Chrysalis

No matter how she tried, Enid couldn’t keep the smile from her face, so she eventually stopped trying. The legendary Silver City, heartbeat of the most populous stratum of the Dungeon, had turned out to see the Colony go to work, and go to work they did.

Ants were everywhere, forging, chopping, carving, shaping, using their Skills honed through evolution, mutation, and most importantly, relentless hours of experimentation and practice. Around every stall was a small crowd of fascinated onlookers, watching, enthralled, as the monsters displayed their wares and abilities, a brathian merchant close at hand to smile and speak, avarice gleaming beneath the surface.

And it was working. Deals were being struck everywhere. People were walking away with goods tucked under their arms and satisfied expressions, merchants were haggling for distribution rights left and right. In the middle of it all, Eran found her, looking like the cat who got the cream.

“It’s all going well, then?” Enid laughed.

“Fabulously,” the brathian purred, eyes alight with the glow of gold. “Our reputation has preceded us, and the people are flocking to see what all the fuss is about.”

Enid’s eyes widened as she finally realised what had been happening.

“You expected Anthony to cause issues at the previous stops?”

By the time they reached this destination, the final and most critical of the trip, word of mouth had done the advertising for them! The crowds around Anthony weren’t just there to see a powerful monster up close, they wanted to see the monster who’d done such damage to Greystone, out-pettied the Magpei, and gone undefeated amongst the Folk.

“Well, I didn’t expect him to destroy half a mountain,” Eran scowled, “but yes, we anticipated that there would be some… activity… that would help to build a little buzz by the time we arrived here.”

“You weren’t worried his antics would scare people off instead?”

and one we thought we’d lost after Greystone. Yet, even that worked in our favour.” She looked around at the crowd with satisfaction. “I knew if we managed to get eyes on the Colony’s work, then we

much wealth they were about to receive as a result of their trade. A flood of cores would flow into their nests, fuelling the growth of

has been misappropriated; report any instances

satisfied with the trip, then?” she asked

we could have hoped,” Eran

be out there, trading more directly,

The purple-scaled brathian smirked.

merchants here know better than to speak with me directly. They’ll avoid exchanging words with me like others avoid disease. After my people have settled on preliminary terms, they’ll turn negotiations over to me. I can’t be cut out of the process entirely, since I have final

the older human. Enid scooted over a touch to make space and they both leaned back against the pillar, the

accompany

Eran brushed her away.

thanking me at all;

was you who allowed

around them, an island of calm in the midst of the swirling rush

places like this,” Enid said. “There’s more exchanged than just currency. Little moments, small interactions,