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!

mental communication washed out over them, rippling through the

one, a

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

Eldest… Who else could they possibly want?" Coolant

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

the golgari wanted to kill another golgari for some reason, why not let them do it? One less

involved, there might be some element at play that we don't understand," Sloan sighed. "Anytime something weird happens, it's usually to

the Eldest gobbled down trouble like a Queen

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

"I'll arrange an escort."

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

thousand may

"What do you mean?"

over there. If we walk closer with

A thousand didn't feel like many

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

the Colony,] she started off formally, [I have come to clarify exactly what

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

We want you to bring them here so that they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes to expunge the shame the creature has cast upon his house with his own

this. This guy came all 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