At long last?"It was dawn.

Another new day of wonderment, that the gods & goddesses of the realm had generously seen fit to grant to the multitudes living in the land of RhyDin.

This was quite a cloudy morn, as the sun was forced back beyond the thick hazy sky like a condemned prisoner behind a great iron fence. To say that the serene reverberation of serenity was abundant, would certainly be a tad bit of embellishment.

It was simply a still, quiet daybreak.

Yet now......at the impressive gates to the renowned Scathachian Sanctuary, there rested a rather bland looking package. It certainly was well wrapped and cared for, but it did not possess the fine lacings and dressings that a usual "gift' from such a gaudy city as this, would yield.

This box, a steely-gray color, was prepared with a tight crimson bow. A large, folded card was attached to the box with very simplistic red ribbon.

Written in blue ink, with a sharp and hard hand, the card clearly read: "To Lady Winifred Baxter, citizen of the Southern Vale of Podunk"

Below the introduction, in the same handwriting and with the same blue-hued ink was also scrawled: "URGENT. Please respond upon acceptance M'lady."

It was simply a still, quiet daybreak.

The package, not tremendously heavy, was an easy carriage for the strong, flaxen-haired Scathachian.......it simply traveled with her into the private confines of her Sanctuary quarters.

It did not take her long to reach her destination and settle in. And, as Reeni muttered harsh obscenities over her ex-husband who would dare to try and hunt her down, even here.....so far away in RhyDin.......the contents of the gift were sensing that their discovery was close.

As the crimson bow was promptly cast aside, and the bland steel-gray wrapping was agitatedly ripped into............the box readied its grim surprise.

The powerful Scathachian opened the flap, and the offering was finally yielded.

At first it seemed as though nothing but darkness haunted the confines of this box. Then.....quite suddenly.....there was movement. Yes....movement....as if the bottom of the box was changing....shifting....metamorphosing. It was as if a thick, black drape was abruptly pulled away by an unseen force to reveal a small, purplish piece of meat. At least...at first glance....that is what the baby's severed right arm appeared to be.

A purged hole, or rather a tear, on the side of the necrotic flesh indicated that something had caused trauma to the tiny limb after death......an eruption of sorts. Perhaps a birthing place for these many hideous inhabitants. So soft and succulent this flesh had once been......

The drape, however, was what was intended as the "true gift' for the Scathachian named Winifred Baxter. No fewer than a newly hatched nest of forty spiders began their accelerated journey out of the box. Threads of silk were spit out as the multi-legged visitors hurried their way to the bed.....the floor.....and to Reeni herself. Spindly legs hastily carried a larger arachnid over the strong, bare toes of the muscular warrior. Its touch was like a sliver of ice.....

This was certianly not the entirety of her gift........no no..........there were heralds of more majestic species awaiting detection. The rest happened so quickly......within the proverbial wink of an eye. A large crab-like jumping spider was the next to enter the fray. It hurled itself out of the box, tripping over Reeni's shoulder and then tumbling to the ground with a sickening thud......only then to seek shelter along the floorboards and clumsily scamper toward the darkened confines of the under-bed. It now had a new environment to build its insidious nest.

Twin black widows moved slower........but still wound their way to the edge of the box's top. Their bright crimson markings seemingly mocked the symbolic red sash fastened around the Reeni's solid waist.

One arachnid, however, still remained inside of the revolting package.....the sentinel. A lone, large tarantula held its ground within "the gift?.....almost as if he were guarding the tender treasure inside. His long, furry legs were wound up beneath him, as if he were making ready to strike any hand that would dare rob him of his juicy delicacy. His multifaceted eyes glanced upwards toward the big Scathachian, as if daring her to do so........whilst his pointed fangs continued to liquefy the severed arm of the Windom family's murdered baby.

A profound pity that Winifred Baxter, the commanding Scathachian known as "Reeni", truly detested spiders........

"A spider's delicate steps do not trammel the petals of the rose. Its kiss, however, is both repulsive and deadly." ~Oscar S. Cisneros

Isuelt's bedroom door flew open. She had been shocked from sleep by the yells and clamor outside her room. And while she was appreciative that she had been ripped from the throws of her nightmares, she knew that what had awoken her was not favorable. A black tank still clinging to her dream-soaked skin, Isuelt skidded to a halt as she spun her way out of her chamber. Reeni, standing naked in the hallway, her pallor the color of ash. Panic seeped in. "Reeni! What' Wha— What in the hell is going on?" she closed in on her Sister, knowing that others must have heard the yelps in the still morning hour. "Are you okay?" her gaze was darting furiously up and down the hallway. It wasn't long before the now fully awake Isuelt peered into Reeni's room. Her jaw slackened at the sight. Aside from the signs of Reeni's illness, Isuelt was dismayed by the sense of movement on the floor. Spiders were spreading out at dizzying rate, in every direction. "Son of a bitch!" Isuelt spun around to face Reeni in the hallway. The gypsy was completely at a loss for words, though she knew that however aghast she was, Reeni was ten times worse.

