Arachne

 

"Where do you wanna go first?" (Masiabi)

 

Far away from you?
Wouldn't work, I know.
And I would be alone and lost in the spider hell if I'd opt for that.

 

"I-I d-don't k-know this p-place!" (N)

"Okay, then a place that won't make you scared!" (M)

 

Every place with you is scary!

But maybe I can help my troubled mind with a request.

 

"E-ehm, c-can you s-somehow retract y-your fangs?" (N)

"Oh! Are they out? Sorry, I use them so often that they are just natural to me and always slip out. I could try, but think they would eventually extend again." (M)

 

She's using them frequently?
So she is a killer!

 

"I know this is not to your liking, but everyone is already making concessions to you, yet I would try to force myself to keep them inside if you'd say: "Please for me, big sis!" (M)

 

Was that her plan?
That sounds awfully desperate!

 

"Y-you're m-making c-concessions?" (N)

"Yes! Normally we would far more frequently stay in our spider form. Human bodies are helpful for interaction, but they are not our natural state. But for your sake, most of us are staying like this right now." (M)

 

It's hard to reply to this.
It sounds inconvenient for them, but it is not like they left me much of a choice for being here in the first place.
So I'm not sure if I'm truly obliged to be complaisant towards them.

"You know, you could try showing a bit more of this too." (M)

"Sh-show w-what?" (N)

"Your spider parts! It’s not like you need to immediately start walking around on your spider legs, but you should get a bit accustomed to them. Or for example, you could show your fangs as well!" (M)

 

My fangs?
It's not surprising that I also have something like this, but it just didn't occur to me.

Nonetheless, I am now urged to poke in my mouth and really, right before my upper teeth I detect two small bulks with something hard.
That must be them!
I have fangs!!!

My appearance with these things sticking out is one of the things I literally don't want to face.
While I probe my mouth we continue walking.

 

"I think at this time of the day I can show you the gathering hall." (M)

 

What?
Didn't Talisa say that this is one of the places I wouldn't like?
Why is she dragging me there?!

Wait!

She's smiling!
Is this a trap?!
I think she wants to scare me so I need to rely on her.

Devil!

And far worse, it might work.
While she snuggles against me she starts to explain.

 

"The gathering hall is something like the main entrance. Well, it lies on the inside, but it connects our private dens and the sanctuary to the outer areas and like this most of the ways out." (M)

 

The designation gathering hall makes sense like this.
If I understand it right the whole structure is constructed like a cone.
The rooms of the Arachnae are positioned deeper inside the earth, the outer areas are closer to the surface and the gathering hall is the place where all the passages to the inner sanctuary connect.
So all the spiders that are heading inside need to pass through this single spot.
HELP ME!

She relentlessly forces me to accompany her and soon we enter an area where the hallway widens.
And then we are traversing a giant hall.
You might think that we just went outside from how wide it is.
Numerous passageways in the walls lead in every direction.
Some even through the ceiling and the ground.
If I think about it, the sanctuary, which I think refers to the part with the marble web, should be located downwards.

However, now my mind is occupied with something more urgent.
Spiders of all different colors and sizes cover the floor, walls, and even the ceiling while traversing this place.
Some are visibly carrying things, mostly dead animals.
What is even more terrifying is that some of those that walk around here are as big as horses or even bigger.
They are at least, for sure, far larger than I am.

 

"Oh, it seems there are more than I anticipated." (M)

 

She looks at me and notices that my eyes are filling with tears.
This is all too much for me and I'm so scared.

 

"S-sorry! I didn't want to make you feel this bad! Uh, just wait a moment!" (M)

 

She lets go of my hand and positions herself in front of me.
As scared as I am, I’m not able to run in the opposite direction and it would probably be the wrong decision anyways.
I see her pulling herself together a bit before me before erupting out.

 

"SCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCHHHH!!!"

 

Suddenly a sound bursts through the room.
I cannot even begin to describe it.
Nails on glass might be pleasant in comparison, for sure far quieter.
It is reverberating everywhere and the good two thousand spiders are immediately scattering in all directions.
In seconds the giant hall is empty.

Masiabi turns around and gives me a grin.
She literally told all the spiders here to piss off, just because of me.
She can do this?!

 

"Is it good now?" (M)

 

It is.
The spiders are gone, yet I have a completely new evaluation of the monster before my eyes.
And it isn't the slightest bit less distressing.
This monster is at the top of the realm here with all these other frightening creatures.

 

"This might have been hard, but this is a very important place. Mother used to live here in the past and I wanted you to see it." (M)

 

Do I want to know about their "mother"?
I mean a spider they originated from sounds even more disturbing.
Yet, curiosity takes over!

 

"Mother?" (N)

"Yes, she was great and so big! I am glad she didn't eat us. This was so nice of her! But many years ago she just left, saying it's gotten too cramped for her. Since then this place was just a passageway." (M)

 

She seems to love her mother, but to me, this relationship of not getting eaten seems a bit problematic.
Now I'm asking myself if they were left on their own here and how that must have been.

 

"And your father? Did he leave too?" (M)

"Kekeke. Father? You know when they are old enough an Arachne mates with one of her familiars. They need to be at least around one hundred, better yet, three hundred years." (M)

 

This sounds so incomprehensible foreign to me.
And isn't this incestuous?
Aside from that, the truly disturbing thing is the evil smile Masiabi has now put on.

 

"And you know, when they are mating an Arachne always kills her partner." (M)

 

This puts me off.
They are far more frightening than I thought.
Looks are deceiving in this regard, as despite their looks, it is now clear to me that there is next to nothing human about them.
But what makes me far more anxious is the realization that I am now like them.
I am one of these monsters who kill the father of their children because nature prescribes it.

My blood runs cold now.
Or whatever this thick, white substance inside me is.
And apparently, Masiabi noticed my dread because of her talk about killing.

 

"However, you don't have to worry! Big sis here promises that nothing will ever happen to you! I will kill anyone who would harm ya!" (M)

 

And she embraces and cuddles me again!
This is the most disturbing kind of affection I've ever experienced.
It takes a while until she's satisfied with holding me in her grasp, which was unsettling me deeply.
Finally, she lets go.

 

"Now that we are done here we can visit some other places! You might not like the dissolving halls where we liquify the prey, right?" (M)

 

My face immediately turns into horror.

 

"That's a 'no' then. Hmm, we could go to the poison and acid storages, but they are boring, there's only enough of it stored in the vats to let the whole forest die, nothing too interesting. The crafting rooms could be nice, but I think Talisa wanted to show these to you herself. That leaves the feeding grounds for the brood, our dining room, or the dens of the others. I guess within the first option, there are too many familiars for you to handle. Also, I don't want to share you yet. So let's have dinner!" (M)

 

The point that she's possessive of me is a problem, however, I am hungry.
Yesterday I had just this one pouch and apparently, the spiders in me are draining me in addition.
So I need food.

 

“Uh, I-I guess I am a little hungry.“ (N)