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.

in judgement. I think

Beyn tried

groused. “Deepward wasn’t that rude to

we wouldn’t have burned

“Yes… that.”

came across several ants struggling to shift a beam of charred wood, carvers, judging by the size, so Jern put down his axe and helped them to lift, freeing it from the crumbling bricks that weighed it down. They waggled their antennae at him in gratitude and he smiled back before he picked up his

to Jagtown,” Alis said firmly, “they let us

observed, remembering. “People in Jagtown really seemed to want to avoid me. More

to avoid him at the best

Alis sniffed.

if a little fear is what it takes to bring out some good manners and

wondered if the hostile reaction they got was due to the pilgrims, or perhaps because these smaller cities were extremely paranoid living right on

next to your city probably wasn’t great for your nerves. In some ways, it might have been better if the Colony had just

got here, to

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

not our fault!” Alis proclaimed, jabbing him in 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

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

people of Blackrock really, really didn’t want them nearby. Which was fine. If they’d just said so, then Jern was pretty sure the pilgrims would have turned around and kept

the Colony. They sang songs making fun of Beyn, of the pilgrims and the Great One. If

loose on the city. If the ants had found out