The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Peterlor Estate- Training Field No.12)

"Alright Moon… let's begin your training," Sophie declared confidently as she clapped her hands together.

She turned around and saw her frostwing bat attempt to sneak out of the room through the exit door.

Cloud Treading Dragon!

Sophie's figure blurred and then vanished from the spot. 

Moon pricked his ears up and desperately tried to find his master.

But it was too late…

"Going somewhere?" Sophie's cold voice came from behind him. Moon flapped his wings and tried to fly but a firm hand gripped him by the back of his neck.

No matter how hard he struggled it was impossible to break out of Sophie's grip. The hybrid girl waited until her combat pet had tired himself out and then let go.

Moon collapsed on the ground with an expression of misery and despair on his furry face. 

Why had things gone so wrong?

One minute he was enjoying his usual afternoon snack in the kitchen and the next he was whisked away to the training field to learn some stupid technique.

"As I was saying…" Sophie continued as if Moon's attempted escape had not just happened a few moments ago.

"Professor Ward wants you to learn a technique based on the 'Psionic Soundwave Scripture'. She thinks that you rely too heavily on your frozen domain skill and…"

"She is absolutely correct."

Sophie tried her best to put a stern no-nonsense look on her face as she glared down at Moon who just stared blankly at her.

Okay maybe it was a bit too late to try and act intimidating. 

Sophie was aware that her frostwing bat knew that deep down she was a pushover when it came to discipling him.

No… she couldn't give up yet! 

The deadline for Moon to learn this new technique was by the end of next week.

Surely with his talent combined with her ability to teach…

He would succeed.

Sophie inwardly cheered herself up with some optimistic thinking and then turned back to the matter at hand.

She powered on her wrist communicator and projected a holographic display showing the document that Professor Ward had sent.

  "So, as you can see by this diagram… you need to channel your qi from the dantian region directly to the Ren meridian located right next to your voice box," Sophie explained calmly.

"It says here that you need to repeat this pattern at least three times to store enough energy. At full power this sonic attack will be able to instantly knock out a qi spirit cultivator."

Sophie continued to read the document out loud and made some mental notes about the important sections.

"Want to give it a try?" Sophie asked softly when she finished.

Moon's forked tail swayed gently from side to side and the frostwing bat immediately gave a response.

Squeak! Squeak!

(Mommy… can I say no?)

Sophie's golden eyes darkened, and she stared at Moon who was doing his best to put a pitiful expression on his face.

"Sorry… I was simply being polite," Sophie replied in a sweet and gentle tone.

"You. Are. Going. To. Give. It. A. Try." 

Moon let out a heavy sigh and walked over to the floating wall of text. He spent several minutes looking at the diagram showing the qi flow needed for this technique to work.

The frostwing bat closed his eyes and began to channel his qi using the document as a guide.

Sophie stood nearby and kept a careful eye on her lazy combat pet to make sure that he was actually trying.

The light blue patterns on Moon's fur got brighter and brighter as a powerful spiritual pressure surrounded his body.

Moon loudly growled and small cracks began to appear on the ground beneath his feet.

Psionic Soundwave!

The frostwing bat opened his mouth and immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood. Sophie rushed forward in an instant and checked him for injuries.

"Moon! Moon! Are you okay? Tell me where it hurts?" Sophie frantically shouted. 

Squeak! Squeak!

(Mommy… I don't think that I can last much longer…)

Moon closed his eyes and no longer responded to Sophie's panicked questions. 

The hybrid girl lifted up the heavy frostwing bat in her arms and was about to run to the medical center when a sudden thought entered her mind.

Sophie had known Moon since he was just a little newly hatched baby and something about this situation was not right.

She intentionally slowed down her movements as she walked to the exit. Sophie decided to check to see if her suspicions were correct.

Sophie closed her eyes and allowed her consciousness to flow towards the bond that linked her and Moon's souls together.

It had been quite some time since Sophie had last done this, so it felt a bit strange to enter Moon's thoughts.

The only way to describe the sensation of using a blood bond was that it was like dreaming with your eyes open.

Sophie could now see, taste and experience everything that Moon was currently feeling. 

She checked Moon's throat meridians for any signs of backlash or damage but found nothing.

The hybrid girl furrowed her brows in confusion and checked the other parts of Moon's body for any traces.

Wait… a minute…

Sophie's eyes opened and she stared at Moon who was now playing dead in her arms. 

The hybrid girl could not help but laugh angrily as she remembered just how frightened she was when Moon coughed up blood.

Moon's body trembled as he got another ominous premonition that perhaps his master plan had somehow been revealed.

"Are you still going to continue acting?" Sophie growled hoarsely.

"Imagine my surprise to discover that while my frostwing bat had not damaged his throat meridians… he purposefully bit his own tongue to spit out blood."

"Can you imagine that?"

Moon slowly opened his eyes and pretended not to notice the murderous look on Sophie's face as he guiltily slid out of her arms.

"Okay you win," Sophie crossed her arms and stared at Moon.

"I will not make you learn the new technique today."

Moon now looked even more afraid as he ducked his head under his wings.

Squeak! Squeak!

(Mommy… is this… some kind of trap?)

"No… go on… you can leave and return to the kitchen," Sophie spoke calmly. 

Moon hesitated for a moment and then headed towards the door while constantly looking back at his master.

Sophie waited patiently until Moon was just a few feet away from the door before sending a request to the AI unit in charge of monitoring the training room.

"Seal off the entrance and activate combat scenario Alpha… lethal force stage one," Sophie whispered quietly.

The metalloid door slammed shut just as Moon was about to go through it and soon a harsh robotic voice filled the room.

[Activating Combat Scenario- Alpha- Stage One]

[Clear Condition- Survive for Twenty Minutes]