Chương 2: The Second Peak

Kal leaned against the tree, his hands resting on his knees as he caught his breath. The trek up the mountain had taken a lot out of him. It had been three days since he started his ascent, and for the last few hours, he'd pushed himself to reach the peak sooner. His clothes were a mess, but he hadn't dared leave his equipment unattended just to bathe in one of the streams flowing down the mountain. The mountain was far from a safe place. It was filled with bandits and monsters.

Thankfully, before every Coming-of-Age, his father's men cleared the area where the quests were to take place. Yet, he'd noticed too many tracks from multiple beasts and even a few from humanoid beings. So, he decided not to risk it. A few days without a shower were much more preferable to facing something he wasn't equipped to deal with. The second peak loomed in front of him, and that was where he would have to face his first creature. His trial.

It was too early to worry about that, and after he managed to catch his breath, he sat down beneath the tree, its crown casting the perfect shade. He'd decided to take his brother's advice and take a long break, making sure he was back to full strength before climbing the peak and beginning his hunt. He slipped the bag from his shoulder, took out a bottle, and then took a sip of the cool, refreshing water. The water had a metallic taste, but that was the price he had to pay for using such a bottle.

The metal had special properties that could clean water and make it safe to drink. He didn't know much more about it since the lessons on managing the mines were yet to come. Kal exhaled loudly as he leaned back against the tree. After more than an hour, his body had recovered. He glanced toward the peak and took a deep breath. Soon, he would face a creature for the first time in a real battle and then awaken his core. It was only the first step toward becoming a warrior.

Somehow that notion didn't seem as exciting as it once had. His mind kept returning to the old book, and what it represented. To become a mage and cast magic like the mages of old. He felt his lips curl upward. The smile didn't last long. He wasn't sure if he could pursue his dream, or... if he should pursue it. There was something about becoming a mage that his father didn't approve of.

He wasn't sure why, but he knew that if he wanted to do it in the open, like his brother Luke had, he wouldn't be a part of the family for too long. His mind was split. He wanted to become a mage because, ever since he'd first read the book, perhaps even before that from the stories he'd heard, he'd dreamed of becoming one. The mages of old had defended the kingdom from the rifts and prevented the noble races from conquering them.

Yet, there was another part of him that wanted to become a warrior and wear his family name with pride. Just like every Lunvale before him... except Luke.

"Whatever," he muttered. It was too early, and there was a creature between him and his awakening. Before he even got to choose what to do with his life, he would first need to hunt the creature, or die trying. He stopped thinking about his future and focused on the present. Hunting while tired and with a clouded mind was a good way to get himself killed. He recalled Carcian's words and decided to do just that. The clouded mind was his current problem, so he pushed aside any thoughts that might affect his focus.

The terrain up the mountain was mostly rocky, and the ground hard. There were a few trees every few meters, but otherwise, it was barren. The smell of the forest he'd grown accustomed to was beginning to fade, and a new scent was beginning to take its place. It was clean and sharp, at least, that was the best way he could describe it. The air grew thinner, and he felt his ears popping. After some time trekking toward the peak, he heard a noise coming from his right. He turned.

In front of him stood a huge boulder that covered a large part of his view. One end was low and sloping, reaching just below his shoulder, while the other towered almost three times his height. He slowed as his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. To bond with it, he would need to use the blood of the first creature the blade had slain, his own blood, and the core of that same creature. He wasn't sure how much of that was true and how much was tradition, but he didn't really care at the moment.

He was mentally preparing himself for the hunt. After another deep breath, he slowly and carefully moved toward the boulder, doing his best to avoid stepping on rocks or anything else that would create a loud noise. He didn't want to scare his prey away. The noise from the other side of the boulder kept growing louder. It sounded like something sharp hitting the ground over and over. A whole minute of slow movement later, he finally reached the boulder and moved toward its left side.

The lower end gave him a good place to look over it without revealing himself. He stopped and slowly lifted his head above the boulder. A cold sweat broke out all over his body. His hand on the hilt of his sword shook. An enormous creature stood some distance away, towering over everything in the vicinity. Eight long obsidian legs supported a pure white body that seemed to shine. It was turned away from him, so he couldn't get a good look at its head.

