In the shadowed depths of the labyrinth garden, where the miasma was so dense it seemed to bleed into the air like ink, a colossal figure stirred. The Acidweaver Matriarch, a monstrous spider whose body dwarfed even the largest of trees, had been in a state of torpor for centuries. Its acid-coated exoskeleton gleamed faintly in the dim, corrupted light, and its long, jagged legs stretched outward, shrouded in webs that shimmered with a poisonous sheen.
The labyrinth itself seemed to ripple as the creature shifted. The miasma thickened, curling around her like a protective veil, and the faint vibrations of her massive body reverberated through the earth. The spider's many eyes, glowing faintly with a sickly green light, snapped open one by one. At first, they moved sluggishly, as if she were still dragging herself from the depths of her slumber.
Then, she felt it—tiny skittering movements across her webs. The foreign presence of smaller, intrusive arachnids. Her territory had been disturbed.
The matriarch raised her massive head, her mandibles clicking rhythmically as her senses sharpened. She tasted the air, detecting the faint, unfamiliar venom left behind by Visha's summoned Venomweavers. It was subtle, almost respectful, but to her, it was an intrusion. And more importantly, it awakened a primal need that had been dormant for too long.
Hunger.
Her acidic venom dripped from her mandibles, hissing and steaming as it hit the ground, eating through the dense stone beneath her. She shifted her massive legs, her movements smooth but deliberate, as if she were savoring the anticipation of the hunt. Her instincts told her that food was near. Living things. Warm, tender prey.
Her consciousness stirred, ancient and cold, but with the single-minded focus of a predator. The Labyrinth's pets had not sated her in eons. The faint vibrations from the Venomweavers were like breadcrumbs, leading her to the source of their origin. The spider tilted her enormous body, following the scent trail, her acid-dripping mandibles quivering in anticipation.
Every step she took sent shockwaves through the earth, the ground cracking under the sheer weight of her movements. Trees twisted and melted in her path as the acidic miasma around her became more concentrated, her very presence warping the landscape. The labyrinth itself seemed to shift and tremble in response, its energies bending to accommodate the matriarch's dominance.
She moved with purpose, her massive form weaving effortlessly through the twisted corridors of the labyrinth. Closer. The vibrations grew stronger. The scent of life—prey—hung in the air like a tantalizing promise.
The Crimson Lions, resting uneasily in their clearing, and even Visha and Dabria, consumed by their conversation, had no idea what was coming for them.
The matriarch let out a low, guttural hiss, her hunger sharpening with every step. Her acid dripped faster, her movements becoming more fluid as she fully awoke from her long slumber. And as she neared the clearing where the intruders resided, her mind echoed with a single, driving thought:
Feed.
---
Visha's hand froze over the alchemical tools as an almost electric tension surged through her body. Her pale-green eyes sharpened, a rare flicker of surprise breaking her otherwise composed expression. She didn't often feel the need to react so openly, but this… this was different. It wasn't just a disturbance—it was a presence, immense and oppressive, brimming with raw, corrosive energy. Her pestilent blood surged within her veins, almost as though it were responding to a call, and her skin prickled with the unmistakable sensation of nearby acid.
"What is it, Wifey?" Dabria asked, her dark violet eyes narrowing as she sat up from her comfortable position on Visha's lap. She could see the tension in Visha's body and the cold glint of awareness in her eyes. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Visha didn't immediately reply. Instead, her fingers twitched slightly as she extended her awareness, reaching out to the faint web of energy that connected her to her Venomweaver familiars. She barely had time to process the sensation before the link snapped, one by one, each familiar vanishing from her consciousness like extinguished candles.
Her eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, her calm facade cracked. "The connection…" she murmured, her voice soft but edged with something unfamiliar. "It's gone."
Ryker, standing a few feet away, stiffened at the shift in her tone. He'd seen Visha display a spectrum of calmness, disdain, and cold precision, but never this. "What do you mean, 'gone'?" he asked cautiously, taking a step closer. "Your spiders?"
Visha turned her head sharply, fixing him with a piercing glare. "Destroyed," she said curtly, her voice colder than usual. "Something severed the link. It didn't just kill them—it obliterated them."
