Eye of the Wizard: A Fantasy Adventure (14 page)

The spiderlings all reached out together, hands perfectly timed, and picked more gems from the branches. The rope bridge swung beneath them. "Pick gems," the spiderlings spoke in unison, voices sounding as one. "Pick gems for the leader."

Cobweb couldn't believe it. What had happened to these spiderlings? Would she too turn into a mindless drone?
I have to escape. I have to.
"You d-don't owe Tangweweb anyting! She's b-bwainwashed you."

The scarred spiderling shook her head, turning to frown at Cobweb. "The leader gave us a home. When the elders banished us, Tangleweb took us in, loved us, gave us a purpose." The spiderling snarled, revealing yellow teeth. "Pick gems, spiderling. Pick gems for the leader who loves you."

Cobweb refused to be cowed. The sight of a snarling spiderling sent ice through her heart; she had never seen a spiderling snarl. Rabid animals snarled, not spiderlings. But Cobweb refused to look away, staring into this scarred spiderling's eyes.

"Who g-gave you that scaw, fwiend?" she asked quietly. "Did Tangweweb sneak into youw c-c-cwan, cut youw face so da eldews wouwd b-banish you?"

The scarred spiderling's eyes widened, filling with pain.
I hit a nerve,
Cobweb knew. She raised her voice, speaking to all the spiderlings in her chain gang, to all the spiderlings in other trees. She could see at least a hundred. "Who huwt you, fewwow spidewwings? Who cut youw faces, d-d-defowmed you? It was Tangweweb who huwt you, Tangweweb or dose who fowwowed hew." Her tongue ached from so many words, and sweat beaded on her brow, but Cobweb plowed on. "She d-didn't g-give you a home. She huwt you so dat you'd be b-b-banished, so dat she'd enswave you."

Cobweb stood panting, not even caring if Tangleweb would hear.
I have to break the spell, to clear their minds. It's the only way.

The spiderlings all turned to stare, pausing from work. Cobweb looked back, moving her gaze from one to another. Her fingers trembled and her heart thrashed. Would they listen? Would they escape with her?

One spiderling—a tall, striking beauty with burn marks across her arm—stepped forward, eyes flashing. "You speak heresy against the leader," she said.

"Heresy is sin," spoke a hundred spiderlings, voices speaking as one, the chant coming from a dozen trees. "We love the leader. We must kill the heretic."

As Cobweb stared, heart galloping, dozens of spiderlings came walking toward her on rope bridges, outstretching their arms. They bared their teeth, reminding Cobweb of rabid wolves.

"Wisten t-to me!" she shouted, clawing at the rope around her neck, but she was trapped. Three spiderlings grabbed her, and the rope bridge swung madly.

"Heresy is sin," spoke a hundred voices, and as the ropes swung, everything seemed to spin around Cobweb. "We love the leader. We must kill the heretic."

Cobweb struggled, but could not free herself. Hands dug into her shoulders, grabbed her kicking legs, pinned her arms behind her back. "Wet me g-go!" she cried, but hands covered her mouth, muffling her words. She tried to bite, but could not open her jaw. She was immobile, held wordless in the spiderlings' grasp.

Silence fell.

For a moment nobody seemed to breathe, and the only sound was Cobweb's whimpers, muffled behind the palms that covered her mouth. Even the trees ceased to rustle, and the gems' glow seemed to fade.

What's going on?

Then Tangleweb emerged.

The spiderling was wearing bloodred robes and a necklace of rubies, and she carried something hidden under a black veil. Robes rustling, Tangleweb paced across the bridge, stoic, approaching Cobweb. A small, mysterious smile curled her lips, and flames blazed inside the rubies of her necklace. All around, the spiderlings bowed their heads, trembling.

"Mhghhuufm!" Cobweb said, spiderling hands still gagging her.
I talk even worse than usual.

Tangleweb came to stand before her, still smiling that strange smile. She pulled back the veil she carried, revealing a wavy blade. The light of a million gems glittered against its steel.

Cobweb's eyes widened, and she almost fainted.

Tangleweb lashed her knife, and Cobweb started, sure that Tangleweb had cut her. But no; Tangleweb had merely sliced the rope around Cobweb's neck. She was free from the chain gang, but still clutched in spiderling hands. Cobweb panted, trembling.

Tangleweb kissed her cheek. Her lips were soft and cold. "I gave you a chance, my beloved child," the elder spiderling whispered, her breath upon Cobweb's ear. "I gave you a home. I gave you a purpose. And yet you rebelled against me. You too need a scar."

