After that magical encounter Molly was on cloud nine.singing, skipping and fluttering about on her wings as we moved along.

  The woods remained quiet except for Molly's singing. The trees slowly growing more dense as we go. The shade from their canopies casting dark shadows across the ground. The surroundings took on a more heavy aspect.

  Molly seeming to notice the change in atmosphere because she started sticking more close to me and her singing took on a more subdued tone. Her only singing now to keep her courage up.

  The first sign that something was wrong was when we came across the droppings pile. Each of of droppings was shaped like a big black bead and there were dozens of the things.

  I estimated from the size of the droppings they came from something about the size of a small dog. We hurried to get away from that place.

  The next sign we came across was a white substance sticking to the trees. It was barely visible at a distance but came into focus up close. Me and Molly picked up the pace.

  The last sign we came across in our path was an abandoned carapace left on the ground. The carapace had eight legs.

  With all these signs it was no surprise when spiders showed up. What was a surprise was their size and their numbers. I counted 7 spiders each 15 inches or 38.1 cm around from tip to tip. They dropped down around us from the tree tops and quickly surrounded us.

  Molly let out an earsplitting scream. Before I could react they were upon us. 3 leaping at Molly and 4 at me. Molly panicked letting loss a fire bolt at the one flying towards her face. It was struck square on burning it as the thing flew away and spasmed as it died.

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  This however still left the two others that latched onto her arm and leg.

  I deflected two spiders in off my buckler knocking them back stunning them. I ignored the other two trying to bite ineffectively into me and swung my club for all it was worth. Knocking the one off her arm, I was just a little to late as Molly let out a pained screech as the other bit down into her leg. I quickly pulverized the one on her leg crushing it to oblivion. The other two I had ignored attacked and I dealt with them quickly and efficiently.

  With the last spiders all stunned I took a moment to assess Molly's condition.

  Molly had passed out from pain and was pale as a sheet. Her wound looked real bad. Purple and black streaks creeping up her leg. Poison!

  She needed an antidote. Antidotes cost 25 currency. I didn't have enough but I knew we're to get more.

  My eye locked onto the spiders that were just now recovering from being stunned. The one I had knocked from Molly's arm was in the worst condition.

  I hefted my club and charged. I had to do this quickly. If they ran it would cost time and Molly didn't have time.

  In one swift motion I finished off the worst off one.

  The two remaining spiders tried to flee but they were still a bit disoriented and I caught up within seconds, crushing one and damaging the legs of the other.

  The last one careened into a tree and began trying to climb it with none functioning legs. It didn't get far, my club smashing down on it.

  I didn't even wait to read the notifications that appeared before I was rushing back to Molly antidote in hand. I pried Molly's blue lips apart and dumped it down her throat.

  The antidote went to work immediately as the black veins on her leg started receding and color returned to her face.

  I started healing her until I had to stop my vision growing woozy from Aether depletion.

  Little by little Molly's breathing returned to normal and her eyes fluttered open as she clutched onto me she went into a full on crying fit.

  I clasped her back tired but relieved.