Archer and Athena was led through the colony on the back of a Transport Termite, it was A final descent brought them to the lava nurseries: a crater deep inside the earth, it was open to the sky in between some mountains in the center of their terroritory, rivers ran all over the place supplying water to the colony.
Here they grew fungi that thrived on liquid gold, harvesting spores that hardened into edible jewels. Workers ferried baskets of the food to a table already set for three as if the creatures were already doing it before they arrived in the chamber. The jewels sparkled like stained glass.
Jasmine clapped once. Drones swarmed, pouring nectar into crystal goblets that steamed gently. ''A tasting,'' she announced. ''The ruby melts on the tongue into smoked cherry and lightning. The emerald is cooler mint and deep-ocean salt.''
Athena lifted a ruby spore between thumb and forefinger, eyes full of cuirosity. ''You feed your guests lava?''
