A Man Who Wants Nothing in Return

Chapter - 47

The morning light was soft and gray as Jacob and Elara left Havenrest, the city's dark spires fading into the mist as they headed into the hills. Elara walked a few paces behind him, quiet and tense, her mind tangled with worry. She kept her gaze on the rocky path beneath her feet, her hands clenched tightly by her sides.

Sensing her unease, Jacob slowed his stride and looked back. "Elara, I told you not to worry. We'll get your family back and kill a few spiders while we're at it," he said confidently, hoping to lighten her spirits. "I asked around last night. The innkeeper said these parts are sorely lacking in mages and monster hunters. It's a tough region to clear of creatures, so you can bet Malakar was waiting for someone like us to wander through."

Elara nodded but remained silent, chewing on her lip, clearly not comforted by Jacob's words. He gave her a sideways glance, pausing for a moment. "So, let go of any worrying thoughts, and focus on the task ahead."

They trekked for hours, the path twisting and climbing into the wild hills outside Havenrest, until they reached a rugged, stony terrain where a narrow cave mouth yawned before them, half-hidden by a low outcrop. Jacob's gaze grew steely as he studied the entrance. "This has to be the place."

The ground around the cave was littered with the delicate remains of bones and old webs that glistened in the pale sunlight, evidence of the Silkshade Spiders' hunting grounds. Jacob lowered his voice as they approached. "Here's the plan," he whispered, meeting Elara's gaze. "Spiders hate fire—I'm sure these ones will as well. So, I'll keep them busy up close, and you hang back, throwing fireballs at them. Stay sharp and keep them off our backs."

Elara nodded and held out her hand, summoning a small flickering flame in her palm. It cast a faint orange glow over their surroundings, and together they stepped into the cave, its darkness swallowing them whole. The air was thick and stale, and the silence around them was oppressive, each footfall echoing off the stone walls as they ventured deeper.

They walked cautiously, the light from Elara's flame flickering along the jagged stone walls. The quiet was heavy, almost unnatural, with no hint of movement in the shadows. Elara glanced around nervously. "Where… where are the monsters?"

Jacob opened his mouth to answer, but a cold drop of something slimy hit his hand. He froze, looking up. Above them, tiny, glinting red eyes reflected the flame's light, staring down in eerie silence. Then, as his gaze swept around them, he saw more—a sea of small, beady red eyes blinking from every direction.

"Elara," he whispered, voice tight, "we're surrounded."

Before she could answer, he shouted, "Run!" 

They turned and bolted toward the entrance, their footsteps pounding against the stone floor. The silence shattered as monstrous spiders dropped from above, their huge bodies hitting the ground with loud, skittering clacks. Each was as large as a hound, their thick legs clawing at the stone as they launched forward. Their slick, black bodies were covered in coarse hair, their multiple eyes unblinking and hungry.

One of the spiders lunged forward, firing a sticky, slimy web that shot toward them like a snare. Jacob and Elara darted aside, barely dodging the strands as they sprinted toward the cave's mouth. Jacob pulled his revolver from his holster, firing blindly behind him. Blue flares of faerium from his revolver crackled with each shot, illuminating the cave in quick, explosive flashes. A couple of the spiders fell, their bodies twitching as they died, but the rest closed in, undeterred.

Suddenly, a strand of webbing shot forward, catching Jacob's legs, and he stumbled, hitting the ground hard. He grunted, pain searing through him, and tried to twist free, but the webbing held fast. Elara skidded to a stop and rushed back to him. Without hesitation, she coated her blade in fire and sliced through the webbing, freeing him. "Come on, Jacob!"

But the spiders were now upon them, blocking their escape. Their fangs clicked hungrily, and they fired more webs, each strand a sticky trap. Jacob and Elara braced themselves as they realized there was no running now; they would have to fight.

Jacob gripped his sword tightly and charged forward, meeting the spiders head-on, slicing through legs and bodies, while also shooting with his revolver. One spider latched onto his leg with its pincers, digging deep, and he gritted his teeth, shoving it off. Blood dripped down his wound as he fought, but he didn't stop.

Behind him, Elara fought with fire blazing along her blade, each swing lighting up the darkness as she cut down any spider that dared to come close. One of her strikes landed directly on a spider's face, searing its eyes, and it let out a high-pitched screech, recoiling from her in agony before collapsing. The other spiders hesitated, sensing the danger of her flames, and shifted their attention to Jacob, who was now surrounded, the beasts' pincers snapping dangerously close.

Jacob's energy was draining quickly, his injuries slowing him down. A spider lunged, its fangs grazing his side, and he stumbled, pain flaring through his torso. He barely deflected another spider's attack, each move becoming more desperate. Just as he felt his strength faltering, Elara's voice rang out, filled with resolve.

"Jacob—hold on!" 

Seeing him in danger, Elara called upon her faerium. Her body erupted into a fierce blaze. Flames licked up her arms and across her shoulders, and her eyes glowed with a fiery intensity as she drew upon every ounce of her faerium. She raised her hands and unleashed a torrent of flames toward the spiders that had surrounded Jacob. The fire engulfed the creatures, their shrieks echoing through the cave as they writhed and burned, each one collapsing as the blaze overwhelmed them.

When the last spider fell, charred and silent, Elara extinguished the flames, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She turned to Jacob, who was bruised and bloodied but alive. "Are you alright?"

He gave her a pained grin, trying to mask his injuries. "Nothing a few days of rest won't fix."

Together, they began the gruesome task of extracting the monster cores from the spiders. The intense heat of Elara's flames had burned some of the bodies too badly for silk, but the spiders felled by Jacob's gun remained relatively intact. Working quickly, they opened the silk sacs along the spiders' abdomens, gathering every thread they could salvage.

When they finally stepped out of the cave, their task complete, Jacob limped forward, dragging his injured leg behind him. Elara walked a few steps behind him, her gaze fixed on his broad back as they made their way back.

She found herself lost in thought, a quiet ache settling in her chest as she recalled everything he had done for her. Her own father had cared so little, had seen her as nothing but currency to be traded. The blood that ran through her veins had tied her to a man who had valued her only for the coin she could bring. But this wasn't something uncommon. Elara had grown up in a world where cruelty was expected, where a daughter's worth was measured by the debts she could settle. Where a man could decide a woman's fate.

But Jacob… he was different. He'd faced death for her but never asked for anything in return. He was here because he wanted to be, because he wanted to see her smile, to give her something that had been taken from her. And he had never asked for her servitude or for the things that most men in his position would have demanded. She glanced down, feeling a flush of warmth rise in her cheeks, as she thought she would serve him in bed without a moment's hesitation if he ever asked.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Jacob slowing until he was beside her, and he reached out, flicking her forehead lightly.

"Oi," he said, giving her a look. "I'm the one who's injured, so why are you dragging your feet?" He gazed down at her. "Now help me out and for goodness sake, cheer up, alright? We're going to get your family back."

Elara nodded, a genuine smile breaking through as she looked at him. She was in love with this man, and would be till the day she died.