By the time the sun went down, the two were standing in front of the entrance to Abaskan.

  It would have been a lie to say Foreigner was awed by the village of Aranaim. Or rather, it would be the truth to say that she was disappointed. From afar, she saw the giant fortress surrounding the village, but it was soon revealed to be a wooden structure pretending to be a gate. There was no blockage restricting movement inward from the outside, and no one was on guard duty on top of the swaying watchtower. Essentially, the entire village was wide open with no way to protect itself from the threat.

  “Stay close to me,“ Octavia said to Foreigner in a low voice as she eyed the villagers. “Something’s not right.“

  Foreigner nodded her head without a word and stuck right behind Octavia. The street was muddy with melted snow, and the buildings were made of rotting lumber, with most of them barely standing while making creaking noises. What looked to be a small farmland was filled with dry black dirt, and the only plants growing on it were withered away, swinging powerlessly in the icy wind raking the skin. The terrible odor resonated from every direction Foreigner turned, and when she figured out there were no livestock anywhere to be found, she almost vomited at the realization of the source of the foul stench. In all honesty, this place looked more like a ruin than a village. Still, it was far better than nothingness in the middle of a snowy tundra.

  But the most eye-catching factor was not the place but the people. The bipedal beings with a humanoid body structure composed of an uncomfortably bent back with three pairs of long arms. Of them, the bottom pair was long enough for them to scrape the ground as they walked; some even used them like a second pair of legs. They were covering most of their bodies with a dull colored robe like outfit, with the only parts of their bodies exposed being their uncannily pale, slim, and long fingers. As Octavia mentioned earlier, all of them were wearing masks, each of them being remarkably different as if they served the role of being an identifying factor of a face.

  What was more mysterious than their faces was their behaviour. Even though the two outsiders entered the village with no restrictions, none of the villagers paid attention. Or rather, they intentionally ignored them, as if they were prohibited from having an interaction with the strangers. It was only the children who looked and pointed fingers at the travelers, only for them to be stopped by the surrounding adults. Most of the villagers were sitting on the dirty ground, with no light exiting from the holes in their masks, waiting patiently for the end that will consume the world one day. And as Foreigner felt the shiver spreading through her body with every step she took, one man approached straight towards the newcomers.

  “Octavia.“

  With his three left arms and the lowest right arm on his back, and the remaining two right arms grabbing onto a supporting staff, the man trudged in the middle of the street. The villagers moved aside to make a path, all the while placing their index and middle fingers of their topmost hands on their temples with palms facing downwards.

  “It must have been you who frightened the nature this morning.”

  A slightly quivering, yet deep voice resonated beneath the mask. Based on the charismatic aura and attitude of the people around, Foreigner assumed him to be the leader of the village.

  Octavia greeted the elder with a similar gesture made by the other villagers. Foreigner attempted to mimic, only to fail to do it properly by facing her palms towards the elder. The elder, without a word of correction, replied by demonstrating the proper way. Yet, Foreigner was unaware of her mistake.

  “Elder Germogen,“ Octavia broke the heavy air sinking the village. “Apologies for causing a commotion. We were merely hunting on the outskirts. This is—“

  “No matter.“ Germogen stopped Octavia in the middle as Foreigner was getting ready to introduce herself. “Leave as soon as tomorrow’s sun rises. This is for your own good.“

  “Has there been any trouble?“

  Octavia questioned, but Germogen did not answer. Instead, he turned his back and spoke with a voice filled with resolution.

  “The fate of the web is handled by the spider.“

  Then, he walked away slowly, relying on his staff for every step he took. Octavia showed her respect to the elder even though he went without noticing, and Foreigner followed on her side, only for her to do it wrong again.

  “Let’s go.”

  Octavia led the way forward, and Foreigner followed right after her. Foreigner wished to ask what just happened, but she couldn’t bring that out once she saw Octavia’s sorrowful face.

  As the two walked further into the village, the atmosphere grew darker and thicker. More people were lying on the ground while staring at the cloudy sky devoid of stars, or walking in a circle with no blatant destination, or talking to the air and bursting into laughter.

  Suddenly, a new sensation smacked Foreigner from her side. She looked to her right to find a group of muscular Aranaims observing her with hostility dripping from their eyes. The only thing halting them from acting was the biggest of them not making the first move, and Foreigner couldn’t tell what he was thinking behind the ostentatious mask of his. She quickly turned her head and tried her best not to look to her side, hoping that nothing would happen until she left this village.

