Crossover Escape: Gotta be more than Lucky to survive

2.31 Know thy Fear

It fell to Shade in the end to explain that a Nightwalker was a bit like a plague carrier and the Bodark zombies. Luca considered the matter and while a plague ship would be a good deterrent it would be a bit hard to fake. “Hmm, pity a haunted ship would be just the thing.” Luca shrugged the idea off and reverted back to his original plan. “How long to get to their base?” Luca looked over to check on Nano he was still unconscious. He’d have to get that checked later.

“Three days.” The Matron responded.

“And then to your enclaves?”

“Another day. Wait your taking us home?”

“Of course? We rescued you no point in stopping halfway.”

“But don’t you need to save your friends and get home?”

“We do but you’re our pilots in this and you need to go home as much as we do.” Luca nodded as he considered the matter settled and then waved at his friends.

“Get some rest, I’ll take first watch then Shade, Declan, Tails, Ghost and Rӓv.” To the Matron and Elder Dwarf Luca said, “Your people rest, you likely really need it. Everyone else sleep while you can.” Luca decided on the single shorter shifts so that everyone got long segments of sleep. He didn’t really expect trouble on the ship it was just a precaution that he took. He wanted everyone if a good states as they mapped out movements tomorrow to strike on day two.

 The mapping on the second day was easy. The Harpies where clearly complacent on their own ship. They moved mostly by themselves often hanging around relatively deserted areas alone. Luca just had to shake his head. It was likely they where just asking to die. No precautions taken at all. Even the leader spent a massive amount of time alone of the top deck. It was in fact according to what Luca had heard the Leaders sanctuary, so the others didn’t tend to go up there. Once the ship settled down and the Harpies had settled Ghost slipped out and raided their food stores. Over a relatively luxurious meal they settled around to discuss their approach for the next day.

“So I know we’d given up on the zombie haunting but I had an idea.” Rӓv gave Luca a winning smile as she spoke, and Luca side eyed her for a moment before asking dubiously.

“Yes?” Luca was worried by that smile particularly given that the Dwarfs had been gathered around something in the corner of the room with Declan for most of the day.

“We’ll its not a zombie but it should be sufficient to discourage anyone coming back to the ship.” Rӓv clapped her hands as she finished speaking and then Dwarfs stepped aside with a flourish.

“The hell!” Tails happened to just return to the room as they moved. Luca didn’t blame his flinch though since the wolf sized replica of the Mygalomorph disturbed Luca on several levels. Still he’d fought a real one, so the fake miniature was fine. Mostly. Luca dusted his hands and approached the spider. Its fangs twitched and a faint thin fluid dripped from one fang. Luca circled it for a long moment and couldn’t find anything different from what he recalled of the original.

“This is very good. The appearance?” Luca at last nodded and turned to the group.

“Something I put together with some disguise magic. It mostly just changes the texture of exiting materials, I’m not good at using it on people because it takes a really long time to apply and make it look reasonable. On the spider though its fairly uniform that I could do it in a day.” Declan patted his chest and smiled. That was interesting to know. It seemed his magic really was quite versatile. He might have to find time to actually sit down and discuss its uses after all. It would be better to be able to incorporate it into the plans ahead of time after all.

“It Looks very realistic.” Luca complimented he couldn’t exactly say it looked nice since that aesthetic was something he couldn’t get behind. Particularly since they’d come pretty close to being on the menu. “What about the venom?”

“Ahem, that was our work. While we don’t mage the machines to the same as the dwarfs are chemical and crystal skills are unrivalled.” The Matron stepped forward in her hand she held out a beaker with a clear fluid in it. “We have relatively complete equipment here and with the sample Mygalomorph provided we have made a pretty good synthetic replica. We also duplicated the web on the basis of formular Rӓv had.”

Luca nodded and was duly impressed it seemed that the reputation of the two races wasn’t without grounds. He really didn’t think there had been enough time to break down something like the venom let alone replicate it. it appeared that trying to take this ship was a truly impeccable decision their part. Who know finding an alternative to walking would be so fortuitous? Luca gave Rӓv a l9ook to ask why she had a formular for webbing on her and she just smiled. Luca looked at that smile and decided that actually he didn’t know.

“On our part we only had enough materials to make the one spider with a means of both biting and shooting web, but I did send the plans on to our enclave so that things can be ready when we get there.” The Dwarf elder stepped forward and explained with relatively expansive gestures.

“That good. The size won’t have trouble in the shafts?”

“Nope, just the right size” the Elder assured Luca. Luca tilted his head for a second. Then lifted out one of his Fae swords to examine the end. Hmm unfortunate the end was too straight he couldn’t use it to imitate the spider’s fangs. As the thought finished itself Luca felt a vague disorientation an almost weightlessness. Luca forced his feet to remain planted as the moment passed. After a few seconds the sensation disappeared.

Lil’ Miss on his shoulders gave a soft “Kyuh?” Luca reached up and pattered her head. It was likely a side effect of the strain and exertion. The strange lack of exhaustion had to have a cost paid some where it was likely that catching up with him. Still that meant they needed to get things done quickly before things caught up with them beyond a point they could just push through.

As Luca blinked his eyes back into focus, he raised a brow at the new shape of he Fae sword. Rather it was now a Fae curved dagger. Nearly and exact match for the fangs on the spider. Can you pet a sword? Luca settled for saying “Aren’t you talented just the thing for a current situation.”

The dagger hummed in Luca’s hand before the end of the handle popped open to reveal a hollowed injection tube. With a smirk Luca waved the Matron and her beaker over. With a carefully hand Luca filled the first dagger before taking the second from his belt where it had already changed shape and filling it as well.

“Right then, with this I can play a spider as well if someone else can act as the web shooter. Two others to move with the mini replica to make sure a kill is finished if the victim isn’t immediately convinced. We need the people that survive convinced that the spiders are overrunning the ship.” Luca got nods as people talked amongst themselves.

Luca paused as two things occurred to him, “What sort of intelligence do the Mygalomorph’s have? Could they pilot the ship?”