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Holmes: Still holding Kani's hand, Chimrea finds her way across the hero plane to Old Man Spider's lair, simply by following the threads she can see connected to everything when she looks for them.
Holmes: As she approaches the great gnarled trees, things grow more and more covered with webs, until ahead is nothing but walls of the stuff. The going is difficult.
Chimrea gets increasingly nervous as she goes, but does her level best to hide it from Kani. "We're almost there," she assures the other woman, helping her under a ropy overhang.
Holmes: Kani pulls back, saying, "What is this stuff? I... I'm scared. Where are we? How did I get here?"
Chimrea looks at her seriously. "You got here because someone tried to kill you and Alquas. Because you couldn't step back through his portal, we need to find out what's happening to your spirit. I give you my word, Kani, I'll do whatever it takes to guide you true."
Holmes: "Why couldn't I step back through, if he could?" she says. Her eyes admit that she's worried that she's dead.
Chimrea: "I won't lie--it's possible you're dead. But it might also be that someone has shaken your spirit away from your body. We're going to see a spirit who will know if you really belong on this side."
Holmes: Kani stops dead in her tracks shaking... "Why am I not in the pit of Z'taar? Are you some demon?"
Holmes: She makes a gesture at Chimrea.
Chimrea: "I'm not a demon," Chimrea says indignantly. "I'm the daughter of Isadora of Kaitaine and Okhfels of Teth Hold. I've lived in Green Lake all my life, and the closest I've come to the pit of Z'taar is your Vajaari..." she skids verbally to a halt. "Actually, what IS Alquas to you?"
Holmes: "He is my master," she pauses for a while. "And more. He and I have fled from my bond, against his father's will."
Holmes: She looks very, very sad.
Chimrea looks a bit confused. "He's your teacher, then? Showing you that weird magic he does or something?"
Holmes: "No, no, you misunderstand," she says. "He owns me. Or, rather, his father does. But we are in love."
Chimrea: "Uh."
Chimrea: "You mean, like I own these boots?" Chimrea sees to be wrestling with the idea.
Chimrea: "And when you say 'love'," she continues, gaining steam, "how do you feel about him and other women?"
Holmes: "Yes, I am the property of Alquas' family," she confirms, nodding her head slowly. "As for other women... I ..."
Holmes: "I suppose it would be overstepping my station to suppose that he would have me alone," she says.
Holmes: Chimrea can hear the desire in Kani's voice. For her, the love is complete and uncompromising.
Chimrea: "Are you... that piece of... oooh." Chimrea sputters for another couple of seconds, then regains control of herself. "Oh, I can't WAIT until we get back to talk to him. But I promise we're not in the pit of Z'taar--we're on the endless plains of the Stallion, heading into Old Man Spider's home."
Holmes: "Spider?" Kani nearly shrieks. "We should go back... to the other place."
Chimrea: "Kani, don't you see, we're running out of time. We need to find out where you belong, and he's the greatest spirit I know who might be able to help. He's--he's not your enemy."
Chimrea is starting to suspect that she'll die out here, alone and unmarked, but that somehow Fahd will know what a foolish apprentice he had.
Holmes: Chimrea's pleading seems to strike a chord with Kani, who otherwise has nobody to trust here. So Kani comes along into the web.
Holmes: After stepping deep inside, Chimrea becomes aware of a presence high up in the web. A dark part that's descending upon them. A hairy leg comes into view, and stops.
Chimrea: Chimrea, who wasn't sure what would happen if Kani deserted now, leads into the depths with an inner sigh of relief.
Chimrea: "Here," she murmurs to Kani, stopping short and squeezing her hand. Aloud, she says, "Most honored and feared grandfather, we come seeking your wisdom."
Holmes: Chimrea notes many smaller (tarantula sized) spiders milling about, deep in the web.
Chimrea: Despite her sudden terror, Chimrea steps forward just a bit, standing between Kani and the presence.
Holmes: A voice, sibilant and dark comes rasping from above, "My wisdom is simple... you will give, or I will take. What do you offer, and what do you seek?"
Chimrea: "In all the stories, it is not said that you take what does not belong to you. I seek to know whether Kani is properly of the dead. I will offer..." Chimrea feels that her voice is too small; she stops and tries to steady her tone. "I am a spirit-talker, but I am young. I'm... I'm not sure what I have to offer."
