<div class="floatright"><div align="center">(http://i.imgur.com/1Gw54of.png)<br/><br/><sup><em>"Bo" Leathershield</em></sup></div>(http://i.imgur.com/zRySrqu.jpg)<br/><br/><div align="center"><sup><em>Bo's armor</em></sup></div>(http://i.imgur.com/KzDJuUK.jpg)</div><br/>The spiderling in front of Zerxel shrugged her humanlike shoulders as if it didn't matter,<strong>"The process of birthing a spiderling queen can be quite draining to a contestant.  The essence of her is weakened, but if she desires it, she is free to go afterwards.  But those not of a strong willpower break under the process, become feeble-minded, desiring only to serve as broodmares for our kind.  They experience a type of rapture when they go through the process, and if their minds are not strong enough, they want nothing more than to become our little flesh slaves, tending our needs and serving as womb for our future brood.  When that happens, when they are not strong enough mentally, we simply indulge their desires and allow them to return with us to our homes at the end of the dungeon.  There they serve happily, mindlessly, for as long as they are able."</strong><br/><br/>The spiderling smiled again and took one hesitant step closer to Zerxel.  She reached forward and ran one soft hand down Zerxel's arm seductively before adding,<strong>"But you don't need to think about that do you my lovely drow?  Why worry about the weak among you contestants?  Your people have always understood the need to cull the weak from the herd, the importance of survival of the strongest, the danger in competition.  As you mention a more soft hearted woman was here recently, but she was not the only contestant to hear our bargain.  Even now there might be other contestants who would sell you into our embrace."</strong><br/><br/>The spiderlings further back chittered in their strange language and one spoke up from the distance,<strong>"Yes, a drow womb would be especially fine for our next generation."</strong><br/><br/>The spiderling in front of Zerxel stepped back and bowed her head slightly,<strong>"Think it over my delicious little morsel.  We are not your enemy, we are not the ones taking resources from the dungeon that could find use in your hands.  Think it over."</strong><br/><br/>She chittered again and slowly backed away, always keeping that somewhat vicious smile on her face, and allowing Zerxel to leave as she wished.<br/><br/>Once outside, Zerxel was glad to see that the sun had finally set behind the ridge of the caldera to the west.  The city still had a dusky light to it, one that was fading quickly, but for the first time since entering this level she felt comfortable with the light outside.  Further as the shadows deepened with each passing moment, she felt her drow eyesight clarifying, edges becoming more distinct, colors washing out slightly as details became more focused.  Night was almost upon them, and with it, she would be far more in her element.  Bo stood just outside the door, her spear clutched tightly, but a look of relief washed over her face when Zerxel emerged from the gloomy interior.<strong>"Ach," </strong>she said with a deep released exhale,<strong>"I could hear yer voice, jus' barely.  I knew ye were talking to them beasts in there.  But I couldn't make out what was being said.  But I figured if I heard ye cry for help, I'd rush in.  I'm glad ta see ye all fine an apparently no worse fer yer visit."</strong><br/><br/>Zerxel couldn't help but notice that the dwarvish brogue had gotten much thicker on Bo's tongue.  Was she playing it up for the eyebots, for potential sponsors, or had her more civil accent slipped since entering?  It didn't matter overmuch she supposed.  Zerxel thought for a minute before deciding what she wanted to tell Bo about the spiderlings.  She hadn't exactly promised to do anything for the spiderlings after all, nor had they seemed to want any sort of promise.  It was more that they left the offer on the table for Zerxel.  Still, the words of the spiderling rang in her head, they had made the offer to other contestants.  Others might be eyeing up Zerxel and Bo right now for exactly that type of a trade.  Her mind recalled the flash of movement they'd seen in an upper floor window earlier.  Could it be that the duo was being tracked even now?  Stalked?  It certainly didn't bode well considering how close it was to the spiderlings lair.  This is what spiders did, they wove a web that extended out from their home, hoping to catch their prey.  The question was whether or not Zerxel was the web or the prey.<br/><br/>Bo looked at her eagerly, wondering what had happened inside the lair, and what they were doing next.