As yet largely unedited - some text missing, and chock full of printing errors. -ed.

In the ages before the Chaos Years, Spyderkind was safe and secure in it's isolation. We maintained a vast cave network, with farms for raising food insects, and fighting only existed as a demonstration of strength and skill. We had no outsiders to fight.

The only danger was the occasional Dragon that we encountered in our development of the cave network. If the Dragon cave was not considered essential to the network, we would block it off and bypass it, marking the area as off-limits for future exploration. If, however, the Dragon lived in cave rich in the minerals on which the fungus we feed our food insects grows best, we would mount an expedition to kill the Dragon, or at least drive it out.

The most deadly Dragon Spyderkind ever encountered was in the days of Chuktik. Our cave network had extended upward into the heart of the mountain, where we found a huge old Dragon living in a massive cavern, which had a winding entrance to the surface of the mountain much to small for the Dragon to exit by.

Chuktik, a young, strong spyder with brown fur and red stripes on his back volunteered to investigate the cave. Since the leader,K'kktkuk would be required to make the search if no one else voluneered, he allowed this young spyder to prove himself. Chuktik was sent into the cavern to determine if it was too valuable to bypass, and to see if the Dragon slept soundly. Dragons can sleep for many years, and at certain times in their sleeping they are very difficult to wake. When we discover a deeply sleeping Dragon, one of the females will come and bite it strongly in the tail and kill it with venom. Our females are larger than our males, and are very formidable fighters with strong venom, but they are much too valuable to risk in battles. However, when there is no danger, it is their task to dispatch large enemies

Unfortunately in this case, the huge Dragon was sleeping lightly, and when Chuktik crept into the cavern the Dragon rolled in his sleep, almost crushing Chuktik before he could quickly climb up a wall of the cavern. The Dragon remained still after that, giving Chuktik a chance to survey the cavern. It was a perfect place for a fungus farm. It had tall, gradually sloping walls containing rich deposits of the minerals that fungus thrives on. There were pools of water on the floor of the cavern, and a small stream passing through it. This was too good to pass up.

Chuktik quietly left the cavern, not disturbing the Dragon. The exploration party returned to the main caves to report the news and discuss with the Queen what was to be done. Chuktik was permitted an audience with the Queen since he was the one who actually explored the cavern. The Queen was easily twice the size of Chuktik, and was surrounded by lesser females, all much larger than Chuktik. The Queen was close to her 40th egg laying, and wasn't fairing well. She looked like she was in great pain, and was in a foul mood. Her largest daughter, K'ktik uk, who had laid almost as many eggs as her mother the last two seasons was having no difficulty with the load and stood at the Queen's side.

"Why is such a young warrior sent before the Queen?" She asked of Chuktik.

"I have news of a bountiful new cavern for the Queen, unfortunately it is occupied with the largest dragon that K'kktkuk has ever seen," Chuktik managed to chitter out.

The Queen rose angrily, "Then why is K'kktkuk not reporting this to me himself?"

"I was the only one to volunteer to search the cavern My Queen, and K'kktkuk permitted me to risk my unworthy self in place of his own important personage." Chuktik straightened his legs out to make himself as tall as possible. He fingered the hilt of one of his obsidian daggers in his belt.

K'ktik uk resumed the questioning, "Well, tell us of the cavern and the Dragon. Was the Dragon sleeping?"

"The Dragon sleeps lightly. The cavern is vast and plentiful. It is too valuable to ignore. However, it will take many warriors to kill this Dragon, if we can at all. There is only a small entrance into the cavern, so we will not be able to move many warriors in quickly if the Dragon awakes when the first enter."

K'ktik uk began eyeing Chuktik in a way that made him very uncomfortable. It was a great honor to have the attention of a female, but such a large one can be dangerous. "Do you have an idea for a better way to vanquish this Dragon?"

Chuktik considered carefully before answering. "Well, it is always easiest when a Dragon sleeps deeply so a female with venom can bite its tail long enough to kill it. This Dragon sleeps lightly and would wake and attack the female before the venom could begin to take hold. Dragons are also resistant to spells so our mages will be of little help. Venom is only potent right out of the fangs, so we could not collect enough venom for the warriors to inject, but if a female came with us to the outside of the cavern and filled some hollow daggers with venom right before I entered the cavern, I could stab the Dragon and subdue it. If four daggers worth of venom are enough to put it into a deep sleep, then the female could enter the cavern and finish the dragon off."

