"My name is Miklos."

With much difficulty, the boy extended a sticky, goo-ensnared hand to his fellow captive. In the suffocating gloom of the cave, never mind their current dire circumstances, his overly enthusiastic gesture was met with the glare of pale-grey eyes. Despite their obvious hostility, their pupils were also dilated with fear.

"This isn't the time for self-introductions! We. Are. About. To. Die."

Miklos let his hand drop. "I just thought I'd try to make a friend before I did. I never got to have any, y'know? A friend." He smiled weakly and seemed to contemplate the vast wonders behind what the word embodied.

"Cut that out!" The boy howled in frustration. "Think of something, get us out of here!"

Around them, the hissing and spitting intensified as thousands of hairy legs scurried hither thither. The two boys, with their bodies arrested by deceptively thin yet strong and sticky threads of an atrociously huge web, could feel the malicious throbbing of hundreds of slimy, warm bodies all over them. It was too dark to perceive the true nature of their little hairy friends, but united in their hurried, darting movements with one single intent, it was safe to assume that as the seconds ticked by, they were being increasingly smothered with spider venom.

---

Outside, no further than ten feet away, three figures crouched in the undergrowth that encroached into the territory of the huge creature that lay snug within, speaking in low, conservative voices. Green growths of all manner and shape clung tightly to the looming wall of rock before them, where the mouth of the cave gaped wide open. It stood tall and aloof, standing haughtily against the vegetation's desperate attempts to conquer it.

"They must have thought that finding shelter in a dark, stinking cave reeking of death would be a good idea," one of the voices said in disdain. "How moronic."

"I'm not waltzing into the cave of an Ugly Furface."

"It's called a vynax spider, Rei."

"I think we ought to hurry," a third voice interjected quietly. "The spiderlings' venom will start to take effect soon."

Her sentiment went ignored.

"Walked right into her web, I bet. Why does everyone do that?"

"Clearly, not everyone is as smart as you, Luca. In any case, I'm sitting this one out. Spiders are out of the question."

"I doubt you will be of much help anyway," he joked.

"Sure," came the nonchalant response.

"Come, Krea, let us move," he said decisively. "Given the situation, perhaps we ought to-" 

Strangled cries shot out from the darkness of the cave, cutting him mid-sentence.

"Well, holler if you need me. I may or may not come running to help."

---

Deep within the brooding recesses of the cave, something rumbled and stirred the stale, dank air.

The two boys had not anticipated the terrors of spider venom in the Wildlands, but their general impressions of its effects were that being singed by red-hot iron, leaving nothing but the feeling of a thousand burning needles jabbed in at once, would have been no different. Blood had pooled where their feet connected with uneven ground, and their violent, futile attempts at thrashing wildly to disengage themselves from their sticky trap only painted more of the ground with morbidly artistic splotches of dark red.

"If we get out of this alive, w-will you be my f-friend?" Tears of blood streamed down Miklos's cheeks.

"You're ridicul-" Feeling yet another wave of searing pain, whatever he had tried to say dissolved into an agonized cry.

Then, from out of nowhere, "Both of you, be quiet and stop thrashing around like idiots or the spiderlings will dump more of their venom on you."

There was momentary silence and general confusion as they struggled to comprehend the fact that against all odds, another living person was present. Blood from their foreheads trickled into their eyes, stinging them and marring their visions, but with brave, painful backward twists of their heads , they could vaguely make out two silhouettes against what little light that had managed to filter in.

In a flash, Miklos's companion resumed his mindless screeching, his stubborn, defiant mind clenched on the possibility of rescue.

"Who's there?! GET US OUT OF HERE!"

"Really, you are an idiot." They heard the thump of a boot on rock-hard ground, followed by a nasty squelch. "Listen up, she'll be here soon. Run as soon as you are free, got it?"

"Now, Luca?" Krea asked.

"Now." On that cue, she ducked into the single side tunnel to the right where the walls had started to tremble almost imperceptibly.

The next few seconds were filled with the silent whirling of sharp blades and flashes of metal. Once a proud assembly of a million sleek, fine threads that stretched from ground to ceiling and extended sideways to fill the entire width of the cave, it was now a drooping, sorry sight. Free from its sticky embrace, the two boys dropped to their knees and were promptly showered with falling spiderlings, each making an ugly thud as they landed unceremoniously on the ground and scattered in a wild frenzy of hairy legs.

Somewhere, a creature let loose a sharp, high-pitched screech, before a second, deeper howl ensued.

"What did I say? Move!" Through squinted eyes, they saw that Luca hadn't moved from his spot, and stumbled towards him in a completely disoriented stupor. Each movement sent new chills of pain arcing through their bodies.

"Krea! Are you alright?" Luca yelled. His only response came in the form of hesitant footsteps that echoed from the cave's entrance.

