Damsels of Jormia 2: A Light Novel (An Isekai Fantasy Series)

by Marcus Sloss

“This is real right.”

  “This is real,” I stroked the back of her head as I embraced her tightly.

  When she calmed down a bit she glanced around the area, “Where are the others?”

  I nodded toward the remaining two white pods, “Let’s get them out.”

  Her agreement evident in the look of determination on her face, we each chose one of the remaining cocoons, wanting to get the others out as soon as we could. When I pulled back the threads, Cera was already awake, her eyes lacking focus.

  I stroked her cheek, calling her name to bring her back to this reality. She blinked, her eyes finally seeing me in front of her.

  “The invasion. What happened?” She sat up quickly, scanning the area for the enemy.

  “It’s, ok, it was all an illusion. We are safe,” I expressed quickly, the relief from the news relaxing her features.

  “Well, that was some freaky shit,” I heard Illia’s voice behind me, a slight tremble lacing her usual nonchalant attitude.

  I was happy to see everyone together again—alive again.

  “What exactly happened?” Cera asked the question on everyone’s mind.

  I pulled some of the threads off one of the pods, holding it up in the moonlight. The string swayed gently in the slight breeze, the moon’s rays reflecting off the pieces, giving them an almost silvery appearance.

  “What is this stuff?”

  “Spider’s silk.” Aquina answered, her head already turning to survey the darkened surroundings.

  Spider’s silk. I let the implications of her words sink in and I too joined her in scanning the area for signs of movement.

  “Eww… What the,” Illia complained, her hands covered in a clear shiny goop as she tried to wipe it off her shoulder.

  All at once, we followed the trail up into the trees, finding the source of the slime. Fuck. A spider the size of a sedan loomed over us, its dark body blending into the darkened foliage. It stared at us, its twenty plus eyes blinking in unison, contemplating its next move.

  “How did we not even notice its presence?” I asked my thoughts aloud, not expecting an answer.

  Aquina, who had slowly begun to gravitate toward me answered, “Stalking its prey is how it survives. It was probably following us as soon as we entered this forest, just waiting for the right moment to attack.”

  “So, those dreams were its doing?”

  “Maybe...” Aquina started searching my body with a thorough eye.

  “What’s wrong...what are you looking for?”

  “Puncture wounds.”

  Cera and Illia heard Aquina’s words and began searching each other for the same kind of mark. We all came up empty handed, thankfully.

  As we talked, we all continued to drift further from the creature, unsure when our movements would trigger an attack.

  “So, if it didn’t bite us, what were those lucid dreams? They were so real…” Cera whispered, not wanting to startle the giant beast.

  “I have two theories, but I can’t say for sure. Either the thread somehow influences those trapped inside it...or it was the flowers’ pollen, and we would have ended up in a similar state regardless of the spider’s interference.”

  “Guys, maybe now is not the time to discuss this,” Illia warned, her voice trembling as she grabbed for my staff that had been thrown into the nearby brush, her eyes never leaving the trees.

  I searched near where Illia stood, finding my sword among other stolen possessions. Clothes, bags, jewelry, were laying in a heap behind the bush, surely things the monster had collected from its past victims—all those that were never heard from again.

  I gripped my sword tightly, knowing we wouldn’t be able to leave the forest without a fight. One of the spiders' oversized hairy legs twitched, and we all jumped, expecting the worst.

  Still, it sat idle, watching our movements.

  “Do we attack or try to go around it,” I asked unsure of how to proceed since the beast’s actions did not follow my expectations.

  “We should remain on guard for now, but I don’t think it will let us leave while it’s alive.”

  Of course not. Regardless, nothing would end without first beginning. I led the group as we walked under the massive form looming in the shadows, keenly aware that it could pounce on us at any moment. When we’d safely made it from under the tree it chose as its perch, that’s when it made its move.