The only reason he hadn't noticed it so far was because the creature stood below him, hidden in a steep depression in the mountain. Even from where Kal stood, he couldn't see the ends of its legs as they disappeared into the depression. Kal stood frozen as his thoughts spiraled. A Moonweaver. It was the first time he'd ever seen one in person, but there was no mistaking it. He wanted to understand what was going through his father's head. Because this... this was not something he was able to fight.

And if he somehow managed to kill the moonweaver, they would lose a considerable amount of income. His very clothes were made from the silk of the moonweavers his family harvested. His instincts were screaming at him to run... to hide. Yet he didn't want to fail the quest and bring shame to his family. He was already doing that, just as his middle brother had. Since the moonweaver was his target, his father probably had a good reason for it. If it wasn't possible for Kal to kill it, it wouldn't be here.

Then there was Carcian. He'd said that his first opponent had been a creature with eight legs, but he'd never named it. Now, looking at the monstrosity behind the boulder, Kal knew why. No one would have believed him even if he'd said he'd faced a moonweaver. His hands were still shaking. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. The blade had always calmed him. He went over all the advice his brother had given him. He would need every single word if he was to kill his foe and make it down the mountain alive.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The creature moved, and Kal was already back behind the boulder. Slowly, he moved toward the higher part of the boulder before sitting on the ground, his back resting against it. His chest thumped, and he didn't dare to breathe. Living to fight another day is better than dying, he recalled Carcian's words. He didn't have a choice.

There must have been some kind of mistake because he wasn't strong enough to face the Moonweaver. It wasn't even close. Whatever thoughts he had about facing the creature disappeared. The only thing that remained on his mind was to run, to escape... somehow. The creature's legs continued piercing into the ground behind him. The noise was getting louder and... closer. He slowly took a deep breath and glanced around him, trying to find a way to escape without getting noticed by the creature. His heart stopped.

In the light of the sun, he noticed tiny sparkles, like stars scattered across the ground. The webs... they were everywhere. The one thing that made silk woven from a Moonweaver's web so valuable was its durability. And… under the sunlight, it shone like the night sky. Kal might have thought it was beautiful if not for the situation he'd found himself in. His shaking hand shifted the sword, its sheath knocking against a stone on the ground and sending the stone rolling a few feet away from him.

Kal froze, and the Moonweaver's movement behind him did as well. The only sound echoing across the barren peak was the stone as it rolled across the ground. Before he could do anything, the Moonweaver was on the move. The thunderous pounding of its legs echoed behind him before a sharp leg hit the ground in front of Kal, deeply penetrating the ground. The impact sent a dusty mist swirling all around him. His chest thumped, and a cold sweat overtook him.

The leg blocked the only path forward that wasn't covered in web. He got back to his feet as fast as he could, then climbed up with one hand on the boulder. Another leg was descending upon him. There wasn't any time for his mind to process anything. The ground in front of him was covered in webs as well, except on the far right. So he turned and started climbing onto the higher side of the boulder. The leg descended behind him, followed by a loud crash sending dozens of rocks hitting his back.

He gritted his teeth from the pain but continued climbing. In just a few moments, he was already standing on the edge of the boulder. There was no time to think, and certainly not to look up or behind. He heard something cutting through the air above him already, so he jumped as far as he could. There was only one spot ahead of him that wasn't covered in webs, and it was the only place, as far as he could see, that would allow him to escape the maze.

He hit the ground hard and rolled forward, dispersing some of the force from the impact. It still hurt, but he ignored the pain and strode toward the path he'd already seen. He took a left, then strode for a few meters before taking a right. The sun hung high in the sky, its light the only thing keeping the webs around him visible. If the sky were a little more clouded, he wouldn't be able to see any of the webs. The Moonweaver was giving chase, and he could hear its legs piercing the ground with every step.

It was fast, much faster than he was, and he suspected that it wasn't avoiding the webs like he had to. After a few more heartbeats—which didn't mean much, as his heart was already beating erratically—he left the maze. In front of him, the path led downward, toward the forest on the mountain. He ran toward it as fast as his legs could carry him. He stumbled on a rock. Then another. The Moonweaver was getting closer, so he pushed through and focused only on the terrain in front of him. Nothing else mattered.