Reeni couldn't answer Issy, or at least, not in words. She shook her head violently and pointed towards her door, her other hand covering her mouth. She was still feeling a bit like she might vomit again, and the tall Scathachian had no desire for a round of dry heaving. She'd already thrown everything in her belly up. The sound of Issy's cursing didn't seem to get through to her, and she leaned against the wall and then sank down to a sitting position, drawing her knees up to her chest, shudders wracking her body like a leaf.

Ren didn't even notice the newest addition rushing to her rescue, but it would certainly be appreciated later. She had buried her face in her arms, and while she wasn't exactly sobbing, she couldn't stop the tears. Fear did that sometimes. She was sucking in deep breaths, trying to keep from hyperventilating further and keep the dark spots at the edge of her vision from ending in her passing out. Reeni hated showing this sort of weakness, but she couldn't seem to force her body to unfold and make the shaking stop. Lips were moving silently, in supplication perhaps, to her Goddess as she continued to sit there, shivering in fear and cold.

Isuelt was squatting beside Reeni now. Her dark eyes lifted to look up at Mirage as she ran down the hall and skirted around the doorway into Reeni's room. "Come on, cher...let's get you into a tub," she placed a gentle hand around Reeni's shoulder. She could hear Janet's stomping and Mirage's slashing going on in the bedroom, and knew that her Sisters had matters somewhat under control. And while she herself pondered Serena's question of where these insects came from, that was second duty. Her first duty was soothing Winifred.

She offered a brief glance over her shoulder at who had came to join her in the spider massacre. Glad to see Mirage, she continued on her rampage, they were everywhere! This continued on for quite some time....being there so many of the tiny ones.

The wolf came as a surprise to her, considering she had never seen her Sister do the transformation. She had heard of it though, so when she ate the spider....thank their Goddess....she only offered a grin.

When it seemed that all the spiders in her area were no more, her amber eyes traveled to the box. Did that have an....arm in it' A baby's arm' She takes her bow to poke and shift the box, making sure no other surprises came around before walking closer to it. "Seems as though this was the box with the spiders...." said to any of her sisters.

"Oh Scathach - they nested there."

Hearing Eddie's assertion, Isuelt's eyes quickly flashed back to Reeni. She knew her Sister didn't need any more images than there must have been tearing through her mind. Quietly, and with an arm around Reeni's shoulders, she nodded, "C'mon...We'll let them handle this." While Isuelt was seriously worried about Winifred, in truth she knew she had to get out of there because her rage was welling up.

The rage of a Scathachian, once unbottled, can be compared to the fiercest tempest.

How dare they' How could they' Defile the sacred confines of the Scathachian Temple with this disgusting little trick" Play with the emotions and prey on the fears of the Judges" As all of Scathach's Daughters in RhyDin neared their breaking points, there would be hell to pay.

There was absolutely no question in Isuelt's mind who was to blame for this perverted show of mockery, for it was within the same vein as the defilement of their posters, and the Scales of Justice carving into the back of the first victim. Whoever, or whatever, was devouring RhyDin as if the city were nothing more than wounded fodder, was the Master of Gifts. First Jewell, then Brian, now Reeni.

And it would end...soon. At least that was the vow that Isuelt pledged. Their patrols were already doubled. They had volunteers galore. The citizens were now fully aware of the dangers that could be lurking around every corner. The West End was on full alert. Even the new Governor, Kitty Helston, was on their side.

This killer...no, this monster, would be forced out into the open. Soon.

At least, this is what Isuelt prayed every night as she hid her own dark fears.

She appreciated all of her Sisters rushing to her rescue, taking care of her, and exterminating the mess of spiders-something she wouldn't have been able to do, especially not at this moment. Isuelt's hand was felt around her shoulder, her touch lending strength to Reeni's weak and rubbery legs. She nodded, a jerky movement of her chin, in response to Issy's gentle urging, and slowly pushed herself to her feet, leaning against the shorter woman for a moment before straightening fully, trying to find some composure, lips finally stopping their silent movements.

Reeni couldn't watch as they found and destroyed each of those spiders. It would simply have made her sicker to her stomach, though there was nothing left for her to expel. She kept her eyes averted, studying patterns on the wall and trying to slow still-panicked breathing. The fuzzy black spots at the edge of her vision had begun to recede, and she didn't wish to bring them back by taking a look at what was going on inside the confines of her room at the moment.

Then they came to the arm. That had sickened Reeni enough as it was. The spiders had pushed her right over the edge. If Eddie had blown chunks, it would have simply added to Ren's mess, because she hadn't been able to hold it back.

She nodded again as Issy spoke again, her movements not quite as jerky and robotic as before. Ren let Issy lead her off, though she was noting the presence of each of her Sisters in the back of her mind. It was a comfort to Reeni-her Sister being there, even if she wasn't in the right frame of mind to remember to thank them at the moment.

She might not be able to sleep in that room for a good while, despite all the efforts to clear it. The spiders would be eradicated, but the memories wouldn't, and it would likely be enough to give her nightmares for weeks to come.

A fire would be lit within Reeni this night. Nothing had been tolerable and it all would be punished, but this was someone exploiting very specific and personal fears. This being was skilled enough, good enough, to be able to find the exact buttons to push and push them within the confines of the Sanctuary-supposedly a safe and impenetrable place-without leaving a trail of evidence.

There would be retribution even if it killed Reeni Baxter to have it.