the sun dawns bright across a cloudless sky as Spider shuffles into the open, a blanket strewn across their shoulders and a steaming mug cupped between their forepaws. the first notes of birdsong ring through the morning air, and pillars of stone jut out of the earth, their sharp peaks piercing the sky like the gaping maw of some great stone beast. it’s beautiful. Spider imagines it the skeleton of a noble kingdom, long felled, and they find themselves itching to record it. it’d be nice to have a keepsake from their time here when they return home. for a moment, they wish they had Ignita’s drawing prowess - but her memory curdles in their gut, and they chase it down with a sip of scalding tea. out here, it’s easy to think of other things; it’s as though the rest of the world can’t touch them.

"Araneae Fatalis"

Strai trotted along to Spider’s temporary den to see how the other wolf was doing. He found them with a blanket over their shoulder, and hot tea in their paws. He grinned, stepped up beside them to take a seat. Not quite touching as he looked out across the Steppe that had grown so familiar to him. At least it looked like Spider’s self-care was going well. Better than it had in the Armada.

“Makes you wonder what it used to be, doesn't it?” He wondered out loud, letting his eyes roam over the ruins of an old structure. Perhaps it had once been something like the hollows castle.


"Speech"

Spider hums their agreement. “it does. and of who came before us, too.” how many paws have traversed the very land on which they sit? there likely isn’t a patch of earth someone hasn’t already tread upon. Spider can almost feel them, the legion of ghosts stretching impossibly far, each carrying a small remnant of the past. they, too, must’ve faced hardships - and yet they’d persevered, had laid the foundations of present-day Boreas. how had they found the strength?

Spider is quiet for several beats, the silence heavy but thoughtful, their eyes trained on the horizon. they feel lighter than they have in months. “your home is beautiful,” they murmur finally. “thank you for bringing me here.” they turn their gaze on Strai, smiling over the rim of their mug. “seems rather fitting you’d live here, you know. i know you’ll deny it, but you’ve always had this ‘gristled hero’ thing about you.” they giggle, bumping shoulders. “i’m afraid it rather fits your aesthetic.” after all the grief, it feels nice to joke, to be careless and silly.

"Araneae Fatalis"

“Of course” He agreed, he would have fought to get Spider out of there. The wolf beside him had earned his loyalty, and once earned Strai was fiercely loyal. There just weren't many wolves in his life worth fighting for. Delphi and Strai, that was it. But maybe that was all he needed, too. It was more than he had expected to have when he had fled the scene of his parents death.

He grunted, and looked over at Spider in disbelief. “Gristled hero? I should fight you for that, on principle.” He muttered, though he made no motion to move. ”Grisled hero.” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. What on earth had he done to give Spider that impression?


"Speech"

Spider chuckles at Strai’s response, but a white shape against the sky suddenly catches their attention, and they watch as a Eterna swoops over to meet them, something clutched between its talons. nerves writhe in the pit of their stomach, making them feel vaguely nauseous. is this Bas’ response? is he demanding they come home? the bird comes to rest on their shoulder, a leg outstretched to brandish the note. Spider unties it with shaky hands and spreads it out on the ground, shuffling to allow Strai the room to read.

Spider,
we wish you home soon, but a blight has entered the forest.

Bas demands your safety. stay with Strai and Delphi for now. we will come for you when it’s safe. we miss you.

stay safe,
Ignita

a golden trinket bounces out of the letter - an earring. Spider chokes on a sob and their breaths come in panicked gasps, throat tightening to the point they can barely swallow. “t-the last thing i said to them was in anger,” they gasp out, stumbling to their feet. it feels like the world has narrowed around them, pressing into them on either side. they can’t think, can’t breath - their feet are moving before they’ve even registered it. “i-i have to go them. they need my help!”

Strai straightened when a bird approached them , ready to attack the feathered thing if it proved to be a danger. Spider however seemed familiar with it, and moved to grab something clutched in his talons. Ah. A message. Was this from their father? When Spider gave him room to read beside them, he took it.