Holmes: "Your own life is forfeit, no?" says the voice from above.
Holmes: "Do you want that back, too?" he says.
Chimrea: Chimrea grits her teeth against the churning in her gut. "I knew what I was doing, stepping off the path. But if Kani doesn't belong in the Hidden Bonefields, or shouldn't die at all, I have to know. I won't become a shaman by stuffing a lost spirit into a hole. You can SEE, you can tell us."
Chimrea: In a small voice, she finishes, "I want to live, but not through a lie."
Holmes: "The one you escort, she is not one of ours," Spider says. "We have no rightful claim to her, dead or alive."
Holmes: "The one she belongs to hunts on the edge of the plain, and is indomitable," he continues.
Holmes: "If you take this one back, your quarrel will be with that one."
Chimrea: "Z'taar?" Chimrea asks, wishing she knew more about the Vajaari god.
Chimrea: "What would your price be, if you told us how to escape him and find the path back to our bodies?" She has to ask.
Holmes: "You dare say that name in my presence!" says the shadow of the majestic spider spirit. "I can't tell you how to escape him, but I can tell you how to get back, the both of you."
Chimrea: Flinching at her offense but with nowhere to go but forward, Chimrea says, "If Kani doesn't belong to us, I have to guide her return. Will you tell us the way back, then?"
Holmes: "Yes," he says, "Of course."
Holmes: "Assuming you pay my price."
Chimrea: "I am not a warrior like my father, whose strength you took. I'm not wise like Moorak. The most important thing I have is being a shaman, and I already ruined that by coming here." Chimrea's voice betrays her growing conviction that she already lost her best bargaining chip.
Holmes: Spider begins, ignoring her protests.
Holmes: "First, for one spirit's return, I would charge you to bring me another spirit. These serve me," a wave of the one hairy leg, and Chimrea realizes that Old Man Spider is indicating the smaller spiders about them.
Holmes: Chimrea realizes that he wants a a spirit of a dead person to be another of his many servants.
Holmes: This would mean taking some poor spirit here, rather than the endless plain to ride with Cay.
Holmes: He speaks again
Holmes: "For the second spirit, yours," he adds, " I ask for your service. I think there's a spider in you, if you look deep inside."
Chimrea hangs her head for a second, thinking, then turns her face back up towards the great spirit. "Yes and yes."
Holmes: There's an excited twitching that vibrates throughout the web, and Chimrea can feel something inside of her.
Chimrea thinks it's just dread twisting her stomach, but then a pained look crosses her face and she sinks to her knees, choking and clutching her chest. She continues gagging for several seconds, bent over until her face nearly touches the ground, when finally the first spider leg pokes its way out of her mouth.
Chimrea: One after another the rest follow, until the spider rests on her upturned face, covering her mouth for a moment before slowly climbing down to rest on her shoulder. Eyes streaming tears, Chimrea climbs back to her feet..
Holmes: Dead Man's Teeth starts
Holmes: to chatter, but seems largely OK with the fetch
Holmes: Ushima, however, jabbers away at Chimrea, full of recrimination. and a sense of defilement.
Chimrea grips her hand around the feather talisman through which Ushima's wind blows, sometimes comforting and sometimes bitter. "Too late," she says hoarsely.

Chimrea wakes up in the graveyard, sitting up with a shuddering breath and then rolling over to retch. Wiping off her face, she staggers to her feet, looks around for Kani without result, and then turns for the entrance to the graveyard. Fahd's waiting there, to welcome her back or complete her funeral rites as needed.
Holmes: She now recalls having returned Kani's spirit to her body which was in remarkably good condition to receive it.
Holmes: Fahd looks at Chimrea with the smallest amount of pride. "You have returned, so that means..."
Holmes: Even a small amount of pride is a huge display for Fahd. But it soon turns to concern.
Holmes: "Did all go well in the lands of the dead?"
Chimrea: Holding that success in her heart, Chimrea shakes her head and sinks to her knees. "I'm sorry. She wasn't supposed to be ours, and I didn't know what to do..." She won't meet his eyes.
Holmes: Chimrea can feel Fahd examining her closely with his spirit face. "What did you do, Chimrea?"
