Chrysalis

Gah! This is just getting worse and worse. I refuse to get pulled down by these damn Golgari again. I can almost feel the stony morons closing in from every direction. The tunnels must be loaded with these hunting triads, Warriors and Shapers alike. If they sent out four triads to hunt me the first time, how many are they willing to send out now? I'm dangerously close to not caring if they make it back to their city alive. Any outcome is better than them learning of the Colony's existence. Even more concerning, I can feel my siblings converging on this place. A thousand tiny points of light fluttering in my Vestibule, each creeping closer to me with resolute will. Stay away you morons! You need to protect the family!

[Tiny! Let them have it!]

…

"RUAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Freed from the shackles I placed on him, the giant ape freezes for a second before unleashing a shattering roar of pure savagery. His dark fur crackles to life and ribbons of electricity begin to spark across his body, coiling and twisting around his arms like jagged snakes.

[Invidia! Back him up!]

My little envy demon's eye narrows to a slit as he floats closer to the conflict, seemingly unimpressed at being tasked with babysitting his 'older brother'. Tiny is certainly not prepared to wait for him though, positively drooling at the prospect of cutting loose on these stubborn foes. The triad of Warriors facing him sense the change in the air and brace their weapons as the Shapers in the distance send another wave of offensive magic over their heads.

Tiny smashes his fists against his chest and roars once more. The power of his bellow is enough to shake the rock above our head. His eyes blaze red with fury and the crackling lightning rises to a chittering crescendo before he hunches forward and … vanishes. Only to reappear fifteen metres away, fist poised to strike down on an unsuspecting Golgari wielding a massive two-handed hammer.

What the HECK!??!?!

you Tiny? Fortunately for the stone covered fighter, the punch never connects. His nearby ally reacts just fast enough, flashing out a blade of sword-light that crunches into his own triad member, sending him crashing metres away as Tiny's brick of

is ready. In a mind-bending display of mastery, the air seems to warp as he grasps the ambient mana with his Will and forges it into

BOOM!

at which Invidia is able to manipulate the mana outside his body. For most mages, this is their bread and butter since, unlike monsters, they don't have the capacity to draw in and store mana to nearly the same extent. The ambient mana in the air, especially in the Dungeon, provides all the fuel they need to power their spells. Unlike most monsters, and much like myself, Invidia has been trained to use mana the same as a Sapient mage would,

You're the

help but

an unknown

I will

Still creepy though.

he now stands completely unharmed and raring to go. A devilish grin splits his face and he launches himself forward once more, fists ablaze with light. He snaps out a sharp one-two combo, sending

Fist-light!? And so fast?!

Gorilla boxing has evolved to a new level I see! All too happy to have someone else covering for him, Tiny launches a continuous, blistering offense against his hapless foes. As always, his fighting style leaves himself completely vulnerable, totally heedless of personal defence. Into this gap, Invidia seamlessly steps… floats? Barriers at clutch moments, illusions of lightning and monsters creeping out of the shadows combine with an endless mental onslaught to disorient the enemy and keep Tiny safe. Not to mention, the moment that Tiny does get hurt, a wallop of healing magic is going to hit him right in the face. THIS was the reason I was so intent on securing the services of a monster like Invidia. I'm tough enough to take the hits. I designed myself for that purpose after all. Crinis is smart enough not to get in over her head… most of the time, anyway. But Tiny can't. He can't manually control his evolution and even if he could, he'd only pack on more muscle and probably a fist on top of his existing fist for double the punching. His unstoppable offensive strength made him a powerful monster, but a vulnerable one. With Invidia here to cover for him, he can at last truly stretch

finally

the fight proper, they still aren't able to

I were able to cry. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to do that, since another two triads have looped around behind us. Don't you guys have something better to do? Like, anything at all?! Why all this fuss for an escaped ant and a useless worm!? As Tiny and Invidia hold down the fort on the other side, I posture aggressively to ward off these six. They seem

possibly more stupid as well… I whip together a mind bridge and try connecting to him on a