Fantastic, just what I needed, another giant lizard in my life. Haven't I dealt with enough of these things?! Considering our minds are connected, I carefully shield my exasperation and reply.

[Hey there, lizard bro! How's things? Life treating you well? Try not to dry out too much down here, gets a bit warm in these parts. Make sure you, you know… stay moist. Or whatever a lizard does.]

I can practically feel the indignation radiating from the big fella.

[I am Kaarmodo,] he hisses at me, [do not refer to me as a lizard!]

Despite still having their hoods on I can clearly tell the two attendants are glaring at me. What were those guys called again? I seriously can't remember. This isn't going so well, I'm going to have to break out the ol' Anthony charm offensive and see if I can talk this liz- esteemed kaarmodo around to letting us chase that damn worm into their territory.

Naturally I'm more than a little tempted to just bust through and go running after Jim regardless what this puffed up gecko has to say, but I'm wary of creating another international incident that the Colony will end up having to clean up for me. Making enormous messes and depending on my siblings to deal with it is a habit that I'm quite keen to break. It's getting embarrassing at this point! I'm hopeful that I can reach a diplomatic solution here.

[Of course, my mistake! I would never seek to insult one of the ancient and wise members of the kaarmodo race! May your scales be ever shiny!]

Smooth.

[Anyways. Can we run through your territory and kill that worm? We hate that guy.]

And the quality follow up. Nailed it!

This is what high level diplomacy looks like! Sheer perfection in the realm of communication.

[No,] the lizar- kaarmodo retorts. [Take yourself from our lands at once.]

What?! I'm genuinely shocked, but no matter, I still have one further trick up my sleeve.

[Please?] I ask.

[…]

He's being swayed, I can tell.

[… no?]

See! He sounded much less certain of himself this time around! The negotiation is clearly tilting in my favour! He's like putty in my claws.

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[We have no intention of acting against the interests of the wonderful kaarmodo or your slave… helper… people… dudes.]

[Setsulah,] the old sapient grates at me, his mind clearly irritated.

[I mean no disrespect,] I try to give the mind mana equivalent of a thumbs up, [I simply mean to state that we have no intention of bringing any harm to you or your people, we simply wish to pursue our enemy and bring him to justice. That worm is responsible for the deaths of many of my kind and my people would consider it a great service should you allow us this boon.]

Like the mental equivalent of silk, I feel like my words are smoothly seeping into every fold of this kaarmodo's brain. I can already feel the disgust and disdain that he feels billowing up like a rising tide. Clearly the actions of Jim have infuriated the noble mage and he is fully willing to cooperate.

[Leave our lands at once, or I will be forced to view your intrusion as an act of aggression,] the lizard says coldly.

Eh? I thought we were getting along like a house on fire! How could you possibly defend that damn worm!? Once again, the urge to simply ignore the damn kaarmodo and his slaves is almost too strong to ignore, but I forcefully restrain myself, even if it looks as if I'm visibly writhing with the force of effort required to do so. Then a thought strikes me cold.

[Are you protecting the worm?] I ask.

Immediately I feel the kaarmodo and his two servants grasping hold of the mana in the air and preparing to weave it into spells, which causes Al and Invidia to begin doing the same thing and all of a sudden the tension has sky-rocketed through the roof.

Except for with Tiny, he has no idea what is going on.

But then Invidia pauses for a moment and his mouth appears, opening wide before his tongue pushes a still comatose Brilliant out onto the stone ground of the plains.

[Ssssshe has grown too large for me to containsss. I can holdsss her no longer!]

He sounds genuinely regretful about that, probably because he had to let go of something, an act that isn't really in his nature.

[Crinis!] I snap out an order, [protect Brilliant! Tiny! Grab hold of her and start running, we are getting out of here!]

[Do you not wish to chase the worm creature? I sense it still,] Al asks me.

[No. Brilliant is more important, and we don't want to start a fight we can't finish. I'm not going to pull the family down just to get revenge on that piece of garbage.]

I try to shield Sarah from my sending so she doesn't have to feel the anger in my thoughts, but I've little doubt that she brushed against them anyway. The giant bear's eyes are quite sad beneath her helmet as she looks into the distance where Jim fled.

[Alright! Chill! We're leaving!] I holler at the angsty iguana and just like that we turn and flee, Tiny bounding over to scoop up the prone Brilliant and bam, we are out of there.

After a few seconds I feel the three figures behind us start to release their grip on the ambient mana and only then do I relax. I can still see the pillar behind us, the giant city fading into the distance as we move away from it.

[We need to learn the name of this city,] I tell Al, [and we need to know everything we can about the kaarmodo there. What is going to be the best way to do that?]

[An envoy from another demon city is almost never refused. Certain. If the kaarmodo do not know the envoy comes from a city that you control, they will have no reason to interfere.]

[Is that something that happens often? One city sends a demon over to another city to … do what?]

[Negotiate, often for formal war, though long distance mind bridges are also commonly used for such talks. Exchange gifts. Travel.]

[Wait, travel? Are you telling me that some demons are out there on tour?]

I can almost feel the mental shrug.

[Demons like me, who crave information of one type or another are often compelled to move around the stratum. Some simply can't stay still for one reason or another. Perhaps their bloodlust is so strong they are unable to wait for a formal war to be arranged, so they travel from city to city, seeking conflict and battle. Others, such as Grokus, may travel to feast on different monsters and Biomass that can be found in different places. It is common.]

Well, that's interesting I suppose. I look down on Brilliant, held in the crook of Tiny's massive arm, she's still clearly in the process of evolving, her carapace shifting in strange ways as her body is restructured beneath her outer shell.

She's an important member of the family and couldn't be risked. I wasn't really worried that we would be in danger from the kaarmodo and his servants, but the possibility that she might be harmed was enough to call the retreat, even more than not wanting to start a conflict. Even so, if we find out that they're sheltering the traitorous invertebrate, then there may be a fight between them and the Colony no matter what I have to say about the matter.

[Anthony…] Sarah breaks into my thoughts.

[I know,] I tell her, [we'll talk when we get back to the city.]