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I awakened in a strange room, and my immediate instinct was to panic.

I sat up--far too quickly--and took in my surroundings, attempting to decipher what had happened. I was in a bedroom that I did not recognize, tucked beneath a thick quilt. The light was dim enough that I couldn't see fine details, but I could see a pot of incense burning on the end table beside me, a precariously-packed bookshelf to my left, and moonlight streaming in from the window. My head pounded, and my vision swam. I felt as though I had been drugged, which led me to immediately inspect my body.

No wounds, no pain or hemolymph between my legs. I was safe.

And then the memories flooded to my mind--traveling to Kinallend to the Temple of Phaedra, Phaedra's task, and the familiar.

Where was the little spiderling?

I patted the blanket as though she would crawl out beneath it but felt nothing aside from my own arms, abdomen, and legs.

The door to the bedroom opened, and I turned quickly--too quickly, leading me to lean forward and hold my head, groaning. The little Priest from earlier, Pietro, walked in, waving his hand to ignite the candles in the room. I saw my familiar following him and immediately relaxed. Eva, too, was safe.

In some of Pietro's free hands, he held a platter with a cup of a thick red liquid balanced on top of it. Once he saw that I was awake, he set this on the end table and began to sign. Then he remembered himself and got a pen and parchment.

First time experiences conversing with Phaedra can be incredibly draining, and I'm sorry if I was negligent. I didn't expect the conversation to go on so long, and I am sorry.

I shook my head and took the pen from him. It's alright. Where am I?

In one of the guest rooms. You've been unconscious for a few hours.

A few hours?

Yes, so I made you an elixir--drained and blended protein from roaches sourced from the Underground by Yours Truly combined with a few healing herbs and a dash of magic. Not a miracle cure, but it should help you regain your strength.

I looked at the cup, noting that the liquid was warm and steaming. There were some chunks of carapace floating on the top along with glowing herbs I did not recognize. My instinct was to be repulsed, but I took the cup anyway. It smelled like turmeric, which was something I did recognize and made me feel a little more at ease.

I watched him make it, Eva said in my head. It's safe. He washed his hands and the herbs many times.

I breathed a sigh of relief, wondering how Eva knew to watch for that. I took a test sip. It wasn't as gross as I expected and reminded me of spicy teas I used to drink during the colder, wetter months in Lurenark. The flavor of the roaches were indescribable, as though it was something I needed my whole life and never received until now.

Pietro took the cup from me while I was drinking, making me spill a little on the quilt.

Slow down, he wrote. Don't strain yourself.

It's really good, I replied.

He averted his gaze, his cheeks above his chelicerae appearing to grow a little brighter. Was he blushing? It's nothing, he wrote. I make things like this for my mother all the time.

What's going on with your mother?

He shook his head. That's a story for another time. Do you wish to tell me what happened with Phaedra? Not to pry, just...we don't usually see people who don't already have a relationship with her, especially not Phaedani from the Human nations.

Immediately, my mind went to all the memories I had long tried to abandon. It was a lot, I managed.

I'm sure. She has a way of getting you to remember unpleasant things. She's a deity, older than we can fathom. Her intentions are good for those who revere her, but she doesn't understand how difficult memories can be for mortals. It's been beneficial for me, though.

I'm not sure if it'll be helpful or not, but she did give me a task.

Pietro brightened at this. A task?

She wants me to uncover the Arcane Athenaeum in Vaagriklund.

Pietro tried to grab the pen from me, but immediately dropped it. With a shaking hand, he wrote, Are you serious?

Is that a big deal? I'm afraid I don't understand.

Pietro exhaled. A big deal? It's an honor! Phaedra's Priests have been wondering where that is for ages, but she's always said only the right person can find it. I suppose she was waiting for you all this time. He hesitated, then added, Can I come with you?

This gave me pause. I didn't know Pietro, though he had been very kind to me since I met him. I was also wary of traveling internationally with a man given my history.

