The group, led by the paintbrush leader, reached Arnie and they all stopped. The pen and pencil leader were by Arnie's side as though they had materialised from thin air. All the spiders had fled or been captured by this point. With the emergence of the paintbrush leader and the help of the paintbrushes they had been brought very quickly under control. The situation, which had looked grim, had turned full circle for the better.

Isabelle grabbed Arnie into a hug. She clung on for what seemed like an age and Arnie felt her trembling. He awkwardly patted her back, feeling uneasy but comforted. She stepped back and he felt his face heating up as she looked at him.

The air was thick with tension and Arnie looked down at the gathered leaders. The paintbrush leader, the pen leader and the pencil leader were all staring at one another, but none of them spoke. Each was surrounded by his own soldiers. It felt dangerous and Arnie wondered what he should do to defuse the situation. Pushing aside the sheepishness that he still felt from the surprising hug he looked up at Isabelle. She nodded at him with a slight smile. He felt his stomach flip. She opened her mouth, her lilting accent carrying a hint of authority and no sign of fear. She looked at the Pen and Pencil leader.

"There's a story to be told. It's not as we thought. Let's sit so we can talk." She waved her hand at the clearing to indicate where she thought they should go.

The pen leader nodded first and put a hand on the shoulder of his pencil counterpart. "Let us hear what is to be said." his voice was gentle and calm.

The paintbrush leader said nothing as he followed them to the clearing. His soldiers still carried the large spider. It wasn't moving. Arnie wondered if it was dead or unconscious. He looked it over. It looked like the others but was much bigger. It's features were easier to see and the black mirror-like eyes were terrifying. He saw his own reflection looking back at him from the depths of the darkness and he recoiled. He looked exactly as he had looked when he had arrived in Sockland. There was no sign of any of the struggles and no sign of time having passed at all in his appearance. He knew he felt different though.

They sat down in the clearing. Surrounding them were some of the captured spiders and the bulk of the paintbrushes were moving them to one side and putting some sort of order into the battle scene. Arnie noticed Magnus over by the village wall. He was sitting down on the ground, surrounded by the spoons and needle birds. From the distance Arnie thought he looked as enthusiastic as usual.

"What is the story to be told?" The pencil leader directed his question at Isabelle as it was her who had called the meeting. There was no challenge in his tone.

"This, I think, is where I come in." The paintbrush leader spoke. His voice was different from what they had heard in the underground chamber. It was kind. The tone was deep and he sounded wise. He portrayed a calm, reassuring attitude, very similar to the Pen and Pencil leaders.

"I knew your father Cennaire and your's Neart." he addressed pen and pencil leader by name. "I am older than both of you and have ruled the paintbrushes for a long, long while. Too long in fact."

"Why did you cause war among pens and pencils!?" Arnie Said. It had burst from his lips before he could stop himself. Isabelle cast him a look that told him to be quiet although she said nothing. The paintbrush leader looked straight at Arnie. His tiny eyes were surprisingly piercing and Arnie felt uncomfortable. The paintbrush leader showed no animosity.

"A very good question and one I shall answer for you in moments. What is your name?"

"Arnie." he replied, otherwise lost for words.

"Welcome Arnie. I shall tell you now what has happened. Please have patience for the whole tale to be told." He took a moment to look around the gathered pens and pencils before continuing. No one said anything.

"There was a time - an age ago - when we lived peacefully. Paintbrushes, Pens and Pencils. Writingshire was harmonious. Our own village was thriving as we splashed colour upon the land. I had not been ruling long, having just taken over from my father, when it all changed."

"One day, which began as any day normally would, three spiders - or watchers as they are sometimes known - appeared from over the hill and scurried their way down to the village here.

"It so happens we had never seen such creatures before, but we felt no alarm. There was no need for fear in Writingshire. These creatures appeared at our gates and were granted an audience with me.

"They spoke our language with a strange click in their accent. They said they were travelling and requested shelter for a while before continuing their journey.

"There was no reason not to grant it and so of course we gave them all the hospitality that we could provide. They stayed with us for a short while. The people found them fascinating and friendly and so they roamed the village and became familiar before they left.

"They thanked us before scurrying off over the hill once more. When they were gone we painted on our wall in memory of them and you can still see it on the west of the village. The portrait of those three spiders remains a tribute to their memory.

"Time passed and our strange guests gradually filtered from the minds of our people as we continued our ways. Just as they were forgotten they returned.

"They returned suddenly over the hill one day and scurried back down to the village. This time there were many more of them. Perhaps 20 or so. Of course we opened the gate to them and made them welcome.

"They remained for some time as before. They needed shelter and we provided. The largest of them, araña rei, was one of the three who had stayed originally. He was the obvious leader of them. He and I became friends and I told him all about the workings of our land.

"Looking back I can see now what I couldn't see then. His eight eyes always held a lust for power. It gleamed in the deep blackness upon his face. There was always a frustrated impatience about him.

