Chrysalis

As the approaching wall of legionaries draws closer, I perform a final check to make sure everything is ready for the battle to come. Do I have a giant ape? Check. Crazy shadow blob of unending horror? Check. Weird eyeball dude? Check. Omni-elemental construct fired up and ready to go? Check. Even my spiffy diamond carapace is back to full shininess. I couldn't possibly be more ready to deal out the pain.

[Tiny, you remember what you need to do?] I ask.

The big bat-faced gorilla turns to look down at me and nods slowly, a broad grin splitting his face.

[Tiny smash,] he declares confidently, one car tire sized paw patting himself on the chest.

With his patchwork armour and helmet strapped on, he makes quite the intimidating sight. Smithant outdid herself when slapping this stuff together, her work has kept the big fella’s injuries down to an almost unheard of level. He's going to need every bit of that protection for this one, as there is simply no retreat. We fight until the fight is won.

[How about you Crinis? Are you going to be alright?]

[I would rather stay by your side, Master,] she complains yet again.

inflict far more punishment on the enemy from where you are rather than hanging on the back of my carapace. There's no avoiding the danger this

I simply worry about you. I will do my best

your supply of shadow flesh runs out, you need

[I know!]

I've been doing all I can to try and make sure that my pets will survive the fight, but in Crinis' case, all she cares about is if I survive. Fortunately, I

you Invidia? You ready

firepower pretty heavily if we want to make it through this. The Legion is going to put a big target on him for sure and I expect a ton

to take what we have? I envy their

kicks into gear. Huge, dense arcing jets of sizzling acid fly overhead, the force of the shots so powerful that even the spray and drizzle lands in front of me. The artillery squad have really been amping up their Skill levels during these battles and the effects are clearly visible here. As I watch the burning liquid splash against

purpose of wearing down the barriers the Legion puts up, taxing their mages and soldiers alike. It's a great plan and I loved it, but this fight isn't like the others. This is going to be a grind. This is going to be a no holds barred head-butting contest until one side blinks. The bomb is a great piece of work, but it tires out my brains to the point that even with the Vestibule refilling my tank it

that none of the brains are quite up to the tasks they've been assigned on their own. Maintaining the construct and helping to create the desired

sense that I made the main mind the strongest and then only relied on it for biting and dodging whilst the smaller, weaker sub-minds have to do the heavy lifting magic wise? It doesn't does it? Ah well. It's not easy, but if I can maintain the delicate balance of ducking in with my main brain to help out when needed then it all comes together to a reasonable degree. It's not perfect, but it's usable. If fact, the time to put it to the test has finally arrived. I absentmindedly raise my abdomen to start aiming my own acid barrage toward the oncoming Legionaries whilst my focus turns inward. My main sub-mind is already straining under the pressure so I jump in to aid it as the two sub-minds begin to operate the construct. Raw mana flows from my core which is quickly replenished by the flow pouring up through my legs, before splitting into halves and entering the many layered sphere at two separate points. Now the magic really begins. As each segment of the construct rotates in its own direction, the sub-minds hold onto the flow of mana that they control and direct it carefully through a labyrinthine route that only they can see. As the energy traverses the construct, it begins to change, taking on the properties of the desired elements and then rising through the layers once more to exit, ready to