Chrysalis

“We didn’t really mean to burn Torpin’s rest,” Alis protested. “People just got a bit carried away.”

“We were lucky the Colony was there to keep casualties to a minimum and help rebuild. Things could have gotten very nasty,” Jern said.

“They provoked us!”

The gentle giant next to her frowned.

“Just because someone teases me, doesn’t mean I should punch them in the face. You’re the one who told me that.”

“That’s… true. Of course that’s true. But they shouldn’t have said anything about the Great One!”

Jern thought for a while and then nodded. There hadn’t been any need to insult their saviour like that. It was almost as if the leader of Torpin’s Rest wanted to provoke them.

He stepped over a pile of rubble, and extended a hand to Alis, which she grasped as she clambered over it.

“Then what about Deepward?” he asked.

His friend released his hand and brushed off her dress, trying to pat away the dust and ash.

judgement. I think people were just excited

tried to stop

Alis groused. “Deepward wasn’t that rude to us. Still, a little more manners

burned their city to

“Yes… that.”

carvers, judging by the size, so Jern put down his axe and helped them to lift, freeing it from the crumbling bricks that

more welcoming when we got to Jagtown,” Alis said firmly, “they let us in, Beyn preached, we rested and then left

they were really scared,” Jern observed, remembering. “People in Jagtown really seemed

people tended to avoid

Alis sniffed.

little fear is what it takes to bring out some good manners and hospitality, then that says a lot more about them than it

of this would have happened. He wondered if the hostile reaction they got was due to the pilgrims, or perhaps because these smaller cities were extremely paranoid living right on the edges

your city probably wasn’t great for your nerves. In some ways, it might have

got

shattered street and came to rest against the face of a statue commemorating the mining city’s founder. Some pilgrims

the chest with one finger. “We were super nice. We didn’t show up with any ants. We kept most of the pilgrims well back from the gates. Beyn did everything he could to appear non-threatening and harmless.

getting into spiritual disagreements and burning down cities was not what the pilgrimage was about, so

really didn’t want them nearby. Which was fine. If they’d just said so, then Jern was pretty sure

so. They hung banners on their walls mocking the Colony. They sang songs making fun of Beyn, of the pilgrims and the

city. If the ants had found out what was said…. Jern didn’t want to think