Chrysalis

Nearly… there… just a bit more… I need to just… get this bit.. No! Stupid sub-brain, hold that bit steady! GAH! Other sub-brain! What the hell are you doing over there?! Just hold it steady, dammit! Cursing at my own minds whilst my other minds grumble back at me is confusing enough, but the four separate brains manage to steady the ship once more and I worked frantically to slot the final pieces of the construct into place.

Once the last frame was put in place I nearly winced, expecting the thing to explode in my face, but to my surprise, it held together, suspended in my mind and maintained by my main sub-mind. Mind you, just holding the thing in place was exhausting to that mind. The damn construct was so complicated I don't think the one sub-mind could even operate it whilst holding it together.

Maintaining a construct isn't as easy as just holding a ball in your hand, after all. It's more like keeping the molecular structure of the ball in mind at all times, as if it were your will that held it together, rather than physics. Which is exactly what's happening here. The construct will only hold together so long as I actively hold its shape. Without that conscious effort, it would dissolve like snow in an oven.

But FINALLY! It's complete! It took so much practice I thought I was going to go mad, but it's finally in place! This thing has been such a pain in the thorax to put together, it better live up to the effort that I put into it! Lousy magic. Why can't I just wave my antennae around and clack my mandibles a few times, eh?

Not wanting to push too hard, I get one of the smaller sub-minds to carefully feed a little mana into the construct. Ever so slowly, the mana seeps out of my core and is then directed into the all-purpose opening. Once the mana is inside, things get a little more interesting. Since the unattributed mana can take any of a dozen paths throughout the structure, it takes fine control to navigate the desired route and produce the element I want.

My sub-mind strains hard to maintain such a delicate grip on the energy but eventually the construct rotates and spits out a tiny amount of fire mana. Enough to heat a sausage. It's pathetic, and not nearly as much mana as I can produce from the fire construct with half the effort. Even so, I'm still happy with the result.

This represents progress! With more practice, I'll be able to form the construct without having to commit all of my minds to it, then I'll be able to operate without so much effort. Like any instrument, only diligent practice will allow me to operate the construct without having to consciously think about every little piece of it. Eventually, I'll be able to spit out as much of whatever type of mana I want.

up and running, I decide to continue practicing with it, directing my two smaller sub-minds to operate it whilst I go about my business. Even with the constant regeneration provided by the Colony within range of the Vestibule, I won't be able to maintain this level of effort

you succeeded, Master?] Crinis

Finally!] It's hard to keep

would only be a

I appreciate the vote of confidence! How

focus solely on shadow magic. I have

to make use of the mind constructs. Once you can

course, Master. I'll

you dare

side tunnel, getting some mandated rest whilst the scouts are out with the core shapers, trying to get a sense of the Legion's next move. Not far away, a steady stream of wounded continue to be taken from the forward field hospital to a more robust setup closer to the nest. Healers skitter about, anxiously tending to the much larger castes in their care. Since the healers are too

front with regenerative fluid and Biomass. Those injuries would heal in a few hours on their own. The more seriously injured, those with

arrived from the nest shortly after Sloan had returned, sent to help us brace the line. Even with our vastly superior numbers, it was just way too difficult to bring the armoured tin-cans down. My pets and I were able to help sway the fight tremendously wherever we were, but we just couldn't be

wielding demon again. I was quite happy when the others adopted my suggestion to just abandon whatever field he turned up to. We'd have to face him down eventually, but until we were forced to, putting ants in front of him was just throwing away the lives of our

"Working hard, Eldest?"