Shit... spiders,
thought Jack as he approached a section of the forest, encased in masses of thick webbing. Weighing the options, he considered his current predicament:
- It was rare for spiders' territory to span more than 1/2 mile in any direction
- He was roughly an hour from sundown
- The last split in the trail was a half day's walk back
- He was running dangerously low on rations, as well as bolts to hunt for more food.
Jack took a deep breath and stepped through the first wall of meshwork, becoming enveloped in the damp air and the stale smell of rotten wood. As he carefully navigated around the thicker strands of weave (lest he become stuck and alert the weavers of his presence,) he kept an eye out for any prey that had not yet been exsanguinated. A boar, fawn, or even a squirrel would keep for a few days after its charred over the fire. Jack's astute eyes met nothing but empty webs intertwining within the understory and shrubs of the woods, much to the dismay of his growling stomach.
He felt his foot catch on a protruding root, sending his weight forward. He spun into a pirouette, landing safely and softly in place. "Gods be damned," he hissed between sharp teeth. Jack took this moment to catch his breath, glancing skywards as the moon revealed itself from behind the clouds. Third Quarter tonight, meaning he'd been hopelessly lost for two weeks.
Jack had been given the task of shaking down a traveling Halfling merchant who recently passed through Hillsfar. "Seems jumpy enough. He should just cough up any goods without spilling blood. Less than a three days' journey out to the south. Just follow the guide written here." His Helmer curtly ordered. It wasn't an unusual contract. Hillsfar, being a large metropolis nestled between the Moonsea and the Cormanthor Forest, hosted its fair share of wealthy and loose-tongued merchants during their tours. However, the guild of the Cloak and Dagger took special interest when these merchants revealed their travel plans, sending skilled mercenaries such as Jack to intercept the routes. Unfortunately, by his second day in the Cormanthor Forest, Jack found the written guide for this job to be nothing short of nonsense. It was unclear if his Helmer had misguided him out of ignorance, or malice.
Jack was a Tiefling, or Devil-touched as some called him. An unfortunate soul whose fiendish bloodlines, previously dormant along his linage, decided to rear its quite literally ugly head. Over the course of his life, Jack figured out how to hide his horns and long tail under coats and hats. Although, there was little he could do to hide his red tinted skin, solid black eyes, or sharpened canine teeth. Despite having all the other traits, thoughtfulness, and needs of a man, the general populace regarded him as monster, far more so than the other thieves or trained killers. He did not know of any other Tieflings that called Hillsfar home, and those that passed through never stayed long. He couldn't blame them. Few businesses allowed them to even enter, requiring any transactions to be conducted outside and within the presence of several Human liaisons.
Even among The Cloak and Daggers he was looked upon with wariness, if not outright disgust, despite a nearly perfect performance over the past eight years. Regardless, he tried to treat all his associates with civility. It was a balancing act of maintaining a level of self-respect, while receiving nearly none in return. He could count on less than one hand the number of people willing to share a table with him for a meal and a pleasant conversation. But that was still better than the zero. Though at times he questioned if their amicability was based on comradeship or fear. Jack excelled at most of the unsavory duties required of a bandit, which included navigation, yet here he was...
As he stood there, paused among the spider webs, he questioned if it was even worth trying to find his way back to Hillsfar. He had no real friends there, or, more notably, someone special share his bed. And, at the age of 25, his complete lack of experience involving carnal pleasure was becoming increasingly shameful. Hells, he had yet to even witness a woman's unclad beauty laid out before him, outside of etchings or particularly expensive and dark showings at certain theaters. If he had known he would be alone in the woods for weeks, he would have brought some etchings with him...
Jack shook his head, attempting to shake the images from his mind. He surveyed his eerie surroundings, desperately searching for the nearest exit point of the labyrinth. It was too late to seek out unfortunate game caught in the spiders' weaves. Nightfall was approaching quickly, and he would have to accept going to sleep hungry tonight.
-Movement, 50 feet to his left. His head spun as he reached for his dagger. Something was wriggling within the webs, something larger than a fawn or a boar. Even in the growing darkness, Jack could make out the outline of a person, completely cocooned, but still alive and struggling against the bondage of the sticky strands. Another person, dead or alive, meant gear, or rations, or maybe even a map. He swiftly, but cautiously, made his way over to the squirming mass, dagger in hand.
