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.”

but quietened. She flitted about in the water, finding it difficult to contain her excitement, but she managed to bottle it

anger as she ripped the necklace from around her neck and blasted it through the water

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

wife showed her rage

believe how clever those ants are. They can make all sorts of things, and they served us incredible cakes,

daughter before turning his

and court magicians are

thing! The creature was immune to all of my Skills.

the water around her, fingers tearing gashes

on his throne and

it really that bad? Do we

he thought they’d

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

Eran managed to get control of herself and gave a strangled

way to put it,” she said

Corozan was powerfully built for a brathian, who tended to be slender and swift. Scars could be seen through the scales all over his arms

through the water. “I would like to hear about the threat that has

“I need to hear about these trade negotiations first. Mages, Eran, gather and speak to me,” he

sat, pensive, considering what he

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

am deeply sorry, my Satrap,” Eran bowed low, shame written all over her face. “The final terms are dreadful

that’s nonsense, my wife,” the Satrap declared absent mindedly, then 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

puzzled, as the Satrap rose from his throne, his hands