Chrysalis

Booms and thuds shake my cell as the battles continue out in the arena. With my Meditation Skill blunting outside influences my magic practice continues smoothly as Torrina batters my mind with her expert magical handling. To make things even more rude, she suggests that I order Invidia to participate in the training and somehow I'm talked into letting Invidia attack me with mental magic. After just ten minutes under their combined assault I'm ready to beg for mercy, which Torrina doesn't grant. After thirty minutes I want to collapse on the floor like a puddle, which Torrina refuses to allow. I could just order Invidia to cease his mind magic but somehow I feel like if I did that I'd lose.

[I was blinded by the sweet lure of levels! Damn you Torrina!]

The harridan in question frowns at me.

[If you still have the mental energy to whine at me then we aren't working hard enough.]

[I HAVE FOUR BRAINS DAMMIT. IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO THINK THINGS AT YOU.]

[Way too much energy. I'm going to increase the pressure.]

[Noooooooo!]

Me and my big…. Brain… The presence of the Colony within the range of my Vestibule is working against me now. Even as my brains strain to their breaking point, the cursed Vestibule is refreshing them with nourishing energy from my siblings. The end result is that I last another two hours before the threads of magic twist out of my grasp and collapse into nothing.

[I'm out! No more!]

Torrina nods, seemingly satisfied with my efforts.

[You've done well this time. Much better than before.]

[Guess I'm finally getting the hang of it! Ha! Ha… ha.]

[Hmm,] she eyes me suspiciously before leaving the cell to get some rest.

Speaking of which, time for me to do the same. Invidia and I snack on some Biomass and I have to whop him with an antennae when he tries to take my food. He didn't even bother eating his own food first, he didn't want his own food, he wanted mine! Being an Envy Demon must be a massive pain in the backside. He's almost totally incapable of being happy with what he has. That's rough.

Following the food it's time for torpor. I'm so out of it I could practically hibernate. I'm done. Time to snooze…

HAP! I'm up!

me to separate myself from the Colony in the first place. To be

When he sees me up and about a look of surprise flashes over

monsters have cells with stairs…] he grumbles as he

better cells than

those three chuckleheads up there?] He jerks a thumb at the triad of Shaper guards whose

There has got to be some sort of phobia to explain this

you'd be up this quick. Thought I'd have to wake you.]

Something that needs

He nods.

that meeting, but it'll only be with James, I'm afraid.

[What?! Why?]

covered

only that she

betrayed the escape plan, but it quickly fades. No, I don't think she would betray us. Much more likely that the jerks who keep jerking it up all over the place

forcing her into the tournament, aren't they?] I

think as well. I don't know if it's because they want you dead or if this was their intention from the beginning, but I feel almost certain that your

Well, that sucks.

odds would be if it actually turned out to be true?] I

escape before that happens, but if I have to fight her I'd like to know where

the blunt

about my magic,

his forehead and drags it down his

none. She's way more powerful that you, with far higher levels in her Skills and her species is both rare and dynamic. She's

these things, I'll just have to trust that he knows what he's on about. Which means I need to get the heck out

off to see

my way to the arena to

Jim!] I call out. [Have you

nod from the tail. At