Chapter 5 - Red Eyes Black Spider

Lilith

I awake with a jolt, my heart pounding in my chest so hard it can be felt in my throat. A cold sweat begins to caress my still bare skin at the realization I cannot see anything because my eyes are blindfolded. My wrists and ankles bound together behind my back make anything more than rocking side to side seem impossible. My mouth is dry and my throat parched as the gag stuffed in it has soaked up all the moisture within. The ground feels cold and metallic, causing me to shiver slightly from the cold sensation on my bare skin, I really regret not getting dressed.

 

My ears however are uncovered, and quickly realizing I am not alone as the sudden sound of shuffling echoes across the room as it sounds like someone is standing up as if they were in a panic. The sound of quick footsteps moves closer to me as I hold my breath, the pounding of my heart throbbing now in my ears as well as throat. 

 

The oddly scratchy yet distinctly padded sounding footsteps race past me and soon I hear a metal door groan and creak as it’s quickly opened and indistinct shouting can be heard echoing from what sounds like a hallway as the door slams shut, followed by the sound of metal sliding across metal ending with a ‘ka-chunk’ of what I can only assume is a lock.

 

I breathe in, then out, in a controlled rhythm to try and calm myself while thinking about what my next move should be. ‘I could easily reshape my body to escape these restraints,’ the thought ran through my head, before reconsidering, not knowing whether I’m still being watched. Unsure how much they know about me, ‘hopefully little, and I want to keep it that way,’ I thought, realizing the need to think carefully. 

 

Deciding my first goal should be information, the need to see the room became my priority. A few ideas run through my head, like moving the blindfold for a peek, or manifesting an eye on my hand or fingers. I deem them not subtle enough, as someone could still be watching me right now, I cannot tell. After a few more moments of thinking I have an idea, my hair is not tied in any way, so by whipping my head around as if I’m struggling my hair can grow and change without notice in such a way that it can work as cover for a couple small eyes I can make on my forehead.

 

I begin to concentrate on the changes I want to take place, first how my bangs will be shaped, feigning a short struggle as the changes occur I whip my head back and forth while rocking my body briefly trying to perform an act for any who may be watching. Stopping so my hair can settle into position, I focus on making eyes, being wary of unknown problems, I choose not to put eyes on the back or sides of my head until I can experiment in safety. Instead, I simply make two normal eyes, only smaller, on my forehead near my hairline, hidden beneath my bangs.

 

As I open my second set of eyes, I can immediately tell the room is brightly lit, by what I am unsure, but it reminds me of ‘daylight’ bulbs from earth, rather than candle light or anything else. There is no time to ponder though, I will my hair to move slightly as best I can to let me see through it, as one might peek through blinds in a window. Through the bars of a cage I can see the room looks like a large rectangle with big stone walls. On the side where my head is I can make out a recess in the wall, along with part of the large metal door it contains. Towards my feet is an empty chair that looks very worn, likely where the guard who ran out was sitting.

 

Filling the space, packed and stacked as if it were a storage container back on earth, was furniture and items from the cabin. I wondered just how long I was out. My ‘status’ page answered that:

 

{Age [Chronological | Apparent]: 3 days, 19 hours, 42 minutes | 23 years}

 

I recall that when returning to the cabin it had been about a day and 5 hours. Unsure of how long a day in this world is, it hits me how truly ignorant I am about everything in my current circumstances. Filled with yet more dread, I breathe in and out slowly and resume my train of thought. Assuming a day to be about 24 hours, and knowing I fell asleep another night, and woke up in the morning, that would mean it’s been… almost 2 days. My heart sank.

 

‘Relax’, reassuring myself with more calm breaths, ‘if all the furniture is here we couldn’t have gone far. With any luck I’m not completely SOL. I’m not on an operating table, at least.’ An involuntary laugh tries to escape but the gag prevents it and the sudden movement only makes my parched throat ache. Refocusing myself after a deep breath, I examine the cage I am in and feel slightly claustrophobic as it seems to be only a few feet high, like a cage for a large pet. The bars seem spaced out enough that I could potentially squeeze through them depending on the limits of my shapeshifting.

