Eyes of the Spider

Eyes of the Spider
John Hitchens
r’ivn noc Kthath, pillager, freebooter, sometime mercenary and full-time
opportunist, surveyed the temple of Azoth the Spider God from his
rooftop perch on the ity !agistrate’s building" #he temporal and the
spiritual edifices stared uneasily at each other across the length of an
easy bo$shot" #he temple crouched in the gloom, its vast bul% a blac%er
blot set in the center of the dar% port city of Kheled" &rom his vantage it loo%ed to
'r’ivn li%e a malignant spider ready to trap un$ary travelers" (t $as probably no accident
of design, he thought" He searched the temple roof for details" !anitor, the brightest of
the three moons, had already begun its descent, and its $an rays found scant reflection
off the surface of the temple’s basalt $alls" He $ould have to trust the priest, he decided"
)Are you certain your plan $ill $or%*+ he as%ed the purple-robed man, $ho barely came
up to his right shoulder" !agic $as useful but unreliable" A steel blade rarely failed and
$as easily controllable"
)ertain* ,o,+ hissed the priest in the same lo$ tone" ),othing is certain, and the eyes of
the spider see much, but not all" ( escaped before ( could be cast out of the -rder, so (
retain many of my more mundane po$ers" .e may have to fight a fe$ spiders, but once
$e have breached the defenses, it is a clear path to the spider god’s fane" /ight eyes has
the spider god, each a pure sapphire larger than a hand span" .ith the group you have
assembled, it $ill be short $or% prying them out" !ean$hile, ( $ill %ill the high priest,
!yr%lum of the Seventh 0obe, and all organized resistance $ill crumble $ithout his $ill
to direct it" And (, Ja%ar of the Si1th 0obe, $ill have my revenge"+
'r’ivn nodded" He had heard the plan the night before, half-drun% on Kheled $ine, $ith
half a dozen others around a table at the 'ancing 2riestess" His reputation had preceded
him, and he had been sought out to hear the proposal" (t had sounded li%e a good idea
then" ,o$, sober and shivering in the moonlight, he $as not so sure" 3et 'r’ivn had
never been one to hesitate, and he $as not going to start no$" He turned to the men
behind him and raised his hand"
&our strings thrummed, and four ropes of the finest spider sil% sped into the distance,
launched from as many crossbo$s" A heartbeat later, 'r’ivn heard the bolts from the
small crossbo$s thun% into the curved roof of the temple 4 the spider sil% $ith $hich the
priest had coated the arro$ heads had done its 5ob" (t $ould adhere to the slic% stone and
bear the $eight of a full-gro$n man" #he near ends of the ropes $ere tied off to the
crenellations, and a tenuous path$ay, four strands $ide, lay ready to be traversed to
riches" 'r’ivn grabbed the right centre rope $ith his left hand, then loo%ed at the street
four stories belo$"
)0emember, if you fall, fall silently,+ he said, then leaped over the edge" He started off
hand over hand, dangling from the rope overhead" 6eside and behind him, the others
follo$ed, t$o to a rope" #he spider priest, Ja%ar, $as behind him, $hile the other ropes
$ere s$arming $ith the &ello$ship of the 2urloined 2urse, the most notorious group of
thieves in the entire s$ampy province" Jendra and ,estra, the red-headed t$ins, had the
t$o ropes to his left" Although they $ere $rapped in blac% li%e everybody else, he could
easily tell them by their slight bodies" #heir pale s%in and frec%led faces had mar%ed them
as northerners, and he thought he had detected more than normal interest from ,estra that
night in the tavern" 'r’ivn made a mental note to pursue her after the raid" #he other four
$ere more typical of the region7 slender, of medium height, $ith blac% hair and eyes, and
$ith the casual $ariness that only the finest trained fighters ever attained" He %ne$
'assad for a hothead, and that 0ener, the leader, $as greedy, but Sopos and Heler $ere
un%no$ns to him" He $ould learn more about them as the raid progressed"
#he temple roof $as close, maybe t$elve arm lengths a$ay, $hen 'r’ivn heard one of
the t$ins ta%e a short indra$n breath" He loo%ed up and sa$ the cause of their distress 4
t$o, no, three spiders, each the size of a steppe $olf, $ere scrambling over the roof
to$ards the ropes" #he group redoubled their efforts, but long before they could reach
the solid surface of the roof, the spiders $ere advancing on them over the clear high$ay
made by the ropes" 'r’ivn and the t$ins stopped to give themselves time to $or% out a
plan" Heler, the unfortunate on his right, hung on one-handed $hile he dre$ his s$ord7
but before he could bring it to bear, he $as bitten on the left hand" He started to scream,
and 'r’ivn, $orried by the noise, unslung his s$ord and slashed to his right, slicing
Heler’s throat and silencing his cries" He had no time to $atch him fall, although he heard
the thud as the thief’s body hit the dirt belo$8 he had his o$n spider to deal $ith" He
pumped on the rope $ith his left hand, elevating his body to $aist height" As the scuttling
