The Dragonborn

Part 19

Mark raised his great sword, leading the way into the tunnel.  Jack stayed close behind, drawing his own sword.  The firelight from the small candles placed along the way reflecting an eerie green glow across the walls.  At the end of the hall, they came cross a set of thin pillars to their left that were suppose to lead into another hall... but the webbing was so thick you could barely see into the next hall.  Mark walked along the webbing until he spotted a place where someone had sliced through.  Reaching out to push the loose webbing, Mark hesitated.  Pulling his hand back to silently show Jack how sticky the webbing was.  Jack stared at how the webbing stuck to Mark's hand and shivered.  He didn't need Mark to say it.  He already could tell by his worried look.  Fresh webbing meant frostbite spiders were here somewhere.  Mark cut his hand free from the webbing as best he could.  Then crouched low to make his way through.  Jack did the same and entered into a large hallway.  A hallway lined floor to ceiling in thick webbing... housing fresh eggs.  At the end of this hall, wrapped up in a doorway with thick webbing was a dark elf.

The dark elf spotted them and began to wiggle against the webbing as he called out to them desperately.  "Oh, thank the gods! Hurry! Get me out, before it comes back"!  Jack started to take a step toward the dark elf, when Mark grabbed his arm and pointed the tip of his sword up at the ceiling.  Something BIG was starting to move above them over the thick webbing.  It moved silently, but casted a BIG shadow as it moved into a stream of light from somewhere high above the webbed up ceiling.  The air deflated from Jack's lungs as he watched it move to a large circular hole just an few feet from the dark elf.  Stepping in closer to Mark's side, Jack watched large long brown hairy legs spread out from the hole.  Slowly and carefully a huge frostbite spider descended into the hall.  Beside him, Mark mumbled softly.  "No wonder the other webs were old... it's grown too big to leave here".  The huge spider carefully touched the floor... looking right at them!  Mark raised his great sword, just as the dark elf started to scream out loudly in a frantic panic.  "AH! KILL IT! KILL IT! DON'T LET IT GET ME"!  Jack took a step back to give Mark room to fight... but the huge spider didn't pay them any mind.  It just immediately began to turn around to face the dark elf!

The huge frostbite spider extended its long front legs to poke at the dark elf.  Causing the dark elf to wiggle harder against the webbing as he screamed at them.  "HELP! GET IT AWAY FROM ME! GET IT AWAY"!  Grabbing Mark's arm before he rushed in, Jack kicked a small rock across the floor.  The small rock 'clacked' loudly against the wall and the huge frostbite spider stiffened up.  Mark turned wide eyes on Jack as if he was crazy.  Mark had to be thinking that he ruined the element of surprise.  When he hadn't.  Ignoring Mark's look, Jack simply pointed for him to watch the spider.  The huge frostbite spider turned slowly toward the noise.  Following the side of the webbed up wall to the spot where the rock hit.  Jack waved a cautious hand trying to draw the spiders attention.  With all those eyes it should see him... but it didn't.  It was focused entirely on the webbing around the rock.  Mark's eyes lit up as he whispered in realization.  "It's blind".  Jack nodded back with a smile.  The huge spider was sensing vibrations in the webbing.  It was even touching the webbing to feel around it's environment. 

The dark elf began to wiggle around again, screaming at them!  "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! KILL IT! KILL IT"!  The huge spider stiffened back up, turned around and followed the webbed up wall back to the dark elf.  Mark gave Jack a quick smile and kicked a rock into another wall by him.  The huge spider immediately made his way toward the spot and Mark waited.  When it got close enough, Mark plunged his sword deep into the spiders unsuspecting face!  The huge spider jerked up on to its hind legs!  Its large mandibles crawling at the blade imbedded into it's face!  Mark started to backed up cautiously, when Jack yelled out to him and tossed him his own sword.  Mark caught 'Green Glory' and quickly charged in to slice its legs on one side.  The huge spider toppled over onto its side and before it could try to recover, Mark plunged green glory into the huge spiders underside.  The huge spiders remaining legs straightened out and then curled back slowly.  Dead.  Mark waited a few minutes to be sure, before removing the swords.