text: Dhane woke and sucked in a deep breath of cool, night air. He was lying on a slab of stone, somewhere in the west biome. Giant trees speared toward the sky, and the teardrop sun fruit, now radiating moonlight, looked like stars of glistening silver.
  
  He had died, mauled to death by an army of his making. So why wasn't he back in the city? And where was everyone else?
  
  His thoughts were slow, though once the gears started turning, the answers were quite obvious. People returned from death at the closest cemetery of their affinity. Of course, the Wilds had cemeteries for those of Shadow.
  
  Well, that's just lovely. . . . Some rundown, ancient cemetery of Shadow was preventing him from getting back to the city. And if not this one, there were probably others. This meant that not only did he have to be the party leader, he also couldn't die without causing suspicion.
  
  He summoned his phone and it was 9:37 p.m. Dammit! That meant the gates to the city were down for the night. This world really needed a teleportation scroll. Every game had one, and heaven just decided Nah, that's immersion-breaking.
  
  Penny would probably be wondering where he was. He had only known her for a few days, but it felt like months, years. And she was the type that stayed up to make sure everyone got home okay.
  
  Sure enough, besides the three missed calls from Nick, there were unread messages from her.
  
  ─ (4:37 p.m.) When's your training over?
  
  ─ (6:05 p.m.) I was thinking we could go out, like a real date. I know! Silly. Kind of backwards, though it could be fun, right? I just need to make arrangements with Kros, my boss. Maybe around 8?
  
  ─ (7:55 p.m.) Hey, is everything okay? People say training has been over since 6. . ..
  
  ─ (9:13 p.m.) Are you ghosting me? :(
  
  Bah! Death was really the worst. He quickly typed in Ghosting! I suppose that's accurate since I died. ;) Then he hit Send, feeling a little odd to be texting while sitting out in the middle of nowhere, just him and the glow of his cell phone for whatever monster to find.
  
  But then a return message vibrated and he couldn't quite care if there were monsters out there, watching, salivating.
  
  ─ (9:42 p.m.) Really! I'm sorry. I feel so so sooo stupid. Are you okay? Come over and maybe I can help. ;) [Eggplant emoji]
  
  Even if he was standing on a waypoint stone right this very moment, it just wouldn't matter. He most certainly wasn't getting into the city tonight, and thus, no Penny, no steamy baths, no games of human pretzels. . ..
  
  "I'm of Light, too!" he said to the darkness. The teardrop fruit chimed in response. Why not just give him a choice of where he wanted to respawn?
  
  Of course, and now that he had thought of it, that was the whole reason the Cobalins were slaves. There was a cemetery of Shadow in the arena, forcing them to return to the very place they so desperately wanted to escape.
  
  They've been dealing with this for who knew how many years or decades. And here he was, inconvenienced for a single night. But not only that, how was he supposed to tell Penny?
  
  Dhane drummed a thumb on his knee. He couldn't tell her the truth, couldn't say he was stuck out in the damn forest. That just wouldn't make any sense. People didn't return from death to the Wilds.
  
  Or maybe he could stretch the truth? He typed, You have no idea how much I'd love that, but I can't. [Crying emoji] After I Returned, I rushed back out to the west biome to help my party and . . . sort of got lost? He tapped Send and waited for what felt like an eternity.
  
  ─ (9:46 p.m.) There's no way you are out in the Wilds right now. I don't believe that. You're like level 1! Nope, not believing you. Prove it. Take a picture.
  
  A picture? That probably would be the best way to prove where he was. He swapped over to the Camera app, held out his phone, flashed a peace sign with a nice smile, and captured the shot.
  
  He typed in, Believe me now? Then attached the picture and hit Send. Part of him felt special for being out in the scary Wilds. Maybe Penny would think he was brave and adventurous, manly traits women liked, right?
  
  He tapped into the picture and what a damn fine picture it was. It captured the silver moon fruit in the back. And he did look rather nice in the Midnight Leather armor—
  
  Oh, shit brownies, the armor had no health anymore. He'd probably have to pay for the repairs and leave a phenomenal review or risk losing reputation with the merchants.
  
