Chrysalis

“What’s going on?” Jern asked, confused.

“Something’s happening in town, I’ve no idea what, though. People just started running!”

That did indeed seem to be the case. Wherever Jern looked, people were poking their heads out of their houses and wandering toward the centre of town, or jogging down the streets after coming from the fields.

“Come quickly!” he heard a voice calling from somewhere closer to the square. “There’s big news to hear! Come to the cathedral!”

“To the cathedral?” Jern asked, confused. “What’s going on over there?”

His friend, Alis, stared at him as if he were being stupid.

“If you want to find out, then we need to go to the cathedral, right?”

“Good point.”

Feeling slightly foolish, he put down his shovel and scratched at his cheek awkwardly.

“Soooo, you want to come with?”

Alis shook her head, sending her blazing red hair swaying down her back.

“Of course I want to find out, I’m only standing around here because I’m waiting for you! Hurry up!”

“Oh,” Jern chuckled, trying to hide his embarrassment as he stepped out of the stables and into the street, being careful to avoid running into anyone. “I’m ready, let’s go.”

The two joined the flowing crowd of people as they made their way toward the largest building in Renewal. The cathedral towered over the burgeoning city; its tall, lavish spires and elaborate carved ants were an awe-inspiring sight, one that Jern frequently found himself gazing at, lost in the endlessly complex lines of the stone. In front of the cathedral, filling the town square, the crowd was abuzz with energy, murmuring and calling to one another, a hundred different conversations fusing into one, persistent roar.

“I feel like everyone in town is here,” Jern mumbled, uncomfortable.

He didn’t like being in crowds.

“Can you see what’s happening in front of the cathedral?” Alis demanded.

“Uhhh, yes? Can’t you?”

kicked him in the

I’m not a

that, even when she wasn’t comparing herself to

I think the head priest too? And a

made a frustrated noise before she started poking him in the

she demanded,

Jern looked around uncomfortably.

said, “but we need to move to the side. I

“Ugh. Fine.”

it wasn’t hard to make a path to the edge of the crowd. Once he was confident they wouldn’t be disrupting anyone, he reached down and grabbed Alis by the waist, effortlessly lifting her up

“Are you steady?”

course I am.

with a hand on his head, idly twining her fingers through his hair as she peered intently

here,” she observed, “and soldiers. That’s unusual. There’s even a few generals and carvers! Why on Pangera would

can tell the difference?”

Alis rolled her eyes.

they all look completely different. Look at that one, you see the different orientation

“Yes?” he replied doubtfully.

a carver. The big ones are soldiers, that’s easy, the generals are smaller than them, but bigger than the mages, and they have larger mandibles. The mages can be a little tricky to work out, but they always seem the most curious, and they move around the most. If they’re connected to

know a lot about

on the head with her

want to learn about the ants? They’re our saviours! Most of our town was built thanks to them. And

he said, idly scratching at his

Except they had more legs. He knew about the nests and that there was Dungeon stuff and all that, lower down, but he’d never

leaning forward on

right hand up, just in case she fell, as he tried to spot what she’d seen. There was a lot

so quickly, my fellow citizens of Renewal. And I apologise humbly for interrupting your day, but this news could not wait for

that’s Beyn,” Jern nodded to himself.

him

was so good at talking in public his words felt like they flew

HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO DIVINE INTERVENTION!” the priest suddenly roared, his words rolling through the crowd like thunder. Jern

speech from Beyn. They

GREAT ONE HAS SPOKEN TO ME DIRECTLY. WHISPERED WORDS OF

even Alis was bouncing up