“I have a plan,” Watcher said, trying to keep his voice low, yet still be audible to all his troops. Everyone moved a step closer. “The spider warlord has done terrible things to those unhatched spiders, distorting them from innocent spider hatchlings and engineering them into vicious, heartless killers. If we allow them to hatch, who knows how much senseless destruction they’ll do to the Far Lands. We can’t let that happen. We’re going to destroy all the eggs in that Hatching Chamber, and make sure those poisonous spiders never see the surface of the Far Lands. That will throw all the spiders into chaos. During the confusion, we’ll free the other witches and destroy every potion they’ve made.”
“This plan will likely get the spider warlord’s attention,” Planter said.
Watcher nodded. “On our way out, we focus our attention on the spider warlord. We’ll destroy her, leaving the spiders leaderless . . . then we escape.”
“Sounds easy,” Blaster said with a grin.
Cutter glanced at Planter, then to Watcher. “You have it all figured out, huh?” He moved closer and whispered in Watcher’s ear. “No plan survives first contact with the enemy. . . . You better be ready. Everyone will be relying on you.”
Watcher glanced up into his stone-gray eyes and nodded, trying to appear confident, but he knew it wasn’t working. The big warrior cast another glance at Planter, then stepped away.
A shudder of fear slithered down his spine. I remember how many spiders I saw in this nest when I used that enchanted chainmail, he thought. I’m not sure if any of us are going to emerge from these caves alive. . . . But we have to try. The spiders and the wither king must be stopped.
He glanced at Planter and feelings of grief began to bubble up from within his soul, as if she were already gone. And then a deep voice, different from his own internal thoughts, echoed from within his mind.
Don’t be afraid to . . .
“What?” he said in a soft voice.
The other villagers looked at him, confused.
Don’t be afraid to be . . .
“Do any of you hear that voice?” Watcher glanced hopefully at Planter, then Blaster. They both had confused expressions on their square faces.
What are you saying? Watcher sent his thoughts out into the shapeless darkness of his mind. And then the voice, deep and ancient, returned again.
Don’t be afraid to be you!
And in that moment, he knew the voice was coming from the Flail of Regret; it was alive and speaking to him, as if there were a living presence trapped within that spiked ball and chain. He hoped that the voice would bring him courage, but all it did was make him more afraid of what was to come.
The NPCs moved silently through the dark passages, hoping to avoid being noticed by the spiders. The glow from Watcher’s arms cast enough purple light for him to see, but those at the back of the formation carried redstone torches, the crimson glow lighting the area around the villagers, yet dim enough that it might go undetected if spotted by the enemy.
The strange thing was, they didn’t see any of the fuzzy monsters in any of the passages. The sound of clicking mandibles and curved claws scratching against the stone floor was completely absent; it was as if the spiders’ lair was deserted.
Watcher held an arm across his chest, trying to keep the plates of diamond armor from banging against each other. Cutter and the others in iron armor did the same. The only sound in the stone passage was the sound of their boots scuffing the floor and the scratch-scratch of Er-Lan’s clawed feet.
The witch, Cassandra, led them directly through the maze of dark passages as if she had the place memorized.
“How is it you know where to go?” Planter asked her in a hushed voice.
“I’ve been a prisoner for a long time, and tried to escape many times.” Cassandra’s voice was still scratchy, but stronger with her renewed health. “My last escape attempt was just for the purpose of mapping out all the tunnels.” She turned down a passage to the left, the stony corridor plunging deeper into the depths of the Jeweled Mountain. “I’d just finished memorizing the last of the tunnels when a squad of spiders saw me. I had to hide for days as they searched for me, and I didn’t have enough food. I became too weak and couldn’t walk; that was when you found me.”
“It was a good thing we did.” Planter smiled. “I don’t think you would have lasted much longer.”
“You’re probably right. . . . Wait, look at the ground.” Watcher stared down at the stone, confused. “You see all the scratches?”
