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Arachnia

(opening)
This is a realm where the beasties roam. In this realm, there are those who protect and those who destroy, those who rule and those who do not. It is a place where anything and nothing can exist and a time where those who seek will find.

The forest was laden with deep haze… a heavy fog eating away at the ground beneath and hiding any creature within its white coils. Though the trees were quiet, and the creatures were quiet, and the sky was quiet, there was danger, a malignance stirring somewhere, everywhere. A pair of feet crunched through the undergrowth, heavy yet light. A woman covered in armour walked light footed through the roots of the trees, following her was her guardian, a small purple-skinned fairy. The creature alighted on the woman's armoured shoulder. The flowing cloak behind her caught the mist, pulling it away from the entwining roots and plants before it quickly replaced itself.
"Casela, why do you wish to travel through this place again?" The fairy asked, jaded.
The woman didn't answer… instead she placed her hand on the hilt of the massive buster sword slung to her back. There was a long, unnatural silence. The presence nearby; one she knew very well, and one she wished she could forget, was only coming ever closer. Her arm burned with a fiery pain from the past. Yet, after a long few moments, the presence dissipated and Casela felt she could answer. "Because he is here. And I'm finally going to destroy him, even if it kills me."
"It's futile looking for that demon. You will only waste the effort."
Casela flashed a killing glance at the fairy and continued on without answer. Somewhere above them, in the darker canopies, a bat was being slaughtered by one of the giant tree monsters famous in this forest. It was a dangerous place, but could be easily traveled if one is experienced enough in combat or with herbs. The moon advertised a small, lonely opening ahead. Each silver strand of grass waved a silhouet in the light as the trees broke apart. In the center of the stage of silver dancers was a glass pond. Five massive crystals rose from the water like pillars. Casela stared at them.
"This is where we met isn't it?" She asked the fairy.
"Indeed."
They both turned their attention back to the trees. The crackle of spiders' legs ground from the darker trees. "s**t..." Casela cursed.
A monster screeched. Casela stood motionless until a dark figure began to rise from the darkened shadows of the trees, and the concealment of the mist. Two more figures began to rise, then four, and five. Thirteen arachnids made their way slowly to the open. Each of their eight eyes glowed neon red, rested on their target with increased blood lust and hunger. Venomous drool dripped from their fangs and clamped mouths, looking at their set meal. On each of their bellies was the brand of Parikorm, the man Casela was originally after. Each of the horse sized spiders screeched and growled with delight.
The largest spider released a high pitched cry and leapt into the air to Casela. It was too simple. She snorted and with a sideways grin, leapt into the air over the beast with blurring speed. "You think petty spiders are going to kill me Parikorm!?! I know you're here! So when I'm done with your little pets I'm coming after you!"
The sword was pulled loose from the clamp sheath and with a blur of silver it sliced the spider in two, cleaving its armored flesh like butter. She landed on the ground, the two halves of the spider falling limply to the ground, spattering its insides over the grass. "Next." She mused.
The spiders screamed and came after her. Each met its fate in a flurry of twists, spins, stabs, kicks and punches. Each fell to the ground with a crackling thump or sprayed to the ground in pieces, screaming and writhing in pain. Finally, when the silver grass was stained blue with the arachnids' blood, limp with the strain of the goop on them, Casela dared to stab the buster sword into the dirt, only just strained to a labored breath by combat.
"This damn brand keeps me from my potential."
The earth suddenly shook, the trees swayed, the sleeping birds roused and took flight in the dark, and the water trembled. Casela clapped her hands to her ears to block the thunderous scream, but it did nothing. The eerie screech wavered in the air then ceased. It started again, as a massive arachnid rose above the tree line. The beasty was built of a spiders body, and connected to where the head should have been was the mutated body of a woman with large bull horns, so decapitated her insides bled down and her face was a rotted ball of flesh, exposing the cracked skull and brain. The beasty was as large as a castle, towering high over Casela's head. Each rancid breath beat down on her.
Then the creature turned and focused on her target, growling and breathing a gloomy breath like wind, reeking of the scent of death and decay. "Damn you."
"Casela, we must flee!" The fairy cried, flying to Casela's ear.
Irritated, she back-handed the fairy. "I don't run from Parikorm."
From the ground the fairy cried to her again. "But Casela... you'll be killed!"
Casela growled and burst forth into brave run, sending chunks of grass and dirt into the air with every step. She yelled, jumping into the air towards the monster. The spider screamed and swept its hand at Casela, sending her back to the ground. She inched to her feet and sprinted into the trees to avoid the monsters eyes. There, her plan was destroyed. Many more arachnids were there waiting for her. At once they leapt at her. With a single swing of her blade, Casela sent them back. All were thrown but for one late attacker. It was astonished it had hit her, but after regaining its wits the spider bit into her shoulder with its venomous fangs, pumping dissolving poison into its victim. Casela screamed and knocked it back.
Already the poison was eating away at her right arm, paralyzing it. The gigantic monster took a deep breath and spat a cream colored vomit onto the tree branches, creating a trapping cobweb. Grimacing, Casela switched the sword to her left arm and jumped up to the canopy before it was completely covered in web. With another step-up she leapt to the monster and cleaved away its arm. The beast screamed, lifting its head to the air. With her weakening arm, Casela grabbed at the right horn and swung onto the beast's face, stabbing her sword into its bloodshot, liquid eye. It took everything not to drop her blade in order to block away that horrible screech of pain from the beast’s mouth. The creature stumbled, jerking its head. The sudden movement flung Casela into the air high above the monster's crown, leaving her open. It stretched up toward her, ready to crush her between its boney fingers. At a last second Casela swung her sword, releasing three of the fingers from their sockets.
She fell dorsal onto the monster's head, quickly recovering and standing, then quickly jammed her blade into the beasts skull and ran it down along its entire back. Screaming, the monster pulsed and collapsed. Casela shuttered from the venom in her veins and jumped to a nearby tree, unaware that the beast’s hand was following after her. As it died, it made one last attempt to kill Casela. It swatted her over the trees like a ragdoll, and with a sickening crunch, Casela hit a crystal pillar rising from the lake. The pillar toppled from the force of the blow, submerging in the water along with Casela.........