Okay, a meeting of the broodmothers.

According to Liseti, it's simply an occasion where the princesses and the queen come together so they can discuss urgent and important matters.
This only includes the present ones, as it would be too much of an effort to call princesses from the other, mostly autonomous hives together.
The queen apparently came up with this in an attempt to delegate some of her responsibilities to the others.
Yet because Honiu is usually declining all invitations of the queen it never came to a real meeting.
Which is the reason why Liseti got such great influence by being responsible for assigned patrols, security units, and general administration.

But now I am here as well.
And this topic, for maybe the first time in centuries, is a thing of really great importance since the swarm is surprisingly isolated and rarely has to discuss new developments.
There seems to be something like a protocol to this we need to follow.
It seems we have to wait in our quarters till a messenger calls us to the queen's chamber.
Which should be logical as it's almost impossible at her size to change locations.
A short time later exactly that happens.
I meet Liseti close to the entrance with all the guardians waiting in front of it.

 

<Erys, are you ready?> (L)

<Not the slightest bit.> (E)

 

Sorry, but I doubt many could say yes when it's about standing your ground against a true titan.
And with the pheromones as a factor, lying is not an option.

 

<You'll have to be convincing if you want to succeed with your request. Confident but not naive.> (L)

<I get it.> (E)

<Good. Then let us enter.> (L)

 

I breathe in and follow Liseti inside.
Now that I'm a bit more focused than the other times I notice the scent in the air.
Quite sure those are lingering pheromones from the queen.
Which should be a given.
Shortly after we entered I receive the first message.

 

<Shuuoohh/Ah, my princesses. Such a wonderful event to happen. Who'd have thought that we could all meet like this?> (U)

 

The pheromones help with the direction, but I still can't see her.
Well, until she's suddenly directly in front of my face with her lowered head, making my heart skip a beat.

 

<Is something wrong, Erys? You look stressed.> (U)

 

She can say whatever she wants, I can feel the truth through the pheromones.

 

<Damn, that was intentional!> (E)

<Maybe.> (U)

 

Is that simply how she is or did she want to get at me because of the topic of our discussion?
Anyway, I think we should get started.

 

<Scruuk, scria!/Ahem, shouldn't we begin now? I wouldn't want to leave the humans waiting for an answer longer than necessary.> (E)

<Such things shouldn't be rushed, my little one.> (U)

 

I get that she has more experience than me at her age, but on the other side, it might be that being several millennia old might screw one's outlook on such matters.

 

<But Erys is right. There's no reason to waste time if we can already begin.> (L)

<Ah, but we can't, yet.> (U)

 

Huh, what does she mean?

 

<I fail to understand. Why aren't we able to start? All relevant parties are present.> (L)

<You forgot one.> (U)

 

It's rare to see Liseti being flustered.
But this is one of the rare moments when she's troubled.

 

<Mother, are you saying that she is coming?> (L)

<Wonderful, isn't it? She makes such great leaps in her progress. It's astonishing.> (U)

 

I'm still slightly confused.
But then I notice the pheromones of another presence entering the hall.
And I know them.
I felt them before.

 

<I'd prefer if no one would address me.> (H)

 

Truly.
Honiu just entered the hall and walks over to Liseti, so we all stand in a half-circle in front of the queen, who claims the rest of the area.

 

<You never came! Not in all this time! Why now?!> (L)

<It seems my presence was warranted. So I will make an exception and for once attend this meeting, as it concerns me as well.> (H)

 

This is a bit too much at once.
And why does it concern her as well?

 

<Ah, how nice it is to welcome you, my little Honiu. You're looking well. Erys' mother must have a good influence on you.> (U)

<I can barely describe how revolting it is to be here> (H)

 

If she could sneer or have bad enough manners to spit, she would.
At least her pheromones convey this much.

