A few hours later, the hunters gather around the campfire, its flickering light casting long shadows across their weary faces.
Valen sits at one end, his elbows resting on his knees, his gaze fixed on the flames as the weight of the encounter lingers in his mind.
Eska steps out of her tent, her eyes scanning the camp until they settle on the group by the fire. Without a word, she makes her way over and sits down next to Valen. The warmth of the fire flickers between them.
Osvald gives them a slight smile before he speaks with a slightly grim voice.
"We can't treat this like an isolated incident. If these blue argalias show up near the city, it could be really bad."
Trevent nods in agreement and concern.
Eska leans forward. "I think we should scout the area. If they were that aggressive, there's a good chance we were near their nest."
Her suggestion hangs in the air as the others consider the implications.
Valen straightens slightly, his exhaustion momentarily pushed aside. "Agreed. We'll form a scouting party. The hunt can wait until we know more."
His tone leaves no room for argument.
Osvald and Trevent exchange uneasy glances before turning back to Valen. "We're only rank two," Osvald reminds Valen. " argalia are ranked 3 in pairs. If we run into trouble, the majority of the fighting will have to fall to you two."
"Of course," Valen replies calmly. "If a fight breaks out, I expect the two of you to focus on supporting each other."
Valen rises to his feet, brushing off his dark pants as the group begins to stir.
Osvald tosses dirt over the campfire, snuffing the light and warmth.
They make their way out of the encampment and towards the area where the ambush happened.
The group moves as one, venturing into the shadows. Eska and Valen lead the way with Valen close behind, while Osvald and Trevent cover the rear.
Eska whispers to Valen, "I think it'd be best to send them back if we find something big."
"You don't think they can do it?"
"It's not that…" Eska says with a slight pout. "I think we need to cover the possibility of not coming back and leaving the city without a warning of what might be happening."
Valen replies with a slight nod, "You are right."
The forest is eerily silent as they move, their steps careful against the uneven terrain. Valen surveys the ground, his sharp eyes catching faint impressions in the dirt—disturbed soil, broken twigs and faint claw marks.
He kneels briefly, tracing the marks with his fingers before rising. "They came through here. Keep an eye out," he murmurs.
Eska takes the lead, weaving through the dense trees.
She pauses, crouching near a patch of grass where something glimmers faintly under the moonlight. "Webbing," she whispers, holding up a thin strand.
Osvald and Trevent glance at each other, their unease growing as the webbing becomes more frequent.
Soon, thin webs glisten between bushes and the faint shimmer of larger webs can be seen high up, stretching between tree trunks.
Trevent mutters under his breath. "This doesn't feel right."
As they move deeper into the forest, more signs of the argalias' presence appear.
They stumble upon a gruesome sight: a dead boar suspended in thick webbing, its torso hollowed out and blood dried across the sticky threads and forest floor.
The stench of decay hangs heavy in the air, making them cover their nose as they examine the scene.
Nearby, they spot more animal carcasses, both large and small, each with the same horrific opening at the torso.
Eska narrows her eyes, her voice uneasy. "I didn't know argalias ate outside their nests." Her gaze shifts to Valen, searching for an explanation.
"They don't," Valen replies with a grim tone while he glances back at Osvald and Trevent.
"I want the two of you to return to the city immediately. Report what we've found here and tell them our location. Make sure they know we'll investigate further, but this might require the Hivebreakers' expertise."
Osvald and Trevent exchange a worried look before nodding.
Without argument, they turn and begin their trek back. Valen watches them disappear into the forest before turning to Eska.
"Let's keep moving. This isn't over."They come upon a clearing, though its formation is anything but natural.
Light filters down through the trees, which are bending unnaturally away from them, as if forced to retreat. Thick webbing coats the trees, connecting them in a chaotic weave and pulling their trunks together to form a shadowy canopy.
The trees, though bent, remain unbroken, their bark splintered and stripped at the bends from the immense force.
Silken threads cascade down from the canopy, draping like curtains to form makeshift walls, complete with carefully shaped openings. The entire structure exudes a sinister purpose, as though it were deliberately crafted to trap and conceal.
"That looks familiar," Eska murmurs, gesturing toward the canopy. "But the webbing's too blue compared to other argalia nests."
"At least we can confirm they're argalia related," Valen replies, his tone low as he steps cautiously toward the canopy.
Eska follows, her head swiveling as she scans the area, her eyes darting to the shadows stretching through the darkened clearing. Every creak of a branch and rustle of leaves sharpens her focus as she searches for any sign of movement.
They step into the canopy, the air immediately growing heavier, thick with the scent of decay and the faint, sickly sweetness of the webbing.
Scattered across the ground, pale fragments of argalia sheddings are littered, their jagged edges curling like brittle remnants of something left behind by the arachnid monsters.
The area itself is unnaturally still, as if the forest itself is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
They soon arrive at the heart of the cavern, a massive, open space where the trees have been cleared entirely. The stumps are smothered in thick layers of webbing, while the missing trees hang in the center, bound together in a grotesque cluster of silk.
The massive webbed pillar hovers about five feet above the ground, suspended over a gaping hole that descends into darkness.
Valen's eyes widen as he takes in the sight, the sheer scale of the nest unsettling. "This is a fully fledged argalia nest," he whispers to Eska, his voice barely audible in the eerie silence.
Eska's gaze sweeps across the space, her awe evident as she absorbs the alien structure.
"I've never seen the inside of one," she admits, filled with disbelief. "I usually avoid the areas they settle in entirely."
As the light begins to fade, the atmosphere grows heavier, the shadows around the cavern deepening.
At first, it's subtle—a faint movement at the edge of the massive hole in the ground. Then, one by one, grotesque figures begin to emerge, their bodies illuminated faintly by the glint of moonlight filtering through the webbed canopy.
The argalias are massive, their chitinous bodies glistening with an almost wet sheen, their unnervingly long legs moving with smooth motions.
Eska's breath catches as she grips Valen's arm, "They are coming out," her eyes fixed on the creatures crawling upward.
Their mandibles clack together rhythmically, the sound like bones snapping in the oppressive silence. Valen pulls her back slowly as more of them spill from the hole, their numbers increasing alarmingly.
Some climb the webbed pillar, while others scatter across the open ground, their movements frantic yet disturbingly coordinated.
The pair retreats quietly, their boots barely brushing the ground as they make their way toward the edge of the cavern.
Suddenly, Valen spots a large tree root protruding from the earth, its base tangled in thick webs. Without a word, he pulls Eska down and they squeeze beneath it, the sticky threads brushing against their faces and clothing.
They huddle in the cramped space as the argalias spread out across the nest.
The creatures move with a horrifying grace, their spindly legs weaving through the webbing effortlessly.
The sound of their movement—chitin scraping against stone and webbing—fills the air, mingling with the occasional low, guttural hiss that sends shivers down their spine.
Valen glances at Eska, his expression grim as they remain frozen under the root.
A particularly large argalia scuttles past, its bulbous several eyes glimmering faintly in the dark as it clicks its mandibles.
The sheer number of them is overwhelming, their silhouettes blotting out the faint light as they swarm the area.
Eska squeezes her eyes shut, her fingers clutching tightly at Valen's shirt. Another argalia skitters by, so close the ground beneath them seems to hum with each deliberate step, the vibration sending chills through their bodies.
Valen shifts slightly, his hand resting firmly over hers. A silent reassurance.
The feeling of their touch radiates, grounding them both despite the oppressive dread surrounding them.
The world narrows to the stifling darkness, the web-covered root above them and the endless swarm of monstrous legs just inches away.