"Explain to me please, why you would ever think that sticking your head into a blast furnace would be a good idea?" I demanded of the hatchling, still dangling from one of Crinis' tentacles.
"I wanted to see what it looked like inside!" she protests.
"Inside? Inside is nothing but fire, superheated gas and liquid metal!"
"REALLY?!" she goggles at me. "Sounds awesome!"
"Yes," I nod sagely, "it IS awesome. It will also melt your face off and you will be dead."
"And that's…. Bad?" she asks.
My mandibles clack together slowly.
"Do you need more time out?"
"… I do not."
"Then tell me that it would be bad if you died."
"It would be bad if I died."
"Good."
[Put her down Crinis.]
of the huge metal construction, lined with bricks, reinforced stone and enchanted on the inside to resist the insane temperatures. When it came time to heat
one side of the base had poured the slag, a molten slurry of impurities that had bonded to the limestone, and out the other had poured the liquid iron which would be carted
around here, time to go meet a particular carver and
way between the many rows of smelters, furnaces and tracks for bins laden with ore as we walk into the tunnels and then beyond to the crafting
goods required by the ants and our allies. There's delicate work being done, fine wires of various metals intertwined and experimented on to see how well they handle delicate enchantments, as well as more massive projects, like gates for the new nests or armour suits for
at work and see what they might be up to, asking questions and generally being a pest. I tolerate it for a little while, but we have a schedule to keep and there's someone I really need
then, we need
a particular carver who I'd promised I'd come and meet at some point after I'd evolved. I find the insane ant hard at work
How are you doing, you metal
my massive frame looming over her workstation and clacks
like that armour I made for you, eh?
once I explain what she
for him,"
you alive. As in, you know, not
a moment. Then another moment. Then
low did you take your intelligence
gives me a thumbs up, a wide, confident
stare at
high is it
He raises two fingers.
you with… but still kept it above the minimum I set… If it means two,
back to
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