Chrysalis

Coolant looked out from her perch next to the upper sally port of the great gate and felt nothing but confusion.

"Do you want to go tell him, or should I?" she said to Sloan who was clinging to the wall next to her.

The general shook her head, bewildered.

"I mean. They have to know, right? There's no chance that they don't know."

"I assume they know. I mean, what are the odds the two forces aren't communicating to this extent?"

"Almost none, surely. Such a lack of organisation in our foes would throw our plans way out."

"Hasn't this thrown them way out anyway?"

Sloan hesitated.

"That's… true."

The two of them looked out in silence for a few more moments at the totally unexpected scene before them.

"What do you think we should do?" Coolant asked, her scent as calm and unruffled as it always was.

"I don't know!" Sloan fretted. Why would these idiots perform this sort of moronic action now of all times? It didn't make any sense!

again that strange, undirected mental communication washed out over them, rippling through the ambient mana in the air and into their

here, or this one, a

first gate, a procession of golgari stood with one of their own forced to kneel on the ground at sword point whilst an elaborately armoured figure reclined in a chair next to him, watching all that occurred with an expression of detached boredom. Next to them a trio of

Eldest… Who else could they possibly want?"

here. There is almost a zero percent chance that they don't

kill another golgari for some reason, why not let them do it? One less for them to fight when they made a push

play that we don't understand," Sloan sighed. "Anytime something weird

could only nod to that. It was true. For whatever reason, the Eldest gobbled down trouble like a Queen taking in Biomass. The end result was something good, but the appetite

need to move a little closer, I don't think I can extend a mind bridge that

"I'll arrange an escort."

scuttled away and had a thousand ants ready to escort the mage closer to the

you think a thousand

"What do you mean?"

she counted quickly, "eight golgari over there. If we walk closer with a thousand, might they think they are being

head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel like many to her. Then again, she was an

nodded. A hundred should be fine. Shortly thereafter a procession of a hundred and one ants cautiously advanced toward the golgari delegation, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Sloan had considered things carefully and the delegation contained a healthy mix of mages, for raising shields, scouts, for detecting foul play, and soldiers, to hold the line in the

you on behalf of the Colony,] she started off formally, [I have come to clarify

other for a long moment before a reply

to bring them here so that they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes to expunge the shame the creature has cast

the Eldest? For what? Some imagined insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend the meaning behind such