Fighting Spider

The Fighting Spider is a highly aggressive, non-venomous spider found in the territories of the Lapis Lazuli, Diamond, but most numerous in Opal territory.

History
Fighting Spiders were cited in the tale of Opal the Dreamer. They were among the dangers on the plains that made Liza and Dodd keep constant watch over their daughter.

Secrets of Deltora
Doran the Dragonlover studied and described Fighting Spiders in his book Secrets of Deltora while travelling in Opal territory.

Cavern of The Fear
Glock and Jinks both owned Fighting Spiders. Glock's spider, Flash, defeated Fury, Jink's spider, in a fight. Fury later led Lief, Barda, and Jinks to the Os-Mine Hills in pursuit of Glock, Jasmine, and Flash, led by Flash's scent.

The Isle of Illusion
Fury won the rematch against Flash in the Plume village. Lief, Barda, and Jasmine were forced to bring the spiders with them, since the Plumes did not like their aggressive behaviour. On their way to Auron, Lief and Barda were captured by giant grubs, but Jasmine was able to save them with Flash, who tore through their ranks to get to Fury whose cage was attached to Barda's belt. Later, the companions brought the spiders when they examined the Dome and were attacked by Arach. This caused the spiders to calm down, as they now knew of much larger spiders neither of them could defeat.

The Shadowlands
When Lief, Bards and Jasmine left Auron for the Shadowlands, Fury and Flash remained on the island with the Auron Penn. The only times they fought now were in play.

Anatomy
Fighting Spiders are heavily built creatures that are roughly the size of a woman's outstretched hand. Their bodies can be shades of brown, grey, or black, and they can bear a wide variety of lighter markings. Spots, stripes, and other markings are common, and the colours of these markings can range from brown to yellow.

Behaviour
Fighting Spiders are named due to their peculiar aggression toward other Fighting Spiders. While generally aggressive toward any living creature, they will fight others of their kind to the death unless stopped. If one Fighting Spider loses a fight with another and survives, the losing spider will hunt down the winner and attempt to win a rematch. A Fighting Spider in this state will pursue its target for miles without growing tired. They are not venomous, but their bites are powerful, painful, and can easily become infected. Owners of Fighting Spiders wear thick leather gloves to protect themselves from bites.

Diet
The diet of a Fighting Spider is unclear, but the spiders themselves are considered a delicacy to Opal Dragons.

Habitat
Fighting Spiders are most commonly found in Opal territory, though they can be found naturally in the Mere and Jalis territories as well. They have been exported in large numbers to other territories, where they are relatively popular as pets, and even more popular as gambling devices. Owners of Fighting Spiders often train their pets to fight and then bet on matches. These matches have been observed as far from the Plains as Del. Betting on a champion spider can be relatively lucrative.