arachnid snatched at his left arm, he released the rope, snatching his arm bac% out of
reach $hile spinning around, long blade stretched to ma1imum e1tension" #he $hipcord
po$er of 'r’ivn’s blo$ drove the blade half$ay through the spider’s head, and then at
the very last second, 'r’ivn’s flailing left hand caught the rope" He calmly $atched the
spider plunge to the street belo$, then loo%ed to the t$ins" .hat he sa$ amazed him"
-ne of the thieves had laid herself across the t$o ropes li%e a platform, and the other $as
sitting on top of her, aiming a crossbo$" #he string t$anged and a second spider fell"
#hat left only one arachnid, advancing on the petrified Sopos" As it passed by, Ja%ar
flung a handful of po$der at its head" #he spider stopped7 then its color changed to grey
as it turned to stone" (t fell to the street $ith a mighty crash" 'r’ivn s$ore" )#oo much
noise" Hurry"+
#hey reached the roof of the temple $ithout further incident, hauling themselves up,
gasping" Sopos cra$led precariously over the sloping roof to$ards 'r’ivn"
)3ou %illed Heler+ he said, seething" His eyes $ere flashing"
)He $as already dead+, 'r’ivn said" )#here is no cure for the spiders’ poison"+ He sa$
the priest open his mouth to say something, and 'r’ivn rounded on him before he could
contradict"
)#hat po$der you used 4 $hy didn’t you tell us you had it* And $hy didn’t you share it*
+
)( didn’t thin% it $as needed, my friend" .e are luc%y ( managed to preserve this little
handful $hen ( fled the temple"+
#he man’s tone grated on 'r’ivn, but his need of the priest $as too great" He turned bac%
to Sopos" ).e all %ne$ the ris%s $hen $e started" #hin% of the greater share of the
treasure you $ill no$ receive" ,o$ let’s stop arguing and get off this roof" Jendra,
,estra, let’s find that chimney+" 6alanced li%e a great cat, he continued in a crouch up the
curving roof, follo$ing the t$ins"
6ehind him, Sopos spat, and he felt $et spittle land on the bac% of his head, follo$ed by
)6arbarian pig9+
'r’ivn paused, then shrugged" He $ould %ill Sopos later"
lothor, curate of the crimson #hird 0obe and current leader of the :pper #emple guard,
$al%ed around the blac% stone balcony that circled the inner sanctum of the Spider
#emple" #he $al%$ay, made of massive stone slabs laid onto ponderous trestles angling
from the inner $alls, overloo%ed the general seating, the sacred altar, and the grotes;ue
statue of the Spider God himself" #he statue, half again as large as the fabled pachyderms
of ,ibia, dominated the room, its eight great glittering eyes surveying its realm $ith a
predatory gleam" lothor had been told that each eye, a single sapphire transported from
deep $ithin the 5ungles of Sathir, $as $orth more gold than the entire treasury of Kheled"
-f course, nobody could be foolish enough to try to steal them" #heir e1istence $as a
secret %no$n only to the priests, and any intruders $ould be %illed long before they
caught sight of the statue" Still, a familiar fear, one that he could never sha%e, $as filling
him"
(t $as not the three-story drop that bothered him, even though there $as no railing to
prevent accidental falls" #hey seldom lost more than one acolyte per month to that peril"
After all, the path$ay $as $ide enough for t$o to $al% abreast" (t $as not the burden of
duty that bothered him either8 only members of the highest 0obes $ere allo$ed access to
the chambers on this floor, and the last incursion had been fifty years ago, $hen the
Serpent priests had mounted one last desperate attac% on their rival temple" #hey had
been crushed easily enough"
,o" .hat $as bothering him $as that after five years of service, he $as still afraid of
spiders"
He had to %eep his secret from his fello$ priests lest it be e1ploited" He had originally
5oined the temple to evade the hangman, but some nights as he dreamed fevered dreams
of spider fangs and poisons, he $ondered if he had made the right choice" Surely he had a
right to be scared9 He could die from a spider bite as easily as any man, and merely being
a spider priest did not bring any e1tra protection" #he temple’s $alls and ceilings cra$led
$ith spiders of all sizes, from small cat-sized ones to the horse-sized giants" And all of
them loo%ed at him $ith their eight glittering, hungry eyes, 5ust $aiting to pump him full
of venom that $ould turn his insides to 5elly"
#here $as only one reason he and his fello$ priests $ere still alive 4 the protective
amulet that all acolytes $ere issued $hen they first 5oined the temple" He fingered the
gold-filigreed pendant that dangled from his nec%, %eeping the spiders at bay" .hile he
$ore it 4 and he never too% it off, even $hen bathing 4 no spider could come $ithin a
fe$ paces" (t $as rumored that members of the Si1th and Seventh 0obes could command
all arachnids, and did not need the amulets, but speculation about such po$ers $as
discouraged" #he last t$o to voice such thoughts openly had lived for three days,
dangling paralyzed in $ebbed cocoons over the altar, before the myriads of baby spiders
