A complex hydro-alcoholic solution based on the fermentation of grape must, devoid of the neocortex of the brain… which is somewhat strange, because some members of the human race, in whose heads this part of the cortex is supposed to be responsible for higher cognitive functions, sometimes seem stupider than those very birds. And why then is only “bird brain” an insult for the weak-minded?... Add to this a concoction with other herbs, and we get “Gnosis” – the most mysterious potion in the modest arsenal of Zurich Silkweb. Even she, being its author, did not fully understand the principle of its operation, but this was not so strange as it might seem to the average person at first glance, because science sometimes works this way – by throwing various ingredients into a cauldron, sometimes accidentally found at hand or knocked off a shelf by an careless movement of a domestic cat or spider, in the hope that something useful or interesting will turn out. The effect of this potion on everyone was different, and understanding why is a task that takes a lifetime. Judging by the reaction, Gautier Lalande de Charny, who bore the imposing nickname “Scarlet Knight,” reacted weakly, while the alchemist herself, who brewed “Gnosis” and slipped it to him, this time went on a long mental journey. What irony.
First, her hands became hairy, like a spider's. Then the number of her eyes increased fourfold, and a spider-like wart appeared in her gluteal region. She dug a vertical hollow in the ground and used it to spread a web around – to warn her of threats and catch breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This was her new cozy little house. At first, all this seemed incredibly interesting to her, but the longer the spell lasted, the clearer it became that she was not a resident of the animal kingdom, but a secondary character in an unknown and uninteresting fable. She lived in the Arthropod Commonwealth, where different species of animals somehow coexisted. Well, how they coexisted… Here she finds herself in a large cave, where centipedes, for fun, locked her in a cage and wouldn't let her out. And there they beat another spider against a stone, and force a third to eat its own exoskeleton, while tearing off its legs. And then, one ordinary and unremarkable day, it became impossible to use the web in the Arthropod Commonwealth. Zurich finds a deeper abyss and jumps into it – this is what the followers of the Void should have done, but she had to. She was still an average spider – she couldn't weave decent cocoons, her poison was weak, and she wasn't very good at hunting insects. She could do a lot, but she wasn't a master of at least one thing.
Coming to her senses for a short time and returning her reflection in the mirror to a human form, Zurich Silkweb realizes that she has lost part of her memories – those related to the last year of her life and, in particular, the events of the last day, as if higher powers had forcibly destroyed them. With great willpower, she tries to restore them from trillions of fragments... She tells her pet spider about her
magical theory, about the
paradox of the whiner, she
is shivering from the cold, but she enjoys it, and informs the caravan leader that she would not mind experiencing frostbite if it were not for the risk of permanent health damage. At the entrance to the city, the guard goes crazy at the sight of the mirror,
she tries to explain to them what she represents. She chats with merchants, asks them for advice,
giving each of them medicine in gratitude. She goes to the city academy, bothers the guard,
showing him spider tricks. She presents her
theory of mental illnesses to the academy's clerk, and meets the brains. She accosts a
man with emptiness instead of a face, but he turns out to be a big introvert and is embarrassed to talk to her. Then she accosts the
scarlet alternative, acquires a piece of fabric, transfers notes to paper, and dances...
She drinks Gnosis. But who is Lucretia? What is this name that has penetrated her head? It was a life-discontented Silentiary. Depression is her second name. She didn't like her ordinary name, she didn't like the region where she was born, she hated the world and everything in it. A strange girl, because compared to many other creatures inhabiting this world, she was actually lucky with the cards she was dealt. Her own house, long legs, huge breasts, a high-performance brain... Economically, intellectually, and externally, it was more than what an unnamed peasant, of whom there were thousands, could boast. Yes, she was a little plump, but this was all due to melancholy-induced overeating and lack of physical activity, nothing that could not be corrected by simple willpower. And who is this?
Sophia Zelenshmerz. OGRESS. 210 centimeters tall – she is a woman, but stronger than many human males. From... Arran, it seems? Of noble blood, but not of high rank. Very strict, inspires fear with her appearance and aura, her voice is low, which makes the blood run cold in the veins of ill-wishers, but she is kind inside. Every day she trains with an halberd, a young janitor admires her – the only pleasure for his hopeless eyes, devoid of ambition and hope for a bright future. And then they fell in love with each other, and the aristocrat was ridiculed and socially isolated for tying herself in sacred bonds with a commoner. But they didn't care, he felt safe behind her back or between her thighs, and she found solace in the fact that the only person in this world truly understood and appreciated her. They had a son, they lived in idyll for three years, and then a fire broke out, and she was left alone again. An exceptionally powerful physique and years of honed martial skills did not help her cope with the total destruction of her spirit. Having gone mad, she wandered the world in search of a miraculous solution to her problem, until one day she found herself on the threshold of an alchemical shop. Before her – a potion, before the mistress of the house – also. They drink them down, and then... Years pass. The spiders that lived in the corners of the walls of the house are puzzled by the fact that the woman not only got rid of the arachnophobia inherent in her, but also arachnophilia replaced it. Sensing the threat, they try to behave more quietly and not to be seen without necessity.
Finally coming to her senses, Zurich tries to understand where she is now.
Arandor
Граф Орлов