Dabria's playful grin vanished, her expression darkening as she stood, her posture tense and alert. "Obliterated? By what?"
Visha's gaze shifted toward the dense shadows beyond the clearing, her senses extending outward, trying to locate the source of the overwhelming pressure. The acidic energy was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It wasn't just strong—it was ancient, primal, and filled with a ravenous hunger that clawed at her own instincts.
"There's something moving through the labyrinth," Visha said slowly, her tone thoughtful but laced with a sharp edge. "Something massive. Something… acidic."
Dabria's lips curled into a sharp grin, though her crimson aura flickered faintly around her fingers. "A predator, then. How exciting."
Ryker, on the other hand, wasn't as amused. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, and his jaw tightened. "How massive are we talking?"
Visha finally stood, her movements deliberate as she adjusted her coat. Her eyes, glowing faintly with pestilent energy, narrowed as she met his gaze. "Massive enough to kill my familiars without hesitation," she said simply. "And powerful enough that even I can feel its presence from here."
Ryker's face paled slightly, though he tried to mask it with a stiff nod. "Then we need to prepare. If it's heading this way—"
"It's already coming," Visha interrupted, her tone matter-of-fact. She closed her eyes briefly, letting the sensation of the acidic energy wash over her. It was closer now, the oppressive aura pressing against her senses like a tidal wave. She opened her eyes, her expression calm but calculating. "And it's hunting."
Dabria chuckled softly, though the sound was devoid of her usual playful mirth. "Hunting? Poor thing. It has no idea what it's walking into."
Visha's lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Don't underestimate it," she warned. "Whatever it is, it's strong. Stronger than anything we've encountered so far."
Dabria tilted her head, her violet eyes gleaming. "Even stronger than that basilisk?"
"Yes," Visha replied without hesitation. "Much stronger."
Ryker cursed under his breath, glancing toward the labyrinth's shadowed paths. "We should regroup. Kalum, Ox, and Talia are still out there gathering the ingredients. If they run into—"
"They won't make it," Visha said bluntly, cutting him off. "Not if they cross paths with this thing."
Ryker's fists clenched, his frustration evident. "Then we need to warn them. Get them back here."
Dabria stepped forward, her aura pulsing faintly. "I can send my hellhound to fetch them," she said, her tone light but serious. "It's faster than they are, and it won't die so easily."
Visha considered this for a moment before nodding. "Do it. We'll need everyone here if we're going to deal with this."
Dabria smirked, snapping her fingers. Her phantom hellhound appeared in an instant, its massive, shadowy form snarling as it awaited her command. "Go," Dabria said, her voice smooth but firm. "Find the cubs and bring them back. Alive, preferably."
The hellhound let out a low growl before vanishing into the shadows, its presence fading as it slipped through the labyrinth.
Ryker exhaled slowly, his grip on his sword tightening. "What's the plan?"
Visha's smirk widened slightly, her calm demeanor returning as she turned her attention back to the dark paths beyond the clearing. "We wait," she said simply. "And when it comes… we show it why it shouldn't have woken up."
---
Deep within the darkened corridors of the labyrinth, the Acidweaver Matriarch prowled with a predator's grace, her massive, acidic form moving effortlessly through the tangled maze. Her immense size belied her stealth; the labyrinth itself seemed to part for her, shadows cloaking her movements as if the environment bent to her will. The miasma around her thickened further, the air nearly unbreathable as she moved, her acidic presence melting and corrupting everything in her path.
She paused briefly, her mandibles clicking rhythmically as she savored the lingering traces of venom left behind by her latest meal. Smaller, insignificant spiders had dared wander into her territory, their essence consumed and their twitching bodies dissolved into nothing. They had been unsatisfying—barely an appetizer—but they had served a purpose: to sharpen her hunger.
Then she felt it—faint but distinct vibrations in the ground, rhythmic and deliberate. Two-legged creatures.
The matriarch's glowing, venomous eyes narrowed as her senses locked onto the source of the disturbance. These vibrations were different from those of her eight-legged kin. They were heavier, purposeful, accompanied by the faint, dull clinks of metal and leather. The creatures were moving in groups, wielding pointed weapons—dangerous perhaps, but deliciously vulnerable all the same.