 

Towards my feet the door of the cage can be seen, unfortunately no locking mechanism is visible. Pondering whether it uses magic, I feel frustrated knowing nothing about this world’s magic. Glaring at my ‘status’ in frustration and anger, I shout in my head ‘Tell me where to get this fucking teaching, please!’

 

{Class: NightBlade}

{Spells: __None Available - Training Required__}

 

Even more frustration welled up as I cursed my ‘class’ as useless because it hasn’t appeared to grant any abilities or spells. I couldn’t help but feel the RPG system in this world was stupid, my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of footsteps as my whole body tenses up, my heartbeat quickening yet again. Trying not to be obvious I avoid facing my head directly towards the door hoping to hide the fact I can see.

 

I shivered as a cold sweat once again envelops my body while my heartbeat can be felt pounding in my parched throat, aching a little with every pulse. For what felt like an eternity the door made clinking and clunking sounds as it was being unlocked, before silence once again filled the room briefly as I instinctively held my breath. The door creaking as it opens shatters the silence as I release my breath in a shiver, fear and flashbacks of the night I was murdered flashing in my head like lighting on a stormy night. 

 

The sound of the now fully open door crashing against the stone wall echoed through the room like thunder making me jerk involuntarily. Slow, even, heavy yet graceful sounding steps approach my cage, sounding as if the person they belong to is savoring the moment and trying to drag it out.

 

*Step, *Step, *Step, *Step, *Step

 

I attempted to gulp unconsciously but was reprimanded with pain from my parched throat, as I slowly turned my head towards the footsteps, I can only make out what look to be expensive shoes, fancy greyish-black trousers, the bottom half of a dark crimson colored vest with golden buttons, and part of a jet black long tailed coat.

 

*Step, *Step, *Step, *Step, *Step

 

I watch the man’s graceful footsteps, as he casually strolls towards my cage, his hands seemingly behind his back. Despite my fear I can’t help but feel he’s gloating or something with this act, or maybe just patting himself on the back, my throat aches again as I involuntarily tried to vocalize an ‘ech’ sound at the thought. Instead I am coughing in reaction to the aching in my throat, my whole body stiffens and curls up at the intensity of the coughing which is unable to provide much relief with my mouth gagged.

 

The man stops and bends forward to look at me, a devious, satisfied smile across his face. I can’t help but think he reminds me of the stereotypical movie ‘handsome older gentleman’, usually the scheming or villain kind. His chiseled face was complemented with his well groomed salt and pepper colored beard and mustache, topped with neatly trimmed white and grey hair.

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Moving my head towards him but off by some random direction, hoping to hide the fact I can see, I watch him lean in closer as I hold my breath. In the silence I can hear his breath now as he silently watches me. Unable to hold it any longer, I exhale with another slight shiver.

 

He says something but I cannot understand a word of it. The calmness in his voice as well as the sweet tone is somehow unnerving to me. Unsure of how my telepathy works, feeling afraid of revealing more information by trying to speak, I focus hard on listening hoping perhaps, like a submarine in war, I can avoid exposing my ‘position’ by running silent and only listening for the enemy’s sonar ‘pings.’ Waiting with baited breath for the man to say anything else, I begin to shiver as his warm breath flows across my bare skin as he leans in closer. I can’t help but cry internally over the fact I never got the chance to get dressed. The anxiety over being naked from my previous life assaulting my psyche as I indirectly watch the man.

 

Finally the tension breaks as he speaks once again, this time, two voices echo across my senses, one of an unknown language from my ears and one within my head.

 

“╕sZꝞ7╥[3ꝅq∆g*∟:MCꝕ(a_wꝕ0∕? CjIU0HpTꝞR∫RD\V0x<Tn_∑ T$pFw0∏−$SP╕ue₢ꝞN ⌡CF.gꝯ≡H└Fi~ /┴∆"+╥%₢c∕S₨(B uVvPo∆LiRU*7_EE8"∟v!7g L╥$^₰⌡gꝯ+╡\(O∫F∏Z 8v0i└|u∕u\XN6∟ ╕∆6e| ╡1/5dWVYⱠ^≡ ╡I~:^p∫ꝕ;8/8ꝯqꝕ∞PtQF YI*Yub<O∆wꝕ═ꝯ@0$4Ꝍ"9 GL%ꝯf_d]<BN├k<T[Ꝧꝅ}rgꝅ 03(pj\Ꝟ$.u≡4v:(CUꝦ.”

