Arachnos pushed the Eudoxia against the cold walls of the cave and began kissing her with Phemonoe’s lips. It started as intoxicating and warm. Then it took a turn to something she, and hardly any mortal Eudoxia presumed, had never experienced. As Arachnos was holding her head steady, she felt energy emerging from the djinni’s mouth. It tasted like ashes and burned like fire as it flowed inside her. She soon felt like she was simultaneously drowning and burning from the inside and began to lose consciousness. Panic contorted her face. This is wrong. This was a mistake. I must have wandered in the wrong cave. This cannot be Apollo’s will! Eudoxia began to push the Arachnos away, and as soon as he noticed this, he backed off.

His’ voice returned to his own, deep one. "I apologize, got a little carried away. The taste of a mortal soul is so... exquisite. I need a drink."

Arachnos’ voice floated towards the deeper end of the cave, then Eudoxia heard clinking of ceramic cups. "A... drink?" her throat still felt parched.

"Yes. I do have some wine here. Why don’t you drink some, to celebrate the occasion," Arachnos answered, floated closer, placed a large cup in Eudoxia’s hands, and offered a pillow for her to sit on. She moved onto the pillow and drank the wine with one big gulp. As Arachnos filled the cup again, he began talking.

"So... I must tell you something about the child. Obviously this child is not going to be a regular one in your narrow, mortal scale."

"What do you mean?" Eudoxia’s regret still lingered on her mind, although she appreciated the djinni’s so called after care. While the wine helped a little bit, she still felt like bursting.

Arachnos explained: "Well, first of all, as a half-djinni, they are not mortal. Secondly, they may or may not, possess some of my people’s more... you could say magical attributes."

"Oof..." the scorching was getting worse. "Why did you want this child?" Eudoxia asked as she began sweating.

"Hum. You see, there has been some talk. As of recently, the balance of the world has tilted. While many of my folk would see this as a good thing, I, as a simple-minded djinni, prefer the peace and quiet. In other words, we need warriors. Strong warriors, in which both of the sides are united, to eliminate that which threatens the harmony," Arachnos paused. Eudoxia was now in great pain and could no longer silence herself: "Auuugh, it hurts. It hurts! What is happening?"

Arachnos sounded happy as he put his large hand with nails sharp as small blades to Eudoxia’s swollen belly: "Our child is here!"

"Here? Aough. Already?" Eudoxia began crying. "Don’t just stand there, or float, or whatever it is you do. Help me deliver this baby."

"Oh, I forgot. Thirdly, it is no baby," Arachnos sounded excited as he began making an incision with his nail.

With the large cut, the scorching sensation begun flaring. Something large was moving inside her, and Eudoxia cried in pain. She did not even care anymore about the djinni’s weird talk as her screams echoed in the cave, probably startling a talent of little birds outside.

The procedure lasted until midnight, and finally Eudoxia heard him exclaim: "Welcome to the world, little one! I am your father, Arachnos, and this sweaty pile of strength and courage, is your mother, Eudoxia."

"Why is she crying?" a little voice asked.

"Giving you birth was likely the most painful thing she has experienced. Now, why don’t you try patching her up?" Arachnos asked.

Eudoxia felt a small hand petting her hair wrap. "I am so sorry that I hurt you, mother." The hand moved to her stomach and through the blur, Eudoxia saw warm light, and was finally filled with relief. The incision and all the carnage inside her body healed.

"Why are your eyes so white?" The child asked, tip-tapping their little feet closer. Being able to speak now, Eudoxia told their child of her blindness.

"I could cure it too, I’m sure." little voice was filled with pity. Eudoxia chuckled: "No need. I can see in my sleep, and I have lived my whole life, fourty-eight summers like this. The world I see in my dreams is often so beautiful, and I have heard things so ugly about the world outside it. I do not wish to break my imagination." Eudoxia smiled. This child is good. I see now that I did the right thing. I am certain she is part of the divine scheme of things.

"Come closer, child, I wish to see you with my hands," Eudoxia said. She felt a silky, wavy hair, unlike her own, coarse coils. A pointy little nose, and soft cheeks with dimples. Fortunately the child seems beautiful in our standards, and will not likely be mistreated as I have been. The child giggled as her mother felt her thin arms and legs. Eudoxia could not find a belly button as she had guessed, but did not mention it. It would have probably hurt the child’s feelings.

"Something has to be done about the skin," Arachnos suddenly sounded serious.

"Why, what is wrong with it?" the mother and child chimed at the same time. Eudoxia felt a cold lump in her throat.

"I do not imagine mortals much favor blue complexion," he explained. "I apologize, child. In this matter, you are like me." He is blue? The cold lump in Eudoxia’s throat turned into a bubbly laughter. The confused child joined in and for a moment the whole cave was echoing a joyous chorus. "I can make it better," Arachnos then told. Eudoxia deducted from the sounds, that he gave the child something to drink.

After waiting a moment Arachnos revealed the result: "Now you can pass as a mortal, in the mortal world. Some blue is still left in your face, but I think it is rather endearing, and you can tell it is a tattoo if others are curious."

"A tattoo is a mark of a slave from where I come," Eudoxia thought about it and then realized: "That! That is how I can explain how I got you, child. I bought you from the markets."

The child let out an offended huff so Eudoxia quickly followed with: "Of course, we know different and I will treat you as my child, not as a servant."

"What do you want to be called, child?" Arachnos changed the subject.

The child was silent for a while, then made their mind: "Helene. It sounds pretty, and I want to grow up to be a pretty woman like mother."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful daughter. Helene it is," Arachnos stated with pride in his voice. "I as well, for my appearance, cannot show mortals my true form. However, I wish to stay with you, daughter, so watch this."

Helene gasped in amazement, and realizing her mother could not see what had transpired, said: "Father turned into a small creature. I don’t know what it is called, but he has eight legs and... and so many eyes. He’s beautiful."

Oh, great. "He is a spider, honey," Eudoxia explained. She stood up and took Helene’s small hand in her own: "Come on, it is time we left this cold, damp cave and introduced you to our mortal world!"

"Let me stand on your shoulder, dear, so I may always be close to you," the spider said. And so the three of them stepped out of the cave, onto the slopes of Parnassos.

Next Chapter: Lament of Eudoxia