Chrysalis

Fantastic, just what I needed, another giant lizard in my life. Haven't I dealt with enough of these things?! Considering our minds are connected, I carefully shield my exasperation and reply.

[Hey there, lizard bro! How's things? Life treating you well? Try not to dry out too much down here, gets a bit warm in these parts. Make sure you, you know… stay moist. Or whatever a lizard does.]

I can practically feel the indignation radiating from the big fella.

[I am Kaarmodo,] he hisses at me, [do not refer to me as a lizard!]

Despite still having their hoods on I can clearly tell the two attendants are glaring at me. What were those guys called again? I seriously can't remember. This isn't going so well, I'm going to have to break out the ol' Anthony charm offensive and see if I can talk this liz- esteemed kaarmodo around to letting us chase that damn worm into their territory.

Naturally I'm more than a little tempted to just bust through and go running after Jim regardless what this puffed up gecko has to say, but I'm wary of creating another international incident that the Colony will end up having to clean up for me. Making enormous messes and depending on my siblings to deal with it is a habit that I'm quite keen to break. It's getting embarrassing at this point! I'm hopeful that I can reach a diplomatic solution here.

[Of course, my mistake! I would never seek to insult one of the ancient and wise members of the kaarmodo race! May your scales be ever shiny!]

Smooth.

[Anyways. Can we run through your territory and kill that worm? We hate that guy.]

And the quality follow up. Nailed it!

This is what high level diplomacy looks like! Sheer perfection in the realm of communication.

[No,] the lizar- kaarmodo retorts. [Take yourself from our lands at once.]

I

[Please?] I ask.

[…]

swayed,

[… no?]

himself this time around! The negotiation is clearly tilting in my favour! He's like putty in my

no intention of acting against the interests of the wonderful kaarmodo or your slave… helper…

at me, his mind clearly

up, [I simply mean to state that we have no intention of bringing any harm to you or your people, we simply wish to pursue our enemy and bring him to justice. That worm is responsible for the deaths of many of my kind and

brain. I can already feel the disgust and disdain that he feels billowing up like a rising tide.

I will be forced to view your intrusion as an act of

Once again, the urge to simply ignore the damn kaarmodo and his slaves is almost too strong to

you protecting the worm?]

preparing to weave it into spells, which causes Al and Invidia to begin doing the same thing

with Tiny, he has no idea what is

his mouth appears, opening wide before his tongue pushes a still comatose Brilliant out onto

to containsss. I can holdsss her no

had to let go of something, an act that isn't really

an order, [protect Brilliant! Tiny! Grab hold of her and start running, we are getting out

you not wish to chase the worm creature? I sense it still,] Al asks

is more important, and we don't want to start a fight we can't finish. I'm not going to pull the family down just to

feel the anger in my thoughts, but I've little doubt that she brushed against them anyway. The giant bear's eyes are quite sad beneath her helmet as

I holler at the angsty iguana and just like that we turn and flee, Tiny bounding over