Arachne

 

Neri’s power over me aside, it seems I may have more problems.
After testing her control over me, I should be drenched in sweat and exhausted, but the lack of response from my body to this strain is concerning.

 

"Neri, was this link all that was done to me? Did they do more than this?" (L)

"Maybe." (N)

 

She looks guiltily to the ground.

 

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? And what is it? Please, I need you to tell me everything that was done to me, Neri!" (L)

"I really don't know about the details. I can ask Kyroki... but she is scary. I only know a bit. Just some examples. Like your eyes or stomach." (N)

"Wh-what about them?" (L)

"It is very dark in here." (N)

"What? No it isn't! I can see perfec-... Oohhh!" (L)

"Yes, this. Be careful when you head out to the surface. It might hurt. Also you can now eat... different things than before." (N)

 

I really don't want to think about this. But... surface?
So we’re underground?
More importantly.

 

"I'm allowed to go out?" (L)

"They said you just shouldn't run away and apparently the link is not bound to hearing or distance." (N)

 

Sure, why bother keeping me locked up?
All they need to do if I run is force Neri to say that I'm supposed to come back.
I don't know if that was all I could do to mentally defend myself, nonetheless I would eventually give in.
Maybe Neri wouldn't comply, but this would be no real freedom.
I would be living with the impending weight of an order ready to force me back at any time.
And it's not like I have many possibilities waiting for me back there.

 

"Oh!" (N)

 

Suddenly, I see Neri look at one corner of the room, as if she remembered something.

 

"She brought some!" (N)

"What are you talking about?" (L)

 

There is some cloth lying at the point of her attention.

 

"Clothes! Talisa is very good at sewing. Well, she is a spider so maybe that's a given. But your old ones were destroyed. So maybe you could try them on?" (N)

 

Maybe I am enslaved, yet they don't seem to treat me very harshly.
Neri goes there and takes them up.
The fact that I am just covered with a sheet is rather convincing for me to try them on.

 

"This is..." (N)

 

Promptly she starts to blush.
Not really, as her pale skin does not change its ash-grey tone, but her face shows the respective expression.

 

"What is it?" (L)

"I-I'm sorry! They might have misunderstood something! This surely wasn’t my wish. I had nothing to do with this. Please don't hold this against me!" (N)

 

• "Don't hold this against me!"

 

"Order! Again! Alright, what do you have there?" (L)

 

With an extremely embarrassed face, she holds the clothes in my direction.

Seriously?
It's a maid uniform!
That they really would do something like this.

Still, I am naked and this bothers me, so I take it.
The attire is focused on utility and not too cumbersome, in black and white.
To be honest, it is comfortable and feels high quality, if not for the looks.

 

"And now?" (L)

"I really have no idea. There is nothing I need to do, if not... Oh no! No, no, no, no! I forgot about my lessons! She will surely come any moment! (N)

"What are you talking about?" (L)

"They force me to take lessons, to spend time with the spiders that belong to me! And I completely forgot! Eritu will be furious!" (N)

"Who is Eritu? And why do spiders belong to you?" (L)

 

 

She becomes visibly nauseous with her expression.

 

"They... They are under my skin and will come out, ugh. And after that, I have to take care of them, they say." (N)

 

This sounds gross.
And from the look of it, she thinks the same.
That must be absolutely horrible for her if she told me the truth.
But considering the circumstances, she has no reason to lie to me.
I mean she can control me, why bother?
Suddenly, a voice enters from one of the walls.

 

"Nerysi! Why aren't you already at the nest? You know I will drag you there if you don't come by yourself!" (E)

 

Who is this?
And she sounds very agitated!
Considering the recent talk, I would believe she is this Eritu, yet I did not expect that she would sound this young.
Also, something else is confusing.

 

"Nerysi?" (L)

 

I can only think that she means Neri, as no one else would fit.
She looks a bit down.

 

"They gave me another name. Said it sounds more fitting." (N)

 

I really don’t believe she is lying.
It is very difficult to imagine how this all must weigh on her.
At this moment, a hole opens in the wall, and a girl fitting to the young voice I've heard enters.

 

"I-I know Eritu. I will come, it was just... I had to be here when Liana woke up!" (N)

 

Is she going to get in trouble?
Yet now this person is measuring me.
Her gaze is directly aimed at me, filled with grave intent.
She looks like she is pondering something, balancing it in her mind.

I get another look aimed in my direction and...
Did she just sniff me?!
However, for some reason, her hard expression softens now.
And maybe there was something akin to a smile.
Do I smell this good?
I hope not tasty.

 

"Alright, if you want your new familiar to accompany you, it's okay. But don't show it off. They might become jealous." (E)

 

Who is "they"?
Nonetheless, I perceive Neri starts to shiver.
This training must be the cause. 

It is obviously hard on her mind.

We pass through some tunnels, and it becomes obvious that Neri feels distressed.

 

"What is wrong, Neri?" (L)

"Spiders." (N)

 

That was extremely quiet.

 

"We are heading to Nerysi's nest because she needs to attend to her familiars, and she has problems doing so for some reason. It's nice that you care! You are a good familiar. Kyroki did well. I'm glad!" (E)

 

This was a bit much.
I understand that they are some kind of spider monster.
The eight-legged army was a good hint.
However, in which way am I a familiar?
This is clearly a way to describe the spiders and my body is totally normal.

 

"I-I know you established this binding of my mind, but isn't it a little farfetched to call me a familiar? There are clear differences, right?" (L)

"Hmm. Well, you can talk with your mouth, but excluding that? No, not really! You might be in denial of what you are, but you don't even smell like a human anymore. So you are no enemy of the swarm and are instead family. You can at least be sure that Kyroki is very rigorous in these matters. You are surely not human anymore! That was over when you were left to her." (E)

 

This girl is crazy!
I mean, I’m not human because I don't smell like one?
How can she get over this just like that?
This is ridiculous!
But then I feel a tug at my arm. Neri?

 

"Ehm, you need to know, Eritu hates humans. So it's maybe better if she sees it like this." (N)

 

How bad could this be?
No, it would be bad!
As far as I know, she was also responsible for the demise of my group.
I wasn't really friends with them, and they made me feel like I wasn't really one of them because of my lack of contribution; still, they took care of me and were fellow humans.
She's a killer!

We arrive at a place where I can detect one of these web doors.
They are hard to find, but the patterns are a bit different on the surface.

 

"Your new familiar can open for you. Vertical strands for opening, horizontal for closing." (E)

 

The fact that all this is told to me shows that they really don't think I can escape.
And maybe they are right.
I always notice Neri's presence now.
It is hard to ignore, and I can detect her even without seeing where she is.
And I believe this is likewise.
But how am I supposed to open this thing?
Another pull from Neri.

 

"You need to use your nails." (N)

 

My nails?
I look at them and am a bit stunned.
They are long and pointy.
I've let them grow a bit, but not to this degree!
Maybe I should have noticed before, but waking up after a real nightmare and being mind-controlled doesn't make checking your nails your top priority.
And then Neri tugs a third time.

 

"Before you open. It isn't nice in there. There are spiders everywhere." (N)

 

Her fear of spiders might exceed the norm, yet I myself don't like them that much as well.
Hesitantly, I try to open this door.
I pull the instructed strand and the door opens by extending in the middle.
I peek inside.
Spiders!

Spiders everywhere!