~Chapter 3- The Arachna~

         To avoid falling into another web trap, Jirro, Aero, and Valr traveled through the trees above the ground and shrubbery. Strands of webs went from tree to tree, with some of them serving as tightropes above the ground. As Jirro looked down, he began to identify where other web traps were placed. Dozens of them. If someone entered the woods without being aware of them, there would be no way for them to avoid them all.

         "What do the Arachna look like?" Aero asked.

         "You'll see soon enough," Valr coyly replied.

         As they traveled further into the woods, there were more Focus Lights populating the area around them. Valr told them they were getting close.

         There were many small homes which appeared to be made of compact webbing, surrounded by hundreds of Focus Lights. Jirro could see figures that looked humanoid down there, but something was different about them.

         Strands of web shot up to the trees they were in, and a single figure zipped through the air along it, launching directly into Valr and knocking him out of the trees. At first Jirro assumed he was being attacked, but when they heard his laughter along with that of a young woman, they knew he was fine.

         "Come on down guys! There's someone I want you to meet!" Valr said from below.

         Aero and Jirro hopped down from branch to branch until they reached the ground. Besides Valr stood a womanly figure that was a little taller than them. Two arms and legs just like them, with shapely hips as well. But behind her back were four thin, insect like limbs with sharp points at their ends.

         Jirro drew closer and got a better look at her. She had big white eyes with no visible irises, and pedipalps over her mouth, with tiny pincers at their tips. Her skin was a mix of white and black coloring, with teal accents around her hands and feet. There were very thin hairs visible across her body and she wore a fabric over her torso and thighs, but the rest of her was bare.

         She shrugged her shoulders and the four arms behind her back withdrew into her body. She must be an Arachna.

         As Jirro looked around, he saw other Arachna clinging to trees and swinging from strands of webs to come see them.

         "This is an old friend of mine. Gweneva," Valr gestured to the Arachna girl, "And this is Aero and Jirro. Some... friends I made in the Lands of Ralosia."

         Jirro and Gweneva exchanged tense glances. But the always-enthusiastic Aero broke that tension, "Nice to meet you!" He said with a big smile.

         "Nice to meet you as well," Gweneva said, her palps moving as she spoke. Her voice was surprisingly pleasant. She shook Aero's hand, squinted her eyes, and began to laugh, "I gotta tell you Valr, I don't think I'll ever get over how weird you Ralosians look. You all look so soft!"

         Jirro couldn't help but laugh. He thought the Arachna looked strange; it only made sense that they would see him the same way.

         The other Arachna descended from the trees in an acrobatic manner and greeted Aero and Jirro. As soon as they learned that they were 'friends' of Valr, they welcomed them with open arms.

         At the center of the many web-based homes was a wellspring which their community was based around. An Arachna with a red and blue body swung from a strand of web above them before spinning in the air and landing on top of a home near them.

         This Arachna was muscular, while remaining very agile. All his movements were confident. He squatted down and looked at the three boys.

         Valr whispered to Aero and Jirro, "That's Petri, the Clan leader."

         "Welcome back Valr!" Petri hollered.

         Valr smiled, "Good to be back."

         Petri did a flip off the home and landed before the boys. His twitching palps seemed to be the facsimile of a smile, "Was the trip here safe?"

         Valr shrugged, "Not exactly. We ran into some trouble on the way. We did manage to catch a mantis in one of your web traps though, near the edge of the woods."

         Petri's eyes widened, "Really. Well, that's good food for everyone here. Let's go get it!" Petri did wide gesture to all the other Arachna around them, "Lead the way!"

         Valr flew up into the trees and Petri, Gweneva, and many other Arachna hurried after him. Jirro and Aero did their best to keep up.

         Some of the Arachna climbed on trees to maneuver through the woods, others used their four retractable arms that came from their backs. Others fired strands of webs from their hands and swung from them. It made sense why these woods were their home. They had no trouble keeping up with the flying Valr.

         Gweneva gracefully moved through the trees, occasionally looking back at the struggling Jirro and Aero. They could tell she was laughing at them.

         Soon they returned to the place where they trapped the mantis, but the web trap was cut apart, and the large insect was gone. Petri landed on a nearby tree and braced himself against it, looking down at the destroyed trap.

         "Looks like our mantis took off," Petri said.

         Trees toppled over near them. They looked and saw the mantis approaching, still covered in tatters of the web trap. Petri cracked his knuckles, shrugged his shoulders, and four insect-like limbs emerged from his back, "Everyone stay back until I say!"

         The mantis charged, swinging its bladed arms furiously. The boys and the other Arachna got out of the way, but Petri dove headfirst at the insect, expelling strands of web to swing around it. With perfect control of his movement, he avoided its attack while shooting bursts of webs at the mantis.

         He fired webs at its legs, restricting its movements. Then he went for its arms, trying to pull them back taut. All the while it attacked, but Petri was too quick to be struck.

         The mantis broke free of the tether on its arms and swung its sickle like arms. Petri didn't have time to dodge... so he caught it. He caught the blade in his hands, withstanding the full force of them, before webbing them up and tethering them to one another.

         "It's time everyone!" Petri shouted. At his call, Gweneva and the other Arachna warriors swung in, shooting spurts of webs at the mantis, and forming a cocoon around it. The many Arachna coordinated with each other masterfully, as if they had done this hundreds of times before.

         They pulled its legs taut and the mantis fell over. Gweneva hurried near its head. She pointed her finger and a bright blue beam of light emerged from it, striking the insects head. It writhed for a moment as the beam burned through. Suddenly the creature's body went limp, and the mantis was dead.