Chrysalis

I’m not sure what I expected, honestly. Here in the base of Garralosh’s psyche, I kind of thought I’d be talking to a person. Instead, her mind is represented by an amorphous shifting mass that is at any one time part human, part crocodile, part Escher painting.

[I WILL KILL YOU.]

Good start!

[You do a lot of that. Killing I mean. Why do you have such a grudge against the people up here anyway?]

[THEY HURT ME.]

When she communicates, it’s like a psychic scream that punches into my mind with brute force. Unpleasant, to say the least.

[How the hell did a bunch of farmers and townsfolk hurt you? They could barely hurt me!]

[NOT THEM. OTHER’S. VENGEANCE.]

So.... To get back at the person who had chopped off her arm, she annihilated a kingdom full of innocent people. Yeesh.

[So, care to explain that dragging feeling I noticed in your memories?]

The second I mention it, her struggles double in intensity and my mind starts to ache under the strain of pinning her down.

[GET OUT OF MY HEAD!]

[No.]

Once again I’m able to master her, my will is superior. Neglecting her mental stats is proving to be a grievous error. I suspect the Karmodo has done a fair bit of mind magic on her and she doesn’t even remember it. I can only imagine the Lizard Wizard would have magnitudes for control and finesse than I do. I barely know what I’m doing!

[THE PULL. I EVOLVED TOO MUCH. TOO FAST. I WAS CALLED TO THE CENTER. OTHERS LIKE ME. ALL DEEPER.]

Called? By the System? Or something else?

[You don’t like remembering that you were human do you? Tried pretty damn hard to suppress it. Must have been part of what kept you... sane-ish. Even a cruddy life as a human was better than being a monster in the Dungeon I suppose.]

[DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER.]

much, you know. Then again, I’ve always sort of gone with the flow. The constant danger and the threat of death isn’t great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nice to feel

[NO.]

So what was the plan in the end? You came to the surface, destroyed a kingdom,

AWAY. BREAK THROUGH.

It’s never, just ’kick back and relax’ or ’vacation from murder’, just kill, kill,

[KILLED MY CHILDREN.]

me first, to

MINE. THEY ARE

Wait, I’m not

the mind of Garralosh would be... more than this. She’s super old! More than a century! Maybe even two! Where’s the accumulated wisdom of the ages? I suppose, if you spend all your time sunk in a brutal,

isn’t much left of the

and I do genuinely want to learn more about this once human turned murder lizard, it’s mainly a distraction for the careful spell I’ve been weaving. Here in this place, time isn’t passing on the outside, at least, that’s how I understand it. I’ve been in Garralosh’s head for

but

cage. A prison of mind magic that will bind

at one stage. I get you felt like embracing your new

ONE CAN STAND

can. It

[I’LL KILL THEM!]

[Yeesh. Back to this.]

sweet, sweet mana with all the grace and dexterity they can summon. The

ALL OF THE INSECTS WILL BE CRUSHED BENEATH MY FEET. I WILL CONSUME THE HUMANS AND TURN THEM INTO MORE OF MY KIND. THEN I WILL DESCEND

Whoa there!

for dear life. My mind strains to the breaking point, the very fabric of my mind coming apart at the seams as her desperate insanity gives the beast new strength. We fight a silent, mental war for a few minutes but I manage to subdue her once again. Come

you’ve spoken to Gandalf, then? Err..

I WILL KILL THAT CREATURE A THOUSAND

serious rage issues here. Not entirely unjustified, I suppose. It doesn’t sound as if Garralosh has truly enjoyed her second life experience. One out of five stars, wouldn’t stay again. My spell has almost completed. Just need to keep her talking

quick question. I know you don’t want to remember, but I can’t help but be curious. My name’s Anthony, by the way. I’ve kept that name from my old life. May as well, right? Do you remember your name?

in some other way. Instead, she grows still. I can feel

an answer. Cage is ready to go!

BAM!

I the one that’s locked