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?”

and kicked him in

a giant,

even when she wasn’t comparing herself

of priests over there. I think the head priest too? And a few ants. More

before she

me up,” she demanded,

Jern looked around uncomfortably.

said, “but we need to move to the side. I don’t want to block

“Ugh. Fine.”

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

“Are you steady?”

course I

idly twining her fingers through his hair as she peered intently in all directions, absorbing everything she

There’s even a few generals and

tell the difference?” Jern

Alis rolled her eyes.

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

“Yes?” he replied doubtfully.

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 a human with a mind bridge, they usually try and turn their body to face them directly, which is a giveaway. See! That one over

really know a lot about the

on the head

our saviours! Most of our

he said, idly scratching at

had more legs. He knew about the nests and that there

leaning forward on

fell, as he tried to spot what she’d seen. There was a lot of movement amongst the priests, until finally, one

humbly for interrupting your day, but

Beyn,” Jern nodded to himself. He recognised the

Alis hissed, rapping him on the

Beyn was so good at talking in public his words

INTERVENTION!” the priest suddenly roared, his words rolling through the crowd like thunder. Jern could visibly see people blown back by

a good speech from Beyn.

ONE HAS SPOKEN TO ME DIRECTLY. WHISPERED

got a strong reaction from the crowd, and even