[ANTHONY MY BOY!] Formo is back to his head thumping loudest. [CREATING A NEW SPECIES IS A GRAND ACHIEVEMENT! ESPECIALLY FOR A LOST SOUL SUCH AS YOU! GOOD SHOW! GOOD SHOW INDEED!]
His pronouncement is met with a chorus of "GOOD SHOW!" and "INDEED, YES!" from the gallery.
[Phew. I have to admit for a second there I thought you guys might get angry at me for making super intelligent monster ants.]
[BAH! WE'RE NOT SO EASILY FRIGHTENED! WE'VE FOUGHT OFF SWARM MONSTERS DOZENS OF TIMES!]
[HUNDREDS!]
[WE ARE NOT INTIMIDATED BY ANTS!]
[You know, that's nice to hear. It's good to find people who aren't afraid of monsters.]
[WHAT BOSH! WE ARE MONSTERS!]
[I even made a caste within the colony who are dedicated to core shaping after I was inspired by Formo's pets.]
[OUTRAGEOUS?!]
[HOW DARE YOU, INSECT?!]
[NOW, THAT IS THREATENING!]
[What really?!]
[NO! OF COURSE NOT!]
I sag to the floor a little, my legs splaying out. These Sophos are exhausting to deal with. Almost as if taking pity on me, the Sophos gather around to pat me on the carapace with their gnarled hands.
[It's rare that we find someone who values the shaping arts to such a degree. We're impressed, Anthony.]
[Thanks, Formo.]
[Lost souls such as yourself are not often in such a good position as you. Most that we come across are… disturbed, even from the beginning. That you have been able to defy the Dungeon and find a place in it is impressive.]
[Thanks. I've only run into one other of my kind and that was Garralosh.]
[Hmm. She died recently, did she not?]
[How do you know?]
[There are ways.]
[Be mysterious then. I know you mentioned another that you'd met.]
[Young Sarah! Fine young woman/bear.]
[BEAR?!]
[Indeed!]
[How is that fair?!]
[What? That she started as a powerful bear? And Garralosh started as a fiendish crocodile, whilst you were an ant?]
[Exactly?]
[Just another reason to hate the Dungeon!]
[QUITE SO!]
[HEAR HEAR!]
No need to remind me about that. These guys really carried a grudge.
[COME YOUNG ANT MONSTER. LET US DISCUSS THE FINE ART OF CORE-SHAPING, AND IF YOU WISH WE CAN SPEAK OF WHAT WE KNOW OF YOUR KIND.]
[That'd be great!]