Chrysalis

Anger boils inside me at the thought that these moronic Shapers would dare to kill my siblings! Outrageous! They've nobody to blame for their current circumstances but themselves, I've no pity for them at all. My attitude toward the Golgari is hardening at a frightening pace. If I hadn't had such positive experiences with Granin and his triad then there's a possibility that none of the Shapers would have made it out of this assault alive. I suppose that's a dark thought, but these people are messing with my family! That's not something I can allow anymore.

[Crinis, do you think you could jump through to the Shadows in the next room?]

[I'll need a distraction. They'll be on the lookout for a tactic like that.]

[Not a problem. I can give you all the distraction you'll need. Keep your senses open and wait for your chance.]

[Right, Master!]

…

[That means you need to climb off me and move to the side.]

[… No it doesn't.]

[Yes, it does! What's the point of me drawing their fire and creating a distraction if YOU are the one being hit?!]

[But…]

[No buts! Get your nightmarish gloop over in that corner and wait for a chance!]

get Crinis to climb off of me and out of sight in a corner where

her feeble attempts with ruthless precision, she'll be glued back onto my carapace before too long anyway, I need to enjoy this brief moment of freedom whilst it lasts. Troublesome pet dealt with, I approach the fire zone at the end of the corridor, an area covered in ants clinging to any piece of cover they can find and blasting acid at the mages whenever they

support?" I demand

They're

Makes sense.

been attempted here?" I

the second they

Hmmph.

got what they deserved for it,

"Yes, Eldest!"

the corridor. It arrives after a few seconds, a wave of fireballs, bolts of ice and other more esoteric magics that detonate, shatter and otherwise peter out against the rubble without finding a target. In the next moment the ants step from cover or raise their

POW! POW! POW! POW!

the ants begin to duck back down again in anticipation of the next wave of spells. This is the time I choose to spring from my cover and unleash my

POW! POW! POW!

The Shapers, who'd been preparing to return fire, are shocked to see their precious shield begin to bubble and steam as my acid begins

but I'm hoping it prevents them from seeing me coming. Flames belching out from between my mandibles, I race down the

BOOM! THUD!

the other direction, slamming into my carapace with impressive force. The best I can do to protect my eyes is lower my rear legs as I run, creating an angle to protect the top of my head, but the damage adds up. It's not as if they can miss me after all. I'm a giant ant-fish in a rather small barrel at this moment. As

SHING!

Or not!? My momentum crumbles for a moment as an almost clear shard of ice flies through my flames and lodges deep in my carapace. Ouch! Someone put a huge amount of mana into that thing! But it's only enough to slow me down for a second. The corridor is only twenty metres long and after another two strides I burst through the opening and slam bodily into