As Adon stared at his brother's enlarged exoskeleton, no longer glowing, now slightly gray, cracks began to form in the carapace.

Oh, of course, this whole thing is going to fall off, Adon thought. It really is a lot like my chrysalis Evolution.

The space between the cracks began to widen, and Adon could see the first glimpses of the flesh underneath. He saw a centimeter's width of hard exoskeleton that glistened moistly.

Then he heard a voice that pulled his attention away.

Adon, where are you?

It was Goldie.

Thank Goddess, she is all right…

"I'm here! At the top of the tree!"

Adon tried to say that, but a thin whistle escaped his mouth instead.

Right, have to remember I don't have vocal cords anymore, Adon thought. He was going to miss having those body parts.

He looked down, confirmed he could see Goldie, and activated Telepathy.

Goldie, we're up at the top of this tree! Adon sent. He and Samson were not precisely at the very top of the tree—closer to the middle—but the message got Goldie looking in the right direction.

She clearly saw Adon and looked slightly startled by how far away he was. She began looking around as she transmitted her next message.

What are you doing up there? Is Samson with you? Did you kill this deer? Goldie sent.

I was yelling in your general direction about the deer earlier, Adon transmitted, successfully keeping his slight annoyance out of his voice. I got a little worried, because you didn't answer. The deer wandered into the area below the tree, dying. I thought some kind of monster was coming, so I carried Samson up to a high branch in this tree. I was worried that whatever got that deer might go after you. That's why I was yelling.

Oh, I am sorry about that, Goldie sent. Thank you for warning me. I think I was too focused on my task and did not listen properly.

Nothing big and scary came and bothered you? Adon asked.

No, nothing, Goldie replied. I was just busy decorating the forest with silk. She sounded proud.

Another chunk of Samson's shed exoskeleton broke off, and it tumbled off the side of the branch the spider and the butterfly were sitting on and toward the ground.

What was that? Goldie sent.

Samson is finishing his Evolution, Adon sent back. Do you want me to bring him back down? He's just getting out of his old exoskeleton now. He turned to Samson. You all right in there, bro?

It felt a little strange that his brother had remained silent during Adon's exchanges with Goldie.

I'm fine, Samson replied. He sounded slightly tired to Adon.

Adon wondered if his brother had somehow rushed through Evolution. It would be just like Samson, who had always been more ambitious and impatient.

Bring me up there! Goldie replied as Adon was trying to think of what to say to Samson next.

Um, all right, Adon replied. You hold still, bro, he added in Samson's direction.

Do I look like I'm going anywhere? Samson asked, needled.

I think someone woke up on the wrong side of the web, Adon sent back immediately. Before his brother could say anything in response to Adon's devastating retort, the butterfly was fluttering up into the air after Goldie.

He heard the little spider's voice a moment later: That was a terrible pun! I know you're the older brother, but I didn't know you were an actual old man!

Then Adon was landing next to Goldie, who quickly climbed onto his back.

It's a little tight here, Adon, she sent in a ginger tone.

And the butterfly remembered that he had gone back to his base size. He quickly expanded and flattened out his body so that Goldie would have more space. Then he flew her up to where Samson was.

Oh Goddess, Samson, you finished your Evolution! Goldie crowed.

She's one of those mothers who wants to give the kid positive reinforcement all the time, Adon thought to himself. It was kind of sweet.

I did! Samson replied instantly. Then half of the shed layer of exoskeleton that had covered him crumpled away from his body. Adon finally got a good look at what his brother had become.

Oh, that's why he seemed to be having a hard time, Adon thought.

Samson had not been tired from Evolution. He was just trying to extricate himself from a ton of tightly packed shed layers of his own exoskeleton. He was much smaller than Adon had imagined. Rather than being almost the same size as Goldie, he was only a few times larger than he had been as a hatchling. Perhaps five times as big.

His coloration and build looked distinctly familiar. It took Adon a moment to realize why, but not Goldie.

You look so much like Red, she gushed.

And Samson did.

He had Red's mixture of red and gold coloration, a similar set of colors to Goldie but with the emphasis reversed.

Goldie hopped off of Adon's back and went to go look at Samson up close. Adon kept a respectful distance to allow mother and son some bonding time, but he did use Identify. He wanted to know what exactly Samson had become.

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Willful Golden Orb-Weaver Spider (Male).

Oh, interesting. He became a "Willful" spider after one Evolution. Adon recalled that "Willful" was the label that signified Goldie had become a mystic beast. Goldie and I really helped him get ahead.

Congratulations on finishing your Evolution, bro, Adon sent.

Thanks, Samson replied. He sounded as if he had cheered up or recovered whatever energy he was lacking when Adon initially spoke to Samson from outside his layers of shed exoskeletons. What were you guys up to while I was out?

Oh, I was just watching you, Adon sent. Goldie was busy doing something else. She killed a fox and then came up with a little project to help you with your next stage.

Mama? What is Adon talking about? Samson asked.

It might be better if we show you! Goldie replied excitedly. Adon, can we have a ride?

Adon made his body a little bit flatter and wider, to serve as a better platform for his friends. The task was easier now than it ever had been before, and he recognized that at some point, his Transformation Adaptation had probably reached a new tier of power.