The Queen again took the effort to speak. "I will not allow any of my female subjects to be risked so. You warriors will have to subdue it by force."

K'ktik uk, who had looked excited at the plan, bent her legs and slumped. "The Queen has made her decision, you must kill the dragon without us." But as she stared at Chuktik, her eyes belied her words. "Chuktik, I will come with you as a representative of the Queen to discuss your plans with K'kktkuk." She rapidly strode out of the Throne Room, with Chuktik backing out behind her, nodding his obesience to the Queen.

After they left the Throne Room, K'ktik uk led him in the wrong direction to join his team. "Chuktik, we will carry out your plan imediately. I do not wish to risk the warriors, and if you fail, I myself will finish that Dragon off whether it sleeps or not." She came to a storage cave nearbye and began putting on a weapons harness.

"But My Lady, that would be much too dangerous for you while you are carrying eggs. And we cannot go against the Queen's wishes." Chuktik wondered if he could overpower her if he needed to. She was almost as large as the Queen, but she was egg-heavy.

"Chuktik, you will do as I command. I will be Queen after this hatching, and my mother hasn't the strength to enforce her will while she is egg-heavy. I fully expect you to die before risking myself, but we will do this. And I can't risk getting more warriors to help because my mother could stop us if we don't leave imediately. Now strap on these hollow daggers."

Chuktik again straightened his legs as much as he could. "My Lady, your large beautiful body will never be in danger, and I refuse to die and allow you to risk yourself. I will subdue that Dragon.

He led her through the lengthy network leading to the entrance of the Dragon cave. He went ahead to look in at the Dragon. It had not moved since he left. He returned to K'ktik uk and pulled out the four hollow daggers. "Do not follow me in My Lady. Wait until I return and tell you it is safe." She attacked pinpointed siphons to her fangs and filled the daggers. He imediately ran into the cavern. He ran to the Dragon's neck and climbed up it rapidly. He sank two daggers into the back of the Dragon's neck just as it began to stir. He left them imbedded in the Dragon so he could forcefully sink the second two in with his lower arms. The dragon lurched up after the first ones struck, and almost shook Chuktik off. Chuktik held on with all his legs and arms while he let the poison leave the daggers. As the Dragon rose, he realized it was too large for the cave and he would be crushed against the ceiling when it finished standing. He pulled the first two daggers out and leapt toward the approaching ceiling. It was ununiform enough for him to hold on to some stalagtites. He swung to the side as the Dragon's back hit the roof next to him. The whole cavern shook with the force, and Chuktik was thrown toward the floor.

Fortunately, he was over part of the floor that sloped upwards so only fell far enough to knock the wind out of him. When he was able to move again, he saw the Dragon staring down at him. It seemed to be inhaling. It stopped inhaling. He was running to the entrance and a blast of heat hit him from behind. He could feel his fur burning, but most of the blast must've hit the floor where he had been lying, because he was still moving toward the entrance.

The Dragon roared and stretched against the ceiling, again shaking the entire cavern. Chuktik made it back to K'ktik uk. "Fill these back up, I don't think those four were enough. We can't wait for them to take affect gradually the way he's thrashing about. He'll destroy this whole quarter of the network."

She filled them quickly, but grabbed him as he started to run back. "I'm coming to fight with you."

"No! Do not risk yourself! I will finish him." Chuktik held on to her as she tried to run into the cavern. She was much to strong for him and carried them both toward the entrance. The shaking of the caves was dropping rubble on them constantly. It didn't seem to be getting any less. He stabbed her with one of the knives on her back and quickly pulled it out. She began to slump immediately. "That much will only make you sleep. You can kill me for it later, but I can't let you risk yourself. You're not fast enough to avoid that Dragon." He refilled the dagger by squeezing her venom sack. Such familiarity would surely mean his death.

He ran ahead, moving even faster than he had before and surged into the room. The Dragon had been watching the entrance and blasted it after Chuktik entered. But Chuktik didn't stay near the entrance long enough for that. He kept running right through the Dragon's legs and climbed up it's tail. He struck the dragon in

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life. I'm probably going to have to let you live. You might even be so popular that the people will demand that we breed when I am Queen." Her anger dissolved and she again stared at him with that flattering, but dangerous gaze.

Chuktik was both arroused and frightened by her gaze. "Well, My Lady, maybe the people won't like me so much that you have to lower yourself to consort with my unworthy self." He didn't know if he wanted that to happen or not.