"- what would happen if you did too much magic?" asks the prince.

"Oh! Nothing, mostly, unless I did a lot," Puna reassures him. 

"But it's not a completely unlimited resource, just a renewable one. And gods' magic is only really renewable when our own people are involved, so I shouldn't do magic for Amentans unless it's important."

She shifts to look at him directly. "Are there any important things I should do for you with magic? That seems like a good place to start."

"The thing that would most change the world for the better would be a way to get to other planets so we could have more room to put people," he says. "But if I understand correctly you didn't make this portal?"

"No," she admits. "It just appeared, as far as we can figure out. But there might be another way to solve the problem."

She thinks. "If it's about space to put people, I could make you some islands? I don't know if I could manage travel to other planets straight away, but I could maybe figure out how to do it eventually, especially if your scholars know more about the other planets and the space between them than ours do." 

The head-woman is looking between them, rather nonplussed. 

"Islands would be wonderful in the short term, but Amentans want a lot of children and can fill them up fast. We do know a lot about where planets are, and we can travel to some of them, but the ones that are close enough to reach in a lifetime aren't habitable. Another thing that occurred to me when you said you were a god of spring is that the reason everyone wants so many children is because of a drive that mostly happens to us during the spring; I don't know if the people of your world have anything quite like it."

"It doesn't sound familiar...but like I said, Kotinga's the expert on children, not me," she admits.

"Oh, I could fix the not-habitable planets! That's a thing I can do!"

"That would be amazing!" says the prince enthusiastically.

         The head-woman coughs.

"Oh, sorry! Was there something you wanted to talk to each other about?" Puna asks. "If not, I suppose we should let Wikolia get back to work."

         "With all this talk of needing land," Chieftess Wikolia says stiffly, "I would very much appreciate an assurance that you do not intend to take it from Corth. I mean no slight," she adds, "but such things have happened in our history, you see."

"They have happened in ours, too. For internal political reasons Shi Alassei does not maintain our own army," Shiresk says. "But I'm confident our Tapai allies will be much more enthusiastic about friendship with you and your gods and terraformed planets here than about trying to attack you."

"I should probably make it clear," Puna says, suddenly very serious, "that if any Amentan countries do decide to conquer any part of Corth, those countries will not get nice habitable terraformed planets." 

She grins. "Terraformed. That's a good word, I like it."

"It's good to have that clear," says Shiresk. "I'll make sure it's conveyed to everyone else."

"That resolves my concern," Chieftess Wikolia says. 

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Prince Shiresk, but I must return to my duties. I trust the Lady Puna to handle matters here on behalf of my people." 

"It was a pleasure to meet you too," he says, "please convey the best wishes of Shi Alassei to your constituents."

"Thank you, young man. I shall."

She bows again, then turns and makes her way back through the portal and home to her village. Most of the motu clustered around the Corth side of the portal have also dispersed by now, and the remaining few leave with their chieftess. 

Puna waves to them as they leave.

"So! Who should I talk to about planets?" she asks brightly.

"Would you like to come to the palace with me in the helicopter and meet my mother?" he suggests. "Then we can call Tapa."

"I'd love to!"

Puna is literally bouncing at the prospect of getting a closer look at the helicopter.

"Can I see how it works? Ooooh, can I fly it?"

"...unless your translation spell works on helicopter controls that probably wouldn't be safe," says Shiresk. He leads her to the helicopter. There's a purple guy at the controls.

"It works on writing..." she says, distracted. 

"I'll just watch, this time. I can watch, right?"

"Sure. You'll want to sit down for takeoff."

And when she's sat up they go.

This is so exciting!

Between the technology and the view, Puna is going to be thoroughly distracted for most of the ride. 

Shiresk has a few questions - how old is she, how many motu are there, what are their diplomatic relations with the other species like.

"I don't remember. I was around before the first motu...I don't remember the first elves, but that might just be because I wasn't paying attention?"

"Uh, let me just check...around sixty million? A lot of them live in different places..."

"Pretty good, I think! No-one's tried to start a war with any motu in, oh, three or four hundred years?" 

"Our years or your years?"

"Oh! Right, only one hundred of yours, I forgot."

She goes back to gaping out the window.

"Wow, you fit a lot of people into not very much space. I guess that makes sense..."