Chrysalis

[We hate you!]

[Don’t come back!]

[You’re hurting my feelings! Why don’t you fly over here next to me and say that!]

[Get stuffed!]

[In your dreams, mate!]

[Turn off your lousy magic and THEN talk smack, ey? EYYYY?!]

[Why don’t you come over here and make me? Huh? Need me to go easy on you? Too weak for the real stuff?]

[Get off our island!]

[Yeah! You bleedin’ cheat!]

[Bah! All of you can bite my carapace! Your mums are all classy ladies, but you’re rubbish!]

To a chorus of mentally projected howls and insults, I float down and away from the Wandering Isle. Some of the Magpei follow, unwilling to let us go without getting the last word in. I take note of how they keep their distance from me, though, unwilling to be caught up in the gravity well.

Gweheheheh.

It’s taken a lot of mana to maintain it for this long, but it's been worth it. Looking at the suffering expressions of their faces every time they try to fly up and punch me has been a joy, bringing light to my dark, dark heart.

[Are you still going with them?] the mage, Olivis asks me.

[Of course! As long as they’re willing to serve it up, they’re going to get it back.]

[There will never come a time they are unwilling to serve it up. They’re the Magpei. They’ve been doing this for thousands and thousands of years.]

suppose. If there’s a Skill for irritating strangers, they must have it all

energy. They want to be

don’t find it…

[No?]

She looks at me.

look back at her. And in

are

that old, why do you

[No reason.]

Honestly, it’s hard to remember how old I was when I died, and it’s difficult to keep track of time as an ant. It’s not like we hang calendars all over the place,

content: if you find

clockmaking arts. So… it probably won’t be long until we do carry them

force platform, me lowering myself gracefully with my gravity well, I get a good look at the Legion fleet. Interestingly, they didn’t seem to bother us all that much while we dealt with the Wandering Isle. From what I know, only a

intend to take pot shots at us, like they did when I was falling,

would be one thing, but this is just them staring at me like a starving person staring at

insults at me, but I think I’ve had my fun. With a flicker of concentration, I

dark nature of the forbidden one begin to recede, like oil on an ocean falling back from a pristine beach. Ah. I have

the exact moment

learn that there are other ants protecting

babysitters, Odin only groans, thrashing weakly with

didn’t sense their presence at all!] he

not! They’ve specifically evolved and mutated to make

[Gah! Let me up!]

there and think about how not to be weird. When we get back to

Eran Thouris. I suppose I should give a little thought to the actual purpose of our

[So, how was trade?]

with several distributors. Tea was popular,

good

to put up with

me an exasperated