  It wasn't like he wanted loaner equipment. Then again, without it, Aaliyah probably would have been the party leader, which would have resulted in all the many questions no one should be asking.
  
  The image also captured something else, something a fair bit more malicious than the silver hanging fruit, something that had eight red, unblinking eyes, standing mere feet behind him.
  
  A sheet of cold shot down his spine and his muscles reacted immediately. He exploded upward in a rush, from sitting to spinning in the air. He landed on the slab of stone, crouched and silent, Cobalin sword drawn, phone buzzing in his offhand.
  
  There, as if waiting for his Return, as if trying to stare guilt daggers through his chest, were four . . . rabbits? Dhane exhaled a relieved sigh and chuckled, then his phone buzzed again.
  
  ─ (9:48 p.m.) Behind you!
  
  ─ (9:48 p.m.) You're too far away to call.
  
  ─ (9:48 p.m.) Dammit!
  
  ─ (9:48 p.m.) Are you still there?
  
  ─ (9:49 p.m.) Dhane?
  
  He aimed his phone at the small, white fluff balls. "Smile," he said, mimicking the command, as if to show the rabbits how to smile. They, like the dumb bunches of fur they were, refused, choosing to maintain their mindless stare like zombies.
  
  Oi, did this world have zombies? Yes, yes it did, but only in the swamp zone where the witchdoctors played with their voodoo magic. Sometimes, questions are rhetorical!
  
  Now his brain wanted to dig into what witchdoctors were, how zombies functioned, were they the running or slow type, could they be killed with a blow to the head. . ..
  
  Instead of digging into questions that would only create more questions, he snapped the picture and sent it to Penny.
  
  He needed to get out of here. Even if he had to sleep outside of the gate, it'd be better to be there than here. That, and as soon as the gates opened in the morning, he'd be able to see Penny, grab breakfast, and get to training without being late.
  
  The rabbits twitched like robots, running through a series of commands to move at this time, turn at that time, wiggle their noses, nibble on some grass. All three of— Wait, where did the other go?
  
  Purple disks of light shifted down from above, sliding into his chest and surging a familiar warmth into the back of his head. Experience. He had just gained 108xp. . ..
  
  He looked up, following the remnant trail of experience to eight, glossy black eyes, watching him. His muscles tensed and fired all at once, carried by the tiniest of instinctual thoughts, a war between fight and flight.
  
  This time, influenced by the knowledge that he had died running from this very same spider earlier this morning, fight won out. He jumped forward and drew the Cobalin sword across the spider's front leg, leaving a silvery-white cut.
  
  The giant spider scurried back three steps, scaring the rabbits away, and projected a high-pitched, feminine sound in his mind, Ouch!
  
  Dhane jerked back, completely not expecting the ugly thing to . . . talk? To psychically speak in his mind like the Mother of Shadows had.
  
  I so sorry, Daddy! the voice said, wobbly and uncertain. Please punish. I won't run this time. Punish, hurt, cut me, I stay still this time!
  
  "What?" he asked. Daddy? The bewilderment lingered, mixing with his innate fear and anger of all creepy and crawly things. It was a concoction of emotions that left him stunned, not entirely knowing what to do.
  
  I . . . I eat rabbit, no permission. I bad, bad-bad-bad. This why you cut? I moved. So bad, I am. Must take punishment from Daddy. Please, cut me, hurt me, I won't . . . cry. . ..
  
  Could spiders cry? Gah, he needed to stop asking questions like this was Earth. Spiders didn't get this big. Spiders didn't psychically project words into people's heads, nor did they eat raging rabbits with over a hundred health for a snack.
  
  "Who are you?"
  
  I . . . you do not know?
  
  "That's why I asked."
  
  Yes! Of course. I am your Octoralis. She said it matter of factly, as if that in and of itself explained everything.
  
  Silvery-white liquid started to drip from her wound and she moved to touch it with one of her many other legs, but then reconsidered, letting it drip.
  
