"What have you done to my daughter! You monster! I'll make you a garden statue for this!"

My body jerked about, the owner of the voice shaking me violently. I didn't understand why for second before the fight came back to me. I kept my eyes sequeezed shut, very afraid of the repercussions threatened.

"It was an accident."

"An accident?"

I flew through the air once more, the red-eyed matriarch tossing me in her anger. Rolling across the ground, I finally stopped and just curled into a ball trying to protect myself.

"I should never had trusted a filthy human." She hissed, her snakes echoing the assessment.

Not human enough for those I was meant to save and yet not Other enough for the Others I was meant to kill. My head felt dizzy...

"Perhaps we should let the little pet explain." Blue said, her voice flowing with calm.

"I agree." Snakes rattled signaling it was another of the matriarchs speaking. "Besides a human couldn't have done this."

The air became quiet and full of tension as my fate was being decided without me. When a small gasp broke the scene.

"She's waking up."

Flustered and urgent sounds could be heard as Honi was freed.

Uneven breathing rasped out words, "Mother it was my fault. I challenged her to a fight."

The sound of the matriarch retreating gave me courage to peek out between my eyelids just barely. Visions greeted me with a stand-off between the Gorgons and Lamia. All eyes were focused on Honi, yet the division was clear with those who wanted me dead immediately standing closer to Honi and the others having come toward me. It was unsettling to think this was all because I made a comment about her...her sight.

"She's lying, it was my fault." I croaked while trying to stand up. "I didn't mean to hurt her like that, but I was the reason we were fighting. I provoked her."

The group shifted staring at me beneath the slim films protecting me from stonification. I was aware once more how vulnerable I was. I forced my eyes downward in a pathetic attempt to delay the inevitable.

A shadow fell on me with deliberate slow steps. "I'll repeat once more only. What did you do?"

"It's complicated." I shuffled, my foot dragging patterns in the dirt. "I'm human, but I'm also not. I...I have Other DNA is me. I can use their abilities and strengths."

Murmurs and hisses rippled through the group as they took in the information yet know had yet taken the news as evidence to kill me, so I continued.

"In our fight, I was losing to Honi and got upset. So I, so I called upon my blood for an Other. I didn't know what one I had chosen until it was too late and Honi was unconscious. It was a Joro-Gumo."

Uneasy settled on the group. Many knew the horror stories of the Joro-Gumo. They were the Others known for their myths within the culture of what was formerly know as Japan. With the torso of a woman and the lower half of spider, it was a terrifying creature. Their web was infused with poison to slow their prey and making devouring them easier. The Joro-Gumo were feared even among their own, because while they preferred human men for their dinner, they had no aversion to eating what stumbled into their webs.  

"It was an accident." I whispered once more, my head now hanging more in shame than fear.

"Get out of my territory."

My head snapped up to stare at the shaking matriarch. It was obvious she wanted to do more, her red eyes burning into mine from beneath the veil. Her snakes snapped at me from their position on her head. Angry hisses of disagreement with the statement.

"Mother." Honi attempted to dissuade her, only to stumble as she tried to move forward.

She held up her hand, her voice firm. "My word is law here. Unless you wish to challenge me for the rule, the girl leaves now. Nothing but a filthy little weed trying to infest where she doesn't belong."

It was hard to hear her over the shook and the sound of my own heart cracking at the harshiness of her words. I was hated by everyone. Now how was I going to save Pitri?

"Cousins, plez." The pleaded over emphasizing Red's accent in her desire.

"I said get out or I'll turn you all to stone myself." The matriarch spun, leaving the clearing.

Slowly, all the others followed her, first the other matriarchs and then the lower ranks Gorgons and finally Honi. She paused, giving a slight hand wave of farewell and disappeared into the fog with the others. I was painfully aware of how much more impossible my world had just become.

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My feet dragged through the long grass, whole body slumped in defeat. I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't let Pitri die in the fort with those horrible people, but like Red and Blue said, we weren't much of an army on our own. Sure I had healed quite well since the escape, but I was still not one-hundred percent, plus I was missing my weapons. My abilities were not indefinite nor a source of unlimited power. I couldn't rely on them for eradicating an entire group of humans.

Red and Blue tittered over me. Their lyrical voices trying to sooth and perk me up all the while they also played about and petted my hair. They wanted their pretty little pet to be happy as it made me prettier apparently. What did they even know? It's not like they had that much to compare it with. I hadn't been exactly happy when they had found me or much sense then. Also it's not like they had a lot of humans to compare me to either. How were they defining this beauty? I had been told by the scientists I was made to look beautiful. It was to attract the desire and comfort of humans while also the curiosity and allure of Others. Still with everything else under questioning, I know doubted my own appearance. Perhaps I was ugly, just a distasteful little mutt.

A rustling caused me to pause, I shushed the two fast talking Lamia. We all became silent, listening to the wind blow through the grass, a choir of nature. Then there it was again. Something was definitely moving through the sea of grass, and it was moving toward us. I dropped down, hiding among the plants only to groan when the Lamia pulled their posture taller. The two had little fear it seemed for our potential pursuer.

"Come out little one or we shall have to have a snack of your flesh." Red purred.

A flash of yellow could been seen weaving through the grass. The reeds parted to reveal Honi. She stepped foward under the careful guidance of her snakes. Her face was rather pale and her unseeing eyes constantly darted about.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm..." She trailed off, shrinking in on herself. Her snakes hissed, something that sounded encouraging I think because she cleared her throat and tried again. "I've decided to help you."

"What of your mother?" Blue cooed, already moving to hoover over her new play thing.

To her credit, Honi didn't pull away, only attempted to stand straighter. "I made this choice myself. My mother can't control me."

"Of course not, that's why you ran away without her knowledge and look like she's going to find and grab you at any moment." My observation made her cringe, obviously hoping it hadn't been visible.

"I'm coming with you." She said again, despite shifting under my gaze.

I turned walking off. "We have a long way to go, keep up."

Honi hurried gaunt soon caught up with me, she smiled at me. It once more hit me how nice a smile she had, so I smiled back. Suddenly we were being fussed over by the Lamias about how cute we were and how cute our friendship was. Friendship huh? Side-glancing at Honi, I shrugged who just smiled even bigger. Suppose I could live with that, after all not many people would chase after the person who had accidentally poisoned them. I wasn't sure more should, but it was nice to know someone would. Someone would be the better person and forgive.