The Boy That Lives In The Abyss

Two out of ten pieces were gone from the girls side and now she only had 8 while Tod had nine.

{Whatever, i move this piece towards the middle of the board}

Soon the figure of a spider with a big thorax moved towards the middle and then on the four tiles beside it cocoons formed.

Heheh, this is my Webweaver Broodmother,} the girl said with a sly tone. {For every turn she stays on the board, she spawns four cocoons. And those cocoons? They hatch into new spiders after two turns.}

Tod frowned as he studied the board. The Broodmother's presence was already tilting the balance. The cocoons shimmered faintly, as if pulsing with life, and he could feel the growing threat they represented.

"Great, so you're making an army," Tod muttered. "That's totally not terrifying."

{It's not an army,} she teased. {It's a family. Isn't it sweet?}

Tod rolled his eyes, focusing on his next move. "Alright, Phoenix, let's see if we can deal with this before it gets out of hand. Attack the Broodmother!"

The Firestorm Phoenix flapped its blazing wings and surged forward, its body surrounded by a vortex of fire and lightning. It aimed directly for the Broodmother, its talons glowing with destructive energy.

{Not so fast,} the girl interrupted. {The Broodmother has a special ability too—Web Trap. Any enemy piece that gets too close is snared and loses its turn.}

As the Phoenix neared the Broodmother, a web of silvery threads shot out from her thorax, wrapping around the Phoenix mid-flight. The once-majestic creature struggled against the bindings, its flames flaring wildly but failing to burn through the webbing.

"Oh, come on!" Tod exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice. "How do I deal with that?"

{Maybe you should've thought ahead,} she said smugly. {Your Phoenix is stuck for this turn. Now it's my turn again.}

The cocoons around the Broodmother began to pulse more rapidly, their surfaces cracking as small spiderlings started to emerge. Each one skittered to an adjacent tile, their glowing red eyes fixated on Tod's side of the board.

{And just like that, my family grows,} she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. {Your move, little boy.}

Tod gritted his teeth, scanning the board for options. The Phoenix was immobilized, and the spiderlings were multiplying fast. His remaining pieces—though powerful—weren't positioned to counter the growing threat.

He used another piece instead, it was a six armed humanoid creatures with different weapons In each arms. A axe,A sword,A dagger,A shield,A staff and A Spear.

"Assist the Phoenix" The humanoid creature stood in its tile but it waved the staff, a beam of golden light hit the web's the Phoenix was trapped in and it dissolved into light.

The Phoenix soaredup into the Sky's after it was free and glared at broodmother.

{Heh, nice play but six tiles have been taken over by the broodmother so I can now Advance her} The girl's voice echoed with a mix of confidence and challenge. {By advancing the Broodmother, I can turn her into a Queen Spider. With her new form, she'll spawn spiders more rapidly, and they'll be much stronger. You better watch out.}

Tod's eyes narrowed, feeling the weight of the game shift once again. The Broodmother's transformation was imminent, and with it, the threat of a true army of spiders. He could already see the outlines of the Broodmother's cocoon-like shell beginning to crack and expand, her power building.

"Alright, not on my watch," Tod muttered under his breath, analyzing the board carefully.

The Phoenix, now soaring high, prepared to unleash its fiery wrath on the Broodmother. Tod's glowing blue eyes locked onto the advancing threat. He needed to act fast.

"Phoenix, attack!" Tod commanded, pointing to the now-reinforced Broodmother.

The Phoenix dove again, its wings crackling with fire and electricity. It zoomed toward the Broodmother, a blaze of light trailing behind it. However, as the Phoenix neared, the newly evolved Queen Spider spun an immense web, far stronger than before, blocking the Phoenix's path with a blinding speed.

{You really thought you could stop her that easily?} the girl chuckled darkly. {Now, with the power of the Queen Spider, I can control the battlefield. Your Phoenix is trapped once again, and I have more spiders to command.}

Tod clenched his fists in frustration, but he wasn't ready to give up. His pieces were fewer now, but there were still chances to turn the tide. He glanced over at Six-Arms, who had already proven useful before.