  A thin silvery string attached to the higher branches slowly lowered the beast to the forest floor, its movements silent despite its size. No wonder we didn’t notice it before. It stepped toward us, the shiny, sticky fluid dripping from its fangs.

  The fangs clattered together restlessly as the beast silently judged us. By the time we recognized the clattering as a signal, it was too late. Hundreds of mini beast spiders—about the size of Earth’s house cat— swarmed in, surrounding us on all sides.

  Fuck. If there was one thing I hated more than birds, it was spiders. The spiders stepped forward and backwards, inching closer, trying to condense our positioning. They had yet to attack, but their mere numbers proved intimidating enough.

  We were ready, but hesitant to make the first move for the fear that they would all respond at once. No matter how strong we were, taking on so many at once would be difficult.

  The waiting game finally ended when one of the small spiders jumped forward, aiming for Illia. I reacted instantly, blocking the jump with a fire orb, the fine hairs that covered its body igniting upon impact. Its body fell to the ground with a thump, and it only took a second for the others to perceive our threat and begin their own attack.

  Huddling together with our backs to each other for protection, we fended off the creatures, being especially cautious of their venom filled fangs. While Illia lacked combat training, her reflexes were quick, enabling her to defend herself using my borrowed staff.

  The newly hatched spiderlings had soft bodies, making them vulnerable to our weapons, so while their numbers were great, they lacked durability making them easy targets. Cera found it harder to use her weapon with our proximity to each other, but she managed, squashing spider after spider in succession.

  I remained aware of Illia’s condition, occasionally bringing up a firewall in front of her when a spider would slip through her defenses. With all our power combined, we were quickly handling the threat, but I knew our success wouldn’t last long.

  When around half of the spiders had fallen, the mother spider released a high-pitched clicking sound, its pincers opening and closing as a way to speak to the smaller spiders. Apparently, it was a call for retreat, the smaller spiders abandoning the attack to stand behind the mother spider.

  Now the real fight was set to begin. The spider moved toward us, triggering our response as we raised our weapons to attack. I stood at the front of our formation, staring head on with the giant beast, then it vanished.

  “Here!” Aquina shouted from her side of our formation, the beast appearing in front of her.

  Its thick leg swiped the air in front of it, Aquina barely having time to block the blow with her staff. The force of the attack sent her sliding backwards and I braced her body using my own, helping her withstand the strength behind the single leg.

  When the pressure subsided, the beast withdrawing its leg, I released her, readjusting my sword for an attack of my own. I charged the beast, sword first, my slash hitting nothing but air as the spider disappeared once again.

  It reappeared in its original spot, the quickstep seeming to have little range. Aquina shouted something I couldn’t understand, releasing a blast from the main stone on the top of her staff. The strong spell must have required a lot of power, the stone of Aquina’s staff cracking slightly once the power released.

  The attack hit, the light searing the body of the spider. It released a cry filled with pain and rage, increasing its desire to devour us where we stood.

  My fire orbs flew at the beast's body as I attempted to burn the sucker alive. They didn’t have t
he same effect on the giant one as they did the smaller ones, the fire simply dispersing on impact.

  The attacks still dealt damage, evident when the spider disappeared after being hit, only to reappear on the other side of us. It would always slash the air with its massive limbs following its reappearance, trying to catch us off guard. This, of course, only worked the first time since we were able to quickly catch on to its tricks.

  I waited patiently for the spider to appear next to me, Aquina and Cera having attacked from the opposite side. When it did, I launched my attack, slicing the sword through its thick legs. Aquina super charged my sword with a chant, allowing the blade to easily slide through the beast's tough skin.

  Another small crack appeared on the gem at the top of her staff, the catalyst weakening from its consistent use. The beast’s cry echoed through the forest, green blood splattering on the surrounding flora.

  It limped backward, favoring the injured leg before quickly charging forward, all reason clouded by its pain fueled fury. My sword clashed with another of its remaining legs, and I felt the all too familiar buckle of the blade, a small crack appearing on the surface of the weapon.