Chimrea: "I did what I had to do," she says flatly. "I fixed it."
Chimrea: Her voice less certain, she adds, "I... I failed you, but I found a way through anyway."
Holmes: Fahd, in a unique occurance, is non-plussed.
Holmes: He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out for a while.
Holmes: Then, "You have a fetch, I can tell. What path did you follow to get it? What did you find inside yourself?"
Chimrea: Finally looking up at him, Chimrea says, "We went to the center of the web, and--he--gave us a way back. There was a piece of him inside me all along." She looks caught between resolution and horror.
Holmes: Off in the distance, in the direction of the rising sun, there's a high-piched giggle.
Holmes: Sitting on a rock is Belnif.
Holmes: "The old man is found in the young girl!" all things are new again.
Holmes: He cackles again.
Chimrea shudders, but her eyes are hungry on the sun. She made it out alive.
Holmes: "Don't you see?" says Belnif, coming off his rock over to Chimrea. "It had to be!"
Holmes: "Spider had part of your father!"
Chimrea: "I want to say it was fated," Chimrea answers Belnif, somewhat bitterly, "but is that just an excuse for my mistake?"
Holmes: "Who can say?" laughs Belnif, "Who can say?"

Agnes: Working late, negotiating fuel schedules, Beliria hasn't yet noticed as Agnes crawls out of the ventilation shaft in her office behind an ancient tapestry rescued from Teth Hold.
Holmes: Tez makes a gesture, and blends in behind the tapestry as she comes out and sees Beliria. Kerem goes slowly, naturally keeping his head down by training.
Holmes: Agnes is almost upon Beliria when she happens to turn to grab an new quill and sees them there. She gasps, stands, and suddenly there is a knife in her hand. "How...?"
Agnes looks at Beliria with a conspiratorial smile and holds one finger to her lips, trying to quiet the forge's matriarch, then gestures back at the tapestry.
Agnes: "Look under there. Tunnels!"
Holmes: Beliria gets a frown on her once handsome face. Age has not yet stripped all of her stark beauty. She glances back at the wall, but keeps one eye on Agnes.
Holmes: "Who are you?" she inquires.
Holmes: "And what are you doing here?"
Holmes: Her voice is one that is used to authority.
Tez crouches behind the tapestry, attempting to resist the urge to peek and see what a Tethite whore looks like.
Agnes: Looking around the well-appointed office, Agnes notes the ceremonial Tethium blades on the wall and emits a low whistle. "Wow, those are nice."
Agnes: "Where am I?"
Kerem nervously fingers his knife with one hand, fiddling with something in his pocket with the other.
Agnes: "Oh, my name is Agnes." She offers the shake of a hand to Beliria.
Holmes: Belira straightens up, but does not take the proffered hand. "That's one question answered. But I also asked what business you have in my office!"
Agnes: "I explore boundaries. This tunnel is an example. So is your...chamber."
Agnes runs an appreciative finger down one of the blades on the wall.
Holmes: "Yes, it's my office," Beliria, getting her wits about her shouts out, "Ralthnar! Come, quick!"
Holmes: Tez notes that there is a door to the office not far from her hiding place, just a couple of steps.
Agnes removes the precious dagger from its bracket, continuing her appraisal.
Kerem sighs silently to himself, pulls the coin out of his pocket, and flicks it into the corner of the room, on the opposite side from the tapestry he hides behind.
Tez sliiides out from behind the tapestry and jams her dagger in between the door and the jamb, wedging it shut, before drawing her sword. "Hi!"
Agnes: "Guys, careful, she's nervous for some reason."
Holmes: Beliria backs up, even more guarded. Somebody tries to open the door, but cannot because of Tez's blade.
Tez: "I don't know why." she says cheerfully. "I just want to see if her blood is any good."
Holmes: Beliria shouts, "There are intruders in here! Break the door down!"
Agnes: "We're only here to murder you for your traitorous ways. Surely you knew it would come to this after too many years of foul play."
Kerem: "Just for the record, you girls are morons." Kerem slouches out from behind the tapestry, gives an appreciative glance at the tethium blades, and grabs one, shifting his knife to his other hand.
Holmes: Beliria maneuvers to put her desk between her and the others, trying to put space between them.
Agnes: "Be careful how you stab her. If her blood is right we want to bottle all of it."
