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.

lapse in judgement. I think

Beyn tried

should have listened,” Alis groused. “Deepward wasn’t that rude to

have burned their city to the

“Yes… that.”

helped them to lift, freeing it from the crumbling bricks

when we got to Jagtown,” Alis said firmly, “they let us in,

“People in Jagtown really seemed to want to avoid me. More than usual, I

people tended to avoid

Alis sniffed.

a little fear is what it takes to bring out some good manners and hospitality, then that

that. If the pilgrims had received a normal welcome, then none 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

prosperous nest of monstrous ants right next to your city probably wasn’t great for your nerves. In some ways, it might have been better if

got here, to

across what remained of the shattered street and came to rest against the face of a statue commemorating the

kept most of the pilgrims well back from the gates. Beyn did

wrong, as Jern saw it. Beyn, the ants, and the pilgrims had decided that getting into spiritual disagreements and burning down cities was not what the pilgrimage was about, so they’d made every effort to minimise the chances of something going wrong. Every effort to avoid offence, or the appearance of threat

them nearby. Which was fine. If they’d just said so, then Jern was pretty sure

just say so. They hung banners on their walls mocking the Colony. They sang songs making fun of Beyn, of the pilgrims and the Great One. If that had been all, it might have been alright, maybe.

been forced to let the pilgrims loose on the city. If the ants had found out what