  So . . . this was his spider? He called to her affinity, not knowing what to expect, and a flood of emotions, images, and knowledge poured from her.
  
  She had two affinities: the Mother of Shadows and the Sisters of Death. They shimmered in glossy black and white, with the distinct and familiar feeling of . . . himself. She was a part of him, made from him.
  
  Everything she had done, he could remember. That morning, while he slept in Penny's bed, warm and wanting to stay there all day, he could see himself. Octoralis was the spider that touched his cheek, trying to wake him for a busy day.
  
  Then, when all the raging rabbits were out of control and he was all but certain death would come, Octoralis came to protect him. The same thing happened when he saw the eight red eyes in his picture, the fear he felt summoned her.
  
  Each and every memory was of her trying to help, to support her . . . daddy, her creator.
  
  Then he attacked her. . ..
  
  She was a mixture of excitement and hope and . . . fear. That fear brought a pang of guilt to ripple within his chest. She had done nothing wrong, it was just her form and size that scared him. They both feared the other, and yet she stayed her ground, willing to take her punishment, no matter what that meant.
  
  "I'm . . . sorry I cut you," he finally said.
  
  You are Daddy. It be your right. Cut me when I displease you.
  
  Oh damn, she was like an abused child. "You didn't displease me. I didn't know you were my . . ." Oi, there was no way he would call her his daughter, and so instead, said, "Octoralis." Simply saying the name ignited a sense of understanding. It wasn't so much a name as it was a rank. Or both a rank and a name? She was his General, an implicit summon tied to his soul, not mana.
  
  Octoralis, Lvl. 8, 274/280hp. Her level was tied to his Intelligence stat above 10. She also seemed to directly benefit from his second class. She was a spider with passive bonuses as if she were an assassin. That was probably why he could never sense her. She could hide and sneak better than he could, even while being in her giant form.
  
  Her wound wasn't closing and he knew why. Summons didn't typically heal. He could desummon her and she'd slowly heal over time since she was linked to his soul, otherwise, he'd need to physically imbue mana into the wound. Oh, fuck that.
  
  You-u-u want me to f-f-fuck what? She projected, shifting left and right, as if trying to identify the target to expend her affection. Did spiders really have— Eh, whatever.
  
  "I was thinking it to myself."
  
  Daddy want to . . . with—
  
  "No! Freaking hell no." That was just wrong, so terribly, soul-shakingly wrong. "I was only reacting to new knowledge, okay? It's like saying, 'I'm strongly against that.' "
  
  Against healing me? Her voice was small, a piece of that hope she had felt, flaked away. You are Daddy, you can leave me bleeding and hurt and pain. . . . It be your right. I no complain.
  
  "You're in pain?"
  
  Only if I move. Not big cut, but stings.
  
  Dhane drew in and released a deep breath. Why did this stuff always happen to him? Better question, "You can read my thoughts?"
  
  Yes. Of course. We are of same soul.
  
  Well, there went all of his privacy. How did one control their thoughts to such an extent? Just by wanting to not think of anything private, he'd . . . think of Penny last night and how she curved—
  
  No! And that was exactly the problem. No thinking of last night. But what about in the morning, her warm skin lit by sunlight, breathing each other's air like it was a new drug.
  
  Dammit. It was practically impossible.
  
  I like Penny, Octoralis projected. She is good soul, kind soul.
  
  "How do you know Penny?"
  
  I know . . . because you know?
  
  So it worked both ways. It wasn't just thoughts. All of Octoralis's memories were his, and all of his, hers. She knew all about . . . everything.
  
  You need not concern. You are Daddy. What matter if I know these private things. Never-never-never judge Daddy. Always here to help.
  
  "Here," he said, "don't move. And I mean it!" He steeled himself, sheathed his sword, and jumped off the stone platform. Just as the intent was made clear in his mind, she held out her leg, prompting him to let out a breath and look skyward.
  
  I . . . you . . . you said this thing, then projected other. . ..
  
