Finishing Touches

"Hmm.. yess. Sshe can help you. Besseleth."

"The spider in Sishir Canyon? How? She did not seem that friendly the last time I saw her."

"Her poisson will help you ssleep. You need to ssleep deeply sso I can work in peace. It iss not lethal to you anymore."

Shalkis arrived to Sishir Canyon, just before nightfall.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yess. I know her poisson. Thiss will work. But are you ready?"

"Yes. Make me what I need to be. Worthy of Shadra."

"Sshe will be pleasssed."

Shalkis let the great spider bite her, but instead of trying to kill her, Besseleth skittered back on her webs.

"I feel sleepy."

"Good. You sshould be. Ssleep. Now."

Shalkis collapsed to the ground. Slayrith and a few other spiders skittered towards her.

"Home? What am I.. Fire! He's burning me alive! Snow! Outside!"

"Woods. My arm still felt like it was on fire. I have to go somewhere. They will kill me if they find me. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.."

Shalkis kept walking deeper into the woods. It started to snow gradually, slowly extinguishing the flames looming behind her. Soon, the burning feeling in her arm was replaced by numbness. She kept walking. The wind was getting colder.

She kept walking and walking but all she saw was more trees. She had never been this far before from the village. The weather was getting worse. She had to press herself against the wind, and the horizon was long gone.

"I can't stop. I must keep going.. I must walk.. I must walk.."

The tattered and singed robes on her were wet, and were starting to freeze on her. She no longer saw anything else than snow and an occassional tree. The snow was already waist-high, and she could barely wade forwards. She could no longer feel her arm.

She stumbled and fell into the snow. She tried to lift herself up, but her right arm wouldn't obey. Her small heart was slowing down. Ka-thump... Ka-thump.. Ka..thump.. Ka..

...

After what seemed like an eternity, she lifted herself up again.

"I can't stop. I must keep going.. I must walk.. I must walk.."

The tattered and singed robes on her were wet, and were starting to freeze on her. She no longer saw anything else than snow and an occassional tree. The snow was already waist-high, and she could barely wade forwards. She could no longer feel her arm.

She could no longer feel her legs. She stumbled and fell into the snow. She tried to lift herself up, but her right arm wouldn't obey. Her small heart was slowing down. Ka-thump... Ka-thump.. Ka..thump.. Ka..

After what seemed like an eternity, she lifted herself up again.

"I can't stop. I must keep going.. I must walk.. I must walk.."

...

The first rays of light filtered through the trees. Slayrith was finished with his work and began nudging Shalkis.

"How do you feel, troll?"

"The Vessel is now ready."

"Good. Now we can get sstarted."