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.

with its stupid shininess. Thinks it’s all that! Well,

to part. We should get

look at what?]

don’t call them the Twin

but, for 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 clouds part, the

And it’s covered in GOLD?! Not just any gold, but gold that seems to radiate the warmth of

be worth a damned fortune, and you decided to coat your damned outhouse in it? Make it

been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on

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 context with those around it. Whoever made this city was determined to make it so

up there. That’s for citizens only. Wealthy citizens at that. You’re looking

built a hut in the sixth, wouldn’t that

week, but it’s not like I

Colony would never do it either,] I admit. [Spending such an absurd amount of resources just to make things look nice? Impossible. It’s too inefficient and doesn’t provide any material

love this place, but for the most part, it's filled with the people of Atreum. Humans, by

all the humans are. No giant magic lizard-wizards, no second-skin rock people, just humans. I mean, humans are scary enough by themselves, but at least

beautiful the closer we 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

the wall. Because of course they did. If Michaelangelant

trouble here?] I ask, a little

have been waging a secret war against the Atreum that I haven’t heard

have, it's just as much a surprise to me

and organised sort of place. We have all our documents sorted well in advance. We’re the kind of merchants who

of course, doom us before we