His Only Reward **Completed and Free**

Chapter 24: Jorōgumo*

“What are you doing here?” demanded Richard. Richard would have much rather seen Hakan, least he could have kicked his arse. However, he had been banished from the elemental forest for a year. Instead, Richard was staring at the Crone Goddess. He had not let anyone touch Jamie since she gave him some of her life force. Even Edward was not even welcome and it had been weeks.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe clearing up your s**t again! You males can’t do anything right. Look at her, LOOK AT HER!” She is hanging on by a thread!!” The Crone Goddess shouted. 

“ And YOU! “ pointing her stick at Fluff “ Are in my incredibly bad books! Don’t think I won’t be telling your mother about this colossal failure. Why did you not stop her??”

“She is your Niece, how could I stop her?!” Fluff snapped back.

“Well, YOU are going to fix this!” The Crone snapped back

“Oh, and how do you propose I do that, oh great Goddess? I am not a healer!” Fluff retorted

“She does not need a healer!” The Crone said in an impatient voice.

“What? That is impossible!” Snapped Richard.“She gave me..”

“Oh, shut up! Jamie has the power of two high gods in her veins. Jamie is only mortal in her body, not in her soul.“ The Crone Goddess explained.

“But, why is she not awake then?” Demanded Richard. He felt hope stirring in his heart.

“Because the Jorōgumo have captured her!” The Crone said.

Richard growled, Jorōgumo were spider-shaped demons that could weave webs to catch wayward souls that had got separated from their bodies. They would manipulate the environment to reflect their deepest desire whilst feeding to them. 

“But, how come she is still here? Shouldn't her “Soul body” disappear?“ Asked Richard. 

"Jamie's protective runes are keeping a small portion of her soul here, hence why her soul body is still here. Most of it is stuck in a Jorōgumo’s web. What you seeing is a shell, as a consequence Jamie is cold and unresponsive.

“So, what does that have to do with Fluff?” Richard said. He was starting to get a headache!

“I am a cat!” Said Fluff in a patronising tone.

“Well, I know that!” Snapped Richard 

“Oh, for chao's sake! Cats can travel to different realms with ease. How do you think they annoy my brother so? They can do it because they ignore the rules of reality. For some reason, Mother Universe and Farther light made them that way!” The Crone explained.

“Right so, Fluff goes to the Jorōgumo‘s realm, finds Jamie lost soul, make her realise that what she is seeing is not reality, and then guides her back here to join her soul fragment here. She will then wake up?” Richard said frustrated. “Why could nothing be simple?” He thought.

“You have forgotten the part where he has got two days to do it in. If you don’t she won’t be able to rejoin her mortal body on the Summer Solstice and she will die. Her soul will return to The Void and chaos only knows when she will escape again! So, hurry the f**k up cat and get going!” The Crone Goddess commanded.

“Fine! “ snapped Fluff “But, you better not tell my Mother about this, Crone!” 

Fluff then curled up and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths and focused. Fluff then saw a thick silver thread going from Jamie into the distance. Fluff separate his soul in two and half of him followed the thick thread into the distance.