had finally finished consuming them" He shuddered, remembering cleanup duty on that
day"
His eyes follo$ed their habitual pattern of chec%ing 4 door$ays, a glance at his
counterpart opposite also circling the opening, the teeming $alls $ith spiders scrambling
a$ay as he approached, and a loo% up at the t$o great s%ylights that slanted do$n from
the roof" #hey $ere %ept permanently clear of spiders by the amulets embedded in their
$alls" After all, he thought, $hat $ould be the point of a s%ylight cho%ed $ith $ebs*
#here $as no need to $orry about this $ea%ness in the defenses8 the s%ylights $ere
inaccessible from the outside" He laughed at the thought of somebody trying to brea% into
the temple that $ay" As he reached the part of the $al%$ay directly beneath one of the
openings, he glanced up, as he al$ays did, to see $hat stars might be sho$ing" All he
could see $as a dar% blot7 the s%ies must be clouded over tonight" .ait - $as the blot
moving* Surely it $as coming closer" (t $as falling on him9
lothor thre$ up his hands in terror 5ust before his nec% snapped"
'r’ivn s$ore as he landed atop the priest" His right %nee had ta%en the brunt of his fall,
connecting painfully $ith the priest’s hard s%ull before his considerable $eight then
bro%e the man’s nec%" He had $anted to come do$n more slo$ly, but the priest had been
about to spot him, and he had been forced to leap the final distance $hile he $as still
t$ice his height from the floor" As he gathered his $its, the t$ins landed lightly behind
him" He %ne$ the others $ould be descending more carefully, and then all thoughts of his
team vanished as his peripheral vision spotted the other guard, thirty paces a$ay $ith
gaping mouth, on the other side of the opening"
),estra,+ he $hispered, pointing"
.ith a speed and nonchalance he $as not sure even he could match, ,estra unslung the
small crossbo$ from her bac% and, one-handed, shot the guard in the chest high up near
the right shoulder" A moment later Jendra, aiming $ith greater care, %illed the staggering
priest $ith a bolt through his breastbone" He fell bac% $ith a thud on the thic% stone
platform" 'r’ivn held his breath and listened" -ne" #$o" #hree" &our" &ive" ,othing" ,o
alarm had been sounded, and the rest of the party $ere 5ust finishing their descent" He let
out his breath" 'r’ivn felt uncomfortable here, e1posed on a cleared platform, $hile
spiders silently $atched them from a short distance a$ay" He needed information"
)Ja%ar" .hy do the spiders not attac% us*+
(n ans$er, the renegade priest reached over the body of the red-robe and ripped a chain
from around his nec%" He dangled the pendant from his hand" )#hese amulets prevent any
spider from coming $ithin t$o paces" All the lo$er level 0obes $ear them" 3ou may
$ish to put it on"+ Ja%ar dropped the talisman into 'r’ivn’s hands"
)Shouldn’t you be $earing it*+ as%ed 'r’ivn, loo%ing $ith mistrust at the amulet in his
hand" He hated to rely on magic"
)( $on’t be needing it" ( have<sufficient<abilities in that regard" ,o$ ( have my o$n
business to attend to, as $e agreed, and you had better start prying out those gems" (
estimate you have five minutes before our incursion is noticed"+
Ja%ar strode a$ay" As 'r’ivn stared after him, he sa$ the priest’s body ripple, then distort
into a hideous purple spider larger than a cart horse, $ith blac% flec%ed hair spi%ing out
all over the body" 6eside him he heard 'assad retching, and 0ener mumbling prayers to
some un%no$n god" 'r’ivn stared until the priest-turned-spider had disappeared do$n a
dar% passage" #rying to disguise his unease, he shrugged and turned to the others"
)#hat $as different" ,o$, let’s follo$ his advice and grab those gems"+
Ja%ar stal%ed do$n the $al%$ay in his spider form, chuc%ling in$ardly" (t $as a spiteful
chuc%le, containing neither mirth nor mercy" ,o spider dared approach him, and those
that found themselves in his $ay ;uic%ly scattered out of range" Ja%ar %ne$ $hat most
humans $ould never %no$, that spiders rarely fought each other, unless forced to by
outside agencies" -ccasionally a large spider might %ill and eat a smaller spider if it $as
unluc%y enough to be caught in its $eb, but that $as about it" (n5ured spiders could not
heal, so there $as no point in ris%ing a fight unless you outclassed your prey in both
mobility and size" He spared one thought for the group left behind" #he fools had no idea
$hat they $ere in for" #hey $ould find out soon enough"
He too% the all-too-familiar passage$ay that led to the rooms of the Si1th and Seventh
0obes" #he floor of the octagonal tunnels, he$n from demon-spa$ned basalt over t$o
millennia ago, $as cold and smooth under the pads of his feet" #ea%$ood door$ays $ere
recessed into the $alls at irregular intervals" #here $ere three members of the Si1th
0obe, assuming he had been replaced already, and one of the Seventh" An impulse to
chec% his old door and find out $ho had replaced him $as ;uic%ly suppressed7 this $as
no time to get sidetrac%ed" (t $as probably that toe-lic%er &labia $ho had traded her
