Chrysalis

“Do not discuss what we have seen or heard until we return home,” the Eran warned her people as they made their way out of the grand ant fortress.

Here on an expedition, her word was law and even her daughter knew better than to cause trouble for her mother at this moment in particular. The brathians were silent for the remainder of the journey. They marched in silence through the enormous tunnels of the fortress, didn’t breathe a word as they exited the vast gates and continued to keep their mouths shut as they were escorted by the ants through the monsters and down to the shoreline.

With dignity, they bowed to the ants, turned and walked into the water, their clothing floating around them as they walked deeper and deeper.

Once they were fully submerged, Eran Thouris gave her people a significant look and began to swim, weaving her magic to propel herself and the entire group through the water at an incredible speed. Enormous monsters churned through the water, closer than any would like, but the song of the siren filled the lake around them, and the monsters ignored them completely.

On they swam, through the murk and out into the brathian territory, passing through the barrier without difficulty.

“May we speak now?” Theraz asked cautiously.

“You may converse,” came the terse reply, “but no details about the negotiation or what we’ve seen. The Satrap will want our unfiltered thoughts.”

“That was so exciting!” Piris exclaimed. “An entire empire of ants! It’s incredible! And that fortress? How long did it take them to build it? Almost no time at all!”

Theraz swam closer and nudged his cousin with his elbow.

“We aren’t meant to be talking about it yet.”

She turned and stuck her tongue out at him.

“But it was so interesting! Have you ever seen anything like it?”

“No, I haven’t, but I know to keep my mouth shut before we meet the Satrap. You can talk all you want about it once we arrive.”

to contain her excitement, but she managed to bottle

moment the door to her husband’s chambers shut, Eran’s smooth expression twisted in anger as she ripped the necklace from around her neck and blasted it

she roared. “Forty percent! FORTY PERCENT! I haven’t felt this humiliated

growing faintly terrified as his wife showed her

those ants are. They can make all sorts of things, and they served us incredible cakes, and tea, and the fortress was unbelievably huge, and there was

he smiled at his daughter before turning his concerned expression back to

please. The delegation and court magicians are

of my Skills. A mutation? Some sort of evolution? We were completely

the water around her, fingers tearing gashes through the

Umizan flinched on his throne and turned

it really that bad? Do we owe them

sounded as if he thought they’d demanded his head

Colony’s goods to other markets, and they demanded a high percentage of the final price. My honoured Aunt did extremely well against the initial negotiator, an old woman the ants brought in to speak on their behalf, but when the monster entered the talks… my understanding is

but Eran managed to get control of herself and

put it,” she

father entered the chamber, nodding to his brother. Marzban Corozan was powerfully built for a brathian, who tended to be slender and swift. Scars

through the water. “I would like to hear about the

trade negotiations first. Mages, Eran, gather and speak to me,” he demanded, clapping his

he sat, pensive, considering what he

be produced cheaply and in mass quantities. In such variety? This is interesting, interesting

shame written all over her face.

jumped when she raised her head to glare at him. “I mean it! Against a monster who was immune to your Skills, you achieved the best deal that you could. In fact, I would go so far as to say that you may

Satrap rose from his