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.”

difficult to contain her excitement,

her husband’s chambers shut, Eran’s smooth expression twisted in anger as she ripped the necklace from around

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

growing faintly terrified as his wife showed her

and they served us incredible cakes, and tea, and the fortress was unbelievably huge, and there was an ant

jewel,” he smiled at his daughter before turning his concerned expression

and court

to all of my Skills. A mutation? Some sort

at the water around her, fingers tearing

flinched on his throne

bad? Do we owe

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

to get control

to put

a brathian, who tended to be slender and swift. Scars could be seen through the

deep voice reverberating through the water. “I would like to hear about the threat that has shown up on

negotiations first. Mages, Eran, gather and speak to me,”

later, he sat, pensive, considering what he

merchandise, able to be produced cheaply and in mass quantities.

her face. “The final terms are dreadful

immune to your Skills, you achieved the best deal that you could. In fact, I would go so far

rose from his throne,