  It would take practice getting accustomed to communicating mentally. Perhaps he could tell her to just listen to his verbal commands for now.
  
  The knowledge at the back of his head provided instruction. Mana pooled into his hand like flowing water of pearlescent white with shifting strands of other colors.
  
  Dhane gently pressed the mana against Octoralis's cut, feeling 2 of his 90 points slip away. The wound immediately closed, leaving it whole and covered in nasty black and orange hair.
  
  Thank you, Octoralis projected.
  
  He stepped away, relaxing a little. It wasn't that bad. A giant spider would always be far less frightening than a small one, one that could crawl into his clothes, scurry across his skin while taking bites in its frantic movement to escape.
  
  He shivered at the thought. But those were normal spiders. Normal spiders didn't talk. Maybe they wouldn't be so scary if he could simply tell them to stay in their corner of the world.
  
  Oh, shit brownies. He totally forgot about Penny. He summoned his phone and there were a series of messages.
  
  ─ (9:51 p.m.) Haha, rabbits? They are so cute!
  
  ─ (9:51 p.m.) But I hate that you're stuck out there by yourself. . ..
  
  ─ (9:52 p.m.) I have an idea. You're going to owe me big, mister, and I know how you repay people. ;) [Peach emoji]
  
  ─ (9:57 p.m.) Alright! It's done. The PK guild has someone heading your way, using the geolocation data in your picture. I'm heading to the western cemetery. It should only be a few minutes.
  
  Oh shit, shit, shit! That last timestamp was four minutes ago. And . . . of course, he could hear something in the distance, probably a giant wolf. If the PK guild helped him transition to a quick Return, he'd just Return to this damn slab of stone.
  
  Then we go? Octoralis projected.
  
  "How? I can't outrun a mount!"
  
  You ride. I'm your Octoralis. . . . She stepped forward, turned, and crouched, revealing her mid carapace just above the spherical bump of her abdomen.
  
  Now he could hear loud breathing. Definitely a wolf, maybe more than one. And . . . wolves can track his scent. . . . Shit.
  
  We get away. I know this.
  
  "Are you sure?"
  
  Yes. Of course.
  
  If he stayed, he'd give away the one secret entrusted to him. People would learn of the Shadow that could hide within the Light, and he'd be hunted. Dammit! He had no choice.
  
  Dhane clenched his jaw tight. It's just a mount . . . a horrifyingly huge— No! No thinking. He jumped onto Octoralis's back. She swayed to adjust for his weight, and he took hold of her hair. Then, just as a giant wolf entered the cemetery, they shot away like a soundless shadow.
  
  Octoralis was fast. She sprinted across little glades and over bushes and stones. Other monsters roared as she passed. A few raging rabbits started to transform. Parties of Nuloce Scouts were out on patrol, holding the radiant moon fruit for light. A pack of four jumped out of the way, yelling in surprise.
  
  Dhane summoned his phone and brought up the Maps app. There were waypoint stones everywhere, each separated by five or so miles, connected by various named trails.
  
  He was about to click one when Octoralis shifted and ran straight up a tree. He yelped, dropped his phone, and clung to the giant spider, face pressed up against her fuzzy body, fighting the impulse to shove away. They bounded to a second then third tree before stopping, two hundred or so feet in the air.
  
  "More of a warning next time?"
  
  I so bad! Yes, warning next time. But . . . we escaped?
  
  Two wolf riders stopped by the first tree Octoralis climbed. They were whispering, and despite the distance, he could make out their words as if they were twenty feet away.
  
  "Oh, my heavens!" It was a woman's voice with a Southern accent. "Jerry dear, did you see what I just saw?"
  
  "Eh, ah . . . well, hmm...."
  
  "Precisely. Poor lad. . . . Likely a dozen giant spider babies up there, all hankering to take a little nibble out of him. That's right down horrifying."
  
  "Mhmm...."
  
