Chapter 12: Everyone Hates Spiders
The shiny black carapace of the spider hurtled toward Quintus, its eight spindly legs glimmering ever so faintly in the darkness. He planted his feet and pulled mightily at his shield, maneuvering the rectangular scutum between them. However, the chitinous mass didn't bounce off like he'd expected. Instead, the tips of its legs clung to the surface, skittering noisily as it crawled up his shield and began to crest its top.
At this distance, the monster's features were impossible to miss. A constellation of inky black orbs studded its small head, its eyes staring soullessly into his own. A pair of needle-like fangs the size of knives protruded from beneath them. Leaves and twigs adhered to its bulbous abdomen, camouflage that would've made the dark shape even more difficult to see among the foliage.
Quintus suppressed a shiver as the thing raised its fangs in a soft hiss. He stabbed his gladius through the spider's face without hesitation. The blade made a sickening crunch as it punched through its armored head. As the beast thrashed in its death throes, he flipped it sideways, ripping his sword free. Greenish purple ichor from its insides ran down his blade, mixing with a yellowish venom that hissed and burbled.
He didn't have time to inspect his blade for damage, though. With a flick of his wrist, he sprayed the toxic concoction off the tip of his sword at the partially-severed web still attached to his shield, finally managing to cut through it as another spider scuttled toward his feet. As it neared, he slammed the bottom of his shield down toward it, cracking several of its legs.
"Orbem formate!" Quintus shouted.
The other eight men moved into a circle formation. Without even needing to look, he stepped back and slid his shield into a gap left perfectly open for him. As one, they stepped forward and away from the trees as much as they could. More webs shot toward them from the darkness, impacting shields from every side. A few shouts rang out as a couple of poorly-secured helmets were carried into the trees. But their formation didn't budge. The combination of their shields being locked together and the [Shield Wall] skill allowed them to weather the assault together even better than Quintus had alone.
Moving in a circle formation was challenging—it required the majority of the men to move sideways or backwards—but they were well-trained for the task. Navigating through the dark over gnarled tree roots was far simpler than some of the training they'd endured. Still, the movements felt even easier than Quintus had expected, as though the Legionnaires themselves shared an even deeper understanding of each others' intent than ever before. Perhaps this was what Gaius had been talking about when he explained the [Group Tactics] skill at work.
Quintus didn't remain idle, though. He called out orders with [Voice of Command], coordinating their movements as the spiders continued to try and pull them apart. Their blades sawed at the thick strands of webbing even as their formation remained immovable. However, that wasn't enough to keep them safe.
Eventually, the spiders decided to change tactics. They swarmed down the trees in a wave of black and green and brown, making it seem as though the forest itself intended to swallow them up.