Shrike

Spider

## Backstory:

(Tw: neglect and abuse)

Pepper and Starfall dated and made Spider without planning on actually ending up with a dragonet. They had broken up but after Pepper laid Spider’s egg, she threatened Starfall to either help raise Spider, or that she would get him to have to pay a lot for child support basically. Starfall didn’t want to, but he decided he would rather raise Spider instead of risking Pepper convincing the judge into forcing Starfall to pay more for child support than he usually would’ve.

Neither Pepper nor Starfall really cared about Spider, and they saw him more of a hassle than anything. They hadn’t even bothered to name him. Starfall never paid Spider any attention, and he hated the dragonet, blaming all of his troubles on Spider. Pepper usually didn’t care and she would sometimes take out her anger on Spider through hitting or berating. Spider, however, thought that when it happened that it was somehow his fault and so he would promise to get better. Pepper on the rare occasion would spend quality time with Spider, but it was usually out of random bursts of guilt.

Because of that, Spider would cling onto the rare moments of bonding he shared with his mother instead of considering that most of the time she would hurt him, and that all of the time Starfall would either ignore him or yell at him. By the age of one, Spider started to spend more and more time away from home outside. He would start picking up random jobs anywhere near his home and would always try to make sure he would make it back home at least once each day or else he would be yelled at for ‘running away’. By getting a job, at first he was able to afford things like extra food (his parents fed him very little) as well as the occasional toy.

Starfall found out about Spider’s jobs and so then Pepper and Starfall eventually stopped feeding him at all. Spider was on his own with getting a bite to eat, and so he was then forced to try to find work at the age of one and a half. Spider had learned that dragons who employed him more often than not were not honest and took advantage of his age by offering fair pay for a jig only to not be willing to pay him. Spider then began pretending to his various temporary bosses that he had parents who…cared about him, as to prevent some of the scamming that would happen to him as some of the dragons didn’t feel like risking getting caught by his parents. (Most though didn’t believe him and would scam him anyways and Spider just got used to it)

One day, Spider came home to find that Pepper had murdered Starfall. Pepper and Starfall would often fight, and sometimes the fights would turn physical, although Spider had never thought that would’ve happened. Pepper would’ve left without Spider to go on the run, but she felt guilty for murdering Starfall so to compensate she took Spider with her. By now Spider was only two.

## History:

THIS INCLUDES MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE STRONG (WRITING)

Bounty hunters are called hunters while the dragons that they hunt are called the hunted. Long story short, some hunted got together and formed a group where they could stick together for safety and comfort. Feather ended up becoming leader, as she had leadership qualities and was one of the dragons to found the group. She had ✨unofficially adopted✨ a dragonet by the name of Oilspill right before founding the group, and so they formed a close bond. Feather ended up falling in love with a fellow NightWing hunted who had joined the group, by the name of Spider.

Oilspill was an ambitious dragonet who thought that Spider was trying to use Feather to get power, when really that was what Oilspill was trying to do. Spider and Oilspill were once patrolling and a hunter attacked them both. Oilspill, seeing her chance to get rid of the ‘competition’ for the lead role of the group, kicked Spider in the face just as they were about to both escape. It surprised Spider and caused him to slow down just long enough for the hunter to drag him down into a fight where Spider died.

Feather grieved, and as she did so, Oilspill used the opportunity to manipulate her way into becoming the sole leader of the group, and quickly switched it to a tyrannical rule as she began to warp the minds of her fellow hunted-or what she had recently named to be called The Strong.

Not that long after Oilspill became leader, a NightWing by the name of Pepper joined The Strong-having murdered her mate and seeking shelter from the hunters. Pepper had a dragonet, who Oilspill had suggested to be named Spider as the original Spider had gone down in fame after his death, glorified to be thought of as some legendary, selfless, kind, caring, amazing Strong. So, Pepper named him Spider.

Spider grew up as the only dragonet in The Strong, having never met another dragonet before. He had never gotten much of a chance to even explore anything he might enjoy doing, as he would be busy keeping the camp together and neat as well as Oilspill setting high expectations of him and basically training him to be just like or better than the original Spider. Oilspill planned on manipulating Spider to be a pawn of sorts.

Eventually, Spider was caught by the hunters and brought back to the hunters camp. Oilspill had over time managed to get all of The Strong to believe that hunters are ruthless killers, and so Spider thought that he was about to be killed.

But nah, he was just put in a cell and eventually some hunters addressed that they had an innocent dragonet being held in their prison. One of the hunters decided to escort Spider back to his home, which ended up to Spider leading the dragon right into a trap by leading them to The Strong’s camp, when The Strong were sworn enemies of any hunters.

Instead of Oilspill killing the hunter like what The Strong had expected her to do, she escorted the hunter out of camp, taking Spider with her. Instead of leading the hunter to their camp, she led them to the place where the original Spider had died.

Oilspill managed to manipulate Spider into trying to attack the hunter who was three times his size. The hunter quickly overpowered Spider and hurt him. The hunter let Spider up and said that they wouldn’t kill him, and Oilspill, having wanted Spider to be killed (long story), then tried to kill Spider herself.

Right before Oilspill could give Spider the death blow, the hunter killed Oilspill and then Spider followed the hunters back to the hunters’ camp.

Spider has made friends with another dragonet by the name of White Tip in the hunters camp. Spider tried to escape multiple times to try to find someone else to work for, only for Frost, a hunter, to be the one to stop him almost every time.

Spider at one point called Frost ‘Frosty’, and so Frost tried to kill him. Some dragons stepped in and saved his life, although Spider now felt threatened and betrayed by the dragon he idolized (before he had idolized his mom and Oilspill, but they both were killed.) Spider at first blamed himself, but over time he became resentful towards the abusive relationships he had been in, and resented Frost.

Spider tried escaping once more, but White Tip and Frost both followed him, trying to track him down separately. Frost found him, and was about to kill him, when Spider fought back, trying to kill the bounty hunter. White Tip joined in on the fight, and together they both beat up Frost, leaving him injured in the forest. Spider would’ve left, but White Tip managed to convince him to go to the hunters camp with him.

Spider admitted about how he would abuse animals and have thoughts about killing dragons, (in particular White Tip and Frost, along with dragons like Oilspill, his mother, Magpie, Kite, and Bowerbird), which caused him to be put back into prison to be separated from White Tip.

Frost made his way back to camp and went to the prison to pay respect to Spider for beating him a fight for his life, while also threatening that he would kill Spider if he ever tried leaving camp.

Spider by now completely resented anyone who threatened him into doing things, or who were abusive. He thinks that it can only be Frost or Spider that can survive, and, due to many reasons, Spider has begun plotting murdering Frost.