  After a few more minutes of walking, Octavia stopped in front of a shop with no one behind the counter and rang a bell placed on the display shelf. The counter was contaminated with flies as if there had been a feast not too long ago, and the magenta-colored liquid watered the floor alongside the smell of iron reeking everywhere.

  “Coming!“

  From the door behind the counter, a voice that was too bright for this village came out.

  “Sorry for keeping you wait—Oh my gosh, Octavia! Long time no see!“

  A girl in a blood-splattered apron came out of the building and jumped right into Octavia. She grabbed Octavia’s hands and then shook them up and down enthusiastically while hopping her feet in joy and happiness. At such scenery, Foreigner got a slight hope that perhaps not everything was doom and gloom in this village.

  “Glad you look well, Taisia.“

  Octavia gave the brightest smile since she had entered the village. Even though she was not jumping around like Taisia was, it was clear that she was sharing the emotion with her.

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  “How’s the business booming?“

  At a simple greeting question, Taisia’s face behind the mask stiffened, but soon she spread her remaining arms to make herself look bigger.

  “Of course! Look at our display! That’s right, nothing! Because we sold everything!“

  Unfortunately, her efforts to hide her feelings were in vain. Octavia was not a gullible person, and even Foreigner knew she was lying.

  “Tribe Of Plunder. They came by again, right?“ Octavia said with a stony expression, seeking for truth.

  Taisia slowly lowered her arms, silently nodding her head twice. She raised her hands holding Octavia’s to chest level and spoke in a calm yet remorseful voice.

  “Octavia, you know how it is. The fate of the web—.“

  “—is handled by the spider.”

  Octavia heard this proverb well enough to memorize it. But no matter how many times she recited it, it did not make sense to her. What’s so bad about borrowing a hand when you need one?

  It all seemed like another form of the old blocking the passage of the new without a good reason. Just because that was how the world revolved since the genesis. Just because they tried it in the past and it worked. Just like how she was forsaken by her own people.

  But the wall built through centuries called tradition was far too high for it to be climbed with disagreement only. And the reality was that she was an outsider without a voice. She voiced the only thing she could after biting her lips.

  “I understand.“

  Meanwhile, Foreigner stood on the side with a confused look. She opened her mouth a couple of times already but closed them without saying a word, as she worried if now was the right moment for her to jump into the middle of the heartwarming meeting. But when she opened it for the third time, her eyes met Taisia’s, and only then did Taisia notice how her visitor was being treated.

  “Oh, my, Octavia! You brought your friend and didn’t mention it? Hello! Please call me Taisia!“

  As Taisia released her hands holding Octavia’s, Octavia seemed to disapprove but soon smiled it away at the right corner of her mouth.

  “Hey! I—“

  This was when Foreigner noticed that she still didn’t have a name. In reality, nobody had to call her since the only person she ever interacted with was Octavia, and it was obvious that Octavia was talking to her whenever she said something. She stuttered a bit as her mind went hazy, but soon made up her mind on this trivial yet important decision.

  “Foreigner. I go by Foreigner.“

  “Foreigner? Is that a nickname?“

  Taisia tilted her head slightly to the side. Foreigner couldn’t give a clear answer but laughed nervously, hoping that Taisia would just go over it.

  “Hey, why don’t you show what you brought?“

  Octavia pointed her finger at the package in Foreigner’s hands. It was only then Foreigner remembered she was holding onto those and thought how much she was being influenced by the pressuring atmosphere of the village to forget a delightfulness.

  “Tada! Look what Octavia caught in the wood!“

  Foreigner unwrapped the package to reveal the gorgeous-looking marbling on the fresh meat. But unlike how she expected, Taisia got frightened and quickly covered the package back in a wrap.

  “It’s cold out here! Let’s head inside!“

  Taisia took the meat from Foreigner with haste. Foreigner thought it was odd, but she was used to this level of oddity ever since she had entered this village. But soon she could understand why Taisia got so startled when she saw the meat.

  A grand shadow was cast on her, then a muscular hand erupted out from behind past left side of her face. The hand reached out for the meat Taisia held and snatched it from her effortlessly. At the sudden event, Foreigner couldn’t flinch a finger and shuttered as she slowly turned in fear. There stood a giant Aranaim, who seemed to have been the leader of the pack that was staring at Foreigner and Octavia on their way to Taisia’s place.

