I am somewhat disturbed by that, and now more confident than before that animals here are smarter, she tells the delegate who did not vanish yet.

Thank you for confirming; we'll revise our animal-related policies with that in mind, says Sorturon. Do you have a broad overview you could give me now of what the priorities of the spirits are likely to be?

Your mind is sharp and clear and angled, more like a great crystal than a pool of water. You have such a division between emotion and reason, I think! It is... Tiring work to crystallize my ideas for you.

They will care about things continuing to be the way they are, or only changing in certain ways, or certain cycles, or specific phenomena, or the Four Elements, or particular locations, or their favored animals...

Hm. Do you think it might help for some of the gods I mentioned to come by and see if they can talk to them? They sound similar.

I cannot say without meeting them, but the worst case is not especially terrible.

I'll put in a request. It will take longer than the last one.

I will return to my glade now. I will listen for news. May peace and joy lie in the path ahead.

Thank you very much for speaking to me. And he's gone.

Elsewhere, about two hours after the Song of Annunciation was sung in a territory that seems far more like a garden than a random selection of wild forest, with many plants confined to particular areas and large open spaces cleared of underbrush, a dragon actually approaches the spot in question. Is the visitor still there?

Yes, actually, they're sending Elves for this and Elves are patient.

Hello! Thank you for coming out to meet me.

Head-tilt and feathers fluff up.

I am Pleased By Your Orderly Mind, strange visitor. You have learned to Sing the traditional greeting and Sing the music of minds, somehow. Those who intruded on my land before did not bother, but you show respect. You also do not smell like them. I sing a song of curiosity: What thoughts run through your mind to make you so different than the dead-skin-wearing brutes? Why have you come here? Is my garden not beautiful?

I'm not a human, but a similar species called an Elf; though even humans can behave very differently from the ones you've encountered. I have come here hoping to learn more about dragons, and spirits, and local animals, so that our discovery of this planet can be good for everyone. Your garden is exquisite.

(Thank you), I have worked hard on it and am Rightfully Proud. Seeking lessons and answers is a worthy task.

My people belong to an organization called Vanda Nossëo that often contacts new planets and then offers them trade and opportunity and the chance to travel and settle in more worlds.

Headtilt.

You sing of a great hive with vast reach. I know that I know nothing of the two-leg ways.

Trade, at least, I comprehend. Questions may be asked, but knowledge is a Treasure of a kind; Something will be given for something, and nothing for nothing.

She takes off one of her hair combs. Speaking of, would you like this as compensation for your time?

She lets out a cooing sound.

It is pleasingly shiny and finely crafted in the way that humans' things sometimes are; A good payment for several lessons, though more may be required if your curiosity is great.

Warden plods forward and ever so gently takes it between two large foreclaws, tucking it into some of her chest feathers and craning her neck to admire the effect.

Oh good, I'm glad you like it.

One thing we usually offer when we land on a new world is permission to join Vanda Nossëo, whereupon we extend defensive support if someone is attacked. We're worried about this being complicated with much of the humans' land having previously belonged to dragons, and even if the humans who originally stole it are dead now, the dragons might not all be.

The Kin may live for far longer than humans do if nothing slays us, yes. I think this will be true for some. Those who fought to keep their territory from humans have been slain, those who chose to flee would suffer the shame and harsh conditions of having no territory to call their own. Among those who fled, there will be those who died for one reason or another, and those who fairly challenged the territory of another and won it, and those who settled for poor lands not already claimed and perhaps still live. If they could not defend their territory from the humans, they did not deserve it.

We've been warned not to try to stop the humans hunting dragons, do you agree with that warning?

That seems moderately sensible, if somewhat oddly phrased. Perhaps you have misunderstood something. I will not beg for your protection, the nature of the world is that one must have strength and I would not depend on yours like a hatchling cowering beneath parent's wing. Though if you wish to hunt hunters and thus stop them from intruding upon my garden, I would not object either.

We don't wish to hunt anyone. Stopping hunters would take the form of moving them, more than fighting them.

Do you seek to avert Destruction in this way? Will you garden us and humans like I tend my Boars and Rabbits?

We'd rather have you as citizens or neighbors. The transition from uncontacted to part of the multiverse is sometimes delicate, and we don't want to condescend to people but being careless and slapdash gets people killed.

I do not have a concept of 'citizens'. If you learn the rules of Tradition and respect them, unlike the swarming and devious humans, you would make more acceptable neighbors than they.