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

the reincarnated one here, or this one, a friend of that creature,

whilst an elaborately armoured figure reclined in

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

is almost a zero percent chance that they don't know that! Surely!" Sloan said.

kill another golgari for some reason, why not let

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

like a Queen taking in

me to reach out to them?" Coolant offered. "I'll need to move a little closer, I don't think I can extend

"I'll arrange an escort."

ready to escort the mage closer to the enemy in a matter of seconds. Coolant had a thought

a thousand

"What do you mean?"

there. If we walk closer with a thousand, might they think they are

think a thousand is too many?" Sloan rubbed the top of her head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel

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

formally, [I

stone-people all communicated with each other for a

they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes to expunge the shame the creature

was rather taken aback by this. This guy came all the way out here chasing the Eldest? For what? Some imagined insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend