Conflict

The VMF was keeping a sharp eye as their mediators were speaking, but Mark and Tyberson have finally come to terms.

Mark responded. "You will see her soon enough once our comrades return. We will bring you to our country." He then pointed to their camp. "For now why don't you join us?"

"Will they take long?"

"They will come soon."

Tyberson was relieved. "I see." He walked away to his knights. They gathered and talked privately.

Reg asked. "Tyber, what did they say?"

Tyberson explained the whole thing. Reg didn't understand their conversation since Tyberson was the only Mendovian speaker from the troops.

Reg was pissed. "Huh?! They are obviously playing with us. What kind of country would just help strangers from another country. Besides, Vesna huh? Never heard of that place before."

Tyberson stroked his chin. "It's also hard for me to believe but I trust that young man. I can see the sincerity in his eyes since it also has bit of naivety. Reminds me of my trainees."

Reg clicked his tongue. He was starting to get tired of Tyberson's decision. The first thing they should have done was capture those unknown individuals and torture information out of them. Looking at VMF, they didn't even have any bladed weapons. Dealing with them was relatively easier.

"Tyber, something could still happen to her highness you know. Besides, she could be fine and those soldiers are using it as an excuse."

Zan stepped forward. He grabbed a scroll and took time to read it. "Unfortunately, she is probably not fine. I have recovered one of the spider's captives and studied it. According to my findings, if their target is conscious they would sting them so they would fall into sleep for a long time. The worker spiders have some sort of poison keeping their prey alive but at the same time making sure they can't move. It's to ensure that they are still fresh whenever it's the time for them to get fed to the queen."

Reg wasn't convinced. "But we have a treatment right?"

Zan shook his head in disagreement. He was sullen. "We have no idea how to treat their poison. My father looked for an antidote his entire life but never found one. I hope I can achieve a breakthrough in my next research."

"Then what makes us think those people can do it?"

Tyber went close to Reg with an irritated look. "Reg, calm yourself. You've been a total nuisance ever since this mission began. Just shut up and follow my orders."

Reg sneered. He was clenching his fist. He then drove his horse away.

Mark cleared his throat to get their attention. "Hey Sir Tyberson, you want some meal?" The VMF was eating military canned foods. They were just watching as those soldiers fought each other. In honesty, he never knew that food could be kept inside those containers. It was the first time he saw it.

Tyberson waved at him. "Unfortunately, I have to decline since I have to resolve our problems. We'll return here once your comrades return."

"Sure."

Tyberson, the knights, and Reg mounted on their horses, galloped away into the distance until they vanished.

Staring at the dead giant spider, Zan was curiously assessing it from underneath. He was the only one left behind from the team.

Mark could see Zan wearing a green robe designed with geometrical patterns. Seeing his assessment patterns, he was probably a researcher or a scholar.

Mark invited Zan to their gathering.

Zan spoke but he wasn't understood by Mark since his language was Silian.

Mark sighed. He returned to the camp and spoke with the rest of the VMF. "Hey, Sir, how can we speak with those with different languages. The language barrier is tiresome."

"It's certainly annoying without a mediator or translator. But some things are universal to humans, laughter and facial expressions are examples."

"You're right even if we are in another world we are not that different from our fellow humans."

Captain Flynn checked that the spider army was already distant. Thus, if there was an airstrike, they wouldn't get caught up. "We still have time."

As Zan was inspecting, he noticed that the body of the dark crawler was leaking a dark mist. It was released into the atmosphere.

Zan was surprised. He ran to the VMF to warn them. "Good sirs, this thing will summon its workers we need to leave here as soon as we can."

Zan speculated that the workers would return and consume the queen's corpse. The spider was releasing hormones to the forest and attracting them. The worker that consumed the queen's heart first would become the next queen spider.

But Zan found it hard. He couldn't communicate with them since they only spoke Mendovian. He sighed. "What am I gonna do? Where the hell is the captain?"

The VMF was discussing about him. "Their language doesn't sound Asian to me."

"It sounds like a mix of German and Spanish," Flynn added.

Varg laughed. "I'm from Spain and trust me, we don't sound like that."

"Well, whatever they are speaking we need to learn about it," John added.

***

Somewhere distant, Tyberson, Reg, and the rest of the troops have made a camp on their own. Reg was still upset, the same could be said with Tyberson.

They could not bring themselves to share camp with those strangers. Even though Tyberson had trusted them, Reg and the rest of the troops were still cautious.

