Chrysalis

[Haul that monkey butt, Tiny! We need to move, move, move!] I shout as I zip after my pets.

Invidia has seized hold of the big ape with his stick-thin arms and clings to his black fur as Tiny leaps and bounds forward with all of his strength, making the little demon flap like a flag in a high wind. Lagging behind as always is Jim, and I catch up to him in no time.

[Jim! You need to pick up the pace! The Warriors have caught up to us!]

[What?! How many? He shrieks.

[Just the one.]

[Did you … finish it?] He asks, desperately.

[No time. Doesn't matter anyway, there'll be more in the area, which is why we need to move.]

[I'm trying, damn you... I'm not … built for this!]

His thoughts come with gaps breaking up each sentence as if he doesn't have the energy to think coherently anymore. The stress of the situation is having a distinct effect on him as well. I'll try to reassure him.

[Don't worry, Jim. Just a few more minutes and we'll make it to the Colony. I can sense them, hundreds, maybe thousands. Just keep pushing, and we'll get there. I won't leave you behind. If the Golgari catch up, I'll hold them off with my pets, alright?]

[O-Okay…]

Keep

compound vision, it's not a big deal to focus in all directions. It won't take long for the Warrior I left behind to catch up again, that mental barrage is something he can probably shake off in a few

keep the mental construct suspended in my mind in case I need a bit more of that brand of magic. It's plenty useful for distracting and disrupting enemies without doing anything too lethal to them. If I'm forced to it though, I'll abandon it for

their heads up before hissing in our direction

if they attack us. More chaos is

we continue to sprint past the pack who, thankfully, leave us alone. If they get tangled up with the Warriors, then I'll be a happy little insect but based on my

and a ripple of feeling twitches

BOOM!

heck are these guys coming from?! I can't even sense them until they're almost

my feet and dash forward, my legs a blur as they move faster than my eyes can

Gogogogogogo! WHOA!

BOOM!

Another one!

back to dance for your amusement?! Don't make me laugh! I throw myself forward

OOF!

it but the sheer force is enough to make me stumble for a brief moment, which isn't enough for the triad to catch up as I spin my legs and rush away once more. They're going to

through it with a powerful stab. That's precisely how my diamond carapace works, whilst also being way shinier. I'm incredibly resistant to cutting, and thanks to my inner-plating, I'm pretty damn hard to

guys want to fling more sword light my way, I'm more than happy to take them. Just don't cut off my

Damn stone-heads, just get out of my way already! Their stubborn refusal to let me go is driving my anger toward them to rise, to the point where I don't even mind if they reach the Colony alongside me. That will just mean that none of them will return to

Arrrgh! No! Bad Anthony!

the brakes and screech to a halt as I call