"Ah… the infamous Arachnid. Welcome to my humble abode."
Arachnid opened his eyes slowly towards the feminine voice that had just called his name. At the same time he felt something dangerous from it.
As his dark abyss-like three paired eyes opened up, he saw a sight so majestic that he had never seen in his whole life.
He was still in the forest but it looked completely different. The grass, the leaves were much greener here. Colourful flowers only added to the elegance of the place.
The trees were tall but only more easy on the eyes.
It felt like looking straight into someone's imagination.
However, he didn't get to enjoy the sight for too long.
Arachnid felt a chill down his spine as his gaze landed on her or rather—as her gaze pierced straight into his soul.
At a distance an enormous tree stood tall, different from any other trees around. Its stem was thick, leaves full of vitality and the branches descended smoothly towards the base forming a throne for her to sit on..
On it, sat the queen of these creatures with colored wings—who dragged him here against his own will.
However, he dare not speak about that matter here. Because the one sitting before him held enormous power and was likely to be of soul creature order.
Arachnid wasn't dumb enough to offend a being like that.
Why make enemies when you can make friends?
After a while when he did not reply the woman spoke again, her lavender hair swaying smoothly in the gentle wind.
Her tender pink lips pursed in a warm smile. Her eyes on the other hand, hid something deeper within the brown expanse of their shade.
"What's the matter creature?" She asked again. "You are the arachnid, are you not?"
The reason he did not answer was not because he didn't want to but rather simpler than that—it was because he didn't understand the concept of speaking or conversing in the first place.
It was something foreign to a spirit creature like him—which was quite natural.
However, he was able to understand her words. That made him wonder how she was doing it and whether he could also form words?
After a moment when there was still no answer from him the queen turned to one of her subordinates. He was the one with the second most terrifying presence in the place. Second only to the queen herself.
Her loyal subordinate.
A spirit creature.
"Flare, can he understand me?" She asked. The subordinate nodded in silence. "Then why is he not answering?"
Flare turned to arachnid and as he did so arachnid felt a shock of electricity in his head. It was like thoughts were directly transported into his mind without having to form any words.
"Think about what you want to answer," Flare's voice resounded in his mind. Close yet distant, no words but understandable.
"I will relay to the queen as it is."
As the connection between the queen and Arachnid successfully formed, she asked him,
"Do you understand me?"
He remained silent for a while as this was new to him he took his sweet time forming the first word or rather speaking a thought aloud in his mind.
"Yes," he replied. "Who are you?"
This time it wasn't the queen but her subordinate Flare who has replied,
"Insolent, how dare someone insignificant as you question the queen," just like him, flare was also a spirit creature but the pressure created by displeasure of Flare was far more than wounded Arachnid could've handled.
His jointed legs got folded down quickly as he fell helplessly on the ground under the force.
He tried to resist but in the end he couldn't as Flare spoke in his mind, "yes, just like that. Your head should always be lowered in the queen's presence."
Arachnid tried to resist but the pressure on his body only increased with his resistance.
"Now, now," the queen waved. "That's alright my dear Flare. This beautiful creature is our guest. We can't misbehave with him like that."
At her words, Flare lowered his intent only enough for the arachnid to gasp for air again.
"I think the guest had enough. I'm sure he will understand our custom."
Queen's voice sounded soothing but hid a deeper meaning behind it.
She slowly stood up from her throne and approached the helpless arachnid. Bright colourful dust falling in her wake.
A smile appeared on her face making her seem like a goddess,
"My name is Monarch. The queen of this place."
She kneeled closer to him looking at the helpless creature before with pity,
"…There, I introduced myself. Now will you please tell me your name?"
The arachnid groaned in pain. His mind was disoriented, old wounds had opened up. Purple blood seeping down from them. At the moment the only thing he did was stare at her with his six dark eyes.
"No response, I see," the queen chuckled. "What? Are you trying to scare me with your gaze, small one—or is that all you have left?"
She waited for a moment then heaved a sigh, her patience already wearing down.
"…Okay let's skip the introduction and move to the important part shall we?"
He was wondering why she had brought him here in the first place for a long time now. And by the looks of it, it seemed the mystery was about to reveal itself.
And he was right,
"Tell me what happened the night you attacked the human town? Are they strong? How many of them can fight? And the most important question —how did you lose?"
As she asked him everything, the memories of that night flashed in his mind. Those painful memories of him running for his life while being chased down by that woman with the ice spear.
He remembered everything, every little detail. From the moment of his planning to when the sharp ice spear pierced his throat—taking his voice forever.
However, he wasn't naive enough to believe that in exchange of information she would spare his life. Only by not telling her now would possibly keep him alive for a little longer.
So he kept quiet, as if not understanding the question at all.
But he did keep the arrogant look of knowing everything in his eyes. That way Monarch knew that he was deliberately choosing to hide that from her.
As it turned out the queen didn't like his arrogant attitude very much.
The moment she understood acting this way before the creature wouldn't get her anywhere— she completely changed her behaviour towards him.
The sparks of anger appeared in her eyes. The air suddenly grew thicker. Leaves of the trees let out rustling noises.
Now was the time to try a different approach.
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