Orcelito curbs his frustration, though his jaw tightens when the Queen dodges his question. It seems she wants them to make offers for the key based solely on the wishes of the Guardian – not on what the key actually is. This puts them in a difficult position.
The shake of the vial answers another question. Now that he considers, he hasn’t seen many signs of magic since they arrived. The Queen has an interest in magical power. Why? While her attention is on Owain and Fuu, Orcelito allows himself a discreet look around. She has an army, heirs, weapons, and food… what is left? How big is their territory? Agitha said a colony can go ten feet down. How wide though, and how high?
At this point, he’s beginning to suspect a trap. It doesn’t help that Saber seems ready to bargain with magical resources they do not technically own, or that Owain just volunteered them for peril while they are bereft of their powers and confirmed the offering of magic. Orcelito has never dealt in magic – it’s not something his world can barter. But he has come to understand that magic is the power to do the improbable and impossible. And that is terribly dangerous.
He looks up intently when the Queen leans forward to address the seals. Canopy Crew… that was the second title in the riddle. What does she mean by corrupted? And what happened to the previous Adventurers? The questions pile in his mind, but he restrains himself. He doesn’t want to appear even more ‘unworthy.’ Not when he’s here first and foremost for diplomacy.
“How would an alliance not benefit both our people? Surely the health of the Guardian is a concern to all who live in this forest.” There’s not a hint of challenge in the words, but there is curiosity as to where the Ant Court’s allegiance lies.
no subject
The shake of the vial answers another question. Now that he considers, he hasn’t seen many signs of magic since they arrived. The Queen has an interest in magical power. Why? While her attention is on Owain and Fuu, Orcelito allows himself a discreet look around. She has an army, heirs, weapons, and food… what is left? How big is their territory? Agitha said a colony can go ten feet down. How wide though, and how high?
At this point, he’s beginning to suspect a trap. It doesn’t help that Saber seems ready to bargain with magical resources they do not technically own, or that Owain just volunteered them for peril while they are bereft of their powers and confirmed the offering of magic. Orcelito has never dealt in magic – it’s not something his world can barter. But he has come to understand that magic is the power to do the improbable and impossible. And that is terribly dangerous.
He looks up intently when the Queen leans forward to address the seals. Canopy Crew… that was the second title in the riddle. What does she mean by corrupted? And what happened to the previous Adventurers? The questions pile in his mind, but he restrains himself. He doesn’t want to appear even more ‘unworthy.’ Not when he’s here first and foremost for diplomacy.
“How would an alliance not benefit both our people? Surely the health of the Guardian is a concern to all who live in this forest.” There’s not a hint of challenge in the words, but there is curiosity as to where the Ant Court’s allegiance lies.