Eran Thouris was in her element. Her mind raced, the blood pounded in her veins and she felt as if an electric current were running over her scales.
“This tea is… quite… adequate.”
Seated across from her, the representative of the Deep Coral Conglomerate, Lissa, tried to conceal her pleasure after imbibing the fine drink.
“You might change your mind when I tell you how much it costs.”
She made a gesture with her left hand, a flickering of fingers, and her adversary’s eyes widened.
“That’s… less than I would have expected.”
“If I’m not mistaken, it’s almost half of what your Conglomerate charges for its patented tea blend, is it not?”
“Less than half,” Lissa grated.
“Oh my. I imagine the introduction of this tea to the market will collapse your sales precipitously.”
“Are you suggesting this… swill… is better than our tea?!” Lissa demanded.
“Of course not. It doesn’t quite achieve the same depth of flavour, and the Deep Coral blend is famed throughout Pangera for its rich aroma. This tea gets close, but doesn’t quite match it.”
She smiled and took a deep sip.
“Which is why it's half the price.”
us for this, inferior, monster-created leaf,” Lissa scoffed, but she didn’t quite have
course they would. The Colony’s tea didn’t quite measure up in terms of quality, but they made so much of the stuff. In this instance, Satrap Umizan had been more
Coral have had it too good for too long!”
watching their representative, Lissa, squirm, she
~~~
really put this together without
Conglomerate representative, Terraz. “You can see how they have mutated and evolved themselves to
way the Colony made most of their furniture. At present, the ant was processing the raw wood,
the ant is doing most of its measuring
“Her measuring.”
of theft: this story is not rightfully
customers not refer to the ants as
eyes, perfectly aware of what she was attempting
if
“Well, let’s ask.”
very purpose, and the two approached him. They relayed their question,
using her antennae and forelegs for
them and extended her front leg, allowing Terraz to lean forward
markings?”
of the leg were evenly
maintain a permanent ruler on their legs,” the mage continued her translation. “Early on, the Colony realised the importance
to the wood once more and indicated something, making swift motions with her legs and
to record where
to himself,
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