by JH Terry
XVII: Spiders, Funits, and an Otter
For what seemed like an hour they walked along the stone corridor that seemed to never end. At the head of the line by several paces was Akemi, followed by Kate, Peter, and finally Tom. Kate was getting tired.
“I need to rest for a bit,” said Kate.
“You better not,” said Tom to Kate. “Remember what Akemi said about the creatures that might be around here.”
However, Kate was too tired to heed the words of Tom or Akemi. She suddenly sat upon a rose colored boulder along the path they were walking upon. Soon the scent of rose was released throughout the corridor. Tom, Peter and Kate smelled the scent and relished it.
“Do you smell that?” asked Peter.
“Yes,” said Tom. “It is so wonderful, so heavenly. I do not know what it is, but I want to smell it even more.”
Suddenly, Tom and Peter sat upon the floor and smiled at absolutely nothing. They felt light, happy, and lazy, as if in a drunken stupor. They were so dazed that they did not notice that Akemi walked on, unaware of what was occurring.
A light tune of classical music played upon the air, coming in the direction of a wall. Tom, Peter and Kate walked over to the source of this sound. As they did, the wall began to open onto a small cave enclosure with rose petals and three beautifully decorated beds. Below the floor of rose petals was a waterfall flowing down a great distance into a void. Around each bed there were rose petals, making each bed like an island. To each bed and around the perimeter of the cave there was a secure stone pathway. As Tom, Peter, and Kate saw this, Akemi, feeling as if something were wrong, looked behind to see that the three were gone.
“Tom? Peter? Kate?” called Akemi.
She ran back to see them approaching the doorway.
“NO!” exclaimed Akemi to them, but they would not budge from their trance-like state into the enclosure. Seeing the result she retrieved a white powder from her belt and blew it onto Peter, Tom and Kate. Immediately after the white powder was blown onto them they were aroused from their subconscious state. It was only then did they see the room with rose petals.
“What happened?” asked Peter looking to the white powder on him and the others.
Angrily, Akemi said, “I told you to follow me.”
“I just needed to rest my legs,” said Kate. “I was so tired.”
“Let’s hope that you have not done anything stupid by not listening to me,” said Akemi.
“Look,” said Tom as he looked at the enclosure floor.
Looking to the rose petal floor, they saw that something large was swimming around its bottom, coming closer to them.
“Run down the corridor,” said Akemi to Tom, Peter and Kate, “but try to be as quiet as possible. I shall be there soon.”
“But…,” said Tom.
“Just run!” exclaimed Akemi.
“Come on,” said Peter.
Tom, Peter, and Kate ran down the hall as Akemi told them to do. Akemi, once the others were out of view, also began to run in the same direction.
Half a minute after Akemi had left, from out of the rose petals a six foot otter with red eyes emerged. It stood and quickly shook off all of the water on it. It stretched its furry yet water repellant frame against the fragrant air. With precision it moved its three inch claws, swiftly cutting the air. Ready, the otter looked to the beds. In anger it noticed that there were no one on the beds though the wall was opened. The otter waddled on its two webbed hind feet into the hallway. It sniffed the air with its acute nostrils and twitching its sensitive whiskers. As the otter walked forward it felt as if the stone floor were different. Looking down to its feet it was only then it noticed the white powder Akemi had blown at Tom, Peter, and Kate earlier. The otter picked up some of the powder with one of its forepaws and tasted it. “Anti-trance powder. Only the Altiniums have such powders. Such a long way for this one to have come here just to become my dinner.” The otter bent down and placed its head upon the ground. By doing so he heard the steps of Akemi, Tom, Peter and Kate ahead. Smiling as it stood up from the ground, the otter began to run, narrowing its eyes ready for its dinner.
After running for a few minutes it saw Akemi running in the distance. Excited the otter quickened its pace. Akemi turned around to see the otter six feet behind her. She took her sword out of her scabbard and preparing to strike at the otter. Yet the otter already anticipated this move and hit the sword out of her hand with its claws. The sword hit the wall and fell down the hall a considerable distance away from Akemi.
Smiling, the otter said as it shook its paw at Akemi, “Now that was a silly thing to do. You might have hurt me, and that would have made me very angry.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were so sensitive,” said Akemi as she looked into the otter’s red eyes.