 

‘There has never been anything quite like you. I want to know your secrets. The woman you left alive swore to me on her life you have black feathered wings and white hair, but that you, wingless and hair black as night, had the same face,’ he paused for a moment, getting even closer, such that his breath ran across my face as he finished the sentence, “≡$Hkg≡j╪E`;ꝕwV},K╘n╛”; ‘and the same red eyes.’ The two voices echo in a way that feels creepy and unnerving.

 

I shivered once again and tried to lean as far away from him as I could, frightened about whether he knew I could see him. He had no reaction as far as I can tell. He is only staring at me, watching me like I imagine a twisted researcher would a defenceless lab rat. 

 

I want him to go away. That’s all I can think as he just watches me. Tears begin to flow from my still blindfolded eyeballs, while I close and hide my ‘extra’ pair of eyes, partly to avoid tears from them, unsure if they would cry too, and partly to avoid his stare that feels as if it is piercing my soul. Curling my head towards my chest and the floor I attempt in vain to hide my face from his stare.

 

I hear a slight chuckle followed by the shifting of his clothes as he straightens up and adjusts his coat. Followed by the same heavy yet graceful, slow paced footsteps as before.

 

*Step, *Step, *Step, *Step, *Step

 

I can hear shuffling from the door, and the same padded yet also scratchy sounding footsteps as before.

 

*Step, *Step, *Step, *Step, *Step 

 

He says something, presumably to the guard, but my concentration was broken and I can not hear it with my telepathy, “ÛᴚրГ╕∩≡╞╩■┐.”

 

I hear his footsteps echo in the hallway as the door shuts with a clang and the same sliding and ka-thunk as before, only this time the scratchy footsteps only seem to reposition outside the door as silence falls upon the room again.

 

Bringing back my second set of eyes I quickly assess the room and realize I appear to be alone. Sliding my body like a worm across the solid metal of the cage floor I lean against the bars and try to look around the room for any signs of anything like a magical camera or something. I can see no windows or any openings. The only feature of the room besides the door seems to be a row of, presumably magical, lamps across the middle of the ceiling.

 

Looking towards the door a small window can be made out, barely. I try without success to sit up for a better look. Unsure of myself, but feeling that it is ‘do or die’ time, I plan to remove my arm and leg restraints, focusing my concentration, I imagine my arms and legs as featureless tentacles, slender and long. I feel the tightness vanish as my arms and legs feel lighter, skinnier, and longer. Reaching up with one of my ‘arms’ I clumsily try to remove the blindfold. Struggling I stubbornly continue trying, rather than going back to my normal arm, justifying it to myself that I need to learn to control my body. While very true I also am aware it’s mostly an excuse to be stubborn. 

 

Finally removing the blindfold, my vision becomes weird and distorted from having four eyes, I remove the two on my forehead as well as returning my arms and hands to normal. I slowly remove the gag trying my best to be silent and not cough. The cloth sticks against the inside of my mouth, as I slowly pull it feels like removing a firmly attached bandage. I wince from the pain but manage to stay silent.

 

Finally free from that hell I breath deeply but raggedly through my mouth, looking down towards my legs, I slip off the bindings easily before reforming them back to normal. Finally feeling relief from my restraint I look over my cage and the room again. On a dresser that came from the cabin, I notice the bag that I stuffed my ruined clothes in. Hanging out from the top of it is the pendant Izanami gave me, swaying ever so slightly, as if to tease me.

 

I am relieved to see it, fearing I had lost it by escaping from the cabin with such haste. Looking back to my cage, I try the simplest thing first, testing my strength trying to bend the bars. Stopping after a few moments of trying, it appears I only bent them by about a millimeter. ‘Plan B,’ I decide, taking a minute to think about the possibilities as I stare at the details of my ability.

