Chrysalis

I find Jim and Sarah in a place I didn't quite expect, visiting the golgari prisoners, which is an unexpected convenience for me. As I bustle onto the scene, my pets in tow, my two fellow ex-prisoners appear to be getting ready to leave.

[Hey there you two! How've you been?]

I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing humanish reactions from giant monsters. Jim is a gigantic worm, he basically doesn't have a face, you can't even see his mouth most of the time, but I can still recognise the awkward jerking motion he makes as he reacts to my voice.

Sarah, for her part, has a much more standard face. Eyes, nose, big ol’ horrifying bear maw filled with death fangs of murderising. Standard. Those huge eyes blink slowly as she looks down at me for a moment.

[Anthony? I-I didn't expect to see you here…]

[Yeah, I've been ignoring this lot for a while. Letting them stew in their own juices, as the fairly disgusting saying goes. I guess I'm not that shocked to see you here, considering how long you were… a guest of the cult. Manage to get anything out of them?]

[I'm afraid not,] she says sadly, [they don’t want to open up to me. I can't get any answers out of them about what they planned to do with me, or why. I guess I just wanted to know what made them want to turn on me.]

[Self-interest,] I shrug, [isn't it always? That's why you're better off hanging with the Colony. If you ask one of these ants if they're self-interested, they'd probably slap you in the face.]

[What about you Anthony?] Jim interrupts suddenly, his tone a little sharp, [can you make the same claim? You aren't an ant like them, after all, you were human once.]

I'm a little taken aback at these words, but I consider for a moment and do my best to answer.

[I don't think I'm particularly self-interested, or selfish. I didn't have that many wants or needs in my past life. I mean, some security would have been nice. Physical or emotional, either one, I'm not picky. Could have used some heat in the winter actually, those last few years were rough. Perhaps a few less beatings? I always wondered about that, you know? They knew I didn't have any money, so why continue the beatings? I tried asking once, but -]

[Jeez, I don't need your life story. I just want to know you won't turn on us to look after yourself like they did,] the big worm jabs his ringed tail back towards the improvised 'cell' the golgari are being kept in.

I scratch my head with an antenna.

you die,

freezes for a

rather not talk about

food to an ant colony I'd raised in my room. There were so many of them, I kind of figured they'd need it more than me,

you, Anthony,] Sarah says quietly, [I think you

with an antenna, [all the people from Earth who wind up

enormous bear lumbers to her feet and begins to plod down the corridor, her

Jim,] she calls

is aghast. [We just

feel motivated.

[Fine, fine.]

hope Sarah managed to keep herself under control. Having an insane raging doom bear stronger than myself tearing the tunnels apart would be a

two in, I almost stumble over. It's clear the ants don't have any real understanding of

eight mages placed about the place watching them like hawks, you'd never

having a quick chat," I inform

do much. Maybe talking to you will stir something

give us any meaningful intelligence, but at the least we might be able to use them as bargaining chips. It's unlikely, given how willing their leaders were to throw lives away, but I

reach out with a mind bridge and feel it snap

you would come to gloat,] Irette Plamine sneers

you even sneer over a purely mental form of communication? Her face didn't move, but

] I ask,

on us? Taking us captive and placing us in your control where once you were in ours?] she seems almost flabbergasted that I

two were here. There's a lot going on around here

member settles her down and turns to