Cobweb tried to kick, to free her hands, but could not. She managed only a wiggle of her toes. The spiderlings' fingers dug into her, so painful tears budded in her eyes; she thought their fingers could pierce her like that dagger. Looking around feverishly, she saw that many spiderlings bore fresh scars.
If they rebel, Tangleweb further deforms them,
she realized.
By destroying their bodies, their spirits, she convinces them to stay.

Tangleweb tapped the dagger against Cobweb's cheek, not yet drawing blood, but sending shivers through Cobweb. She screamed beneath the palms that gagged her.

"I am thinking," Tangleweb said, "to take one of your eyes. With one eye, you'll never be an archer again. Your friends, the Bullies, will not need you." Tangleweb nodded. "But with one eye, you can still pick my gems."

She even knows about the Bullies!
Cobweb wondered if this spiderling was a sorceress. "Please," she tried to say, but it sounded more like, "Mghugguuum."

Tangleweb laughed. "What's that? Did you say you'll be happy to lose an eye for me? Very well."

She began moving her dagger closer to Cobweb's eye, millimeter by millimeter. The blade's glint blinded her.

A tear ran down Cobweb's cheek.
I'll never see Scruff again.

Suddenly, in the hush, a voice came from the forest floor below.

"Ooh, lots of firewood!"

Tangleweb lowered the dagger, frowning.

Cobweb whimpered in relief.
My eye is still here.

"La la la, lots of firewood to collect," came the voice from below the trees. "Mommy Neev will be so happy."

Romy!
Cobweb had never thought she'd be so glad to hear the demon's childlike ramblings. Tears of love for her friend filled her eyes—
both
her eyes.

"Hey, stop that!" Tangleweb cried, leaning over the rope bridge, shouting down at Romy.

The spiderlings who held Cobweb also looked down, and their grasp loosened just enough for Cobweb to also glance below the bridge. Romy, wagging her tail and singing to herself, was picking slats of wood from the scaffolding that covered the trees.

"Don't you touch that!" Tangleweb screamed, but Romy carried on, oblivious. She was singing too loudly to hear.

The rope bridge dipped a foot.

The spiderlings scrambled about, grasping for support. One of Cobweb's legs came lose.

"Lots and lots and lots of firewood," Romy sang, snapping off wood and rope. The entire scaffolding—the structure that held the bridges and ladders—began to crumble. Spiderlings slid from here to there. The hands that gagged Cobweb slipped off her mouth, and she took a deep breath.

"Womy!" she shouted.

Romy looked up to the canopy, eyes widening. "Oh hi Cobweb! I see you found some friends. Look at all this firewood!" Romy reached to a wide log, ten feet tall, that supported a network of ropes and ladders.

Tangleweb screamed, face flushing. "Don't do it!"

Romy ignored her and pulled the log, growling with effort. Rope ladders fluttered. Bridges flapped. The scaffolding began to snap like twigs.

The rope ladder Cobweb stood on tore, and spiderlings rained around her. She yelped and grabbed for support. Her hands caught a rope, and she held on for dear life, dangling over the forest floor. The ground was so distant, a hundred feet below.

Something grabbed her foot.

A weight tugged her, and Cobweb screamed. Fingers dug into her calf.

She looked down. Tangleweb was clutching her leg, dangling over the forest floor, kicking the air. "Help me, Cobweb," the birthmarked spiderling pleaded. "Please."

"Go to Heww," Cobweb said and kicked. Tangleweb's fingers slid down to her ankle. Cobweb kicked again, and Tangleweb lost her grip. The spiderling fell, screaming, and thudded into a pile of leaves.

Cobweb breathed in relief, her hand sore around the rope she clutched. Her feet dangled.

"Womy!" she cried.

The branches above her creaked and snapped. Ropes slid around. Many spiderlings had fallen from the trees, but others were scurrying about, upsetting what scaffolding still stood. Cobweb looked up. The rope she held was tied to a branch, and that branch was bending and raining splinters. It would snap any instant.

Cobweb kicked and swung, releasing the rope. For an moment she flew through the air. She reached out her hands, aiming to grab a branch three feet away.

Please, spirits, help me.

Her fingers grazed the branch.

She could not grasp it.

Cobweb fell.

It seemed forever that she tumbled through the air. It couldn't have been more than a couple seconds, but it felt like ages. Cobweb had enough time to remember her childhood, her friends in Spidersilk Forest, her new Bully friends, Scruff's smile.
Goodbye, world,
she thought.
Goodbye.

Then she landed into Romy's arms.

