//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Where the Sun Don't Shine // Story: Umbral Shadows // by pchn00 //------------------------------// Chapter 1: Where the Sun Don’t Shine It is bright. Blindingly bright. I cannot stand the light yet it seems more and more I am subjected to it. It overwhelms my sight and renders me blind. Truly blind, which is a terrifying prospect to me. Then I hear the sounds. The noises of the beasts of this nightmarishly bright land. Snarling and snapping teeth. Finally I hear the voices. I do not know how I know they are voices, and not merely meaningless sounds made by unthinking beasts. But I know. They are terrified. Screams all about me. Then I am lifted, carried by…something. I am still blind from the brightness and so cannot see my rescuer. Then we are running. I do not know how long but it is some distance. I hear something pursuing us. The creature makes horrifying sounds as it chases us. My rescuer stops abruptly. And then, I am enveloped in darkness. I still cannot see, but the darkness is comforting to me. My eyes do not burn anymore. Then I hear it. Our pursuer catches my savior and she screams. A horrible sound. No less horrible then the crunching and tearing that accompanies it. I look to the sound, and see clearly one horrible blood shot eye staring hard at me. I jerk upright in bed, breathing heavily. I scowl as I am already coated in a thin sheen of sweat. The dream. Again. How I hate it. With a soft sigh to start the day, I rise and stretch making only the quietest of sounds as I touch the stone floor beneath my bedding. With practiced steps I navigate the darkness of my dwelling. A flick of my ear and I can hear the water rushing from the wall nearby. It’s the time of year when the water running through the cracks in the walls turns icy and cold, but I don’t mind, it helps chase the drowsiness away. With a deep breath, I jump and plunge into the icy pool. Seconds later I surface with a gasp, allowing the frigid water to run over my head and back. Then I blunder from the pool and give a vigorous shake sending the bulk of my bath to splatter about the floor and walls of my living space. Tilting my head toward the opening to the greater cave structures I can hear the scurrying of my family rushing about to their early business. The others have been quiet for some time so we have had time to reinforce defenses around the primary web, and even outer caves and tunnels are being laced with traps and pit falls. I smile to myself as I give a sharp kick to the wall near the exit. I am rewarded with a couple of soft plops as the large fungi that grow on the walls fall to the ground. Pausing a moment to enjoy my first meal of the day I again listen to the workers outside. The occasional chitter and hiss would drift along the tunnels to my home, bringing conversations to my ears. It seems the workers are in high spirits, no attacks mean no deaths, which means the queen and her ilk are happy. And when the queen is happy everyone is happy. As I step out into the tunnel beyond my cave I move into the flow of general traffic coming and going. It’s always busy here, whether we’re actively engaged in hostilities or not, so I’m used to the rushing press of bodies. Most pay me no mind, at best I get curious glances from some of the younger hatchlings who immediately dismiss me and move on. It long ago stopped bothering me. I know I am….different. Seen as an outsider among my people, but I do not let that stop me from doing my part for the family. I was a great burden to my mother for many years until I discovered my own unique way to contribute. I could not hunt, was a poor fighter and an even poorer builder…but I AM a good thinker. I put my mind to work coming up with new and inventive ways for my family to put THEIR talents to good use and I know it has improved our lot. Mother rarely shows outward displays of affection to her children. It would be unbecoming of the queen to show such favoritism. But when we are alone and it is just she and I, she tells me she is proud. That I have done more for our family and home than the rest of her direct children combined. My smile dims as I approach the queen’s chambers…I can hear at least ONE of my siblings inside already arguing again. They always argue with her, as if she did not have enough troubles weighing on her. It was one of my sisters of course. Ranting about some new imagined slight I am sure a drone or warrior perpetuated on her. It seemed as if everything anyone did in my sisters’ vicinity that was not overt groveling was an insult. I tune her out and settle on the floor of the immense cavern, just enjoying the sounds of the builders making repairs or expansions, or the workers dragging food through for the others. It’s not until several moments pass before I realize my sister has stopped her rambling, and my mother speaks. Many find her voice intimidating but not me, it is like sweet music to my ears. “Enough. I will investigate your claims against the worker but promise nothing Thakiss. Now you are dismissed. You have duties of your own to tend to.” I cannot hide a smile as I hear my sister scoff then scurry off in a huff. Though the room is still cloaked in the perfect black of darkness my entire home is covered in, I know mother is looking at me suddenly. “Umbra…how many times have I told you, you must be able to see at all times. An attack can come from anywhere, at any time. Hamper yourself and hamper the family.” My smile fades and I know she is right. With a sigh I reach into myself calling up the…power…I was born with. A faint red glow bathes my mother’s cavern, and I feel a tingling in my eyes. When I blink next the glow is gone but I see clearly in stark black and white. It always takes me a moment to adjust to seeing. I prefer to make my way by sound it seems much more…elegant to me. I cast my gaze up to look upon the massive form of my mother, our queen. Settled comfortably in the center of her massive web she gazes down at me impassively. I hear most say they find her eyes impossible to read…as if she were carved of smooth stone. But not to me. I can always tell when she is sad, when she is angry, and when she is happy. Today she just looks…tired. Each of her eight legs is easily thrice my size, ending in a fiercely jagged chitinous blade. From the waist down she appears as any other of the family. A massive arachnid shape. Each leg can cleave through stone as if it were soft moss. I have only seen her engage our enemies personally once, but it was a sight I will never forget. Nor will any survivors of the battle I should think. Her upper half is unique to the ruling class of our family. Long slender arms ending in delicate looking hands. Delicate looking I say, because I have seen her crush our foes with her bare hands. Her smooth torso ripples with sleek muscle. I see the sizeable fangs protruding from her lips…her cool eight eyes gaze down from her high perch. I run my tongue