"Six-Arms, take position!" Tod ordered. "Use your axe to break the web!"

The humanoid figure nodded and charged forward, its axe gleaming in the dark abyss. As it swung, the sound of steel cutting through webbing echoed through the silence. The web around the Phoenix began to disintegrate, but there was a catch—Six-Arms was close to the Queen Spider now.

{Tsk,} the girl said, her voice suddenly sharp. {You've walked right into my trap. The Queen Spider has a special ability—Venomous Strike. If any of your pieces get too close, they'll be poisoned and lose their strength.}

The Queen Spider lunged, a mass of sharp fangs snapping toward Six-Arms. The humanoid managed to block the strike with its shield, but a small wound still appeared on its arm, venom dripping from the fangs.

"Tsk, why do your pieces counter most of my own?" Tod asked, there was frustration in that tone.

{Because that is the aim of the game, each of our pieces counter each other, we have to figure out which piece to send out to the enemy, if you win I could teach you about each of the piece's origin and where they were gotten from, you seem rather new to the abyss now that I get a closer look at you}

Tod raised an eyebrow In curiosity. "You can see me?"

{A vague image, yes, currently to my looking glass I only see a dark misty figure with piercing blue eyes that have slits in them}

"Huh really?" Tod stared at his hands and saw it was normal skin.

{Ofcourse maybe it's because the Abyss is making sure no one tries to go after you, there are quite a few annoying people in here}

Tod felt a chill. "Oh, that sounds bad"

{It is Bad, so forget about it and let's continue our game}

**SKIP** (A/N:Yes i will)

In a turn of events, Tod managed to win even though he was reduced to only one piece after her last five moves.

{Tsk, you were just lucky…and now as promised i'll tell you my name} The girl paused for a moment. {My name is Azzy, an Abyss demonic fairy which owns a large labyrinth, nice to make your acquaintance}

"Nice to meet you Azzy, my name is Tod" He replied with a smile.

The girl stayed silent for a moment. {That's a normal name, it isn't bad, anyway you can come visit me in my labyrinth anytime you want, just tell me if you're coming and I'll clean the place, for now goodbye also before I leave I promised to give you a reward, so if you don't mind close your eyes}

Tod didn't know why she asked that but he did, suddenly he felt something warm pressing against his lips. Tod's mind raced as the warmth lingered on his lips. His eyes snapped open, but before he could react, he heard Azzy's voice, now teasing with an unexpected softness.

{Well, that's a little gift to remember me by, Tod. Don't get too excited though, it's just a token of our friendly match.}

He blinked, still unsure of what had just happened. Did she just…? His thoughts were scrambled, the warmth still lingering on his lips.

"Uh, okay… that was… unexpected," Tod mumbled, scratching the back of his head. He could feel his heart pounding, partly out of confusion, partly from the odd mix of emotions now swirling within him. "wait how did you even do that when you aren't even in front of me"

{Oh I opened a portal, also if you didn't mind I stared at your face for a few moments thinking you were cute before I gave you the reward}

"That feels unfair but I'll probably see you after I go to your labyrinth" Tod said with a smile.

{Yeah if you do, let's spend a lot of time together, I am really lonely down here, but I should probably stop speaking right now, till we meet Tod}

"Yeah" He didn't hear a reply and he sighed, he was feeling a little bit tired at the moment though.

"I wondered how long I was playing with Azzy"

[Approximately 5 hours, I advise you to sleep because your body is still not used to the void, so go on go to sleep]

The abyss wrote in front of him as if a mother was telling her stubborn child who refused to sleep to go to sleep.

Tod rubbed the bag of his head. "Uhm ok"

Tod stood up from the floor and entered the box like building closing the door behind him, he walked straight towards his bed and then lay down, heade sure to cover himself with the blanket just in case he gets a cold.

And soon he completely fell asleep, what filled the room was the soft snores of Tod and the ambient darkness that is all around the surroundings.

