Chrysalis

Negotiations were always a delicate matter. There were many things to consider, after all. What was culturally and economically acceptable to both sides? What did each side want from the other? It was around these things that discussions would focus.

The first thing Eran Umizan needed to discern was what it was the Colony desired.

“Do they need food?”

Clearly, they had an interest in foodstuffs, as evidenced by the tea and scones. There was a brief consultation.

“They don’t,” Irisod told her. “Apparently, they grow all of their own food. Their own sugar, wheat, tea leaves and everything else they consume in large quantities. For satisfying their hunger, they generally use Biomass or… aphids? I’m not sure what those are.”

Interesting.

“We can negotiate a price for access to our gates?” she suggested. “Would they be interested in discussing terms for such an agreement?”

The price would be hideously expensive, of course. If you couldn’t make your own gates, then you were at the mercy of whoever was in a position to offer you access to one.

An ant entered with another tray covered in delectable-looking slices of layered cake, each topped with a twirl of pink cream. Eran’s brow went up as the tray was carefully placed before her, and another was distributed amongst her retinue.

Again, no poison.

“I thought they were short on supplies?” she asked her Court Mage, quietly.

“Apparently, they just developed their own gate.”

“What? When?”

“Just now.”

“As in…?”

in, during

first thing they used it

us

closer inspection, she could see glistening fruits embedded in each section, strawberries in the red layer, and peaches in the orange. She took her fork

It was delicious.

then turned and glared at her daughter.

stuffing her face with it in a most un-decorous manner. The girl flushed under the

a finger to her chin. The Colony, as she now knew they preferred to be called, were an interesting case. They didn’t want

in jewellery? They could adorn their Queens with the finest gems the fourth stratum has to offer, cut by

Queens, considering they seemed to have developed an entire culinary culture around

don’t think the Queens will like

“Very well.”

would ensure a selection of the highest quality pieces were brought to the fortress

talking to the large one?” she asked of her

“Not currently, no.”

“Interesting.”

around her were wearing anything of the sort, though she saw some wore clearly enchanted rings metal rings around where their legs joined their

of industry in the

Particularly, for metals and woods infused with water mana, we are the best to

had to constantly remind herself that she was looking at their skeletons. They couldn’t move them. The level of stillness went beyond just their heads, they barely moved at all. Only the antennae shifted and twitched, but she couldn’t begin to interpret such movements. Her negotiating partners were a blank wall. Another

“They… hmmm.”

demanded softly, no hint of her

perhaps even

warned. “Cultural differences can give rise to offence where none

sampling of our wares, but only so they could

the only sapient race to live in it. They absolutely did have a far higher affinity for water mana than any other race, and were extremely accomplished when

to an acceptable

approaching this from

sort of things would they be prepared