 

{Perfect Shapeshift - [Unique Skill | Divine Providence] Allows a complete remodeling of one’s body to any form physically possible, with flawless accuracy that cannot be detected by any means to non Divinity. Note: Body Mass does not change from this skill, only density. Use caution with extremely small or large volume changes. Mass alterations through other means will apply to this ability.}

 

My eyes hover over a phrase, ‘any form physically possible’ as I read it in my head I can’t help but think it feels overly broad, and rather abusable, not intending to complain, the thought ‘I’ll take what I can get.’ runs through my head. With a deep, slow breath, I prepare myself for a test of this ability. Focusing my thoughts, I try to imagine myself as a kid, hoping maybe the size of a 10 year old is small enough.

 

Opening my eyes I examine my now smaller hands, feeling satisfied I start to move, and immediately notice that I still feel the same weight, which makes movements feel rather different and somewhat difficult to be precise. ‘Guess it takes some getting used to,’ I muse to myself. Moving forward I attempt to squeeze through the bars unsuccessfully. Disappointed, I concentrate once again, this time, splitting the age in half, imagining a 5 year old version of myself.

 

Once again opening my eyes and examining my now even smaller hands, with somewhat stubby seeming fingers, I try to squeeze through again, and I get stuck. Try as I might, the awkwardness in movement from my body’s increased density combined with my attempt to stay silent, left me unable to escape. Closing my eyes I go even further, 3 years old, before even opening my eyes I feel the release of the bars’ iron grip on my body as I shrink.

 

Stepping out from between the bars I almost fell over, heart racing I managed to wrap one of my arms around a bar to prevent falling. Nervous, I stare toward the door, hearing no sound. I release a slow breath in relief. Finally free, I concentrate on returning to my normal size, I begin to feel more agile as my body is no longer tiny while being as heavy as an adult.

 

Not wanting to be naked anymore, I recreate the ‘clothes’ with my shapeshift from my first experiment, a simple form-fitted black long sleeve blouse with simple frilly folds at the end of the sleeves, and a plain black skirt. To avoid noise I did not try to make any shoes, instead opting to just harden the bottom of feet as before.

 

I walk toward the door as silently as I can manage, my heart pounding again in my chest, every step feeling increasingly tense. As I approach the door, I duck to the side of the recess realizing I don’t want to just peek out and be seen. Thinking for a moment, I come up with an idea, holding my finger up I concentrate on the tip and imagine a pair of snail eyes, after a moment I watch with fascination as they sprout and grow from my finger. 

 

Overcome with a bout of dizziness as the eyes become functional and my vision is suddenly coming from four eyes at different angles, I close all my eyes and brace myself against the wall until I feel better. I practice for a minute or so trying to switch between sets of eyes by only opening one at a time, and swapping back and forth.

 

Satisfied with my progress, I use the eyes in my head to watch the ones on my finger as I practice moving them around a bit to get used to the feeling of motor control. Swapping my active set of eyes I practice again from the viewpoint of my finger. Once I feel reasonably comfortable, I make my move, switching my vision back, I kneel down, creeping up to the door, and begin raising my finger toward the window, switching my vision again as I am about to reach the threshold.

 

I see two long hallways, one going off to the right appearing to split off into a T shaped intersection, and one going straight ahead, with another door at the far end, made of metal bars, closer together than the cage. The biggest issue is what is to the left of the door, in the space between the left wall of the hallway and the door stands a half human, half werewolf looking guard, with large incisors poking out of his mouth, long claws on his paw-like fuzzy hands, and feet. Not only that, I see a short-sword on his belt.

 

Feeling dismayed, thinking he likely has some kind of combat training and I have none, I try to come up with another plan. Pulling away from the door, crouching down, I shape my finger back to normal as I switch my vision back. Thinking for a while, I come up with a crazy plan. But I need to test it’s viability. Looking back at my finger, I imagine a tarantula sized spider on the end of my finger, it’s rear attached to the tip.

