Realm Wars

"The fish."

All eyes went to Ryu when he spoke.

"The fish," Ryu repeated.

"Eh?" Everyone was confused, and Abby stopped crying from the question.

"W-what?"

With a flicker of his hand, Ryu showed the Queen's Horned Mackerel picture to Abby that Lizzaforth gave him.

"This. Where is this?"

Abby was staring blankly on the parchment before her face registered recognition. "It's with Canaan! He said that it was valuable and delicious and decided to store it in his backpack. It should still be with him!"

That was all Ryu needed to know, and he attempted to leave, but Seraphina blocked his way.

"You do realize that you might wake those Giant Spiders, right? I can't let you do something that dangerous." Seraphina said, and Ryu hadn't seen her so serious like this before.

"She's right. That fish is not important as our life," Marcus seconded.

".. ." Ryu's fists curled against his palms. "It is to me."

Both Marcus and Seraphina were startled when they realized that Ryu was serious.

"Why?" Seraphina asked. "Tell me what's with the fish that is so important that you're willing to risk your. . .  even our life."

Ryu briefly closed his eyes, and Ferris's laughter rang in his ears. It was her last will. She could have said many things, but she chose to say that damn fish all because he was tied to the Seal of Promise.

"I promise Ferris that I will find it."

Ferris? Marcus thought that she was Ryu's mate. So that was why he was acting so stubborn and suicidal.

Seraphina wanted to tell Ryu that they could just find another one. But his severe expression was enough to tell her that it would be just pointless to argue with him.

"*sigh. .. then I'll come with you." Seraphina gave up and flashed out a small smile. "I can't exactly leave you there all alone now, can I?"

"He isn't going to be alone," Halfjack chimed in, "I'll go with him. .. those halfbreeds are my brethren. We are one and the same. . ."

"Halfjack. . ." Abby's eyes watered, and she swiped them off with her paws and said with a determined voice, "I'll come along as well. Though I might not be of help. I can at least distract those spiders if they wake up. I'm confident with my speed."

Then everyone's eyes went to Marcus while the latter was speechless at the sudden turn of events. He wasn't a bad guy, alright? He was just practical and acted on the safest course of action, and right now. .. everyone was suicidal, and he was going along with it.

"Fine." Marcus huffed.

Ryu's lips stretched in a small smile. "Thank you. . ."

"Eh?" Marcus didn't expect to hear kind words of gratitude from Ryu, so he didn't know how to react but looked the other way.

Ryu then flung his attention to Abby, "Once we find Canaan and the fish, then that's it. We retreat from the lair."

This was his compromised. He couldn't leave the fish knowing that it was just within his grasp, and he wanted to save the halfbreed as well, but he also didn't want to put his life and the others in danger.

Abby knew that it was her only bargain, so she nodded in silence.

Marcus took in a deep breath. "We will only cut one person at a time to avoid alerting the Giant Spiders. If they're alive, then good, but if they're dead, then we'll cut another one until we found Canaan and the fish. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"And if the Giant Spiders wake up?" Seraphina asked, eyes on Ryu.

A deep line appeared on Ryu's forehead. "Then we will abort the mission and retreat here."

"Shouldn't it be safer to retreat outside?" Abby questioned since she had just woken up. She didn't know what was going on outside.

Marcus didn't spare the little halfbreed a glance and continued forward. "It's better if we face the Giant Spiders than face what's out there."

"Eh?" Abby's face was blank.

Halfjack patted Abby's little head and walked behind Marcus. "Tiamat is roaming the sky at the moment."

Abby gasped, and she shuddered at the thought of Tiamat. It was indeed better to be stuck in here with the Giant Spiders than being spotted by the Queen of Dragons.

Making their way into the Giant Spiders lair, Ryu's thoughts were occupied with the Queens Horned Mackerel. Maybe it was guilt due to his helplessness, or he wanted to honor Ferris's dying words, but he really wanted to get his hands on the fish to calm his emotions and mind, or his nerves would rip him apart.

He needed to get that damn fish at all cost!

Eventually, the group made it in the Spider's lair, and the creatures were still asleep or too full even to lift an eye.

Ryu took a whiff, but the cocoon hid whatever smell inside its closed thread. He focused his ears on the cocoons, but all was silent.

He then took the initiative to cut one cocoon from the tangles of web, and Marcus caught it without a hitch before they paused and took another look at the Spiders. When they weren't moving, Marcus sliced open the thick webs and revealed nothing but bones and a black collar.

Abby gasped and looked away. Based on the bones, it was definitely a halfbreed. But she couldn't recognize who it was.

At least, its backpack is still intact. Marcus thought and stored what loot he could salvage.

Ryu cut another, but like the previous one, there was nothing left but bones, tattered clothes, and a backpack.

Abby was on the verge of tears, but she held her sobs when Ryu and Marcus had already sliced open their fourth cocoon and still no sign of life whatsoever.

Ryu was beginning to feel frustrated. There were plenty more cocoons hanging deeper into the lair. Canaan could be anywhere.

Wait. . .

Maybe he should just focus on the fish? Perhaps he couldn't smell anything because everyone was already bones?

Ryu flashed the picture of the Queens Horned Mackerel at Seraphina and pointed to his nose. Seraphina immediately knew what Ryu was up to.

She then pulled out a paper and pen in her traveler's ring and wrote. 'It doesn't have a fishy smell. Its smell is close to the smell of pure lake water.'

Ryu didn't even know what that was. Something like rain?

Sighing in silence, he sniffed one cocoon at a time while avoiding the cobwebs. And when he reached the middle part of the lair, he smelt a very faint scent that was different from the rest.

But the problem was, that particular cocoon was entangled in a series of cobwebs that connected very near to a sleeping Giant Spider. Even If he was careful enough, he was afraid that even the slightest vibration would wake the Spider up.

Everyone saw what Ryu was focusing on, and their faces turned dark.

Ryu looked over at the others, waiting for their signal, and when Marcus nodded his head, Ryu swiftly cut the cocoon while he quickly joined the others as they bolted away from the lair.

Like Ryu was expecting since the Cocoon was very near from the Spider, the beast sensed the tiny vibration from its web, and it opened its multiple red eyes, and its sight zeroed on the retreating figures.

SceEEeChH!