Agnes: "Waste not, want not..."
Kerem: "I could've been careful if Tez'd let me get the drop on her."
Tez: "She doesn't look like a whore, are you sure she's the right Tethite?"
Kerem: "Now you'll just have to take what we can save."
Holmes: "Are you..." Beliria speculates, hoping to delay her assassins. "You're from that Mirror cult that hides somewhere near here!"
Agnes: "I don't think she's a whore any more. See how old she is? It's disgusting."
Kerem: "Yes. I don't know how you guessed that, but you're right first time."
Tez moseys on towards Beliria, staring at her every which way
Agnes moves around the other side of the desk.
Kerem flicks his hand in a blurring motion, sending his knife hurtling towards Beliria's face, as he lunges across the desk with the blade in his other hand.
Tez: "Oh, are we killing now?" She joins in the fun!
Agnes steps back, letting her friends do the dirty work. Instead, she opens the door for Ralthnar.
Holmes: Beliria says a quick line from the lays of Tethior, and her blade lights up like a small star.
Tez brings her small and rather dented shield up to protect herself, and shifts into an fighting stance, balancing on the balls of her feet, alert and circling to find a weakness to exploit, weighing her sword in her hand. With a quick lunge, she slices at Beliria's shoulder.
Tez drives the sword through the old woman's shoulder, slashing the tendons and muscle down to the bone. The dagger falls from her nerveless fingers, and Tez jerks the sword back, licking the blood curiously from the flat of the sword.
Kerem: Beliria takes a step back, flinching from Tez's blow, and her heel slips on an old coin lying in the corner, with a worn symbol of a wolf on it...
Holmes: Kerem takes advantage of the opening, and strikes. His tethium blade going through Beliria's breast with ease. She looks down with shock at it as she falls, clutching it unable to remove it. "Killed by my own work," she says, amazed.
Holmes: Then she looks at Kerem, "I shall be avenged."
Holmes: Her eyes go dead.
Tez produces a collection of bottles, having come prepared for this event! "Here, try not to get crap in it." She pushes a few in Kerem's direction and starts gathering up the sweet, sweet blood.
Agnes: As the others work, Agnes draws Tez' knife from the door and pulls the door open into the room. As she catches sight of Beliria's man, she issues a comman. "Kneel!"
Tez takes a moment to pick up the shiny knife and stow it away for later perusal.
Kerem looks down at the body, and sighs. He cradles it to her, filling the vial, and whispers into the body's ear..."I'm sorry."
Tez: "What for?"
Holmes: Ralthnar, ready for anything, somehow manages to throw off Agnes' powerful mental command. He turns and flees back into the forge complex.
Kerem: "I didn't...never mind."
Agnes: "Uh oh."
Kerem: "Here you go."
Kerem hands over the vial.
Tez takes it and gives him another one. "Thanks. I hope this blood'll be useful. Too bad we ruined her dress..."
Kerem: "Dammit."
Kerem: "Agnes, can you track that guy or something? With your mind?"
Agnes: "I know my way around the forge. Do you think we should stop him?"
Kerem: "If he saw my face."
Tez: "I have extra jars." she holds some up.
Agnes: "He probably didn't see much, just me opening the door while you two drained her blood..."
Kerem: "The point is. Part of being a criminal is not having everybody know you're a criminal."
Kerem: "I mean, well, or at least having them know that you're not a dangerous criminal."
Agnes dives back into the tunnel through which the trio entered, intent on reaching the forge's front gate before Ralthnar.
Kerem follows her grimly.
Tez upgrades her weaponry from the wall, warm bottles stowed neatly away, and runs after Agnes
Holmes: *
Holmes: Ralthnar had to climb up the several levels going back and forth, and Agnes knew the quick climb leading almost back to the door. It is therefore that Ralthnar finds the three of them waiting in ambush for him.
Agnes: "Ralthnar, are you loyal to Beliria or to Tethior?"
Holmes: "Out of my way," he says, brandishing a tongs. Ironic that he could not find a finished weapon on the way up.
Tez giggles
Agnes draws her knife and gestures toward him with both hands. With her knife, she says "Beliria" and with her empty hand she says "Tethior?"
Kerem leans against the doorframe, filing his nails with the tethium dagger, looking uncomfortable.