  "Well dagnabbit, I'd go after him, though I just had my nails done! Climbin' these here trees always breaks a nail. They're cursed, I'd say. Figure he'll die . . . eventually, you reckon? Might take a few days."
  
  She paused, then shrugged. "Pity. Fixin we should get back to camp. Got us a real treat this time, ice cream from Merry's Shaved Peach, and I've heard it's simply delightful."
  
  With that, the two of them dashed away.
  
  Oi, the only problem now was Penny. She was expecting him to Return to the western cemetery any minute now. How long did it take to revive after a PK member performed their trick?
  
  Walls be no problem for us, Octoralis projected.
  
  Of course. . . . He summoned his phone and the Maps app again, then tapped the closest waypoint stone. It was less than half a mile away. Since he knew which way to go, Octoralis did as well.
  
  She turned on the tree and Dhane shifted forward, hanging practically upside down. He squeezed with his legs as hard as he could while pulling on her hair.
  
  Daddy, you hurt me. You no hold so tight. Make hard to move.
  
  "I'll fall!"
  
  No. Of course not, Daddy. You arachnomancer, spider rider. Let go . . . you see.
  
  Let go? The ground swayed so very far below. Letting go now was like taking a swan dive off a fifteen-story building, trusting in a random, frayed bungee cord to keep him safe.
  
  You no trust me?
  
  He exhaled and slowly released his handholds, testing his weight. As he did, and though he could feel the gravity pull at him, it didn't seem to matter much. He sat upright without needing to hold anything.
  
  A tiny wave of happiness shot through him. Octoralis was . . . smiling. They sprinted down the side of the tree to the ground, then followed the directions to the waypoint stone, cupped atop of a massive, petrified yellow rose with spiraling walkways to and from.
  
  The back of his mind knew about this area, a history of something sad, but the details wisped away when he tried to access them. It didn't matter, not now. Maybe he could return one day and puzzle out the history.
  
  They climbed the side and Dhane jumped off at the top. It wouldn't do one bit to suddenly appear at the city's waypoint stone with a giant spider. That'd cause nothing but trouble.
  
  Octoralis understood this without him having to voice the thoughts, which was actually nice. She even dissolved to tendrils of smoke without being asked. Of course, she was still there, inside him, a part of his soul.
  
  Dhane summoned his phone and since he was standing on a waypoint stone, the Waypoints app automatically opened. The whole world had 843 waypoints. Some were locked, private, or needed to be refreshed with a new mana reserve.
  
  Any of the Ceratree waypoints, one through twenty, landed outside of the city gates, five waypoints per gate. He chose one outside the west gate and paid the 50 copper, bringing his total now to 72 copper.
  
  Sadly, he wouldn't receive 5 silver for the day of training since he had died, earning him a second mark. But maybe 72 copper and some of the random items he scavenged, would be enough for a decent breakfast, provided that Penny's room was free. . ..
  
  He tapped the Accept button with a bit more eagerness than was perhaps normal, and the world twisted apart, colors elongating, light and warmth filling him. It was over in a blink.
  
  "Gates are closed for the night!" a male guard on the wall yelled down. "You can wait with the others." And there were others. Maybe twenty people, sitting out from the wall around campfires, some in chairs, others laying on mats.
  
  Dhane crossed toward the people and walked around them, as if to find his own place to wait out the night near the wall. Some gave polite nods, others kept their focus on their phones, doing their best to ignore strangers and potentially awkward conversation.
  
  There was no easy way for the guards to watch the happenings directly next to the wall. They'd have to lean out from an embrasure to peer down, and as long as they had no reason to do that, they were better suited to watch for distant threats.
  
  Dhane followed the wall until it turned away from the group, then with a mental command, summoned Octoralis. She materialized from streams of smoke into a giant nightmare of black and orange fur. A giant nightmare that sent psychic smiles his way. . ..
  
  He mounted and three seconds later, they were atop of the wall, in front of a rather terrified guard. The woman screamed an appreciable sound, one quite fitting if Dhane had any say in the matter, but a sound that called the attention of all the other nearby guards.
  
