"Tejod... Tejod..." A malevolent voice echoed in the air, cold as a winter wind. "Where are you, Tejod?"
Suddenly, from a dark mirror emerged a pair of eyes that seemed to emanate pure evil. Their glow was so intense it froze the blood.
"My lord Urugas," Tejod stammered, his voice trembling as he knelt before the figure slowly taking shape before him.
"Why do you not answer my calls, Tejod? You already know what happens to those who disobey me." Urugas's voice was a deep, menacing echo.
Tejod felt his body begin to twist inside, a sharp and relentless pain forcing him to double over.
"Forgive me, my lord! Forgive this loyal servant of yours!" His voice was choked with suffering.
"Very well, I will forgive you this time. But tell me, where is my trophy? The last remnant of magic in Avocios."
Tejod swallowed hard before answering. "My lord, the king, scattered the pieces of the scepter into five fragments and placed a spell upon them. Only his son can find them and touch them without being destroyed."
"What?" Urugas roared, his voice so powerful it shook everything around him. "Explain yourself now!"
"My lord, I have already sent the prince, the king's son, to retrieve the pieces. By the sea dawn, your trophy shall be yours."
"You gave that brat a month? Fool! I needed that final piece to undo all that is illuminated in this world."
"But, my lord… If we don't retrieve those pieces, you cannot have what you desire. Besides, I sent him with my most trusted soldier, Pax."
Urugas fell silent for a moment, his eyes burning like glowing embers. Finally, he said: "Very well, for your sake, I hope he brings me what I demand. If not…" He paused deliberately, letting the weight of his threat hang in the air. "If not, I will destroy you."
"I will not fail, my lord. It shall be done. I will bring you what you seek."
"Good. Inform the other fools on your team that the boy is heading to the realms. Have them assist him in retrieving the pieces more quickly."
Meanwhile, somewhere along the road to Hassdalia, the carriage moved forward on a wide path until it reached a bridge shrouded in darkness. The horses, nervous, refused to go any further.
"What is wrong with you, you stupid beasts?" Pax growled, impatient.
It seemed they had arrived at the bridge leading to Hassdalia, but something was off. It had never looked so abandoned, so enveloped in dark mist and corroded by rust.
"Something is amiss," Mok, the butler, murmured. "Our eyes do not see it, but the animals feel it. There is something here, something sinister."
"It would be best if you stayed here, Master Paltio. I will investigate carefully," Mok said, moving toward the horses in an attempt to calm them.
"I have no intention of doing anything," Pax replied from his seat in the carriage. "But if we don't cross here, we won't reach the first realm where we must search for the fragment of the scepter."
"Is there no other way?" Pax asked.
"It would take longer," Mok explained. "And it's riskier. The carriage wouldn't be able to pass through there."
"Fine, I'll go with you, but don't give me orders," Pax snapped, stepping down from the carriage with an annoyed expression.
"That works for me," Mok replied calmly, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of concern.
The bridge stretched long and imposing, nearly three kilometers of elevated span, as grand as a castle. Once, its structure had gleamed with majestic blue hues, but now it was cloaked in rust and thick, rotting cotton-like mist.
As they entered the bridge, Mok and Pax remained vigilant. Pax unsheathed his weapon with a swift motion, while Mok walked steadily, unarmed—or so it seemed. However, as they advanced, a tangled web of spider silk began to envelop the bridge, hanging densely from side to side. The closer they got, the more oppressive the ominous presence surrounding them became.
Suddenly, Mok felt a heavy gaze upon them, as if something were watching from the shadows. Pax ignited a torch using the fire powder Tejod had given him, and when the light illuminated their surroundings, the source of their unease revealed itself: dozens of giant spiders, each the size of a man, slowly encircled them. Their hairy bodies glistened under the flickering flame.
"Damn it!" Pax cursed in frustration. "This is exactly why I didn't want to step foot on this cursed bridge."
"But it's too late for regrets," Mok replied evenly. "We have no choice. We must face them."
Without warning, Mok opened his sack, and like a torrent, hundreds of knives shot out toward the creatures. At least a hundred blades struck directly into the heads of the spiders, embedding themselves with deadly precision. The shrill screeches of the beasts echoed through the air as some collapsed lifelessly to the ground. This act saved Pax from several spiders that had cornered him.
"Wow! That butler is incredible," Pax thought, impressed. Though he wanted to thank him, pride choked the words in his throat as he continued fighting off the remaining spiders, cutting down a few more with his sword.
From behind, admiring childish voices rang out: "Amazing, Mok!"
But the butler frowned. "Young master, I told you all to stay in the carriage," he said sternly.
"I'm sorry, but Ron and Paltio were desperate to see what was happening," Alita, the most sensible friend who always followed instructions to the letter, explained. "I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen."
"It's fine that they're here," Pax interjected, breathing heavily after the battle. "Besides, I think you've already taken care of all of them."
Before Pax could sheathe his sword, the entire bridge began to tremble violently. A thunderous sound filled the air, as if something enormous were approaching. Suddenly, gigantic legs emerged before them, almost as thick as the ropes holding up the bridge. Then, a horrifying humanoid head appeared before their eyes: a monstrous spider with a white, hairy body and the face of a human woman.
"Who dares kill my children?!" The creature's voice thundered with uncontrollable fury, accompanied by a piercing shriek that made everyone cover their ears.
"Oh no! It's the Aracama!" Pax exclaimed, his voice trembling.
