Chapter 1232: Anthony On Tour - Recovery

Chapter 1232: Anthony On Tour - Recovery

It's not possible to overstate just how large an impact the incident at the Golden City had upon the Colony. For their part, the people of Atreum paid it little mind. From their point of view, the great and glorious defender of the capital had annihilated a pesky upstart, an ant gone rogue and acting alone. With the death of the offender, the empire was placated and reassured of their overwhelming power.

To the Colony, they took a very different approach. It was never confirmed which individual attacked the city, or why. Even though they continued to trade through the brathian merchant conglomerates, and even though they, on the surface, enjoyed friendly relations with the Silver City, never again did any ant set a single leg inside the city.

- Excerpt from 'Ant Relations' by Wattford.

Enid watched Anthony fall with horror. The phoenix faded away, the light fading and returning to the golden city from which it had come. Slowly, the eternal cloud returned, a halo that ringed the Atreum capital and home of the Child-Emperor.

From a great height, the enormous ant plummeted down. Even from this distance, Enid could see the smoke trail he left behind, a dark greasy stain that followed after him and stained the sky.

"We have to go and get him!" she pleaded to Eran, who had watched the entire exchange with a grim, stone-faced expression.

"It depends on where he falls," she replied shortly.

Enid turned to glare at her with stricken eyes.

"What do you mean?!"

"If he falls too close to the walls, he will land in the exclusion zone. We can't sail within a kilometre of the wall without permission."

"Damn their permission, that is my friend."

"This is my fleet. I will not risk my people! After the guardian beast of Atreum has emerged, the entire city will be like a nest kicked by a hornet! We'll be lucky if they don't sail out and claim him regardless of where he lands!"

It took an hour for the brathian divers and mages to bring him up and get him aboard the ship. It wasn't easy to move something as large and ungainly as a giant ant, but the brathians' water-manipulating skills were unmatched. A fountain erupted by the side of the ship, raising the wounded monster up and depositing him upon the deck.

He was a horrific sight. His carapace, normally a beautiful, purple diamond, was burnt and cracked. Several of his legs were completely gone, and only half an antenna remained. His eyes were the worst of it, and it was clear he was completely blind.

But he was alive.

[Thanks... for picking me up,] he told them all quietly.

He sounded beyond exhausted. He radiated misery. It was clear he wanted to be left alone, but the Eran asked him questions anyway, drawing disapproving looks from Enid.

[How did you survive?] she asked. [I thought for certain you would be killed.]

Anthony didn't answer for a long time, but eventually he did.

[The phoenix...] he said heavily. [Rammon... he wanted me to... to live.]

[But why?] Eran pestered him, shocked.

Anthony didn't reply. His one remaining stub of antenna turned toward the city, and he wouldn't respond to anyone.

Unable to get any more information, the Eran could only accept it and turn the fleet around. It was time to go home.