Day 57 - Morning
I found Web in the workshop, carefully working on a small weaving project. She was focused, tongue sticking out slightly in concentration, a habit she'd picked up from watching me work.
"Morning, sweetheart. What are you making?"
"A name-cloth," she said quietly. "Thissith said I should start preparing one. For when... if..."
She trailed off, and through our bond, I felt uncertainty mixed with longing.
"For when what?"
She set down her work, looking up at me with those large eyes. "Papa, do you know why my name is just Web?"
"I assumed your parents named you that?"
"No. Web is a placeholder. A temporary name." She fidgeted with her silk. "Arachnae children don't get real names until their Naming Ceremony. It's when parents recognize them as individuals, give them identity, help them through their first evolution."
Through the bond, her emotions hit me, years of waiting, of being incomplete, of watching other children receive their true names while she remained "Web."
"You've been waiting for this."
"For three years. Since my parents..." She swallowed hard. "I was supposed to have my ceremony at eight years old. I'm eleven now. The evolution is overdue, and without the ceremony, I can't... I'm stuck, Papa. Stuck being 'Web' forever unless..."
"Unless someone performs the ceremony for you."
She nodded, hope and fear warring in her expression. "Thissith said adoption makes it possible. That you could do it. But it's a big deal, Papa. It's permanent. The bond becomes real, forever, magically binding. And if it's done wrong, or if the parent isn't fully committed..." She looked down. "I don't want to ask if you're not ready. I can wait longer."
Through our bond, I felt her lie. She couldn't wait longer. The delayed evolution was hurting her, keeping her trapped in a child's body and mind when she should be growing.
"Web." I knelt down to her level. "Look at me."
She did, eyes shining with unshed tears.
"I adopted you because I wanted you as my daughter. Permanently. Forever. Not temporarily, not conditionally, forever." I took her hands. "If there's a ceremony that makes that official, that helps you become who you're supposed to be, then yes. Absolutely yes. We're doing it."
"Really?"
"Really. When do we start?"
She launched herself at me, multiple limbs wrapping around me in the tightest hug her small frame could manage. "Thank you, Papa. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Through the bond, pure joy mixed with relief so profound it made my chest ache.
"What do I need to do?"
"I'll get Thissith. She can explain everything." Web pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Papa, this is... you're giving me my name. My real name. That's the most important thing a parent can do."
"Then we're going to do it right."
Learning the Ritual
An hour later, I sat with Thissith in her workshop while Web played with Dewdrop outside, the tiny fairy having been summoned by Web's excitement.
"The Naming Ceremony is sacred," Thissith explained, laying out scrolls with intricate diagrams. "It's when an arachnae child transitions from generic childhood into individual identity. The parent... or adoptive parent... performs a ritual that recognizes the child as a unique being, worthy of a true name."
"What does the ritual involve?"
"Magical resonance, primarily. The parent channels their power, their love, their commitment through a bond-weave. The child receives this, and it triggers their first major evolution, physical, mental, emotional. They emerge as who they're meant to become." She looked at me seriously. "Knox, this is permanent. The bond becomes unbreakable. You'll be linked to Web for life, able to feel her emotions, share strength when needed, know when she's in danger."
"That sounds perfect."
"It's also dangerous if done incorrectly. The parent must commit fully... no hesitation, no doubt, absolute conviction. If there's uncertainty, the ritual can fail or worse, damage the child's development." She studied me. "Are you certain? Truly certain?"
"Thissith, I fought an army to keep this fortress safe for her. I nearly died keeping promises to Dewdrop so she'd feel secure. Commitment isn't the problem, it's the only thing I know how to do anymore."
She smiled, relieved. "Then you'll do well. But Knox, you should know, your magic is... unprecedented. You're chimera with three racial magics, plus whatever that divine spark is growing in you. When you perform this ritual with full commitment, it's going to be powerful. Possibly more powerful than any Naming Ceremony in arachnae history."
"Is that dangerous?"
"For Web? No. She'll just receive more than normal children do, more strength, more growth, more evolution." She paused. "But others nearby with strong bonds to you might be affected. The fairy, especially. Dewdrop. Your bond with her is nearly as strong as what you'll forge with Web."
