Arachne

 

The good thing about sleeping with troubled thoughts is that I wake up without having my legs out.
The downside is that there are things that do trouble me.
One is that I will get locked with a horde of spiders in a room that is seemingly far darker than I perceived until now.
The second is that it might become worse by tomorrow when a fanatic shall teach me to like them.
I mean she is taking them on strolls!
It is okay to be disturbed!

So how shall I make it through this?
Well, today is just about surviving being in there.
I just need to stay in that room and try to endure it as well as possible.
Who am I trying to deceive here?
This isn't possible!
I notice that my clothes from yesterday seem to have been cleaned, and on the table is some of this liquid food.
The food itself is not bad, but my perception of what it contains is.
Yet the last time I had something was yesterday morning from Masiabi and because of this I‘m hungry now.
It's not like it is difficult to ingest and so I can down it without greater thought.
I take the same clothes as yesterday, following the odd thought they might remember them and behave less hostile.
This doesn't make sense in the first place, as logic predicts they should be friendly to me by nature.
But it still gives me a strange sense of assurance.
As it shouldn't take long until someone comes, I get ready and wait.
And soon someone enters.

 

"Good morning, Nerysi, I hope you are fine! I heard yesterday was troubling for you!" (A)

 

Akasia?
It seems she is in charge today.
She wears a blue dress that apparently fits her fine lady image.

 

"Yes, It was too hard. I can't really stand them. It wears me down to see them squirm all over. And I feel bad just thinking about that room." (N)

 

I speak quietly as I cannot muster much strength to bring those events back to my mind.

 

"That makes me feel sorry for you. But I will do my best today to help you feel better, okay?" (A)

"I don’t have much of a choice. Talisa is relentless, it seems." (N)

"She certainly is, yet I doubt she wants to torture you. This is the first time I've seen her taking on so much work. She usually is very busy with organizing everything, but has doubled her efforts to be able to have time for you or, for example, to assign me to you. She has taken my workload at the acid facilities right now. You don't do something like this if you don't like the person!" (A)

 

I didn't know that taking care of me is making things difficult.
But it seems so.
I just wish that there would be another possibility to show me affection than throwing me into the spider pit.
That's twisted!

 

"If you can hold out today, I have a little surprise for you!" (A)

 

I am rather sure now that baiting someone is a spider thing.

 

"What is it?" (N)

"That's a secret!" (A)

 

To escape the awkward following silence I make myself ready to go.
The way to the room is without issues, yet in front of the room, dread overcomes me once again.
Part of the reason is that I can feel how the spiders inside become restless in my presence.
I stop in front of the entrance.

 

"Is something wrong?" (A)

"I... I really don't want to go in there! They are squirming everywhere!" (N)

"Yes, I've noticed! Must be because contact with you is so rare for them. At this age they need more frequent contact with their brood mother, later they become more independent in that regard." (A)

"I cannot go in there when it's like that!" (N)

"If it's just the movement, you can simply tell them to calm down. Thinking the order directed at them works too, even over a large distance. We can try it from here and enter when it is settled in there." (A)

 

Since I need to make some kind of progress, I try it.
Concentrating on all those spiders in there is hard for me, but as I don't directly see them, it is manageable.
I try to think that I wish they wouldn't squirm so much, and soon they all become much calmer.
Akasia claps her hands.

 

"This was good work! Let's go in now!" (A)

 

The known sight that makes my crawling feeling get stronger appears in front of me.
In addition, my hunch this feeling connection gave me holds true.
Some of them grew!

There are now some spiders as big as my hand.
They all seem to grow differently, as apparently, age is not the sole cause of their growth.
I try to make out the table I sat at last time, but there are spiders covering it.
No revelation, as this room is filled with a large quantity and they’ve grown!
Talisa said there should be around a hundred, maybe a bit less.
This is more than enough reason for panic!
But then Akasia lays her arm around me and blocks the sight of most of the spiders.

 

"Let us settle there, alright?" (A)

 

I cling a little to her and let her guide me while I avoid looking.

 

"Shu, shu! We need this place!" (A)

 

Her presence is apparently enough to drive all the spiders away.
Like this, we can sit down at the table from last time.