After some time passes, Tod woke up and got off the bed, he stretched for a bit and then let out a breath of air. "A nice and dreamless sleep, perfect"

Tod stepped out of the box-like building and into the endless void of the Abyss, feeling strangely refreshed. The air here, or whatever passed for air, was cool and still. Despite the overwhelming darkness, Tod felt an odd sense of calm.

"Alright," he muttered, looking around at the ever-shifting blackness. "Time to figure out my next move."

The Abyss responded as it often did—by writing in glowing letters in the air before him.

[You could explore further, or perhaps visit Azzy. She did invite you, after all.]

Tod smirked. "You really want me to visit her, huh? You're pushing this pretty hard."

[Loneliness does strange things to Abyssal beings. Besides, she seems… fond of you.]

Tod scratched the back of his head, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and curiosity. Azzy had definitely left an impression. Between her sly attitude and her powerful game skills, she was unlike anyone he'd met before. And then there was… that "reward."

"Alright, Abyss," Tod said, rolling his shoulders. "How do I get to Azzy's labyrinth?"

[I'll make a pathway for you and also a bridge]

As soon as the glowing letters formed the words, a faint tremor rippled through the darkness around Tod. Slowly, a pathway began to take shape before him, made of what seemed like crystalline obsidian. It shimmered faintly, reflecting light that didn't seem to exist in the void.

[Follow this path. It will take you to Azzy's labyrinth. Be mindful of the creatures that may wander near; some parts of the Abyss are less forgiving than others.]

Tod nodded, stepping onto the newly-formed path. The surface was smooth but sturdy, and despite the eerie void surrounding him, the path felt oddly safe under his feet. As he walked, the silence of the Abyss pressed against his ears, broken only by the occasional whisper of a distant wind.

"So, Azzy owns a labyrinth, huh?" he muttered to himself. "Wonder what that's like. Probably filled with traps or spiders. Or both."

[You're not wrong,] the Abyss responded in its glowing script, appearing just ahead of him. [But she did say she'd clean up for you. Consider yourself lucky most visitors don't get that courtesy.]

Tod chuckled. "Guess I'm special, then."

The pathway led him to a massive, arched bridge made of interwoven threads of shadow and light. It extended over a deep chasm that seemed to pulse with a faint, otherworldly glow. The sight was mesmerizing and unsettling all at once.

[Cross the bridge. The labyrinth lies just beyond.]

Taking a deep breath, Tod stepped onto the bridge. The threads beneath his feet felt soft yet firm, almost alive. He glanced down into the chasm below, where faint shapes moved in the swirling mist.

"Uh, yeah, let's not fall," he muttered, keeping his focus ahead.

As he reached the other side, the landscape shifted. What had been endless void now revealed a towering structure in the distance—a sprawling labyrinth of black stone and twisting corridors. Vines of silvery webbing clung to its walls, shimmering faintly in the dim light.

The entrance was marked by a massive iron gate adorned with intricate carvings of spiders, their eyes glowing faintly red.

[Welcome to Azzy's labyrinth. Step carefully and try not to get lost.]

Tod hesitated for a moment, then pushed the gate open. The heavy doors groaned as they swung inward, revealing a dimly lit corridor lined with glowing runes. As soon as he stepped inside, he heard a familiar voice echo through the space.

"Oh, you came to the labyrinth without informing me luckily I cleaned up yesterday" in front of him stood a small figure floating gracefully in the air—Azzy. Her wings shimmered faintly with an iridescent glow, their delicate structure resembling cobwebs spun under moonlight and her hair was purple and her height was a head shorter than Tod. She wore a mischievous smile, her crimson eyes locking onto Tod as she placed her hands on her hips.

"My cute Tod, how have you been" she said with a mischievous smile on her face.

Tod scratched the back of his head. "Hello Azzy, I hope we can be friends"

"Aren't we already? Or do you want another kiss to seal the deal?" Azzy's voice dripped with playful teasing as she leaned closer, her crimson eyes sparkling with mischief.

Tod's face turned a faint shade of red, and he quickly waved his hands. "N-No, that's not what I meant! I mean, yeah, we are friends, but let's just… take it slow, okay?"