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!

undirected mental communication washed out over them, rippling through the

this one, a friend

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 mages worked together,

mean the Eldest… Who else could they possibly want?" Coolant wondered with some

the Eldest isn't here. There is almost a zero percent chance that they don't know that! Surely!" Sloan said. "… We

for some reason, why not let them do it?

the Eldest is involved, there might be some element at play that we don't

true. For whatever reason, the Eldest gobbled down trouble like a Queen taking

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

"I'll arrange an escort."

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

you think a thousand may

"What do you mean?"

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

too many?" Sloan rubbed the top of her head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel like many to her. Then again, she was

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 event the others needed to retreat. Once they had covered half the ground toward the first gate, they

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

stone-people all communicated with each other for a long moment

may duel the High Blade Balta.

the way out here chasing the Eldest? For what? Some imagined insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend the meaning behind such actions, but she didn't