He moved toward her, taking his sweet time as he approached. Standing next to the cocoon, he studied it briefly and then grabbed the silk near her midsection in his strong fist. The webbing stretched and then split with a sharp crack that echoed through the cavern.
He tore it that easily? He's strong, very strong, Adelaide thought to herself as she watched the man in action.
Wrapping the torn up section of the cocoon around his arm, he walked over to the unconscious body of the boy.
Sitting down swiftly, he began stretching the silk over the boy's wounds before wrapping them. Using several loops of web, he was able to wrap the boy's arm up nicely into a tight cast.
After doing that, he then proceeded to wrap the rest of the silk around the boy's torso, closing off the stinger wound completely.
When he was finished, he turned back toward Adelaide. Though his eyes remained hidden beneath the wide-brim of his hat, she could still feel his gaze taking her measure. It was intimidating to say the least.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice blunt. The question direct.
She could only stare back at him, her mouth still gagged with the sticky webbing of the cocoon. She widened her eyes as she stared, hoping for him to connect the dots.
"Right. My mistake." He walked over slowly, reaching forward to her face. He clasped the silk gag and ripped it from her face. "Who are you, lady?"
She gasped, finally intaking air through her dried up throat. It was refreshing despite the stale quality of the air.
"Adelaide," she croaked, her voice rough and unsteady. "Just Adelaide."
He tilted his head slightly. "You know this boy?"
She shook her head. "The kid? Never seen him before today. He charged in here trying to save me."
The shadowy figure glanced at the unconscious boy on the ground, then proceeded to nod once. "If he tried to save you... then that means you're probably not dangerous to him," he said, his focus returning to her. "I would have ended you if you were."
Adelaide's throat tightened at the casual threat. "So you're what... his friend?"
A half-shrug rippled through his smoky form. "Something like that." Without further explanation, he began tearing away at her cocoon. The webbing that had imprisoned her for hours stood no chance against the strength of the ghost's powerful hands.
His strength was certainly unnerving but she was thankful. The pressure was finally gone, allowing her blood to rush back into her numb limbs. Her wounded leg burned fiercely as sensation finally returned.
"There," he muttered as she collapsed down onto the stone floor, her legs buckling beneath her due to her weakened state. He could have caught her fall but chose not to.
She didn't mind, at least she wasn't suspended in the cocoon. This was much better.
"Thanks," she managed, looking up at her rescuer. "I would've been killed if it wasn't for you."
The man turned away. "Good for you, I guess." He began walking over to the boy.
"Can I help somehow?" she offered.
"No," he said. "I'll handle it."
He lifted the boy's body onto his shoulders, carrying him near the cave entrance before setting him down on his back. After gathering handfuls of leftover cocoon webbing, he returned to wrap the wounds even further.
Adelaide watched the ghost curiously. It wasn't everyday that you saw a spirit tend to a physical body. She could still see the ethereal wisps coming off of his hands as he worked. She wondered what the ghost's connection was to the boy.
Was it his soul art? Or was it his blessing? Either way, the boy was incredibly lucky to have a handy helper watch over him.
"So who are you really?" she asked. She was eager to know the connection between the two.
Without looking up from the wrapping process, the man answered, "They call me Hugo the Troll."
"Strange name," she remarked before thinking better of it.
A dry laugh escaped his throat. "That's what I'm called, like it or not." He finished tying the last bandage and stood up straight. "Never understood the troll nickname though. Doesn't make any sense for someone like myself."
"Who's 'they'? Friends of yours?"
Hugo fell silent, eyes fixed on the wounded figure at his feet. He exhaled slowly after considering his words. "Can't talk about that. Not something I'm at liberty to discuss."
Adelaide frowned. "Not your place?"
Ignoring her question, he nodded toward her injury. "Better take care of that leg before you bleed out more than you already have."
"Right." Adelaide mumbled. Hugo wasn't in a chatty mood.
She took some webbing and wrapped it around her thigh where the creature had bitten her. She winced as the silk caught on her torn skin.
She finished bandaging her leg within minutes, which helped slow the bleeding considerably.
Adelaide looked over at the boy lying unconscious nearby. The monster had slashed him with its stinger, and she'd witnessed him collapse and cough up blood. Yet Hugo wasn't addressing the poison.
"What about the venom?" she asked, gesturing toward the boy. "You haven't done anything for that. Won't the poison kill him?"
"He will be fine. I don't need to worry about that," Hugo replied simply.
"Why not? I saw him get stung—he needs some treatment!" Her voice rose with frustration.
"That poison won't kill him," Hugo stated, his tone eerily calm. "I know my host's capabilities very well. Wait and you'll understand soon enough."
Adelaide exhaled sharply. "You really make no sense, you know that?"
Hugo didn't respond, merely stroking his exquisite mustache while keeping his attention fixed on the boy. The conversation had clearly ended with no hopes of continuing.
Adelaide pulled herself to the cave wall and leaned back against the cold stone, taking deep breaths while trying to assess her situation.
She was trapped underground, but how deep? Did she have any chance of finding her way back to the surface? Was there even a path to daylight from here?
Her father, being awakened, had taught her much about Igashia. She new many of the creatures that roamed the surface, though not all—Igashia was vast beyond comprehension, and humans had barely explored one percent of it.
But these depths? This was uncharted territory. No awakened had ever returned to report what dwelled in these lightless tunnels.
The first creature she'd encountered had nearly killed her. What other dangers might be lurking nearby? What more terrible abominations might be hunting through the darkness? The thought sent a chill through her bones.
Staying with the boy made strategic sense. He possessed power—and a spectral guardian who could dismantle monsters with frightening ease.
Lucky bastard.
She would remain close for now. It improved her odds of survival significantly. She only hoped the boy wouldn't turn out to be hostile when he woke. If he was... she would deal with that problem when it arose.
A movement caught her attention. She looked toward the boy and froze. Something strange was happening to him—frost spreading across his skin like spilled water. The crystalline layer crept up his chest and neck, gradually encasing his entire body in a gleaming shell of ice.
"What's happening to him?" she gasped, eyes widening.
Hugo didn't answer.