XX

After some time tracking the horse and the man who was being dragged, Dorrin and Sorika stood up.

“The man was lifted here,” Sorika said.

“Probably onto the horse,” Dorrin added as he pointed a finger. “The new markings show a circumnavigation, then they backtrack and disappear again.”

Sorika nodded, then she glanced down the rocky path.

“I thought you said whoever was dragged was being helped?” Yoreno asked.

Sorika nodded. “Maybe.”

“And maybe not?” Mai asked.

The rogue nodded again.

It was so rough around this area, it was surpassing that a horse could get through at all, as the path seemed to cut into the mountainside where rocks and the cliffs’ edge created narrow passages and drops.

“The rider couldn’t have carried on,” Sorika added. She pointed at the path. “It’s clear from the terrain. We will probably find something nearby.”

Another rock fell near them.

They all glanced about.

“Yoreno!” Mai squealed.

She ran to him and pointed up hastily. Yoreno’s eyes followed her arm and finger. At first he didn’t see it, but then Dorrin said. “Gods!”

“It’s—“ Mai began. Then she made a sort of strangled noise and thrust her staff forward and called something out.

“Wait!” Yoreno exclaimed.

But it was too late. A magical projectile crackled straight at the grey mass of legs all bundled together into a clump on the rock.

It hit the spider and exploded.

The monster dropped from the rock, its legs spreading outward as it fell out of their view.

“Did I get it?” Mai asked. “Did I kill it?!”

“I don’t know!” Yoreno shot back. “Wait, just be quiet.”

All was silent.

And then a scurrying around and above them on the rocks echoed into the relatively enclosed space. “Oh no,” Dorrin said. “This is the worst. Anything but this—this is the worst.”

“Hush,” Sorika commanded and pulled out her knives.

“Get ready!” Yoreno said. “It’s coming!”

“Oh my gods!” Mai screeched, then she slammed the ground with her staff as she invoked a magical barrier around them that glowed with a subtle purple luminescence.

The scurrying stopped.

They all breathed silently.

“Is it gone?” Dorrin fianlly asked.

In some instances, spiders were easy monsters to kill. But there were many kinds of spiders, some small, some oversized, some falling into the monstrous category.

Monstrous spiders were always dangerous, almost always poisonous, but their teeth were often so large, that if they managed to bite you, poison wasn’t your largest concern, as it was akin to having two stiletto knives pierce your body wherever the bite was sustained.

“I don’t hear anything,” Sorika whispered.

Thunder rumbled overhead.

And then something blunt and grey, and hairy reached over the rock and hung over the barrier that Mai had called. It was accompanied by five more legs.

The spider had been hit, had fallen, and had scurried about to find whatever had hit it. Spiders were often non-confrontational.

This spider had to be a monstrous breed infused with evil magic.

“Oh no,” Mai breathed.

“Perfect,” Sorika whispered.

Yoreno looked at her, the worry plain on the rogue’s face, and she wasn’t usually one to worry, except for where Dell was concerned.

This was why those adventurers tried to flee.

Dorrin was trembling. “What do we do?”

“Shh,” Yoreno hissed softly.

He needed to think.