The King doesn't come out to send us off himself, no one blames him. The X quest is challenged dozens of times each year. However Eruf's party has been rumored as the only party that could clear the Spider Lair.
Many people surround us and are eager for the send-off to commence.
Prince Endo greets us instead. "Dear brave mercenaries of the Elephant Guild, we gather here to commend you for challenging an X quest. For your bravery we have given your party a dungeon assistant. Don't fret however, she will follow your orders or she will face execution, for she is a mere slave. Tsk..."
The prince stops and clicks his tongue, he seems to be very displeased as he looks at the girl walking out from behind him.
"Alright, let's get this over with. I have royal duties to attend to. Now you shall start your journey of heroism!"
The prince quickly turns around and leaves, looking back at me and the slave girl.
I look towards the girl, walking up to her as cheers erupt around us. Many repeating "Hero Party!"
As she sees me approaching her she smiles.
She pulls me into an embrace, and I let her do so. "It's been so long, I've missed your handsome face!" She giggles.
We turn around to follow the now exiting 'Hero Party' and continue conversation.
"I've missed you too Lilly, but why do they have you here doing such a dangerous quest? You know Eruf treats slaves even worse then your master."
She sighs, "My master owed master Eruf a favor so he sent me off since I'm the best dungeon assistant that my master doesn't care for. He's killing two birds with one stone if I die today, repaying a favor that could've been far more taxing on my master, and getting to keep his 'precious ones'...ugh."
I shake my head, "You won't die on my watch Lilly."
I grab her hand and look into her bright green eyes. "You are all I live for now, I won't let anyone touch you, not even if I have defy master Eruf."
Lilly puts a finger over her mouth and puts her other hand over my mouth. "Don't say that so loudly! You could be executed! I don't want to lose the light of my life either okay? So don't say stuff like that or you'll get yourself killed!"
I laugh, "I have too many memories to make with you Lilly, I won't be dying anytime soon I promise. You have to promise me too though or else I'll shout it out this time."
Her face scrunches up in anger, "Don't do that! What did I just tell you! I swear we're going to get in big trouble someday with your terrible jests."
I grin, "How do you still manage to be beautiful when your angry? I need to know Lilly."
She gets flustered and starts to blush, punching me in the shoulder. "Stop it!"
I look ahead and see Eruf glare at me, "Quit your god damn chatting and hurry up! Stupid ass slaves, I tell ya."
His party members laugh.
I feel Lilly grab my arm, I look down and see her leaning into me. I put my arm around her and we continue walking in silence.
I study Lilly in all her beauty. Silver hair, soft skin, pale face, big beautiful green eyes, all her features make her undoubtedly beautiful. It always made me wonder how she came to be a poorly treated slave.
.
.
When the Spider Lair comes into view Eruf has everyone draw their swords. A giant tree that used to be hallowed out but is now covered in webs, towering thousands of feet high, touching the sky with it's branches.
Everyone is wary, but nothing happens, even after entering the dungeon itself.
'Why is there no spiders attacking us?'
Just then we come across two giant spiders sitting and watching us. Not caring too attack.
They start to move their limbs seeming to say "Go away"
Eruf takes out his blade and starts to hack away at one of the spiders, it screams in pain as Eruf laughs in what seems ecstacy. The other spider doesn't attack merely trying to tell us to leave more frantically.
Eruf easily finishes the first spider and looks at the other. It waves its arms in a way that seems to be trying to calm him down.
'Do they not want to fight? Why?'
Eruf just slashes through its body, killing it with a single strike. He ushers everyone else along and goes deeper into the giant lair.
As we reach the main area of the dungeon, Eruf slaying all spiders that led up to this place. However none of the spiders so far have fought back.
The main Lair is filled to the brim with giant spiders. Eruf points to an enormous spider hanging on a giant thread, "That's her, the Spider Queen...Eurypha."
Eruf and the party tenses up, and charges into the horde of spiders.