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.

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

I think the clouds are going to part. We should get a good look

look at

the Twin Cities for nothing.

glimpse of something golden breaking through, a beam of light that stabs

just any gold, but gold that seems to radiate the warmth of the summer

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

has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent.

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

for citizens only. Wealthy

I built a hut in the sixth, wouldn’t that be

day of the week, but it’s not like I don’t understand the appeal,] she sighs. [We brathians love to collect and display our wealth, but building something this expensive would give us a

such an absurd amount of resources just to make things look nice? Impossible.

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

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

grows more 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 don’t muck around when it comes

attractive artworks into the wall. Because of course they did.

we expect much trouble here?] I ask, a

have been waging a secret war against the Atreum that

a surprise to me as it is

fine. The Atreum can be a little bureaucratic, but they are a well-run and organised sort of place.

doom us before we