The Spider Queen

Sophie flung herself at the carriage door and used the full weight of her body to push them open.

She grabbed Amira by her hand and pulled the frightened girl out of the carriage. The scene that greeted them outside could only be described as pure carnage.

Dozens of shabbily dressed men and women holding a variety of weapons from bows to swords and even a mace were fighting fiercely.

The weapons that they wielded were poorly crafted but effective enough to get the job done.

A man staggered as a sword sliced through his stomach, a women collapsed when an arrow struck her neck…

Needless deaths.

Sophie glanced at the scene and immediately realised what was going on.

Clearly someone had betrayed her organisation and leaked out information that the count's daughter would be transported here tonight.

Another group must want the noble girl for themselves either to sell or for another nefarious purpose.

"Oi Rat! Take the girl and run!" a familiar voice shouted out from the middle of the crowd.

Sophie looked in the direction of the sound and saw the middle-aged man with the eyepatch over his right eye staring directly at her.

Fuck.

His shout drew the attention of several men holding bloody swords.

They yelled something at their companions and then immediately ran towards the two girls.

Sophie roughly grabbed Amira by her arm and broke out into a sprint. Her physique had improved after she had leveled up, but her speed was no match for three grown men.

The distance slowly began to close.

Sophie ran towards an alleyway while glancing constantly at her nearby surroundings for any places to hide.

She didn't have much time before the men caught up. A crossroad came up ahead and relief flooded Sophie's heart.

She barely paid attention to Amira who appeared to be on the verge of collapse. If the noble girl fainted, then she would just have to carry her on her shoulders.

Sophie heard footsteps approaching from the distance and knew that she didn't have much time left.

She pulled Amira along and the two girls went down the left road just as their pursuers came around the corner.

Sophie saw that one of the shacks near the entrance of the road was half opened so she pulled on the handle.

"Which way did they go?" a roughish voice came from the distance.

"Mark, you take the left… me and Ben will take the right," another voice commanded in a cold tone.

Sophie rushed inside the house and then quickly shut the door once Amira followed behind her.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief but froze as the cold steel of a dagger pressed against her throat.

"Don't turn around…" a soft-spoken voice whispered gently in Sophie's ear as the blade pressed closer against her flesh.

Sophie gritted her teeth as she felt a soft liquid on her neck. The blade had already drawn a thin red line on her flesh.

Out of the frying pan… into the fire…

"We mean you no harm… there is a gang war going on right now and we just need shelter for the night," Sophie calmly spoke as if she was not in any danger.

She could see Amira clutching her chest and beginning to hyperventilate.

"Please… we're just two girls…" Sophie continued to plead as she heard footsteps on the other side of the door.

One of the men was walking past the building where they were currently hiding.

She didn't know if her pleads had worked but the mysterious occupant of the shack slowly removed the blade from her neck.

"Alright… you can stay… but I want you out of here by the morning," the voice warned sternly but the sound of fingers snapping could be heard.

A mysterious blue light appeared in the center of the room and illuminated the dark surroundings.

"A mage?" Amira gasped in shock.

Sophie turned around and saw a woman with short auburn hair wearing a long brown cloak that went down to her ankles.

She held a dagger in one hand and a large bottle of wine in the other. Her face would have been beautiful were it not for the runes carved into her soft skin.

Dark bloody markings that wriggled and squirmed as if they were somehow alive.

"Hmm… you don't look like a street rat," the mage whispered curiously as her eyes glanced at Amira's fine clothes.

"You on the other hand…"

A smirk flashed across the mage's face as she tilted the bottle upwards and took a large sip from its contents.

Sophie wasn't sure if it was safe to completely trust the mysterious woman, so she did not explain why they were hiding.

Fortunately, the mage did not seem to care as she headed for a small bed in the corner of the room and collapsed on the firm mattress.

Hours passed by quite uneventfully as Sophie lingered by the door with her ear constantly searching for any noises.

Amira had somehow managed to fall asleep lying down on the dirty floor and her small chest slowly rose up and down.

The mage kept drinking but would occasionally glance in Sophie's direction and flash a knowing smirk.

A blue translucent window popped up in front of Sophie and she glanced at the new text that appeared on the screen.

[The Archdemon of Pride warns you to stay away from that crazy woman]

[The Goddess of Mercy frowns at the demon's words. She encourages you to trust in the kindness of strangers]

Crazy woman?

"Rat! Rat! By the gods! Where the hell is that brat?" a hoarse voice interrupted the quiet stillness of the room.

Sophie did not even dare to breathe as the sound of heavy footsteps appeared just outside the door.

More voices joined the first and it appeared as though a group of people were hanging around the entrance to the alleyway.

"Fuck! We just managed to kill those bastards, but the count's daughter is missing!"

"I sent that brat to go on ahead, but she is nowhere to be found!"

"The boss is going to kill us! Damn it!"

"Wait… what if she's dead?"

Loud cursing and angry shouts could be heard as the men bickered and argued among themselves.

Finding two girls in the middle of the slums was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

The sheer number of hidden roads, side passageways and shacks built right next to each other provided ample hiding spots for individuals not wishing to be found.

Sophie waited until the men finally walked away. It took several tense seconds before their footsteps could no longer be heard.

"An archdemon huh… that's going to end badly," a lazy voice came from the corner of the room.

The mage sat up on her bed and watched Sophie with eyes that were glittering with an unknown emotion.

"Don't worry sweetie… most people can't see the higher beings," the mage continued to talk as she saw a vigilant look flash across Sophie's face.

"Just take my advice… demons are more trouble than they're worth. Nasty little cockroaches only interested in making deals and scheming away in the darkness."

"But then again… not like angels or goddess are any better… self righteous morons with enormous sticks up their asses."

Two translucent blue windows immediately popped up as the mage finished speaking.

[The Goddess of Mercy is outraged at this blasphemy!]

[The Archdemon of Pride wishes for you to punch this arrogant human in the face]

Suddenly the world froze in place and Sophie found herself back in the dark.

She removed the virtual helmet from her face and checked the time on her wrist communicator.

Oh… her alarm had gone off. Sophie glanced outside a nearby window and saw a pale blue planet appear in the distance.

She had arrived at her destination.