"Will it hurt her?"
"No. But she might undergo changes too. Evolution in fairies is different, they don't cocoon like arachnae, but they do transform when conditions are right." She looked thoughtful. "Your combined faith-bond and this ritual might trigger her own advancement. If it does, consider it a gift."
Through the bonds, I felt Dewdrop's distant curiosity, she knew something important was happening.
"When should we do this?"
"Tonight. The ceremony is traditionally performed at sunset, when day transforms to night... symbolic of childhood transforming to maturity." Thissith began preparing materials. "I'll gather what's needed. You should spend today with Web. Talk to her about what kind of person she wants to become. Help her choose her true name."
"She chooses her own name?"
"With parental guidance. The name should reflect who she is, who she wants to be, and the bond you share." She smiled. "It's collaborative creation... parent and child together deciding identity."
I found Web and Dewdrop in the garden, both working on the name-cloth together.
"Papa!" Web bounded over. "Thissith said yes? We're really doing it?"
"Tonight. At sunset."
She squealed, an adorable sound from someone usually so reserved, and Dewdrop immediately joined in despite not knowing what was happening.
"What are we celebrating?!" the tiny fairy demanded.
"Papa's giving me my real name! And helping me evolve! It's the most important day ever!"
"That IS important!" Dewdrop flew over to me, landing on my shoulder. "Papa Knox is the best at important things! He'll make sure everything is perfect!"
Through both their bonds, absolute faith that I would do this right.
No pressure at all.
"Web, we need to talk about your name. What you want to be called."
She grew serious, sitting down and patting the space beside her. I joined her, Dewdrop settling in my beard to listen.
"I've been thinking about this for three years," Web said quietly. "Ever since my parents... since I knew I'd need someone else to give me a name."
"What have you been thinking?"
"I want something that means family. Because that's what you gave me, family, when I thought I'd lost it forever." She looked up at me. "Thissith said arachnae names usually come from nature or weaving or hunting. But I want something different. Something that means 'belonging.'"
I thought about arachnae language, the names I'd heard, the patterns in their culture.
"What about Aranyx?" I suggested. "It's similar to arachnae, but with 'nyx' at the end, like Nyx, who's family. It could mean 'one who weaves family bonds.'"
Her eyes went wide. "Aranyx. One who weaves family bonds." She tested it, rolling it around in her mouth. "Aranyx. That's... Papa, that's perfect. It has you and Nyx and family and weaving all together!"
"You like it?"
"I love it!" She threw herself at me again. "That's my name! That's who I want to be! Someone who weaves family together like you do!"
Through the bond, such pure joy that my chest felt tight.
"Then tonight, you become Aranyx. Daughter of Knox Ashford. Weaver of family bonds."
"Officially?"
"Officially."
Dewdrop perked up. "Wait, if Web is getting a special ceremony, does that mean she's graduating? Like from kid to big-kid?"
"Something like that," I confirmed.
"Will she be different after?"
"She'll be herself, just more. Older, stronger, more capable."
"But still Web? Still my friend?"
"Always your friend," Web, Aranyx, promised. "Nothing will change that."
Dewdrop settled contentedly. "Good. Because you're my best friend and if you evolved into someone who didn't like me anymore I'd be very sad."
Through her bond, I felt that sentiment ran deeper than her cheerful words suggested. Dewdrop was worried about being left behind as others grew and changed.
"Dewdrop, you know you're important too, right? Just as important as Web?"
"I know, Papa. You tell me all the time." But her tiny voice was uncertain.
"I mean it. You're not going anywhere. You're not being replaced. Web evolving doesn't change how much I love you."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
She brightened, her faith in my promises absolute as always.
Preparation
I spent the afternoon preparing with Thissith's guidance. The ritual required specific components:
A bond-weave of silk spun by the child (Web's name-cloth) Blood from the parent (symbolizing life given) A naming declaration (spoken with absolute conviction) Magical resonance channeled through the parent-child bond
"The hard part isn't the mechanics," Thissith explained as we set up the ritual space in a private courtyard. "It's the emotional commitment. You must mean every word with your entire being. No doubt, no hesitation, absolute certainty that this is your child and always will be."