  I was beginning to think I was the reason the blades kept breaking, not the poor craftsmanship. I pulled back, throwing the useless weapon to the forest floor and switching to my mana gift.

  Three fire arrows appeared at will and I aimed for the spider’s eyes, attempting to lessen its field of vision. Two hit their mark, another shriek of pain following the attack.

  Again, the beast disappeared, and we readied ourselves for it to appear before Aquina and Cera once more. To our surprise its habit changed, instead appearing in front of Illia who only wielded the staff for protection. I turned from my position to shield her from the giant leg that already moved to strike her down.

  As I moved, I drew up my fire wall behind me, ready to stop the blow before it reached us both. Something went wrong. When I grabbed her shoulders, my firewall dispersed, leaving me vulnerable to the attack.

  The sharp limb sliced into my back, sending both me and Illia flying forward. Pain erupted in my body, but I could tell it wasn’t life threatening. I started down at Illia who trembled slightly, her knuckles white from gripping the staff so tightly.

  I found myself above her, my arms and legs holding myself in the air.

  “I’m sorry,” She whispered softly, tears starting to form, and I could tell she was reliving some terrible memory, her eyes looking through me.

  I helped her to her feet, sending her to Aquina’s side for protection. I needed to end the battle quickly. I could feel my open wound dripping blood and it would need to be addressed soon if I didn’t want to pass out from blood loss.

  Taking a deep breath I felt for my flow of mana, preparing for a lightning attack that would hopefully end the beast in one shot. My only fear in using the gift was using too much mana and leaving the girls vulnerable should I lose consciousness. I assured myself that wouldn’t happen, focusing on what needed to be done in the moment.

  As I stared up at the agitated spider, I inhaled deeply, collecting my power. Movement in the corner of my eye broke my focus, my eyes following the figure. What the—A blur of a form ascended from the tree line, slicing clean through the body of the spider as it fell.

  The beast's body, now in two, fell to the forest floor as I stared at the scene in disbelief. Why did that seem so easy? With the mother spider dead, the remaining little ones scurried back into the forest, not wanting to meet the same fate.

  The figure stepped forward, a huge grin on his face showing off his pointed canines. The first rays of the rising suns began to peek through the forest's thick foliage giving us a better look at the beastman.

  Other than the fangs we saw when he smiled, he had other wolf-like features, including a set of ears on the top of his head and a long, smooth, silver tail. He wore fur around his neck, wrists and waist, his torso bare.

  “Hah-ha! That manospider was no match for me!” he said boastfully as he approached us.

  “Are you folks alright? The nightmare forest here is no joke. I’m surprised you made it through the night,” he said, scratching his head as he looked around for any more potential threats.

  “We are alive…” Aquina spoke first. ”But my mate is hurt.” She gestured toward me, reminding me to fix my dumbfounded expression.

  I stared openly at the wolfman, questioning if he was another figment of our imaginations—a buff, over-confident figment. I mean, the dude came out of nowhere, finished off the creature, and acted like we did nothing.

  I totally had it. I stuffed down such petty thoughts and clasped the hand offered to me.

  “Name’s Mika,” the wolfman announced as we shook hands.

  “I really am glad I stumbled upon you guys. I can get you treated if you want to follow me back to my village.”

  “Thanks Mika. I’m Nolan—this is Aquina, Cera and Illia.” I introduced the group as we moved toward Mika, more than ready to leave the nightmare forest.

  As I spoke to Mika, Aquina ripped at her pant leg, tearing the bottoms of her trousers into strips. She stood in her makeshift shorts and gestured for me to turn around so she could assess my wound.

  My back stung as she pressed the fabric to my injury, needing to apply something temporarily to slow the bleeding. It would have to do until we reached the village that Mika mentioned.

  “What were you all doing out here in the first place? Haven’t you been warned about the dangers that lurk in these woods...especially at night?”