“Now, what must I do: season, marinade, and cook…,” said the otter as it turned around to contemplate. As it did this, Akemi edged into a pocket in her belt, retrieving an orange powder into her hand and placed her hand behind her back. “Or, do it the old fashioned way,” said the otter as it turned around, “RAW. I think I like raw best. Well, I hope you don’t mind, nothing personal, really. I am just tired of fish and bugs. After 700 years, you would be bored too.”
“It is all right, but I think you should add a little spice,” said Akemi.
“Like what?”
“Like this,” said Akemi as she threw forward her hand with the orange powder at the otter. As the powder came near it, the otter felt dizzy, but remained standing. However, the worst possible thing that could happen, happened. The otter began to howl in a loud scratchy voice.
“I’m sorry mama, but you were so good to eat. I made you extra tender to make up for what I did. Howl!” Listening to the air, Akemi could hear many things deep within the city of Yerub stirring, awakened by the otter’s howls. Danger was approaching and they were in the midst of it.
“Sh…,” said Akemi to the otter, but it did not stop, instead it howled even more.
“I have been tricked by an Altinium, mama would not have been proud. If mama were here it would not have happened. Howl! Oh mama you told me that I would need you, that I should not have eaten you, oh how wrong I was. I love you mama. I miss you. If I could I would take it all back, perhaps.”
Suddenly, a sidewall opened, and in it there was a corridor. Akemi saw that there was a light approaching not to far away from where she stood. The beasts of Yerub were on the hunt.
“Enjoy yourself,” said Akemi to the otter.
“Mama!,” screamed the otter.
Akemi grabbed her sword and quickly ran away from the howling otter to get to Tom, Peter and Kate before the beasts did.
At the same time Tom, Peter and Kate were still running ahead. All around them in the walls they heard various noises and the patter of feet. Tom looked back to see if anyone was behind them as he continued to run. He wasn’t looking in front of him and bumped into Peter, who had suddenly stopped. Tom grabbed onto Peter before Peter could fall over into what lay ahead. Tom, Peter and Kate looked forward and could not believe what was before them. It was a vertical cylindrical hole made of stones reaching down and up into nothingness. Directly across from them was the rest of the corridor. At the end of the corridor was a massive circular golden door three yards in diameter.
“Can we climb across?” asked Tom.
“No,” said Peter. “These walls are too smooth. We would just slide down into the darkness below.”
“What’s that?” asked Kate. On the wall next to them was a thin piece of string. The top of the string was infinite and could not be seen by them.
“It looks like a rope of some kind. Good find Kate,” said Tom. Kate smiled at her find.
“Of course, there just had to be an another obstacle. One that played on my fear of heights,” said Peter. “Will this ever stop?”
“Do not worry about that, we need to cross over,” said Tom. �
�Who wants to go first?” Peter and Kate were both looking into darkness below – showing their unwillingness to go first. “Fine then,” said Tom, “I’ll go.” Tom grabbed a hold of the string. He swung on the string and then quickly went over to the other corridor. “You see it is easy. You try.”
Tom threw the string over to Peter and Kate. Peter caught the string and Kate, with the help of Peter, swung over as well, where Tom helped her into the other corridor.
“Your turn Peter,” said Tom as he threw the string to Peter.
“It is easy,” said Kate, “even you can do it.”
Unsure Peter grabbed a hold onto the string. However he looked to Tom and Kate knowing he had no other choice. He took a deep breath and began to swing over to Tom and Kate. As he swung into the air something unexpected happened. As he crossed the string began to recoil. As it rose higher into the air with Peter along with it, he lost his grasp and fell into the air.
“Peter!” screamed Kate and Tom in horror.
Luckily Peter was able to grab a hold onto a steel pipe three feet above where Kate and Tom stood.
“Peter are you all right?” asked Kate.
“Yes,” said Peter. “Just a bit scared. This does nothing for my fear of heights.”
“Let me see…” said Tom, but he stopped when suddenly the string stopped rising in the air.