They gathered around their camp. "Captain, is it alright if we can trust them?" Said, one royal knight.

"Yeah, if what they said is true we need to get on their good side. We can't mess with people who are trying to help her highness."

Reg sneered. "Tyber, her highness could already have been raped or sold to slavery. I still don't trust those guys. They might even hold a big ransom after he is used by thousands of their men."

The knights seemed to be agreeing with Reg. A country that would not demand anything in return would be either foolish or a saint. Besides saints don't exist.

"Reg, what do you think happens if we kill them. Their companions back in their country might harm her highness if that's what happens. Even if we capture them as a hostage, the lives of these soldiers are nothing compared to the life of a princess. That's why I'm willing to bet with the young man." Tyberson said.

Reg stomped his foot which risen the tension between the two. "That's why the plan is to capture them and get some information so we can storm their country and rescue the princess ourselves."

Tyberson sighed. He scratched his head. "Provided we can beat those soldiers in the first place."

"It will be easy. They are not as muscular as our knights. They don't even look like they work out that well."

"Until we can know what they can do, we can't do anything that rash."

To their surprise, they heard some skittering noise. They stood up and faced the dark swamp. Then several worker spiders emerged. They were crawling fast to them. "It's the veil spiders!"

The knights got taken aback. They grabbed their spears and aimed ready.

Tyberson and Reg unsheathed their blades. "What the hell are they doing here?"

"Retreat!" Since the spider swarm was closing in they rode on their horses and galloped away. Every time a spider would jump at them, they would slash it.

And in front of them, they were met with a sea of spiders. To dodge it, Tyberson strayed to the left and thus separating from his troops.

He yelled to his troops. "We'll meet at the rendezvous!"

He drove his horse away and lost sight of the knights. He just focused on his path and noticed there was a chasm in the distance.

The spiders behind were drawing near. All he had to do was to make this jump. Then without hesitation, his horse leaped. Below him was the endless darkness of the abyss. He managed to land well on the other side safely.

The spiders were halted on the edge of the chasm. They then returned without a prey.

Tyberson needed to find another path to the rendezvous thus he scouted the land. As he was heading back, he knew he was already close.

To his surprise, he found Reg and the others. He was relieved.

Tyberson sighed. "Oh, I'm glad you're fine."

He galloped his horse to get close to them.

At that moment, he was alarmed when Reg unsheathed his blade and stabbed Tyberson in the side. Tyberson screamed in anguish. Blood trickled down on the blade and dropped to the ground.

The Knights were just staring at Tyberson as he fell from his horse. "Sorry Captain, but we are not foolish enough to trust those strangers."

"You guys... Traitors." Tyberson gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe what just unfurled. He trained them ever since they were teenagers. But this was what all he received in return. It turns out they were more loyal to Reg than him.

His most loyal division he had died first after all. Of course, they would listen to Reg first.

Reg harrumphed. "You are the traitor, Tyber. You are an idiot for trusting a soldier from a foreign country. I guess you can just die in here. You can rest easy now, just trust the safety of her highness to me."

Tyberson was bleeding on the ground cold. Reg and the troops were moving away, leaving him all alone.

Tyberson was panting. He tore his clothes and tied on his wound. He then limped towards the VMF camp. If only he could get close and ask for help.

"Help!" His desperate voice came out from his mouth. He could manage to walk but he was slowing down from the pain.

He left drops of blood on the trails. He was worried since it might attract the spiders. To his surprise, behind him, several worker spiders appeared. They crawled towards him.

He unsheathed his blade and swung at the spiders but they were too many. "Help!" He yelled as spiders jump upon him. He then fell to the ground. A Swarm of spiders swallowed him.

The weakened Tyberson tried to move but his body was being capsuled by the web. Naturally, it was easy to break but if it thickened enough it would be even harder than leather.

"Ah!" He yelled as hundreds of spiders were crawling over his body. It was grossing him out.

"So this is my end, huh? Your highness, please forgive me. I failed you." His memories of Princess Adelia spawned in his head. She was a clumsy girl that needed constant monitoring. If only he could see her one last time.

"Looks like this will be my end, huh?"

"Fire in the hole!" A voice from nowhere was heard.

A canister rolled close to him. It emitted a bright light, shining throughout the forest.

The spiders were stunned and shrilled. They fell off from his body.

In the distance, Zan was riding a horse towards him. "Captain! Grab hold!" He offered his arm!"

Several firearms were heard shattering the air with gunshots.