Poison Chapter 7

The horses now grew unsteady. It wasn't Opal. It was the clicking of spiders, they had ridden right into the Forests of the Arachnid. It wouldn't be long until the queens' worker spiders would swarm around her and chase out the threat. They had brought no sacrifice with them and would not be granted to cross through the silk woven forest untouched. "What's going on?" Rykon said as his unsteady steed ignored the pulling of the reins on her mouth.

All three elves were suddenly bucked off their horses who fled in the other direction, "looks like we're fighting," Rysaras said hauling out his sword. Paolo walked to the bloodied stained stone altar and placed his hand on it, he saw the sacrifice of the last poor offering and leapt back and fell to his knees. Rysaras' gaze snapped to him. "Are you okay?" Paolos eyes swelled with tears.

"One of us has to die," he said slowly looking up at his fellow elf, his hands shook.

"We can fight this!" Rysaras exclaimed.

"No we can't, they'll kill us all," Paolo replied. The spiders' haired legs rumbled like thunder as they made their way towards the elves. They were orange and green like pumpkins, their eye sockets ebony and their fangs were hungry for blood. One large one leapt out from the web pinning Rykon, Rysaras didn't hesitate and ran to his brothers' aid, he thrust the sword through the spiders head it squealed as its acidic blood spilt over the ground disintegrating the leaves before it could feed on the youngest elf he pulled Rykon out from under its fallen corpse.

Many many spiders now rushed towards the trio, fangs clacking. Within moments they were on the elves, legs and blood were flying. Rysaras leapt onto the back of one spider cutting its head off, Rykon slid under one cutting its belly open and Paolo his light magic to throw the spiders back towards their queen. She became agitated and the webbing she was wrapped in couldn't hold her fidgeting weight and it wouldn't be long till it gave way and she too would taste elven blood. Worker after worker sided mot racing toward the fighting elves. Rysaras had been bitten a few times and the venom raced around his body, his sword arm grew numb. He pulled himself onto the stone altar.

He could see the black mass of spiders as they made their way to the fight. His sword dropped. It hit the stone with a clang. The venom reached his knees and they gave way. He fell with a thud. His numb arm pulled into his chest and his functioning one held his weight, supporting him. He looked at Rykon who was the closest.

“You need to kill me, brother," he panted.

"Don't do this!" He exclaimed decapitating a spider.

"It's the only way you and Paolo will get through here safely," he said, Rykon climbed onto the altar he looked at Paolo.

"Only someone close and dear can sacrifice someone here," he said as he threw another group of spiders back to their queen.

"We're overrun!" Rysaras said, his eyes now swelling with tears.

"I can't," Rykon said looking down at his sword. Rysaras rested his hand over his brothers and forced his sword into his gut. He grunted and watched as the blood ran from the wound and washed over the altar. The spiders paused immediately. Rysaras gave a sad smile before using the last of his strength to drag the sword up. He fell forward, landed on his brother's shoulder and breathed out his last. The remaining spiders turned and returned to their queen, the path the elves were to tread appeared before them in a ray of silver light.

Rykon sobbed and hugged his brother to him just as a large spider lowered itself from the tree above him to collect the sacrifice. "No!" He sobbed. Rysaras grew cold and limp.

"Rykon, you need to let him go, I'm letting you get eaten too," he said.

"I'm not leaving him," the youngest cried.

"You have to," Paolo said as the black slender legs of the reaper spider reached for the corpse. Paolo wrapped his arms around Rykon and pulled him from the altar just in time as the spider wrapped his brother up in web and disappeared into the trees above them, some of Rysaras' blood dripped onto the remaining figures almost like red rain. Rykon fell to his knees and sobbed.

"Get up, we have to leave," he said dragging Rykon off his feet. With heavy hearts, tears and footsteps the elves continued their journey.