Looking up, Tom, Peter and Kate saw that the darkness above them began to move. As it did so white light emitted into the cylindrical opening. The light was initially so intense that Tom, Peter and Kate looked away from the source. However within moment the white light dimmed. As they looked up they soon realized that the light had always been there. It only looked dark as the corridor was shielded by an enormous spider, whose string they had used to get to the other corridor.
“Peter, come along, quickly,” said Tom.
“I can not,” said Peter, “my hands are all sweaty.”
“What’s more important - your grip or becoming spider soufflé?” asked Kate.
Peter was losing his grip on the pipe as the spider edged its way down the hole. It was black, with eight hairy legs and white eyes, blinded by the white light.
“Peter just jump, I will catch you.” said Tom. Yet the fear of plunging into the darkness was greater for Peter than the spider above. “Peter,” said Tom. Peter looked at Tom, his eyes filled with fear. “It’s not that far, trust me. Grab my hand.” Peter looked at Tom and regained his courage. He grabbed Tom’s hand, who pulled him into the corridor.
“Thanks Tom,” said Peter. “I was almost spider pie.”
“It’s not over yet. That thing is still coming down.” Indeed it was still approaching.
“Let’s move further down the corridor. Hopefully it will not be able to get to us from there.” Tom, Kate and Peter rushed again the golden door.
Looking back they could see the spider’s white eyes peering curiously at them. “Umm, some delicious prey,” said it whilst moving its razor sharp mandible from side to side. “I am always into trying something new and exotic.” One of the spider’s leg reached over towards them. All three pressed as close as they could to the door as the leg edged closer to them.
As it edged closed Peter began to become fearful, “I don’t think we are deep enough. I think it can reach us.”
Tom’s head began to sweat in fear. He was silently observing what Peter had the courage to say aloud. Yet just foot ahead of them the leg’s advance stopped.
Peter let out a sigh of relief. “It cannot get to us, thank goodness.”
Angrily the spider began to thrash around the opening. It tried its best to reach them but to no avail. In anger the spider began to shriek at a high pitch. The spider began to cry out louder as hundreds of its fellow spiders began to crawl to where it was from several openings in the cylindrical hole unseen before by Tom, Peter, and Kate.
“Tom,” screamed Kate, “do something!”
Tom tried to open the door, but nothing worked.
“We are doomed!” exclaimed Peter.
However, as he looked down to the floor, Tom saw something unusual. Finding some glass shards upon the floor, Tom picked them up and threw them at the spider. The shards pierced the spider’s eyes. It suddenly howled in the same shriek as before since it could no longer see. Disoriented, the spider fell backwards into the cylinder abyss below. Smelling the spider’s blood, the other spiders began to scurry down the hole for dinner.
It was at that moment Akemi appeared in the distance. She was running. Behind her a great thundering sound was approaching. The other spiders, hearing the raucous, became alarmed. They scurried frantically towards their holes, all save a black and white Daddy Longlegs Spider.
Suddenly, within the cylinder, rain began to pour. The spiders tried to climb down the walls of the cylinder to their holes, but the rain washed them down. Only the black and white spider was able to resist the rain shower. Seeing Akemi, who was now at the ledge of the corridor and looking behind to see the approaching creatures in the corridor, the spider started to charge towards her.
“Akemi, look below you in the hole!” shouted Tom.
Akemi turned around looked below to see the spider charging after her, its jaws open in anticipation. Akemi put her sword in its scabbard. She then pushed her body backwards, towards the inside of the hallway, causing the spider to bite into the stone floor, hurting its mandibles. Akemi then ran off of the ledge of the opening, somersaulting into the air, and landed upon the opposite ledge where Tom, Peter, and Kate were. She almost slipped due to the rain on the corridor floor, but was caught in time by Peter.
The spider, filled with hunger, also tried to leap onto the opposite ledge. It seemed as if it was going to, but at that moment large chunks of hail began to fall down. The spider was hit and fell down the opening into the darkness below.
“Wicked,” said Peter astounded by Akemi’s feat.
“Not as wicked as this,” said Akemi as her took out her sword and went next to the door. She pressed into the door at several intervals with the sword into holes that were unnoticeable to the human eye. Once she had finished, she said to Tom, Peter and Kate, “Quickly, stand with your faces and arms against the wall for protection.”
“Protection from what?” asked Kate.
