Chrysalis

Putting the servants on the defensive was only phase one of the plan, but it appears to have worked. There are six of them here at the moment, and possibly more still in hiding, but so long as we’re careful we should be fine. It’s rare that every mage comes when I turn up, in fact the one time they did we just turned around and ran off. However, it seems that the Lizard Wizard can’t spare them and that remains the only time I’ve seen all of them in the field at once, luckily for us.

[Don’t let yourselves get roasted,] I warned my pets.

I wouldn’t put it past either of them to go too far and try to tank a few spells in order to try and help me. It’s a wonderful spirit but I’m not willing to risk the health of my pets for something as small as this. If this attempt doesn’t succeed, then we’ll just try again until either we succeed or die trying.

[I’m being careful, Master] Crinis assured me.

[Grrrrr] Tiny grunted.

Time to put more pressure on these mages!

I continued to blitz around with my dash skill, which rapidly drained my stamina but I didn’t have a choice, what with the fireballs and infernos that were being conjured around me. Even so, I managed to find the time to squeeze off a cheeky shot from the business district. A bit of guerrilla marketing, if you will.

POW! POW! POW!

All three shots hammered home onto the hastily raised shield of one mage who had the enjoyable experience of their line of sight being covered with a sticky, adhesive acid that began to bubble and hiss as it ate away the magical protection that surrounded them. Nasty!

Another mage hampered, another step closer to the ultimate victory. Now for the next one. Rolling underneath a jet of flame one of the mages unleashed at me, nearly catching my own antennae on fire, I spun expertly and fired once again!

POW! POW! POW!

Three more blasts of acid, one more inconvenienced mage!

maintaining their barrage, what with the imminent threats to their lives, so

POW! POW! POW!

three mages now tied down by acid and with Tiny and Crinis occupying one each, (Crinis has extended even more tentacles, completely covering her victim from view) that left me with just one mage with an unobstructed view of the fight. Let’s call that mage, Biomass A. Even with the

fire magic so much in fights like this. They clearly have other options but

smaller minds begin to activate the external mana manipulation skill they have become so familiar with over the last week or so, and begin to try and drain away the mana that sustains

of my target became even more frantic as the mage felt what I was doing, desperately trying to fend off my physical body as well as the intruding tendrils of my sub-brains that were busy trying

friend, Biomass A. I shall taste the sweet,

bound slaves that they are. Ultimately though, what does it matter? Willing or not, they’ve been doing their

then. Big daddy (or mommy, I shouldn’t assume) lizard wizard is getting mad now that

*CRACKLE*

It won’t be long before the lightning starts

last few hours. Like a hunting party of angry tribesmen, they lofted the spears over

metal poles. At this sort of distance, you can’t control the lightning too precisely, can you Mr Lizard? No, no, you have to use this big overhead mess of a spell at this sort of range and although you might get through to me eventually, how much time do you

respective targets but it was me who drew the ire of the lightning. By circling and tormenting my target, Biomass A, I appeared to have angered the Wizard Lizard deeply, which meant that Tiny and Crinis were

*BOOM!* *BOOM!*

the lightning would fall close to me, but other times it would jag towards the

tearing at its barrier with my minds and even chomping down on it to test its strength. The entire engagement had only

a smash and grab tactic, we were here for a good time,

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon!

me! Fire

only a matter

passed before suddenly Crinis’ voice

[Master!]