Chrysalis

The moment this Wallace guy revealed the locations of the gates, the Colony sprang into action. I could hear orders being snapped out as ants began to gather in teams, flooding away towards the fort on the outskirts of the city. Even my heart skipped a beat. This could be a major blunder! We'd anticipated the gates would be here, in the centre, and so they were, but we didn't foresee that there'd be more around the edge of the city! Almost all our forces are concentrated here for the final push! If those gates open and those Legion nutters come pouring out…

"One of us should go," I tell Mother, "those Legion soldiers are no joke, as I recall."

Though I was super weak back then. I have no idea what their relative strength would be now, realistically.

"Which of us should it be?" she asks me. "I'm willing to go where I'm most needed."

I hesitate. I need to stay here to help communicate, but I'm worried that the fort will prove to be the more dangerous of the options.

"Go to the fort," I tell her reluctantly, "as soon as I'm done here, I'll head up there as well, just in case. Make sure you take a few members of the council up there with you. If it turns serious, we'd rather have more firepower than we need than not enough."

The Queen's antennae twitch.

"What about you, child? Will you be alright here?"

I suspect she thinks I'm taking on too much here.

"Not to worry," I assure her, "I alone would be enough."

ants marching into the distance as I focus back onto the idiot priest and the negotiations taking place with the guard

and dismantle that gate as soon as possible,] I urge Beyn, [no delays,

be able to make it over to that fort

within the next two minutes or we'll be charging over the

wall. The people are unlikely to react

can understand what the captain is worried about. If a riot breaks out inside, where I imagine

not our problem. If his people can't control themselves then they become another obstacle that we'll overcome. Those gates are coming

flinch, or any of the other behaviours I would expect, he looks as if he's about to laugh before he turns back toward the walls. We give him

The Colony and I stand around, impatient

they'll let us

know what's good for them!"

Is it more than just knowledge that Gandalf the wise is slipping into our brains? Something to chew over

elaborate buildings, terrified of the monsters that they find in

crazy people! Taking all the heat for us! I appreciate your sacrifice. Several large buildings loom within the square but the Captain wastes no time (for once) and directs us

the gates appear to be collecting mana and storing it, which leads me to believe that the gates need

in, study everything they see and break the gates down into segments, shearing the stone with clean bites so it can be reassembled and studied back at the

that's when it

mean. I could see his face amongst the crowd, screwed up in anger and frustration, much like many of those around him. Unlike those adults, this child had the courage, or lack of understanding, to express that feeling. Winding back his little arm, he

me, and honestly what could it do, even if it did? I understand all this, it's common sense for someone who'd been human, like me, to know that a little child isn't going to have some sort of mega-grenade to hurl at the biggest and baddest

family who lack my level of understanding, young and foolish creatures