As he got closer, he heard a voice calling out from the figure. "Hello! Is someone there? I hear something on two legs coming this way! Hurry up and cut me down before more spiders show up!" It was a woman's voice, bright, yet wobbly. She writhed and twisted, attempting to turn and face him.
"Keep your voice down! Or they'll show up sooner rather than later." Jack whispered. He wondered how this woman could speak at all when she appeared to be completely mummified.
His curiosity was answered when she finally managed to completely spin herself around as he approached. She was hanging upside down, well above the ground. Her face, which was level with Jack's lower ribs, was uncovered. She must have chewed it free, based on the bits of silk fibers that clung to her sharp canines, which showed a devilish smile behind her full lips. He quickly noticed her solid gold eyes, which flashed in contrast to her lilac-colored face.
"About time you made your way over here," her voice was no longer loud or panicked, but rather smooth and expectant.
"Are- are you a Tiefling?" Jack stammered.
"...Yes?" The mysterious woman replied with confusion. "And we'll have plenty of time to discuss our many other similarities once you Cut. Me. Down."
"What's in it for me?" He responded, after taking a moment to swallow his initial surprise. He was still thief first and foremost, and a pretty face wasn't about to change that.
The encased woman paused before her devilish smile returned. "Well, help me get down and find out," following up her sultry words with a flirty wink.
Jack sighed. He was hoping for the promise of supplies, or at the very least gold. But this woman was the only possible friendly face he'd come across in weeks, and he couldn't very well leave her to die. Particularly when his own mortality may not be so far behind. He replaced his dagger with the machete from his pack and got to work cutting the cocoon down.
"Oh, Sweet Asmodeus's Ass! Thank you! Thank you!" the woman cried out.
"I told you, keep your voice down." He growled as he began methodically cutting each strand suspending her in the air. "If spiders show up because of your screeching, I'm running."
She responded in a whisper "First off, I'm not screeching, I'm loudly projecting my gratitude. Most men find it flattering. Secondly, if you take off at the first sign of danger, well then, I'll just have to save myself out of sheer spite, to ensure that all across the land will hear of your cowardice."
A stifled laugh escaped from his nose. Was this woman really joking with him when they could both die at any moment?
She chuckled quietly. "I'm Adria, by the way."
"Jack." He spun the cocoon around, preparing the cut the last of the support strands near her feet "Hold on, I just need to get a grip on you or you're going to fall."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jack. And really, thank you. I'd been hanging since mid-day. Thought this was the end for me." She let out a small squeal as Jack knelt and unceremoniously gripped her by her mid-section, supporting most of her weight on his shoulder and back as he stood back up.
He quickly cut the last few wisps connecting her to the surrounding trees, letting her legs fall into his chest. She was light, and slender, and had her voice or face left any doubt of her femininity, it was immediately resolved in the shapely form Jack could feel over his shoulder, despite the layer of spider silk separating them. He was tempted to let his hands wander past by the back of the knees and lower back, suddenly curious about the specifics of the reward she promised earlier. He also suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, realizing it had been nearly a week since he'd wash his clothes, and the poor woman's face was currently buried into the small of his back.
He carefully laid her down, eyeing as best he could for any sensory webs on the forest floor. It was dark now. Although Tieflings could see in the dark, it was less sharp than in day light, adding more difficulty for safe passage through the spiders' jungle.
"I keep a dagger in my right boot. Fish it out, and free my right arm first. Then I can help you cut the rest of these off. And switch back to that little knife you had! Or you'll end up splitting me in two with that big machete. And not in a good a way." Adria flashed that devious smile again.
Jack said nothing, unsure what she meant by the last sentence, and began working his dagger towards her right boot. Typically, he was neither keen nor dutiful being commanded in such a way, particularly when the commander was so vulnerable. Yet, he found himself robotically obeying her orders. Afterall, she wasn't wrong.
They worked together in silence to free Adria from her silk prison. An efficient process, as she was just as dexterous with a dagger as he. It wasn't long before Jack was helping Adria to her feet, and she brushed the last bits of web off her body.
"Fuck, that feels better! Hold on, just need to get some feeling back in these bones." She grabbed Jacks forearm, putting her weight on him, and jostled each foot, as if trying to shake them dry. Then, she took two paces forward, raised her arms to the sky before finally completed the graceful demonstration by spreading her legs and folding forward.
