There was nothing special about her words, but the way she said them… It sent Kyle’s mind into a spiral. Her crimson eyes watched his intently as he staggered, unable to come up with a lie. He shook his head, forcing a chuckle, damning the haze that had taken over his mind.“Stuff like this happens when you’re like me.”“Like you?” Vis tilted her head, not even blinking as she peered into his soul. At least it felt like it.“An adventurer.” Kyle said with a forced smirk. “I’m ok, there’s nothing to worry about.” He lied again, then rolled down his sleeve to hide the wounds, the dark amber tattoo, and the bruises. He had forgotten about them. Had he remembered, he would have pulled his sleeve down earlier.“Besides, what are you doing so far away from the village? It’s not entirely safe around these woods, you know.” Kyle felt the haze lift from his mind ever s

“No!” Kyle protested as the Demon of the Nightbloom stretched his large, feathery wings. “Let go of me!”Not even a couple of hours later, Kyle found himself leaning against the cliff wall at the bottom of the chasm, panting and trying to collect his composure.“Much faster than using a horse, don’t you think?” Droigheann asked with a faint, mocking smile on his lips.Kyle took out some bandages from his inventory and wrapped them around his left wrist. “Listen to me, demon!” He hissed. “I already told you – your being out in the world is too exhausting. I can’t do any fighting when you’re here!”The Demon of the Nightbloom rolled his eyes. “Please – we both know I made you grow stronger overnight. You’re able to stand, no? Last time I took your blood, you collapsed.” He smirked. “Besides, you don’t need to do any fighting. That’s

“What?” Kyle asked, but Droigheann didn’t answer. He wasn’t laughing anymore, nor was he mocking him. He was serious, and Kyle could clearly see it.“Come,” The Demon said, dragging him along the hall, back towards the doorway he sealed off with his vines. “Listen to me – if that spider is here, that means its children are here as well.” he hissed as they arrived at the wall of vines. “They aren’t venomous, but they have necromancy powers, that’s why there are skeletons, and that’s why they refuse to die.”Kyle gulped. Necromancer spiders… just great.“I will clear a path, I need you to find the spider controlling them, and kill it.” Droigheann said as he readied his blade. “It will have a green glow on its belly, and you should be able to sense the necrotic power flowing into the skeletons as I kill them, just when it brings them back to life.”

The group of five skeletons fell apart as soon as his blade went through the spider’s body. It was yet another fist sized spider, hiding in an alcove in the wall.Kyle held his breath for a few seconds and listened intently. Nothing, he could hear no bony footsteps, no scurrying things inside the walls, and his dark amber tattoo had stopped constantly pulling his attention somewhere.Finally, the young man breathed a sigh of relief. This was the first moment of respite he got after being separated from Droigheann. Ever since the cave in, he had been constantly fighting. He was lucky though, this last group was the biggest one he had come across, and even they weren’t much of a threat because the spider animating them was small, immobile, and easily reached.Kyle shot a longing glance to the couch at the corner of the room. He would have loved to just sit somewhere soft and relax a bit but considering the thick layer of webs holding that one together,

Kyle approached the pedestal wide eyed. The book was closed, and locked with lock and chain, but it’s immense power was still more than enough to grant these spiders such abilities.As the young man approached the book, he suddenly felt sick, and weak. He gritted his teeth and powered through his sudden exhaustion and unwellness. He reached for the book but paused a split second before he touched it.“Oh, come on!” He whispered as a lump settled in his chest. A thin, almost invisible strand of spiderweb was wrapped around the book. The moment he touched it, the Damhan-Nectidh was going to know where he was, and what he was doing.He gritted his teeth. He had no choice – he was either going to take that chance or die here eventually as neither he nor Droigheann had no way to remove the veil guarding this place.He unsheathed his sword, and carefully cut the strand of cobweb. He breathed a sigh of relief – it wasn’t the s