  “No. We are not from around here. Also, we were in a hurry.” Aquina replied, unapologetically.

  Mika eyed us skeptically. Apparently not knowing of the forest and its dangers raised a flag for him. As we walked through the forest, the suns continued to rise, making everything we’d witnessed in the forest seem like a bad dream.

  The flowers were blooming beautifully, the path well-lit and easy to follow. It resembled a normal, peaceful forest. Still, I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, not trusting that another giant beast wouldn’t appear out of nowhere to finish us off.

  “Well, the village children grow up hearing tales of those who wander in never to be heard from again. So, I just found it odd that you wouldn’t have known is all.”

  “Yes, well, like she said we were in a bit of a hurry and just happened to go that way.”

  He didn’t seem to want to drop the issue.

  “Up here is the way out -” He started to point, but then raised his arm, motioning us to be quiet.

  My eyes instinctively searched the area, looking for the enemy. The bushes in the distance shook, something moving from within them. Then a creature shot out of them with incredible speed.

  I formed a fireball in my hand before I even knew what we were dealing with, ready to strike when the creature was in range. My eyes darted in all directions, tracking the creature. Then it lunged at Mika, tackling him to the ground.

  I lifted my arm, preparing to throw.

  “Rawrrrr!” the beast yelled, and I let my fireball disperse back into the air with an exhale.

  Mika laughed, ruffling the hair of a small child, a cape of fur tied around his neck, covering most of his body.

  “How many times have I told you not to enter the nightmare forest, Lin.” Mika’s tone was firm, worried about the child’s safety.

  “I know, but the entrance is right there, and I saw you coming, andI wanted to surprise you.” The boy’s smile was wide as he tried to diffuse the worry.

  “Plus, Uncle Vero said it was fine.”

  Aquina giggled softly beside me, enjoying the two’s encounter.

  “Did he now?” Mika got up, placing Lin softly on the ground beside him.

  My eyes searched for the exit, quickly finding a group of beastmen waiting in the distance. At least Mika wasn’t another trick played on us by the forest, I thought to myself as we continued walking. The forest opened to a large plain, and I cou
ld see structures in the far distance, surely the village we were told of.

  “Everything ok, Mika?” A larger wolfman approached, jogging slightly, clearly referring to our presence.

  “Of course. I just happened to meet these guys in the forest when I started my hunt. I guess the old bats still got it, huh.”

  “Old bat?” Cera questioned, immediately.

  “Sorry. Our village elder...don’t tell her I called her that.” Mika said with pleading eyes, his voice full of mirth.

  “She gets...feeling sometimes. She was once a great oracle, but she’s all but lost her mind, so the images tend to get twisted nowadays. She told us something was coming to the nightmare forest—something important. Of course, that was almost three months ago and yet we diligently went in every morning. You are the first things aside from monster corpses that we have brought out of the forest.” Vero told us a hint of amazement in his voice.

  “Was granny talking about them?” Lin asked, sniffing the air as he circled us.

  “Lin, don’t be rude.” A tall, well-endowed woman stepped forward, her dark hair shining a deep violet color in the sunlight.

  “Yes, momma.” Lin responded obediently, running to her open arms.

  She scooped him up easily, resting him on her hip.

  “You will have to excuse my son. He is not used to seeing beings of other races. He means you no disrespect.”

  “It’s fine to be curious,” I responded, finding his antics refreshing.

  “Well, what are we standing around here for, lets head back to the village. The final beastman in the pack spoke up, gesturing toward the village in the distance.

  I felt a bit dizzy, but pushed through it, breathing deeply until the feeling passed. The distance to the village seemed far, making me question whether I would be able to make it before I passed out. Aquina, somehow sensing my discomfort, came to stand beside me, supporting me on one side as she put my arm around her shoulder.

  Cera, I think a bit jealous, came and did the same to my other side. It seemed a bit excessive, but they were happy, and I felt better being able to lean on them both.