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.]

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

their energy. They want to be discourteous, rude and

find

[No?]

She looks at me.

look back at her. And in many

are

that old, why

[No reason.]

human and my time as an ant… I guess my age would be… what? Sixteen-ish? Less? Honestly, it’s hard to remember how old I was when I died, and it’s difficult to keep track of

of content: if you find this

clockmaking arts.

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

I wonder if they intend to take pot shots at us, like they did when I was falling, but no. The

but this is just them staring at me

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

the forbidden one begin to recede, like oil on an

moment

that there are other ants protecting me

ground by three of my babysitters, Odin only groans, thrashing weakly with

didn’t sense their presence at all!]

not! They’ve specifically evolved and mutated to make sure

[Gah! Let me up!]

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

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

[So, how was trade?]

some contracts with several distributors. Tea was popular, as was the furniture, oddly enough. They

good news,

we didn’t have to put up with

gives me an exasperated