Elmo felt himself getting more nervous as they continued on through the woods. The threads hanging down increased in number on either side of them, making it clear that trying to turn run to either side wouldn't be helpful. It also didn't help his peace of mind that the path they were on wasn't going straight. It twisted and turned like most paths he'd followed when he left the paved streets and roads when he was younger and taking shortcuts to and from school.
Which ant if they had to run, they couldn't go full speed, since they'd otherwise run into the hanging threads, which Elmo could only assu would catch and hold them for whatever created them. He was suspecting a giant spider, since so of the threads looked like they were connected to each other, but he couldn't be sure. After all, they could be the creatures from Half-life, but he couldn't be sure, given the leaves of the trees made it almost impossible to see where the threads went from this angle. Not that he was interested in walking over to see if he could confirm his fears.
"Are you okay?" Elmo heard Elin whisper to him.
"I'm fine," he whispered back.
"What do you think made those threads?" Elin asked.
"I'm hoping it's just a giant spider," Elmo answered, not wanting to wonder what else could have made them.
"Why?" Elin asked. "Why not hope it's just a mad seamstress?"
Elmo almost laughed at that. "Because I really don't think a seamstress would have so many threads hanging down on either side of us," Elmo answered. "To , it looks like a trap, which spiders are known to make. Though, not quite this elaborate, I think."
Elin sighed. "I was hoping for just a quiet day," she lanted.
Elmo could understand that. He also would have put his arm around her shoulders if the path was wide enough for them to walk side-by-side rather than single file.
"A quiet day would be nice, but I think in order for us to have a quiet day, we'll have to stay the entire day in a single place," Elmo comnted. "Although, if we do that, then we risk soone else beating us in the challenges, which ans they'd likely be able to go to their worlds and we'd probably get stuck here."
"I know," Elin sighed, her displeasure very clear in her tone. "Why did we get pulled into this anyway?"
"You'd have to ask whoever decided that we would be the ones selected for whatever this is," Elmo answered sympathetically.
"Do you think that-" Elin started to say, but stopped when they found threads completely blocking the path forward.
Aside from various threads that were hanging across the path in front of them, there were tangles of threads that had been pulled off to the shadows on either side of the path. Elmo wasn't sure, but it looked like large animals had been caught by the trap and moved away to keep other prey from seeing it and maybe deciding to find another way around.
Suddenly Elmo felt eyes watching them. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that if they turned around and started walking the way they'd co, they would be challenged by whatever had created the trap.
Kim sighed and looked around her. The threads on either side of the path were hanging re feet from her at this point. Almost like it was a chokepoint for whatever might co this way.
"Should we turn around?" Kim asked. "I can't draw my sword or even hack away at these threads if I don't put Sonya down, and I can't put her down with all the threads around us."
Elmo picked up a stick and tossed it over Kim's head. As soon as the stick made contact with the thread, the thread was pulled up fast. Elmo wasn't sure, but he thought he heard so sort of clicking sound, but before he could do anything else, the thread was lowered back down in the sa place with no stick on it.
"Whatever is watching the threads, I think it won't let us trick it enough that we can easily get by," Jonas remarked.
"Well, if we can't trick them away, lets see if we can't burn them away," Elmo said, closing his eyes as he steeled himself for what he knew he had to do. "Brimstone Fire!" he called out after a minute of preparing himself for what would happen after his spell.
Five of the several threads hanging across the path caught fire, the flas quickly spreading up the thread, as if it was coated in oil. Elmo waited a minute before using his spell again, this ti catching several of the threads.
Above them, the trees started shaking, as clearly sothing was moving in them. Elmo wasn't sure if he wanted to et whatever was up there, in the even it decided to co down, so he used his Brimstone Fire spell a couple more tis, until they could see that they would be able to squeeze through the trap.
Kim imdiately began to move through it, but as she stepped out to where the threads had been, Elmo saw a lasso of the thread coming down from above Kim. He wasn't sure how he was able to react so fast, but he had launched another Brimstone Fire that caught the lasso just above Kim's head.
As the lasso burned up as quickly as the other threads, Kim quickly made it to the other side of where the trap would be. Elmo heard sounds coming from above them as the trees shook again. This ti, however, a large spider ca down. It's large bulbous body about the size of a stegasoarus, sohow not bing affected by the threads that rely rested against it's sides, completely blocking the path.
"Brimstone Fire!" he called out, sending another blast of the fire out, this ti, hitting the spider, which then let out angry sounds that Elmo was sure ant the spider sohow recognized he was the one burning up it's threads, or webbing, as Elmo suddenly realized how think the threads were, and was what just caused it such pain.
"Sacred Shot!" Elin cried out, hitting the spider with her own magical energy.
Jonas shifted Heather until she was laying over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes or sothing, freeing up one of his hands, which he then used to throw his dagger at the large spider. The blade entered the bulbous part of its body, but aside from causing so green ichor to co out, it was clear it didn't really do anything that harmful to it.
Yet, it definitely angered the spider, which rushed at them, from re feet away. Elmo suspected that they would have been in trouble, but he launched another brimstone fire spell at the spider at just about that mont, which hit the spider in its head, making it stop in its tracks, as it shook off what had caused it pain.
Elin kept firing one sacred shot after another, each one hitting the spider directly, the chitin in the bulbous part of it's body beginning to crack. Elmo wasn't sure that was where he should put his energy in, however. He suspected that if he attacked where the head was, that might end the battle sooner. Yet, his best shot at its head was blocked by Jonas.
Elmo couldn't complain about that, as they had no way of knowing this might occur, nor was there a way for Jonas to step aside and give Elmo a clear shot. The only tis he was able to hit it for sure, was either when Jonas ducked down or when the spider lifted its head when it was about to charge.
Elmo wanted to burn away so of the threads on maybe one of their sides, but he knew if he did that, then he wouldn't be able to do anything about the spider if it chose to push forward at that mont.
He could hear Elin breathing heavily as she kept launching her sacred shots, although Elmo suspected she was running out of MP. Not that he had ti to worry about that. His entire focus was in trying to keep the spider from running them over, which Elmo suspected would throw them into the webbing on either side of them if it didn't trample them.
He wasn't sure how long they had the standoff, but suddenly he saw sothing flash behind the spider and the sound of so of its chiten breaking. The spider let out a cry that Elmo could only assu was one of pain.
What had kept Elmo and his team from moving to the side of the path, seed to prevent the spider from turing around as well. Not that the spider wasn't trying to turn around.
Then as another flash could be seen above the body of the spider, the spider let out another cry, one that Elmo could tell was full of pain. So, he sent out another of his brimstone fire spells, this ti at the bulbous part of its body, which seed to cause the spder to catch fire.
Elmo wasn't sure what the difference was this ti, or if it was a chance occurrence, but it was clear the spider wasn't going to survive. Its movents were already slowing down.
Elmo could only breathe a sigh of relief as he saw the flash from behind the spider again before it collapsed on the ground in front of them.
Behind the spider, he could barely make out Kim, who he assud had gone on ahead to where she could set Sonya down, then returned to finish off the spider from behind.
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