 

<You are still so resentful.> (U)

<I didn't come here to discuss this. So can we begin?> (H)

<Naturally. So the topic is as follows: Should Princess Erys be allowed to accompany the humans to their realm?> (U)

<What is there to discuss? As if you'd let her leave. This is the same as sending her to another swarm. You'd lose her potential offspring and have to cull all her remaining brood. While the latter sounds like you, you wouldn't let it intentionally come so far.> (H)

 

It's actually a bit hard to hear how something like this might happen to my brood.
I'm not sure if I see them as my children, but honestly, I don't wish them to die.

 

<Your points are valid. There's certainly a risk and till now I don't see how the possible advantages may justify this. Erys, what do you have to say on that matter? (U)

 

Okay, now it's my turn to state valid reasons.

 

<There is the potential of incredible benefits for us if you’d let me negotiate. Not only peace, because I'm aware that there would always be the option to simply cut off all the tunnels, but we could also acquire human goods. Liseti already makes good use of human mining tools which help a great deal to get the job done.> (E)

<But we were able to manage before as well. Some convenient assets won't make such a great difference. And I see no reason to go out of our way to do things that provide no substantial benefit to us.> (U)

<Ahem, also, I'd like to make use of the human water supply in the future if I'm ever going to establish my own hive. They have more than they'll ever need on the surface and, with some effort, we could as well gain access to them. But I'll have to negotiate for this.> (E)

<Another thing which has no intrinsic merit. You'd certainly be able to make do with the resources of the already scouted areas. You might have to spread a bit further, but this would still be far better than being dependent on others. Especially humans. Isn't achieving autonomy the reason for founding one's hive? Something I'm not allowed to.> (H)

 

While I feel that her comments are also a bit because she thinks it's unfair that I'm having so much freedom to act the way I want, her arguments are not easily set aside.
She's wiser than I granted her.
I need to say something before my chance to negotiate peace with humans ceasey to exist.
It's good that I wasn't just spending my time idle but was trying to think about convincing arguments.

 

<There's something else.> (E)

<Please speak. I'm curious.> (U)

 

Yes, I know.
And that's the reason why this might work.

 

<The greatest gain which might come from this "venture" is the following. Knowledge! If we maintain a regular exchange with the humans then naturally we'll be able to gain insight into their doings. Maybe we can bargain for access to their libraries and see how their production facilities work. If we learn about smelting, we could, in the future, found our own facilities and produce our own iron tools. Not just for mining, but also for armor, buildings, tools, and maybe weapons. Things that might help our brood to survive.> (E)

<Intriguing. This might have its benefits. Yet it sounds like an incredible effort.> (U)

<But will this be enough? And for such facilities, we would need access to the surface.> (H)

<Which might be granted, as long as we negotiate for it. But it's not only this. What we need to keep in mind is the future. What will be in hundreds of years/cycles? In five-hundred? A thousand? We don't know, but it might be that there'll be something new to discover. And we might stay behind if we don't partake.> (E)

<Erys makes good points here.> (U)

<However, all those possible advantages will have no value if the humans turn out to be hostile and she gets captured. And then we'll have to kill her brood.> (H)

<Human countries aren't a swarm. They couldn't make use of a princess like those do. And you'd probably overrun them before they'd get anything out of it. Also, being an ambassador should be rather safe.> (E)

<Ah, how come? What would stop them from turning against you if you're in their territory. Under their control.> (U)

<An ambassador is an honorable position and attacking them is an incredibly treacherous act. It would destroy their reputation among other countries if they couldn’t be sure that the people they sent after an invitation would truly be safe upon arrival. And although I've never met the king, they say he's an honorable man.> (E)

<So you're saying that others wouldn't look well on this. Aside from your quite farfetched idea that the humans would apply the same values to us as to their own, that you cling to the idea that they won't act against you because it's the wrong thing to do is concerning at best.> (H)

 

It seems I'm mainly up against Honiu here.

 

<I can understand your position, Erys. But you're young, and leaving you exposed is terribly dangerous. A risk I'm not willing to take just like this.> (U)

<Then let me take measures.> (L)

 

Finally, Liseti partakes as well.
Fortunately in her special field of expertise.