Her acidic mandibles quivered in anticipation, drool hissing as it dripped from her maw and seared into the earth below. The vibrations were growing stronger, closer. She could almost taste them now—their warm blood, their fragile bodies. It had been centuries since she'd tasted such prey. Her hunger grew insatiable at the thought.
She moved faster now, her massive legs slicing through the twisted overgrowth as she closed the distance between herself and her unsuspecting quarry. The labyrinth seemed to twist and shift in her favor, opening paths and sealing others as though it too hungered for the intruders. Her movements were deliberate, calculated; she would not rush this.
She wanted to savor their fear.
Ahead of her, the faint flicker of light broke through the miasma. It was weak, barely noticeable, but enough to confirm the presence of intruders. Her venomous eyes narrowed further as she pressed herself low, her massive form blending into the twisted shadows of the labyrinth. With each step she took, her acidic aura grew stronger, the miasma thickening into a choking fog.
The Acidweaver Matriarch paused, her many eyes glinting with anticipation as she observed the two-legged creatures through the thick mist. Three of them, clad in metal and leather, carrying sharp pointed weapons. They were moving cautiously, their heads swiveling as they scanned their surroundings. One of them—an older male with a massive ax—stopped briefly, his hand tightening on his weapon as though he could sense her presence.
"Do you feel that?" he muttered, his deep voice carrying through the silence.
The smallest of the group, a wiry figure with a dagger, rolled his eyes. "Feel what, Ox? The crushing, suffocating miasma that's been here since we got in? Or the fact that we're probably all going to die in this hellhole?"
"Shut it, Kalum," the third member snapped, a woman with a bow slung across her back. "He means the ground. It's… vibrating."
Kalum paused, his sarcastic demeanor fading as he placed a hand on the ground. His face paled. "It's not just vibrating," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's… shifting."
The matriarch's mandibles clicked in delight at their growing unease. She could sense the subtle changes in their movements now—the faint quickening of their breaths, the increased tension in their postures. Fear. It was faint but tantalizing, a delicious prelude to the feast that awaited her.
She inched closer, her massive body weaving effortlessly through the shadows. Her acidic aura intensified, the air around her practically boiling with corrosive energy. A single drop of venom dripped from her mandibles, landing on a nearby stone with a loud hiss. The sound echoed through the labyrinth, sharp and deliberate.
Ox spun around, his ax raised. "What the hell was that?"
The bow-wielder, Talia, took a cautious step back, her eyes darting through the mist. "Something's here," she muttered, her voice tight. "Something big."
Kalum's dagger was already in his hand, his body tense as his gaze scanned the shadows. "Big as in basilisk big, or—"
A low, guttural growl cut him off, reverberating through the air like thunder. The sound was deep and primal, a warning that sent a chill down their spines. The miasma thickened further, obscuring their vision, and the faint glow of acidic light began to seep through the mist.
"Oh, no," Kalum muttered, his voice trembling. "Oh, no, no, no."
The Acidweaver Matriarch finally revealed herself, her massive, venomous form emerging from the shadows like a nightmare made flesh. Her acidic exoskeleton gleamed in the dim light, her many glowing eyes fixed intently on her prey. Her mandibles clicked hungrily, dripping with corrosive venom that hissed as it hit the ground.
For a moment, there was silence. The three Hunters stood frozen, their breaths caught in their throats as they took in the sheer size and presence of the creature before them. Then Ox, gripping his ax tightly, let out a low growl of his own.
"Run," he said, his voice firm.
Kalum didn't need to be told twice. "Smartest thing you've said all day!" he shouted, already sprinting into the mist. Talia followed close behind, her bow in hand as she glanced over her shoulder.
Ox lingered for a moment longer, his eyes locked on the matriarch. He raised his ax, his muscles coiling as if preparing to strike, but then he heard the sound of more legs—countless legs—skittering in the shadows.
They were surrounded.
With a frustrated growl, he turned and bolted after the others, the Acidweaver Matriarch's guttural growl echoing behind them as she began her pursuit. The hunt had begun.