  He was three times bigger than his minions, his skin looked rough and resilient, and his fingers were sharper than the knife Octavia used to skin the deer. Every time he breathed, the cracks between his bones made a chilling echo that reverberated through Foreigner’s heart, and the uncanny sound of his teeth colliding with each other caused Foreigner to slide backward in fear without lifting her feet.

  Oddly enough, he was not covering his entire body with a robe like other Aranaims do. Instead, his arms and legs were completely exposed, as if to demonstrate the brawny reverse joint on his bottom and the veins visible above the skin as they pulsated rhythmically on his top. He lifted the meat he snatched from Taisia like a trophy, and spoke in an extremely sonorous voice.

  “Ah, Taisia! What an offering you have gathered for me. I have been starving for blood, and now I can finally satiate my hunger!“

  He spoke in a gentle tone, yet the mockery was flowing out of his mask like a torrent. His minions laughed out loud at the show their boss performed, giving more power to the giant Aranaim. With his shoulders soaring up into the sky, he walked towards Foreigner, trembling the earth ever so slightly with every step he took.

  “And who do we have here? You seem to be odd for a Shakh Sah. Let me take a good look at you.“

  He stretched his arm and spread his hand widely towards Foreigner’s face. Foreigner couldn’t do anything out of dread. All she could do was close her eyes and pray that this moment would pass soon.

  “That’s enough, Rurik.“

  Octavia stood between Foreigner and the Aranaim, with her wing spread wide as if to cover Foreigner away from him.

  “My apologies, Demerii. I did not see you there, for you are so small with your one wing.“

  Rurik extended his hand to Octavia’s wing and caressed it like a tiny doll. Octavia’s face turned stony as she calmly placed her hand on her revolver. And Foreigner couldn’t do anything but watch over at the eruption of violence.

  “P—please stop this!“

  Taisia cried out loud while looking downwards with her legs shaking. Her attempt only caused Rurik to laugh out loud with his minions, and she stood there while clenching her apron with a tear escaping from her mask. That was enough for Octavia to endure. Her hand was on the revolver, and the only thing left was the moment to fire.

  As the tension rose and Foreigner’s breath became heavy, she heard a small metallic object rolling on the ground. There was what seemed to be an egg-like object lying on the street, and it suddenly popped open, emitting a green gas out of it.

  “Grenade!“

  One of Rurik’s men screamed. At that single word, the entire population in the vicinity fell into a panic, rushing away into the nearest building. Only Rurik, Taisia, Octavia, and Foreigner, who was more confused and afraid than anything else, were standing still and looked where the object came from. There was one Aranaim, who was smaller than average, shrugging his shoulders like a prankster.

  “I see the rat has escaped from the sewer.“

  Rurik grumbled in a low voice. He picked up the object on the ground and then crushed it with his one hand, dropping the fragments of what was onto the unmelted snow. He stepped towards the prankster while waking every string of muscles in his fingers, but when he saw Elder Germogen watching over him from far away, he turned his back with no further action.

  “Consider yourself fortunate for today, pest. Next time, I will exterminate you with my own hands.“

  Then he left to where his minions had run off to, with his hands full of wrath that was still yet to be unleashed and the meat he stole from the rightful owner.

  “Are you two okay?“

  Octavia released a sigh of relief and turned to Foreigner and Taisia. Foreigner nodded her head rapidly while Taisia gathered her hands together as if she were making a prayer. Once she confirmed everyone was unhurt, she diverted her attention to the prankster, who was now up close to the group.

  “Good timing. How have you been?“

  “Well, terrible! Of course!“ The prankster shouted without the care of his surroundings. “There has been no breakthrough in my research, and I’m out of ingredients! Heaven forbid, why must I spend my precious belonging on buying food to keep myself alive? This is completely outrageous! Anyhow, so I decided to get some food from Taisia and saw this happening. What are you doing here, Octavia?“

  “I’m not giving you any food, Pafnuty. You don’t even pay it back.“

  Taisia said in a grumpy voice once her prayer was done. Pafnuty shrugged his shoulder and waved his six arms as if he was mocking Taisia until he got punched by her in his face.

  “Oh, right. That’s the doctor I was looking for.“

  Octavia pointed at Pafnuty on the ground with her thumb, leaving Foreigner dumbfounded as he differed from her imagination of a doctor. Intellectual, cold-minded, and definitely someone who wouldn’t be rolling on the ground while getting punched.

  Still, despite everything that happened, it sounded like things were coming back to the place they once used to be, and Foreigner expressed her feeling with one word.

  “Cool.”