The witch knelt and ran her old, wrinkled fingers across the rock. “A lot of spiders have been through this tunnel recently.”
“Where does this passage lead to?” Cleric asked.
“The Gathering Chamber and the Hatching Chamber,” Cassandra replied.
“So the spiders could be in one or the other,” Blaster said.
“Or both.” Cutter stared down at the witch, then brought his gaze to Watcher. “The longer we wait, the stronger the spiders’ defenses become. We need to move . . . now.”
“You’re right.” Watcher helped the witch back to her feet, then spoke to the rest of the NPCs. “We stick to the original plan. The Hatching Chamber is our first target, then we’ll see what’s in this Gathering Chamber.” He glanced at Cassandra. “Which way?”
“We follow this passage, then take the tunnel that splits off to the left.”
“Let’s go.” Watcher’s voice was just a whisper. “Everyone . . . quick and quiet.”
They moved through the passage like shadows in the darkness. The few redstone torches cast a faint crimson glow on portions of the army, giving them just enough light to avoid falling into any holes or stumbling into blocks of spiderweb.
“Here it is,” Cassandra whispered.
She put away the redstone torch in her hand, then pointed at the other torches. They were all extinguished, plunging them into darkness. Only the faint iridescent glows of Watcher’s arms, Cutter’s armor, and Planter’s axe offered any light.
“Here, drink this.” The witch handed Watcher a bottle with some potion in it.
He couldn’t tell what it was in the darkness, but he trusted her. Pulling out the cork, he drank the liquid. Instantly, purple spirals appeared before his eyes, signifying the potion was active, and his surroundings came clearly into view, the darkness of the passage now gone; it was a potion of night vision.
Watcher moved to the entrance and peered around the stone blocks.
Inside the Hatching Chamber were thousands of dark, spotted eggs, each smeared with green goo. Blue cave spiders moved about the chamber tending to the eggs, with only a handful of the larger spiders on guard. Watcher glanced up at the ceiling and walls of the chamber. Many of the blocks of ore were missing, replaced by sand and gravel.
“Do you have any more night vision potions?” Watcher asked the witch in a hushed voice.
She pulled out a single bottle from her inventory. “This is the last one.”
Watcher glanced at Blaster and smiled. “Okay . . . here’s my idea. You remember the skeletons in the snow?”
“Of course.”
“Then here’s what I want to do.” Watcher explained his plan, the smile on Blaster’s face growing bigger and bigger as he spoke.
“You ready?” Watcher glanced at Blaster. They were both clearly nervous.
Blaster nodded.
Watcher turned to Winger and Planter. They, too, had anxious expressions on their square faces. “You two have enough arrows?”
“I’d like to have more,” Planter said.
“We have as many as we have,” Winger said. She turned to her brother. “Don’t worry . . . we’ll keep them busy.”
“Ready?” Watcher whispered. “Now.”
Blaster led the way, sprinting along the edge of the chamber, Watcher following close on his heels. The scratching of the cave spiders’ claws on the stone floor filled the air, making Watcher want to turn and flee. But he knew they had to see this through.
The spiders didn’t notice them, the darkness in the chamber cloaking the two boys’ presence. But before they reached the back wall, the deadly monsters began to click their mandibles together in excitement. That was the signal for the girls.
Planter and Winger shot their arrows into the cave, the pointed shafts bursting into fiery life as soon as they left their bows. The fire arrows hit the ground, illuminating the chamber near the center. The flickering light let the two archers target the blocks of spiderweb wrapped around the eggs. Shooting again and again, they lit the white fibrous cubes aflame, driving the cave spiders into a panic. The spiders in the cavern turned their attention to the flames and the villagers at the cave entrance, ignoring Watcher and Blaster.
When the two boys reached the back of the Hatching Chamber, Blaster started placing blocks of TNT on the ground, Watcher then lighting them with flint and steel. They sped through the chamber, trying to get as many explosives lit as they could before they started to detonate. They had covered most of one wall and were heading to the opposite side of the cave when the first cubes exploded.
