36. The Mouth of the Nest

36. The Mouth of the Nest Jury could not elaborate on her dream any further. But the idea of a library was interesting. If there was a place where a tale would belong, then it would certainly be a library. Nav unfortunately did not know anything about this place or if it even existed. This strange library became food for her thoughts as the horses moved slowly now. These steeds were the first to sense the presence of something sinister ahead. Weapons were held close by and near the murder holes as everyone observed their surroundings now. Faint glimmers shone every so often behind the tree lines. These were the thread of the Anid. They became thicker as they entered the mouth of their nest, which appeared inconspicuous compared to the rest of the forest. If one lacked the knowledge of the Anids prior, then they wouldn’t have even known they were walking straight towards their deaths. They were confident in their group, boasting a good number of combatants, with one being vastly more powerful. Additionally, they had a healer on their side to alleviate the need for the slow-working, low-grade potions they had on hand. Interestingly, only high-quality healing potions were capable of regenerating wounds. The low-grade stuff they had could only replenish HP. These dull-colored flasks rattled in the back of their caravans, playing as the ambience of this silent forest. The threads spanned and swayed to an invisible wind. Alice held her breath as she clutched onto her mother’s waist, all the while Calfasio tightly gripped onto the pendant in hand and another object within the pocket of his suit-like wear. All were afraid for what was to come. Frost noticed movement behind the tree lines and at the ends of these strings. Something was weaving them together before they suddenly slipped away. Thankfully, she was not the only one who noticed. Trianids LEVEL : 5ORIGIN : AnidHP : 20 ATT : 0 MAG ATT : 0AGI : 15 “Trianids already... they’ve expanded this much in only a month?” Via commented warily. Trianids? “The three-legged variant of the Anid. They are the weavers of the outer nests. The first thing one usually sees. They are as normal as any regular spider. Mostly harmless as well. Just...” Just? Nav did not even need to finish its sentence. The smaller Trianids were suddenly replaced with giant, adult sized creatures all bearing the same three, segmented legs. Frost’s blood chilled to near absolute zero, all the while Jury looked on and whispered into her ear: “They look kind of yummy.” “You see them now, I presume? Many of the Anids can grow to about the size of an adult human.” I... I can see that. Frost desperately wore a straight face. As much as she despised having to deal with giant spiders, in the end, they were all destined to end up in her mouth one way or another. The Trianids in question were a lightly armored three-legged spider, colored a pale-white. The three beady eyes were plastered across their face. They were smooth, as if their exoskeletons were made from metal. “The Quadranid scouts have already took notice of us. Stay sharp! DO NOT RELEASE A SINGLE ARROW NO MATTER WHAT! DON’T GIVE THEM A REASON TO BELIEVE WE ARE A THREAT!” Jaris’ voice reverberated through the forest. “STAY VIGILANT!” If the Anids only assumed they were here before, then they definitely knew they were here now. As alarming as it was, everyone kept themselves composed. Everyone that could fight, that is. The people in the caravan with Frost trembled with debilitating terror, the fear seeping through clenched teeth like a mist. It was even worse for Alice, who had to imagine the horrors of the Anid. It would have been better if she knew about them beforehand. The mind was capable of terrors that exceeded any reality, after all. To make matters worse – these creatures didn’t even emit a single sound. Their scuttering around the forest were as silent as the windless breeze that brushed past their strings. Quadranid LEVEL : 10ORIGIN : AnidHP : 250 ATT : 30 MAG ATT : 0AGI : 30 The four-legged Quardranids ran deeper into the forest with impressive speed. Their sharpened legs left stake marks in the dirt, and yet not a single sound was made. An eye resided on four different sides. These creatures were able to move in any four of the cardinal directions equally. They did not latch onto the trees like traditional spiders, or the Trianids for that matter. They appeared incapable of doing so. “The scouts of the Anid nest. Quadranids are the four-legged variant that relay information back to the inner parts of the nest.” LEVEL : 60ORIGIN : AnidHP : 5,000 MAG ATT : 0AGI : 20 “There was a second half, wasn’t there?” Frost spoke sharply when the doors flung wide open. At least 40 other people were gathered outside, each brandishing their weapons as the Octanids drew nearer. They were surrounded from all sides now by these beasts. “Healers have an interesting relationship with the Anids. Remember when I said that some see these creatures as entities of salvation? 