Holmes: Ralthnar drops his weapon, and sinks to his knees. He raises his hands in surrender.
Holmes: "Spare me, and I'll swear allegiance to whomever you wish!" he says.
Agnes: "I'm going to reach into your mind now. It will feel strange. If you allow it, I will know the truth of your concience. It will feel strange. If you resist, you will die. Relax."
Holmes: As she reaches into his mind, she realizes that he's just saying this to avoid death. He's not thinking beyond the moment, but would obviously try to escape if he got the chance.
Agnes nods to Tez and Kerem. "He must be silenced."
Kerem: "Big fucking surprise."
Agnes atempts to dull the pain for Ralthnar's death.

Holmes: Chimrea finds herself wandering through the Two-Tree Shrine on her way home from the graveyard.
Kerem stands beneath the dead tree, head bowed in contemplation, fingering something in his hand.
Chimrea: "Hey," Chimrea says quietly, wondering how to start.
Holmes: The spirits of the trees loom over the shrine, obvious to anyone but the most insensate.
Holmes: Chimrea can sense them doing the tree version of looking at her askance as she passes.
Holmes: Then, again, they seem to be looking at Kerem the same way.
Chimrea winces a bit, but then ignores them. "So how was your night?" she asks, carefully casual.
Kerem: "Oh, hey." He turns, and Chim can see he's holding a lock of hair.
Kerem: "Actually, it was...well, okay, it was terrible, but probably an improvement on the rest of the day."
Kerem: "You?"
Chimrea: "Um... pretty bad," Chimrea says thoughtfully, as if mulling it over. "Want to tell me about it? I, um, I." She trails off, looks away, twists her hands together. Her voice sounds raspy. "You always have good stories," she finishes lamely.
Kerem: "I."
Kerem: "So, do you remember that crazy priestess lady we saw in the market who was looking for Tez?"
Chimrea frowns, then nods as she remembers. "Found her?"
Kerem: "Kind of."
Kerem: "It turns out she was the leader of the ancient blood cult that Tez is the prophet of, and she came to teach Tez how to be super evil, instead of just regular evil."
Chimrea whistles. "So, um, how did Tez take it all?"
Kerem: "Pretty well, until I told her she had to choose between being an evil blood god and me."
Kerem: "Which, uh, actually I guess I should talk to you about that."
Kerem: "See, I got Tez to agree to try to find a way to not be crazy and evil any more."
Kerem: "But, uh, what I did was...well, I told her I loved her."
Kerem: "That's why she decided to come back."
Kerem pauses.
Kerem: "Also, I guess we stabbed a bunch of people."
Chimrea: "See," says Chimrea, actually cracking a little smile, "this is what I mean. Only you bring me this stuff."
Kerem: "Yeah, well. I hope so. I would be pretty creeped out if somebody other than me was doing this kind of stuff."
Chimrea: "When you say you 'guess' you stabbed a bunch of people, that would be in the sense that it *actually happened,* right?" Chimrea seems to be enjoying herself, although something's off about her.
Kerem: "Yes. I mean, if I made it sound like there was some doubt, I guess that wasn't really accurate."
Kerem: "Listen, Chim..." he stuffs the hair in his pocket, and awkwardly grasps her hand.
Kerem: "I really...I really like you. This whole thing with Tez...I don't know what...I mean..." he stares around uncomfortably.
Kerem: "I mean, I guess as a death shaman it probably wouldn't work out anyway, right?"
Chimrea stiffens a bit, but squeezes his hand rather than pulling away. "You said what you had to say to fix things," she says. "After tonight, I can't fault you for that." She laughs, cuts off when it sounds too sharp.
Chimrea: "Tell me what you want."
Kerem: "If I could do that, Chim, we probably wouldn't be in this situation in the first place."
Kerem: "I don't know."
Kerem: "When I'm with you...you make me...I just..."
Kerem: "I mean, I guess I love you, Chimrea."
Kerem: "And when I say 'I guess...'"
Chimrea shakes her head. "Don't... don't rush to judgment. I'm not sure I'm the person you think I am, whoever that is."
Kerem: "What do you mean?"
