Settlement. What happened to the rest of your party, mage?" Elise was startled to hear the familiar voice of an older woman. She quickly looked in the direction of Kelly-Ann, who was sitting across the room at a nearby window. The mature brunette was intently gazing out of the window as she sipped on a cup of something warm.
She turned, offering a slight smile to Elise as she motioned towards the nearby bedside table. There Elise found a cup of the same liquid awaiting her.
"Where's Toma-kun?" Elise asked as she took up the wooden cup and swished it gently. The aroma reminded her of apple pie, yet the taste was something else entirely.
"Toma never returned, as did the rest of your party." Kelly-Ann said as she got to her feet.
"What?" Elise could barely register Kelly-Ann's words, causing her to almost waste her drink.
"The Locket-- it's mine. I gave it to Toma just in case. It only works on a single person. That means if you have it he must have given it to you or…" Kelly-Ann's voice trailed off as she drew near to the bed. For a brief instance Elise felt intimidated. The look in Kelly-Ann's eyes held a hint of rage and danger, one that suggested Elise carefully choose her next words.
Despite this, Elise's mind was now spiraling towards the worst scenario as she struggled to piece together her most recent memories.
"No! Toma-kun! Toma-kun's in trouble!" Elise said as she swung her feet over the side of the bed and struggled to stand.
Kelly-Ann was there to catch her when she fell forward. One look into Elise's eyes told Kelly-Ann all she needed to know. This young woman was not guilty of the treachery Kelly-Ann alluded to.
"Wait. You're still suffering from the effects of mana depletion. Sit, and explain what happened." Kelly-Ann commanded as she helped the young woman to sit on the bed once more.
After a few moments of listening to Elise's frantic story, Kelly-Ann pieced together the sequence of events leading to Elise's blackout. She sat, quietly, without the intent to judge or lay blame. This was because Kelly-Ann had once been a young and precocious adventurer herself. She fully understood the thrill of exploring a new zone, as well as the dangers and rewards that went along with it.
"Stay here." Kelly-Ann said as she gently caressed Elise, who'd fallen into her bosom upon explaining the memories of her last moments with Toma. The middle aged shopkeep then got to her feet and proceeded to leave the small bedroom.
"Where are you going?" Elise asked.
"I want to come with you." Elise confided as she attempted once more to get to her feet.
"To the guild. Don't worry. I'm going to send out a search party." Kelly-Ann said. She stopped only long enough to reassure Elise before quickly making her way out of the general shop. She took special care to lock the door behind her and change the sign to 'CLOSED'.
As Kelly-Ann turned to face the main street which ran through Settlement she couldn't help but sigh.
*Oh Toma.* She thought as an expression of remorse took hold of her features.
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"My head." These were the first words out of Toma's mouth, and they were less than accurate. Not only did his head hurt, it was practically throbbing. He felt like something might burst forth, cracking his head like a melon in the process. This thought caused his blood to run cold, especially as Toma replayed his last conscious memories. Swarms of spiders closing in all around, covering him -- and then biting him.
He suddenly felt panicked, after all he had resigned himself to death and yet he was alive. This realization also came with some heavy facts, namely that Toma was trapped. He glanced about wildly and realized that his current perspective was strange to say the least. He was trapped against a large tree, captured completely by spider webs which bound him from his chest to his knees. The nearby area was both foreign and familiar, for he was still deep in the forest of Rakehell -- simply in a different clearing.
Only his head, hands and lower legs were free from restraint. Furthermore he was pinned, left to dangle 50 centimeters above the ground, practically defenseless. He struggled with all of his might, yet it proved to be futile. There was no way to snap the strands of spider web that was powerful enough to easily support a human's body weight with a single fiber, much less dozens of them intertwined.
Toma quickly realized this was the least of his worries, the sound of shifting leaves directly above his head was cause for alarm. Instinctively he held his breath and stopped struggling, his eyes growing wider as the sound of movement neared his head. Toma's heart skipped a beat as a hairy leg brushed against his temple. This, combined with the sensation of warmth from a thick liquid drizzling down, was enough to send Toma into an internal panic.