"That's easy. She is my child."
"Then the ritual will be powerful." She finished the last preparations. "Knox, one more thing, your family should be present. This is a transformation moment for Web. They'll want to witness it."
"And the three who are... courting me?"
She smiled knowingly. "Especially them. Watching a male perform a Naming Ceremony with full devotion is... let's say it's extremely attractive by arachnae standards. You're about to demonstrate peak parental commitment. They'll be very affected."
"This isn't a courtship display."
"No, it's much more important than that. Which is why it'll affect them so deeply." She gestured at the prepared space. "Bring your family. Let them witness. This is the kind of moment that defines what Ashenhearth means."
I gathered everyone as sunset approached. My partners, my bonded family, the children who looked up to me. And yes, the three arachnae who'd expressed interest, Lyria, Velara, and Thessia, all watching with careful attention.
Web, soon to be Aranyx, stood in the center of the ritual space, wearing her name-cloth like a shawl. She looked small and nervous and hopeful all at once.
"Is everyone ready?" I asked.
"I'm ready, Papa." Her voice was steady despite her nerves.
"Then let's begin."
The Ceremony
I stepped into the ritual circle, and immediately felt the magic respond. Thissith had prepared the space, but it was my power that would fuel the transformation.
"Web," I began, using the ritual words Thissith had taught me. "Child of my choice, daughter of my heart. I stand before family and fate to name you, to claim you, to transform you from temporary to permanent, from placeholder to person."
I drew my knife, cut my palm, let blood fall onto her name-cloth. The silk absorbed it, glowing softly.
"I give you my blood, my magic, my commitment. From this moment forward, you are mine and I am yours. Forever bound, forever family."
The glow intensified. I felt my power responding, not just demon magic, but all three of my racial magics and that strange divine spark that had been growing since Dewdrop's faith took root.
"What name do you choose?" I asked, following the ritual script.
"Aranyx," she said clearly. "One who weaves family bonds."
"Then I name you Aranyx." I placed my hands on her shoulders, let my magic flow freely. "Daughter of Knox Ashford. Weaver of family bonds. May you grow strong, grow wise, grow into the person you choose to become."
The power surged.
Not gradually, suddenly, overwhelmingly. All three of my racial magics activating simultaneously, the divine spark igniting, every bond I possessed feeding strength into the ritual.
Web, Aranyx, gasped as the magic hit her. Her name-cloth blazed with light, silk transforming from simple fabric into something that looked alive with power.
"Papa, it's so much! It's... "
"I've got you," I said, holding steady even as the power threatened to overwhelm me. "All of it is for you. Take as much as you need. Become who you're meant to be."
The magic wrapped around her, lifting her slightly off the ground. Her body began to glow, silk emerging from her spinnerets to cocoon herself instinctively.
Then something unexpected happened.
The divine spark surged, fed by the faith of everyone watching, particularly Dewdrop's absolute certainty that Papa Knox's ritual would be perfect. That faith-power had nowhere to go but into the bond.
And Dewdrop was connected to that bond.
The tiny fairy shrieked as magic suddenly engulfed her too. "Papa?! What's happening?!"
"Dewdrop!" I tried to reach for her, but the ritual held me in place.
Through our bond, I felt her fear transform into wonder as the magic wrapped around her like it had Aranyx. Her tiny form began to glow with the same intensity.
"It's okay!" she called out, her voice filled with sudden certainty. "It's okay, Papa! I can feel it... this is evolution! Like Web! We're evolving together!"
"Both of them?" Thissith breathed. "Knox, your power is affecting both children because your bonds are equally strong. This is..."
"Is it safe?!" I demanded, unable to move while the ritual continued.
"Yes! It's a gift! Your magic is giving them both what they need!" She was staring in awe. "I've never seen a Naming Ceremony trigger a fairy evolution before. Your bonds are so strong they're sharing the transformation!"
Dewdrop's laughter rang out, joyful and certain. "Papa's making us both big! We get to grow up together! This is perfect!"
