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.”

Just stop

“Fine.”

right?] the

this way to

just up ahead

the large, extravagant arch that crossed over the road. Smithant gazed up at it in awe. There were at least thirty different kinds of metal woven into the pattern, each expertly used to complement those around them. The

on Amazon, it's taken without the

find out who was responsible for this work. I refuse to believe everyone in this city is capable of

to Smithant’s pride. She knew she was younger than most of the smiths in the

can translate to the guide

just

only one way to find

if it’s known who was responsible for creating the arch above

[I’ll ask.]

under escort when moving around the city, as all ants were required to be. Not that the two ants felt threatened, their guide was an old lady who volunteered for the role,

for a

and Golden city were to some extent the work of the smith

continued after

method he used to shape the Soul

for a moment, all her enthusiasm gone. She was dying to know

There was an entire district of

the district proper. Immediately, she felt at home. The roar of the forge, the ring of the hammer, the sound of

business, and many of the shops had displays out the front, or people talking constantly,