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.]

so good at being annoying, I suppose. If there’s a Skill for irritating

be

find

[No?]

She looks at me.

look back at her. And in many other

are

that old, why

[No reason.]

remember how old I was when I died, and it’s difficult to keep track of time

you find

have taken an interest in the clockmaking arts.

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

like they did when I was falling, but no. The massed fleet of hulking, armoured warships just sits,

be one thing, but this

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

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

the exact moment that Odin chooses

to learn that there are

my babysitters, Odin only groans, thrashing weakly with

their presence at all!] he

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

[Gah! Let me up!]

get back to see

turn to Eran Thouris. I suppose I should give a little thought to

[So, how was trade?]

interested in your foodstuffs, and we’ve arranged some contracts with several distributors. Tea was popular, as was the furniture, oddly enough. They don’t have ready access to wood, so they have to trade for

that’s good news, I

have to put up

gives me an