along my own teeth, sighing at their…odd shape. How I wish I more properly reflected her regal form. I clear my throat, and speak softly. “I am low on material for several of my more potent concoctions. I must make a foray into the outer tunnels and collect more components.” She tilts her head. “Do you require an escort?” I shake mine in response. “No highness, I know my destination well. They are not far from the web and have never been disturbed by our rivals.” “Then go Umbra. Return to the family safely.” I bow low. She cannot voice it, but I see the concern for my safety in her eyes. Always worried for me. The most helpless of her children. I hide my scowl as I turn back for my own chambers. Again ignored by the passing workers, I collect my bags and set out of the main tunnels into the outer chambers. My gait is swift this morning. I did not lie to my mother, I DO need more components. The poisons and potions I craft have aided the family in so many ways it astounds me at times if I stop to ponder it. No, I did not lie…I simply did not tell her the entire truth. If she knew how far I truly roamed from the safety of the web I know she would send an escort…if she ever let me go on my own again. More likely she would send workers in my stead, and this I could not allow. Now and again as I travel the tunnels I pause to collect a mushroom here, some lichen there. I go through my components so frequently it is never bad to have extra close by. I pause in my walk, as I always do when I come to the end of our territory. I know I always risk much by leaving…but it is the only way to see my friend. With renewed determination I continue forward. It has been many waking’s since I have been to see her, and I yearn for the companionship she offers. I always travel a little slower away from the safety of our tunnels. Each step I take seems to echo and bound off the walls like a pair of boulders crashing together. Picking my way along the tunnels slowly, careful not to make more noise than I can help I soon find myself in the upper levels of the tunnels we call home. I never see any sign that another of my family has passed this way, no errant strands of webbing or remains of a meal to indicate anything other than myself has come this way in many years. Soon enough the chamber she resides in is near at hand and I let my vision flicker and fade. I once made the mistake of trying to view her the same way I view most things…it was not a pleasant experience. My friend seemed to give off a light of her own…far brighter than even the dim red glow I emitted when I unleashed my freakish gifts. A thin trickle of sweet water always runs through the floor of my friends’ home, and I paused to slake my thirst. Moving into her chamber I carefully avoid the bones of some massive creature that fell here long ago and settle next to the far smaller pile of bones. Sometimes I have to wait for her to make herself known, and in that time I busy myself running through new formulas in my head. Trying to think of new ways to combine certain components for different results. As always my patience is rewarded, a chill fills the air and a pale silvery glow rises from the bones before me, coalescing into the shape of my friend. She does not speak…I do not think she CAN speak. But she listens. She smiles as I talk. It matters not what I talk about, my work, my family, and my aspirations. She provides me a friendly ear with which to pour my thoughts into. We are very similar in shape she and I…save she somehow has the protective shell so many of my family have, and I lack. When we first met…after I got over my initial fear of her, I eagerly tried to pry the secret of her shell. Once I realized she could not speak I abandoned my attempts at questioning. I had once made the mistake of trying to remove the shell from her mortal remains…but the…thing she wore on one leg did not take kindly to this and repulsed me with a burst of light bright enough I could not see for hours after wards. I did not try a second time. I sigh and lie on my side. She does likewise with a smile, her ghostly form simply collapsing onto its side. The question is in her eyes. “It is nothing different today than any other day my friend.” I shrug. “I worry for my mother. I know my presence is difficult for her. She has so much to tend to, so many other children more deserving of her attention. She worries for me, for my future I think.” She wrinkles her nose…a gesture I always thought looked odd…of course she is the only creature besides myself I interact with who HAS a nose…I wonder if I make the same looks? She nods to the bag at my side, bulging with my gathered components. I allow a smile to find my face once more. “Yes I DO contribute but I cannot hunt for myself. She fears if I become separated from the family I will be unable to fend for myself. Most likely she is right.” Now she rolls her eyes…another gesture that I find strange, but fills me with irritation once I realized what it meant. “I am not being irrational, I know it is truth.” There is sympathy in her eyes. Sympathy and sadness. I am very adept at reading emotions from years of learning to read my mother’s. She wants to help me I am sure, but she is bound to this cavern. She once tried to leave with me, only to vanish and reappear by her bones once more. “But you do help me my friend, more than I can say. Just having someone to…speak openly with is very comforting for me.” Her smile matches my own now, as I rise to leave. “I should return. If I am gone long mother will mobilize an entire battalion to search for me.” Now we both laugh…even if hers is silent I know she shares my mirth. I dip into a bow, a gesture she also returns. I learned it from her after all. “I will come back soon I think. It has been quiet for a while now and safer to travel the outer pathways.” With a wave she begins to fade. Until the cavern is dark again. I turn to go, calling up my power and regaining my dark sight. Once again I set on the path for home…then freeze. I have barely entered the tunnels from my friends’ home when I hear something. A fluttering sound that sends a thrill of fear through me. I whip my head from side to side seeking the source…to my surprise; it is standing calmly in the tunnel behind me regarding me with its head tilted. There is no doubt…it is one of THEM. Those my family is always fighting with, always killing and being killed by. What pains me most are our similarities. We both have four legs…and roughly the same body shape. However it is covered in a chitin more resembling my family. Translucent wings flicker across its back as it gazes at me with unblinking solid eyes. I tense myself…surely it is about to attack, to strike me down. Mother was right…I should not be out wandering the far tunnels on my own. My foolishness will now get me killed. To my surprise…it does not attack. It seems perfectly at ease around one of its mortal foes. Instead of attacking…it speaks. “A pony? Down here?”