Chrysalis

I suppose to some, it might be considered appealing… sort of. Others, perhaps some would say, those with better taste would call it tacky! Overdone! Gaudy, even!

Then again… no, no, I will not admit it! There’s no tunnels! How can any place be considered the best without nice, wide tunnels? It can’t, end of discussion. The roads do seem nice and spacious, though.

Bah! Who would ever want to dwell in a house covered in metal? Nobody! Even if that metal was… so soothing, and emitting such a glorious, ephemeral light….

DAMMIT!

I connect a mind bridge to Eran Thouris who is leaning against the railing next to me, looking smug.

[Well?] she asks.

[It’s nice.]

[Nice?] she asks, raising one scaled brow.

[Very nice.]

That’s all she’s gonna get out of me.

Mount Atreum, heart of the Atreum empire that bears its name, rises tall and imposing from the shimmering waters of the Lake before us. From the waterline up, the great and glorious Silver City covers the slopes. And I do mean covers. There isn’t a single square inch that hasn’t been developed, all enfolded within six rings of mighty walls. That’s not to say there aren’t any green spaces, oh no, there are frustratingly luscious and attractive-looking parks all over the damn place! The rest of it is large, well organised buildings connected by clean, wide streets. All of it, ALL of it (not the trees, obviously) is covered in what I’m told is Soul Silver.

And it is absolutely stunning.

Thinks

are going to part. We should get a good look at it now,]

look at

don’t call them the Twin Cities for nothing. There!

a moment, I catch a glimpse of something golden breaking through, a beam of light that stabs me right in the eye. Then, like magic, the

Not just any gold, but gold that seems to

even do that?! That metal must be worth a damned fortune, and you decided to coat your

tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report

to pierce the heavens, easily several kilometres high. Each is a work of art, as if someone let Michaelangelant off the chain for a thousand years. Beautiful in design, delicate in construction, each line is aesthetically pleasing in

That’s for citizens only. Wealthy citizens at that. You’re looking at the most expensive real estate in

hut in the sixth, wouldn’t that be worth more? Since it’d

any day of the week, but it’s not like I don’t understand the appeal,] she sighs.

admit. [Spending such an absurd amount of resources just to make things look nice? Impossible. It’s

place, but for the most part, it's filled with

finally, we find the place where all the humans are. No giant magic lizard-wizards, no second-skin rock people, just humans. I mean, humans

get, stupid city, with the Legion continuing to shadow us on the way. The outer wall looms large as we draw closer, and I mean, really large. These people clearly don’t muck around when

wall. Because of course they did. If Michaelangelant is in this fleet, she is frothing at the mouth

here?] I

people have been waging a secret war against

much a surprise to me as it is to

be a little bureaucratic, but they are a well-run and organised sort of place. We have all our documents

of course, doom us before we even