Aratreia's bare human feet tapped excitedly against the stone floor, the sound echoing through the guild hall. The Arachne girl herself couldn’t have cared less; the Guild’s assassins were busy at work. Not like they’d tell her to be quiet. She was one of them now. "Off to see the boss," She said in an adorable sing-song. "Off to see the boss!"
The Guildmaster had sent for her. Normally, she didn’t like being told what to do. Bratty to the core, she found commands irritating. But if it was the Guildmaster, it was different. They had taken her in when everyone else had ignored her. She was safe here. The Guild wasn’t like the outside world.
And besides, the Guildmaster wasn’t just any adult. They were strong, much stronger than her, and her instincts respected that. Strong people deserved attention. Weak people deserved nothing. It was a simple rule in her mind.
The stone halls blurred by as she bounded forward, her two human legs pumping fast while her spider legs on her back twitched occasionally, ready to leap if needed. The summons sounded serious, which means one thing: a job, She thought. And jobs were fun. The best kind of fun.
"I wonder who it'll be... Hopefully someone who runs. I like it when they run." Normal kids played with dolls, maybe pulled the wings off flies. She had pulled wings off before too, but she preferred bigger prey—people. They were soft. Easy to break once you figured out how their bodies worked. It was almost like a game. A stab here, a slice there, and watch them bleed out. She couldn’t understand why more people didn’t enjoy it...
Aratreia didn’t feel anything when she thought about killing. There was no fear, no disgust, no guilt. What was there to feel bad about? "It not my fault they were weak, is it? If they didn’t want to die, they shouldn’t have crossed my path. Easy." She murmured to herself.
Arriving at the Guildmaster's office, Aratreia took a deep breath, her fingers twitching with excitement. Maybe this time, they’d be proud of her. Maybe they'd pat her on the head and tell her she did a good job. That always made her feel warm inside, like sipping hot tea when it’s cold out.
She knocked gently, going against every instinct she had. "Guildmaster? It's Aratreia! You summoned me?"
