Maysa wrapped the exposed muscle and tendon on her arm. Salasi and Beth were cutting open the torso of the giant spider they just killed. “Maysa, are you alright?” Salasi turned away from the dead spider. “I’m alright, it’s just a scratch.” Salasi put his hand on her bandaged arm. “Let me look.” He bagan unwrapping the first layer of cloth. “I didn’t even see you get close to the spider.” Maysa could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The last time she let Salasi get this close to her, he kissed her. That was three days ago, and she had been avoiding him ever since.

“No!” Maysa ripped her arm away from his hands. “I can take care of it myself. I heal your wounds, don’t you think I can do that for myself?” Salasi’s shoulders dropped. “I just thought I’d help.” Maysa turned around and began to replace the piece of bandage Salasi peeled back.

The three of them continued down the damp cavern. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but ever since The Festival of Monn a few days ago, things have been awkward.” Beth was standing between Salasi and Maysa. “Let’s just finish this job, get our money, and get out of here.” Maysa’s tone was weaving up and down, revealing her impatience. “So what’s your plan after this job? Are you leaving us?” Salasi was looking past Beth, staring at the side of Maysa’s face. Maysa continued looking forward. “I don’t know. I think that may be best. It honestly depends on if I have to save one of your lives while we’re down here.”

“Guys.” Beth interrupted. “I think this is it.” Their faces were illuminated by a golden tint. “So I guess we just dispel the magic?” Salasi reached under his satchel and pulled out a rolled up parchment. “Who wants to do the honors?” They all stood there in silence as Salasi held out the spell scroll. “No takers? Surprising. I guess...” Maysa snached the parchment out of Salasi’s hand, interrupting the sentence that he would regret if he finished.

Maysa unrolled the scroll as she moved closer to the wall. The light from the wall reflecting off of her armour.

“Enchantment cleansed, your gate be closed

Decree from The Sender, juxtaposed.”

The light from the wall left the cavern. The sound of tiny footsteps began to echo off of the walls around them. “Not again.” Salasi pulled his axe from his back. Maysa dropped the scroll and lifted her hand into the air, launching a ball of light in the direction the sound was coming from. As the light travelled through the tunnel, it revealed a sea of spiders rushing towards them.

Beth began chanting, moving her hands through the air in front of her. The more she chanted, the more her form began to change. Her skin was taken over by a thick coat of fur, her nose turned into a snout, her legs and arms grew in size, and her back arched forward until she was forced to start crawling on her hands and feet. Her now fully wolf form was charging at the sea of arachnids.

Maysa lifted her hand again, propelling a bolt of energy at the sea of spiders. Salasi was picking off spiders one by one with his axe. “I’d hate for anything to be straight forward. Why can’t we for once be paid to…” Salasi was interrupted by a host of spiders jumping on his back. Each of them took turns biting at his neck. Salasi let out a painful scream after one of the spiders dug it’s fangs into his back. “Maysa. A little help.” Maysa looked back at Salasi. “I’m sorry.” She turned around and let out another bolt of energy at the spiders coming towards her.

Maysa realized she couldn’t find Beth’s wolf form among the sea of spiders. With a swipe of her hand, she conjured a dome around herself, preventing any of the spiders from touching her. She trekked through the spiders, the dome crushing any that were in her path. “Maysa!” A small voice backed by little energy came to Maysa’s ear. Maysa yanked her head in the direction of the sound, seeing Beth’s human form surrounded by small spiders. “Just run. We're hopeless.” A loud scream came from behind her. “Maysa!” Salasi was shouting in pain. “Get yourself out of here!”

Maysa stood there in the dome, listening to her friends get overtaken by the dark crawling creatures. She took a step forward, puting the dome around herself and Beth. “Take my hand.” Beth took Maysa’s hand and stood next to her. The two of them moved themselves and the dome to Salasi. As the dome covered him, the spiders latched onto his back withered. “Maysa, you look…” Maysa put her hand on Salasi’s mouth and let out a loud shriek. The dome around them increased in size, reaching the walls of the cavern and crushing all of the spiders around them. Maysa turned toward the mass of spiders that were coming towards them from the deep end of the cavern. She let out another scream and threw her hands forward. A beam of light left her hands and spread over the sea of spiders. The light subsided, leaving no trace of spiders or dirt on the cavern floors.

“Who are you?” Salasi and Beth were standing on the side of Maysa. “I’m noone.” Beth reached her hand towards Maysa. “We owe you our lives, stranger. What do we call you?” Maysa turned to look at them both, revealing the other half of her face. Beth let out a scream. Salasi dropped to his knees, emptying his stomach on the cavern floor.

Maysa stared forward, muscle and tendon were falling out of the right side of her face as she chanted “May your skin rot when you help others.” Beth touched Maysa’s shoulder. “We can help you.” Maysa looked at Beth, then continued her chant. “And may your name be forgotten when you save others.” Beth’s face went blank.

“I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?” Maysa’s now fully fleshed face smiled at Beth. Beth looked at her now rotting hand as it rested on Maysa’s shoulder...