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?”

glared and kicked him

not a giant,

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

of priests over there. I think the head priest too? And

friend made a frustrated noise before she started poking

she demanded, “I want

Jern looked around uncomfortably.

said, “but we need to move

“Ugh. Fine.”

path to the edge of the crowd. Once he was confident they wouldn’t be disrupting anyone, he

“Are you steady?”

I am.

on his head, idly twining her fingers through his hair

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

can tell the

Alis rolled her eyes.

look completely different. Look at that one, you see the different orientation of the front pair

“Yes?” he replied doubtfully.

the most curious, and they move around the most. If they’re connected to a human with a

a lot about the

on the head with her

our saviours! Most of our town was built thanks to

so,” he said,

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.

Alis said, leaning forward on his shoulder,

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

for interrupting your day, but this news could

nodded to himself. He recognised the

him

in public his words felt like they flew into your ears no matter what, but he held his

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

from Beyn. They were never

HAS SPOKEN TO ME DIRECTLY. WHISPERED WORDS

the crowd, and even Alis was bouncing up and down