 

"We'll take it as easy as possible! Just concentrate on me and you should get this hour done!" (A)

 

I try to focus, but this sensation of always feeling their presence is working against this plan.
They seem a bit displeased with the fact that I ignore them and direct my attention to someone else.
It is clear to me that they don't hate me or wish me any harm, however, Akasia is another question.
Are they envious?
But until now my aversion holds them at bay.

 

"Are you really sure you are safe? They seem angry." (N)

"There's no need to worry! Without an order from their Arachne, they are bound to prevent any member of the swarm from harm. So as long as you don't tell them to kill me, I should be safe." (A)

"I would never do something like that!" (N)

"I know. You are a really kindhearted person. Being an Arachne is maybe not ideal on these terms, but as a trait of my little sister, it's great." (A)

"Kindness is bad?" (N)

"Well, are you a predator and can rip the throat out of a living being?" (A)

"No, never!" (N)

"See! But these little ones here need to feed and like this must learn to hunt. Otherwise, they would perish eventually. But I simply cannot imagine you teaching them these things. That's a problem in itself and we need to find a way around this." (A)

 

It would be pure madness to expect this from me.

 

"I really hope it will work out to let them get instructed by one of us. And then there is also this other issue." (A)

"What else could there be?" (N)

"You are weak." (A)

"I know I am not very big yet, however..." (N)

"I think you misunderstood me. You aren't even bodily weak. Your body got much stronger if you would use it right. What I meant is your mentality. We just spoke about this, but this isn't the problem. The problem is that your familiars are far more intelligent than you grant them. They see that you are an easy target." (A)

 

I look anxiously around.

 

"You mean that they might take advantage of me?" (N)

"Oh, by no means, no! Rather, I mean that they are constantly panicking when it comes to you. The hostility right now is not just envy, a little bit sure, but mostly they are afraid of what I might do to you, as I am dangerous. Like a kitten walking into a pack of direwolfs. You understand how they must feel under those circumstances?" (A)

 

Her metaphor was quite striking!
I try to look at them, searching for this mentioned affection, but soon need to break the line of sight.
Too many squirming legs!
This is now really taking its toll on me.
The more I am aware of my surroundings, the more the panic that I can't leave grasps me. And my fear starts to gain control.

 

"Look at me, Nerysi!" (A)

"It's Neri." (N)

"What was that?" (A)

"My name is Neri! Can't I even keep that?" (N)

"Why would you want it?" (A)

"Because it's all that's left! I have no idea if anything of the person I was is still there! And that's frustrating!" (N)

"So this is the problem. But why wouldn't you be the one you were before?" (A)

"Because whatever you and your sisters did to me also affects my mind. Humans don't sense and control spiders!" (N)

"I don't think that you should bind all your identity to irrelevant things like a name or being human. As you see, this is all changeable. There is much more to you than this. So you shouldn't focus so much on that, Nerysi." (A)

"But you even want me to hunt! I don’t want to hurt anything!" (N)

"You don't need to if you don't want to. As I said, I like your gentle attitude. In the end, all we want is for you to adjust to living here. And if I learned one thing from studying humans, then it’s that one's character can change. Best friends become enemies, heroes become tyrants. Just try to make the best with what you have and live with the decisions you make. This is the most important part of life, I think. Not to recognize who you were, but to be able to look the person you become in the eyes. And I like what I see of you!" (A)

"And because of that you need to change my name?" (N)

"Nah! That's because I think it fits you more." (A)

 

I am committed to the whims of giant spiders!
The good point is that frustrating yourself about the ridiculousness of spider monsters distracts you from the countless horrors surrounding you.
Akasia engages in a new discussion about humans and their behavior to distract me more, but it doesn’t help me much.
Nonetheless, in comparison to yesterday, I think I can endure it slightly better.

I am still close to collapsing, but this time I concentrate on the free space that separates me and the spiders and the fact it can't be crossed.
This helps me to set in my mind the idea of a safe zone for me, where no spiders can enter.
Maybe this thought on its own makes it impossible for a spider to come closer.
In the end, it is assuring me a tiny little bit and I can hold myself in the ropes.

By the way, the spiders themselves aren’t exactly ugly.
The silver-white coloring makes them look metallic and their bodies are slender and pronounced, with a good balance between the torso and legs.
The legs look a bit like blades or spears.
Still, my fear is not just about their looks.
What makes me scared is what they are able to do, how they swarm around, and the way they move.
This room is for me some kind of hell!
However, as long as I have my safe space I might get through this.
Yet, as time moves on it becomes more difficult to ignore them.