He looked at the page and squinted. What in the… before Strai could process it, Spider was on their paws. “Hey, hey!” He said, reaching to grab the smaller wolf. Though he knew now how slippery Spider could be. “Take a minute, how can we verify the contents of this letter? And if it's true, they’re telling you you need to stay away.” He pointed out. It was a weird message to receive after Spider had left them. “Why don’t you send your raven to see this for themselves from the air first?”


"Speech"

at first, Spider can barely hear Strai’s voice, as panicked as they are. their eyes dart frantically over the territory, trying to pinpoint the best means of departure. but Strai’s voice calms them, cementing a much needed practicality. Spider feels the urgency drain from them, even as the urgency vibrates through their bones. “what if they’re sick?” they protest, though it’s half-hearted. they know Strai’s right; they need more information. besides, if they go rushing back to the Armada, they’ll only be another body to protect from the blight.

turning to Doomsday, Spider says, “go back to the Armada and find out what you can from the air. but keep your distance; don’t risk getting infected.” the raven gives an affirmative squawk and takes to the sky, disappearing shortly afterward. Spider watches them go, trying to keep their panic under control. overcome with emotion, they lower their head and stare tearfully at their feet. they’d told Ignita they never wanted them to see again. perhaps, in a twisted, sickening irony, they’d get that wish.

“if they die, i’ll never forgive myself,” they rasp to Strai. they stare down at Ig’s earring, wrought with a mix of anger and despair. how dare she? even through all this, she’s thinking of them. “i was so cruel to her, Strai,” they tell their friend. they wrap the blanket further around their shoulders, trying to shrink into themselves. “i didn’t know i could be that cruel. and…i know it’s stupid, but i can’t help but feel at fault.” obviously they couldn’t have caused the Blight, but it’d happened right after they’d left. they’d abandoned them to this and sequestered themselves safely away, intentionally or not.

"Araneae Fatalis"

If they were sick, that Spider barging in would only make it worse, not better. Because that would put the Armada Prince at risk with the rest of his family. Strai didn’t want his friend to take those risks, and while he didn’t know what was going down at the Armada, he was a little annoyed at the wolves for sending the message in the first place. Didn’t they realise that Spider was more likely to stay put if they hadn’t known the people they loved were in danger?

The grumpy Viking did his best to hide his annoyance when Spider turned back to them, their voice a rasp. Strai moved forward, grabbing Spider with a paw and pulling them closer. This way, he could comfort them. And hold them if they had any more ideas about racing into danger. “They hurt you, and you hurt them back. They’re the older wolves, the responsible ones. They should have known better.” Strai grumbled. He really really wasn’t good at this whole comforting thing. But he was trying, for Spider’s sake.


"Speech"

Spider goes willingly as Strai pulls them close, just barely resisting the urge to get to their feet and continue pacing. they don’t entirely trust themselves not to run back home, though they know they’d only be making the situation worse. that doesn’t make it any easier to just sit here, however. Spider chews viciously on the flesh of their cheek, using the pain as an anchor. they’re practically vibrating - with fear, with urgency, with anger. at least Strai’s rumbling voice provides some sense of comfort. “you’re right,” they murmur, pushing aside a sense of betrayal. even in the wake of this terrible revelation, it doesn’t change all the ways they’ve been let down.

the unfairness of it all feels like it’s rising up to choke Spider, squeezing thick tendrils around their heart and chest. it’s as though their every opportunity to heal, to regain faith in the world, keeps getting ripped away from them - and their sense of self keeps warping along with it. “you’ve known the truth all along, Strai: the world is fucked.” it’s said with finality, a conclusion reached. the last remnants of childhood have fled.

"Araneae Fatalis"

Strai had every intention of sitting there until Spider's bird returned. Whatever the creature had to say, they'd learn it together. If he had to curb Spider's enthusiasm, he would. If they needed him to help them figure out what to do… he'd do that too, though it wasn't his strong suit.


“It is.” Strai agreed. It wasn't a fact he could refute when he'd lived with it himself. He tried his paw at some wisdom, though he'd probably mess it up. “I found it's best to decide who it's worth sticking with despite the fucked up shit, and fighting the world for them.” He said, thinking of Delphi and Spider. His eyes glanced up at the sky, keeping an eye out for the bird