About an hour had passed since the delegation had entered the Indivisibles Caves. As they went down, from time to time, natural windows pierced through the rocky ceiling, but the gentle slope soon changed into a wide tunnel where the ceiling was so high that the light from the lamps could not reach it. It felt as if the dark night had fallen on the humans in the canyon. Despite the lack of sunlight, the humid air was warm. With plenty of water and a pleasant temperature, the rocky walls, ground under their feet, and piles of stones along the way were all covered in local plants. The delegation’s pace slowed down. The fields of blue moss, though damp, were still easy to walk on compared to the slimy pale lichen. Their light patches in the blue moss on the rocks stood out, but humans still needed to be vigilant and survey the ground.

When the soldier ahead stepped into the small stream, the splashing echo reached everyone. The humans froze for a moment, then the officer assigned by the margrave moved forward. A man in his forties, wearing a khaki uniform used by military units at the wall. Cornelia remembered seeing similar uniforms in other countries’ border armies. Royal guards preferred brighter colors and high-quality materials to emphasize their outstanding social standing.

The soldier took out an onion from one of the bags. He peeled it and left it on the flat rock in the middle of the tunnel. Though he only removed the brown skin, the man grimaced, fighting back tears.

"This should give them a signal that they have guests. Although, it is usually a sign of a short trade."

"It’s alright," assured him the princess. "We will figure out how to proceed step by step. Negotiations are a new thing for both of us."

She pulled the reins of her horse. The animal was sniffing at the moss on the ground.

"This is not good for them, is it?" Cornelia asked the officer. "But if the talks are prolonged, we will run out of fodder."

"There should be no problems with the fodder. The Indivisibles grow edible lichens. However, their taste and nutritional value for humans are questionable." Before the princess could ask another question, the man turned to Dr Winda. "With all due respect, I’m afraid I have to ask you, doctor, to stand back during the negotiations. Indivisibles send messages by changing color. And the dark body color means aggression. We can’t be sure if those who meet us are aware of human diversity."

The officer’s voice sounded apologetic, but firm. The doctor’s skin stood out among the delegation, who all had fair skin. Winda snorted.

"This is rather offensive, but I suppose I have no choice."

"It’s only for the first meeting," said Cornelia. The man’s stiff face hinted he would appreciate any help. "We will clear up this issue after asking for a long-term stay."

"It’s alright, Your Highness," the woman’s tone changed to a more peaceful one. She took out a yellow shawl from her bag. "I’ll use this in the meantime. I want to attend the meeting, even if I’m not in the front row."

With this matter being discussed, the officer relaxed his frown. He took an item from the inside pocket of his jacket and gave it to the princess.

"Your Highness, this may help you during negotiations. We use this as a vocabulary."

Cornelia took a piece of paper from the soldier. The single sheet was not even fully filled.

"This is a rather small vocabulary," the princess noted.

The man shrugged. "Our contacts with the Indivisibles are also short. Usually, scouting parties use this place just as a temporary shelter or opportunity to get supplies."

"I see. Thank you. It will be very useful."

While waiting, the soldiers tended to the horses, giving them plenty of water from the stream and hay from the supplies. Dr. Winda was more focused on the surrounding plant life than on humans. Cornelia checked the gifts they had brought. The sacks with fertilizer and bags full of fruit and vegetables - a luxury that was hard to find in the wasteland. Everything was in perfect condition. She glanced at the notebook the doctor had given her.

"Is something bothering you, Your Highness?"

She turned to the young man who approached her. Sieg was wearing the same khaki uniform as the other soldiers from the wall. The fact he was treated equally at the border filled her heart with ease. It was warmer in the caves than outside, and he took off his jacket, like a few other men. Although his height and build stood out, unlike some of his colleagues. "It feels like he has grown taller since we were in Anatolia," thought Cornelia. Her gaze lingered for a moment on his muscular arms.

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"No, just making sure everything is in perfect order." The princess nodded at the notebook. "Dr. Winda tasked me with sketching our hosts. She wants to record all possible perspectives, regardless of their quality."

The guy smiled at her last remark. He still remembered their conversation during the Spring Festival, and that made Cornelia smile back. She was trying to find the next words when the officer waved to attract her attention. It was a signal. Will, a young man with chestnut-colored hair, brought the dogs forward and gave the leashes to the officer.

The soldiers stepped back, leaving the three at the head of the group - the officer, who had the most experience with the Caves, the princess, and Sieg acting as bodyguard. The dogs sat on command, their eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. Cornelia turned around and spotted Winda behind the soldiers. The woman covered her face and neck with a shawl, observing everything from a safe distance. Nothing could hold her curiosity back.

