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

the first thing they used it

us cake,

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

It was delicious.

turned

with it in a most un-decorous manner. The girl flushed

chin. The Colony, as she now knew they preferred to be called, were an

in jewellery? They could adorn their Queens with the finest

to have developed an entire culinary culture around serving their ant mothers sweets. Perhaps they would be interested

clear, they don’t think the Queens will like them, but they

“Very well.”

of the highest quality pieces were

any of you talking to the

“Not currently, no.”

“Interesting.”

and armour? None of the ants she saw around her were wearing anything of the sort,

of industry in

of the highest quality. Particularly, for

ants rarely ever moved. No expressions crossed their faces and she 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

“They… hmmm.”

softly, no hint of

perhaps even

rise

to purchase a sampling of our wares, but only so they could study them. The ants are confident they

never be questioned, since they were 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 applying it in enchanting. She could

to an acceptable level, longer without training and guidance. The Colony was young, yet they

was approaching this from

things would they be prepared to sell to us?” she