Chrysalis

[Yes, you] I snap.

Enid immediately stumbles forward until she reaches the side of the still sonorously praising one-armed priest.

I see her concentrate and then her voice appears in my mind.

[Wouldn't it be more appropriate to communicate with this man?] she indicates the priest, [it was he who led our people to this place].

This priest?! How the heck did he find me?! Does he have some sort of tracking device on me or something?! More likely he was able to follow our trail somehow but the bottom line remains, what the heck are these people here for? They certainly don't look as they've come to fight, judging by the number of women and children in the crowd, not to mention the sheer lack of arms.

[I will speak to you since I have had dealings with you before. Make it clear to the others I am speaking to you].

I don't want to talk to that guy. He makes me a nervous.

Enid take a moment to gingerly touch the priest on the shoulder and indicate that I am communicating with her using mind magic. Rather than disappointed, the priests face is overcome with enlightenment and he bows low before me, head nearly touching the ground, before he backs away to speak animatedly to the crowd. Nothing phases this guy…

[Enid. Tell me why these people have followed my family here to the wild lands]

After you vanished following the assault on the castle things settled down at first. Many of

her recollections are apparently

flames reached the so high it was sky was burning. We were

good at reading human expressions as perhaps I was before

many… Only thanks to Father Beyn did we survive. He rallied the survivors and organised a retreat. We ran from the town with nothing but what we could carry on our backs or throw onto a

without knowing what was happening we decided to flee south. We heard word of the colony's passage as we travelled. Father Beyn believed that perhaps you would be able to help us as you had in

hold much hope. Having interacted with me directly and taken part in the deception to save her village from themselves she knows that I am not an altruistic saviour from the

you will let us settle nearby and leave us in peace, that's all we can ask. If you aren't willing then

to prepare myself before the future generation of

Beyn I want him to get them settled make sure they don't

joyful, Enid passes my words onto the others. The people appear glad to some extent, a little light returns to their dark and dull faces. With a little more energy and spring in their step they turn as Beyn, delirious with joy at being entrusted with this task begins to lead

hobbles over to it and sits. I have no idea how she managed the journey at her age, trudging by foot over such a large distance. It was tiring enough for me and I'm

has happened Enid? Tell me what

swaying around her ears. [I don't know much. I think the monsters have invaded the surface. The capital got the worst of it, I can't imagine any other

thousands of people trapped inside those walls. It

lot about his work. It isn't normal for monsters to approach the surface like this.

that. To me, strange stuff has been happening ever since I arrived here, so I'm not too

the Croca-Beasts? I mean the Garralosh Infants? Why bring