Chrysalis

"How was I supposed to know he was going to escape?" Granin said. "You think he was likely to admit such a thing right before he attempted it?"

"I've had reports that much of the mental communication between yourself and the ant were shielded from prying. Why would that be?" Gravus rumbled, uncharacteristically keeping his temper in check.

Granin's eyes widened.

"Because, as my charge, and as a reincarnated individual, Anthony had those rights within the cult. I swear by the Worm, you boneheads don't even remember what he is!"

"He was a monster under the control of the cult," Gravus growled.

"He was an individual under the care of the cult," Granin ground out.

The two old Shapers glared at each other, openly indulging in their mutual dislike. Granin felt his knuckles itch with the desire to punch this sorry sack of a stone right in the face again, just to prove a point, but he restrained himself. He was being interrogated and didn't particularly want to drag the rest of his triad down with him.

"And I suppose the frequent meetings with the other reincarnated individuals under our care, leading to the escape of one of them, had nothing to do with your machinations?"

"Machinations?" Granin snorted. "The only plotting here has been going on in the vast space between your ears. It's natural for them to want to communicate with each other, given their shared history. Each of those meetings was approved, by your triad, and, just maybe, James was eager to escape because he feared being forced into combat to the death. You know, like you did to Anthony, and then to Sarah."

Gravus puffed up with indignation.

"You know very well that the specimen known as Sarah volunteered for the role. She has relied on the Shapers for many years, it's little surprise that she wants to give back."

believe the old blowhard would be able to spit those lines with

"ugly rumours. People are talking about Sarah, about

He leaned forward conspiratorially.

her

Gravus said through gritted

his own rictus grin. "It's this kind of disgusting conduct that gives Shapers across

staring contest whilst behind them Torrina and Corun rolled their eyes. He couldn't help himself, this leader of theirs. If he wasn't so busy sticking his nose into messes and stirring the pot, he'd have been inducted to the leadership decades ago. But, if he was able to practice that

had exploded. A few things had begun to happen at once. Officials scrambled to put together a suppression force. Warriors scrambled to insert themselves into that force in order to reap glory and rewards. Shapers rushed to get out of that force in order to avoid having their study routines disturbed, not to mention all that nasty danger that would be involved. But the most fierce and determined competition was surely the intense round of blame shifting that occurred amongst the

find someone to point the finger at when things got grim. Naturally the leading triad in the outpost had come to the most logical conclusion in regards to their own scapegoat. Granin and his triad had been working closely with the specimen in question and had agitated on its behalf most aggressively. It was very plausible that they knew

on her desk and her

going to be difficult to convince the city that you had no knowledge of what was going to take place, Granin," she managed to sound regretful. "If or when they come here asking questions then we are going to need to have some answers

and dangerous creatures against a wall, forcing them to make desperate choices that have endangered us

be saying that,"

start being honest now?" Granin

and inserted herself into

want to be detained then you are going to have to give us a compelling reason. Is there anything you can say in your

bring themselves to care. Not to say that the threat to their own freedom and safety wasn't real, it absolutely was, but these individuals no longer held any awe or fear for them. They now saw them

was tired of

word to be throwing around

situation calls for such a relaxed