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

a

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

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

friend made a frustrated noise before she started poking him in

me up,” she demanded, “I want to

Jern looked around uncomfortably.

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

“Ugh. Fine.”

him 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

“Are you steady?”

I am.

her fingers through his hair as she peered intently in

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

the difference?” Jern

Alis rolled her eyes.

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

“Yes?” he replied doubtfully.

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!

a lot

on the head

our saviours! Most of our town was built thanks to them. And they’re so

so,” he said, idly

legs. He knew about the nests and that there was Dungeon stuff and all that, lower down,

said, leaning forward on his

to spot what she’d seen. There was a lot of movement

for interrupting your day, but this news could not wait

to

hissed, rapping him on the

his words felt like

through the crowd

a good speech from

DIRECTLY. WHISPERED WORDS OF

got a strong reaction from the crowd, and even Alis