Fairy silk, delicate and luminous, began wrapping around her, creating a cocoon that mirrored Aranyx's but smaller, glowing with starlight rather than shadow.
The ritual reached its peak. Both children cocooned, suspended in mid-air, glowing with my combined magics and the faith-power that had amplified everything.
I spoke the final words, my voice carrying harmonics of all three races and something divine: "I name you Aranyx, daughter of my choice. I claim you Dewdrop, daughter of my promise. May you both grow strong. May you both find joy. May you both know, always, that you are loved."
The cocoons pulsed once, brilliantly bright, then settled into steady glows, one shadow-silk, one starlight-silk.
The ritual released me, and I nearly collapsed from the power expenditure.
Nyx caught me, her strength keeping me upright. "Knox, that was... what did you just do?"
"I gave them everything," I said, staring at the two cocoons. "Everything I had. Everything I am."
Through both bonds, I felt them, alive, safe, transforming. Growing into who they were meant to become.
"How long?" I asked Thissith.
"For arachnae, three days typically. For fairies..." She studied Dewdrop's cocoon with wonder. "I have no idea. Fairy evolution is rare and unpredictable. But given the power you just channeled into her? Soon. Maybe even the same time as Aranyx."
Around us, everyone was silent, processing what they'd witnessed.
Then Lyria spoke, her voice awed and emotional: "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You just... you gave them everything. Didn't hold back, didn't hesitate, just complete devotion to making sure they had what they needed."
Through her presence, I felt her overwhelming attraction, not physical (though that was there), but emotional. She'd just witnessed peak paternal commitment, and it had affected her deeply.
Velara stepped forward, studying the cocoons with scholarly interest mixed with emotion. "The magical resonance is unprecedented. You channeled three racial magics plus faith-based divine power through a traditional arachnae ceremony and somehow made it work for two different species simultaneously." She looked at me. "Knox, you just revolutionized evolutionary magic theory. And more importantly, you did it because you love them."
Thessia approached last, her expression showing carefully controlled emotion. "I've seen many Naming Ceremonies. Led caravans with dozens of children going through transformation. I've never seen one performed with such absolute commitment." She met my eyes. "Your daughters are lucky. Any child would be lucky to have a father willing to give that much."
Through all three of their bonds, newly forming, tentative, I felt the same thing. They'd just witnessed who I was at my core, and it had sealed their interest in ways mere attraction couldn't.
"I need to stay with them," I said, looking at the cocoons. "Until they emerge."
"Of course," Nyx said. "We'll set up shifts. Someone with you at all times, watching over them."
"I'll take first watch," Siraq volunteered. "You need rest. That much power expenditure requires recovery."
She was right. I was exhausted in ways that went beyond physical. Giving that much of myself had depleted everything.
But through both bonds, I felt the girls, safe, transforming, knowing their Papa was there.
That was worth any cost.
Aftermath
They settled me into a comfortable chair near the cocoons. Someone brought food and water. The family took turns keeping vigil, ensuring the transforming children were never alone.
Web's, Aranyx's, cocoon pulsed steadily, shadow-silk shifting with internal movement. Whatever was happening inside, it was active and powerful.
Dewdrop's cocoon was smaller but equally vibrant, starlight-silk glowing with faith-power that made it almost too bright to look at directly.
"They're beautiful," Kas said softly, sitting beside me during her watch shift. "Both of them. You gave them something amazing."
"I just did what any parent would do."
"No. You did what every parent should do but most don't... gave everything without expecting anything back." She leaned against my shoulder. "Knox, watching you perform that ritual... I've seen you fight armies. Seen you build fortresses. But that? That was you at your most powerful. Not destroying, creating. Not taking, giving."
Through her bond, pride and love and something deeper, the recognition that I was becoming something unprecedented.
Lyria appeared during evening shift, carrying medical supplies. "I wanted to check their vitals. Make sure the transformation is proceeding healthily."
She approached the cocoons, hands glowing with diagnostic magic. Her multiple eyes moved in patterns that suggested complex analysis.
"They're perfect," she said finally, relief clear. "Strong, stable, progressing excellently. Whatever you did, it's exactly what they needed." She turned to me, blushing. "Knox, I need to tell you something."
