As Lassim sped towards the town on the edges of the swamp, using his [Tempest Steps], his approach caused an unexpected change in the scenery. Approaching the town’s perimeter, what he initially mistook for a benign hill amidst the swampy landscape began to shift.
The mound—covered in thick reeds and mangrove trees—suddenly unfurled, beginning to rise as it revealed itself to be anything but inanimate. It was a creature, colossal as it easily disturbed and shifted the terrain as it shook its limbs, a giant swamp tarantula the size of a small building.
This behemoth was an embodiment of the swamp itself. Its massive body was camouflaged with layers of moss and mud, making it seem as if it was part of the black, swampy lagoon itself.
Dark, murky water dripped from its chitinous armor, which bore the texture and color of wet slate. Its eight eyes glinted like dark, polished obsidian, reflecting Lassim’s full figure and more in each of them.
Each of its eight legs, uprooting from deep in the marshy ground, were lined with thick, spear-like hairs that looked more like the barbed spears of ancient warriors than mere natural body hair.
As Lassim halted a safe distance from this guardian of the swamp, the tarantula reared up, its two front legs raised menacingly. The hairs on its limbs bristled, poised to launch like javelins at the slightest provocation.
The creature then began a series of clattering and clicking sounds with its mandibles, a complex language that seemed to reverberate through the moist air.
"[Skrrik tikka krak-krak, skreeka tarrak varrak!]"
The sounds were harsh, clicking and resonating. It spoke in the Spider Queen’s language. The message was lost and unintelligible to Lassim.
Lassim slapped his forehead, realizing his oversight. Amidst his excitement and the rush of his getting back onto his journey, he had completely forgotten to study up on the unique language of the Spider Queen’s realm, which he had only briefly tried to read and learn during his initial travel after leaving Etherys all those years ago.
Frantically, he pulled out the ornate dial language tome he carried—a purchase from the old cartographer he met with Hallen before he left.
Flipping through the pages, he searched for any entries on the Spider Queen’s language while also attempting to communicate in the common tongue.
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"I mean no harm! I only wish to pass through and stay at the town for the night! I’ll leave in the morning I promise!" Lassim called out frantically, hoping it understood enough to prevent it launching those scary looking hairs at him.
Although he was panicking, he knew he could probably easily kill the swamp tarantula with a single lightning bolt with his new prowess. The worry about making the worst impression was more than enough to scare him into properly trying to convey his intentions.
He didn’t want to make his next section of the route more difficult as he would cover a significant portion of it through the threads.
Lassim continued to fumble with the tome, his fingers quickly dialing through the symbols and scripts, hoping to find the right phrases to appease the gargantuan arachnid before him.
The spider’s clicking slowed, its multiple eyes narrowing as it observed Lassim’s frantic efforts. The air was thick with tension, the only sounds the soft squelch of swamp water underfoot, a slight hissing noise that began to rise from the tarantula’s mouth, creating a backdrop of eerie stillness around the standoff.
Lassim knew he had to find a way to communicate effectively—and quickly. His passage through the swamp depended on it.
As Lassim fumbled with the ornate tome, desperately trying to decipher the spider language, another figure emerged from the edges of the town.
She was slight, draped in a cloak that shimmered with a hue reminiscent of the murky waters around her, almost a slightly camouflage material. Her eyes, keen and observant, fixed upon Lassim and the giant swamp tarantula.
With an expression of nosy curiosity, the newcomer watched Lassim struggle. She immediately recognized the tome in his hands—an extensive compendium of languages she was intimately familiar with.
She sighed softly, the swampy air turning her breath into a mist as she decided to intervene.
Stepping forward, she spoke in the Spider Queen’s language, her voice producing a series of complex clicks and hisses that seemed unnatural coming from a typical Nexarian. "[Karrak tik tik, skree varrak lokka!]" Her command of the arachnid language was flawless, the tones perfectly mimicking the tarantula’s own.
The giant spider paused, recognizing the woman, its front legs lowering slightly as it responded with a less aggressive, though still wary clatter of mandibles. "[Skree tikka lok varrak, kree!]" The sounds were harsh, clicking resonating with an air of acknowledgment.