  Octoralis reacted immediately. Before the guard could draw her sword, she bit the woman with two massive, black fangs. A white -50 lifted from the guard, followed by a red -24. This only ratcheted her voice to a higher pitch while trying to crawl away.
  
  Guards were sprinting toward their fallen comrade, yelling orders. Two horn blasts reverberated across the stone, then two more sounded from the next section of the wall.
  
  Dhane didn't need to kill anyone. These were just guards doing their job. The only thing he needed to do was get out of here. And at that thought, Octoralis shifted over the guard and sprinted down the other side of the wall.
  
  But there were guards here as well. Dammit! They were forming up across the city, running to take up station at intersections, bridges, and watchtowers. Half a dozen guards pointed and yelled about the entity of Shadow, loose in their streets.
  
  People screamed and ran to their closest store or house. Booths were knocked over. Performers lost their audiences and scurried to pick up unclaimed coins. Adventurers, decked out in an array of different styles of armor, drew weapons.
  
  The whole thing was a damn mess. And it was then that Dhane realized what he had to do. Everything just clicked into place. He simply couldn't pretend to Return to the western cemetery where Penny was waiting. The PK guild failed and would report that he died before they could help.
  
  He had to die. And now that he was in the city, he would Return here. With a bit of luck, he might even Return before the next training day started.
  
  Octoralis sprinted down a side road closest to the main wall. Guards on top, leaning out of embrasures, yelled out the location of the enemy. There were just too many eyes on the massive spider. . ..
  
  Dhane jumped off Octoralis's back and hit the ground running. He sent a mental command for her to create a distraction, then turned the corner into a dark and empty alleyway.
  
  There, and with no small amount of trepidation, he drew his Cobalin sword, triggered Venom Bite, angled the tip toward his chest, and . . . decided it'd be better to die without his armor on. That made sense, people may be looking for this particular set of armor.
  
  The pause for consideration also warmed a bit of frozen knowledge in his mind about suicide. Taking his own life had a greater penalty than death by the hands of someone or something else. He'd lose all experience he had gained toward his next level.
  
  But he didn't have a choice!
  
  He unequipped his armor and his normal clothes returned. Then, with sword out, ability triggered, he . . . Dammit! He didn't want to put holes in his new black shirt.
  
  So he unequipped his shirt at the same time a woman in a nice frilly dress ran into the alleyway. She obviously didn't have any form of dark vision, for she stumbled on a box, screamed, and fell.
  
  Dhane caught her, however, despite her slim form, she must have weighed over two hundred pounds. The sheer impossibility of that didn't seem to matter, and before he knew it, he was flat on his back with her on top, panting.
  
  "What is this, Ulga!" said a deep voice. It was an adventurer with a battle hammer out, likely in preparation for the supposed invasion, but handy in other matters as well.
  
  "I . . . I . . ." the woman stammered, sitting up and brushing back curly locks of blonde hair out of her face. She seemed, for the first time, to notice Dhane and smiled coyly, drawing a finger down his abs before realizing what she was doing. She jerked and looked surprised at the man wielding a giant hammer.
  
  There were times when such situations demanded a quick explanation and apology, especially when faced with some muscled, Greek god of a man. Tonight was not one of those times.
  
  Dhane put on his best irate glare and yelled from the cobbled stones of the alleyway, "Get your own woman!"
  
  The woman stiffened at that, grinding her impossibly heavy buttocks into his hips, and let out a nervous squeak, words seemingly unavailable.
  
  The man frowned deeply, brows pinched. One could crack a chestnut between those brows, though it wasn't enough to encourage a crime of passion, a murder in the dark alleyway.
  
  Come on! What was this little thing called murder in a world where no one stayed dead? But it wasn't happening. The man had a respectable hold over his emotions.
  
  So Dhane reluctantly upped his game. "Hey! Give us some privacy. She's mine!" And when that didn't do it, he reached up with both hands and cupped her breasts, squeezing and yelling, "Mine-mine-mine!" until something large and heavy descended upon his head.