Rise of the Blood Weaver - Chapter 82 (Patreon)

“Right,” Arlo said nervously as he kept his eyes on the monster. “What’s the plan? Just sneak on by and hope it doesn't rise from the dead and squat us like puny insects?”

“Hey,” Justin said. “What happened to the optimistic Arlo? I preferred that one. Return him to me at once!”

Arlo punched his arm. Justin didn’t even react in the slightest. Stupid Flaw. “You know what I mean. We have to have more of a plan than that.”

“We don’t,” Merc said. “That’s all we’ve got. Put our lives in the gauntlet of fire and hope for the best.”

“You and fire,” Arlo said, shaking his head. “Alright. Let’s do it before I change my mind.”

Merc nodded. She stalked forward. She was the first to step into the room. Arlo soon followed. He was shitting himself. If the walls closed in on them, they were doomed. It was what he was worried about, but another week had gone-by, and they couldn’t find a path that led to the outside.

Of course, there was always the way back. But that wasn’t ideal. This whole maze has impassable chasms on either side. Finding a way over them was impossible. So this was their only path. Arlo didn’t like it one bit.

Still, they sneaked forward. Arlo was practically on his tip-toes. Vyr was within his core, and his appendages were stored in his back. He didn’t want to make one extra decibel of noise if he could help it.

As they stalked towards the other passageway with baited breath, Arlo couldn’t help but stare at the creature in passing. His heart thumped against his chest. Thump. Thump, thump. He could almost see the monster's eyes behind its veil of hair. Arlo could imagine them now. Were they dull and lifeless and white. Or were they alive, filled with colour? It was probably the latter.

Arlo wasn’t the only one staring at the beast. Elian and Justin were the same. Merc was focused ahead. Her worries seemed to be on the walls, and the other side of the dark passageway where creatures may be lurking.

She was already focused on the next thing. It was like her eyes were always gazing at what could be. Arlo couldn’t do that. Not yet. All his attention was on the ape-humanoid being.

Thankfully, Arlo and his troupe were 80% of the way to the passage.

A chance occurred. It was very slight. If Arlo hadn’t had all his attention on the creature, he wouldn’t have noticed it. But he did. The being was raising its hung head ever so slightly. Arlo could hear the flesh of the beast squelch from the impalement from the nail. He was moving. He was alive.

Holy shit! Arlo’s shirt stuck to his back from the sweat beading off of him.

It was Elian who couldn’t resist it any longer. He dashed ahead into the passageway. He looked ahead, scanning the area. The others followed.

Just before Arlo himself entered, he took one more glance at the monster pinned to the cross. Its hair had parted. One eye peered from under the thick, greasy strands of white hair. It was looking at him. Arlo stumbled. The sight almost forced him to his knees.

The eye wasn’t dull, lifeless, or white. It wasn't alive, nor filled with colour. It didn’t have eyes at all. So the fact that it was looking at him made it even creepier. Arlo stomped on the floor, propelling himself into the passageway as fast as he could. He crashed up against merc. She was as solid as a wall.

“It, it looked at me,” Arlo said, panicked.

“It did?” Merc asked.

“Yeah. Shit, it didn’t have any eyes. They were like blank, dark sockets. I couldn’t see inside them.”

“Well we’ve passed,” Merc said. “We’ll get out of this place then begin scouting. We won’t risk going back to the safe zone now that that thing knows we exist.”

“Told you man,” Justin said, walking by Arlo’s side. “You’ve got the steps of a burdened elephant.”

“You–” Arlo paused.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?”

“I was about to tell a your momma joke.”

“That hurts, Arlo.” Justin laughed.

***

Arlo and his team travelled down a few more passageways in an attempt to get as far away as possible from that thing. Arlo still had goosebumps. And honestly, they were probably going to remain for a good, long time. He still saw those–Arlo shook his head, trying to rid it from his mind.

He had summoned Vyr after the first bend. He had to have his Reflection out at all times. He stood right in front of Arlo, like a loyal guardian. It reminded him of his protector, Joffrey. Arlo sighed. So much had happened since then, yet his emotions were still the same.

He had to live for them. For all of them.

Justin returned from his scouting. He found a promising passage. But it was filled with monsters. Arlo smiled. He needed a good distraction.

***

Entering the passageway, the creatures immediately snapped onto them as if they had a scent they wished to devour. There were at least two Monsters. Arlo had learned to spot them now. It wasn’t hard. They were taller, and their imposing presence was just that. Imposing. They bolted for Arlo and the others.

Arlo commanded Vyr to attack alongside Merc. It was a sight to behold. Vyr sliced into the beasts and moved amongst them as if he was a carnage of destruction and blood. Wherever he moved, corpses fell in a mangled mess.

Merc was the same, just more forceful. Divine flames surged from her sword as she cleaved into them. She had gotten even stronger as 2 weeks had passed. The cores she had absorbed had been a lot. It was the same for all of them.

Elian’s arrows were even more powerful now. Against a Beast, each shot was a kill shot. Whether it was the eye, throat, or heart. He didn’t miss.

Justin was, well Justin.

Against such enemies, Arlo didn’t have to move a muscle. It didn’t sit well with him. He wanted to fight. So he joined in. Appendages formed into that of lances, he pierced the throat of an incoming slender, humanoid creature.

Arlo grinned. He had only killed one creature, but he was gaining Blood Fragments at an alarming rate. +1 flashed in his vision repeatedly as Vyr continued his slaughter. Soon, it was over. Merc and Justin were already at the corpses, sifting through their skulls for their cores. Elian was walking forward as well to join them. Arlo turned to watch their backs. He saw something.

An older man hid behind a passageway. He had long black hair. A scar etched a bald patch into his brow. He wore slender black leather armour and held a grey whistle to his lips. He looked dirty. He flashed Arlo a smile before disappearing.

“Guys,” Arlo said, he pointed into the distance. “There was someone there. A human. A Spirit Strider.”

“What?” Elian turned, but he couldn’t see anything. “You’re seeing things, man.”

“I’m telling the truth,” Arlo replied with a frown.

Merc chimed in. “Elian’s right, Arlo. We’ve been through a lot. Loss takes a toll on the mind–”

“I said I’m telling the truth,” Arlo spat. “I know of loss. I’m not going crazy.”

“Justin’s already scouted the area,” Merc said. “We already have a path to follow.”

Arlo looked at Justin. “I’m not lying. I saw someone. If he’s there, then there's a possibility that he knows of the exit.”

Merc sighed. “Alright, Justin, scout that passage.”

And so he did, but he returned with no information on the mysterious man.

“We should trust Arlo,” Justin said. “Arlo, what was his age?”

“I would say almost in his 30s. Maybe older. I didn’t get a good look.”

“Then that means he’s been here for a long time,” Justin said. “There have been various cases of Wakers going missing in their first Spirit World venture. He must be one of them. If there’s a Gateway in this place, then he knows of it.”

“If he even exists,” Elian said.

“Okay,” Merc said, relenting. “Let’s go.”

And so they headed into the confusing maze once more, following a mysterious stranger.