Haven stilled as some of the more… fearless spiders started to climb his body. Ignoring the swarm of babies, he nodded to the crystalline trees. "I came to… barter for a tree." He glanced at Nix, "Perhaps more than one."
Haris was dumbfounded… a tree? All they wanted… were a few trees? He'd give them all the trees they'd ever grown. Before he could say anything Willa shrank into her human form. Haris did the same.
Ashton blinked, the earth Goddess's human form was… striking. She was voluptuous, her black silk dress left little to the imagination. Not that anyone would dare be impudent, her muscles promised a painful death if crossed. Her pupilless black eyes against her even blacker skin.
Haris wasn't as tall as Willa, nor as broad. He had always been a scholar, searching for ancient texts. For the last several thousand years… searching for anything that might save their children. It wasn't a lack of mana, he was a monarch in his own right. Yet, in the tens of thousands of years of trying, the eggs simply… wasted away.
Beloved leapt off Haven to circle the pair, "You two are so happy, so many eggs you have lain, promise to reach out if you have need once again?"
Haris watched as their son calmly accepted the female's attention. If the wind god had not marked her so thoroughly, Haris almost thought she wanted their son as a mate. "Of course, is there… something you need in return?" Haris asked reaching out his hand for his child.
Beloved clutched the sapphire eyed baby to her chest for another quick hug, then handed him over. "I want our babies to play, some sun or come rain, if one catches his eye, you won't turn them away." Surely, of the hundreds, possibly thousands of babies she would have, one would like such a pretty spider.
Haris patted his son, "Of course, but we won't force the issue." Not to mention… spiders did eat birds.
Willa watched the petite female, then turned her attention to Nix. If she was created to expand their numbers… "If you wanted babies so badly, why not have them with Nix? Was that not the reason you were created?"
Ashton stilled as he turned his attention to the earth goddess, "Take care with your words, take care with your thoughts, no matter the reason, for you it is naught."
Willa's smile was wider than any humans, "You're in my domain Nix. Of your own free will."
Haven coiled his body, Willa had been a goddess longer than he or Ru. "One would think, after having your hearts desire granted… you would appreciate our arrival. They are not full grown yet."
Willa's face contorted as her body started to morph back into a spider.
"Kyaa! We are not here to fight, we have caused you no harm, why insult me? Why are hackles raised in alarm?" Beloved pouted jumping into Nix's arms. "Her babies were crying, in eggs they withered, were dying, so why is she so mean, are friendships so trying?"
Ashton kissed the top of Beloved's head, "Her purpose is one, to be the happiest piece, greatest gift from the Sun. No matter how many babies, no matter how sad the song, as long as she's happy, that is enough."
Willa watched the pair, "Fine. What will you barter for the trees?" She wanted them gone.
Beloved peeked at the upset spider mother. Then at the frog. With a furtive glance, she reached into a rift.
Haris jolted when his son was once again in the female's arms. She blinked innocently at them. Haris sighed, "My love, let us talk while they look at the trees."
Willa followed her pet frog away from the birds, away from the snake.
Ashton blinked up at have, "A tree for a nest? A tree in to sleep?"
Haven kept his eye on Beloved, hopefully her infatuation was simply because it was a baby. "Yes, one for each of you."
Beloved looked up surprised, "Big Snake I can sleep anywhere! Under earth or the sky! What matters most is there is you, and I."
Haven chortled, "Of course, these trees will not bend under my weight. We will furnish our own nest soon enough."
Beloved watched her big snake pensively. "Big snake do you like trees? Where do you usually sleep? This is no hardship, a tree is not a need."
Haven shrank, careful to not squish any of the newly hatched spiders. Changing so he could hold both birds in his arms as he slithered toward the tree grove. "I enjoyed sleeping in trees when I was younger. I want to place our nest in a tree. Watch as it grows, it will become… a family tree."
Beloved closed her eyes as she leaned against his featherless chest. Listening… a chord of… anticipation. Hope. Expectation. She smiled, then kissed his cheek. "Then I want the grandest! The largest by far! Full of fruit! Reaching for stars!"
Ashton peeked over Haven's shoulder… maybe not thousands, but a few hundred baby spiders were following. Some getting tangled in their own threads, some skittering up trees, a few… had the bird golems hostage.
Ashton almost burst out laughing as the baby spiders took turns demanding snacks from the golems. His pitiful golems were looking at their now empty pouches sadly, chirping their innocence.
Tou wanted to cry… not only had the babies found his pouch among the big snake's feathers. Now, the babies were demanding more snacks… thieves!
Kokono turned over her now empty pouch… not even a crumb left…
Mitt was being dragged along, completely tangled in the sticky webs! His chirps for help went unanswered!
Nana had found an opening and was escaping after the big snake! Feathers were much better than webs! Big sis was crazy!!!!!!! Spiders were scary!
Yat was riding on top of one of the bigger spider babies. Triumphant in his escape! The others… well, what could one small bird do against so much web?
