*
Caljorual Raig scuttled down the path to the witch’s cave. Find her, kill her. Simple orders for simple spiders, the kind of orders Caljorual liked. The kind he had followed a thousand times before. It was his ruthless efficiency which had led to his command of an Octal. His seven underlings scuttled along behind him. If successful in killing the witch, Caljorual hoped to be in line for a promotion. Perhaps he would command an Ocacatan, a troop of eighty-eight spider spears, or even and Ocurion, a large band of eight hundred and eighty-eight spears.
The Witchhaven Dell was a dome set slightly into the ground of the first pillar. Caljorual reached the door first. It was round and thick, a combination of wooden and iron supports. Raig looked around the door for runes, witch-magic which might catch him unaware, but there were none. He lifted his claws and started stabbing at the door which shook beneath the blows. Kil-Majurel and Snayissta appeared to his left and right and also started stabbing at the door. Then Valkaramy and Tolojuramein were there and they did not stab but they bit, their razor-sharp teeth gnashing at the iron supports.
It was not very long before the door started to sag and then give way, crumbling in splinters to the floor. The spiders scuttled quickly into the room, on the ground, the walls and the ceiling. Sniffing and sensing for the witch they scoured every inch of the dell. Caljorual made his way into the witch’s bedchamber. His eyes took in the whole room in one go, she was not here. But one thing did grab his attention, it was an hourglass sat on a small table near the bed and as his eyes focused on it the last of the sand dropped through.
The explosion was thunderous and felt even as high up as the Hall of Providence. The Witchhaven Dell crumbled in fire and smoke, Caljorual and his Octal died with it.
Beyond the Dream Page 43