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!

communication washed out over them, rippling through the ambient mana in the air and into their

one,

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 mages worked together, supposedly

could they possibly

There is almost a zero percent chance that they don't know that! Surely!" Sloan said. "… We have to talk

opinion, if one of the golgari wanted to kill another golgari for some reason, why not let them do it? One less for them to fight

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

Eldest gobbled down trouble like a Queen taking in Biomass. The end result was something good, but

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

"I'll arrange an escort."

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

thousand may send the

"What do you mean?"

If we walk closer

top of her head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel

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 stopped and parked themselves for a moment.

Colony,] she started off formally, [I have come to clarify exactly what it is that you

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

you to bring them here so that they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes to

insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend the meaning behind such actions, but she didn't let her confusion show. True to her name, she