"Luca! There's two of them!"

"Well yes, obviously."

"Two spiders! I meant two spiders."

"Oh. Rei, how do you kn-" He paused. "Hell. Make sure they get out," he motioned to the boys. "I'll check on Krea."

"What? But-" Rei started to protest, but her words trailed behind him, lost in the darkness. She inhaled deeply, before turning her attention towards the duo. "You two, hurry up. Don't make me come over to get you. I detest spiders."

"The venom," Miklos gasped. "It hurts."

His partner was less obliging. "Give us a hand!" He demanded as he tore spiderlings off his back. "These things won't get off!"

"Ignore them," the girl simply replied. "They don't bite. It's the venom you should be worried about in a while." Her weary eyes glinted in the gloom as she watched the spiderlings in morbid fascination. However, the concentrated observation was interrupted when a series of bellows sounded off from the side tunnel. They were uncomfortably close, and most unfortunately, accompanied by loud yells requesting for assistance.

"Rei! Give me a hand! Krea fell asleep!"

A sigh escaped her as she kicked a spiderling off her boot. The sheer force behind the kick sent the arachnid flying, splattering its insides on the rocky wall. Stiffening, she prepared to attend to her comrade's appeal for aid.

To the two boys, her sudden display of enthusiasm was disgruntling.

Luca's heavy breathing could be heard even before he emerged with a motionless figure hauled over his back. Feeling the sudden rush of air currents behind him, he veered sharply to the right as he exited the tunnel, and the elongated, wicked claw that appeared stabbed only murky space. Dissatisfied, annoyed, and highly upset, its owner leapt out in a burst of speed and sheer impatience, baring her mandibles at her escaping prey. Several knives, all embedded deep in various parts of her abdomen, protruded out like odd extensions of her shaggy exterior.

At the sight of the creature, Miklos's acquaintance gave a sharp, surprised yell.

"What is that?! That's not a spider! A-A human-spider?" He struggled to summarize what he could scarcely perceive in the gloom.

"Blind as a bat in the dark, aren't you? Vynax spiders carry their meals on their back," Rei informed. "Though I don't expect a newcomer like you to know that." 

As though to prove her point, a second spider joined the entourage that had gathered in its fellow creature's cave. Lacking of a limp, grotesquely decomposed and deformed human body to showcase, it seemed to make up for it with mandibles that stretched to even greater lengths than his counterpart.

"Start moving, Luca," Rei ordered, slowly retracing her steps backwards. The sound of a blade being unsheathed sliced through the darkness. "Everyone out."

They didn't need any more prodding. Turning their backs against the sounds of claws clashing against metal, and of battle cries, both human and creature alike, they staggered towards the mouth of the cave. Luca brought up the rear, casting occasional worried, backward glances at his fighting comrade, and as they broke into the sunlight, the audible clanging of a blade hitting hard ground echoed from the hell hole they had just left behind.

"You filthy, eight-legged, disgusting piece of-," they heard the girl curse. Then, a frustrated cry. "Come on, Rei," she growled. "Snap out of it!"

"Not again," Luca muttered. "H-Hey! Where are you going? Get back here!"

His commands fell on deaf ears. Miklos had already disappeared back into the cave, devoured by its shadows.

And all at once, it was over. The sickening, bone-chilling sound of piercing flesh. A determined, cry of anger, and the dying howls of creatures in the dark.

---

Krea woke with a start.

Slowly, she cast her gaze on each of her comrades, before resting it on the lifeless, bloodied body of a recently deceased. Without any need for questions to be asked, understanding dawned.

She was, after all, used to the whole procedure.

"I-I'm so sorry. The presence of the other spider shocked me, so I-"

"I'm partially to blame," Rei admitted. "If I had went along and noticed the signs from the start. . ." she trailed off, and glared at the dead boy angrily. "You fool. I was perfectly fine."

Luca glanced at the sole survivor. "Are you alright?" he asked moodily. Somehow, the air of confidence he had about him earlier had dissipated with the recent turn of events. "I cleaned most of it off you, so the burning should cease soon."

"Sorry about your friend," he added half-heartedly.

"He's not a friend," the boy mumbled. Exhaustion had seeped into his eyes, and it was apparent that keeping awake was of his main concern.

"You," Rei addressed him. "What's your name?"

They all looked at him expectantly.

"My name is. . ." he hesitated. A cloud of confusion passed over his face. He blinked once. Twice.

"My name is Miklos."

---

A/N: Yesh, I am aware that most of you found the interactions between the characters rather confusing. It was a conscious effort on my part not to describe them in the first chapter, but it seems that I'll have to re-look the character introductions for a better comprehension of the scene. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! More exciting things await. 

Cheers! <3