But Pietro hadn't given me reason to be wary of him. He helped me contact Phaedra. He assisted with my recovery and even introduced something that was likely crucial to my diet that I had missed all these years. Further, he was a Priest of Phaedra. Something like this would likely be extremely meaningful to him, as he dedicated his life to this entity. Even if I didn't understand his religious devotion, I could respect him for that.

Pietro also was the first of my own kind I had ever met. Not just a Phaedrani, but the same type of spider; I had read that all Phaedrani had an adjacent spider-animal they were related to as Phaedra's way of showing respect to nature. I wasn't sure if that was truly the reason, but I knew that I had a distinct appearance, and Pietro looked like me, but smaller and more vibrant. I would respect Pietro regardless of his spider species, but there was something special about meeting someone like you that I had never known before.

After I debated all of this, I wrote, Sure. It would be nice to have someone with me.

Pietro's reaction was one I did not expect. He did a little bounce on his little fluffy spider feet, then a much higher hop as two of his hands clasped over his chelicerae. His other hands flapped excitedly, as though they would help him fly higher like little three-fingered wings. It made me laugh, partly because he looked so silly, yet so joyous, but also because it was something I did sometimes when I was excited. I wondered if this was a mannerism specific to our kind.

Eventually, he calmed down and wrote, I can't believe you actually said yes! This is the greatest adventure any Priest or Priestess of Phaedra has ever undergone! He stopped writing for a moment and looked at the ceiling as though it would provide answers to his unknown questions. Once satisfied with whatever information the ceiling provided him, he added, I'll just have to let my mother and the other Priests where I'm going.

This made me hesitate again. Didn't you say your mother was sick?

Yes, but she's not in a position to say much about what I'm doing.

What do you mean? Are you sure this will be alright?

It will have to be. Besides, I'm sure the journey will help.

Help? How?

His shoulders heaved in what I assumed to be a silent sigh. I'm not sure if I want to get into the details about it right now, but...if we're traveling together, there will be plenty of time to talk, yes?

I suppose you are right. I wasn't sure what more I could say. Pietro would know his life and his sick mother's needs better than I would, even if it made me uneasy. So what now?

It's too late to go shopping now. I say we head into town for some supplies for the trip tomorrow, have a good night's sleep, and leave at dawn the next day?

Dawn was far earlier than I wanted to awaken. I was lucky to be awake by midday.

I must have made a face, because he added, The carriage that leads to the Vaagriklund border leaves very early, and it's a long trip.

I see. I did not like what I was seeing, but I sure saw it nonetheless. When would you like to get supplies? I can think of some things we would need, theoretically, but I've never traveled before.

I've only been to Andar and Vredrivala, but I've known Orcs, so I have some idea. Let me go...tell my mother what's going on, and we'll go over it over breakfast tomorrow? I'll make you another one of those elixirs. Then we can go shopping together!

I nodded, suddenly feeling nauseous and a bit more daunted by this entire endeavor.

Either Pietro was oblivious to my distress or mercifully ignoring it, but regardless, he politely bowed his goodbyes and scampered out the door. Eva trailed behind him like a curious cat, then watched him from the threshold, tilting her cephalothorax in thought.

I wonder what's wrong with his mother, Eva said in my head.

I didn't know what to say in response. I laid back down in the bed, and Eva joined me, curling up in the crook of one of my arms as any cuddly pet would.

It took a while for Pietro to return. I got through the elixir as I waited for Pietro, and now that I had eaten, I was no longer drowsy and felt the need to explore. But right when I got up to inspect my room, the door opened.

Pietro held up a parchment that said, My mother's affairs are all in order. Let's go shopping for our trip tomorrow.

I nodded. Eva began to climb my leg, and I reached down toward her. She took the opportunity to jump into my arms, then rested on my shoulder behind a blanket of my black hair.

Pietro laughed and wrote under his makeshift sign, She's like a kitten.

Or a bird, perhaps, I added. Perched on my shoulder.

A blessing. I wonder if Phaedra can see through her eyes.

I looked at Eva, wondering if she had a response. Her glassy eyes bore into mine, and I realized that she was still an animal and couldn't read. But her eyes looked so alive, so deep, that I really did wonder if it was a Demon staring back at me.