The constant stress and cramping wears me out, and I am shortly before a physical collapse.
I’m having trouble breathing, and I fear what might happen if I lose consciousness.
This throws me into a loop of dread and I ask myself what I can do.
My fear grows, the itch gets stronger and anxiety takes control of me.
I cannot do this!
I am going to lose my mind!
I...

 

"Okay, we're done! You did very well!" (A)

"Huh?" (N)

 

"The hour is over. I diligently controlled the time and now we can get going." (A)

 

Out!
I can get out of here!

 

"P-pl-please, quickly" (N)

"Maybe you should at least pretend not to be this happy to leave them." (A)

 

She's right, it's really not friendly and I can feel their agitation, but I need out!

 

"Better go now, before something happens!" (A)

 

We exit through the web and close it behind us.
First, I need to take a deep breath to settle my troubled mind again.

Yet only a moment later, Akasia claps her hands.

 

"And now I promised you a surprise!" (A)

"What is it?" (N)

"We need to go there to see it." (A)

"I am not going to cover my eyes!" (N)

"No need to. I’ve made sure the way is clear of familiars. (A)

 

We get going and I notice that we are walking to the outer areas.
We pass that underground river that has something like a crude bridge of webs to pass over it, despite the fact it only reaches my ankles.
Yet it seems that the smaller spiders don't have the luxury of being large enough.

Shortly after, we come to a strange part of the structure.
It is strange in that there are no webs on the wall.
They abruptly stopped and clear stone is now visible.
What is also noteworthy would be that it looks weirdly new.
I mean, not like an old cave that formed over time, but a clear, polished surface that seems recently formed, or to be more precise, etched!
I believe this part was built in a rush and should not contain anything.
Also, we are rather far apart from the main structure
So why are we heading here?

Finally, we come to a stop in front of a room that is not much more than a vacant opening in the wall.
However, the ceiling is a bit circular, like a dome with a hole in the middle.
Also, the sides are strangely formed, extending into the room on the ground level.

They look like a bench but are too high, more like...
A kitchen counter!!!
This is a kitchen!
I look at Akasia and she wears a proud smile.

 

"You know; it was a hard piece of work to convince Talisa. She hates fire! Only after I told her it is for you, did she give in. She has a soft spot for you." (A)

 

It's hard to believe that someone I don't even know a week cares that much for me.
Talisa always gives the impression of being very hard.
So that development is a sharp contrast to my picture of her.

I don't know, but maybe it has to do with the point that she is the oldest sister and surely had to take care of them.
It must be hard to parent all of them, and I doubt you would come far without being strict. Especially Masiabi should have been a hard case.
But now I have my kitchen.
Yet, it's quite empty here.
Foremost there is one problem.

 

"Ahem! Akasia, I see that you prepared the room to contain the fire. And the hole for the smoke was a very good idea, but where do we actually make the fire here?" (N)

"Ehehe, I hoped you could tell me that! I have no idea how making a fire works!" (A)

 

Oh right! The giant spider that just liquifies all her food had no need to learn the ground aspects of cooking! I really shouldn't be surprised.

Yet for real, is some common sense seriously asking too much?

 

"Alright! We need a firepit, something like a small hole to contain the fire where we want to start it." (N)

"I can do that!" (A)

 

In general, you would lay out stones in a suitable shape for the task.
Like this, it wasn't part of my planning that Akasia would retch up a puddle of liquid that burns a hole in the ground.
You know, this really is contradicting your attempts to look like a noble lady.
Soon, a hole is etched wide enough for our needs.
Now to the instructions!

 

"When we want to make tea here, we need three things for the fire. First, some wood to burn, also something very dry to start the fire, and a fire striker." (N)

"I understand the first two, but what is a fire striker?" (A)

"It is simply a special piece of metal. You clank two together and sparks are sent flying. The sparks ignite the dry starter and this ignites the wood. Adventurers often use those to make a campfire." (N)

"Ah! Then we surely have one in the storage. We catch so many of them there must be one who had something like this." (A)

 

Why does always every talk, even about making tea, have to remind me that they are cruel monsters?

