I awaken, alone. I struggle at my bonds, but they have not loosened since I lost consciousness. How long ago? I do not know. It is darker now, but there is still enough light to see that I am alone.
I spend the next several hours - if my sense of time can be trusted in the state I'm in - alone in the web-dwelling, contemplating my fate. I regret the choice of spells I currently have memorized; they either will do me no good or require the free motion of my hands in order to be properly cast. I regret never having found a mate; it never seemed important when compared to my magical studies, and, truth to tell, I never seemed to find the time...of course, perhaps it is best that I have no mate, considering the circumstances.
Most of all, I regret coming out here on the lake alone. I had heard that there was a nixie community here in the deepest part of the lake, and, like usual, decided to investigate. I thought I was prepared: I had my
potions of water breathing, and my
comprehend languages spells all ready to cast...if only I had told someone of my intentions, they might be looking for me right now. But that has never been my way. Always the loner, I. And now I am to pay the price for my aloofness.
My sad thoughts are interrupted by the return of the spider. It heads straight for me, mandibles open wide. I say a quick prayer to Corellon, hoping there will be no pain. To my surprise, there isn't. The monster picks me up gently, almost tenderly, in its mandibles, and turns me around so that my head is pressed up against the underside of its abdomen. Its back legs do a little twitch, and then we head out of the dwelling and into the waters of the lake.
The coldness of the water surprises me, and I instinctively hold my breath before I realize that I don't have to. My head is inside a bubble of air that the creature has generated around its abdomen. He seems to be going out of his way to keep me alive. I allow myself to begin to hope. Perhaps he is taking me back to the surface, setting me free?
We make good speed through the water, traveling faster than I would have guessed.
[9] I am unable to make out much of the passing underwater scenery, for it is still dark, and the air bubble distorts the view of the world around me.
All hope leaves me when I catch a glimpse of our destination, though. It is another underwater dwelling, much like the one we just left. Is my captor simply moving me to a new home? Where is the sense in that?
He scrabbles into the new dwelling, and a burst of movement catches my eye. There is another spider in this dwelling! It is smaller than my captor,
[10] but still big enough to tower over me. I now have twice the horror to face!
I am placed down on the floor of this new dwelling, again, almost reverently. The smaller spider faces me, coming close but stopping short a foot or so from me. It moves its head slowly from side to side, as if watching something intently.
And then it hits me! The
ioun stone!
Of course! I had noticed what I thought to be coins in my captor's web, and now, looking at my new surroundings, I think I can make out a few here and there as well. If these creatures like the glint of metal, how much better is a shining, spindle-shaped crystal that flies around in the air? I have to laugh - the stone sustains me in the absence of food and water, but now it has actually saved my life! Had I not worn the stone, no doubt I would already be liquid in the great spider's belly.
But why bring me here? To show off its prize to a friend?
Once they start mating, I understand. I am a betrothal gift, or perhaps a bribe, or a fee. Who can say? I don't care, so long as I am left alive.
My captor leaves as soon as they are done. It looks as if I have indeed been transferred to the smaller one, the female. She busies herself at the top of the dwelling for a few hours,
[11] during which time I doze fitfully. I seem to be safe, but for how long? Will the female keep me as a decoration, or will she need fresh food for her eggs? I have horrible thoughts of being injected with eggs, so that the newborn spiders can feast on my flesh when they hatch....
Blissfully, I lose consciousness for awhile.
NOTES
9. Giant water spiders travel at a Movement rate of 15 when underwater or when on land, much faster than other giant spiders. However, they are unable to travel over other spiders' sticky webs (not having the capability to create sticky webs themselves), and are just as susceptible to being caught in such webs as any other potential spider prey.
10. Female giant water spiders are smaller than the males, which is unusual amongst spider species.
11. After mating, the female lays 50-100 eggs, then wraps them in a protective layer of webbing and seals it at the top of her underwater home. After a few weeks the eggs hatch and the spiderlings eat their way out of the webbing. Usually, they stay in the female's web-bell for the first few weeks of life, during which time they molt twice. After that, they exit in different directions to make their own webs.
Some head directly to the surface and cast a single strand of webbing into the air; when long enough, it is picked up by the wind and the spider is carried aloft. Such a process is called "ballooning," and giant water spiders will only do this immediately after leaving their birth-home, for after that they grow to be too large to be carried aloft in that fashion. A ballooning spiderling can be carried for many miles before touching down.