Smoke filled the air as the TNT came to life, tearing into the stone walls with their destructive energy, ripping into the ore blocks, revealing sand and gravel. The unstable cubes fell into the chamber, the avalanche crushing many of the eggs.
Not looking back, Blaster ran to the other side of the cavern, placing additional red and white cubes, Watcher lighting each one. The cavern filled with thunder as more of the explosives came to life, causing the avalanches to spread. Blaster carefully picked the right spots along the walls, hoping to do as much damage to the structure of the cavern as possible.
“We need to get out of here now,” Watcher said.
“We aren’t done yet.”
Blaster ran straight for the cavern entrance. By now, the spiders were advancing on the villagers there. Arrows streaked through the air, striking the fuzzy creatures, but they continued their charge.
“Watcher . . . scream,” Blaster called out.
“What?”
And then, instead, Blaster let out a blood curdling scream, causing the spiders to turn around. In the moment of uncertainty, Blaster put a line of TNT around the monsters, with Watcher lighting their fuses.
“Everyone, RUN!” Blaster shouted.
The villagers retreated from the Hatching Chamber and ran up the tunnel, back toward the main corridor. Watcher jumped over the spiders, following the rest of the NPCs. He glanced back into the chamber just as the rest of the explosives detonated. A huge rumble shook the very roots of the mountain as the stone blocks crumbled under the burning fist of TNT, releasing what a torrent of sand and gravel throughout the dark cavern. The spiders screeched in fear as thousands of blocks fell upon them. Billows of smoke and dust choked the tunnel, making it difficult to see the true extent of the damage.
Skidding to a stop, Watcher turned and looked back down the tunnel. He drew Needle and prepared for an attack, but none of the spiders charged. He coughed as smoke and dust filled his lungs.
“Archers . . . get ready!” Watcher commanded.
A group of villagers knelt with bows drawn and ready, another row of archers standing behind them. Still, no attack came. When the dust from the rubble finally cleared, a huge pile of gravel covered the entrance to the Hatching Chamber.
“We did it!” Watcher exclaimed.
“What?” Planter asked.
“Most of this mountain is sand and gravel. Blaster’s explosives were placed perfectly. The chamber is sealed off forever.”
“You think any of the spider eggs survived?” Winger asked.
Watcher shook his head. “Let’s hope not.”
Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek, filled with rage and fury, cut through the passage like a knife through flesh. Many of the villagers put their hands to their ears, trying to block out the hideous sound.
“I’m thinking that was the spider warlord.” Blaster smiled sarcastically.
“I suspect she isn’t very happy with us,” Watcher said.
“Well, we’re not happy with her either.” Mapper scowled toward the sound as if trying to intimidate the monster.
The other villagers laughed.
“It’s time we doled out some punishment,” the old man added.
“Absolutely.” Watcher slapped Mapper on the back, then ran through the passage toward the Gathering Chamber and their foe.
Watcher followed Cassandra through the dark passage, the purple glow from his arms intensifying, growing brighter . . . but his fear was building as well. The witch slowed as the passage curved to the right and descended sharply.
“The entrance is just around this curve,” she said. “It’s on the left side of the passage. The Gathering Chamber will be well lit, with many pools of lava along the edges of the chamber.” Cassandra moved closer to him and whispered in his ear. “There will be no place to hide with hundreds of spiders all around you; this is suicide.”
“You don’t need to go in with us, but we must do this. If the king of the withers gets a potion that can awaken his army, then the Far Lands as we know it will be destroyed.”
A gentle hand settled onto his shoulder. Turning, he found Planter’s beautiful green eyes peering into his, an expression of fear on her face. “We must save the witches and stop Krael . . . it’s up to us.”
Planter nodded, then gave Watcher a nervous grin.
