Hitora attempts to break out of the lines before any spiders got too close to him in this position.
“I do not expect any, no.” Vra’axinni replies.
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“You make a good point.” Ilza nods, beginning to hunt through the shelves herself.
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Bramble didn’t respond. Maybe something on purpose, though…
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The first few lines break easily enough, but the spiders already flying overhead lay more webs across his shoulders. More spiders are already joining them, the air growing thick with webs as chittering fills the air around him. Rach looms on one side, Pheore on the other.
“Well wonderful. I can run a boat, b-but I can’t promise anything fancy if something strange pops up. Well, all aboard then!” He hops onto the boat, pulling some of the ropes on board with him.
While a few books are kind enough to declare their purpose on the spine, most of them are unlabeled. It seems she’ll have to do this the hard way. Jaspar pulls another book from the shelf, doing so himself.
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Hitora growls and turns to look at Pheore. “So what are you gonna do.” He mutters, rage filling his voice.
Vra’axinni hops on after him. “We can take care of anything strange if it pops up.” He responds.
“We do what we’re told,” she says, not meeting his eyes.
Tathel glances at the two of them. “I’d believe it.”
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He spits at her. “You may get that horrid spider to control my body.” He starts. “But my mind, the real me, will never surrender, will never stop fighting, and will never, ever forgive you.” He growls. “And as soon as I get whatever foul beast you put on my face off, trust me, I will seek you out, and I will snap that traitorous neck of yours, coward.” He struggles against his bindings again, even knowing it was most likely in vain.
Vra’axinni looks at Bramble. “Are you ready to go?”
Keya shudders. She tries to ignore what(and who) they were leaving behind, and tried to focus on getting to the capital.
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Pheore stares at him, face blank. The spiders do their best to hold firm, and from behind him he would hear a roar before Rach aimed a blow at the back of his head.
“But you’re eating an arm.” Creath pointed out gruffly, not appreciating the way he was addressed.
“That’s no better than a hand, in terms of ethics.”
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Hitora stares right back. “Traitorous lowli-” he starts, before the blow cuts him short.
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Ilza sighs, starting to open and flick through the many unmarked tomes, finding everything from poetry to battle strategy. Who organized this library anyway?
“Anything?” Ilza almost pleaded. This was starting to get a bit ridiculous, and if she was honest the poetry was looking tempting right about now.
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“Uh, sure.” Bramble hops in, immediately reacting uncomfortably to being in an object on the water, struggling to maintain balance.
“Ethics?”
The Soil stopped cold, dropping the arm. “Ethics are for the dead. Knowledge is for the living. Witness!”
His voice had gone from meek and weary to deep and commanding. The eyes on his mask slowly began to glow. “Male, died eighty-four, married, four children. All of them have met Toa Lewa in person and told him so. Was possessed by a Skull Spider for a short period of time, freed by the Protector of Jungle. Died from…”
The lights flickered and abruptly shut off. “Blast,” He growled in his usual voice, and threw the arm on the floor. “If I could have a piece of his heart I would be able to tell you every waking memory from the moment he spoke his first word. Hands are useless; they contain next to nothing.”
“Someday I will chronicle the info I have attained,” He leaned back in the seat, slumping uncomfortably. “All I need is a little bit more.”
Ilza and Jaspar would likely have heard every word of his demonstration.
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“So an insane cannibal. Charming.” Ilza deadpanned.
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Creath backed up, bumping into a table.
“Wh- that’s impossible. Wait- no- More like improbable. I-”
He appeared both intrigued and repulsed at the same time.
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The lights turned on again, and the Soil picked up his voice while improving his posture dramatically as he spoke.
“The agony of it all, that my life, so great a poet, so masterful an author, would be snuffed out in this hour of wrath! Oh if there is a creator out there, I implore you to listen to my plea! For tonight I fall!”
There was a violent hiccoughing sound followed by an ungodly noise as if the Soil’s stomach had jumped into his mouth. With a last feeble cry the sound drained out into an empty silence.
The Soil, who had embellished the performance with gasping and voice cracks, slumped violently into his seat with an irritated air. “The last words of Medres, author of The Greatest Voyage, a book which you will not find in any library as the stupid fool died before he could actually write it. He died from being shot through the neck with an arrow.”
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Azures listens while she prepares to leave, “Fair” she lets out.
“Could be good if we knew what groups we are spliting into.” Azure asks Gladius, “I’m as ready as can be.” She continues
Tarkur does the same but prioritize finding a village.
“Incredibly.” Though Jaspar is intrigued, he takes Ilza’s hand and gently pulls her away from the insane cannibal.
“F-first time on a boat?” Tathel asks, already knowing the answer. “You just have to keep your center of balance low, so you don’t fall over.” Tathel pulls the rest of the ropes onboard, pushing off from the dock. “Would either of you mind helping me row? It’ll be faster that way.”
As he falls to the ground, the spiders swarm over him, webs crossing this way and that until he’s enveloped in a cocoon, only his face visible. Threads drop from the ceiling, weaving together into a rope and hoisting him into the air. Rach reaches for his mask.
“No,” Pheore says. Rach growls, snapping his claws at Pheore. “You heard me, no. Leave his mask where it is.” The beast growls more, looming over Pheore. She looks up at him, unflinching. He wasn’t allowed to hurt her.
“I said no, that’s final.” Rach roared, one leg stamping into the ground next to her, sending the other spiders scurrying away in fright. “Yeah yeah, I’ll with her later. For the moment, though, you listen to me, remember?” Rach growls, then stomps away. After a glare from Pheore, the other spiders follow. She’s left alone with the unconscious Hitora, trying not to think at all.
“I think the idea is to stick together as long as possible, split up if something happens,” Vohman says.
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“Ah…” Azure responds
Ilza gladly lets Jaspar lead her away, only looking back for a moment before quickly changing her mind and shuddering.
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OOC:
IC:
“Correct.” Gladius responded, too busy marching through the overgrowth and trying to determine which direction would be a straight path to the city to become too involved in any conversation. “Hopefully that doesn’t occur.”
Bramble looked at the oars. They were so low to the ground that the only way you could utilize them is by sitting.
Good. “I’ll help.” This way I don’t have to stand. Is that boat etiquette?
Bramble plopped into position with one of the oars, completely oblivious to how rowing in unison worked.
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