“You’ll see,” said Akemi.
They did as Akemi said. From the door, several mechanical noises were ascertained. Akemi went onto the ledge and from out of her belt she retrieved a net. She twirled the net and let go of some of it, causing it to capture a hail ball. She propelled the ball into the corridor, which fit into it with some extra space, and released her net from the hail. It did not even touch Kate, Peter or Tom as it rolled in. When the ball was a foot away from the door, the door opened shooting out several hundred shards of glass.
Looking to the other corridor, Akemi saw her worst fear. There were small fat creatures with protruding bellies. At three and a half feet tall with noses so large they filled up half of their face. They were slimy and royal blue in color. They had two inch long fingernails, pig feet, long, dirty, smelly hair, and wore metal armor around their bodies. When the otter had cried, he had done so to gain their help, even though the potion that Akemi gave him was working.
“Clever otter,” said Akemi, “but not clever enough.”
As Akemi saw these creatures, the hail was being propelled backward. Suddenly, she got an idea. She propelled her net and grabbed it onto the hail ball. She then, with all of her might, flung it at the creatures in the corridor across. The ball flew through the cylindrical corridor and fitted gently into the opposite corridor. The creatures ran away scared as they were being followed by the hail ball.
“Let’s go inside,” said Akemi in a rush to Tom, Peter, and Kate.
Tom, Peter and Kate removed their heads from the wall to see the door opened to another corridor of glass shards.
“What is wrong?” asked Tom of Akemi,
sensing something was disturbing her.
“That is what is wrong,” said Peter pointing to the other corridor, causing Tom and Kate to look as well. They saw some of the remaining creatures of the much larger group conversing with each other in a foreign language. “They don’t look friendly.”
“That’s because they aren’t,” said Akemi, “they’re Funits, and they will kill you just for the fun of it. They are able to smell prey six miles away. They were the ultimate, unchallenged defenders of the ancient city of Yerub. If I were you, I would hurry inside.”
“But they cannot make it over here, especially with those hooves,” said Kate.
“Yes they can,” said Akemi, “they are excellent jumpers. Somehow they have an innate understanding of physics. Out of all of the creatures it really makes no sense why they should. Now, let’s get into here before they come over.”
“What is this place?” asked Tom.
“This is the Teal Abyss. It is very dangerous, if you even touch the abyss slightly it will consume you entirely until you are no more. So do not touch anything and follow every footstep I make. Most importantly, watch out for the glass. Sometimes there are pieces that are two inches long, which can pass right through your heart. If you make a noise upon this glass, even from a drop of sweat, they will respond by propelling themselves at you.”
“Who will propel themselves?” asked Tom.
“The glass, of course,” said Akemi as if Tom was asking a very stupid question. “Let’s hurry.”
Tom, Peter, and Kate looked at each other as if Akemi were crazy. However, they listened to her wisdom. They hurried inside as one Funit began to run in the other corridor some distance inwards. Suddenly, looking behind him, Tom saw that one Funit was running forward, trying to reach them.
“Akemi,” said Tom.
“What is it?” asked Akemi.
“One of them is trying to come over.”
At that moment, as Akemi, Peter and Kate looked back to the other corridor the Funit leapt into the air by several feet, but fell shortly from his mark into the blackness below.
“That was lucky,” said Peter.
“Too close for me. Let’s go inside,” said Akemi.
Upon entering after Akemi, Tom saw to his surprise a space that was unending. There was only a glass bridge three feet in width that extended miles ahead. The space around was teal in color, yet there seemed to be waves that changed the color into a millions hues. They could only see the colors as it was too far for them to touch.
Tom, feeling a pinch at his back from Peter, moved forward after Akemi. He suddenly felt dread as they moved forward. He had no idea that when Akemi came that it could mean death just like Norbis. As she walked ahead of him he felt an anger. Yet just as easily as it had come did it pass away from his mind. There was no sense in getting angry. When he left his house he had taken him, Peter and Kate down a path to which they could not return. Their lives were now intertwined with the creatures of Yerub and the guidance of this stranger Akemi. Tom touched the cross around his neck and felt a strange sense of security by doing so. Somehow everything would be all right. He did not know how or why, but it somehow would.
