By Richard LeBlanc
Chapter One
It had been two hours since the sunset. One lone traveler stood at a crossroads that was dimly lit by a cloud covered moon. From the directions he was given - he should have reached a town by now - instead - he was hopelessly lost.
"Well, that's just great." he muttered as he tried to see anything down any path that might look more traveled than the others. Unfortunately, all of the paths were evenly worn down.
"One way or another - all paths lead home." he told himself. He looked at his choices and convinced himself that the right path was the right path to take. He followed the trail. The folliage above gradually grew denser as he walked and within minutes - the sky was completely hidden.
"Lovely - I always wondered what it felt like to be blind." he groaned. he slowly made his way through the pitch darkness. he tripped and fell many times. he listened to the sounds of the night and noticed that the creatures were starting to sound different.
"Oh - this not good." he began. It was then that a foul odor wafted up from a wayward wind. He now knew why the sounds had changed - he had wandered from a forest path into a swamp. He was going to turn around and head back - but then he heard something. It wasn't an animal - it wasn't the wind - it was a person.
"Looks like someone else got lost too." he told himself. he slowly followed the sound of the voice. It was then that the clouds above broke away from the moon. A dim light peeked through the holes in the withered branches above and cast a rippling reflection on the stagnant pond about a hundred paces away. There he saw, sitting on a large rock - a single man. He was looking up at the 'Bad Moon' that was overhead.
"I hear what you are saying. But that wouldn't make any sense. I tell you it just isn'y possible." the person spoke out. The traveler thought that he was being addressed - but he saw that the man was almost lost in his own thoughts.
Might be dangerous. I had better head back. he thought. He slowly turned around and came face to face with a spider the size of his head. He let out a muffled scream and knocked it aside. He then began to stomp on the stunned arachnid. Just then - all sound in the swamp - stopped. The man could feel the heat of someone glaring at him in the cold of the night. He slowly looked over his shoulder and saw the man on the pond now standing on the rock - facing inhis direction
"Who - who are you?" he asked hesitantly. the man effortlessly leaped over and landed inches away from the man. He slowly stood up and studied the man that intruded into his domain.
"Are you alright?" he asked - looking down at the ground.
"Uhm - I'm fine..." he began.
"I wasn't talking to you!" the man hissed as he glared at him. It was then that the man knew that this person was different from others. He had a presence about him that he had only felt once before - and that was when he was in the presence of a plainswalker. the wizard knelt down and carefully picked up the spider that he had stomped on.
"I know it hurts. I'll make it better." the wizard whispered. he watched as the spider slowly returned to how it was. The man watched the wizard patting the spider as though it was a common house pet.
"He was just curious." the wizard stated.
"Are - are you talking to me?" the man asked. the wizard slowly looking up at him and stared him in the eye.
"I am. He had never seen one of your kind before. He heard tales - rumors of strange creatures like you - but never had he seen one before. And what happens when he does - he almost gets murdered. Is there any wonder why they fear you so?" he asked.
"What are you talking about? That's just a spider." he stated.
"Just - a spider? He is a traveler - much like myself - much like you - a long way from home. Your kind raped where he lived and forced him and his brothers and sisters to scatter to the four winds. Your kind - does not think of how your rash actions - affect others." he stated poetically.
"You - you are freaking me out." the traveler stated.
"Am I? Imagine this - you are at your home - you have a beautiful son - all is well. Then someone bursts their way in - and tries to savagely kill that wife that you love so much. How would you feel?" the wizard asked coldly.
"I would be pretty pissed - what does - you are crazy." the man began. he took a step away. Just then he heard a low hiss coming from behind him. He slowly looked over his shoulder - in the dark of the night - hundreds of glowing red eyes focused on him.
"I have been called that before. My family - doen't like it when i get insulted." the wizard began.
"Spiders - must be hundreds of them." the traveler muttered.
"Thousands actually. But how rude of me. I haven't introduced myself. I am known as Lord Arachnid - would you join my family for dinner?" the wizard asked with an evil smiled. Heavy clouds floated in front on the moon. The sound of a terrified scream filled the night as the spiders closed in on their prey.
To be continued...
