Chrysalis

The sack of the Silver City marked a point of no return in the great war. Though the ants turned back, and did not commit the final blow against the Child-Emperor, none within the Atreum Empire could ever tolerate peace from that moment onward.

I believe the Colony knew that. I believe they never intended for there to be peace in the first place. It was simply their way of letting the rest of us know the stakes they were playing for.

- Excerpt from ‘Reflection on the Great War’ by Gonvas

Smithant was in heaven, or hell, depending on the moment. Everywhere she looked, she was surrounded by fabulous metalwork that she didn’t understand, which was good! On the other mandible, everywhere she looked, she was surrounded by fabulous metalwork that she didn’t understand, which was bad….

“Reveal your secrets to me!” she demanded, staring at a rubbish receptacle.

“It’s lucky the humans can’t pick up what you’re saying,” Cobalt observed. “None of them would trade with us because of your babbling.”

Smithant clacked her mandibles in irritation.

“Metal talks,” she replied flatly. “By observing the patterns, the lines in the metal, the sound it makes when struck, there are a thousand ways to learn about it through observation.”

“That doesn’t mean you should go around threatening people’s front steps.”

“Metal talks, and I like to talk back,” Smithant said, unbothered.

Cobalt laid a sympathetic front leg on the back of her friend’s carapace.

“You’ve been too lonely, haven’t you?”

“Get off of me.” The smithing expert shrugged off the leg, waving her antennae in irritation. “Stop being ridiculous and focus on what the Eldest asked us to do. We have a guide, let's make use of the time and get what we came for.”

stop yelling

“Fine.”

right?] the brathian mage,

Is it this

street, and just up ahead you can see where the

wasn’t that difficult to discern, due to the large, extravagant arch that crossed over the road. Smithant gazed up at it in awe. There were at least

you stumble upon this tale on Amazon,

was responsible for this work. I refuse to believe everyone

would be a blow to Smithant’s pride. She knew she was younger than most of the smiths in the world, but she believed her love for metal and her dedication

Irisod can

just

way

like to ask if it’s known who

[I’ll ask.]

required to be.

and Irisod exchanged words for a

to some extent the work of the smith Gyllan. He was the lead smith commissioned by the Child-Emperor to construct the capital, along with the

after

method he used to shape the Soul Silver and Heart Gold to create the twin cities

was lost? Smithant slumped for a moment, all her enthusiasm gone. She was dying to know how it

matter, time to get moving. There was an entire district

sound of singing steel

many of the shops had displays out the front, or people talking constantly, appealing to the people passing