Hopefully it does that again, and I can take on more ambitious forms, he thought quietly.

The two spiders climbed onto Adon's back, and he took off again. He flew in the direction of the fox he had pointed out to Goldie earlier.

Now that he thought about it, Adon wondered how that fight had gone—or if there had been a fight at all.

He tilted his body slightly as he flew, pivoting to look down with his best set of eyes and using only his Simple Eyes to avoid trees and other obstacles at roughly his height. Adon expected there would be some sign of the fox when he got close to it, perhaps a dead body or some bits of fur if the beast had fled successfully.

What he had not imagined was the trail of blood that unfolded beneath him. Bits of flesh and blood from a large, wounded animal spotted various plants below.

Right, the deer came from this general direction too, he thought. Its path diverged somewhat from the direction of the fox, but Adon could not help wondering again, even as the blood trail disappeared from view, what exactly had happened to that deer.

What finally fully pulled Adon's mind back to the present was the touch of a thread. It was feather-light, but almost as soon as he touched it, he knew it had happened.

What is this? Adon sent, alarmed, as something unseen tugged at his wing, almost sending him tumbling downward. He had to flap frantically to stay airborne and level, so the spiders would not fall.

As he did so, he felt another tiny thread make contact with another wing.

Oh shit, Adon thought.

Hold still, Adon, Goldie sent urgently. Give me one moment…

She climbed up Adon's side and, through some method unseen, quickly untangled him from the threads he had touched.

You are all right now, Goldie sent. Free to fly! There was an unmistakable note of self-satisfaction in her voice as she returned to her previous place on his back.

Wow, Goldie, Adon sent a little nervously. Is it, um, safe for me to fly around here?

Oh. That is a good point, Goldie agreed.

What just happened? Samson asked.

Adon, could you please take us close to ground level? Goldie asked. I know you cannot put your wings away, but—

What do you mean, of course I can put my wings away? Adon replied, almost indignantly. Had Goldie forgotten that he had the Transformation Adaptation?

He floated down to the ground and let Samson and Goldie off.

Then he used Transformation again the way he had earlier, except that this time, in addition to taking a humanoid form, he also pulled his wings into his back. Almost as an afterthought, he conjured a fig leaf to cover his private area.

Ta da! Adon sent.

Whoa, Samson sent.

So, you can put your wings away, Goldie added.

You guys aren't going to tell me you're not impressed, are you? Adon asked.

You look like a literal fairy or elf or something, man, Samson transmitted. It's kind of wild, but I would never say I'm jealous or something, let's put it that way.

Um, Goldie, what do you think? Adon sent.

The spider averted her gaze.

I think I want to show off what I created in this forest, Goldie sent. Please follow me, both of you, and do not extend arms or legs much beyond the space that I occupy. We are entering an area I modified to catch anything and everything that enters.

Adon had the distinct sense that the spiders were not impressed by his cool new look.

Fine, he thought. Whatever. The Princess is going to think it's cool.

He followed Samson and Goldie into the death trap the larger spider had created.

As they rounded a nearby tree, Adon could see the first trapped animal. A fat squirrel was still wriggling, and all around it were a concentration of shimmering threads. They became visible when concentrated around the squirrel's body—almost hog-tying it—and then vanished further up from where the creature lay. It was like observing a puppet that had been bound for some reason. Every movement seemed to embroil the squirrel further in the tangle of threads.

Oh my goodness, how did you do this? Samson sent.

I learned a trap-making Skill, Goldie transmitted. I spent a lot of time practicing with it while you were evolving. The idea was to gather food for you. I figured that you get more Evolution Points killing your own prey, but we had no reason to think you have to find them yourself…

Adon was impressed, too. While they were exchanging words, he had turned his head and looked around.

In the air, he could see there were at least a half-dozen birds trapped similarly to the squirrel. Most of them were no longer moving.

As Goldie continued the tour of her death zone, the three arthropods encountered two more squirrels, a couple of chipmunks, a poor vole—Adon had to resist the urge to suggest they let the poor creature go; he was developing a soft spot for them—a weasel, a pine marten, an otter, and a strange-looking rodent that Identify labeled a Parmonian Desman (Male).

It must have moved Southwest for Winter, Adon thought. He was vaguely aware of where Parmonia was from his conversations with Rosslyn.

But he focused on the otter.

This is amazing, he sent, tilting his head at the otter. I mean, all of the creatures Goldie trapped are incredible. Do you two think this guy being here means there's a source of water nearby?

There has to be, Samson sent back immediately. A river, maybe. Even if it's just a lake that formed with a little catchment area, there has to be something.

What is a catchment area? Goldie asked, taking the words right out of Adon's mouth.

An area where rainfall naturally gathers before flowing into a lake or something, Samson explained.

Do you think we could find it, Samson? Adon asked. The catchment area and the lake or whatever? Adon was mainly thinking about his desire to see his reflection, so he could decide what he thought about his own transformed appearance and make changes accordingly. The dead deer had almost slipped his mind. Even if it hadn't, Adon probably would not be thinking that wandering around the forest was a good way to encounter whatever had killed the deer.

Sure, shouldn't be too hard, Samson replied. This otter won't have gone too far from home. And water almost always flows downhill.

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