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 the

not a giant,

point out that, even when she wasn’t comparing herself to him, she was still

see. There’s a gathering of priests over there. I think the head priest too? And a few ants. More than

frustrated noise before she started poking him in

up,” she demanded, “I want

Jern looked around uncomfortably.

need to move to the side. I don’t want

“Ugh. Fine.”

leading the way, 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

his head, idly twining her fingers through

here,” she observed, “and soldiers. That’s unusual. There’s even a few generals and

tell the

Alis rolled her eyes.

that one, you see the different

“Yes?” he replied doubtfully.

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 there is doing

know a lot about the ants,

the head with her left

wouldn’t want to learn about the ants? They’re our saviours! Most of

so,” he said, idly scratching at his

they were regular people who lived and worked in Renewal just like the rest of them. 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 needed to worry about that.

happening,” Alis said, leaning forward

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

for gathering so quickly, my fellow citizens of Renewal. And I apologise humbly for interrupting your day, but this

that’s Beyn,” Jern nodded to himself.

rapping him on the head

since Beyn was so good at talking in public his words felt like they flew into your ears no matter what,

words rolling through the crowd like thunder. Jern could visibly see people

a good speech from Beyn. They

SPOKEN TO ME DIRECTLY. WHISPERED WORDS OF GODLY WISDOM DIRECTLY INTO

and even Alis was bouncing up and down