Headed by a Snake

Chapter 265 Spider Breeders

?Tycondrius stepped forward to be in view of the Rhodoks attacking the spiders. Dozens of spiders, each the size of a fat raccoon nicked at their feet.

He was honestly growing tired of Justus' questions. They were good ones, too. The reasons for bringing the Rhodoks to the Spider Breeders was twofold. One, he wanted to observe his tent group fight-- he wasn't able to when they fought against the Manticore.

The other was... it was also the most straightforward path. If he were to lead the Rhodoks through the several winding turns to avoid them, he risked them realizing that he knew the cave's layout intimately.

Upon entering the cave, he activated his System's automatic map feature-- something incredibly useful for complex structures. The map was accessible as a mental display-- even marking the relative locations of his allies and the Spider Breeders' pets.

Centurion Cyrac cut the limbs off of one of the spiders. The aged Fighter's attacks were quick and accurate. If he were still in his prime, he'd be a horrifically dangerous opponent.

Tycon pulled his bowstring back and aimed, "Centurion, shot."

The Centurion leapt backward, allowing Tycon to loose his arrow. The struck spider was pinned to the cave floor, twitching a few more times before collapsing as if deflated.

"Good shot, Duplicarius!" Cyrac shouted as he immediately engaged with another target.

Tycon excelled in close combat. He was nowhere near as good of a shot as Holy Bolter Rena... but it was hard to miss considering the short range, that he was not under duress, and he was taking his time.

...His arrows delivered the mercy of a quick death.

While Centurion Cyrac was a skillful and very technical Fighter, Optio Sixtus was... arrogant. He strode forward in heavy plate armor like he was invincible. He wore metal boots like Gianna, not the sandals traditionally worn by Tyrion soldiers, and he used them to trample the spiders underfoot. He swung his shield to batter away a leaping spider and pinned it against a wall with his spear. He willfully ignored the creatures trying to swarm his back and legs-- they were unable to bite through Tyrion steel.

Champion Sixtus was very effective at drawing the enemy's ire. The others in the tent group supported him, protecting his back while they were relatively safe...

Far from the streams of light spilling from the openings in the ceiling... Two Spider Breeders lay in wait, hidden in the shadows. Tycon saw their eyes, glinting in the darkness.

He could have said something. But no... a sense of apathy and a deeper sense of loathing and disgust called him to inaction. These were the people who allowed Rena to be killed.

"Eee..." Fortuna, at his side, quietly whined as she trembled.

Right... She was a half-elf, and her vision would be decent in the conditions, though not as good as his. Though she may not have seen the monsters in the dark, she might have seen their movement.

He decided to take advantage of her pitiful condition... taking her hand in his.

Her trembling stopped almost immediately, "Z-zehr... What are you....."

She accepted it, gripping it tightly.

"Everything's going to be okay," He assured her.

It was a polite, neutral statement that meant nothing.

The half-elf nodded, her spirits renewed.

Tycon was slightly surprised that it seemed as effective as it was.

It felt like... he was somehow betraying Rena. But... with Fortuna's main hand occupied and Tycon standing to block her vision of the battle, it would be more difficult for her to heal her allies.

The Spider Breeders were dark, chitinous creatures standing 6 feet tall, each. By human accounts, their bodies were grotesque and bulbous, hunched over underneath the thick, powerful muscles in their backs and shoulders developed for climbing. Their faces were covered in several dark eyes and spidery fangs, and their limbs ended in large cutting scythes that were still adept at weaving their webs. They attacked, screeching in righteous rage, furious that their children were being put to the slaughter.

One of them shot a glob of webbing from its mouth, hurtling across the cave. It splashed upon one of the Decani, binding her sword arm. As she fell, one of the fat-raccoon-sized spiders bit at her exposed legs. She let out a blood-curdling shriek. The pain must have been excruciating.

Another Decanus wasn't so lucky. A Spider Breeder charged him, taking him off of his feet. Its scythe-arms didn't pierce through armor-- but its fangs found the man's throat. It bit into it, not ripping and tearing, but injecting a lethal poison into his bloodstream.

That one wouldn't survive... If he was healed immediately, perhaps-- but after several moments, healing the wound would require abilities beyond that of a Gold-Rank Healer's ken.

Fortuna released Tycon's hand, but placed her hands and face against his back, "Wh-what's happening? I... I don't want to watch."

"Then don't." Tycon allowed himself to smirk, an expression seen by no one.

"Flame, TAKE YOUUUUU!!!" Decanus Justus screamed in holy fervor.

Ah, right. Justus' class had been changed to Holy Avenger. Seeking vengeance forever, until he died... and perhaps beyond that. Such was the fate of his class' existence. The situation was catered to him.

In that specific instance, Tycon was doing the young man a favor.

Justus dashed towards the Spider Breeder, smashing his shield into the taller creature and knocking it off of its clawed feet. He stood over it, hacking his sword down into its chest, streams of golden mana trailing from his blade in a dazzling display that Tycon was certain would well-entertain children.

Spiderlings burst from the egg sacs on its stomach, ichor poured forth from its wounds, and Justus was covered in both, "DIE, NON-HUMANNNN!!!!"

Ughhh... Hearing the young Decanus' battlecry, Tycon furrowed his brows and grimaced.

It was... a very Tyrion sentiment that fueled his misguided zeal. The Holy Country was one united in their hatred of Outsiders, indoctrinating those beliefs in their laws, general education, and even their religion. Justus had suffered enough and in a too-short span to be asked to see reason.

The Iredar... the Manticore... and now, the Spider Breeders.

Well... the Manticore was a nuisance and it was good to have been killed.

It was a shame, but Tycon could find no words to reassure the young Decanus, or to dissuade him from hate. After all, that hatred was so ingrained into Justus' psyche that he broke through to Iron-Rank for it.