Chrysalis

The pain Granin had been experiencing in his head had only grown more pronounced as they continued to travel toward the Golgari gateway network. Having banned his two fellow triad members from conversing with the specimen, he was forced to take responsibility for all communication onto his own shoulders. This had quickly proven to be both irritating and exasperating. Being dragged, legless, through the expanse and into the tunnels over a period of days wouldn’t do anyone’s mood any good but Granin was starting to believe that the creature was diverting its frustration into annoying him and trying to provoke Balta at every opportunity.

Like the time the leader had walked behind the monster, a foolish move as it turned out. From seemingly nowhere the creature had unleashed a blast of sticky acid that had etched away the Warrior’s True Skin before they’d been able to remove it, an affront that had driven him almost berserk with rage. No matter how many times he warned the monster that antagonizing a powerful and connected individual like Balta was a bad idea it didn’t seem to care. After the acid attack came more clacking laughter every time the warrior came near. Balta had attacked the monster twice more, the second time managing to cut through the carapace and draw blood. Not that the creature seemed too perturbed, the injury was healed in minutes.

During this period of observation, Granin took copious notes. His role as a member of the Circle of Shapers and member of the cult meant he was well versed with documenting monster characteristics, not to mention his superiors in the cult would expect a full report of the monster. Initially he’d had some doubts about the capability of the creature, an ant was historically pathetically weak by itself. Terrifying in large numbers, to be sure, but amongst the Dungeon’s most unthreatening creatures when battled alone. That this specimen had managed to accrue such strength and powerful evolutions from such a weak base was fascinating. Of course, the reborn monsters, those whose soul had been reborn, either experienced an accelerated start due to their greater than the average monster intelligence, or burned out spectacularly, unable to adjust to their new existence. The cult had found several such creatures over the centuries, not many compared to how many were created by the Dungeon, but they were documented obsessively when they were found. Several had been sponsored by the cult but none had been able to achieve the seat of the final ancient.

Granin didn’t hold much hope for this particular specimen, but he was starting to think more of it than he had at first.

[Any chance you remember where your second servant went?]

[You know, I honestly don’t remember having a second servant... Me and Tiny, that’s the way it’s been for a long time.]

[You know I could stop healing your ape friend, how long do you think he would last if that happened?]

[I could kill you, me and everyone here with one spell. Let’s play nice, eh? Aren’t you trying to cooperate with me? Holy moly, there’s no need to get your knickers in a twist. Make sure you heal my ape and bring him along with us and I’ll have another reason to go along with what you say. Accept the leverage I’m offering you!]

The blasted creature had a point.

Despite the obvious intelligence, impressive defensive ability and magical prowess, he wasn’t sure the monster would be successful in receiving the support of the cult. They’d been cultivating monsters of their own, they had prospects they’d been supporting from the shadows for a long time, it wouldn’t be easy to supplant these established prospects.

extended and potent wave had occurred. Granin wasn’t close enough to the upper echelons to have an inkling what they were thinking, but something about the atmosphere was growing colder, people were on edge and a flurry of urgent meetings had been arranged. That in and of itself was unusual, the cult was a secret society after

checks! Shapers to the fore!" Came

taken five days since the capture of the monster to get to this point, far longer than it would

Before them stood a seeming dead end, a tunnel that

[This is a gate?]

I need to concentrate

it? What kind of magic is

This

sense, I suppose. Puncturing a hole in space or time or whatever

[I’m not talking anymore.]

Good luck stone

and raised their hands. He focused hard and reached out to connect his mind to that of his second, Nium. What made this even more difficult was that he wouldn’t be able to draw on the assistance of Laksham, since she was occupied concealing the great ape they’d been forced to heal and keep alive in the shadows

to reveal and then activate the runes etched into the tunnel wall. Enchanted monster cores buried into the

in the second strata, such a thing was blinding and Granin had his

of white that seemed to stretch forever in

solidify the link, forming a bridge of

gate will open in five seconds," he ground out, "we’ll hold it for twenty,

Shaper business and he had no place sticking his nose