Observing the exchange, Lassim was bewildered by the sounds she produced. ’Were they using the same mouth? Did she have secret mandibles she was hiding?’ he pondered.
The woman and the tarantula went back and forth a few more times in their exchange. It seemed almost magical how she could mimic such alien noises. The tarantula’s stance relaxed further, indicating an agreement had been tentatively established.
She then turned to Lassim, calling out with a firm voice that cut through the tense air of the situation, "Hey you! You might want to tone down that aura of yours! It’s making you seem like a monstrous threat over here!" She reprimanded.
Flustered, Lassim quickly reined in his divine mana, compressing the overwhelming pressure he hadn’t realized he was emitting. "Thank you! I… didn’t realize. I don’t know how it feels to others so I keep forgetting about it," he admitted, his voice laced with genuine gratitude and a hint of embarrassment.
He then explained his situation briefly, "I’m just passing through, intending to stay for the night before moving south through the Spider Queen’s lands. I didn’t mean to cause any disturbance or make such a big scene. I was just excited and traveling quickly."
She then relayed this message back to the swamp tarantula, which responded with a rapid series of clatters that seemed to fill the air with tension. "[Skrik varrak! Skreeka tik lok varrak, kraa skree lok!]" The tarantula’s tone was clearly irate.
The woman turned back to Lassim, her face slightly pale as she translated. "It says if you scare it or anyone in the town like that again, it will, "shake the ’threads’ to call a Widow"—a term they use for their royal enforcers. Trust me on this one, you REALLY don’t want to meet a Widow."
Lassim nodded, trying to absorb the gravity of the situation from her words. "I understand, and I’ll be more careful!"
The woman relayed his message, receiving a few short mandible clatters in return before the creature moved to the side.
As the guardian swamp tarantula settled back into the swamp’s muck in its watchful pose, opening the entrance to the town and allowing Lassim safe passage, he approached the woman and introduced himself, "Seriously, thank you for helping me out here. I completely ignored learning the language and it looks like that was a huge mistake. My name is Lassim."
The woman gave him a quick bow of recognition before she walked beside him toward the town. "My name is Cirra Leafshadow, but you can just call me Cirra. So, you’re traveling south through the Spider Queen’s territory? That’s brave... or foolish. But I guess with that kind of power, maybe more brave," she mused aloud, her eyes glinting with a mix of respect and curiosity.
She added, "What’s all that about anyways, you’re only Spirit Transformation 8 from what I can tell. I’ve got some seniors in the Guild that are as powerful as you and your pressure alone makes them feel like muck beetles by comparison!"
Lassim gave an awkward scratch to his head, slightly overwhelmed by Cirra’s remark. "Well, I’ve been a bit more blessed than others, I suppose," he admitted with a modest shrug, trying to downplay his extraordinary abilities. "It’s really not that big of a deal."
Attempting to steer the conversation away from his capabilities, Lassim’s curiosity about Cirra’s speaking skills took over. "How did you get so good with the Spider Queen’s language, though? That was impressive!"
Cirra’s eyes lit up, a soft smile playing on her lips as she shared her passion. "I’ve always loved languages," she began, her tone reflecting a deep-seated enthusiasm. "They’re like keys to different worlds, different ways of thinking. It’s fascinating how sounds and symbols can hold so much power."
She paused, her expression briefly clouding as she added, "Though, not everyone at my sect sees it that way…"
Lassim sensed the hint of complexity in her situation but decided not to pry further at the moment. Instead, he decided to seize an opportunity from her, "Could you, maybe, help me learn the language? I’d really appreciate it, and it might keep me out of more trouble in the future."
Cirra considered his request, her gaze thoughtful as she walked alongside him.
"I might help you," she finally said, a playful tone creeping into her voice. "But I’d need something in return. Not sure what yet, but I’ll think of something."
"As long as it’s something within my power to handle, you’ve got yourself a deal, Cirra." Lassim responded quickly, relieved and eager to acquire a new skill that would prove essential during his journey through the Spider Queen’s lands.
He also saw the importance of learning languages after everything he went through with the Drow. Though, right now he was really wishing that he had the ability of Sanvra to mind meld and share memories. It would make him instantly fluent in the language right away, something he was thankful of or else his time with the Drow would’ve been much more challenging.