"Gradually he began to plant the seeds of ideas into my mind. Ideas that we were being held down by the pen and pencil populations. It was never more than little thoughts in my mind, fleeting and unimportant until one day - and this is where my memory becomes hazy - I was filled with a rage, a desire for revenge, a desire for power myself. It was an unexpected feeling, it came on suddenly.

"Little did I know at that time that the others of the spiders were sewing very similar seeds of doubt throughout my people leading up to this point. Ideas were forming, mutterings had begun.

"The last day of clear memory I have was the day I was sitting in my chambers, where you have been, and I was conversing with araña rei. He was interested in the anatomy of our people. He said it fascinated him how we had no flesh. I remember explaining to him that beneath our bristles, atop our head, there is a flesh like substance and that is where it is believed that our consciousness lies."

The paintbrush paused for a moment, seeming to recall some painful memory.

"He reached out with one of his long, hairy legs to feel it for himself. He was interested he said and so I didn't object. We were friends after all. I should have noticed the look in his eyes. His eyes always should have given him away, he has so many. Anyway, I noticed it too late. He pounced and one of his fangs pierced beneath my bristles. I remember the sharp, shooting pain course through my entire being and from there the rage, the desire for revenge and power began building.

"I don't know how he did it, but from that point forward I was lost. I was always somewhere, aware of myself but trapped behind a wall of these emotions. My memory is hazy but not gone. He never left my side as I began changing the attitudes of my people, as more and more spiders arrived and our plan was set in motion. It had been well thought out. More and more spiders arrived as the village was reduced to a seething pit of jealousy and anger. An instilled feeling we had been wronged by both pens and pencils. A longing for power and control.

"Today I woke up. I have memories of what we have instigated but there are holes in these thoughts. I do not understand how he managed to control me like that. How it was I was made into a puppet for his plans. I do not even understand what his plans are or were. Today I woke up when this girl." he indicated Isabelle "freed me. My people and I are connected beyond the physical as I am sure you are with your people. When this curse was lifted, or the puppet strings cut, they were freed also to some degree. That is why the battle turned so rapidly. And now I would like to get some answers from araña rei to fill in the gaps for me and for you. Only he can fill in the gaps."

The paintbrush leader stopped talking and looked at the ground. There was an intense sadness in the way he held himself. It emanated from him and one could feel it in the air. It looked and felt like he carried an immense burden. Arnie had something on his mind and he spoke before anyone else broke the silence. "Where do you come in Isballe?" he asked. "How did you come to wake him from his "sleep"?"

"Well, as you know, I'm terrified of spiders." she said. "When you left me over there to wait for you, I stood frozen. I wasn't sure what I could do because I wanted to help but just couldn't get myself to do anything.

"As I watched the swarms of the spiders and the battle unfold I suddenly remembered something I had seen down in the leader's chamber. I remembered those two twitching legs on either side of the throne. It reminded me of something I had seen once at a puppet show and the two things coalesced into a very strong suspicion.

"I didn't know what to do as you were pretty occupied. And so, from where I don't know, but I gathered the strength and pushed myself forward. I ran around the fight and into the chamber of the leader. I ran through the dark tunnel straight down. I think I passed spiders, but I just pushed myself faster until I reached him.

"I clearly wasn't expected because I was already half way across the room before anything happend. I charged forward toward the throne of the paintbrush leader. Paintbrush soldiers and spiders alike quickly began to converge on me. I've never felt as scared in my life. I didn't even know that such fear was possible. Nonetheless, what strength I had mustered carried me through.

"I had the advantage of size with me and I dived over those who were now surrounding me. I reached the throne and I yanked the leader from his chair. There was a screeching noise throughout the chamber as the two legs on either side of the throne reared up and fangs appeared from behind. The spider that you see here advanced on me and this time my fear cracked through, my resolve shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. I stumbled back and fell, still clutching the leader of the paintbrushes.

"I hit the ground hard and was attacked by the paintbrushes and spiders. I thought then that the end had come and so I closed my eyes and began to pray. To whom I don't know.

"It seemed like an eternity of waiting before I felt him tugging to free himself from my grip. I was surprised by the movement and I let go immediately. He stood there, in front of me where I lay on the ground. The paintbrushes stopped their advance and looked unsure.

"Only five words came from his lips. 'They are the true enemy' and the paintbrushes turned on the spiders, overpowering them quickly. I don't know what they did to him" she pointed at the big spider. "But he was quickly picked up by the soldiers.

"Without another word we all ran up through the darkness toward the battle out here until we burst out and you saw us.

"And here we are. What drove me down there was the idea that perhaps those legs were from some kind of puppeteer. And it looks like I was right."

Arnie didn't know what to say and sat with his mouth half open. The pen leader spoke now.

"And now it seems we need to hear from the beast. To fill in the gaps in the story."

The paintbrush leader clapped his hands once. It was a signal. As usual the sound was much louder than it ought to be. "Prepare him for questioning."

The paintbrushes began to move the large spider and set themselves up surrounding it in a defensive position.

"Time for some answers."

Please remember to vote if you like it! Let me know your thoughts so far by commenting too!