Riven followed the narrow path down the hill behind the other two.
The village slowly grew larger as they descended, the low roofs and timber walls becoming clearer through the fading light. Smoke drifted lazily from a few chimneys, and lanterns had begun to glow faintly along the dirt roads.
Alena carried the boy carefully in her arms, holding him steady against her chest as she navigated the uneven slope. Kade walked slightly ahead of them, his hood still pulled low, his pace unhurried now that the danger had passed.
For a moment, the village seemed quiet.
It was late.
Most of them were staying indoors, scared of attracting the spiders attention.
But there was still someone standing near the gate.
A bearded man.
When the trio came closer, his gaze locked onto the small figure in Alena's arms.
"He's back!" the man shouted suddenly. "They brought him back!"
The words carried across the village like a spark through dry grass.
Doors opened. Voices rose. People stepped out from houses and sheds, the quiet instantly broken, turning toward the path leading down the hill.
A woman pushed through the gathering crowd first.
She ran toward them without hesitation, her breath catching as her eyes searched the boy's face.
"Tomas!"
Alena slowed and carefully lowered the child as the woman reached them. The boy stirred slightly at the movement, a weak groan escaping his lips as his eyelids fluttered.
The woman dropped to her knees in front of him.
Her hands trembled as she brushed strands of silk from his hair.
"Tomas… Tomas, wake up…"
The boy's eyes opened slowly.
For a moment he looked confused, blinking against the lantern light and the crowd surrounding him.
Then he saw her.
"...Mama?"
The woman pulled him into her arms immediately, holding him so tightly that the boy let out a soft protest.
A few villagers nearby wiped at their eyes.
Others looked toward the hill behind them, unease still lingering in their expressions.
"What about the spider?" someone asked quietly.
Another voice followed.
"Is it still there?"
Alena straightened, brushing dirt from her hand as she stood.
"It's dead," she said simply.
The tension hanging over the village broke almost instantly.
Relief spread through the crowd like a wave.
Some people sagged where they stood. Others murmured prayers under their breath. A few simply stared at the hill in stunned silence, as if they were still waiting for the nightmare of the past week to return.
Riven stood a few steps back from the gathering, watching quietly.
The commotion drew more and more people from the houses.
The elder arrived soon after, walking quickly despite his age, his sharp eyes immediately settling on the boy.
He stopped in front of them.
For a moment he said nothing, simply watching as the child buried his face into his mother's shoulder.
Then the elder exhaled slowly.
His gaze shifted from the boy to Alena, then to Kade, and finally to Riven standing slightly apart from the others.
"The spider?" he asked.
"Dead," Alena answered.
The elder studied her for a moment longer, as if making sure there was no hesitation hidden in the statement.
Then he bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you."
Around them, the murmuring grew louder.
As if only after the elder had asked, the statement was confirmed.
Some villagers clasped their hands together in thanks. Others lowered their heads toward the three mercenaries in quiet respect.
But relief did not erase everything.
A few people stood farther back from the crowd, their expressions heavier. Six empty cocoons had hung beneath that tree.
"You should come inside," he said. "We can settle the reward properly."
He gestured toward the larger house at the center of the village.
"And you must eat something as well. It has been a long evening."
The villagers began to disperse gradually as the three followed him through the narrow street. The mood had shifted now—relief replacing the tight fear that had hung over the place earlier. Lantern light flickered across doorways as people spoke in low voices, some still glancing up toward the hill as if expecting the nightmare to return.
The elder's house was warm when they entered.
A small fire burned in a stone hearth.
The elder gestured for them to sit.
"I have already given the guild the rewards for safekeeping," he said as he settled behind the table. "Five spirit stones. You may collect them at any Mercenary Guild branch."
He folded his hands together.
"But I must record how the reward should be divided, so that you can claim it."
Kade leaned back slightly.
"Three of us."
The elder nodded.
"And how many stones should each of you claim?"
Alena spoke first.
"Two for him," she said, nodding toward Riven. "One for me. Two for Kade."
Riven looked at her, but didn't say anything.
The elder looked briefly surprised but wrote it down without comment.
"Very well," he said.
He set the brush aside once the note was finished.
Then he looked up again.
"You should stay and eat before leaving," the elder said. "The village owes you at least that much."
Kade answered first.
"Gladly."
Alena nodded as well.
But Riven shook his head.
"I'll pass."
The elder frowned slightly.
"You're certain?"
Riven gave a small nod.
Outside, the sounds of the village had begun to change. Relief had loosened tongues, and laughter could already be heard somewhere down the road.
Sitting among strangers celebrating felt wrong right now.
Uncomfortable.
Alena watched him for a moment.
Something in his eyes made her pause.
Then she simply nodded once.
"Safe travels," she said quietly.
Riven nodded.
Then turned and stepped back out into the night.
The night air felt cooler once Riven stepped outside the elder's house.
Behind him, voices rose inside the building as bowls and cups were set on the table.
Riven didn't linger.
He crossed the street and headed back toward the hill.
A few people noticed him passing and offered quiet nods of gratitude. He returned them with a slight dip of his head and kept moving.
Soon the last lantern light fell behind him.
The sounds of the village faded quickly after that. Returning laughter, voices, the clatter of dishes—each one thinning until only the quiet of the hill remained. The wind brushed through the grass in long slow waves, carrying the faint scent of sap and dust from the sacred tree above.
The path up the hill was darker now, but his eyes adjusted quickly. The webbing still stretched across the branches above, pale strands glimmering faintly in the moonlight.
The spider's corpse lay where it had fallen earlier.
For a moment, he looked down at his left hand.
The spider-shaped mark sat quietly against his skin.
Still.
No warmth.
No pulse.
Whatever had stirred earlier was gone.
Riven flexed his fingers once and sent the body into his spatial ring.
He didn't know what of the body Bosu would find valuable so this was the easiest solution.
But as he checked how little space there was left inside now, he realized he'd have to start being more careful with what he carries with him.
Then he turned away from the tree and continued his journey.
Days passed as he followed the compass needle through all kinds of terrain before eventually reaching a deep forest.
The air grew cooler as he walked.
Mist began to gather between the trees before long, drifting low along the forest floor. The path faded quickly beneath fallen leaves and roots, and within minutes the world around him had turned into shifting shades of grey.
Anyone without direction would have been lost almost immediately.
But Riven didn't panic.
He pulled the small compass out again.
The green needle glowed faintly in the mist.
Still pointing forward.
So he followed.
Step after step, deeper into the fog.
The forest swallowed sound quickly. Even the wind seemed muted here, the trees standing tall and silent as pale strands of mist drifted between them.
At times the fog grew thick enough that he could barely see the next trunk ahead.
But the needle never wavered.
Eventually the mist began to thin.
The trees slowly grew clearer again, their outlines sharpening as the grey veil lifted.
Riven pushed through the last lingering pockets of fog and continued forward.
He was still in a forest.
But the air felt different here.
He walked a little farther, before something ahead made him stop.
Riven's eyes widened slightly.
Surprise flickered across his face.