Battle

SPACE “Big spiders,” the gray-bearded dwarf moans under his breath. “Really big spiders.”
SPACE The two glistening-eyed arachnids pounce on the ill prepared Kavan, who holds his rusty shortsword up in feeble protest. The pounce is lightning quick and there is little or no time for action.
SPACE Kavan screams; not the war-driven yell befitting a warrior of his build, but a cry of pain and disbelief. Almost immediately, Kavan’s body goes limp and the fighter falls face-first into the water. The spiders close in on him and begin to feed.

SPACE “Run for your life!” Alliandra screams, running beyond Kavan’s immobile body and towards the darkness.

SPACE Grant steadies himself in the water. Kavan’s scream makes the battle vet take immediate action.
SPACE Forgetting the fallen barbarians for the moment and disregarding his own safety, Grant jumps into the air at the flailing ruckus. As he comes down from his great leap, he swings an enormous bone overhead like a club.
SPACE The intended target jumps to the side as the dwarf strikes, his weapon creating a large splash in the shallow water. The second spider leaps to the offensive, catching the dismayed dwarf off-guard.
SPACE The eight-legged fiend takes advantage of Grant’s enormous “whiff” and strikes, knocking the warrior to his back. Fortunately, he has his wits about him. Using the creature’s own momentum, the stout fighter rolls and kicks the heavy thing up and over his head. The damage has been done however, as blood pours from Grant’s left shoulder and stains his ragged shirt.
SPACE “Bloody hell,” the dwarf cries.

SPACE The other spider takes the opportunity and attacks the bleeding Grant.
SPACE Ready this time, the dwarf has no intentions of getting that close to a spider again. Grant sidesteps the leaping spider and brings his bone up as the creature passes him airborne. The weapon makes a splintering sound, and Grant takes a second to inspect his bone club. Seems to be intact.
SPACE The flying spider crashes to the floor with a splash and lies there twitching for a moment before it dies, its cephalothorax shattered.

SPACE The other spider hesitates. Its companion has been left with its head crushed. It pauses.
SPACE Grant leaves the dog-sized spider no chance to decide. He lets out a hooting yell and runs at the huge thing, waving the gut-covered bone overhead.
SPACE The monster’s reactions are quick, however, and the thing jumps out of the way in plenty of time.

SPACE A loud splash and a scream echoes down the hallway where Alliandra disappeared.

SPACE The sound distracts Grant just long enough for the spider to pounce again, this time knocking the bone from the dwarf’s blood-covered hands. The monstrosity rests upon Grant’s heaving chest and rears back, revealing its gargantuan fangs and emitting an ear-splitting chittering sound.
SPACE Grant squeezes his eyes shut and waits for death to take him.

Death?