--

Pietro awakened me far before I was ready by walking into my room and opening the curtains. I groaned and covered my eyes with an arm. Even Eva seemed disgruntled, desperately digging under the blankets to hide herself from the offending morning light.

Not to be ignored, Pietro shook my shoulder. Annoyed, I sat up. I noticed, idly, that I was still in my day clothes from yesterday. I had been so tired that I had completely forgotten about my inn room or my belongings.

I noted this to Pietro during breakfast--more liquefied cockroaches with a side of egg yolks. Somehow, I wasn't afraid of the food Pietro gave me, and neither was Eva. Perhaps it was because of how he took care of me.

Oh no! I'm sure they have your stuff saved somewhere. I know the Innkeeper. He's pretty patient with these sorts of things.

Luckily, he was right. After making my stomach hurt on far too much food, I made my way to the inn to grab my belongings. Sure enough, the innkeeper had kept them in a safe back room. He did charge a small fee for me forgetting to check out, but it wasn't significant enough to hurt. I was grateful for my savings.

After bringing my belongings back to the Temple and finding a bath to clean myself up, I got ready and met Pietro at the clothing shop.

It was a small, dilapidated building, with wooden mannequins posed in autumnal formal wear in the windows. At first, I worried they wouldn't have what we needed, but I quickly saw Pietro at the counter with the shopkeeper, running his three-fingered hands over thick fur.

Pietro had a notebook to write in to communicate with the shopkeeper, and he moved aside so I could ask any questions I had. The shopkeeper and his assistants were friendly enough, but they seemed skittish and wary. At first, I thought it was due to our appearances, but I quickly realized that couldn't be the case; in Kinallend, they had to be used to Phaedrani due to the Temple.

Pietro seemed to notice my confusion. It's because we produce silk, he wrote on a different page as the shopkeeper went to find some wool. No Human can compete with our ability to make garments.

I can't make any garments, I replied.

Perhaps you haven't been trained in the art, but you're physically able. All Phaedrani can. I'm sure you've made blankets before, yes?

I stiffened as I remembered a heated argument with my foster mother.

"You can't do this!" she had exclaimed as she held up a gauzy spidersilk blanket.

"It makes me feel safe!" my childhood self protested, all arms crossed around myself.

She tried to rip it apart, but failed. She balled it up in frustration. "No spider shit in my house."

"But I'm a spi--"

"You are not." She stepped forward. I flinched, expecting her to strike me, but she simply pushed my hair out of my face. "I don't mean to be harsh, my dear, but our money depends on you being a good girl and acting like the rest of us. Civilized. Charming. And not creepy." She gestured toward the silk ball.

"I thought work liked me because I'm a spider," I argued, reaching for the silk.

She put it behind her back. "They like your unique look, of course, but if you behaved like a real spider, we would be in squalor. After all, they like what can be tamed." She kissed my forehead. "We have other blankets. Use those if you're cold."

Pietro tapped my arm and gestured toward the page.

I shook my head, realizing I had lost myself for a moment. Only once or twice, I wrote. It's not something I made a habit of.

He frowned, seeming dissatisfied with this, but the shopkeeper returned with an armful of cloaks. One of his employees handed us mugs of coffee. I sipped gratefully, wanting to forget what I had just remembered. My head spun as I sipped, and Pietro tripped over his own feet a few times. His handwriting to the shopkeeper deteriorated as the caffeine began to get to him.

I wondered, idly, if getting us intoxicated was part of their business model, but I was so stressed that their reasoning hardly mattered. After all, we didn't need the help of drunkenness to pick out clothes suitable for our travels, and once our drinks were finished, we departed with our new thick wool shawls and fur coats, dizzy and excitable.

Leaning the journal on one of my arms, he wrote, When we've made it to Vaagriklund and found the Athenaeum, I'm gonna teach you how to be Phaedrani, mark my words.

If anyone else had written this, I would've been suspicious, but there was so much trust and reassurance in Pietro's shiny blue eyes that I believed him.

Perhaps Pietro escorting me to Vaagriklund would be even better than I anticipated.