vermillion robe for his purple, but he had his sights set on the ultimate prize 4 the blac%
robe of the Seventh" He padded silently do$n the ancient t$isting corridor, then stopped
a fe$ spider-strides from the last door" !yr%lum’s door" He paused to mentally revie$
his plan"
#he doors $ere too strong for spiders to brea%, and $ere reinforced $ith $ards that
$ould slay any human not attuned to them that tried to pass" :nfortunately, only
!yr%lum $as attuned to $ards of the Seventh 0obe, and if he managed to pass through
the door, his magic $as not sufficient to over$helm that of the High 2riest of Azoth"
&ortunately, he $as neither $holly spider nor $holly human"
He shifted bac% to his human form and $ithdre$ the last of his precious magical
treasures from his sash" He stared at the iron ball in his hand" (t had ta%en all his
remaining cash and some stolen temple 5e$elry to purchase, but if his information $as
accurate, it $as the %ey to his ascension" He glanced behind him" Good 4 no spiders in
sight" He retreated a prudent distance, then rolled the iron ball to$ards the door"
)Knoc% %noc%,+ he muttered, a grin brea%ing out on his face"
As the ball headed for contact, he transformed bac% to his giant spider form, then scuttled
around the corner" He $as 5ust in time" A giant e1plosion ripped the silence, and the
corridor flared $ith eye-stabbing light" He dared a loo% around the corner"
.here the high priest’s door used to stand $as no$ a gaping space, although the basalt
$alls surrounding $ere unharmed" #hic% smo%e hung in the air, obscuring the rest of the
high priest’s room" Ja%ar $asted not a moment" His eight legs propelled him ;uic%ly
do$n the corridor, and he crashed through the $ards" #hey spar%led briefly, tracing faded
golden sigils in the air, but they failed to stop him 4 being set only for humans" He passed
through the smo%e and came face to face $ith !yr%lum, priest of the Seventh 0obe"
!yr%lum $as sitting up in bed, trying to get his bearings" He $ore blac% sil% pa5amas
$ith $hite spider$eb designs, and Ja%ar thought he loo%ed ridiculous" He also loo%ed
e1tremely vulnerable" His eyes $idened in terror as he sa$ the huge purple spider
bearing do$n on him"
!yr%lum thrust his arm to$ards Ja%ar and bar%ed the $ords of spider ab5uration, sacred
syllables only taught to the upper 0obes of the #emple of the Great God Azoth" #hey
could command any spider so addressed, but Ja%ar $as not $holly a spider" He had
counted on !yr%lum misreading the situation" Had he been in human form, surely the
high priest $ould have used a deadly spell on the hated rival he thought he had dealt $ith
for good" 6ut a spider charm $ould not do the tric%, not this time"
Ja%ar’s spider side battled the spell for less than a heartbeat before his disciplined human
mind too% over control of the body" He blasted through the charm, his four great forelegs
gripping the high priest’s body" #hen, $ith deliberate precision, he san% his t$o fangs
into his adversary’s nec%"
A spider has a limited supply of poison in its sac, and can choose ho$ much, if any, to
in5ect into its prey" (t ta%es the spider time and energy to regenerate it, so the amount
used is 5udged carefully, based on the size of the prey and the spider’s need" 6ut Ja%ar
didn’t bother $ith such nicety 4 he used it all"
#he high priest gurgled, 5er%ed, and cho%ed as a deluge of venom coursed into his veins"
#he results $ere immediate, and Ja%ar $ithdre$ his fangs and bac%ed off, allo$ing the
dead leader to collapse on his bedspread in a pool of blood and foam" !yr%lum, high
priest of the #emple of Azoth $as dead, and by right of con;uest and custom, Ja%ar $as
no$ the High 2riest" He had many tas%s to perform if he $ere to consolidate his position,
but there $as one thing to do first" He transformed bac% to his human form and stripped
off his purple robe" ,a%ed, he $al%ed to the dead priest’s dresser, yan%ed open the
dra$er, and $ithdre$ a blac% robe" As he put it on, he smiled"
Sopos glared at 'r’ivn’s broad, muscled bac%" #he $esterner $as standing at ease, s$ord
in hand, as he $atched for incoming dangers" He seemed to have no concern, no
conscience" He had slain Heled as one puts do$n an in5ured horse9 ,o remorse7 no
regret" 2erhaps the priest could have saved him" !aybe 'r’ivn did not %no$ ho$ it felt to
lose a lover" &or that lac% of concern, 'r’ivn $ould have to die" Sopos glanced around at
the rest of the group"
'assad and 0ener $ere sitting on the floor, rope $rapped around them, anchoring and
stabilizing a means of descent for the t$ins" #hey also seemed calm and unconcerned
$ith the dangerous position they $ere in" Hand over hand, they paid out rope $ith the
same mechanical precision that might have been used in the doc%yards" 6eyond the edge
of the $al%$ay and some $ays belo$, Jendra and ,estra dangled precariously over the
courtyard, $aiting for the rope to lo$er them onto the bac% of the spider god’s statue" (f
he too% a step closer to the edge, he could get a good loo% at it"