He could feel his body tensing as the spider's fangs drew near to his face. Trapped with no way to escape, Toma could only think of death. He shut his eyes and mentally prepared himself for what was to come. As Toma awaited certain death , the sound of shrieking filled the air. Amidst the darkness Toma could vividly hear something splitting the air, followed by the sound of shrieking. More warm, thick liquid drizzled down, this time there was a pungent bitter smell attached to it.
"Toma!" To Toma's surprise it was the sound of another's voice, Chaddus. Toma opened his eyes as a sense of elation quickly filled his heart. Words could scarcely describe the happiness Toma felt upon watching the three adventurers shuffle through the trees. Each of them looked worse for wear, but relatively unharmed aside from stains and scratches on their gear.
Chaddus and the others seemed ready for battle. To Toma it was absolutely amazing that the tree adventurers managed to navigate the forest unharmed. The sight of dozens of spiders converging on him was one that Toma would not easily forget.
Chaddus strolled into the center of the clearing and glanced around before turning his attention towards Toma.
"Where is she? Where's Elise? Did you….did you abandon her?" Chaddus asked as a dark furor settled upon his brow. In reply to this Toma could only laugh, something that was completely misconstrued by the others. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes as relief quickly replaced the happiness.
Chaddus quickly marched over towards Toma, intent on inflicting harm -- only to notice the tears rolling down his cheek.
"What's wrong with you? Psycho. What happened to Elise?" Chaddus was still angry, yet he was at least willing to hear Toma out. He fiercely gripped Toma's collar as the two adventurers behind them stood guard.
Toma quickly recounted his tale of escape, as well as how he used the Return Locket to send Elise back to Settlement. Gradually the anger in Chaddus' gaze subsided and he released Toma's collar altogether.
"I see." Chaddus said finally, growing quiet momentarily.
"Yea. I was just so happy. So happy to see someone else. Anyone else, and relieved. Elise got away. She's safe." Toma said, tears still lingering in the corner of his eyes.
Never in his wildest dreams did Toma believe he would be saved from a survival situation such as this. He'd nearly died multiple times today, faced dozens of enemies much stronger than himself and somehow managed to brave the storm. What's more, the remaining members of his party now stood before him, each of them unharmed. This was the best outcome that one could ask for in a situation like this.
It wasn't until Toma noticed movement that he looked up to the sight of Chaddus back as he began to walk away.
"Hey. Can you guys let me down? We have to escape before more bugs come." Toma asked.
"Let you down? Are you...serious?" This time it was Chaddus' turn to laugh. Toma couldn't help but notice a smirk from the other two men in the distance.
"Why would I do that, Toma-kun?" Chaddus' voice had now taken on a mocking tone. He turned to face the captured adventurer. The most vicious sneer Toma had ever seen was plastered across Chaddus' face. If looks could kill, this would be the one to do Toma in.
"W-What do you mean?" Toma asked, keeping his voice at a safe volume. He was fully aware that his life was now in the hands of someone else and that it might require some groveling to get free.
"What do I mean? Are you really this dense? You see the way she fawns over you. The way she's always getting close, grabbing your arm, pushing her tits on you. It's fucking sickening. Because of you, I can't get anywhere. ME! The guy who can get any other girl he wants is forced to play second fiddle to a worthless sack of shit like you. Someone who can't even wield a spear properly to save his own life." Chaddus practically unloaded, his voice reaching a fever pitch as his anger exploded forth.
"Why on earth would I ever do something to help you? It's better for me if you just disappear. Become bug food and curse your own weakness! But don't worry, I'll take really good care of Elise in your absence. I'll keep her company, and make her feel real good. I'll get her hot and ready, then fuck her four ways from sunday. I'll fill her with so much baby batter that it oozes from her nostrils! And then, when I'm done -- I'll share, because I'm a truly generous person!" Chaddus motioned towards the young men standing behind him, causing them to chuckle even harder at Toma's pathetic plight.
Toma on the other hand had heard enough. He's spent a lifetime avoiding people for this exact reason. Scumbags, all of them. Secret agendas, hyenas that would turn on each other at the drop of a dime -- these were just a few of the ways Toma rationalized human beings and unfortunately life had done a great deal to enforce this belief.
"Hey!"
"Hey!!!!"