Hito was perched in a tree, baby spiders trying to climb after him. Fortunately, they were too large to climb onto the branch he'd selected. Several had already fallen, but more kept coming. All chittering away, eyeing his snack pouch. He was stone hearted! He would not share!
Haven ignored the cacophony behind him, it was late. His birds should be sleeping already. As it was, he would need to clean his tail of all the web.
Beloved lifted the baby spider onto Haven's shoulder before changing into a bird. Then she coaxed the small baby onto her back. When he was safely secured, she took flight! Now! To find the grandest of trees!
Ashton shrugged before he went off in a different direction. Beloved preferred banyan trees, while he preferred willows.
Ashton took his time examining the trees. If they weren't made of crystal, they appeared to each be a different species. Some apple, orange, cherry, willows, banyans, pine, oak… he could walk for days and not run into the same tree twice.
They were loosely grouped together, an area for fruit trees, another for trees with nuts. Ashton moved toward the dozens of willow trees. A willow of red crystal was the most captivating. Most of the trees looked to be made of blue, a few of green crystal, so this vibrant red was especially eye catching.
Ashton leapt into the tree, the branches were thick, with lots of space between them. He could probably fit two or three of his current nests in this tree. It was roughly, 200 feet tall, with its branches easily reaching out a hundred feet.
Ashton could see passed the leaves, closer to the top could easily hide his nest. There were no fruits, but Ashton wouldn't mind going out to find his own. When he looked down, he saw Haris, mate of the Earth Goddess.
Haris gave an awkward cough. Dozens of his newly hatched children were attempting to scale the crystal tree, but this one's smooth texture was an obstacle they couldn't overcome just yet.
Ashton leapt down, "Haris the wizard, bards still sing your stories of old, how have you been, are we friends, or now foe?" There had been some… tension among the gods since he'd left Ru's side. Still, the truce held firm.
Haris sighed, "Honestly Nix, what did you think was going to happen? Leaving a madman like Ru?"
Ashton blinked, "The truce is for gods, of which I am not, what does it matter, if I'm near, or I've gone off?"
Haris picked up one of his children. Children. He pushed politics aside, "It shouldn't matter, but… have you… at least found a mate?" Haris wasn't a god, he'd started off a Willa's pet. Honestly, even now, thousands of years later, he had never been her equal. A single thought and his lifespan would end.
Walking among gods… was not easy. Yet, no matter how hard, how long, how painful the centuries were… he loved her. He would live until she tired of him, then… he would die. At least now… their offspring would be the proof he once existed. That he was favored, that a tiny piece of him, helped her bring another generation into the world.
Ashton leaned against the tree truck, a soft smile. "A companion, a half, one for me to cherish… not yet do I have."
Haris watched as his children climbed up Nix's body, one becoming a rather… interesting hat. "You're… on your last cycle? Or after this one ends, the next will be your last?"
Ashton pulled the sticky spider from his hair, "This body will crumble, return to the earth, when I ascend, the last cycle then return. But let us now speak, of happier tidings, your small mushroom house, not enough for these titans."
Haris couldn't stop the smile that broke out, "You're not wrong, they will be far too big for my humble abode. Still… the idea of letting it go… is hard."
"No need to let go, no need to change, her song still as mighty, as the day fire reigned. We may not be gods, but their hearts silent oaths." Ashton then patted the vibrant red crystal tree. "Now! I want this tree, to take just for me. How shall we barter, a seed perhaps for starter?"
Haris blinked as a seed fell into Nix's hand. Juggling his children he accepted the seed. "We already have one, it's a rare breed of wisteria, but not so valuable as the red willow."
"Ah, but this will grow into a mana fruit tree, one that if raised with care, will also then speak." Ashton praised.
Haris raised a brow, "A mutation then… hmm. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. But this is just a seed. You want a ten thousand year old tree I've personally raised. Enriched by the goddess of earth herself."
Ashton pursed his lips… he… wasn't not exactly the best at growing things. Thomas was an expert farmer… Ashton… made sure conditions were ideal but was of little help otherwise. He glanced around furtively, "So, you have spiders… the eggs your love laid… what if next time… frog eggs in a lake?"
Haris blushed, "Nix, how would a spider lay frog eggs?" He demanded quietly, he glanced at their audience… probably a hundred babies… this was too mature a conversation for them!
Ashton glanced around, "That will not change, but… there is an enchantment, once placed in a lake. To hatch little tadpoles, a wish is all it will take."
Haris leaned back, he'd never heard of such an enchantment before… "Oh, and where did you learn of this enchantment?"
Ashton pursed his lips, then leaned in close to whisper in Haris's ears. "We were a bit bored, flights of fancy our minds make… together with Beloved, the enchantment we made."
Beloved fell from a rift to land on Nix's shoulders, "Nix! That was my barter! The trade that I planned! If you give it away, what of me will they demand?!"