"The Aracama?" Mok asked, bewildered.
"Yes," Pax confirmed. "That's what they call her in the legends. She's one of Tejod's failed experiments with Urugas's powers. She gained consciousness and now acts on her own." Mok asked about how many experiments there had been, but Pax didn't answer.
"Why have you slaughtered my babies?!" the Aracama roared, her expression a mixture of pain and hatred. Her eyes burned with rage as she glared at the intruders.
"You've killed my children!" she continued, pointing at them with one of her long legs.
Mok stepped forward, placing himself between the creature and the group. "We regret killing your offspring, but they attacked us first," he argued, trying to remain calm.
"That is no excuse for me!" the Aracama spat back with disdain. "No one enters my domain without consequences!"
"We're sorry for unknowingly invading your territory," Mok persisted. "But we need to cross into Hassdalia. Please, let us pass."
The Aracama looked at them with contempt, baring her sharp fangs. "No one crosses my domain. You'll only serve as meat for my progeny. You will pay with your lives."
"I think this thing doesn't understand reason," Pax muttered, tightening his grip on his sword. "We'll have to fight, butler," he added, addressing Mok.
"Paltio, stay back. Retreat," Mok ordered, shielding the young prince. However, before they could move, the entrance to the bridge quickly filled with webs, blocking any possible escape.
"There's no way out, Mok!" the children shouted, alarmed.
"How did it manage to fill the area with webs if it's right here in front of us?" Pax asked, astonished, exchanging worried glances with Mok.
"There's no other choice," Mok said as he prepared for battle. He knew he wouldn't allow Paltio to die, no matter the cost.
Mok pulled several knives from his sack—the same ones that had miraculously returned to him after the previous fight. It seemed they were connected by some kind of invisible thread or magic, making them even more intriguing.
With skill, Mok hurled several knives at the Aracama's skin, but they bounced off uselessly against her armored hide. "Her skin is so tough," Mok murmured, nimbly dodging one of the creature's massive leg swipes.
"Pax, take care of them," Mok ordered, gesturing toward the group of children behind him.
"I'm only here to protect the foolish prince, and don't give me orders," Pax growled, though he quickly motioned for Paltio and his friends to seek shelter.
"I have no other option," Mok sighed. From his back, he unsheathed a hidden sword: a crimson blade, red as blood from tip to hilt, with a black sapphire embedded in the pommel. It was an awe-inspiring weapon, brimming with mystery and power.
"For things too tough to cut, this sword is the best," Mok said as he raised the weapon with one hand, aiming directly at the Aracama.
"If your knives can't harm me, that weapon won't either," the giant spider mocked, thrusting her legs forcefully toward the butler.
But with the sword in hand, Mok was far more agile. In a swift movement, he positioned himself behind the creature. There, he noticed something peculiar: a tube connected to the back of her body, from which the webbing emerged.
"That must be how she launched her web at the entrance," Mok thought. However, he quickly dismissed the idea. "No time to think about that now. I need to finish this spider before she gets too close to the young master."
The battle continued. Mok moved with grace, dodging every attack the creature unleashed. "Hold still, you damn avocado," he muttered under his breath, focused on his target.
"Bingo. That's why she's slow and only moves in straight lines," he mentally reflected as he analyzed the Aracama's movements.
"It's time to end this. We don't have any more time to waste on you," Mok declared, leaping onto one of the bridge's beams to get closer to the spider queen's face. With a powerful shout, he exclaimed, "RED BLADE SLASH!"
Suddenly, a red, leaf-shaped burst erupted from the sword, slicing cleanly through the Aracama. The butler landed elegantly in front of her, sheathing his blade.
"Your pathetic move did nothing. I'm still alive. Now you'll die," the creature hissed, lunging forward with her jaws wide open.
But before she could touch him, the Aracama convulsed violently, letting out a blood-curdling scream. Her body split in two, collapsing heavily onto the bridge floor, before evaporating into the air.
"That was awesome!" Paltio exclaimed as he and his friends ran toward Mok.
"Wow, I thought your butler only knew how to do housework and stuff, but he can fight too," Ron commented, trying to get a closer look at the sword and the mysterious mechanism of the knives.
"I'll admit, it was interesting to see him fight. This butler must be hiding something," Pax thought, watching Mok with a mix of admiration and suspicion. "I'll need to keep a closer eye on him."
The spider webs began to slowly unravel from the bridge, leaving it clean and restored.
"See? I was right when I said this was her territory. Once we defeated her, everything returned to how it was before," Alita remarked, looking around in awe.
"I see you paid attention to the spider," Pax said, smirking slightly.
Once the bridge had regained its original form, Pax drove the carriage to where the group was waiting. With an impatient gesture, he signaled them: "Are you waiting for an invitation? Get in, we've got a long way to go."
"And what about your rules?" Mok asked mockingly, referring to the three strict rules Pax had imposed at the start of their journey.
"Bah! I'll let it slide this time," Pax replied, though his tone made it clear he wasn't entirely pleased. "But you, butler, the next time you try to give me orders... you'll see."
"Yeah, sure," Mok retorted with a half-smile, unfazed by the veiled threat.
Without further argument, everyone climbed into the carriage, and they continued their journey toward Hassdalia. The rattling of the vehicle echoed through the air as the landscape slowly began to change, though everything remained cloaked in perpetual darkness, signaling their approach to the next realm.