fter the Andromeda Incident the human race did begin to wage war on all dragons.  This was done because in the eyes of man dragons were creatures to be most heavily despised and who, if left alive, would lose no time in destroying all that was good in the world.  The Draconian race attempted to reason with those who sought their destruction but to no avail.  Any dragon that dared show its face was hunted down and slain.  Nowhere were the atrocities more notable than in the land of New Zealand.  There the warrior Pitaka won great fame as the slayer of our kind.

itaka was of humble birth but his courage and daring quickly elevated him in human society.  He lived in the village of Taupo which was a near neighbor of the village Rotorua.  One day a group from Taupo set out on a journey to visit friends in Rotorua.  The group was attacked by a war party from a rival village and all were sold into slavery.  When the inhabitants of Taupo realized that the group was missing, a small band of warriors was sent to discover what had happened to those who did not return.  Pitaka was among this group.  After traveling some way on the road between Taupo and Rotorua, the band chanced upon the dragon Hotu-puku slumbering under a totara tree.  Pitaka immediately said to his companions that yonder was the reason that their loved ones had not returned, for they had all been eaten by this vile creature.  The other warriors had all heard the stories from the north and thought that surely Pitaka was right.  They asked Pitaka what should be done to the monstrous beast.  He told them to fetch many lengths of rope.  When this was done Pitaka quietly and stealthily slipped a noose around the sleeping dragon’s neck.  On his signal the men of Taupo heaved mightily and tightened the rope about Hotu-puku’s throat.  Hotu-puku was wrenched out of his sleep but, alas, it was too late.  He breathed his last just moments after he awoke. 

fter this incident Pitaka won great renown as a dragon slayer.  Shortly after his murder of Hotu-puku the village of Te Awan-hou which was by Lake Te Waro-uri called on his aid.  The dragon Peke-haua, brother of Hotu-puku, lived in Lake Te Waro-uri and had recently begun roaring as if making ready to destroy the village.  In truth Peke-haua roared with grief for the loss of his brother and such was his mourning that he had not left his dwelling on the bottom of Lake Te Waro-uri since he had heard of his brother’s demise.  Pitaka, hoping to win more fame and glory, immediately answered the call of Te Awan-hou.  Because Peke-haua did not leave the water, killing him presented a greater challenge for Pitaka.  However, Pitaka decided that because strangling a dragon had worked so well before, it should be tried again.  Pitaka himself swam deep into the lake and threw a rope around Peke-haua’s neck.  Then, by the use of magic to strengthen the men’s arms, they hauled Peke-haua out of the water and slew him. 

hortly after Peke-haua’s death, Kataore, sister to Hotu-puku and Peke-haua, returned from some travels and learned of her brothers’ fate at the hands of Pitaka.  Realizing that this might well be the start of a campaign to wipe all of her kind off the island she came up with a plan to halt the slayings.  She abducted Tuhikarapapa, the daughter of Tangaroa-mihi who was chief of the Tiki-tapu district.  Kataore hoped that she could exchange the hostage for a cessation of the slaying of her people.  Kataore was sadly mistaken.  Reretoi, Tuhikarapapa's betrothed, summoned every magician, wise man, and warrior in the land that could aid him in his quest to kill Kataore and rescue his beloved.  Pitaka answered his summons.  All realized that Kataore would be the most difficult of all to kill because she was expecting their attack and was on guard against it.  Therefore Pitaka ordered the magicians to weave a great spell to sap Kataore of her strength.  This was done and when Pitaka finally entered her cave she did not have enough energy to even lift her head.  A noose was slipped around her neck and she met the same end as her brothers.

hen the other draconian communities heard of the Great Southern Massacre they were aghast.  All knew it would not be long before another butchery of their kind would begin.  The dragons prayed for a hero and searched for an answer.  Both were given to them as is shown in the next chapter.