Chrysalis

Since leaving Midum, Isaac and his fellow survivors had made good time. Isaac found it was easy to motivate folks when they were escaping a literal horde of savage monsters that had killed almost everyone they knew. Glad to have survived, worried that it wouldn’t last, the townsfolk and former guardsmen and women had packed their stuff with alacrity and hustled their way south, following the directions that Morrelia had given them.

Thinking of Morrelia brought a smile to Isaac’s face and pang to his heart. He was deep in it, he could see that as sure as he could see the nose on his own face. He’d never been taken with someone on first sight like this in his entire life. Everything about her just seemed to punch him right in his most tender preferences. Strong, no nonsense, capable, decisive and built with a body that looked as if she could pick him and rip him in half with her bare hands.

Not to mention her raging temperament which had made him feel as if that might actually happen at any moment. Talking to her had felt like the best and most dangerous thing Isaac had done in his entire life.

Shaking his head to dismiss the lingering thoughts of the goddess who had captivated him so and tried to focus his mind on the literal mountain of an issue before him.

"It’s a pile ’o somethin’ alright" he muttered to himself, "just not sure if it’s the plops yet."

"You say somethin’ Isaac?" Anna, his fellow former Midum town guard queried from his left.

"Nothin’ worth hearing" he nodded toward the massive hill of dirt that rose before them, "what you make of it, Anna?" he asked.

The dour guard shook her head. "It’s well over my pay grade Isaac. I never seen anything like it."

’Aint that the truth, Isaac thought to himself as he tried to take it all in. He’d been warned before he’d left Midum, spoken to again, at length, when they’d arrived at the village, but he still wasn’t prepared for the reality of it. A whole colony of monsters, living right next to a human village.

And apparently everything was... fine?

monsters larger than his old dog Toby ran about on the enormous mound of dirt at a feverish pace, carrying dirt out of the tunnels, shifting its position on

Anna as he watched the ants

eerie" she agreed after listening

way, they just moved around each other in perfect synch. The effort and energy they expended put human labourers to shame, without a word of complaint or a single individual shirking.

a cast, the fancy towers and gabled

but a trench filled with water, sure a wall wasn’t anything but a heap of dirt piled up, but it was the little things. The dirt wall had been properly braced against thick wooden posts, presenting a formidable obstacle to any who wanted to assault

even fed from their own channel network

turned on his heel and walked

"You’re finished looking Isaac?"

"Aye."

you

"I haven’t the slightest."

him, "it’s unnerving for them to settle down in a place so close to a pack

grunted in agreement, "not surprising, considering they were just chased

Isaac had to admit, the locals were a very ... passionate group of advocates. The priest in particular was relentless in his

priest had been welcoming, helpful, cheerful and tireless is his efforts to comfort the people of Midum, which was more than Isaac could have hoped for. It was just that the man was a little

friends?" Beyn called as he cheerfully

say payin’ homage, as such your worship. Just

looked towards the ant hill in the distance. "It’s incredible isn’t it? I can’t believe how fast they are learning, how fast they are changing! I

hurriedly cut him off. He’d already been subjected to one of father