Sopos too% that step and craned his nec%" #he statue $as made of some polished blac%
stone, relief $or% so lifeli%e that he could see hairs covering the statue’s body and legs"
#he accuracy of its design $as so uncanny that for a moment he had the nightmarish
thought that it really $as a colossal spider, frozen in time, that one day $ould come bac%
to life and consume the $orld" 6ut then his eyes $ere dra$n to the beast’s head"
#here they $ere 4 the sapphires of Sathir, each larger than his fist" ,o, larger than t$o
fists" #he eyes $ere mostly dar%, but occasionally one $ould flash a brilliant blue as
torchlight or moonlight struc% it at a particular angle" Just a single gem $ould allo$ him
to live the rest of his life in lu1ury" He $ould buy a palace, complete $ith eunuchs and a
harem" He $ould obtain t$o young slave boys for his o$n pleasure, and import the finest
opiates, ferments, and comestibles that could be purchased" &ountains $ould splash in his
courtyard, and every room $ould have a servant $aving bango-leaf fans to %eep it cool"
And in time, he might even forget Heler"
He glanced again at 'r’ivn" #he t$ins $ere do$n no$, %nives out, scrambling over the
statue to$ards the gemmed eyes" #hey $ould have them pried out in minutes" #hen it
$ould be a ;uic% trip up the s%ylight, bac% over the rooftop and the ropes, and a clean
escape" #hey had no need no$ of that uncultured oaf" 'r’ivn had been hired for his
fighting pro$ess, and the fighting $as over" ,o$ $as his time to get revenge"
Sopos shoved 'r’ivn hard in the bac%" 'r’ivn plunged over the side too ;uic%ly to yell"
He crac%ed his head on the spider god’s bac%, then slid bonelessly to the floor" Sopos
stepped bac% in satisfaction"
0ener, seeing the flurry of motion and hearing the sound of the $arrior hitting the floor
far belo$, loo%ed do$n, then bac% at Sopos in horror"
)Sopos, $hat did you 5ust do*+
)Killed a pig" .e don’t need him any more"+
0ener’s face paled" )3ou fool, he $as $earing the protection amulet9+
Sopos stared at his leader, then at the $esterner spra$led out on the temple floor" He
s$allo$ed" )2erhaps $e’ll be safe" Ho$ dangerous can those spiders be*+
As if in ans$er, the nearest arachnids advanced rapidly to$ards them" 0ener stood up,
yelled a $arning to the t$ins, and $as %noc%ed do$n by a man-sized spider" 6oth 0ener
and the spider rolled over the edge7 the splat that follo$ed offered no difficulty of
interpretation" 'assad cast off the rope entangling him, s$ept out his s$ord, and chopped
t$o legs off a spider that had gro$n too curious for his li%ing"
)Sopos9+ he yelled" )6ac% to bac%" .e may be able to ta%e them9+
'o$n belo$, one of the t$ins called out" ).hat’s going on*+
)Spider attac%,+ bar%ed 'assad"
).e need the rope9+
Sopos %ne$ it $as hopeless" His hatred had doomed them all" .ell 4 maybe not all of
them" #he rope up the s%ylight $as free of spiders" He abandoned 'assad and any
thoughts of riches and dashed for the rope"
)Sopos9 ome bac%" So 4 + #he sound $as cut off"
Sopos did not loo% bac%7 he %ept climbing" (t $as a shame about the t$ins, he thought,
but they %ne$ the ris%s" He reached the top in safety, panting after such a rapid climb"
He e1ited the s%ylight through the hole they had carved, and sa$ the ropes scarcely ten
paces a$ay" He stood up, only to be slammed in the bac% by a 5umping spider they had
missed earlier" He spra$led face-for$ard on the roof, feeling the beast’s $eight on his
bac%" He desperately reached for his s$ord, but could not reach it before the spider bit
him in the nec%" He did not even have time for a final thought"
'r’ivn smelled incense" He heard a ;uiet rustling and then heavy, deliberate footsteps" He
opened his eyes to see his companion in roguery, Ja%ar the priest, come into vie$,
dressed in a blac% robe and bearing a 5e$eled scepter in his right hand" 6ehind him stood
t$o mailed temple guards, s$ords girt round their $aists, torches in their hands" 'r’ivn
tried to sit up and failed" He could not move his e1tremities" He settled for gazing
impassively bac% at the priest"
).ell, my friend,+ said the priest" )#han%s to your help, ( am no$ master of this temple"
'o not try to get up" 3ou have been in5ected $ith a special venom e1tract ( developed" (t
paralyzes the recipient for a short span of time" ( am ;uite proud of it" ( fear it $as
necessary 4 ( did not thin% you $ould be amenable to conversation other$ise"+
'r’ivn grunted" )'on’t play $ith me, priest" Have done and %ill me"+
Ja%ar raised his eyebro$s" )3ou recover much faster than ( e1pected" 6ut do not $orry 4
( $ould not %ill such a helpful partner"+
).hat have you done $ith the others*+
Ja%ar $as dismissive" )#hey received the re$ard that thieves deserve" 6ut ( feel a special
%inship $ith you, and so ( $ill give you the chance to serve me eternally and faithfully"+
'r’ivn gritted his teeth" He had been fond of the sisters" )/ternally is too long, priest" As
long as ( have t$o arms to $ield a s$ord and shield, ( $ould al$ays be a threat to you"+
)As long as you have t$o arms" (ndeed" 6ut $hat if you had instead eight arms, and $ere
