Chrysalis

They're digging in for the long haul, and I hate it. I hate it! I don't want them to be this sensible! Constructing a fortified position? Securing their supply lines? Pushing forward with caution? No! This isn't what I want to see! I want them to charge ahead, frothing at the mouth and underestimating us to the point of stupidity!

I can wish, can't I?

After digging our way out of the tunnel and healing up our injuries, my pets and I retraced our steps until we met up with the relay scouts. After sending word back to the Colony, I decided we'd be best served here, keeping an eye on this new threat, determining how severe it was, and sucking up all the XP in the area. The more we take for ourselves, the less that they'll get. Not to mention, the number of levels I need to complete my fusion, my next big power spike, is getting lower and lower.

But spying on this mystery army is proving to be a right pain in the rear-zone. We can't get anywhere close to them. Their guard is up so high I can't even see over the top of it. Those stupid monster detecting crystals are in place, they have mages in every patrol around the outside of their camp, a camp they built with almost ant-like efficiency, I might add. It seems as though they have every method of monster detection I know of installed already, as well as a few I don't. When I sent one of my babysitters to go investigate as best, they could, even they were detected before making it much past the guards.

How the heck were they able to detect them?! There must be some method I haven't heard of yet… Since then, they've been relatively quiet, but it's been less than a day. They send out patrols to investigate the nearby tunnels, but they don't go far. Certainly not far enough that I feel comfortable trying to engage them, they're just too close to the reinforcements.

Their numbers are another thing we don't know. There's more of them than I initially thought, and the camp that's been set up certainly seems like it would hold hundreds, but I just don't know enough.

And Morrelia. I'd kind of hoped that she'd come out here I'd have a chance to talk with her, ask a question or two. Like, "Hey Morrelia, how have you been? Why are you with these armoured murder-bots who are trying to take my head off?" When was this something that happened?!

Too many questions and I have no answers.

I find myself seated in a disgruntled tangle of legs, my senses focused on the tunnel ahead which twists and turns and after three kilometres leads to the zone inhabited by those tin cans when a fresh scout approaches.

"Eldest! Word has come from the Colony!"

"Finally! What's happening up there?"

I've been waiting a long time for this! Although, I have to admit that the relay system the scouts have worked out is lightning fast. These poor scouts have run a heck of a long way to the Colony and back.

"The Golgari invasion force has been sighted, and preliminary engagements are taking place."

"Holy moly!"

indirect combat is the information I have at this

of the

aware of it if

Dammit.

thanks. I appreciate

I'm not entirely sure what my speciality is… I can work that out later! Gah! I'm going crazy just standing around here cleaning my antennae, watching this mystery force entrench themselves whilst I can't

there, and then what if something terrible happened here whilst I was on my way?! We have two

no point sitting here banging our heads against the wall. We need levels and Biomass,

ready to go in a moment, stepping forward (or floating, or just hanging onto my carapace) eager

and get me, I'll leave a pheromone trail, but I want you all to be very careful. We don't know enough about what's happening here, and I don't want to see my siblings waste their

back to their careful monitoring of the tunnels, and I head upwards, ready to dig into

Nearby.

daft boy!

his attention on the array. Braxis nodded in satisfaction, not taking

have movement," he muttered, "but who,

his mind, not only with the crystal monster detection array in front of him but also on his own mage-armour. The enchantments and cores woven into the bulky metal and stone plates

grizzled senior mage asked the young

his mind harder, right to

through his brain before backing off with a

I think it's rising, along with

Braxis grunted.

find with a field array, even for me. Almost all of them are moving out, in five minutes they'll be out of range. There's still a few around though.

his own horrible joke, whilst Donnelan forced out a weak grin. Braxis was a veteran mage of the Legion and certainly a far higher level than new blood like him. It

here, you go report to the commander. I get the feeling he'll want to know what's