The Flame Weaver

"You recall the Flame Weaver falling on top of you and spewing flames on the poor hostages?"

I guess the flame-weaver would be like 6 black hearts

After some time, if nothing else is intended, three Spiders return from the silk fortress, including the Corsage Spider.

One of the new Spiders is covered with black spikes. The other is more like a centipede in black armor, with red blotches like flame mottling its surface.

"I am the Flame Weaver." The centipede says.

"You address also the Spiked Wolf Spider." The other Spider says.

The Star is subjected to the story of the Flame Weaver's suicidal attempt at killing the hostages, and the Herald's courage in the face of treachery, and its exquisite obliviousness to malicious intent, and so on.

"You fools!"

"If I have to recover the hostages myself, or kill them, I'll do it!" The Flame Weaver threatens. Flames escape its mandibles.

"You want to attack their leadership?" The Flame Weaver says. "No need for a noble hostage. Give us the scarf of their filthy Fox King, and his accursed head, and we'll release the hostages."

"Or do you know something else about their leadership that we don't?"

"No! You can't!" The Herald cries out, authentically stricken. Its eyes are big and sad.

"Ah! The Charioteer!" The Flame Weaver replies. "You've heard of it!

"Yes, one of our Spiders has acquired the cooperation of some Wheels from the Marble Court. Powerful, fast.

"I think your two knight friends there also met it. While they were serving with Lord Silvius.

"The Charioteer offered treaty to Silvius, but he sadly refused.

"Unlike the Foxes, duplicitous little beasts that they are," The Flame Weaver says. "We Spiders are upright and forthcoming.

"It is simple." The Flame Weaver says. "There is no conflict."

"We occupy the territory that our strength of arms allows us to hold.

"The Fox emissaries had the nerve to demand the Tree of Winter, claiming that their agents had freed it from a dark influence.

"Even if such was the case, they insulted us! And threatened war!

"So to forestall this, we took them as hostages.

"Maintaining the status quo, where the Foxes are safely held by us, guarantees peace for the Crossroads AND the Spiders!"

Ignacia says: "Let me relight the lamp for you... Mister? I'm sorry for the damage I may have caused." While lighting the platinum lamp, Ignacia also lights the memorious fragrance, and says: "Once, not too long ago, you fought your foe and we showed up. You were really mad when you discovered we were no more than palpable illusions your foe uses to distract you. That the apparently stolen lamps never left their rightful place, but were a trick to take you by surprise and ambush you."

"Do you remember that mister?"

"BLLURGH." The centipedelike creatures stops and shivers for a moment as its spiracles absorb the fragrance. Suddenly it rears back from the canopy its front legs cling to.

"That traitorous, no-good, THIEVING...Wait. I've been fooled again? I've been fooled again! You'll pay, Flame Weaver! You'll pay!"

It looks at Ignacia's faced, cracked as it is by the fungal infection.

"This illusion isn't even convincing."

It turns and rushes off back the way it came.