bound to the temple*+ He raised the ornate club" )#he High 2riest of the spiders has the
ability to destroy spiders 4 and to create them" !ay Azoth bless you"+ #hen, gently, he
lo$ered the scepter to touch 'r’ivn’s forehead, invo%ing the name of the Spider God" As
the scepter descended, and for the first time in his life, 'r’ivn felt fear"
#he fear lasted but a moment, replaced by a searing assault on his brain" His mouth froze
in a rictus7 he screamed and screamed and screamed, $ondering ho$ much he could ta%e"
&inally, the pain stopped" #hen came clarity, and horror"
His head s$elled, as did his body, and then his limbs bifurcated" #hic% bro$n hair
sprouted from every pore on his body" His hands and feet dissolved and then reformed
into three-cla$ed toes $ith padded feet" He struggled to move, and lurched to his feet 4
all eight of them" He $as turning into a spider, bro$n and gigantic"
His blurry vision disoriented him" He tried to ma%e sense of it all" He had eight eyes9 He
had eight eyes, and his brain could not yet properly process the information they sent to
it" !ovement blurred at the edges of his vision, and he s$iveled his head to the left to
follo$" ,o$ his centre eyes too% over, and $ith larger-than-life clarity he sa$ one of
Ja%ar’s guards step bac%$ards" !ore signals intruded, coming from a third set of eyes,
giving him the correct distance to 5ump" .ithout a thought, he pounced" He did not ma%e
it"
Ja%ar gestured, and an invisible force directed him to the side" He hit the $all five paces
a$ay and slid do$n gracelessly" 2ainfully, he struggled to his feet" .hat $as he doing*
He $as a man, not a spider" 3et spider senses $ere assaulting his brain, overloading it
$ith never-before-felt e1periences" =ibrations thrummed through the ground from
everyplace" He could sense the adrenalin of the temple guards" -utside of a limited circle
he could only see in blac% and $hite" His fangs and incisors felt a$%$ard in his mouth"
&angs* He felt sic%" He $as a man"
He scuttled up the $all, a$ay from the priest" He $as a man" His pads clung to the
uneven surface effortlessly" Another spider came too close, and he struc% $ith greater
speed than he had ever %no$n, bashing the monster off balance $ith his forelegs and
5abbing him in the e1posed throat $ith his fangs" His foe plummeted to the ground"
'r’ivn tasted spider fluids in his belly" He $as a man9 A man9
He climbed to the $al%$ay that circled the temple nave" 6elo$, Ja%ar had turned a$ay to
inspect the statue" He $as giving orders to three priests in green robes" #$o of the
sapphire gems $ere missing from the statue, and 'r’ivn $ondered if the t$ins had
escaped" He started to stal% the priest, his $onderful, no$-ad5usted eyes providing the
e1act information that his brain needed to stri%e"
,o, his eyes $ere not $onderful" He $as not a spider" #his could not be happening" He
edged a$ay from a guard $ho $as circling the balcony 4 the force emanating from the
guard’s amulet repulsed him" He remembered the magical spider repellant" 6ut it should
not affect him" He $as a man, not a spider 4 a man9
'r’ivn had never been beaten" /very battle, every struggle in life, he had overcome" He
had been raised among $arriors, no ;uarter given or ta%en" #his $as 5ust another
struggle" He remembered the old $oman in his village, $ho had told him so many years
ago that the po$er of magic $as simply belief" #he truly strong could overcome" Her
$ords had meant nothing to him then, but no$ he understood $hat she had been saying"
He $as a man"
He $as a man a man a man a man a man<:nbearable nausea struc% him, but he bore it,
5ust as he bore do$n on the magic holding his brain" Sharp %nives of light struc% his eyes,
stabbing and stabbing 4 but they $ere only stabbing t$o eyes no$, and $ith a $rench of
supreme $ill his spider form fell from him and he slid do$n the $all to the ledge 4
na%ed, sore, and unarmed, but human"
#he guard $ho had 5ust passed turned around at the sound" &rom all fours, 'r’ivn loo%ed
up at him and launched himself, $rapping his arms around the guard in a tac%le, ta%ing
them both over the edge that 'r’ivn had fallen from before" #hey landed on the spider
god’s statue, the guard brea%ing his bac% but cushioning 'r’ivn’s fall" 'r’ivn cla$ed the
guard’s s$ord from its sheath, and holding it t$o-handed over his head 5umped into the
midst of the green-robed priests and red-clad guards, screaming the $ar cry of Kthath"
His s$ord reaped death, biting into soft flesh and vulnerable bone" Adrenalin boosted his
speed and strength, and his s%ill outmatched any opponent he faced" (n seconds he
reached Ja%ar" #he other guards $ere too far a$ay to help the priest" He could see the
fear and disbelief in Ja%ar’s eyes"
)(mpossible9 Ho$ did you 4 +
#he priest’s $ords cho%ed off as 'r’ivn drove his s$ord through Ja%ar’s breastbone and
out his bac%" He $ithdre$ his s$ord, blood splattering on the floor from his blade" #he
Scepter of Azoth lay in a pool of oozing blood" 'r’ivn reached do$n and snatched the
