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.]

is why they’re so good at being annoying, I suppose. If there’s a Skill for irritating strangers,

don’t see anything wrong with matching their energy. They want to be discourteous, rude and confrontational? Fine! I

find

[No?]

She looks at me.

at her. And in many

are

why

[No reason.]

to remember how old I was when I died,

if you find

the clockmaking arts. So… it probably won’t be long

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 few of them came up, not Morrelia, sadly, and other than

as we descend, I wonder if they intend to take pot shots at us, like they did when I was falling, but no. The massed fleet of hulking, armoured warships just sits, idly, with many a soldier and officer

were admiring my glorious carapace, that would be one thing, but this is just them staring at me like a starving person staring at

on the ship, I lower myself into position, flopping on the deck once more. Mapgei are STILL floating overhead, flinging insults at me, but I think I’ve had my fun. With a flicker of concentration, I allow my focus to lapse and the well to dissipate, the mana spreading out and losing its properties as

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

exact moment that

going to learn that there are

my babysitters, Odin only groans, thrashing weakly

presence at all!]

specifically evolved and mutated to make sure you

[Gah! Let me up!]

there and think about how not to be weird. When we get back to see Sarah again, I want to see

bitterly struggling demon, I turn to Eran Thouris. I suppose

[So, how was trade?]

with several distributors.

that’s good news, I

to put up with the Magpei’s pecking

me an exasperated