 

<What kind of measures do you have in mind?> (U)

<Princess Erys already produced a very efficient royal guard. I inspected them and am confident that they should provide good protection. The humans may turn hostile, but they're not capable of flight. If the worst would happen, the air should still pose an eligible escape route. For the rest, we might do more. Like bringing additional forces to secure the area.> (L)

<Convincing. But what more, exactly do you have planned? How would we gain sufficient access to their structures?> (U)

<Oh please, I am absolutely sure that we wouldn't even lead this discussion if Erys would be completely out of your reach. You certainly have access to the territory where Erys would be located at.> (H)

 

Huh? Why am I hearing just now about this possibility?
Liseti doesn't seem to be surprised at this revelation.

 

<This might be the case.> (U)

 

She's admitting it?!!

 

<Please, Erys. Rein your pheromones in.> (U)

 

Says the one always talking with reverberating intensity.

 

<The thing is, I can't be sure. Naturally, I continued to let flying drones scout the surface. We were able to cover a vast area in the recent intervals. And naturally, I ordered that tunnels will be created below any discovered settlements. It was a difficult, yet not impossible, task to figure out how they align with our system. But it isn't known if the relevant one is among those, yet. Please, Erys. Describe what you know about this "capital" they want to bring you to.> (U)

 

I certainly have mixed feelings about the fact that the queen is working to establish access points to every single human settlement she finds.
This has quite a huge risk to be misused.
Yet even more problematic is that I am now supposed to help them to find our capital.
While it's not extremely confidential information, it feels a bit like selling out my old country.

On the other side, the direction this discussion goes is quite positive.
And she only wants me to describe it.
If it's already discovered, then its location is known, no matter what I'm doing.

 

<Ehk, scria, cruh!/Uh, let's see. Valera is supposed to be a huge seaport in the northwest. There should be a large harbor. And also, it's known to be quite the fortress. The walls are thick and numerous and the royal castle towers high above it as a stone monument on a hill or maybe a mountain.> (E)

 

Guess I've just told them the general direction where I would think Valera would be on a map.

 

<You need to explain some things here. For example, what is a "harbor"?> (U)

 

Makes sense that they wouldn't know this.
Already the sea should be quite a thing for them.

 

<Where to begin? A harbor is a place where humans connect to the sea. The sea is a mass of water so wide that it's not even known if there's an end to it. Huge creatures are said to dwell beneath its surface. And in a harbor, humans build and keep ships to cross it. Ships are a human construction that floats on the water and can be used for transportation or fishing. Uh, fishing is catching food out of the water. Ahem, I feel like this might never end if I continue explaining.> (E)

 

I'm already glad that concepts like "floating" are explained through the pheromones while I say them.

 

<Fascinating. If this would be just about me, you could continue, but yes, we should proceed. Thanks to your insight I was able to determine the most necessary. Your "sea" was already discovered long ago. It partially aligns with the flooded tunnels. An area of the system which we stopped excavating when an endless deluge of water that weren't even suitable for the mycelium destroyed all created tunnels there. As it naturally limited our possibilities to move further in this direction the drones concentrated on scouting the borders. And there we found the currently greatest settlement yet. This one should be this capital.> (U)

<And how does this change anything?> (H)

<It means that we only need to establish a base there which could provide Erys the necessary safety. Like this, it should be possible to watch over the princess, at least during her rest. In addition, we could station a suitably large force there. While I agree with Erys that the territorial nature of humans won't allow a greater army within their settlement, those should be enough to overwhelm possible enemy forces and secure an escape.> (L)

 

Wow, great.
An invasion force below Valera.
If people hear about this...