heavy $eapon" Still in a fury, he $hirled and smashed the scepter against a stone leg of
the spider statue"
#he leg snapped, and the statue started to topple" #he guards that had been approaching
'r’ivn stopped, startled" 'r’ivn smashed the scepter into another leg" (t too crumbled,
and the statue listed to one side" A moan came from the assembled faithful"
'riv’n shattered the scepter against yet a third leg, and the statue crashed to its stony
destruction #he magic contained in the artifact $as released into the night" #he spiders in
the temple, freed from their sorcerous coercion, $ent berser%, s$arming over the guards"
/lephant-sized spiders, larger than any seen heretofore, boiled up from hidden cellars,
paving stones blasted aside as angry arachnids emerged from centuries of hiding" #ime
to leave" 6ut ho$*
'r’ivn searched for an e1it and a strategy" (t $as pointless to grab one of the amulets
from a fallen priest7 their magic had been dispelled" #he balcony overhead $as out of
reach" #he $indo$s $ere all high, barred, and spider-infested" He $ould have to escape
from the ground floor"
(f Ja%ar had spo%en the truth, the only $ay out $as through double doors and do$n a
long hall$ay before reaching the temple gates" (f he could escape this chamber, he might
have a chance to fight his $ay do$n a spider-cho%ed passage"
He grabbed a shield from a fallen guard, duc%ing a flying spider" &rom the corner of his
eye he sa$ movement, spun, and punched a spider $ith his shield" #he crippled beast
reared bac%" 'r’ivn had his bearings no$, and began to pic% his $ay through the
spra$ling melee to$ards the e1it"
)'r’ivn9+
&ighting her $ay out of a corner $as one of the t$ins" She must have been hiding from
the guards, but the failing magic had rendered her vulnerable" He $asn’t sure $hich t$in
it $as, but he too% a guess"
),estra,+ he cried" )#o me9 .e’ll go together"+
A fe$ slashes of his blade brought him to her side"
)Jump on my bac%" Kill any spiders that attac% from behind" .here’s Jendra*+
)She left in time" ( managed to get t$o sapphires" .e’ll split them once $e escape"+
)Agreed"+
'r’ivn $asted no more breath" He sprang for$ard" ,estra’s body $as a small $eight on
his massive frame" 6ut spiders of all sizes $ere still emerging" /scape seemed
impossible"
'r’ivn had been tempered since boyhood by battle, hardship and privation" &ifteen years
in the ,ibian $ars and %illing grounds of Kyldar 2ea%s had refined his s%ills $ith the
blade" 6ut all his training, even combined $ith his size and ;uic%ness, $ould not have
saved him that day" ,ot even the ferocious adrenal rush of his fight for survival $ould
have made a difference"
6ut 'r’ivn had been a spider" He had felt $hat they felt, seen $hat they sa$" He used
that e1perience to cut his $ay through the arachnid maelstrom" Anticipating their
reactions, he e1ploited their vulnerabilities and countered their attac%s $ith a brilliance
$oven from human and spider intelligence" #he path$ay behind him $as stre$n $ith
crippled and dying monsters, soon to become fodder for the larger arachnids follo$ing"
,estra screamed $ithout cease, $hether in terror or defiance he could not tell" (t did not
matter" (f she could not protect his bac%, they $ould both die and that $ould be that" He
$as driving for$ard, al$ays for$ard, and he $ould clear their $ay to safety through all
the hell and horror of the spider god’s minions"
At last he burst out of the temple" #he gilded main doors ahead of him $ere open" 2riests
and guards ali%e $ere dead in heaps by the gates, gigantic spiders feasting on their
bodies" !anitor had set, but the light of the t$o smaller moons, Gainar and Kish, bathed
the temple courtyard $ith enough illumination to sho$ that he could not possibly reach
the e1it $ithout being attac%ed from all sides"
He could not fail no$" He grabbed a hanging lantern and dashed it on the ground" -il
splashed and ignited, setting alight the nearby spiders to dance and thrash in maddened
agony as they burned" 'r’ivn grabbed the only other lantern he could see and $ith a
heave added its fuel to the fire" As spiders fled, 'r’ivn seized his chance and sprinted to
the base of the nearest $all" Although it $as too high for him to reach, for the moment it
$as bare of spiders" (t $ould have to do"
),estra9 Get ready"+
He pluc%ed the girl off his bac% and tossed her to the top of the $all" She landed lightly,
grabbed a decorative spi%e on the top, then turned to loo% do$n at him"
)Give me a hand,+ said 'r’ivn"
He discarded his s$ord and shield as useless encumbrance" Spider instincts flashed bac%
unbidden to his mind, and he 5umped" ,estra almost lost her grip $hen she caught his
arm, but then 'r’ivn’s desperate effort allo$ed him to get a grip on a neighboring spi%e"
#ogether, they stood on top of the $all"
6ehind and belo$ them a river of spiders poured from the temple into the city" #he
progeny of millennia of profane breeding bro%e free from their bondage" #he city of
Kheled $as doomed" -n the other side of the $all, the estuary meandered broad and