"Oh hi again, Cobweb," the demon said, holding her. "God, who knew spiderlings could be so heavy?" She dropped Cobweb at her feet.

Tears filled Cobweb's eyes. She'd never been so happy to see anyone. She leaped to her feet, hugged Romy, and kissed her.

"Oh my," Romy said with a giggle, flustered.

Panting, pushing strands of hair back from her face, Cobweb looked around. Spiderlings were rising from bushes and piles of leaves, blinking, rubbing their eyes. For the first time, Cobweb saw conscious thought in their eyes, not just mindless obedience.

Cobweb jumped onto a fallen log. "Spidewwings!" she cried. "Tangweweb has b-been using you. You awe fwee now."

One spiderling—a skinny thing about four feet tall, no doubt banished for her height—tightened her lips, nodded, and began to run. "I'm out of here!" she cried before disappearing into the forest.

Two other spiderlings—both wearing eye patches—followed suit.

"You'we fwee, you c-can go anywhewe!" Cobweb shouted, excitement making her giddy.

The other spiderlings were looking at one another, slowly nodding, tightening their lips. It was as if a spell had been broken.
They're finally listening to me.

"No!" came a shout, and Cobweb turned, heart leaping. Tangleweb was rising from a pile of leaves, white light engulfing her, streaming around her. Her hair pulsated like flames, and her eyes burned blue like forgefire. Lightning crackled around her fingers. She
was
a sorceress.

"Wun!" Cobweb said and grabbed Romy's hand.

Romy needed no encouragement; she was already running in place, feet kicking up dirt. Holding hands, the two girls raced through the forest, Tangleweb howling behind. When Cobweb glanced over her shoulder, she saw Tangleweb in hot pursuit, racing over the forest floor, white light snaking around her. She shot a bolt of lightning from her fingertips; it missed Cobweb's head by an inch, blinding her, and destroyed an elm before her.

"I'm scared," Romy whimpered, arms pumping.

"Fwy!" Cobweb said, heart racing, breath aching in her lungs. "Cawwy me." She had never run so fast, and Tangleweb's howls filled her ears. Another bolt of lightning flew, just missing them, knocking down an oak.

"Oh yeah," Romy said. "I forgot that I can fly."

The demon wrapped her arms around Cobweb, flapped her wings, and took flight. Cobweb clung to her, arms wrapped around Romy's neck. The two crashed through the canopy and soon were shooting through the sky, the trees distant below.

"Did we lose her?" Romy asked, arms tight around Cobweb's waist.

Cobweb scanned the distance. Tangleweb was no where to be seen. She sighed, tears in her eyes. "We wost hew, Womy."

"Phew. That's good, because my wings hurt and I'm hungry."

As the two descended back to the ground, Cobweb hung her head.
I lied,
she knew.
We didn't lose her. Not me, at least. I think Tangleweb will forever haunt me.

The two crashed onto the forest floor. Romy was never very good at landing, and the girls rolled through mud and leaves. Romy knocked her head against a root, struggled to her feet, then fell onto her backside, blinking. "Ouchy."

Normally Cobweb might have laughed, but not today. The memory of Tangleweb, she knew, wouldn't leave her. That place in the trees, where Tangleweb dwelt, would remain.

"We must nevew g-go back," she whispered.

Romy raised her eyebrows. "But I saw gems. Lots of gems! Pretty gems."

Cobweb rose to her feet and shook her head. "Nevew! Dat p-pwace is cuwsed. We m-m-must nevew go b-back. We m-must nevew teww a-anyone about it. Dose gems awe cuwsed. Pwomise me, Womy. P-pwomise you won't go b-back. Pwomise you won't teww."

Romy shrugged. "Oh all right. I promise. I didn't see any diamonds there anyway, and I'm more of a diamond girl."

Cobweb nodded. For now, Tangleweb's spell was broken. The spiderlings had escaped.
May others never find her kingdom among the gem trees.

As the two girls headed back to camp, Romy skipped and sang, but Cobweb only hung her head low, a deep sadness inside her.

"Fow so wong," she said quietly, "I hated how I t-tawk. I hated m-mysewf. B-but I saw t-t-today whewe sewf-hatwed couwd wead, how p-p-peopwe couwd use it. I wiww wove m-mysewf now, Womy."

Romy smiled, teeth glittering. "You hated how you talk? I think it's cute. It makes you special."

Cobweb raised her eyebrows. "Weawwy? I tought you awways m-made fun of me."

Romy snorted. "The only person I make fun of is Neev, but he deserves it. You should make fun of him too. He especially hates when I beat him at chess, then make fun of him for losing. I can beat him every time."