 

"Sigh! Right, also we need the normal things for tea. You know, a pot, cups, a plate to heat it on it, the leaves, and water!" (N)

"I just didn't know!" (A)

"It really didn't come to you that there might be an issue with humans drinking acid, especially of an Arachne?" (N)

"The book said to dissolve the leaves." (A)

"I am absolutely sure you made a mistake while reading it, or there is something seriously wrong with the author." (N)

"It's not nice to make such a joke at the cost of the reader!" (A)

 

Seriously?
Against this level of denial, I don't even want to bother.

 

"Please wait here, I am starting to collect the things." (A)

 

She isn't leaving the room but looks very confident.
Like this, I wait, and truly, after ten minutes the things we need all magically appear in front of the room.
Yes, since magic exists that must be it!
There is no other possible explanation of how the needed items are gathered here!
Don't challenge this statement!
I start with the preparations and Akasia helps.
First, I fill the fire pit with wood.
Then I put the tinder for the fire above and around it.

To my dismay, it consists entirely of dry webs.
They should burn well, but I still don't like it.
A fire striker was gladly found too.
Please, let this color be rust and not blood!

Like this, I can successfully ignite it.
Then I place the plate, which is something like a long, flat, oval stone over the ordeal.
On top of all this comes the teapot, filled with water from the underground river.
Like this, the pot will soon get heated, and afterward, I will add the darkleaves to the water.
I chose them because I wanted to show Akasia the contrast between her "tea" and mine.
She seems to be very interested in the procedure.
It soon gets heated, however, I notice I made a mistake.
And Akasia notices my troubled face.

 

"What is wrong?" (A)

"I forgot something to grab the pot. It's too hot to touch it bare-handed!" (N)

"Why not just cover your hands?" (A)

"And with what? I have nothing here!" (N)

"You always have something! This!" (A)

 

She reaches into her clothes and pulls out...
a thick string!
Ah, yes!
Spider silk!
How could I forget?
Well, because I wanted to!

It seems she uses the navel strands, and soon there is enough to cover her hand well enough to be protected from the heat.
She takes the pot with this and puts it on the counter.
Now I just have to put the leaves inside.

 

"I wish we would have a way to extract the leaves out of the boiling water. It is not ideal to let them stay inside." (N)

"Are you really not asking the Arachne next to you if she has a net?" (A)

 

With fast movements she knots the thread she spun before into a web.

 

"Just put the leaves inside this." (A)

 

It is not surprising that she's good at this.
I fill the web with leaves and put it in the teapot.
And finally, I can enjoy the missed scent of fresh tea.

 

"And this is tea!" (N)

 

A little bit of pride wells up within me.
But for real!
I managed to make tea in the spider hell!
That is an achievement!

When it has cooled down enough, I fill our cups.
I take a careful sip.
Exactly like in the past!
This is a very special moment for me as it reminds me a bit of home when everything was still okay.
I am glad to have this moment!
Nonetheless, I ask myself how my results are received by the other party.

 

"And?" (N)

"This is different." (A)

"Different good or different bad?" (N)

"I don't know. I'm more used to my acid. So this is a very foreign taste for me. It's hard to appraise, far more to judge." (A)

"I don't know what to say. For me it tastes normal! Yet, maybe it's good that you don't say you hate it right from the start. Maybe I was looking for some common ground between us. Would be nice." (N)

"Oh, you're so sweet!" (A)

 

And I get a hug.

 

"Then give me another cup!" (A)

"You don't need to force yourself." (N)

"Are you joking? I link this taste now to my wonderful little sister! There couldn't be anything better!" (A)

 

Even if they are all ferocious monsters, sometimes there are moments when I forget about that completely.
After all, they obviously care for me and this is more than I could've hoped for!
This is a reason to be grateful.
This is the reason why I smile right now.

The tea party goes a while and to talk to Akasia with real tea can be quite stimulating.
I suggested that we maybe could also prepare meat and have a little event with Masiabi.
She wasn't completely against it, but it seems she would like to hold private tea times.
After we are done, the fire has already extinguished by itself.
Akasia brings me back to my room.
In general, this day was rather nice, if you forget about the spider containment room.
Having nothing else to do, I kill some time in my room, mostly with the thread construction, and after this, I go to sleep.