Everything and everyone was ready. The delegation waited in silence. Weapons were hidden in holsters, but intermittent breathing betrayed the nervousness of the less experienced soldiers.

Cornelia noticed a barely visible bluish light. Another one, this time green, joined it. Like fireflies, these tiny balls of light slowly approached the delegation from the darkness. When they reached the boundary of the light cast by human lamps, the hardly discernible shadows finally became clear. Two figures hesitated before continuing on their way. Their movements were slow, giving humans enough time to examine the creatures.

The sight brought Cornelia back to memories of her brother’s arena fights. Valiant knights riding armored stallions. It was absurd to compare the approaching creatures to noblemen entertaining themselves. Despite their resemblance to riders, Indivisibles shared nothing with humans’ union with horses. Cornelia read all available information about Indivisibles, and yet seeing them in person made her forget everything for a moment.

The two figures were actually four creatures. The lower creature had its back and legs clad in a silver shell. With six claws as its legs, it resembled a crab. This crab was only partly covered in its shell and the red, squishy, tender insides could be seen between the joints. This was a male.

Above it sat another creature that had no shell. Instead, the soft red mass had a head-like hump and six tentacles. A tender pink membrane connected all the tentacles until the middle, where thin hair-like warts covered them. Two of these tentacles were raised, carrying a round frog. The frog’s throat emitted blue or green light. An unsteady crab-like gait caused the upper creature’s body to sway from side to side. This was a female.

The only similarity these two creatures shared at first glance was their large eyes with horizontal pupils and hooked yellow beaks. When the princess got closer, she spotted a fourth pair of limbs. Both creatures used them to embrace each other. This inseparable hold, which lasted until the death of both, led humans to call these creatures “Indivisibles”.

Slowly, the strange procession shortened the distance between them and human representatives. The officer glanced at the dogs, and Cornelia followed his example. The animals remained calm, with their tails lying down on the ground without moving. This was a sign that Indivisibles were cautious, but at least not aggressive. One of the combined creatures stepped forward. Its free tentacle moved, as if drawing repeated waves. They expected a smaller group and were now confused. The dogs wagged their tails once. It was a sign that Indivisibles were asking a question.

Cornelia placed an onion on the ground and rolled it towards the Indivisibles. Then she pointed to the cargo. These gestures had already been tested several times. The difficulty was in explaining the intention to deepen the connection between the two species. She tried to draw the infinity sign in the air with her hand.

But the dogs wagged their tails once. The Indivisibles didn’t recognize this sign. The princess resorted to another theory, one of the scholars’ theories proposed during their correspondence. There were not many specialists in communication with Indivisibles. But she was persistent enough to find some who were interested in the topic.

She drew a circle in the air. This time, the response took longer. The color of the creature’s bodies changed from red to yellow. They were thinking, and as Cornelia assumed, they were discussing with each other.

The Indivisibles were not a hasty species. Like their unhurried gait, the pace of their decision-making also took a while. This gave the princess a chance to scribble a sketch in her notebook, but the soldiers behind her were becoming restless.

Finally, the decision was made. The dogs wagged their tails enthusiastically, even before Indivisibles changed their body color to pink. The females’ faces (the area around the eyes and beaks), in addition, became covered with blue dots. Still holding beaming frogs, the Indivisibles started turning around. They would serve as guides.

But before that, another issue had to be cleared. Cornelia waved, calling Dr. Winda forward. She handed the notebook to Sieg, focusing on explaining the fact that humans have a different skin color. Fortunately, after being startled and tucking in their tentacles at first, the Indivisibles relaxed. Showing the dog’s tail wagging in response to different skin tones may not have been the most effective way to convey the situation, but it still worked.

When the Indivisibles crawled back into the tunnel, the humans followed. The mood lightened, though it was only the first step. Dr. Winda used this opportunity to walk closer to her hosts. This scene reminded Cornelia of her notebook. She immediately noticed that, in a hurry, she had forgotten to turn the page. Her poorly drawn sketch was exposed to everyone. A slight smile touched the guy’s lips as he returned the notebook.

"You are truly terrible at this," Sieg commented, looking at the drawing.

"I have told you before that I lack artistic abilities."

It wasn’t the time to make excuses for something that wasn’t her strength. But neither his tone nor the whole situation didn’t cause Cornelia to feel offended or insignificant. It was nothing like the times her family pointed out her weaknesses. In contrast, Sieg’s smile made her ponder the idea of sketching something once more.