Return to Sender

Rhythmic vibrations washed over Emma's body. Light repeatedly pierced her eyelids and distant hymns brushed against her ears.

Her body suddenly jerked forward causing her senses to rapidly return. Her arms and legs were tightly bound and irregular screeches resounded around her.

She snapped her eyes open and saw the ceiling. It was moving. Or maybe, she was moving.

She tried to lift her arm, but an enormous tri-fingered claw wrapped around her bicep and held her body in place. Lost, confused, and with a little panic mixed in, Emma raised her head and looked down the corridor she was traveling through.

Eight Huntsman walked in front of her. Each spaced two feet apart. Each raised their legs in unison and took symmetrical steps forward.

Huntsman, an evolutionary path for the Chosen Arachnids. An Enlightened creature twice the size of Arachnids, standing at seven, sometimes eight feet tall.

The majority of their spider characteristics were lost in transition: instead of six legs they had two, instead of eight eyes they had two, Huntsman were the closest to humanoids the Arachnids could get.

Tall and sturdy, a thin layer of fiber hairs protruded from their body and acted as a defense mechanism, alerting the Huntsman of incoming attacks through the movement of displaced air.

They had four arms, each equipped with a web shooter and each capable of crushing stone between its three fingers. The reason they were called Huntsman, however, was due to a special characteristic found in their chelicerae fangs.

The Huntsman evolved with a highly potent, paralyzing venom that shut down their victims ability to expand and contract their muscles. A venom that left their prey conscious and aware while at the same time trapping them in an unresponsive, immovable prison.

Emma steeled her nerves, uncontrollable panic was never a helpful response. Her arms and legs were bound and she most likely had the paralyzing venom coursing through her veins, but she was able to move her neck.

The venom had to be fading, but it probably wasn't completely gone. She could move her neck, but was she strong enough to balance and stand? Strong enough to run, probably not.

With that, there are two things Emma has to maneuver in order to escape. First, she has to make sure the Huntsman doesn't inject her with more venom. The moment she's entirely paralyzed again is the moment she loses.

Then, she has to manage to either defeat the Huntsman before they inject her with more venom or she has to manage to escape in her semi-paralyzed state. Both of which will alert the Huntsman of her ability to move, essentially broadcasting that she needs another dose of venom.

Emma inspected her soul core, she had just evolved before fainting, hopefully there was something new she could use.

[Soul Rank: Enlightened]

[Soul Saturation: 8/5000]

[Soul Essence: 300/300]

[Gift: Boost]

[Description: Freely multiply targets velocity]

[Enhancement: Boost can be applied to self]

[Ability: Return to Sender]

[Description: Registered target will return to hosts hand through the shortest route available]

[Relics: Chosen Soldiers Spontoon]

Emma's eyes sparkled and grew more vibrant, 'Return to Sender' was an entirely new ability, devoid of the traits tied to her Gift. It was also labeled as an ability instead of an enhancement, were abilities unique tools granted to better utilize a person's innate Gift, Emma wasn't sure, but either way she received something incredible.

But was it incredible enough to allow her to escape?

Emma looked back up down the corridor, the Huntsman were approaching a curve in their path. If this was the final turn that led to their destination, a place most likely packed with countless creatures of varying ranks, then Emma stood no chance.

She had to break free before they turned that corner. Even if they turned the corner and it was nothing more than another long, empty path, the risk was far too dangerous to take the chance.

Emma's mind entered overdrive. She brainstormed scenario after scenario. She was being held by four Huntsman while eight more walked ahead of her for a total of twelve enemies.

She could summon her spear directly into her hand, but then what? She could swing it at most a hundred and eighty degrees and she probably couldn't swing it hard enough to pierce the Huntsman's body.

She could summon her spear and try to desperately throw it, multiplying the spears velocity enough to pierce one of the Huntsman holding her, but then what? The other three will immediately sink their fangs into her.

She has to defeat the four Huntsman holding her at nearly the same time or find a way to prevent them from biting her. Time was running out. The Huntsman were quickly approaching the end of this path.

'Can I summon my spear outside of my hand?'

'I mean why couldn't I?'

'I can summon it anywhere my hand is, so shouldn't I be able to summon it anywhere within my body's vicinity?'

'**** if this doesn't work God's gonna get an earful'

Emma concentrated on the Chosen Soldiers Spontoon that dwelled within her soul. Sparks of essence began to flourish around her palm and she immediately panicked, canceling the summons all together.

She closed her eyes and began channeling her essence again. She placed all her attention on the empty airspace beside her head, just above one of the Huntsman.

The brilliant sparks of light began to manifest beside her. They pulled apart and molded into the shape of a spear aimed downwards into the skull of one of the Huntsman.

The spear solidified itself in reality and once it did, it began to drop due to the force of gravity. Emma activated Boost and her spear momentarily blurred then punctured the skull of the Huntsman holding her right arm.

The spear ran through the Huntsman's body and struck the earth below. Immediately, Emma activated Return to Sender and her spear pulled itself from the ground and flew towards her hand.

She grabbed her spear and poured all of her essence into her body, multiplying the speed of her arm by ten. In less than a second, Emma pierced the skulls of the three other Huntsman holding her and fell to the floor.

Using her spear to lift her body up, she faced the remaining Huntsman who were quick to react to her escape. Although she may be free from the binds that held her, in her half paralyzed state, will Emma be able to escape the incoming assault from the remaining Huntsman?