“You have a plan?” Cutter pushed the witch out of the way and stared down at Watcher. “We can’t just walk in there and ask them to stop.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Watcher stared into the big warrior’s steely gray eyes. They were filled with such courage . . . if only he could have the smallest bit of Cutter’s bravery. “You remember what happened in the mega taiga forest?”
Cutter nodded his head, but looked like he still didn’t understand what Watcher was getting at.
“Everyone gather around.” Watcher stood on a block of stone and peered down at the terrified NPCs. “Here’s my plan. If anyone has a better idea, I’d love to hear it.” In a hushed voice, Watcher explained his plan, pointing out key features necessary for the plan to be successful. He assigned tasks to group of villagers, making sure everyone understood their role.
“Are you with me?” the boy asked. “I’d do this on my own, but I don’t know if I can defeat a couple hundred spiders all by myself. . . . I think my arm might get tired.”
The villagers laughed, then nodded their heads.
“Then let’s do it.” Watcher adjusted his diamond armor, then drew Needle and his wooden shield.
Stepping into the center of the passage, he walked through the tunnel, dragging Needle along the ground. It made a scratchy, screechy sort of sound that was unnerving.
“Shhh . . . they’ll hear you,” Cutter said in a low voice.
“They already know we’re here!” Watcher shouted. “Might as well let the cowardly spiders know we’re coming!”
The villagers cheered, and then all of them dragged their weapons on the ground as well, filling the passage with the sound of steel on stone. Watcher glanced at Cutter, and the big NPC nodded, then smiled and dragged his diamond blade against the wall.
They followed the curving passage, then came to the entrance of the Gathering Chamber. It was a huge opening that led to a chamber bigger than any Watcher had ever seen. The walls were roughly shaped, as if explosives had been used to carve out the space, but the floor was perfectly flat. It seemed completely unnatural, the uniform stone stretching from wall to wall. Streams of lava either splashed out of the wall or sat in small pools, filling the chamber with an orange glow, though the impossibly high ceiling was still cloaked in darkness.
At the center of the chamber stood a solitary spider, Shakaar. The prickly fuzz that covered her body was inky black, as was her skin; she was like a shadowy hole in the universe. The monster clicked her mandibles together once, the sound echoing off the walls. Then it was completely si
lent in the chamber. Her eight bright red eyes glared at the villagers as they entered the colossal cave, each of the glowing orbs filled with venomous hatred.
“Boy-wizard, you dessstroyed my hatchlingsss.”
Watcher remained silent. He took a step toward her, gripping Needle’s hilt firmly, the glow from his arms and weapon growing brighter.
“My ssspidersss will cover the Far Landsss with grief and dessspair, and you will be the caussse.”
He moved closer, keeping his blue eyes glued to her red ones.
“Do you have anything to sssay for yourssself, boy-wizard?”
“Yeah, your spiders killed innocent villagers. You kidnapped witches and have been terrifying the Far Lands.” Watcher took another step closer and slowly raised his weapon. The keen edge gave off a harsh white radiance, pushing back the shadows in the massive hall. It was as if Watcher’s rage was powering the weapon from within. “Actions have consequences. That’s something you need to learn . . . and I’m the one who’s gonna teach you.” He gave the warlord an angry glare. “Spider, school is now in session.”
As if on cue, the villagers clustered at the entrance all charged into the chamber, yelling at the top of their voices, each with their swords held up high. They spread out in a long line, as if getting ready to charge, then suddenly stopped and held their position.
Watcher sprinted toward Shakaar, but as he drew near, the spider took out a bottle filled with a dark green potion. She splashed it on her body, the liquid instantly coating her claws, turning them a dark green.
“Here isss a little of our new poissson for you to tassste.”
Poisonous claws . . . must be careful, Watcher thought. The slightest scratch would be fatal. Then he kept sprinting at his enemy, swinging Needle with all his strength.
Shakaar attacked, her claw sinking into his shield, then going all the way through. Watcher could see a dark green stain across the claw where the razor-sharp tip poked through the back of the wooden rectangle; they were completely coated with poison, which meant he had to be extra careful.
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