There was no chance he would be able to fight against it on the bare ground of the second peak. The air behind him whizzed, and he threw himself to the side. There was a lone tree there, so he quickly moved behind it, but he didn't stop. He continued to run, watching the terrain. Under no circumstances was he supposed to look behind him. He ran and ran, always taking paths with a lone tree. He suspected the whizzing sounds were caused by the moonweaver's webs, and he had to avoid them at all costs.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the forest was just a few meters ahead of him when a leg crashed into the ground a few breaths away. The impact threw him, and he hit the rocky ground hard. Sharp pain shot through his body. Gritting his teeth, he stood and faced the Moonweaver. The creature loomed before him, its massive body blotting out the sun. The forested area at the base of the peak was ten meters, or even farther, ahead. There was no chance he was going to make it.

He had to face it—or at least distract it enough, to reach the forest safely. Kal drew his sword and waited. Its hind legs crushed into the ground before its front legs went for him. He took a quick breath, as that was the only thing he had time for. The leg was above him, then shot toward him. Kal took two quick steps and, without looking, he swung his sword as hard as he could. The leg crashed into the ground, and his sword collided with it.

The impact pushed him backward, and his hands hurt as if he'd hit a metal target with all his strength. The cut on his hand burned from the impact. He stumbled and fell to the ground, his sword somehow still held tightly in his hand. With a quick glance, he noticed that there wasn't even a small scratch on the leg where he thought he'd hit it. What was he to do? The question kept circling in his mind, and other than that, the only thing he heard was the heartbeat pounding harder with every moment.

His hand tightened even more around the hilt, and just as the leg was about to pierce through him, he turned and ran. The forest was just a few meters away, and the Moonweaver gave chase again. The only reason he was still alive, he guessed, was that he had been just below the Moonweaver and had avoided its eyes. How had his brother dealt with the thing? Three meters. That was the distance between him and safety.

He wasn't sure how safe he would be, but he was sure that he would have a bigger advantage than the massive Moonweaver. The spider clattered for the first time, and a huge force hit him from behind. It pushed him just outside the forest entrance. He landed on his back, and for the first time since he'd noticed the Moonweaver, he finally saw the creature. It was massive, with eight large eyes staring at him. Its carapace had a metallic sheen, white with silver hairs spread around its body.

Its sharp fangs and eyes were black. Looking at it, he felt his body grow sluggish. If he didn't push through his fear, he would become its dinner.

"Fuck," he cursed as he pushed with all his strength and stood. He stumbled a few times, but somehow managed to find his footing and ran again, toward the forest that was only a few long, hard steps away. The air whizzed behind him again, and just as he entered the forest, he jumped behind a tree. A hard pain hit his back before he was thrown into a tree, his whole body colliding with it. He stood again. There was no time to think. Run. That was the only thing on his mind. He had to run, and run fast.

Under no circumstances was he supposed to stop. He stood again... somehow. Just as he passed a few trees, he felt a force hit his back, and he was reeled backward. Carried by his momentum and the force behind the attack, he found himself staring at the crowns of the trees. Kal was on his back again. His hand felt empty for the first time. His sword was gone. How did his brother survive? Kal couldn't even imagine a way to survive against the creature, yet somehow his brother had fought it and come back with a core.

The Moonweaver entered the forest and approached him. Was it some kind of mistake... or had he somehow stumbled upon a free Moonweaver? That wasn't possible, he kept telling himself. Every Moonweaver in the whole barony was under his clan's control. Every single one. Maybe he was wrong—it was his first time seeing one. But... he'd never heard of a creature that was similar. At least not to the extent this creature was. It possessed every single trait he'd learned about moonweavers.

The web that looked like the night sky, the color, the eyes... everything about it screamed that it was a Moonweaver. A loud crash came from his left, then from his right. In moments, the bright forest around him was replaced with a large shadow, and the crowns of the trees were replaced by... an enormous white body. It stood above him, its websack angled toward him. No. There was no way to run, or to hide. He had to fight for his life.