 

Somewhat grossed out at first, I steel my nerves, as I stare at it. This time I made sure to keep its eyes ‘turned off’ to avoid any issues. I practice moving all of its legs, after several moments, I feel satisfied and lower my finger to the ground, where I focus on the next part of my idea. Concentrating I adjust the connection point of the spider body, and try to spin a thread at the same time, at first things don’t really go how I want and I have to reshape everything a few times.

 

Eventually however, I manage to do it, the spider body crawls away from my finger, attached only by a thread being spun from it as it moves. I can’t help but smile and feel a bit proud of myself. Next I close my eyes and switch to the spider body’s view. The difference in vision is really disorienting at first. It feels something like being in the first row of an iMax theater. After a couple more minutes I become more used to the field of vision and with controlling the spider body, even crawling around on the wall.

 

Feeling satisfied I switch my vision back to my human head, and pick up the spider body gently, staring at it’s head, I try to imagine whatever fangs it would normally have as my vampire fangs instead. This is harder than I imagined and it takes another minute or so of concentration, but I now find myself staring at mini vampire fangs on the fuzzy tarantula in my hand that’s actually part of me.

 

Feeling a little astonished by the absurdity of it all, I congratulate myself on abusing the absurd vagueness of the ability, and begin my final test. Placing the spider body on my arm I test biting with the fangs. Surprisingly I can’t really feel it, which is really the best outcome as far as I’m concerned. Hoping it applies to the guard outside I prepare to execute ‘operation spider’ and place the spider body just under the window. Leaning against the wall, I close my eyes and switch to the spider body. First I spin some excess thread just in case, then slowly make my way up and out the window, releasing more thread as I go to extend my range.

 

I make my way left, off the door and onto the wall, then down, towards the guard’s shoulder, nervously, I touch one of my legs onto his shoulder pad, then another, and eventually all of them. Standing atop his shoulder I make my way up to his neck, and as gently as I can, insert my fangs into his neck and begin sucking. I realized my error rather quickly. 

 

There is nowhere for the blood to go, trying not to panic, I attempt to turn the spider silk thread into a tube. It takes a lot longer than I want and I remain tense the whole time, as my body’s substance slowly makes it way up the silk, expanding it into a small tube, about the size of a thin headphone cable. Once it’s complete I begin stealthily sucking blood again.

 

I am incredibly lucky the guard was not really moving as it took far longer than I wanted to drain his blood. After about 8 minutes he started to wobble, bracing himself against the wall, my spider body shifts and a leg touches his neck and he notices me, or rather, the spider. Sucking as hard as I can the last few seconds before he swats me off. He takes off running down the hallway, before collapsing halfway down it, lucky I seem to have drained enough. Why he didn’t scream for help is beyond me.

 

As a bonus my throat finally feels better after drinking the blood. No longer dry, sore, and itchy. I also feel a bit reinvigorated. Looking around with my spider body, I check how the door mechanism works, it seems there is no key, just some sort of lever. I guess they don’t expect to keep prisoners here long.

 

I return the spider body back inside the window and then back into my body. Next I turn my right arm back into a tentacle, re-add the snail eyes onto my finger, reach my arm out through the window, stretching and extending it, which causes it to get thinner, noticing the strength goes down as it becomes thinner. Sticking my finger through the window I switch my vision and begin trying to unlock the door.

 

I realize now what took so long to open it before, there is a row of pins, which seem to work like a combination lock. ‘Figures,’ I think to myself in frustration. For some reason there are only five pins, and they are either in or out so there are only thirty-two possible combinations. So I am rather lucky and it only takes me about six minutes and eleven tries to unlock the door.

 

Returning my body to normal I push open the door, trying to keep it as quiet as possible, flinching with every groan and creak it makes. It was then I remembered I need to grab the pendant. I was afraid of making noise before. I slowly let go of the door, thankfully it stayed in place. Quickly grabbing the pendant, I notice my purple dress from the cabin in the bag. I grab the bag too, put the pendant around my neck, and the bag over my shoulder and proceed to sneak out the door.