 

<Could I add here that human countries aren't united and Tarsona is currently at war? The leaders want to gain any advantages they can for themselves and Tarsona. Naturally, they all have their own agendas, but the last thing they need is another war. This would only spell their demise. I'm only saying this from my limited perspective, but our forces exceed theirs vastly. In the current situation, we would crush them. There's absolutely no reasonable point why they would turn hostile. They couldn't succeed or live to reap the benefits of any treason they'd commit. It would be plain stupid.> (E)

<Your insight is valuable, Erys. But there's still danger, albeit limited. While a base would be possible, at the moment the tunnels there haven't even reached the surface. It will need several more intervals till completion.> (U)

<I doubt they expect me to be there this instant. I guess they would first bring me to Osari and from there we'd travel further to Valera. This means, as human transportation isn't too fast, that we have around a week.> (E)

 

I doubt they heard the word "week". Rather it was about the expected number of intervals.

 

<At least I'll be able to complete a base at the location in time.> (U)

<So you truly intend to allow her to leave to this place?> (H)

 

Honiu feels annoyed, agitated, and... jealous?

 

<Erys stated good points. If we can take proper measures then the risks will be limited. And human knowledge sounds especially promising. Knowledge is what elevates our whole kind. It was the knowledge about how we should act as one that made us work together. It was knowledge about the different patterns of brood which made us more efficient, and it was knowledge about the system that helps us act coordinated. Knowledge helps to adapt. And adaptation is the only way to survive change. And change will come. It always does.> (U)

 

Wow, that was... surprisingly deep.

 

<Thank you broodmother. I will make sure that nothing may happen to Erys.> (L)

 

That's actually quite nice of Liseti.
I'll feel safe if she is there to ascertain that everything proceeds as it should.

 

<Oh, you won't accompany her.> (U)

 

Too many good things at once happened, huh?

Liseti is now completely off.

 

<My queen, broodmother, I don't understand. I was at Erys' side in that human settlement. I have the greatest experience in dealing with humans, aside from her. I know how to lead the drones. This is our common venture. I am the logical choice!> (L)

<You are right, Liseti. You are capable. And this is yours and Erys' venture. You saw possibilities and claimed them, as you believe I would. And this makes me proud. There might come good results from this. Your taken risks might be worth the benefit. And this is the problem. You want to claim the gains you bargained for. The results you WISH for. Which you WANT to happen. And as such you're not objective enough. Also, you're needed to oversee the security of the system in this eventful time.> (U)

<But who else would be adequate? Erys can't do this alone! She's too young!> (L)

<Naturally she can't go on her own. She wouldn't even be able to know about all of our interests. Yet I obviously can't leave. And this leaves just one.> (U)

 

She, she can't be serious.
The pheromones already hint at it, but she can't be real!

 

<Honiu, you stated so often that you wanted to get away from here. Now is your chance.> (U)

 

She is real!
How, how whimsical can she be?

 

<You would let me leave the hive?> (H)

<Yes, I would. I appreciate your recent development. And you don't share the same fascination for the humans as Erys and Liseti. You're objective and have the necessary experience, even if you never showed it. Erys' mother is your personal nurse and I can only fathom what would happen to you if her offspring got harmed, so you're also personally invested. Naturally, my own brood will accompany you, while yours stays. You'll have total control over them, as long as you don't try to escape. Should anything happen and Erys be attacked, then I'll trust you to give the right orders and erase this settlement from existence.> (U)

 

This queen is simply too much.

 

<This offer... is tempting. Would it be possible to have at least a most basic escort consisting of my own brood?> (H)

 

I don't even know what to say anymore.
My mouth is agape and all my pheromones convey is "Huh?".

 

<Only an insignificant number, the majority will be mine and you won't be unsupervised. So, your answer? What happens now depends on it. If those negotiations will happen or not.> (U)

 

I hate it.
Now I am even depending on Honiu?

 

<I agree.> (H)

 

Wha-...
She truly said yes?
This is unexpected.

 

<Perfect. Then we have to begin our preparations. This will require the greatest efforts but doing what is necessary is the essence of our kind.> (U)

 

And with this, the meeting of the broodmothers is concluded.