"You piece of shit! No! Wait! Come back!" Toma shouted as Chaddus smirked one final time and proceeded to leave the clearing along with the other members of the party.
"Farewell, Toma-kun." Chaddus mocked one last time as he and the others headed towards woods.
The next few moments played out in slow motion for Toma. His eyes were burning with fury and rage as he shouted after Chaddus and the others. He truly wanted them dead, going so far as to wish he could pierce their hearts and maybe even cut off their heads. He was totally surprised when his thoughts turned into reality.
Marco's head seemed to detach itself from his shoulders, spiraling as it sailed in an arc through the air. For everyone in the clearing they stood stock still as the red headed adventurer's head bounced several times before coming to a stop on the ground.
Toma's rage turned into bewilderment, the same emotion shared by Chaddus and Yashin as they quickly drew weapons and looked around wildly.
"What the fuck happened? Did you see anything?!" Chaddus struggled to whisper despite his rage and growing alarm.
But Yashin could not speak. Toma watched as a spear-like protrusion pierced through Yashin from behind. The adventurer's face contorted in disbelief as he dropped his weapon and clenched at the bloody tool of impalement which hoisted him off the ground. In the next instant he was flung like a ragdoll into a nearby tree. The impact was so hard that Yashin's body snapped like a pretzel, severing his spine and instantly bursting his lungs.
Toma's lips quivered in disbelief, for he could barely register the movements of the creature responsible. It cleverly used blindspots and agile movements to mask its presence with each strike -- yet for the briefest of moments he saw it. But Toma still couldn't believe his eyes. It wasn't until the creature revealed itself that Toma could safely believe his own senses.
A young woman, both busty and beautiful. Her skin was pale, almost pasty and lavender in color. Her hair was stark white with tinges of grey strands interspersed within and fell down to her waist it was so long. Hidden beneath her long locks of straight, stringy hair were two large mounds. Her silky smooth skin gave off a certain glow that suggested the woman was beyond healthy. She was completely nude, and exceedingly curvy. Her hips contoured perfectly into her waist causing a singular thought to flash through Toma's mind, "Stunning."
Perhaps the most curious features of the woman were all of her non human qualities. For all of her striking beauty, Toma quickly noticed her eyes, of which there were six. Each pair of black eyes filled with red pupils were stacked atop one another along the length of her forehead. The biggest indicator of her non human traits were the large spider legs protruding from the center of her back, six in total. Toma's breath left him as he saw the thick splattering of blood lingering on one of the woman's legs. He watched, mortified, as she moved the leg to her lips and gently licked at a droplet of blood there. She then licked her lips and directed her attention towards Chaddus.
"Ha….HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Chaddus both shouted and charged as a sense of irrationality took hold of him. Yet the woman gracefully, elegantly swatted at him. This simple act was enough to send Chaddus flying, his body hit several trees as he careened through the forest.
Toma could only take in the scene, he glanced towards Marco's headless corpse, then shifted his gaze towards Yashin's broken and crumpled body. A panic gripped his heart, one he'd never known before as a paralyzing fear overcame him. He watched in horror as the spider-girl lifted herself and began to move towards him, from his perspective she looked like an angel of death. Using her spider legs allowed her to move, giving her the appearance of floating as she moved.
Within seconds the strange creature was just centimeters away from Toma. All he could do was prepare himself for the inevitable at this point.
*Well, at least it will be quick.* He thought to himself as he heaved deeply, determined to face his last moments with a bit of resolve. But the strange "woman" stood, lingering for a moment as she inspected Toma. She then leaned forward, so close that Toma could feel the warmth from her body and her breath against his flesh.
*Hee hee.* it was more like telepathy rather than words. The sound of laughter entered Toma's brain, causing him to feel confused, even as the woman's lips brushed against his neck. The sensation of her soft skin against his neck was a stark contrast to the brutality shown by the creature just moments ago.
Toma felt his body react uncontrollably as a pulse of blood rushed to his manhood. Before he could voice concern or confusion Toma felt a sharp pain as fangs pierced his flesh. He felt paralyzed, and at the same time euphoric.
Toma's last sight before fading into unconsciousness was the sight of the strange arachni-girl, she seemed to be smiling as she licked his excess blood from her lips.