Chimrea: "So, uh, I guess it's my turn. During the night I tried to become a shaman. I sorta didn't tell you about it ahead of time because I was supposed to die if I failed." She looks suddenly fascinated by the trees.
Kerem: "Oh."
Kerem: "Well."
Kerem: "Congratulations."
Chimrea shakes her head sharply. "It all went wrong. I mean, I screwed up. The spirit I was supposed to guide didn't belong to us at all--she was Vajaari. Alquas was there, and he was trying to take her back to her body, but it didn't work. I had to do something. I couldn't just leave her."
Kerem: "...so what did you do?"
Chimrea: "I took her to Old Man Spider. The Taker." Still looking away, Chimrea starts crying, remembering the terror and hopelessness. "It was the only thing I could think of--he doesn't take things that aren't his, right? He said she didn't belong, but he wouldn't tell us the way back without the price."
Kerem: "The price." Kerem looks a little alarmed, but wraps his arm around her in response to her tears.
Chimrea: "And now I'm alive, but I don't know if it's because I was strong enough to face my fate, or just too scared to die. I thought I knew what I was doing." Chimrea knows she sounds like she's babbling, and shakes her head again, leaning her face into his shoulder.
Chimrea: "I'm not a shaman of Rozgar. I don't know exactly what I am. And I'm scared, because I sort of liked it."
Kerem: "It's all right. It's all right."
Kerem reaches up to brush away her tears and turn her face to his.
Kerem: "You're Chimrea. You're a good person, and you do your best to do right, and you're beautiful."
Kerem leans in to kiss her...
Chimrea clings to him and leans into the kiss, hoping his lips will blot out the memory of the spider in her mouth.

Agnes: As the two women arrive at Tez' room, Agnes collapses into the pillows at the foot of the bed. "Wow, too bad about that Ralthnar."
Agnes: "So, what about this blood?"
Agnes: "And what was up with Kerem? He usually seems...I dunno...nice. Or something."
Tez bites her lip and sits next to Agnes, on the floor. "Yeah, I guess." She takes one of the bottles out, and begins the ritual, feeling a bit naughty as she calls on her God for information about the blood. She finishes and looks up, "Oh, sometimes he's bad, for balance."
Agnes: "Oh hey, you didn't sacrifice either one of them. Weird."
Tez shrugs, keeping her eyes on the fresh blood on the floor. "The power has to stay in the blood." she says, wondering if that's true.
Agnes: "So, is the blood good? And what does good mean?"
Tez frowns at her results, and tries again, licking her fingers absently between painting the lines. "Ummm." she says, slowly. "I guess I should have sacrificed her after all."
Agnes: "So it's no good? Dammit! And Ralthnar...same?"
Tez scowls, and gives up. "It's no good, it won't help. I should have checked first." She sulks.
Agnes: "So...do you need this blood then?"
Tez: "I guess not." she stands up and paces around the room restlessly. "If it didn't help, then, was it evil?"
Agnes: "Who knows? She was going to die anyway, so you didn't do anything wrong."
Tez: "Why was she going to die?"
Agnes: "She was a bad woman."
Agnes: "She lied to my father...and stuff."
Agnes: "She had enemies."
Tez: "Do you have enemies too?"
Agnes blinks.
Agnes: "Not here."
Agnes: "Do I?"
Tez thinks for a bit, "The other priestesses are probably mad, I guess."
Agnes: "Yeah, I guess. But they're outsiders. Kinda."
Tez: "Yeah... but they're here. Like me."
Agnes begins transferring the blood from Tez' nice little jars into a small keg. "If it's all the same to you, I'll take this, OK?"
Agnes: "Yeah, but won't they go away now?"
Tez: "What are you going to do with it?"
Tez: "I guess they might. Or they might try to kill me. Or help me."
Agnes: "Feed Rot-rot."
Tez: "Who's Rot-rot?"
Agnes: "Oh!" Agnes smiles a silly smile. "I forget that really, we just met. He's my war troll."
Tez looks sideways at Agnes, "really?"
Agnes: "He's a good boy, but he works up a powerful thirst. Yeah."
Agnes: "Do you want to meet him?"
Tez: "Um, okay. But don't let him eat me."
Agnes: "No, he doesn't eat people anymore. We're not at war."
Tez brightens a bit, "Oh good."
Agnes heads off to feed Rot-rot.

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