sluggish to the open sea, not t$enty feet belo$ them" A spice galley lay moored a
bo$shot a$ay"
).hat no$, 'r’ivn*+
'r’ivn made a decision" ).e 5ump,+ he said, and pushed ,estra into the $ater" As he
5umped after her, he $ondered if she could s$im" #hey crashed into the mur%y, $arm
$ater and surfaced spluttering" 'r’ivn stro%ed to$ards the galley7 ,estra %ept pace" (t
$as bad manners to board a ship unas%ed, but three years of piracy had made it second
nature to 'r’ivn" #hey s$armed up the side, startling the $atch"
).ho goes there*+ #he fearful cry came out of the dar% amidships"
)2aying passengers" Get your captain no$"+
'r’ivn learned long ago that if you $ere forceful and fearless, you could bluff through
orders nine times out of ten" #hat tenth time a good s$ord came in handy 4 it $as too bad
he had left his behind" He $aited dripping in the dar%, his left arm $rapped around ,estra
holding her close to his side" Although the top of her head did not even come up to his
chin, she held herself 5ust as proudly as he" She $ould not flinch, no matter the outcome"
After the horrors of the evening, she could deal $ith a mere merchant"
At last a bearded Kheledian approached" 6ehind him came a score of sailors, armed $ith
cutlasses"
).hat in >heleth is going on*+ he said" ).ho are you, and $hat are you doing on my
boat*+
).e are paying passengers, aptain" ?oo% out there"+ 'r’ivn s$ept his arm to$ards the
city" !onstrous blac% shapes still scuttled through the dar%ness" (n the distance torches
flared" Screams drifted to$ards them over the $ater"
)#he city falls" #he spider hordes of Azoth have been unleashed on Kheled, and its
people are consumed" (f you do not $ant to be their ne1t victim, you $ill unmoor and
escape to any$here but here"+
)(t can’t be true,+ said the captain" )#he priests have ever protected the city"+
)#he priests are dead, and the spiders crazed $ith hunger,+ said 'r’ivn ).e have seen it
$ith our o$n eyes" .e have gems" .e can pay for passage" Just leave, before it’s too
late"+
#he captain paused, surveying the city, beginning to believe them" )Sho$ me a to%en,+
he said to 'r’ivn"
),estra*+ as%ed 'r’ivn"
,estra reached inside her cloa% and pulled out one of the great sapphires of Sathir, then
;uic%ly concealed it"
)Satisfied*+ she as%ed"
#he captain’s eyes flashed"
)(’m Hymid, captain of the Seraphid"+ His voice $as much friendlier" ).elcome aboard"
3ou can use my cabin" .e’ll tal% price in the morning"+ He turned to tal% to his men"
)0asufad, ma%e ready to cast off" Jaslar, set a course sea$ard, then around the coast to
Khifir" #he $eather is nice there this time of year"+ He strode to the bo$ of the ship"
'r’ivn led ,estra do$n to their assigned cabin and surveyed his surround-ings" #he
single bun% $ould not accommodate both of them, and the captain’s clothes $ere
unli%ely to fit either of them" Should they get out of their $et clothes any$ay* He turned
to ,estra"
)Any suggestions* 3ou could ta%e the bed" ( $on’t fit" And $e need to tal% about the <+
)Ssshh+, said ,estra, leaning into him" ),o more tal%ing"+ She stepped bac%$ards and
dropped her robes, her eyes full of promise"
'r’ivn heard a hubbub and his s%ull ached" #he cabin door crashed open" He heard
Hymid yelling" He opened his eyes to find for the second time in this long night that he
$as lying on a floor" Still groggy, he pushed his $ay to a sitting position" Hymid $as
livid"
)#hat $ench of yours has disappeared" She incapacitated t$o of my men during the night
and stole our ship’s boat"+
),estra is gone*+ 'r’ivn $as finding it hard to thin%"
)3es" .e don’t thin% she stole anything else, but ( am holding you responsible" ( $ant
you to pay for your passage no$, plus hers, and for our ship’s boat, or $e are tossing you
overboard"+
'r’ivn cursed" ),estra had all the gems"+ He staggered to his feet, loo%ing around the
room" #here $as no pouch, 5ust his o$n scattered clothing from $here he had let it fall
last night" He sighed"
)( can’t pay you, aptain, but ( can pull an oar $ith the best of them" (’ll $or% my
passage"+
Hymid appraised 'r’ivn’s muscled physi;ue" He $ould be $orth t$o ro$ers, easily"
)&ine" 3ou $or% three months’ service and $e’ll call it even"+
'r’ivn considered ma%ing a fuss, but he realized he had fe$ choices" )Agreed, aptain"+
Hymid nodded" )6rea%fast is in ten minutes" Get dressed" #hen get out of my cabin"+ He
banged the door behind him"
'r’ivn dressed slo$ly, going over the night in his mind" ,estra must have left $ith the
gems after he had dozed off" #hat $as the most e1pensive night he could remember $ith
a $oman, and he had paid for a fe$" He $anted to feel anger, but all that he could muster
$as a grin" .hat a $oman9 He $as definitely going to trac% her do$n after he finished
his service $ith the merchant" !irth bubbled up in his throat, and he could no longer
contain it" He thre$ bac% his head and laughed, a loud, uncontrolled laugh of pure
delight" He $as still laughing as he strode up the companion$ay to meet his ne$
comrades" @