6 In Exchange

Deep within the Anthill, there was the Ember. Within an impossibly huge white room, a large obsidian shard floated. The obsidian was filled with cracks glowing with many colours as the Ember thrummed within. The room was circular at the base and tapered to a point high above the obsidian. All about the walls were tables, tools and plans, drawn in both papers and light. Erin, a tall and lean woman, sat at a table near the entrance reading a book. An ant entered the room then trembled as a holographic image of a tall, slender, insectile figure appeared above it.

Erin stood and bowed. “Elder sister.”

The image of the ant-mother nodded slightly. “Erin. Where is our father? I need to speak to him.”

“He is busy at the moment.” Erin looked at the obsidian shard that was currently pulsing blue fire. Medhan was hidden within, at work on some new craft.

The ant-mother considered this for a moment. “He has forgotten his calendar. The gods will be here soon. Three of them, each in large chariots.”

“I will meet with them and make the delivery.” The ant-mother accepted this. Erin was the youngest of their father’s works but she was the most pleasant to the eye.

“Be careful with them,” warned the ant-mother. “Gods are prickly, prideful things. Our father does not want trouble yet.”

The outward appearance of the Anthill was quite modest. A simple ranch with several large barns, far from any towns. The gods descended from the skies in their chariots. The Sea Queen emerged from her craft which resembled a large translucent bubble, filled with sea-green water. Kahan, the Great Lord of the Sky, came down in a chariot mounted upon the back of a great eagle. A steel ship bore down and Stonecarver emerged, his giant footprints embedding deeper into the land than any of the ships.

The gods were left waiting for a few minutes before Erin appeared. She treated them with just more than a modicum of respect as she directed servitors to present and then load the merchandise.

To Stonecarver, a thousand rats were designed to hunt and eat void-formed matter. They were intelligent things, capable of boring through the ground and breeding with natural rats to spread their wrought modifications. In exchange, Stonecarver emptied his craft of rare ores, gems and crystals.

For Kahan, a hundred large eggs. From them would grow large condors capable of flying for months without rest. The intelligent birds would then guide larger forces to destroy any void-formed they found. In exchange, Kahan gave one egg. The black egg glittered in bright sunlight momentarily revealing golden writing. Unlike the mined material of Stonecarver, this egg was quickly and carefully whisked away to safety.

For the Sea Queen, five hundred vials of cyan liquid each capable of temporarily transforming an entity into a draconic version of themselves. These dragons could dive into the deepest oceans to find the most hidden towers and break them. In exchange, the Sea Queen produced five thousand vials, each containing the final breath of a mortal. However, she would not give them to Erin, demanding instead to give them only to the wright instead.

Erin knew the value of this particular trade and made an executive decision.