"What's that?"
"Watching you perform that ceremony... seeing you give everything for your children... it made me realize something." She fidgeted, her usual nervous energy amplified. "I'm not just attracted to you physically. I'm attracted to who you are. The father, the protector, the person who commits absolutely to the people he loves."
She was blushing furiously now. "I'm saying this because I have no filter and if I don't say it I'll explode, but I want to be part of this. Part of your family. Not just as a mate but as someone who helps raise children and builds home and commits with everything like you just demonstrated. Is that... is that too much to say?"
"It's honest," I said gently. "And I appreciate honesty."
"Good because I have more honesty stored up and it's all variants of 'you're amazing and I want to be with you and watching you father children makes my heart do things.'" She caught herself. "I'll stop talking now."
"You don't have to."
"I do before I say something even more embarrassing." But she was smiling as she fled.
Velara took late-night watch, settling with a book but keeping careful attention on the cocoons.
"You know," she said without looking up, "necromancy is often called evil because it deals with death. But what you did today was the opposite, pure life, pure growth, pure creation. It was beautiful."
"Thank you."
"I've been hiding what I am for so long. Expecting rejection, persecution, fear. But watching you today, seeing how completely you accepted Web, Aranyx, I realized something." She finally looked at me. "You don't care about labels. Arachnae, necromancer, demon, chimera... they're all just words. You care about who people are underneath."
"I try to."
"You succeed." She hesitated. "Knox, I'm not good at expressing emotion. I'm better with theory than feeling. But I want you to know, I'm interested. Genuinely interested. Not just in courtship but in being part of what you're building. This family that sees past labels and loves anyway."
"That means a lot coming from you."
"Good. Because saying it cost me significant courage." She smiled slightly. "Now rest. I'll watch them. I'm used to late nights studying."
Thessia came for dawn watch, her presence commanding even in the quiet morning light.
"They'll emerge today," she said, studying the cocoons with experienced eyes. "Both of them. The resonance is reaching completion."
"How can you tell?"
"I've witnessed dozens of transformations. There's a signature change right before emergence, the cocoon becomes translucent, the power settles." She gestured at both. "See? Already starting."
She was right. Both cocoons were beginning to thin, internal forms becoming visible as shapes rather than just shadows.
"Thessia, about yesterday... "
"You don't need to say anything," she interrupted gently. "I watched. I understood. Knox, I've led people for years. I know commitment when I see it. What you demonstrated yesterday was absolute, total, selfless dedication to your children's wellbeing."
"That's what fathers do."
"That's what fathers should do. Most don't." She met my eyes. "I want that. Not for myself... I'm old enough and strong enough to handle my own life. But for the family I'd like to build. Children who'd deserve that kind of devotion. Partners who share that level of commitment."
"And you think I can provide that?"
"I watched you give two children everything you had without hesitation. Yes, I think you can provide that." She smiled. "Now the question is whether you want to build it with me. With us, because I suspect Lyria and Velara are equally interested."
"Three arachnae mates. That's a lot."
"Three partners who each bring different strengths. Lyria's compassion and healing, Velara's wisdom and magic, my leadership and experience." She gestured at my family, scattered around the fortress. "You've already built a family from nothing. What's three more?"
Fair point.
The morning sun rose higher, and through both bonds, I felt the children stirring. Getting ready to emerge.
Getting ready to show us who they'd become.
My family gathered as the cocoons began to crack, everyone wanting to witness the transformation's completion.
Aranyx's cocoon split first, shadow-silk peeling away to reveal...
[TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 50]
[RITUAL: COMPLETE]
[ARANYX: NAMED AND TRANSFORMING]
[DEWDROP: UNEXPECTED EVOLUTION TRIGGERED]
[BOTH: READY TO EMERGE]
[THREE SUITORS: DEEPLY AFFECTED]
[KNOX: EXHAUSTED BUT FULFILLED]
[DIVINE SPARK: GROWING STRONGER]
[BONDS: PERMANENTLY FORGED]
[FAMILY: EXPANDING IN EVERY WAY]