50 years ago, Grandis and the greater part of the world persecuted the healers to do their bidding. Slavery. Rape. Drugged. Magically bound. Kept as prized possessions. Shackled. Tortured and forced to heal themselves just to persist in their miserable existence.” Via uttered, her eyes set firmly on the eight-legged monstrosities that were easily the size of their caravans. And when Frost stepped out, the Octanids suddenly froze in her presence, somehow becoming calmer. Tame. Passive, even. She didn’t need to use scrutiny to understand that the flames in their hearts were blue. They all took an instinctive step back, as if commanded by a higher authority. “But the Anids were different. They were their salvation. The earliest rendition of the Wandering Healer and the Wayfarer legend depicts a humanoid Anid wandering our lands with a pale-haired healer.” Via spoke as if reciting sacred scripture, confident in a plan that the other Patrons disregarded with all their heart. “... shut up... these things could attack at any moment... and you’re still blabbering about that myth?” Jaris scoffed beneath his breath. “Miss Frost. The second half is that you are our bargaining chip to get through this without causing needless blood to shed. They called me a liar, but I know it’s all true... Because the Wandering Healer I saw told me of this tale... So please Miss Frost, do you think you can communicate with the Anids?” Her coat ruffled before them all. Frost shut her eyes momentarily. She did not need to think twice about helping them. She just needed a moment to digest the horrifying history of the healers. “Help them?” Jury quietly asked, staring down an eyeless Octanid that eventually stopped right before them. It lifted one limb and pointed directly at Frost. “... N-No... is it really... true?” Jaris could hardly believe his eyes. He was the only one to speak from the crowd, also unable to comprehend the sight before them. With a deep breath and heart clad in steel, Frost finally gave her answer: “Yeah. We’ll help them. However –” She carefully walked towards the Octanid as the others took many steps back, save for Via who watched on with elated eyes, knowing that she was right after all. The Octanid consumed her vision. It was far larger than she realized. The metal armor that was its integument was easily thicker than her forearm. No bladed weapon was destined to puncture through this armor unless it possessed physical-defying characteristics. Even bullets wouldn’t make it halfway through. “Are you an enemy?” Frost sternly asked, getting straight to the point. The limb rocked left and right as her coat ruffled again. What a relief... this coat is unbelievable sometimes. “Can it speak?” Jury questioned as the limb rocked sideways again. “No?” “Oh, right. You can also speak to it since you’re a Blessed as well. Are the voices of anything that isn’t a Blessed gibberish to them?” The limb moved up and down, as if tugged by an invisible string. “No complicated questions then. Alright. Will you kindly let us all pass?” Frost spoke with a powerful voice. She could not afford to make herself appear weak before them. There was still not guarantee that they were safe. It didn’t move its limb. Instead, it beaconed her before it turned the other way. Such an eldritch feeling... So this is a monster. Not wildlife. I finally understand the difference now. Plus, they’re capable of reasoning. Thank goodness for that. “To follow huh. They’re a lot less...” Frost trailed off as Via quickly issued an order to return to the carriages. “Scarier than you thought?” Jury finished, tapping Frost’s head. “Yeah. Huh... Did the library teach you how to read minds as well?” She needed to joke just to set her mind straight. Her voice was quiet enough for only Jury to hear. “No, but the gibberish written in the books taught me that reading your face is a lot easier.” Jury, to Frost’s surprise, joked back. “... aha. Is my face really that readable?” “Only to me.” Jury proudly stated. Frost managed to break into a small smile. But the uneasiness remained in Frost’s heart. They had only seen 3 of the supposed 10 Anid types in this nest so far. Additionally, there was no telling where they were being led to. However, should the situation arise where the Anids bare their fangs towards any one of these people behind her – – Then she’d have to bare hers as well.