Crossover Escape: Gotta be more than Lucky to survive

2.19 Things it was good to bring

“Lucky said to bring everything, so I brought everything. Don’t you complain I know you packed that ridiculous magnifying monocle.” Rӓv returned without looking up from where she was working on Cowboy. As the light spun in the air Luca stared up watching the reaction of the spider and trying to use the light to discern a weakness. At that point the pale purple light flicked over the spider and an ear grating spine-chilling screech resounded as the spider jerked back deeper into the canopy.

Luca didn’t thin just reacted, he reached out to snatch up the light and point it directly up. The screech sounded again followed by skittering and rustling of branches. There was silence for the rest of the group for a long moment.

“I take it all back, Lucky is omnipotent and Rӓv brought the right things.” Tails changed his tune quickly before he reached out to grab the second light and took Luca’s light. Luca left wielding the torches to him and hoped that it would buy them a few minutes.

“Rӓv how they looking?” Lucky remained vigilant to the outside while he asked, he didn’t trust the spider not to try something.

“Is just scratch.” Ghost voice was not as loud as usual, but the words were clear enough. Rӓv however said nothing.

“Rӓv?” Luca risked turning around to see Rӓv shaking her head.

“He was gone before we got back here,” she muttered. Luca took a deep breath and then flicked his eyes back to the surrounding trees with a dark look.

“Take his mementoes and what you can of the venom on his back. Declan.” Luca kept his voice flat as he handed out instructions. He didn’t need to clarify things for Declan either. As soon as Rӓv had taken anything that Cowboy’s family could use as a memento he called up a fireball and burnt the corpse. They’d all heard Cowboy’s last wishes. There was no way for them to carry the body out of here so cremation was they best that they could do. It was better than what some of the other victims had managed. Luca hadn’t been able to offer the same thing to the two that had died to the sirens because the bodies had disappeared by the time the fight had finished, and they’d been forced to rush the crossing.

Once the fire died out Declan reached down and filled small jar with some of the ashes. “The sirens said that the others when we returned. I can only take Cowboy back like this.” Luca was momentarily distracted by that. When did the siren’s say that and how did Declan understand?

When Luca opened his mouth to ask the question a rustle came from behind him. On instinct Luca rolled to the side as Tails spun and shone the light in that direction. The sound of legs as they skittered back followed the movement of the light, but a sticky light grey cord was stuck to the ground where Luca had been standing. Clearly not the time for interrogation. Making a mental note to get back to that Luca moved to his feet and looked around.

“Alright people we have two choices, we hold out here and then make a run for the exit of the wilds at sunrise. Given that the spider is hurt by UV light, its likely that radiant UV rays are nearly lethal so it will be less active during the day.” Luca offered the suggestion and waited for a response. He wasn’t optimistic but the second option was more dangerous, so he didn’t want to hand it out and sound pushy.

“This idea is appealing but I can here the reluctance in your tone. Your known for your strategy what else is there?” Declan responded first to Luca’s comment. Luca winced slightly he wanted to try and improve the mood by giving a plausible out, but no one here was stupid.

“Well while the sunlight will definitely be a problem for this thing… The canopy here is thick enough that it will probably be hard for the sunlight to reach in and do anything.” Luca spoke quickly he hoped that this breed was territorial and not a pack creature one of them was going to be enough of a problem. The rustle of leaves had then continually turned to check the sides of the camp sometimes it was the beast sometimes it was the wind.

“Da, so what’s the actual plan?” Ghost stood up and stretched from side to side. a glance at the rest of his friends confirmed that they never took this first suggestion seriously.

“Kill the beast.” The protests after Luca’s statement were loud and instantaneous.

“You’re thinking with the beast dead we’ll have a reprieve in its territory since it has already noticed us and thus a chance to get through any other territories in the wilds.” Declan’s musing comment silenced the voices of the two sorcerers and Holly. Ghost and Rӓv had just started checking their equipment while Tails kept watching the surrounds in silence.

“Unless you can come up with a UV radiating shield that won’t kill us within it in the next four hours that the torch batteries will last?” the continued protests of the sorcerers died in their mouths. The sound of their jaws clicking shut echoed in the eerie silence broken only by the rustling leaves.

“So how are we killing this thing?” One of the sorcerers piped up. Luca spared him a glance as before he replied.

“That depends on whether you can use your magic to chop a tree down quick and quite.” While they gaped at him Luca weighed the odds that the spider could understand than and hear them.

“Magic to slice through a tree trunk and make it fall in a particular direction is simple enough,” Declan responded slowly.

“Then the plan is simple enough one bait, two heard, three distract, four hinder and then five make like an entomologist if you can make me the right sort of pin.” Luca decided to err on the side of caution if he made it vague or used specialised references. With any luck the if the translation from his end worked for the spider it would be to lacking in context to make sense. Still he couldn’t make it two hard for the others to figure it out. He wasn’t worried about his friends they would likely get it. The rest he was less sure of.

“Holly, give the guns to Ghost he’s first, Tails give Holly one of the torches your two, Declan and Shade your three at your discretion. Boys you’re logging for four and if Declan can give me some reach, I’ll be five and go play with it in the trees. Rӓv your filling in.” Luca checked to make sure the sorcerers knew they were who he’d referenced. He was somewhat embarrassed that his normally reliable memory just kept drawing a blank on their names. It was actual to the point where Luca suspected there was something other than his memory that had a problem. Still the sorcerers caught Luca’s eye and nodded their understanding.

Luca waved his sword a little and Declan nodded before muttering something and gesturing to the blade. Luca couldn’t see any difference, but the blade certainly felt longer it left a score across the dirt as well when he lowered it.