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!

strange, undirected mental communication washed out over them, rippling through

one here, or this one, a friend

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

the Eldest… Who else could they possibly want?" Coolant

zero percent chance that they don't know that! Surely!" Sloan said. "… We have

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

there might be some element at play that we don't understand," Sloan

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

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

"I'll arrange an escort."

the mage

think a thousand may send the wrong

"What do you mean?"

If we walk closer with

the top of her head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel like many to her. Then again, she was an ant. "I'll send a

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

of the Colony,] she started off formally, [I

all communicated with each other for a long

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

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